TOUCH-BASED MOBILE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING TOUCH LOCK FUNCTION OF THE MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20110256848A1
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SHIN, Seung Woo, BOK, Il Geun
• Granted Patent: US 9,584,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A touch-based mobile device and a method for performing a touch lock function of the mobile device are provided. In the method, the device displays a touch lock screen in which a cover layer is superimposed over a specific underlying screen and allows the underlying screen to be visible. When an input of a touch moving gesture is detected, the device moves the cover layer depending on the touch moving gesture, and determines whether a distance of the touch moving gesture reaches a predefined critical distance. If so, the device removes the cover layer from the touch lock screen and switches the touch lock state to a touch unlock state, thus allowing a user to more conveniently switch the touch lock state to the touch unlock state.

Claims

1. A method for performing a touch lock function of a mobile device, the method comprising:

displaying a touch lock screen in which a cover layer is overlaid over a specific underlying screen to allow the underlying screen to be visible;

when an input of a touch moving gesture is detected, moving the cover layer according to the touch moving gesture;

determining whether an amount of the touch moving gesture exceeds a predefined critical distance; and

if the amount of the touch moving gesture exceeds the critical distance, removing the cover layer from the touch lock screen, thus switching a touch lock state to a touch unlock state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the underlying screen is one of a background screen and an execution screen of a selected application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cover layer is one of a transparent layer, a translucent layer, a transparent or translucent layer with an animation effect, a transparent or translucent layer with a touch unlock guide message, and a transparent or translucent layer with visual information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving of the cover layer includes moving the cover layer in accordance with the distance and directions of the touch moving gesture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the removing the cover layer further includes, if a touch release occurs before the amount of the touch moving gesture reaches the critical distance, returning the cover layer to an initial display state while the touch lock state remains unchanged.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving of the cover layer includes beginning to measure a touch holding duration when a touch gesture is inputted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining step further includes determining whether the touch holding duration exceeds a predefined critical time period.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein removing the cover layer includes, if the amount of the touch moving gesture reaches the critical distance before the touch holding duration exceeds the critical time period, removing the cover layer from the touch lock screen, thus switching the touch lock state to the touch unlock state, and if the touch holding duration exceeds the critical time period, returning the cover layer to an initial display state while the touch lock state remains unchanged.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cover layer is a transparent or translucent layer with a list of missed events.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the list of missed events via the cover layer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the moving of the cover layer includes determining whether a touch gesture is inputted on the list of missed events or at any region other than the list of missed events.

12. The method of claim 11, further includes, if the touch gesture is inputted at a selected one of missed event items in the list, displaying a detailed page of the selected missed event item, and if the touch gesture is inputted at the region other than the list, displaying the list of missed events.

13. A mobile device comprising:

a touch screen unit configured to detect a user'"'"'s touch; and

a control unit configured to;

display a touch lock screen in which a cover layer is overlaid on a specific underlying screen while permitting the underlying screen to be visible;

move the cover layer depending on the touch moving gesture when an input of a touch moving gesture is detected;

determine whether an amount of the touch moving gesture reaches a predefined critical distance; and

if the amount of the touch moving gesture reaches the critical distance, remove the cover layer from the touch lock screen and switch the touch lock state to a touch unlock state.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the touch screen unit is one of a background screen and an execution screen of a selected application, and wherein the cover layer is one of a transparent layer, a translucent layer, a transparent or translucent layer with an animation effect, a transparent or translucent layer with a touch unlock guide message, and a transparent or translucent layer with visual information.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the control unit is further configured to return the cover layer to an initial display state while the touch lock state remains unchanged if a touch release occurs before the amount of the touch moving gesture reaches the critical distance.

16. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

begin to measure a touch holding duration when a touch gesture is inputted;

determine whether the touch holding duration exceeds a predefined critical time period;

if the distance of the touch moving gesture reaches the critical distance before the touch holding duration exceeds the critical time period, remove the cover layer from the touch lock screen and switching the touch lock state to the touch unlock state; and

if the touch holding duration exceeds the critical time period, return the cover layer to an initial display state while the touch lock state remains unchanged.

17. A method for switching from a touch lock state to a touch unlock state in a mobile device, the method comprising:

providing a touch lock screen in which a cover layer is superimposed over a specific underlying screen for a display; and

determining whether an input gesture detected on the touch lock screen exceeds a predetermined distance, and if so removing the cover layer according to the detected input gesture, thus switching from touch lock state to the touch unlock state.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cover layer is one of a transparent layer, a translucent layer, a transparent or translucent layer with an animation effect, a transparent or translucent layer with a touch unlock guide message, and a transparent or translucent layer with visual information.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising, if a touch release occurs before the detected input gesture exceeds the critical distance, returning the cover layer to an initial display state to be superimposed over the underlying screen.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining whether a duration of the detected input gesture exceeds a predefined critical time period, and if so, removing the cover layer from the underlying screen, thus switching the touch lock state to the touch unlock state;

otherwise, returning the cover layer to an initial display state to be superimposed over the underlying screen.