GESTURE ENTRY TECHNIQUES

• US 20140109010A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Casey, Brandon J., Logan, Jake M., Cressall, Erik M., Cotterill, Stephen H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,372,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Techniques are provided for entering and saving a gesture on a touch-sensitive display device. In one embodiment, the device displays an array of visible graphical elements and may detect a gesture based on a user'"'"'s touch of the visible graphical elements as well as on hidden areas not displayed to the user. For example, the device may detect a user'"'"'s touch over hidden dots between the visible graphical elements or through hidden lines connecting the visible graphical elements. Some embodiments may include algorithms for improving accuracy in detecting the intended gesture. For example, the device may estimate possible or probable paths based on a current user touch position. In some embodiments, the visible graphical elements may be illuminated when a touch of the visible graphical elements is detected, or a disc representing a user'"'"'s touch may be displayed as the user enters a gesture.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display; and

data processing circuitry configured to cause the touch-sensitive display to display a gesture entry screen comprising a plurality of selectable graphical elements displayed on the touch-sensitive display and a plurality of selectable touch-sensing areas not displayed on the touch-sensitive display, receive an entered gesture comprising a combination of selected selectable graphical elements and selected touch sensing areas, analyze the entered gesture to determine an estimated gesture, and save the entered gesture.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the selectable graphical elements comprise an array of visible dots displayed on the touch-sensitive display.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the touch-sensing areas comprise an array of hidden dots not displayed on the touch-sensitive display.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the array of hidden dots is a subset of the array of visible dots.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the array of visible dots is a subset of the array of hidden dots.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the entered gesture comprises only a number of selected visible dots.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the entered gesture comprises only a number of selected hidden dots.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the entered gesture comprises receiving the combination of the selectable graphical elements and the selectable touch-sensing areas selected during a user-selected time period.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to assign a strength indication based on the combination of selected graphical elements, selected touch-sensing areas, a combination of selected selectable graphical elements and touch-sensing areas, or combinations thereof.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the strength indication comprises a bar that transitions from empty to full proportional to the estimated strength of the entered gesture.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein receiving the entered gesture comprises receiving the combination of the selectable graphical elements and the selectable touch-sensing areas until a strength of the entered gesture is estimated as strong.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensing areas comprise a plurality of hidden lines that connect respective graphical elements to an immediately adjacent graphical element, an immediately diagonal graphical element, or a combination thereof.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the entered gesture comprises a number of crossed hidden lines.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the entered gesture comprises a number of a combination of selected selectable graphical elements and crossed hidden lines.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to display a disk representing a user'"'"'s gesture entry while the entered gesture is received, wherein the disk position corresponds to an estimated position of the user'"'"'s gesture.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to illuminate the selectable graphical elements when the selectable graphical elements are selected while receiving the entered gesture.

17. A method comprising:

displaying a plurality of selectable graphical elements on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device;

receiving an entered gesture performed on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the entered gesture comprises a combination of selected selectable graphical elements and selected touch-sensing elements, wherein the selected touch-sensing elements are not displayed on the touch-sensitive display; and

saving the entered gesture.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the entered gesture comprises receiving the combination of selected selectable graphical elements and selected touch-sensing elements until a strength of the entered gesture is estimated as strong.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising displaying an illuminated disk representative of a path of the entered gesture while receiving the entered gesture.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the entered gesture comprises receiving a first selected graphical element or touch-sensing element and receiving a second selected graphical element or touch-sensing element that is not adjacent to the first selected graphical element or touch-sensing element.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein saving the entered gesture comprises utilizing the entered gesture for a future authentication process.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein saving the entered gesture comprises utilizing the entered gesture for a future authorization process.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein saving the entered gesture comprises restricting access to the electronic device if a future entered gesture is not substantially similar to the saved entered gesture.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein saving the entered gesture comprises allowing access to the electronic device if a future entered gesture is substantially similar to the saved entered gesture.

25. A touch-sensitive electronic device configured to receive an entered gesture performed on a gesture entry screen, wherein the entered gesture comprises a combination of selected selectable graphical elements and selected invisible elements, estimate a path of the entered gesture based on the combination of selected graphical elements and selected invisible elements, and save the entered gesture.

26. The touch-sensitive electronic device of claim 25, wherein the touch-sensitive electronic device is configured to assign a strength indication based on the combination of selected graphical elements and selected invisible elements in the path.

27. The touch-sensitive electronic device of claim 25, wherein the touch-sensitive electronic device is configured to estimate the path of the entered gesture further based on a subsequently selected graphical element or a subsequently selected invisible element.

28. The touch-sensitive electronic device of claim 27, wherein the touch-sensitive electronic device is configured to assign a strength indication based on the subsequently selected graphical element or the subsequently selected invisible element in the path.

29. The touch-sensitive electronic device of claim 25, wherein the touch-sensitive electronic device is configured to receive multiple selections of at least one graphical element while receiving the entered gesture.

30. The touch-sensitive electronic device of claim 25, wherein the touch-sensitive electronic device is configured to receiving multiple selections of at least one invisible element while receiving the entered gesture.