SECURE NOTE SYSTEM FOR COMPUTING DEVICE LOCK SCREEN

• US 20140223542A1
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nook Digital, LLC (f/k/a Barnesandnoble.com LLC) (Bahwan CyberTek Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hicks, Kourtny M., Brewer, Dale J., Cueto, Gerald B., Hargreaves, Andrew, Mesguich Havilio, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for recording secure notes from the lock screen of a computing device. A note recording user interface may be accessed from the lock screen to allow a user to leave a note, such as a text, video, audio, or drawn note, or some combination thereof. The notes left using the note recording user interface may be saved such that only the intended recipient can access them, for example, after unlocking the computing device, thereby preventing others from seeing previously saved notes. The secure note system may include a retrieve notes function that allows users and/or recipients to retrieve the recorded notes directly from the lock screen of the computing device used to record them. The secure note system may also be configured to send notifications to inform the recipient when a secure note has been recorded (e.g., email or text message including copy of note).

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a display for displaying content; and

a secure note system accessible from a lock screen of the computing device and configured to receive electronic notes when the computing device is in a locked state and save the electronic notes such that they can be later accessed by a recipient having access to the locked computing device.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the computing device is one of a desktop computer, laptop, netbook, tablet, eReader, mobile phone, smart phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), video game console, handheld gaming console, portable media player, and a handheld navigation system.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the secure note system is configured to receive at least one of text notes, video notes, audio notes, and drawn notes.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a camera and a microphone to facilitate recording at least one of video notes and audio notes.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the saved notes are later accessed by at least one of using a passkey while the device is locked, unlocking the device, and using a passkey after the device is unlocked.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the secure note system includes a note recording user interface accessible from the lock screen that facilitates recording the notes from the locked device.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the secure note system includes a note viewing user interface accessible only when the device is unlocked to allow the recipient to perform at least one of viewing, editing, deleting, and sharing the saved notes.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the secure note system includes a retrieve notes interface accessible from the locked device to facilitate at least one of viewing, editing, deleting, and sharing recorded notes by a user that left one or more recorded notes.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the secure note system is further configured to provide a notification to the recipient after recorded notes are saved.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the secure note system is user-configurable.

11. A computer readable medium encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause a process to be carried out, the process comprising:

providing a note recording user interface for display on a lock screen of a computing device, the lock screen restricting access to the device, wherein the note recording user interface is configured to receive electronic notes; and

saving recorded electronic notes such that they can be later accessed by an intended recipient having access to the computing device.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the note recording user interface is configured to receive at least one of text notes, video notes, audio notes, and drawn notes.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the recorded notes are accessible by at least one of using a passkey while the device is locked, unlocking the device, and using a passkey after the device is unlocked.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the recorded notes are accessible via a note viewing user interface that allows the intended recipient to perform at least one of viewing, editing, deleting, and sharing the recorded notes.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11 the process further comprising the preliminary step of providing a selectable recording interface icon on the lock screen of the computing device.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11 the process further comprising the step of providing a notification to inform the intended recipient when notes have been received.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11 the process further comprising providing a retrieve notes interface for display on the locked computing device, the retrieve notes interface configured to allow access to previously recorded notes.

18. A computer readable medium encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause a process to be carried out, the process comprising:

providing a note recording user interface for display on a lock screen of a computing device, the lock screen restricting access to the device;

receiving an electronic note entered via the note recording user interface for an intended recipient;

saving the electronic note;

providing a note viewing user interface for display when the computing device is unlocked; and

accessing the saved electronic note via the note viewing interface in response to input by the intended recipient, wherein the note viewing user interface allows the intended recipient to perform at least one of viewing, editing, deleting, and/or sharing the saved electronic note.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18 the process further comprising the step of providing a notification to inform the intended recipient that a note has been recorded, wherein the notification includes a copy of the recorded note.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the note viewing interface is further configured to lock using a passkey so as to restrict access to the note viewing interface.