Mobile Computing Device with Multiple Access Modes

• US 20140283135A1
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Shepherd, Matthew E., Grainger, Morgan, Federighi, Craig M., Christie, Gregory N., Lemay, Stephen O., Pedrick, Martin, Coffman, Patrick L., Edwards, Dylan
• Granted Patent: US 9,778,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724634 With partially locked states, e.g. when some telephonic functional locked states or applications remain accessible in the locked states

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a mobile device that restricts access to its applications. The mobile device, displays, on the device'"'"'s touch screen display, a lock screen page for accessing the device in a primary access mode or a secondary access mode. The primary access mode provides access to several of the device'"'"'s applications, and the secondary access mode provides access to a limited set of the applications. The mobile device receives a touch input on the lock screen page to access the device in the secondary access mode. The mobile device unlocks the device to the secondary access mode by allowing access to the set of applications and restricting access to the remaining applications in the plurality of applications.

Claims

1. A method of restricting access to at least one application of a mobile device comprising a touch screen display, the method comprising:

displaying, on the touch screen display, a lock screen page for accessing the device in a primary access mode or a secondary access mode, wherein the primary access mode provides access to a plurality of the device'"'"'s applications and the secondary access mode provides access to a limited set of the applications;

receiving a touch input on the lock screen page to access the device in the secondary access mode; and

unlocking the device to the secondary access mode by allowing access to the set of applications and restricting access to the remaining applications in the plurality of applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock screen page comprises a first affordance to unlock the device to the secondary access mode and a second affordance to display a touch code page for inputting a touch code in order to gain access to the device in the primary access mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the touch input comprises receiving selection of the first affordance, wherein unlocking the device comprises bypassing the touch code page to gain quick access to the device in the secondary access mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock screen page is further for accessing the device in a third access mode that allows access to a camera application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a fingerprint scanner, the method further comprising:

receiving a fingerprint input from a device'"'"'s user; and

when the fingerprint has been recognized, unlocking the device to the secondary access mode.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

visually distinguishing, on the touch screen display, icons of the set of applications from icons of the remaining applications in the plurality of applications.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

while in the secondary access mode, ignoring touch inputs selecting icons other than the icons of the set of applications.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

removing application icons from the touch screen display other than icons of the set of applications.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input is a first touch gesture, wherein the lock screen page is further for receiving a second different touch gesture to access the device in the primary access mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the lock screen page is a primary access lock screen page, the method further comprising:

receiving an input to lock the device;

displaying, on the touch screen display, a secondary access lock screen page that receives inverted touch gestures from the first and second touch gestures of the primary access lock page, wherein the first touch gesture is for accessing the device in the primary access mode and the second touch gesture is for accessing the device the secondary access mode.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary access mode is only accessible after a user of the device has been authenticated with the device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the secondary access mode becomes inaccessible based on at least one or more of the following:

the device is explicitly turned off, the device is re-authenticated, the device is locked, and the device is locked and a timeout has passed.

13. A method of restricting access to at least one application of a mobile device comprising a touch screen display, the method comprising:

displaying, on the touch screen display, a touch code page comprising (i) a set of affordances to enter a touch code to access the device in the primary access mode, and (ii) at least one other affordance to access the device in the secondary access mode, wherein the primary access mode provides access to a plurality of the device'"'"'s applications, and the secondary access mode provides access to a limited set of the applications;

receiving a touch input on the touch screen display selecting the other affordance to access the mobile device in the secondary access mode; and

unlocking the device to the secondary access mode by bypassing touch code entry and providing access to only the set of applications in the plurality of applications.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

visually distinguishing, on the touch screen display, icons of the set of applications from icons of the remaining applications in the plurality of applications.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

while in the secondary access mode, ignoring touch inputs selecting icons other than the icons of the set of applications.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

removing application icons from the touch screen display other than icons of the set of applications.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the mobile device comprises a fingerprint scanner, the method further comprising:

receiving a fingerprint input from a device'"'"'s user; and

when the fingerprint has been recognized, unlocking the device to the secondary access mode.

18. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program that when executed by at least one process unit restricts access to at least one application of a mobile device comprising a touch screen display, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

displaying, on the touch screen display, a lock screen page for accessing the device in a primary access mode or a secondary access mode, wherein the primary access mode provides access to a plurality of the device'"'"'s applications and the secondary access mode provides access to a limited set of the applications;

receiving a touch input on the lock screen page to access the device in the secondary access mode; and

unlocking the device to the secondary access mode by allowing access to the set of applications and restricting access to the remaining applications in the plurality of applications.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein the lock screen page comprises a first affordance to unlock the device to the secondary access mode and a second affordance to display a touch code page for inputting a touch code in order to gain access to the device in the primary access mode.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein receiving the touch input comprises receiving selection of the first affordance, wherein the set of instructions for unlocking the device comprises a set of instructions for bypassing the touch code page to gain quick access to the device in the secondary access mode.

21. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein the lock screen page is further for accessing the device in a third access mode that allows access to only one application.