LIMITED-ACCESS STATE FOR INADVERTENT INPUTS

• US 20150040243A1
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mittal, Sanjev Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,612 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Techniques for a computing device operating in access-states are provided. One example method includes receiving, by the computing device operating in a first access state, an indication of first input and responsive to determining that at least one value of a characteristic of the first input exceeds a predetermined characteristic threshold, transitioning the computing device to operate in a second access state. While the computing device is operating in the second access state, the method further includes outputting instructions for transitioning the computing device from operating in the second access state. The method further includes receiving, by the computing device operating in the second access state, an indication of a second input and responsive to determining that the indication of the second input satisfies a threshold of compliance with the instructions, transitioning the computing device from operating in the second access state to operating in the first access state.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

while operating in a first limited-access state, receiving, by a computing device, an indication of a first input;

responsive to determining that at least one value of a characteristic of the first input exceeds a predetermined characteristic threshold, transitioning, by the computing device, from operating in the first limited-access state to operating in a second limited-access state, wherein the second limited-access state is different from the first limited-access state;

while operating in the second limited-access state;

outputting, by the computing device, for display, a graphical user interface comprising instructions that specify user-provided input for transitioning the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state; and

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a second input, the second input being defined by one or more touch events; and

responsive to determining, based at least in part on location information associated with the one or more touch events, that the indication of the second input satisfies a threshold of compliance with the instructions that specify user-provided input for transitioning the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state, transitioning, by the computing device, from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an unlocking condition for the first limited-access state is different from an unlocking condition for the second limited-access state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting, by the computing device and while operating in the second limited-access state and for display, the instructions further comprises:

outputting, by the computing device, while operating in the second limited-access state and for display, an interactive graphical element and an instruction graphical element, wherein the instruction graphical element provides text-based instructions that describe how to interact with the interactive graphical element to transition the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the computing device while operating in the second limited-access state, an indication of a second input further comprises receiving, by the computing device, the indication of the second input detected by a presence-sensitive input device, the second input having a duration for which the presence-sensitive input device detected the second input, wherein the second input is detected by the presence-sensitive input device at locations corresponding to the different locations of the display device at which the at least two graphical elements are displayed, the method further comprising:

outputting, by the computing device while operating in the second limited-access state, at least two graphical elements for display at different locations of a display device; and

responsive to determining that a duration of the second input satisfies a time threshold, transitioning, by the computing device, the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one value of the characteristic of the first input comprises a value related to at least one of a shape, a length, an area, a velocity, a tap frequency, a change in orientation, and an acceleration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input is a touch-based input, wherein:

the characteristic of the first input comprises an area of the touch-based input, the predetermined characteristic threshold comprises an area threshold,

determining at least one value of the characteristic comprises determining the at least one value corresponding to the area of the touch-based input, and

the area of the touch-based input comprises an area of contact with a presence-sensitive input device, the method further comprising;

determining that the at least one value of the area of the touch-based input exceeds the area threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input is a touch-based input, wherein the characteristic of the first input comprises a length of the touch-based input, wherein the predetermined characteristic threshold comprises an length threshold, wherein determining at least one value of the characteristic comprises determining the at least one value corresponding to the length of the touch-based input, and wherein the length of the touch-based input comprises a distance between an initial and final point of contact with a presence-sensitive input device, the method further comprising:

determining that the at least one value of the length of the touch-based input exceeds the length threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on a portion of the first input, a time-ordered sequence of motion events, each motion event in the time-ordered sequence of motion events including a respective location component; and

determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on the respective location component of each of the motion events in the time-ordered sequence of motion events, a length of the first input,

wherein each motion event in the time-ordered sequence of motion events further includes a respective time component, the method further comprising;

determining, by the computing device, a velocity of the determined characteristic of the first input based on a ratio between the length of the first input and a difference of the respective time component of a first motion event of the time-ordered sequence of motion events and the respective time component of a last motion event of the time-ordered sequence of motion events.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is a first characteristic, wherein the value is a first value, wherein the predetermined characteristic threshold is a first predetermined characteristic threshold, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computing device and based on the second input, whether at least one second value of a second characteristic of the second input exceeds a second predetermined characteristic threshold; and

wherein transitioning the computing device from operating in the first limited-access state to operating in a second limited-access state is further responsive to determining the at least one second value exceeds the second predetermined characteristic threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input includes a sequence of motion events, wherein the characteristic of the first input includes a tap frequency, wherein the predetermined characteristic threshold includes a tap frequency threshold, wherein determining whether at least one value of the characteristic comprises determining the at least one value corresponding to the tap frequency, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on the sequence of motion events, a quantity of tap inputs received within an area of a presence-sensitive input device;

determining, by the computing device and based on a ratio between the quantity of tap inputs and a difference in time between a first time component of a first motion event of the sequence of motion events and a second time component of a last motion event of the sequence of motion events, the tap frequency of the first input; and

determining, by the computing device, whether the tap frequency of the determined characteristic of the first input satisfies the tap frequency threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the first input with a sensor device, wherein the determined characteristic of the first input detected with the sensor device includes at least one of an acceleration of the computing device, an orientation of the computing device, an ambient light measurement within a predefined distance from the computing device, a physical distance between an object and the computing device, and a barometric pressure reading.

12. The method of claim 1, while the computing device is operating in the second limited-access state, refraining from taking an action to prevent the computing device from being unlockable based at least in part on the first input.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to determining that greater than a threshold amount of time has elapse since the computing device last received an indication of any user input transitioning, by the computing device, the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state.

14. A computing device comprising:

a presence-sensitive input device; and

one or more processors operable to;

while the computing device is operating in a first limited-access state, receive an indication of a first input detected by the presence-sensitive input device;

responsive to determining that at least one value of a characteristic of the first input exceeds a predetermined characteristic threshold, transition the computing device from operating in the first limited-access state to operating in a second limited-access state, wherein the second limited-access state is different from the first limited-access state;

while operating in the second limited-access state;

output, for display, a graphical user interface comprising instructions that specify user-provided input for transitioning the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state; and

receive an indication of a second input, the second input being defined by one or more touch events; and

responsive to determining, based at least in part on location information associated with the one or more touch events, that the indication of the second input satisfies a threshold of compliance with the instructions that specify user-provided input for transitioning the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state, transition the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are further operable to output, the instructions for display by at least outputting, for display, an interactive graphical element and an instruction graphical element, wherein the instruction graphical element comprises text-based instructions that describe how to interact with the interactive graphical element to transition the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further operable to, while the computing device is operating in the second limited-access state, refrain from taking an action to prevent the computing device from being unlockable based at least in part on the first input.

17. The computing device of claim 14, further comprising:

at least one sensor device, wherein the at least one sensor device comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a gyro, an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, and a barometer, wherein the one or more processors is further operable to receive the indication of the first input detected by the at least one sensor device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the one or more processors to:

while operating in a first limited-access state, receive, while the computing device is operating in a first limited-access state, an indication of a first input;

responsive to determining that at least one value of a characteristic of the first input exceeds a predetermined characteristic threshold, transition the computing device from operating in the first limited-access state to operating in a second limited-access state, wherein the second limited-access state is different from the first limited-access state;

while operating in the second limited-access state;

output, for display, a graphical user interface comprising instructions that specify user-provided input for transitioning the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state; and

receive an indication of a second input, the second input being defined by one or more touch events; and

responsive to determining, based at least in part on location information associated with the one or more touch events, that the indication of the second input satisfies a threshold of compliance with the instructions that specify user-provided input for transitioning the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state, transition the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising additional instructions that when executed by the one or more processors of the computing device, cause the one or more processors to output the instructions for display by at least outputting, for display, while the computing device is operating in the second limited-access state, an interactive graphical element and an instruction graphical element, wherein the instruction graphical element comprises text-based instructions that describe how to interact with the interactive graphical element to transition the computing device from operating in the second limited-access state to operating in the first limited-access state.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising additional instructions that when executed by the one or more processors of the computing device, cause the one or more processors to refrain from taking an action to prevent the computing device from being unlockable based at least in part on the first input while the computing device is operating in the second limited-access state.