Touch display unlock mechanism

• US 8,887,081 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIZIO, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VIZIO, Inc.
• Inventors: McRae, Matthew Blake, McManigal, Scott Paul, Brilon, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiberou, Mahelet
• Application Number:
  US13/244,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,144 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• 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

Abstract

An unlock system for a computer such as a tablet. The screen of the tablet can be automatically locked after time were based on an action. Once locked, the contents of this screen are blocked by the locking screen which can be a blank screen or screen which shows status parts. Areas on the locking screen are defined, within which the user can touch the locking screen and drag it to the opposite side. During the time of dragging, the items underneath, showing the actual content of the screen, are revealed. In one embodiment, the unlock action may automatically continue after a certain point on the screen has been reached.

Claims

1. A computer, running a program that shows a display screen, said display screen having an unlocked state, and having a locked state controlled by said program, wherein in the unlocked state, said display screen including content thereon which can be selected to run multiple programs respectively associated with said content that has been selected, and in the locked state, said display screen preventing said programs from being run and covering said content to prevent said programs from being selected,

and said program running an unlocking program which includes

detecting a user actuating a first location of the display screen, where said first location of the display screen is either within a first area that defines an unlock area on the display screen near a first end of the display screen, or is within a second area that defines another unlock area on the display screen that is near a second end of the display screen opposite from the first end of the display screen and responsive to detecting the user actuating the first location on the display screen, displaying an unlock bar adjacent to a location of actuating and extending across the display screen adjacent to the location of actuating, and allowing the user to move the unlock bar across the screen, wherein moving of the unlock bar causes said content to be revealed progressively as the bar is moved across the display screen, so that part of said content is revealed as said bar is moved across the screen,

where said program causes said moving unlock bar to unlock from a first unlocked state by starting at said first area near a first end of the display screen and moving towards said second end of the display screen, and said program also causes said moving unlock bar to unlock from said first unlocked state by starting at said second area near said second end of the display screen and moving towards the first end of the display screen, and where prior to detecting the user actuating the first location of the display screen, the unlock bar is not displayed.

2. The computer as in claim 1, wherein said display screen is automatically unlocked when said unlock bar reaches a specified point, and when unlocked, said content can be selected.

3. The computer as in claim 2, wherein said specified point is on an opposite end of the display screen from the end that is selected.

4. The computer as in claim 2, wherein said specified point is a point on the display screen other than at an end of the display screen.

5. The computer as in claim 1, wherein said unlocking program which includes a moving unlock bar across an area of said display screen, where said moving causes said content to be revealed progressively as the bar is moved across the display screen, so that part of said content is revealed as said bar is moved across the display screen, wherein said computer automatically runs an animation routine once a point on the display screen is reached before an end of the display screen, said animation routine continuing to move the unlock bar across the display screen from said point on the display screen to the end of the display screen, said animation completing without user interaction.

6. The computer as in claim 5, wherein said unlock bar is only selectable at specified portions of the display screen, and at other portions of the display screen, the unlock bar is not selectable, wherein said portions of the display screen include first and second portions of the display screen which are on outer edges of the display screen.

7. The computer as in claim 1, where in the locked state, the computer does not block content on the display screen about computer operation from being seen, but does block selectable icons which can be selected to select programs on the display screen from being seen, so that said selectable icons are not seen from the display screen when blocked, but the content about computer operation from the display screen is seen when blocked.

8. The computer as in claim 7, wherein the content about the computer operation includes battery condition, current time, and network connection status, which are shown in the locked state in the same way they are shown in the unlocked state.

9. The computer as in claim 1, wherein the unlock bar includes a thin section, that is extended across the display screen while the user moves the unlock bar, and a second section that is thickened relative to said thin section, and said second section is present at a point where the user actuates the display screen.

10. The computer as in claim 1 wherein said computer automatically runs an animation routine once a point on the display screen is reached before an end of the display screen, said animation routine continuing to move the unlock bar across the display screen from said point on the display screen to the end of the display screen, said animation completing without user interaction.

21. The computer as in claim 1, wherein said computer is a touchscreen computer, and said unlock bar is displayed adjacent to a location of touching by a user'"'"'s finger, and said selecting comprises touching an icon on the display screen.

11. A method of operating a computer, comprising:

operating the computer in an unlocked mode in which a display screen is shown and the display screen includes content thereon that can be selected to run a program associated with said content that has been selected;

operating the computer in a locked mode, in which said display screen blocks the content from being seen and prevents the content from being selected; and

when in the locked mode, detecting a user actuating a first location of the display screen, where said first location of the display screen is either within a first area that defines an unlock area on the display screen near a first end of the display screen, or is within a second area that defines another unlock area on the display screen that is near a second end of the display screen opposite from the first end of the display screen;

responsive to detecting the user actuating the first location on the display screen, displaying an unlock bar adjacent to a location of actuating and extending across the display screen adjacent to the location of actuating, and allowing the user to move the unlock bar across the display screen, wherein the moving of the unlock bar causes an unlocking program to unlock the computer by moving an unlock bar across an area of said display screen, where said moving causes said content to be revealed progressively as the bar is moved across the display screen, so that part of said content is revealed as said bar is moved across the display screen,

where said moving unlock bar unlocks from a first unlocked state by starting at said first end of the display screen and moving towards said second end of the display screen, and said moving unlock bar also unlocks from said first unlocked state by starting at said second end of the display screen and moving towards the first end of the display screen; and

prior to detecting the user actuating the first location of the display screen, the unlock bar is not displayed.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein said display screen is automatically unlocked when said bar reaches a specified point, and when unlocked, said content can be selected.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein said specified point is on an opposite end of the display screen from the end that is selected.

14. The method as in claim 12, wherein said specified point is a point on the display screen other than at an end of the display screen.

15. The method as in claim 14, further comprising automatically running an animation routine once said point on the display screen is reached, said animation routine continuing the moving the unlock bar across the display screen to an edge of the display screen, said animation completing without user interaction.

16. The method as in claim 11, wherein said unlock bar is only selectable at specified portions of the display screen, and at other portions of the display screen, the unlock bar is not selectable.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein said portions of the display screen include first and second portions of the display screen which are on outer edges of the display screen.

18. The method as in claim 11, where in the locked mode, the computer does not block content on the display screen about computer operation from being seen, but does block selectable icons which can be selected to select programs on the display screen from being seen, so that said selectable icons are not seen from the display screen when blocked, but the content about computer operation from the display screen is seen when blocked.

19. The method as in claim 11, wherein said computer is a touchscreen computer, and said unlock bar is displayed adjacent to a location of touching by a user'"'"'s finger, and said selecting comprises touching an icon on the display screen.

20. The method as in claim 11, wherein said computer is a touchscreen computer, and said moving comprises touching an area on the display screen and dragging to an opposite end of the display screen.

22. The method as in claim 11, wherein the unlock bar includes a thin section, that is extended across the display screen while the user moves the unlock bar, and a second section that is thickened relative to said thin section, and said second section is present at a point where the user actuates the display screen.

23. The method as in claim 11 wherein said computer automatically runs an animation routine once a point on the display screen is reached before an end of the display screen, said animation routine continuing to move the unlock bar across the display screen from said point on the display screen to the end of the display screen, said animation completing without user interaction.

24. A computer, running a program that shows a display screen, said display screen having an unlocked state, and having a locked state controlled by said program, wherein in the unlocked state, said display screen including content thereon which can be selected to run multiple programs respectively associated with said content that has been selected, and in the locked state, said display screen not allowing said programs to be selected and covering said content,

and said program running an unlocking program which includes detecting a user actuating a first location of the display screen, where said first location of the display screen is either within a first area that defines an unlock area on the display screen near a first end of the display screen, or is within a second area that defines another unlock area on the display screen that is near a second end of the display screen opposite from the first end of the display screen and responsive to detecting the user actuating the first location on the display screen, displaying a moving unlock bar adjacent to a location of actuating and extending across the display screen from one end of the display screen to another edge of the display screen, and adjacent to the location of actuating, and allowing the user to move the moving unlock bar across an area of said display screen, where said moving of the unlock bar causes said content to be revealed progressively as the bar is moved across the display screen, so that part of said content is revealed as said bar is moved across the display screen, where in the locked state, the computer does not block content about computer operation and displays the content about the computer operation from the display screen, but does block view of selectable icons from the display screen which can be selected to select said programs, so that said selectable icons are not seen from the display screen when blocked, but the content about computer operation is seen when blocked and where prior to detecting the user actuating the first location of the display screen, the unlock bar is not displayed.

25. The computer as in claim 24, where said moving unlock bar unlocks from a first unlocked state by starting at a first end of the display screen and moving towards a second end of the display screen, and also unlocks from said first unlocked by starting at said second end of the display screen and moving towards the first end of the display screen.

26. The computer as in claim 24, wherein the content about the computer operation includes battery condition, current time, and network connection status, shown in the locked state in the same that is shown in the unlocked state.

27. The computer as in claim 24, wherein said computer automatically runs an animation routine once a point on the display screen is reached, said animation routine completing moving the unlock bar across the display screen to an edge of the display screen, said animation completing without user interaction.

28. The computer as in claim 24, wherein said unlock bar has a first thickness when not touched and has a second thickness when the unlock bar is touched.

29. The computer as in claim 24, wherein the unlock bar includes a thin section, that is extended across the display screen while the user moves the unlock bar, and a second section that is thickened relative to said thin section, and said second section is present at a point where the user actuates the display screen.

30. The computer as in claim 24 wherein said computer automatically runs an animation routine once a point on the display screen is reached before an end of the display screen, said animation routine continuing to move the unlock bar across the display screen from said point on the display screen to the end of the display screen, said animation completing without user interaction.