Locking and unlocking of an electronic device using a sloped lock track

• US 8,924,893 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swink, Cristy, Sikes, Jason, Burns, Eric Brady, Tam, Alex, Kight, Harry Lawson, Desai, Ratna, Maiorano, Alison Rae, Asen, Katrin, Foeckler, Philip, Fineman, Benjamin, Bettendorff, Jennifer Siu, Pacotti, Sheldon, Filani, Joseph, Brock, Philip, Snydal, Jonathan Solis
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOWENBERGER, AARON J
• Application Number:
  US12/902,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20110088086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/702
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods that can facilitate securing an electronic device and associated information are presented. A security component facilitates display and operation of a lock track comprising a locked portion having a positive slope and an unlocked portion, including a chasm, that is adjacent to a high point of the positive-sloped unlocked portion of the lock track. A lock facilitator component (LFC) can be moved along the track between a low point of the locked portion and the unlocked portion. The LFC can be moved in response to received input, and if the input is not sufficient to move the LFC from the locked region to the unlocked region, the LFC can be moved back down the positive-sloped lock track to the low point. The security component can control information to be displayed in an overlay display region in accordance with security level(s) of the device or application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, input information relating to a modification of a state of a lock, wherein the lock comprises a lock track having a locked region and an unlocked region comprising a recessed portion, the locked region has a defined positive slope relative to an edge of a display screen, and the lock is employed to facilitate controlling access to a user interface;

controlling, by the system, the state of the lock based on the input information in relation to the defined positive slope of the locked region, and a defined security criterion, wherein a lock facilitator is movable along the lock track between the locked region associated with a locked state of the lock and the unlocked region associated with an unlocked state of the lock in response to the input information; and

controlling, by the system, an amount of impedance to change the state of the lock between the locked state and the unlocked state based on the shape of the locked region, wherein the defined positive slope has a value that is defined based on a first point at an end of the locked region that is adjacent to the unlocked region and a second point that is at another end of the locked region, and the amount of impedance to change the state of the lock varies as a function of the value of the defined positive slope.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

as a function of the input information, moving, by the system, the lock facilitator from the second point of the locked region of the lock track to the first point of the locked region higher than the second point, wherein the first point is adjacent to the unlocked region of the lock track;

evaluating, by the system, a position of the lock facilitator on the lock track; and

identifying;

by the system, whether the lock facilitator is positioned over the unlocked region.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

inserting, by the system, the lock facilitator into the unlocked region to facilitate unlocking the user interface in response to the lock facilitator being identified as positioned over the unlocked region.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, by the system, that the lock facilitator is not over the unlocked region;

determining, by the system, whether there is additional input information being received; and

moving, by the system, the lock facilitator down the lock track to the first second point of the locked region in response to determining that no additional input information is being received.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating, by the system, presentation of a home screen in response to the user interface being determined to be in the unlocked state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the system, a security level associated with a communication device;

requesting, by the system, an authentication credential in response to the determining the security level associated with the communication device indicating the security level is a defined threshold security level; and

receiving, by the system, the authentication credential in response to the requesting.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

comparing, by the system, the authentication credential to valid authentication credentials stored by the system; and

granting, by the system, access to the user interface in response to the authentication credential matching a valid authentication credential of the valid authentication credentials.

8. The method of claim 6;

further comprising;

comparing, by the system, the authentication credential to valid authentication credentials stored by the system;

denying, by the system, access to the user interface in response to the authentication credential not matching any of the valid authentication credentials; and

receiving, by the system, a new authentication credential in response to a defined number of unsuccessful access attempts at authentication being determined to not have been reached.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the system, a notification comprising notification-related information;

determining, by the system, a security level associated with a communication device;

instructing, by the system, an overlay display region to be generated in the user interface; and

controlling, by the system, an amount of the notification-related information displayed in the overlay display region based on the security level associated with the communication device.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the instructions to perform operations, comprising;

displaying a lock track comprising a locked portion and an unlocked portion, wherein the locked portion has a non-zero positive slope in relation to an edge of a display screen, the unlocked portion comprises a recessed region, the user interface displays a lock facilitator that is movable along the lock track between the locked portion and the unlocked portion in response to input information, the lock track facilitates control of a state of the user interface, and the locked portion is associated with a locked state and the unlocked portion is associated with an unlocked state;

controlling the state of the user interface based on an evaluation of a position of the lock facilitator in relation to the lock track, and a defined security criterion; and

controlling an amount of impedance to change the state of the user interface between the locked state and the unlocked state based on a shape of the locked portion, wherein the non-zero positive slope has a value that is defined based on a first point at an end of the locked portion that is adjacent to the unlocked portion and a second point that is at another end of the locked portion, and the amount of impedance to change the state of the user interface from the locked state to the unlocked state is based on the value of the non-zero positive slope.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the input information relating to the lock facilitator to facilitate moving the lock facilitator along the lock track; and

evaluating the position of the lock facilitator on the lock track.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

transitioning the user interface to the unlocked state in response to positioning the lock facilitator in the unlocked portion based on the input information; and

maintaining the user interface in the locked state in response to the position of the lock facilitator being determined to be at a stopping point that is in the locked portion and no further input information being detected, wherein the lock facilitator is further configured to move down the locked portion of the lock track from the stopping point to the second point of the locked portion lower than the stopping point in response to the position of the lock facilitator being determined to be in the locked portion and no further input information being detected.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise entering the user interface into a home state in response to transitioning the user interface to the unlocked state.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the apparatus is associated with a defined threshold security level;

initiating display of a security display screen in response to the apparatus being determined to be associated with the defined threshold security level; and

requesting an authentication credential associated with a user identity.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

granting access to the user interface in response to the authentication credential being determined to match a valid authentication credential of valid authentication credentials.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

initiating a superposition of an overlay display region over another display region in the user interface, in response to a notification; and

controlling an amount of notification-related information displayed in the overlay display region based on a security level associated with the apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first point is a highest point of the locked portion relative to the edge of the display screen and the second point is the lowest point of the locked portion relative to the edge of the display screen, and the amount of impedance to change the state of the user interface from the locked state to the unlocked state is higher in connection with the value of the non-zero positive slope having a higher value than the amount of impedance associated with the value of the non-zero positive slope having a lower value.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user interface is a touch-based user interface.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

displaying, in a user interface, a lock track comprising a locked portion and an unlocked portion, wherein the locked portion has a non-zero slope in relation to an edge of a display screen, the locked portion increases in height as it proceeds from an initial end to an end adjacent to the unlocked portion based on the non-zero slope, and the unlocked portion comprises a recess that is lower in height relative to the edge of the display screen than the end of the locked portion adjacent to the unlocked portion;

displaying, in the user interface, a lock facilitator that is movable along the lock track between the locked portion and the unlocked portion in response to input information, wherein the lock track facilitates control of a state of the user interface, and the locked portion is associated with a locked state and the unlocked portion is associated with an unlocked state;

controlling the state of the user interface based on a comparison of a position of the lock facilitator in relation to the lock track, and a defined security criterion; and

controlling an amount of impedance to change the state of the user interface between the locked state and the unlocked state based on a shape of the locked portion, wherein the amount of impedance to change the state of the user interface from the locked state to the unlocked state is higher in connection with the non-zero slope having a higher value than the amount of impedance associated with the non-zero slope having a lower value.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating a presentation of a keyboard comprising a set of keys on the display screen of the user interface;

receiving a selection of a subset of keys of the set of keys that correspond to a set of authentication credential values associated with an authentication credential via the display screen; and

facilitating, via the display screen, a further presentation of the subset of keys in a non-highlighted form of display that corresponds to a non-highlighted form of display of non-selected keys of the set of keys, in response to the selection of the subset of keys to reduce risk of detection of the set of authentication credential values by an unauthorized user identity.