Providing navigation instructions while device is in locked mode

• US 9,052,197 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2012
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: van Os, Marcel, Vulcano, Emanuele, Moore, Bradford A., Cato, Andrew B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLDMAN, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US13/632,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20130345981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 982 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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: G09G 2320/0626 : for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 : in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 : Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 : the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 : Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 : Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 : Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 : by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 : for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 : including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 : including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 : including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 : detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0267 : by controlling user interface components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 : by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of providing navigation instructions in a locked mode of a device is disclosed. The method, while the display screen of the device is turned off, determines that the device is near a navigation point. The method turns on the display screen and provides navigation instructions. In some embodiments, the method identifies the ambient light level around the device and turns on the display at brightness level determined by the identified ambient light level. The method turns off the display after the navigation point is passed.

Claims

1. A method for providing navigation directions for a device comprising a display screen, the method comprising:

executing a plurality of applications including a navigation application;

when the display screen is on and the navigation application executes in a foreground, maintaining the display screen on and the device in an unlocked mode in order to present turn-by-turn navigation instructions on the display screen as the device passes different navigation points along a navigated route; and

when the display screen is off and the device operates in a locked mode;

determining that the device is approaching a navigation point;

automatically turning the display screen on;

displaying navigation directions without taking the device out of the locked mode; and

turning the display screen off when the device passes the navigation point while in the locked mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the device is in the locked mode, access is prevented to a plurality of applications installed on the device until an input to unlock the display screen is received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the device is approaching a navigation point comprises determining that the device is closer than a predetermined threshold distance to the navigation point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein passing the navigation point comprises passing the navigation point by a predetermined threshold distance.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a text message while the display screen is turned off in the locked mode;

automatically turning on the display screen even when the device is not near a navigation location; and

displaying a message notification for a preset length of time.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

after the preset length of time, removing the message notification from the display and displaying a selectable message access control;

receiving a selection of the message access control without unlocking the device; and

displaying the message.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising closing the message without unlocking the device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, when the display screen is on and the navigation application executes in a background, turning the display screen off and placing the device in the locked mode after detecting a period of inactivity in the unlocked mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation instructions are provided by the navigation application executed on the device, the method further comprising:

when the device is in the locked mode, receiving an unlocking command; and

unlocking the device into the navigation application despite a different application being open in a foreground of the device before the device was locked.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after turning on the display screen when the device was in the locked mode, displaying a set of decreasing distances between a current location of the device and the navigation point as the device approaches the navigation point without unlocking the device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

after the navigation point is passed, displaying a next navigation instruction; and

turning off the display screen.

12. A method of displaying messages received in a locked mode of a device with a display screen, the method comprising:

receiving a message while the display screen is turned off and the device is in the locked mode;

automatically turning on the display screen;

displaying a message notification on a display area of the display screen for a preset length of time;

after the preset length of time, removing the message notification from the display area and displaying a selectable message access control;

receiving a selection of the message access control without unlocking the device; and

displaying the message without unlocking the device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the message notification is a first message notification and the message is a first message, the method further comprising displaying a second message notification before receiving a selection of the message access control and displaying both the first message and the second message after receiving the selection of the message access control.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising, after displaying the message, receiving a command to stop displaying the message and removing the message access control.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein when the device is in the locked mode, access is prevented to a plurality of applications installed on the device until an input to unlock the display screen is received.

16. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit provides navigation directions for a device comprising a display screen, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

executing a plurality of applications including a navigation application;

when the display screen is on and the navigation application executes in a foreground, maintaining the display screen on and the device in an unlocked mode, in order to present turn-by-turn navigation instructions on the display screen as the device passes different navigation points along a navigated route; and

when the display screen is off and the device operates in a locked mode;

determining that the device is approaching a navigation point;

automatically turning the display screen on;

displaying navigation directions without taking the device out of the locked mode; and

turning the display screen off when the device passes the navigation point while in the locked mode.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein when the device is in the locked mode, access is prevented to a plurality of applications installed on the device until an input to unlock the display screen is received.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions for determining that the device is approaching a navigation point comprises a set of instructions for determining that the device is closer than a predetermined threshold distance to the navigation point.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein passing the navigation point comprises passing the navigation point by a predetermined threshold distance.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, the program further comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a text message while the display screen is turned off in the locked mode;

automatically turning on the display screen even when the device is not near a navigation location; and

displaying a message notification for a preset length of time.

21. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 20, the program further comprising sets of instructions for:

after the preset length of time, removing the message notification from the display and displaying a selectable message access control;

receiving a selection of the message access control without unlocking the device; and

displaying the message.

22. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 20, the program further comprising a set of instructions for closing the message without unlocking the device.

23. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the program is a navigation application, the program further comprising sets of instructions for:

when the device is in the locked mode, receiving an unlocking command; and

unlocking the device into the navigation application despite a different application being open in a foreground of the device before the device was locked.

24. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit displays messages received in a locked mode of a device with a display screen, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a message while the display screen is turned off in the locked mode;

automatically turning on the display screen;

displaying a message notification on a display area of the display screen for a preset length of time;

after the preset length of time, removing the message notification from the display area and displaying a selectable message access control;

receiving a selection of the message access control without unlocking the device; and

displaying the message without unlocking the device.

25. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 24, wherein the message notification is a first message notification and the message is a first message, the program further comprising sets of instructions for:

displaying a second message notification before receiving a selection of the message access control; and

displaying both the first message and the second message after receiving the selection of the message access control.

26. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 24, the program further comprising a set of instructions for receiving, after displaying the message, a command to stop displaying the message and removing the message access control.