Secure note system for computing device lock screen

• US 9,098,695 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, Kourtny M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Desrosiers, Evans
• Application Number:
  US13/757,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 713168-174, 713182-186, 713/202, 709/225, 709/229, 726 2- 8, 726/16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• 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

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for recording secure notes from the lock screen of a computing device. A note recording user interface may be accessed from the lock screen to allow a user to leave a note, such as a text, video, audio, or drawn note, or some combination thereof. The notes left using the note recording user interface may be saved such that only the intended recipient can access them, for example, after unlocking the computing device, thereby preventing others from seeing previously saved notes. The secure note system may include a retrieve notes function that allows users and/or recipients to retrieve the recorded notes directly from the lock screen of the computing device used to record them. The secure note system may also be configured to send notifications to inform the recipient when a secure note has been recorded (e.g., email or text message including copy of note).

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a display for displaying content; and

a secure note system accessible from a lock screen of the computing device via a prompt that solicits an unauthorized user of the computing device to locally provide to the computing device an electronic note intended for a recipient authorized to unlock the computing device, the secure note system configured to receive the electronic note from the unauthorized user when the computing device is in a locked state and save the electronic note such that it can be later accessed by the recipient and not by other unauthorized users;

wherein the secure note system includes a retrieve notes interface accessible from the locked device to facilitate at least one of viewing, editing, deleting, and sharing one or more previously recorded electronic notes by an unauthorized user that provided the one or more previously recorded electronic notes, but not by other unauthorized users;

wherein the secure note system includes a note viewing user interface accessible after the device is unlocked to allow the recipient to perform at least one of viewing, editing, deleting, and sharing the saved electronic notes; and

wherein the secure note system is further configured to provide a notification to the recipient that one or more electronic recorded notes have been received.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the computing device is one of a desktop computer, laptop, netbook, tablet, eReader, mobile phone, smart phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), video game console, handheld gaming console, portable media player, and a handheld navigation system.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the secure note system is configured to receive at least one of text notes, video notes, audio notes, and drawn notes.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a camera and a microphone to facilitate recording at least one of video notes and audio notes.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein access to the computing device provided by the secure note system to the unauthorized user is limited to providing electronic notes and to accessing electronic notes previously provided by the unauthorized user.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the secure note system is an application that is distinct and separate from applications available when the computing device is unlocked.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the notification comprises at least one of:

a notification on the lock screen of the computing device, a notification after the computing device is unlocked, and an electronic message sent from the computing device to a mobile communication device associated with the recipient.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the secure note system is user-configurable.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause a process to be carried out, the process comprising:

providing a note recording user interface for display on a lock screen of a computing device, the lock screen restricting access to the device, wherein the note recording user interface is configured to solicit an unauthorized user of the computing device to locally provide to the computing device an electronic note intended for a recipient authorized to unlock the computing device, and to receive the electronic note;

saving the electronic note such that it can be later accessed by the recipient and not by other unauthorized users;

providing a retrieve notes interface for display on the lock screen the retrieve notes interface configured to allow an unauthorized user access to previously saved electronic notes provided by that unauthorized user, but not to previously saved electronic notes provided by other unauthorized users; and

providing a notification to inform the recipient that one or more electronic notes have been received;

wherein saved electronic notes are accessible after the computing device is unlocked via a note viewing user interface that allows the recipient to perform at least one of viewing, editing, deleting, and sharing the recorded electronic notes.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the note recording user interface is configured to receive at least one of text notes, video notes, audio notes, and drawn notes.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein access to the computing device via the note recording user interface to the unauthorized user is limited to providing electronic notes and to accessing electronic notes previously provided by the unauthorized user.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein providing a note recording user interface includes providing a selectable recording interface icon on the lock screen of the computing device, the icon comprising a prompt that graphically solicits the unauthorized user to provide the electronic note.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the notification comprises at least one of:

a notification on the lock screen of the computing device, a notification after the computing device is unlocked, and an electronic message sent from the computing device to a mobile communication device associated with the recipient.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause a process to be carried out, the process comprising:

providing a note recording user interface for display on a lock screen of a computing device, the lock screen restricting access to the device, and the note recording user interface being part of a secure note system and comprising a prompt that graphically solicits an unauthorized user to provide an electronic note;

receiving an electronic note entered via the note recording user interface for an intended recipient authorized to unlock the computing device;

saving the electronic note;

providing a notification to inform the intended recipient that a note has been recorded; and

providing a retrieve notes interface for display on the lock screen, the retrieve notes interface configured to allow an unauthorized user access to previously saved electronic notes provided by that unauthorized user, but not to previously saved electronic notes provided by other unauthorized users;

wherein saved electronic notes are accessible after the computing device is unlocked via a note viewing user interface that allows the recipient to perform at least one of viewing, editing, deleting, and sharing the electronic recorded notes.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the notification comprises at least one of:

a notification on the lock screen of the computing device, a notification after the computing device is unlocked, and an electronic message sent from the computing device to a mobile communication device associated with the recipient.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the secure note system is an application that is distinct and separate from applications available when the computing device is unlocked.