Touch screen locking and unlocking

• US 9,152,309 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chakirov, Martin, Arrhn, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US12/058,166
• Time in Patent Office: 2,748 Days
• Field of Search: 715771-773, 715744-747, 715/864, 715/833, 715/831, 715/863, 715/843, 715/790, 715/795, 715741-743
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A computer-implemented touch screen call interface includes announcing an incoming telephone call on a mobile device touch screen display, connecting to the call and displaying a slidable panel on the display while locking the display from inputs other than unlocking inputs, receiving a user selection moving the slidable panel away from a position that covers one or more selectable controls, and unlocking the display for selection of the selectable controls while the slidable panel stays in a position that leaves the selectable controls uncovered.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

announcing an incoming telephone call and an identity of a caller on a slideable panel that substantially covers a mobile device touch screen display along a first direction;

receiving a first user selection that comprises an on-screen dragging motion on top of a first location on the mobile device touch screen display at which the slideable panel is displayed, the on-screen dragging motion being along a second direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first direction;

in response to receiving the first user selection;

(a) covering, with the slidable panel, a region of the mobile device touch screen display that was not previously covered with the slidable panel,

(b) connecting to the incoming telephone call,

(c) locking the mobile device to touch screen inputs by blocking inputs to the touch screen except for a predefined unlocking input, and

(d) displaying the identity of the caller on the slideable panel on the mobile device touch screen display;

receiving a second user selection that comprises an on-screen dragging motion along a third direction and on top of a second location on the mobile device touch screen display at which the identity of the caller is displayed on the slideable panel, wherein the third direction is substantially opposite to the second direction; and

in response to receiving the second user selection;

(a) displaying one or more selectable controls at a third location of the mobile device touch screen display, the one or more selectable controls including a selectable control to terminate the telephone call, wherein the one or more selectable controls are not displayed in the third location until after the second user selection is received, and

(b) unlocking the display for selection of the one or more selectable controls.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the one or more selectable controls includes presenting controls that affect the incoming telephone call.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, while the display is unlocked for selection of the one or more selectable controls, a third user selection that comprises an on-screen dragging motion on top of the slideable panel that is along the second direction; and

in response to receiving the third user selection;

(a) removing the one or more selectable controls from the slideable panel, and

(b) at least partially locking the mobile device to touch screen inputs.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more selectable controls includes a control to initiate a conference call.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the one or more selectable controls in the region of the mobile device touch screen display comprises displaying the one or more selectable controls in a region of the slideable panel.

3. A computer-implemented device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

a wireless communication interface to receive data for telephone calls for a user of the device; and

a display manager programmed to;

announce an incoming telephone call and an identity of a caller on a slideable panel that substantially covers a mobile device touch screen display along a first direction;

receive a first user selection that comprises an on-screen dragging motion on a first location on the mobile device touch screen display at which the slideable panel is displayed, the on-screen dragging motion being along a second direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first direction;

in response to receiving the first user selection;

(a) cover, with the slidable panel, a region of the mobile device touch screen display that was not previously covered with the slidable panel,

(b) connect to the incoming telephone call,

(c) locking the mobile device to touch screen inputs by blocking inputs to the touch screen except for a predefined unlocking input, and

(d) display the identity of the caller on the slideable panel on the mobile device touch screen display;

receive a second user selection that comprises an on-screen dragging motion along a third direction and on top of a second location on the mobile device touch screen display at which the slideable panel that is displaying the identity of the caller is displayed on the slideable panel, wherein the third direction is substantially opposite to the second direction; and

in response to receiving the second user selection;

(a) display one or more selectable controls at a third location of the mobile device touch screen display, the one or more selectable controls including a selectable control to terminate the telephone call, wherein the one or more selectable controls are not displayed in the third location until after the second user selection is received and

(b) unlock the display for selection of the one or more selectable controls.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the display manager is further programmed to display the one or more selectable controls to include controls that affect the incoming one of the telephone calls.

10. The device of claim 3, wherein the display manager is further programmed to:

receive, while the display is unlocked for selection of the one or more selectable controls, a third user selection that comprises an on-screen dragging motion on top of the slideable panel that is along the second direction; and

in response to receiving the third user selection;

(a) remove the one or more selectable controls from the slideable panel, and

(b) at least partially lock the mobile device to touch screen inputs.

11. The device of claim 4, wherein the one or more selectable controls includes a control to initiate a conference call.

12. The device of claim 3, wherein the displaying the one or more selectable controls in the region of the mobile device touch screen display comprises displaying the one or more selectable controls in a region of the slideable panel.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

announcing an incoming telephone call and an identity of a caller on a slideable panel that substantially covers a mobile device touch screen display along a first direction;

receiving a first user selection that comprises an on-screen dragging motion on top of a first location on the mobile device touch screen display at which the slideable panel is displayed, the on-screen dragging motion being along a second direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first direction;

in response to receiving the first user selection;

(a) covering, with the slidable panel, a region of the mobile device touch screen display that was not previously covered with the slidable panel,

(b) connecting to the incoming telephone call,

(c) locking the mobile device to touch screen inputs by blocking inputs to the touch screen except for a predefined unlocking input, and

(d) displaying the identity of the caller on the slideable panel on the mobile device touch screen display;

receiving a second user selection that comprises an on-screen dragging motion along a third direction and on top of a second location on the mobile device touch screen display at which the identity of the caller is displayed on the slideable panel, wherein the third direction is substantially opposite to the second direction; and

in response to receiving the second user selection;

(a) displaying one or more selectable controls at a third location of the the slideable panel, the one or more selectable controls including a selectable control to terminate the telephone call, wherein the one or more selectable controls are not displayed in the third location until after the second user selection is received and

(b) unlocking the display for selection of the one or more selectable controls.

6. The medium of claim 5, further comprising an operation of presenting controls that affect the incoming telephone call during the displaying of the one or more selectable controls.

13. The medium of claim 5, further comprising the operations of:

receiving, while the display is unlocked for selection of the one or more selectable controls, a third user selection that comprises an on-screen dragging motion on top of the slideable panel that is along the second direction; and

in response to receiving the third user selection;

(a) removing the one or more selectable controls from the slideable panel, and

(b) at least partially locking the mobile device to touch screen inputs.

14. The medium of claim 6, wherein the one or more selectable controls includes a control to initiate a conference call.

15. The medium of claim 5, wherein the displaying the one or more selectable controls in the region of the mobile device touch screen display comprises displaying the one or more selectable controls in a region of the slideable panel.