Alternative unlocking patterns

• US 9,158,907 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Meacham, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, LISA C
• Application Number:
  US13/957,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20130318598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for receiving, by a computing system that is locked, input from a user that provides an unlocking pattern. During entry of the unlocking pattern, a display of the computing system does not provide a visual indication of an action that will be performed upon the user completing the unlocking pattern. The computing system compares the provided unlocking pattern to a plurality of stored unlocking patterns to determine whether the provided unlocking pattern matches any of the stored unlocking patterns. The stored unlocking patterns are associated with respective actions that are performed upon completion of the respective unlocking patterns. The unlocking patterns are associated with a same level of unlocked security access to the computing system. The computing system responds by unlocking the computing system and performing the action that is associated with the matching unlocking pattern.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting, by a computing system, while the computing system is in an unlocked state, an indication of a plurality of graphical user interface elements that are to be presented when the computing system is in a locked state and are to be available for selection in various sequences to cause the computing system to transition from the locked state to the unlocked state;

receiving, by the computing system, while the computing system is in the unlocked state, first user input that;

(a) specifies a first sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements, and

(b) associates the first sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements with a corresponding first action that the computing system is configured to perform upon receipt of user input that selects the first sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements when the computing system is in the locked state;

receiving, by the computing system, while the computing system is in the unlocked state, second user input that;

(c) specifies a second sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements, and

(d) associates the second sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements with a corresponding second action that the computing system is configured to perform upon receipt of user input that selects the second sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements when the computing system is in the locked state,

wherein the first sequence is different from the first sequence,

wherein the first action is different from the second action,

displaying, by the computing system, while the computing system is in the locked state, the plurality of graphical user interface elements that are available for selection in various sequences to cause the computing system to transition from the locked state to the unlocked state;

receiving, by the computing system, while the computing system is in the locked state, third user input that selects a particular sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements;

comparing, by the computing system, while the computing system is in the locked state, the particular sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements with the first sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements and the second sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements to determine whether the particular sequence matches either of the first sequence and the second sequence, wherein the first sequence and the second sequence are each associated with a same level of unlocked security access to the computing system; and

responding, by the computing system, to a determination that the particular sequence matches one of the first sequence and the second sequence by;

(i) causing the computing system to transition from the locked state to the unlocked state, and

(ii) performing the action that corresponds to the one of the first sequence and the second sequence that matches the particular sequence.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, during the third user input that defines the particular sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements and before the user input completes the particular sequence, the computing system does not provide a visual indication of the action that corresponds to the particular sequence.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of graphical user interface elements is a generic user interface element that does not visually identify the first action and does not visually identify the second action.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising recognizing, by the computing system, completion of the particular sequence of at least three of the graphical interface elements upon identifying that the third user input selected one of the graphical user interface elements.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first sequence of at least three of the graphical interface elements and the second sequence of at least three of the graphical interface elements both involve user selections of a same one of the graphical user interface elements to begin the first sequence and the second sequence.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the third user input that selects the particular sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements is provided with the third user input contacting a touchscreen display of the computing system without the third user input releasing from the touchscreen display of the computing system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the third user input that selects the particular sequence of at least three of the graphical interface elements comprises receiving user input that contacts a touchscreen of the computing system and traces a path that moves across the touchscreen and that contacts regions of the touchscreen at which the at least three of the graphical user interface elements in the particular sequence are displayed.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first action and the second action include at least two of the following actions:

(a) launch a home screen of the computing system, (b) launch an email application program, (c) launch a telephone application program, (d) launch a web browser application program, and (e) launch a camera application program.

9. One or more computer-readable devices including instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable computer processor, cause performance of a method that comprises:

presenting, by a computing system, while the computing system is in an unlocked state, an indication of a plurality of graphical user interface elements that are to be presented when the computing system is in a locked state and are to be available for selection in various sequences to cause the computing system to transition from the locked state to the unlocked state;

receiving, by the computing system, while the computing system is in the unlocked state, first user input that;

(a) specifies a first sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements, and

(b) associates the first sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements with a corresponding first action that the computing system is configured to perform upon receipt of user input that selects the first sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements when the computing system is in the locked state;

receiving, by the computing system, while the computing system is in the unlocked state, second user input that;

(c) specifies a second sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements, and

(d) associates the second sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements with a corresponding second action that the computing system is configured to perform upon receipt of user input that selects the second sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements when the computing system is in the locked state,

wherein the first sequence is different from the first sequence,

wherein the first action is different from the second action,

displaying, by the computing system, while the computing system is in the locked state, the plurality of graphical user interface elements that are available for selection in various sequences to cause the computing system to transition from the locked state to the unlocked state;

receiving, by the computing system, while the computing system is in the locked state, third user input that selects a particular sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements;

comparing, by the computing system, while the computing system is in the locked state, the particular sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements with the first sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements and the second sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements to determine whether the particular sequence matches either of the first sequence and the second sequence,

wherein the first sequence and the second sequence are each associated with a same level of unlocked security access to the computing system; and

responding, by the computing system, to a determination that the particular sequence matches one of the first sequence and the second sequence by;

(i) causing the computing system to transition from the locked state to the unlocked state, and

(ii) performing the action that corresponds to the one of the first sequence and the second sequence that matches the particular sequence.

10. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 9, wherein, during the third user input that defines the particular sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements and before the user input completes the particular sequence, the computing system does not provide a visual indication of the action that corresponds to the particular sequence.

11. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of graphical user interface elements is a generic user interface element that does not visually identify the first action and does not visually identify the second action.

12. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise recognizing, by the computing system, completion of the particular sequence of at least three of the graphical interface elements upon identifying that the third user input selected one of the graphical user interface elements.

13. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 9, wherein the first sequence of at least three of the graphical interface elements and the second sequence of at least three of the graphical interface elements both involve user selections of a same one of the graphical user interface elements to begin the first sequence and the second sequence.

14. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 9, wherein the third user input that selects the particular sequence of at least three of the graphical user interface elements is provided with the third user input contacting a touchscreen display of the computing system without the third user input releasing from the touchscreen display of the computing system.

15. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 9, wherein receiving the third user input that selects the particular sequence of at least three of the graphical interface elements comprises receiving user input that contacts a touchscreen of the computing system and traces a path that moves across the touchscreen and that contacts regions of the touchscreen at which the at least three of the graphical user interface elements in the particular sequence are displayed.

16. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 9, wherein the first action and the second action include at least two of the following actions:

(a) launch a home screen of the computing system, (b) launch an email application program, (c) launch a telephone application program, (d) launch a web browser application program, and (e) launch a camera application program 40.