Dynamic image-based voice entry of unlock sequence

• US 9,336,779 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Nirmal, Pinsky, Yury
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Paras D
• Application Number:
  US13/860,417
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704/246, 704/249, 704/247, 704/251, 704/252, 704/254, 704/235, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275, 379/88.01, 455/410, 455/411, 726/2, 726/5, 726/4, 726/34, 726/35
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

Embodiments described herein may help to provide a lock-screen for a computing device. An example method involves: (a) while a computing device is locked, displaying an interface that comprises a fixed arrangement of input regions, wherein an image from a set of images is displayed in each input region, and wherein each input region is associated with an image-name for the image that is displayed in the input region, (b) receiving audio data that comprises speech, (c) detecting a sequence of one or more of the image-names in the speech, (d) determining an input sequence based on the input regions that are associated with the detected sequence of image-names, (e) determining whether or not the input sequence matches a predetermined unlock sequence, and (f) if the input sequence matches the predetermined unlock sequence, then unlocking the computing device.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by at least one processor to;

while a computing device is locked, cause a display of the computing device to display an interface comprising a fixed arrangement of input regions, wherein an image from a set of images is displayed in each input region, wherein each input region is associated with an image-name for the image that is displayed in the input region, wherein each input region is statically associated with a symbol from a set of symbols, such that each input region is associated with the same symbol each time the interface is displayed, wherein each input region also displays the symbol associated with the input region, and the symbol displayed in each input region is different from the image-name associated with the image displayed in the same input region;

receive audio data that comprises speech;

detect a sequence of one or more of the image-names in the speech;

determine an input sequence comprising the one or more input regions that are associated with the detected sequence of one or more image-names;

determine whether or not the input sequence matches a predetermined unlock sequence comprising a predetermined sequence of two or more of the symbols from the set of symbols;

when the input sequence matches the predetermined unlock sequence, unlock the computing device; and

when the input sequence does not match the predetermined unlock sequence, refrain from unlocking the computing device.

2. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by at least one processor to:

before display of the interface, perform a selection process to select, for each input region, the image from the image set for display in the input region, wherein the image selected for a given input region is variable each time the selection process is performed.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the set of symbols comprises a set of alpha-numeric characters.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the set of symbols comprises a set of numbers.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the set of numbers includes numbers 1 through 9.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the set of images comprises images of one or more of:

(a) animals, (b) faces, (c) places, (d) common objects, and (e) colors.

7. The computing device of claim 1:

wherein a predetermined unlock sequence corresponds to a predetermined sequence of two or more of the input regions; and

wherein determining whether or not the input sequence matches a predetermined unlock sequence comprises determining whether the symbols displayed in the input regions in the input sequence match the symbols in the predetermined unlock sequence.

8. The computing device of claim 1:

wherein determining whether or not the input sequence matches a predetermined unlock sequence comprises;

(a) determining a symbol sequence comprising the symbols associated with the input regions in the input sequence, and (b) determining whether the symbols in the symbol sequence match the symbols in the predetermined unlock sequence.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by at least one processor to:

when the interface is displayed, enable a speech-recognition process to listen for at least the one or more image names in the audio data.

10. A computer implemented method comprising:

while a computing device is locked, displaying an interface that comprises a fixed arrangement of input regions, wherein an image from a set of images is displayed in each input region, wherein each input region is associated with an image-name for the image that is displayed in the input region, wherein each input region is statically associated with a symbol from a set of symbols, such that each input region is associated with the same symbol each time the interface is displayed, wherein each input region also displays the symbol associated with the input region, and the symbol displayed in each input region is different from the image-name associated with the image displayed in the same input region;

receiving audio data that comprises speech;

detecting a sequence of one or more of the image-names in the speech;

determining an input sequence based on the one or more input regions that are associated with the detected sequence of one or more image-names;

determining whether or not the input sequence matches a predetermined unlock sequence comprising a predetermined sequence of two or more of the symbols from the set of symbols;

if the input sequence matches the predetermined unlock sequence, then unlocking the computing device; and

if the input sequence does not match the predetermined unlock sequence, then refraining from unlocking the computing device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

before displaying the interface, performing a selection process to select, for each input region, the image from the image set for display in the input region, wherein the image selected for a given input region is variable each time the selection process is performed.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined unlock sequence corresponds to a predetermined sequence of two or more of the input regions, and wherein determining whether or not the input sequence matches the predetermined unlock sequence comprises determining whether the symbols displayed in the input regions in the input sequence match the symbols in the predetermined unlock sequence.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

while a computing device is locked, displaying an interface that comprises a fixed arrangement of input regions, wherein an image from a set of images is displayed in each input region, and wherein each input region is associated with an image-name for the image that is displayed in the input region, wherein each input region is statically associated with a symbol from a set of symbols, such that each input region is associated with the same symbol each time the interface is displayed, wherein each input region also displays the symbol associated with the input region, and the symbol displayed in each input region is different from the image-name associated with the image displayed in the same input region;

receiving audio data that comprises speech;

detecting a sequence of one or more of the image-names in the speech;

determining an input sequence based on the one or more input regions that are associated with the detected sequence of one or more image-names;

determining whether or not the input sequence matches a predetermined unlock sequence comprising a predetermined sequence of two or more of the symbols from the set of symbols;

when the input sequence matches the predetermined unlock sequence, unlocking the computing device; and

when the input sequence does not match the predetermined unlock sequence, refraining from unlocking the computing device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the functions further comprise:

before displaying the interface, performing a selection process to select, for each input region, the image from the image set for display in the input region, wherein the image selected for a given input region is variable each time the selection process is performed.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the predetermined unlock sequence corresponds to a predetermined sequence of two or more of the input regions, and wherein determining whether or not the input sequence matches the predetermined unlock sequence comprises determining whether the symbols displayed in the symbols in the input sequence match the input regions in the predetermined unlock sequence.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein determining whether or not the input sequence matches a predetermined unlock sequence comprises:

(a) determining a symbol sequence comprising the symbols associated with the input regions in the input sequence, and (b) determining whether the symbols in the symbol sequence match the symbols in the predetermined unlock sequence.