Image-based unlock functionality on a computing device

• US 9,355,239 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bandyopadhyay, Shamik, Law, Veronica Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABYANEH, ALI S
• Application Number:
  US13/890,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20130247171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 726/17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Utilizing an image on a computing device to serve as a template for locking/unlocking the computing device. The image includes a plurality of portions that are defined and thereafter identified and presented to a user via a touch screen. A user selects portions/zones that are defined within the image in a specified sequence and this sequence is stored as a lock/unlock code for unlocking the computing device. In an embodiment, in addition to the specified sequence of selections, a movement or sequence of movements may be also be stored as part of the lock/unlock code.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more hardware processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage devices having program instructions stored thereon for execution by the one or more hardware processors, the program instructions having a plurality of components, the plurality of components including;

a presentation component that, responsive to execution by the one or more hardware processors, causes the one or more hardware processors to present an image to a user, the image including objects within the image and having non-overlapping zones defined through performance of contour or edge detection of the objects within the image, the contour or edge detection of the objects defining intersection of contours or edges of the objects within the image, the intersection of the contours or the edges of the objects effective to differentiate the objects within the image;

a detection component that, responsive to execution by the one or more hardware processors, causes the one or more hardware processors to receive one or more operations performed by the user, the operations including a sequenced selection of the non-overlapping zones;

an authorization component that, responsive to execution by the one or more hardware processors, causes the one or more hardware processors to compare the operations received by the detection component to a predefined sequence of the non-overlapping zones representing an unlock code; and

a lock component that, responsive to execution by the one or more hardware processors, causes the one or more hardware processors to unlock a computing device based on the comparison performed by the authorization component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image is presented to the user while the computing device is locked.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the presentation component presents multiple images to the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the lock component causes the one or more hardware processors to unlock additional functions of the computing device based on the comparison performed by the authorization component.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further implement a processing component configured to process the image to detect or define the contours or edges of the visual objects within the image.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-overlapping zones defined by the intersection of contours or edges of visual objects within the image are irregular, non-rectangular, or arbitrary in shape or size.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the components is further configured to detect whether the image includes sufficient non-overlapping zones to meet a minimum security threshold required for the unlock code.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the objects within the image include a window, door, building, person, or face of a person.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the image is a family portrait, and the objects are faces of persons in the family portrait.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the image is of multiple buildings, and the objects include a window of one of the multiple buildings or one of the multiple buildings.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the image is of multiple buildings, the objects include each of the multiple buildings, and the intersection of the contours or edges of the objects are the contours of edges of each of the multiple buildings.

12. A method comprising:

presenting an image, the image including objects within the image and having non-overlapping zones, the non-overlapping zones defined through performance of contour or edge detection of the objects within the image, the contour or edge detection of the objects defining intersection of contours or edges of the objects within the image, the intersection of the contours or the edges of the objects effective to differentiate the objects within the image;

receiving operations from a user, the operations including a sequenced selection of the non-overlapping zones of the image;

comparing the operations to a predefined sequence of the non-overlapping zones, the predefined sequence of the non-overlapping zones representing an unlock code; and

unlocking a computing device responsive to determining that the predefined sequence of the non-overlapping zones matches the sequenced selection of the non-overlapping zones.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predefined sequence is a first predefined sequence and further comprising comparing the operations to a second predefined sequence and, responsive to determining that the second predefined sequence matches the sequenced selection, unlocking additional functions of the computing device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the operations received from the user further include a user-induced movement or sequence of movements of the computing device and wherein unlocking the computing device is further responsive to determining that the user-induced movement or sequence of movements matches a predefined user-induced movement of the unlock code.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user-induced movement or sequence of movements rotates the computing device a number of degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise along at least one axis.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising performing the contour or edge detection prior to presenting the image.

17. A computing device comprising:

a touch screen display;

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable storage devices, the computer-readable storage devices having computer-executable program instructions stored thereon for execution by the one or more computer processors, the computer-executable program instructions to perform operations comprising;

presenting an image on the touch screen display, the image including objects within the image and having non-overlapping zones defined through performance of contour or edge detection of the objects within the image, the contour or edge detection of the objects defining intersection of contours or edges of the objects within the image, the intersection of the contours or the edges of the objects effective to differentiate the objects within the image;

receiving operations from a user, the operations including a sequenced selection of the non-overlapping zones of the image received through the touch screen display;

comparing the operations to a predefined sequence of the non-overlapping zones, the predefined sequence of the non-overlapping zones representing an unlock code; and

unlocking the computing device responsive to determining that the predefined sequence of the non-overlapping zones matches the sequenced selection of the non-overlapping zones.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the predefined sequence is a first predefined sequence and further comprising comparing the operations to a second predefined sequence and, responsive to determining that the second predefined sequence matches the sequenced selection, unlocking additional functions of the computing device.

19. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the operations received from the user further include a user-induced movement or sequence of movements of the computing device and wherein unlocking the computing device is further responsive to determining that the user-induced movement or sequence of movements matches a predefined user-induced movement of the unlock code.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the user-induced movement or sequence of movements rotates the computing device along at least one axis a number of degrees and clockwise or counter-clockwise along the at least one axis.