Information processing apparatus, method of controlling a lock screen displayed while the information processing apparatus is locked, and recording medium

• US 9,898,171 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: Ito, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Application Number:
  US14/747,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20150370438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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: H04N 1/00392 Other manual input means, e.g. digitisers or writing tablets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00395 Arrangements for reducing operator input input arrangements for job or mode instructions or parameters H04N1/00962; intelligent menu interfaces H04N1/00437
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00437 Intelligent menus, e.g. anticipating user selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00514 for individual users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a touch-enabled display; a lock portion that locks the information processing apparatus; a display controller that displays a lock screen on the display, the lock screen having a first icon for unlock and one or more second icons each representing a function, and that refreshes the lock screen, when a user moves the first icon, such that the first icon is present at a different position; an unlock portion that unlocks the information processing apparatus; a recognition portion that recognizes a function as being selected, the function being represented by the one second icon or one of the second icons being present at the position where the user releases the first icon; a user information obtaining portion that obtains user information; and an authentication portion that conducts user authentication with the obtained user information while the user is moving the first icon.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a touch-enabled display;

a lock portion that puts the information processing apparatus in standby state and disables all touch gestures except for specified touch gestures including unlock gestures, by locking the information processing apparatus;

a display controller that performs the following operations;

initially displaying a lock screen on the display, the lock screen indicating that the information processing apparatus is presently locked, the lock screen having a first icon for unlock and one or more second icons each representing a function of the information processing apparatus; and

refreshing the lock screen initially displayed on the display such that the first icon is present at a different position on the lock screen, when a user moves the first icon on the display;

an unlock portion that unlocks the information processing apparatus based on touching and moving the first icon on the lock screen by the user;

a recognition portion that recognizes a function as being selected by the user, the function being represented by the one second icon or one of the second icons being adjacent to the position where the user releases the first icon;

a user information obtaining portion that obtains user information for identifying the user; and

an authentication portion that conducts user authentication on the user with the user information obtained by the user information obtaining portion, while the user is moving the first icon,

wherein;

the display controller changes the lock screen on the display to a dedicated screen of the user if user authentication is finished by the authentication portion while the user is moving the first icon;

the dedicated screen of the user is a screen to be displayed when the user selects a function represented by the one second icon or one of the second icons, the one second icon or the one of the second icons being adjacent to the position where the user releases the first icon; and

the dedicated screen of the user is refreshed in sync with the position of the first icon moved by the user.

2. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the user information obtaining portion obtains the user information from an intra-body communication terminal carried out by the user, by intra-body communication technology enabling communication through a human body as a communication medium.

3. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the display controller changes the lock screen to the dedicated screen to display the one or more second icons in a different manner from those on the lock screen.

4. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein, if there is a prohibited function for the authenticated user, the display controller changes the lock screen to the dedicated screen to display the one second icon or one of the second icons in a different manner from that on the lock screen, the one second icon or the one of the second icons representing the prohibited function.

5. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein displaying in a different manner indicates displaying in a different color, in a different shape, at a different position, or by a combination of two or all of the foregoing.

6. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein, if there is a prohibited function for the authenticated user, the display controller changes the lock screen to the dedicated screen to display one or more of the second icons in a larger size than that on the lock screen, the one or more of the second each icons representing a permitted function for the authenticated user.

7. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the display controller further displays a third icon on the display while the user is moving the first icon, the third icon representing a function setting related to the one or more second icons.

8. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the third icon represents a specific function setting for the authenticated user.

9. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the display controller reflects the dedicated screen to a background image.

10. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the background image is a main screen of a function, the function being most likely intended by the user releasing the first icon on the one second icon or one of the second icons.

11. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the display controller displays the background image in an opaque manner and changes the opacity level of the background image depending on the distance traveled by the first icon being moved.

12. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the unlock portion unlocks the information processing apparatus at a predetermined timing until the user releases the first icon at the position where the one second icon or one of the second icons is present.

13. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein, if user authentication is not finished by the authentication portion until the user releases the first icon a position adjacent to the one second icon or one of the second icons, the display controller displays a user authentication requesting screen on the display after the user releases the first icon.

14. The information processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the authentication portion conducts user authentication on the user when the user starts moving the first icon.

15. A display control method of controlling a lock screen displayed, the display control method to be implemented by an information processing apparatus comprising a touch-enabled display, the display control method comprising:

putting the information processing apparatus in standby state and disable all touch gestures except for specified touch gestures including unlock gestures, by locking the information processing apparatus;

performing the following operations;

initially displaying a lock screen on the display, the lock screen indicating that the information processing apparatus is presently locked, the lock screen having a first icon for unlock and one or more second icons each representing a function of the information processing apparatus; and

refreshing the lock screen initially displayed on the display such that the first icon is present at a different position on the lock screen, when a user moves the first icon on the display;

unlocking the information processing apparatus based on touching and moving the first icon on the lock screen by the user;

recognizing a function as being selected by the user, the function being represented by the one second icon or one of the second icons being adjacent to the position where the user releases the first icon;

obtaining user information for identifying the user; and

conducting user authentication on the user with the user information being obtained, while the user is moving the first icon,

wherein;

the lock screen on the display changes to a dedicated screen of the user if user authentication is finished while the user is moving the first icon;

the dedicated screen of the user is a screen to be displayed when the user selects a function represented by the one second icon or one of the second icons, the one second icon or the one of the second icons being adjacent to the position where the user releases the first icon; and

the dedicated screen of the user is refreshed in sync with the position of the first icon moved by the user.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a display control program for an information processing apparatus comprising a touch-enabled display, the display control program for making a CPU of the information processing apparatus execute:

putting the information processing apparatus in standby state and disable all touch gestures except for specified touch gestures including unlock gestures, by locking the information processing apparatus;

performing the following operations;

initially displaying a lock screen on the display, the lock screen indicating that the information processing apparatus is presently locked, the lock screen having a first icon for unlock and one or more second icons each representing a function of the information processing apparatus; and

refreshing the lock screen initially displayed on the display such that the first icon is present at a different position on the lock screen, when a user moves the first icon on the display display;

unlocking the information processing apparatus based on touching and moving the first icon on the lock screen by the user;

recognizing a function as being selected by the user, the function being represented by the one second icon or one of the second icons being adjacent to the position where the user releases the first icon;

obtaining user information for identifying the user; and

conducting user authentication on the user with the user information being obtained, while the user is moving the first icon,

wherein the lock screen on the display changes to a dedicated screen of the user if user authentication is finished while the user is moving the first icon;

the dedicated screen of the user is a screen to be displayed when the user selects a function represented by the one second icon or one of the second icons, the one second icon or the one of the second icons being adjacent to the position where the user releases the first icon; and

the dedicated screen of the user is refreshed in sync with the position of the first icon moved by the user.