Method and apparatus for locking a mobile telephone touch screen

• US 20050079896A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Autio, Markku, Kokko, Petri
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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 mobile phone having a touch screen display includes a touch screen lock which is activated during an ongoing call by contacting the touch screen a first time and pressing again within a predetermined time duration interval the touch screen lock remains active during subsequent pressing contacts. The touch screen lock is deactivated during an ongoing call in the absence of pressing contact with the touch screen surface for a time duration interval greater than or equal to a predetermined time duration interval.

Claims

1. A mobile phone having touch screen, display, characterized by:

means defining a touch screen lock;

means for activating said touch screen lock during an ongoing call, and

means for deactivating said touch screen lock during an ongoing call.

2. The mobile phone as defined in claim 1 further characterized by means for alerting a user that the touch screen lock is activated or deactivated.

3. The mobile phone as defined in claim 2 wherein said user alerting means is further characterized by a message indicating that the touch screen lock is in an activated mode.

4. The mobile phone as defined in claim 2 wherein said user alerting means is further characterized in that a closed lock icon is shown on the touch screen display indicating that the touch screen lock is in an activated mode.

5. The mobile phone as defined in claim 2 wherein said user alerting means is further characterized by a message indicating the touch screen lock is in a deactivated mode.

6. The mobile phone as defined in claim 2 wherein said user alerting means is further characterized in that an open lock icon is shown on the touch screen display indicating that the touch screen lock is in a deactivated mode.

7. The mobile phone as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for activating said touch screen lock is further characterized means for detecting and responding to a first pressing contact on the touch screen display surface being greater than a first predetermined time duration interval whereby said touch screen lock is in locked state.

8. The mobile phone as defined in claim 7 further characterized that the first pressing contact is detected during an ongoing call.

9. The mobile phone as defined in claim 7 wherein said means for deactivating said touch screen lock is further characterized by the absence of a pressing contact being detected within a second predetermined time duration interval from the end of said first missing contact.

10. The mobile phone as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for deactivating said touch screen lock from a touch screen lock active state is further characterized by means for detecting and responding to the absence of a pressing contact on the touch screen display surface within a time duration greater than a third predetermined time duration interval from a last detected pressing contact whereby said touch screen lock is in an opened state.

11. The mobile phone as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for deactivating said touch screen lock is further characterized by means for detecting and responding to a pressing contact on the touch screen display surface being detected for less than a first predetermined time duration interval whereby said touch screen lock remains in a locked state.

12. Method for activating and deactivating a touch screen lock in a mobile phone during an ongoing call characterized by the steps of:

detecting contact with the surface of the touch screen; and

activating the touch screen lock in response to the touch screen surface contact duration interval being equal to or greater than a first predetermined time duration interval.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 further characterized by the step of locking the touch screen in response to the touch screen lock being activated.

14. The method as defined in claim 12 further characterized by the steps of:

deactivating the touch screen lock in the absence of contact with the surface of the touch screen within a second predetermined time duration interval.

15. The method as defined in claim 12 further characterized by the steps of:

detecting contact with the surface of the touch screen within a second predetermined time duration interval, and

maintaining the touch screen lock in an activated mode in response to the detection of contact with the touch screen surface during the second predetermined time duration interval.