Hidden Application Icons

• US 20170083711A1
• Filed: 09/23/2015
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Quixey, Inc.
• Inventors: Hemaraj, Kiran Bindhu, MENON, Vijith, John, Nithin
• Granted Patent: US 9,996,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• 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: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor

Abstract

A user device may include a touchscreen, a storage device, and a processing device. The storage device stores native applications and their corresponding icon data. The icon data includes an icon, a location of the icon on a launch screen, a flag indicating whether the icon is hidden or visible, and an unlocking instruction. The processing device may display the launch screen via the touchscreen whereby the launch screen displaying one or more icons. The processing device monitors the touchscreen and receives user input at an unpopulated screen location occupied by a hidden icon. The processing devices receives a user instruction at the unpopulated screen location, verifies the user instruction with the unlocking instruction associated with the icon. When the user instruction is verified, the processing device can display the hidden icon or may launch the native application corresponding to the hidden icon.

Claims

1. A user device comprising:

a touchscreen;

a storage device storing a set of native applications and icon data corresponding to each respective native application, each native application including icon data defining an icon, a location of the icon on a launch screen displayed on the touchscreen, a hidden flag indicating whether the icon is visible or hidden, and when the hidden flag indicates the icon is hidden, an unlocking instruction associated with the icon; and

a processing device that executes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to;

display the launch screen via the touchscreen, the launch screen displaying one or more icons at one or more corresponding locations of the launch screen;

monitor the touchscreen for user input;

receive user input at an unpopulated screen location of the launch screen, the unpopulated screen location being occupied by a hidden icon;

receive a user instruction corresponding to the unpopulated screen location;

verify the user instruction with the unlocking instruction associated with the icon; and

when the user instruction is verified, display the hidden icon at the unpopulated screen location.

2. The user device of claim 1, wherein the user instruction is a gesture performed on the touchscreen at the unpopulated screen location and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered gesture.

3. The user device of claim 2, wherein receiving the user instruction includes:

in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, monitoring the unpopulated screen location for additional user input;

receiving the gesture at the unpopulated screen location via the touchscreen; and

recording the gesture.

4. The user device of claim 3, wherein verifying the user instruction includes:

retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location;

comparing the recorded gesture with the registered gesture; and

verifying the user instruction when the recorded gesture matches the registered gesture.

5. The user device of claim 1, wherein the user instruction is a passcode entered by the user and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered passcode.

6. The user device of claim 5, wherein receiving the user instruction includes:

in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, turning on a microphone of the user device;

receiving the passcode from the user in a form of audio input via the microphone; and

recording the audio input.

7. The user device of claim 6, wherein verifying the user instruction includes:

retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location;

comparing the recorded audio input with the registered passcode; and

verifying the user instruction when the recorded audio input matches the registered passcode.

8. The user device of claim 5, wherein:

receiving the user instruction includes;

in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, prompting the user to enter the passcode via the touchscreen;

receiving the passcode from the user via the touchscreen; and

recording the received passcode; and

verifying the user instruction includes;

retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location;

comparing the recorded received passcode with the registered passcode; and

verifying the user instruction when the recorded passcode matches the registered passcode.

9. The user device of claim 1, wherein the user instruction is biometric data provided by the user and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered biometric data.

10. The user device of claim 1, wherein a hidden flag corresponding to a native application is set by:

displaying an icon corresponding to the native application at a specific grid location in the launch screen;

detecting a recognized action at the specific grid location;

prompting the user to register an instruction with respect to the displayed icon;

receiving the instruction via the touchscreen;

associating the received instruction with the native application; and

setting the hidden flag of the native application.

19. The user device of claim 1, wherein the user instruction is biometric data provided by the user and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered biometric data.

11. A user device comprising:

a touchscreen;

a storage device storing a set of native applications and icon data corresponding to each respective native application, each native application including icon data defining an icon, a location of the icon on a launch screen displayed on the touchscreen, a hidden flag indicating whether the icon is visible or hidden, and when the hidden flag indicates the icon is hidden, an unlocking instruction associated with the icon; and

a processing device that executes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to;

display the launch screen via the touchscreen, the launch screen displaying one or more icons at one or more corresponding locations of the launch screen;

monitor the touchscreen fir user input;

receive user input at an unpopulated screen location of the launch screen, the unpopulated screen location being occupied by a hidden icon;

receive a user instruction corresponding to the unpopulated screen location;

verify the user instruction with the unlocking instruction associated with the icon; and

when the user instruction is verified, launch the native application corresponding to the hidden icon.

12. The user device of claim 11, wherein the user instruction is a gesture performed on the touchscreen at the unpopulated screen location and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered gesture.

13. The user device of claim 12, wherein receiving the user instruction includes:

in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, monitoring the unpopulated screen location for additional user input;

receiving the gesture at the unpopulated screen location via the touchscreen; and

recording the gesture.

14. The user device of claim 13, wherein verifying the user instruction includes:

retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location;

comparing the recorded gesture with the registered gesture; and

verifying the user instruction when the recorded gesture matches the registered gesture.

15. The user device of claim 11, wherein the user instruction is a passcode entered by the user and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered passcode.

16. The user device of claim 15, wherein receiving the user instruction includes:

in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, turning on a microphone of the user device;

receiving the passcode from the user in a form of audio input via the microphone; and

recording the audio input.

17. The user device of claim 16, wherein verifying the user instruction includes:

retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location;

comparing the recorded audio input with the registered passcode; and

verifying the user instruction when the recorded audio input matches the registered passcode.

18. The user device of claim 15, wherein:

receiving the user instruction includes;

in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, prompting the user to enter the passcode via the touchscreen;

receiving the passcode from the user via the touchscreen; and

recording the received passcode; and

verifying the user instruction includes;

retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location;

comparing the recorded received passcode with the registered passcode; and

verifying the user instruction when the recorded passcode matches the registered passcode.

20. The user device of claim 11 wherein a hidden flag corresponding to a native application is set by:

displaying an icon corresponding to the native application at a specific grid location in the launch screen;

detecting a recognized action at the specific grid location;

prompting the user to register an instruction with respect to the displayed icon;

receiving the instruction via the touchscreen;

associating the received instruction with the native application; and

setting the hidden flag of the native application.