Touch Gesture Actions From A Device's Lock Screen

Abstract

Embodiments enable a mobile device to execute an action analogous to a user-defined action in response to receipt of a gesture analogous to a user-defined gesture. In a first embodiment, a computer-implemented method executes an action on a mobile device. A lock screen view is displayed on the mobile device to prevent unauthorized and inadvertent access to the mobile device's data. While the mobile device is locked, a touch gesture having a pre-defined shape is detected on a touch screen of the mobile device independently of the initial position of the touch gesture on the touch screen. In response to detection of the touch gesture, a particular action is executed on the mobile device while the mobile device stays locked. The particular action determined according to the pre-defined shape. In this way, detection of the touch gesture causes the particular action to execute while keeping the mobile device locked.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This field relates to touch gestures on a mobile device.[0003]2. Background Art[0004]Some mobile devices, such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable navigation devices (PNDs) and handheld game consoles, include touch screens. These devices accept input by detecting movements, known as touch gestures, of fingers or other objects in contact with the touch screen. Upon detection of a touch gesture, the mobile device, or an application stored thereon, may execute an action. For example, upon detection of a pinch touch gesture, a web browsing application may zoom out of a web page.[0005]Mobile devices generally include lock screens to prevent unauthorized or unintentional access to the device. Mobile devices running the ANDROID operating system, available from Google Inc., enable a user to define a touch pattern gesture to unlock a touch screen. This feature, known as pattern unlock, enables a user to define a gesture ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]In a second embodiment, a system executes an action on a mobile device. The system includes a lock screen module that displays a lock screen view on the mobile device to prevent unauthorized and inadvertent access to the mobile device's data. While the lock screen module displays the lock screen view, a gesture interpretation module detects a touch gesture having a pre-defined shape on a touch screen of the mobile device independently of the initial position of the touch gesture on the touch screen. In response to detection of the touch gesture and while the mobile device remains locked, a lock action module executes a particular action on an application of the mobile device determined according to the pre-defined shape. The mobile device comprises at least one processor and memory. In this way, detection of the touch gesture initiates the particular action while keeping the mobile device locked.

[0009]In a third embodiment, a computer-implemented method executes an action on a mobile device. When the mobile device is unlocked, a user is able to define a shape of a touch gesture to cause the mobile device to execute a particular action. A lock screen view is displayed on the mobile device to prevent unauthorized and inadvertent access to the mobile device's data. While the mobile device is locked, a touch gesture having the shape defined by the user is detected on a touch screen of the mobile device. In response to detection of the touch gesture, a particular action is executed on the mobile device while the mobile device stays locked. In this way, detection the user-defined shape securely authorizes execution of the particular action while the mobile device is locked.

Problems solved by technology

However, unlocking the mobile device and then executing the desired action is a multi-step process and can be cumbersome.

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