Patent Application
20160283013
Many different types of consumer electronics devices typically include a touch screen that may act as an output device that displays image, video and/or graphical information, and which further may act as an input touch interface device for receiving touch control inputs from a user. A touch screen (or touch panel, or touch panel display) may detect the presence and location of a touch within the area of the display, where the touch may include a touching of the display with a body part (e.g., a finger) or with certain objects (e.g., a stylus). Touch screens typically enable the user to interact directly with what is being displayed, rather than indirectly with a cursor controlled by a mouse or touchpad. Touch screens have become widespread in use with various different types of consumer electronic devices, including, for example, cellular radiotelephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and hand-held gaming devices.
In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes receiving user-customized security parameters related to the display of data by a device having a display, and altering the device's display, during display of the data, based on the user-customized security parameters, wherein altering the device's display comprises: reducing a backlighting of the device's display, and modifying an image coloring of the device's display. The method further includes returning the device's display to default settings subsequent to the display of the data.
In another exemplary embodiment, a device includes a display unit, and a processing unit configured to: receive user-customized security parameters related to the display of data via the display, alter the display unit, during the display of the data, based on the user-customized security parameters, wherein altering the display unit comprises: reducing a backlighting of the device's display unit, and changing coloring of images or data output of the display unit to grayscale; and return the display unit to default settings subsequent to the display of the data.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by at least one processor, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions for: receiving user-customized security parameters related to the display of data by a device having a display, wherein the data comprises sensitive data that a user of the device does not want to have others see when displayed on the device's display; altering the device's display, during display of the data, based on the user-customized security parameters, wherein altering the device's display comprises: reducing a backlighting of the device's display, changing a coloring of images or data output of the display to grayscale, and scrambling keys of a displayed input keyboard associated with the display of the data; and returning the device's display to default settings subsequent to the display of the data.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments described herein and, together with the description, explain these embodiments. In the drawings:
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. Also, the following detailed description does not limit the invention.
When displaying sensitive data on a display of a device, or when entering sensitive data (e.g., password, pin codes) via a touch screen display of the device, nearby individuals viewing the device at an angle relative to the display of device may be able to discern and, thus, “spy upon” the sensitive data appearing on the display of the device. For example, when a device user is entering a pass code to unlock the device, or is entering a login name and/or password, another individual adjacent to the device may view the device's display from an angle to ascertain the sensitive data being displayed. Embodiments described herein implement display security measures that prevent the disclosure of sensitive data displayed by a device, or sensitive data being entered into the device. The display security measures may include automatically performing reducing backlighting of the display of the device, changing an image coloring of the display of the device to grayscale and/or scrambling a keyboard/keypad of the device. The display security measures performed by the device may be customized by the user of the device. The display security measures described herein may be implemented with respect to devices having touch screen displays, or devices having regular display units (in association with hardware keyboards) that don't have a touch screen capability.
To avoid other individuals, in close proximity to device 100, being able to see the sensitive data entered and/or displayed on display 120 of device 100, device 100 may implement display security measures 130 for obscuring the sensitive data entered and/or displayed at device 100. The display security measures 130 may include reducing a backlighting of display 120, modifying a display image coloring of display 120, and/or scrambling an input keyboard or keypad displayed on display 120. Modifying the display image coloring of display 120 may include, for example, changing the image coloring of graphics, images and/or data displayed on display 120 to a grayscale coloring. In one implementation, display security measures 130 may include only reducing the backlighting of display 120. In another implementation, display security measures 130 may include both reducing the backlighting of display 120 and modifying the display image coloring of display 120. In yet another implementation, display security measures 130 may include the combination of reducing the backlighting of display 120, modifying of the display image coloring of display 120, and scrambling an input keyboard or keypad displayed on display 120. Scrambling the input keyboard or keypad displayed on display 120 may include scrambling a numeric keyboard/keypad or scrambling an alpha-numeric keyboard/keypad. In additional implementations, other types of display security measures, not specifically described herein, may be used by themselves, or in conjunction with, one or more of display security measures 130 depicted in
The user of device 100 may supply user-customized data display security parameters 140 to device 100 for causing the display security measures 130 to be executed at device 100 under certain user-customized conditions/circumstances. The display security parameters 140 may include an indication of which of the display security measures have been selected by the user of device 100 for execution (i.e., the user may customize which display security measures are executed). The display security parameters 140 may additionally specify the conditions upon which selected ones of the display security measures 130 may be executed. For example, the display security parameters 140 may specify that one or more of the display security measures 130 may be executed upon the occurrence of a log-in or password entry by the user of device 100, by a pin code entry by the user of device 100 (e.g., during device “unlock”), during phone number dialing by the user of device 100, during selection of an image(s) to unlock device 100, or during execution of a particular application by the user of device 100. The display security parameters 140 may also specify that one or more display security measures 130 may be executed upon the occurrence of a certain user input, such as, for example, the press of a certain key of a keyboard or keypad of device 100, upon the input of certain biometric data (e.g., fingerprint, voice authentication, etc.), or upon the input of a voice comment or instruction (e.g., “secure display on”). The display security parameters 140 may further include data that specifies the level (e.g., dimmer, brighter, etc.) of the reduced backlighting of display security measures 130. Additional exemplary details of user-customized data display security parameters 140 and display security measures 130 are described further below.
Device 100 may include any type of electronic device that includes a display 120 for displaying graphics, images and/or data. In one implementation, display 120 may include a display for displaying data used in conjunction with a hardware keyboard/keypad. In another implementation, display 120 may include a touch screen display that displays data and may also display a software-generated keyboard/keypad that accepts touch input on the display. Device 100 may include a cellular radiotelephone; a satellite navigation device; a smart phone; a Personal Communications System (PCS) terminal that may combine a cellular radiotelephone with data processing, facsimile and data communications capabilities; a personal digital assistant (PDA) that can include a radiotelephone, pager, Internet/Intranet access, Web browser, organizer, calendar and/or a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; a gaming device; a media player device; a tablet computer; a surface table with touch screen display; a wearable computer (e.g., in the form of a watch or glasses); or a digital camera. In some exemplary embodiments, device 100 may include a hand-held electronic device. In one implementation, an example of which is described further with respect to
When device 100 includes a touch screen display for display 120, the touch panel of display 120 may be integrated with, and/or overlaid on, display 120 to form a touch screen or a panel-enabled display that may function as a user input interface. For example, in one implementation, the touch panel may include a capacitive type of touch panel that allows a touch screen display to be used as an input device. The capacitive type of touch panel may include both a self capacitance and a mutual capacitance type of touch panel (e.g., a Floating Touch™ display using self capacitance and mutual capacitance scanning) In other implementations, other types of near field-sensitive, acoustically-sensitive (e.g., surface acoustic wave), photo-sensitive (e.g., infrared), and/or any other type of touch panel may be used that allows a display to be used as an input device. In some implementations, the touch panel may include multiple touch-sensitive technologies. Generally, the touch panel may include any type of technology that provides the ability to identify the occurrence of a touch upon the touch panel.
The display 120 of device 100 may include a device that can display signals generated by the electronic device 100 as text or images on a screen (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, a light emitting diode (LED) display such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a surface-conduction electro-emitter display (SED), a plasma display, a field emission display (FED), a bistable display, etc.). In certain implementations, the display may provide a high-resolution, active-matrix presentation suitable for the wide variety of applications and features associated with typical devices. Display 120 may provide visual information to the user and serve—in conjunction with the touch panel—as a user interface to detect user input. The terms “touch” or “touch input,” as used herein, may refer to a touch of an object upon the touch panel of display 120, such as a body part (e.g., a finger) or a pointing device, or movement of an object (e.g., body part or pointing device) to within a certain proximity of the touch panel that can be sensed as a “touch” by the touch panel.
As shown in the exploded view of
During a “mutual capacitance” scanning of layers 155 and 160, a voltage is applied to a parallel plate capacitor effectively formed at an intersection of each row of layer 155 and column of layer 160. Each intersection of a row of layer 155 and a column of layer 160 represents a single mutual capacitance sensor of the touch sensor array. When a finger(s), or other object(s), touches display 120 and touch panel 150, a capacitance Crow-column associated with an intersection, at a location of the touch, of a row electrode of layer 155 and a column electrode of layer 160 decreases. By detecting the decreases in capacitance at one or more row/column intersections, the location of the finger(s), or other object(s), touching display 120 and touch panel 150 can be determined. During this “mutual capacitance” scanning of the touch input sensor array, the capacitance Crow-column at each intersection of a row of layer 155 and a column of layer 160 may be measured to determine the change in capacitance.
In the exploded view depicted in
Processing unit 320 may include a processor, microprocessor, or processing logic that may interpret and execute instructions. Main memory 330 may include a random access memory (RAM) or another type of dynamic storage device that may store information and instructions for execution by processing unit 320. ROM 340 may include a ROM device or another type of static storage device that may store static information and instructions for use by processing unit 320. Storage device 350 may include a magnetic and/or optical recording medium and its corresponding drive. Main memory 330, ROM 340 and storage device 350 may each be referred to herein as a “tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium.”
Input device 360 may include a mechanism that permits a user to input information to device 100, such as a mouse, a pen, voice recognition and/or biometric mechanisms, etc. Input device 360 may further include display 120, which includes a touch screen display having touch panel 150. Output device 370 may include a mechanism that outputs information to the operator, including a display, a printer, a speaker, etc. Output device 370 may additionally include display 120 that includes the touch screen display (and touch panel 150) that also acts as an input device 360. Communication interface 380 may include a transceiver that enables device 100 to communicate with other devices and/or systems.
Device 100 may perform certain operations or processes described herein. Device 100 may perform these operations in response to processing unit 320 executing software instructions contained in a computer-readable medium, such as memory 330. A computer-readable medium may be defined as a physical or logical memory device. The software instructions may be read into memory 330 from another computer-readable medium, such as data storage device 350, or from another device via communication interface 380. The software instructions contained in memory 330 may cause processing unit 320 to perform operations or processes described herein. Alternatively, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement processes described herein. Thus, implementations described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.
The configuration of components of device 100 illustrated in
User interface 600 may include a user interface section (and/or window or screen) 605 that permits the user of device 100 to select a first option 620 that causes display security measures to be automatically executed, or a second option 625 that causes display security measures to be executed based on user-customized data display security parameters input into device 100 via, for example, user interface 600. In the example shown in
User interface 600 may include another user interface section (and/or window or screen) 610 that permits the user of device 100 to select the conditions or events under which the data display security measures are executed. As shown in
User interface section 610 may also (not shown in
User interface 600 may include an additional user interface section (and/or window or screen) 615 that permits the user of device 100 to select which particular display security measures may be executed upon the occurrence of events or conditions selected via user interface section 610. As shown in
The exemplary process may include device 100 determining whether to enter a sensitive data display mode (block 700). Device 100 may enter a sensitive data display mode automatically based on the occurrence of specific condition or event, where the specific condition or event may be a default condition or event, the occurrence of which always causes device 100 to enter the sensitive data display mode, or the specific condition or event may be one of a set of conditions or events specified by the user of device 100 via user-customized data display security parameters 140. For example, referring again to
Device 100 may execute one or more display security measures to: 1) reduce backlighting of display 120, 2) modify display image coloring of display 120, and/or 3) scramble an input keyboard/keypad displayed on display 120 (block 710). Device 100 may execute 1) by itself; 2) by itself; 3) by itself; 1) and 2) in combination; 2) and 3) in combination; 1) and 3) in combination; or 1), 2) and 3) in combination. Additional display security measures, not specifically described herein, may be used alone or in conjunction with one or more of display security measures 1), 2), and/or 3) above. Device 100 may execute the one or more display security measures automatically based on default settings, or based on user-customized settings. The user-customized settings may, for example, be set by the user of device 100 via user interface 600 of
Device 100 may determine whether to resume a normal display and discontinue the display security measures executed in block 710 (block 720). Device 100 may resume the default display when, for example, login, password or pin code entry completes, when a phone number is finished being dialed, and/or when a particular app is no longer executing. If the normal default display is to be resumed (YES-block 720), then device 100 may discontinue execution of the display security measures, including resetting the backlighting of display 120 to a default setting, resetting the display image coloring to a default setting, and/or unscrambling the displayed input keyboard/keypad (block 730). Images, graphics and/or data displayed at display 120 of device 100 may be returned to a normal default mode, with the default backlighting level, default display image coloring, and a keyboard/keypad that is unscrambled and displayed in its default state.
The foregoing description of the embodiments described herein provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. For example, while a series of blocks has been described with respect to
Certain features described herein may be implemented as “logic” or as a “unit” that performs one or more functions. This logic or unit may include hardware, such as one or more processors, microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits, or field programmable gate arrays, software, or a combination of hardware and software.
The term “comprises” or “comprising” as used herein, including the claims, specifies the presence of stated features, integers, steps, or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof.
No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Further, the phrase “based on,” as used herein is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.
