The present disclosure relates generally to managing a user interface state between a lock state and an unlock state and, more particularly, to the movement of a display element between an area of display surface corresponding to a locked position and an area of the display surface corresponding to an unlocked position, where prior to selection by the user the display element has a variable start zone in which the display element moves in a pattern having a predefined manner.
The use of touch sensitive interfaces, including those incorporated as part of a touch sensitive display have gained in popularity for their ease of use associated with a more intuitive interaction in accessing and controlling the functionality of an electronic device including interacting with displayed elements and/or information. Furthermore, touch sensitive displays have greatly expanded the types of user interactions which can be regarded as a valid form of input. Many interfaces have made use of these expanded opportunities to extend the types of interactions that can be defined for interacting with the device and more particularly the various applications running on the device. These interactions have been expanded to included what has sometimes been referred to as gestures. In some cases, a gesture can be as concise as a brush across the touch sensitive surface. In other instances, a gesture can trace complicated patterns and include multiple points of interaction with the surface. In at least some instances, the location at which the gesture begins can be used to select a particular one of the elements being displayed with which the user wishes to interact, and the subsequent traced movement along the surface of the display defines the nature of the interaction with the displayed element selected by the user. Still further, many interfaces have been designed to allow corresponding functionality to be performed in simple and succinct ways with a trend toward involving a minimal number of steps and/or interactions which, in essence, involves a streamlining of the interactions necessary for producing a desired effect.
Correspondingly, by increasing the types of interactions that will be viewed as a valid form of input and minimizing the number of steps to produce and/or trigger a corresponding function, there is an increased chance that an unintended interaction will coincide with an interaction from the expanded list of permissible types of gestures or interactions with the possibility that it will trigger an unintended consequence. In essence, any stray movement of a body part of the user relative to the touch sensitive surface of the display has the potential to select an item being displayed with which the user can interact, and correspondingly the nature of the movement has the potential that it will be recognized as a gesture associated with a valid function that will be acted upon, and/or may trigger an action relative to the selected item. In some cases, the stray movement which is not intended to be a purposeful interaction may be repeated in a regular fashion, which can compound or magnify the resulting interaction. For example, a user's hip or leg might brush against the display surface of the device with each step as a user walks while carrying the device. Correspondingly, each stray movement, or the repeated movements when considered together, has the potential to be treated as a valid interaction despite its unintended origins.
As such, with expanded types of interactions and a set of streamlined interactions for producing an effect, it has become increasingly likely that a user can unknowingly activate functionality on the device, such as initiate a telephone call or manipulate a stored element, such as a file, including accidentally moving, copying or erasing the same through a stray interaction. In response to this, user interface developers have implemented lock screens, which temporarily disable at least a portion of the user interface, and generally require an unlock interaction before other types of interactions will be recognized. In some cases, the lock screen will be engaged after a fixed period of inactivity during which the user has not interacted with the device.
However for the same reasons that users desire more streamlined user interactions for producing desired and intended functionality, any interaction associated with the unlocking of a locked user interface should similarly avoid being overly burdensome or complex, in order to avoid the user finding the use of the feature frustrating, and correspondingly disabling the feature. Hence the challenge is to develop and provide a straight forward and intuitive interaction for unlocking a locked device which is not overly burdensome, but which also can not readily be accidently initiated.
Correspondingly, the present inventors have recognized that it would be beneficial to develop an apparatus and/or approach for transitioning between a user interface lock state and a user interface unlock state, which is intuitive and not unduly burdensome to the user, while simultaneously reducing the risk that a stray or unintended interaction could accidently transition the device to an unlock state without the transition to the unlock state being the express intent of the user of the device.
The present disclosure provides among other features a user interface for an electronic device or other machine. The user interface has a touch sensitive display having a display surface, the touch sensitive display being adapted for presenting to a user at a respective position at least one display element along the display surface. The touch sensitive display is further adapted for receiving from the user, a user interaction with the touch sensitive display at a location along the display surface. The user interface further includes a controller. The controller includes a user interface state module having an unlock state and a lock state adapted for selectively enabling and disabling at least a portion of the user interface, wherein the portion of the user interface responds to a predetermined type of user interaction when in the unlock state and does not respond to the predetermined type of user interaction when in the lock state. The controller further includes a state change module adapted for switching the state of the user interface state module between the lock state and the unlock state. The state change module switches the state of the user interface module from the lock state to the unlock state when the state change module detects each of the at least one display elements in respective unlock position for the corresponding one of the at least one display elements, wherein the respective unlock position for the corresponding one of the at least one display element includes placement within a respective predetermined area. The controller still further includes a lock state interface module, said lock state interface module being adapted to detect a received user interaction that is initiated with a selection of one of the at least one display element having a variable start zone. The lock state interface module includes a start zone movement module where prior to the selection of the display element by the user, the variable start zone of the display element moves in a pattern having a predefined manner along the display surface as a function of time, such that the variable start zone has a first location relative to the display surface at a first point in time, and the variable start zone has a second location relative to the display surface at a second point in time, which is different than the first location.
In at least one embodiment, the received user interaction includes a post selection gesture, which moves the selected one of the at least one display element from the variable start zone to a post gesture position having a placement in a new area.
In at least a further embodiment, the received user interaction includes a post selection gesture, which includes a path having a direction which is traced proximate the display surface of the touch sensitive display by the user using a pointer having a position that moves along the path, wherein a further movement of the variable start zone of the at least one display element is biased in the direction of the path of the post selection gesture.
In at least a still further embodiment, the user interface additionally includes a movement sensor, for detecting a movement of the electronic device initiated by the user, which could then be used to affect the movement of the variable start zone of the at least one display element.
The present disclosure further provides a method for managing a state of a user interface between a locked state and an unlocked state. The method includes switching a state of the user interface from the unlocked state to the locked state. At least one display element is then presented to the user via a display surface of a touch sensitive display. Each of the at least one display elements is presented at a respective variable start zone, where prior to selection by the user, the variable start zone of the display element moves in a pattern having a predefined manner along the display surface as a function of time, such that the variable start zone has a first location relative to the display surface at a first point in time, and the variable start zone has a second location relative to the display surface at a second point in time, which is different than the first location. When the state of the user interface is switched from the unlocked state to the locked state, the at least one display element is positioned in an area of the display surface other than a predetermined area of a respective unlock position. Detecting via the touch sensitive display a user interaction proximate the display surface, the user interaction including a selection by the user of one of the at least one display element and a postselection gesture, which affects the movement of the display element. When each of the at least one display element is detected in the respective unlock position of the corresponding at least one display element, the state of the user interface is then switched from the locked state to the unlocked state.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure are evident from the following description of one or more preferred embodiments of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
While the present disclosure is susceptible of embodiments in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described presently preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. Furthermore, while the various figures are intended to illustrate the various aspects of the present invention, in doing so, the elements are not necessarily intended to be drawn to scale. In other words, the size, shape and dimensions of some layers, features, components and/or regions for purposes of clarity or for purposes of better describing or illustrating the concepts intended to be conveyed may be exaggerated and/or emphasized relative to other illustrated elements.
The touch sensitive user interface 102 often includes a touch sensitive array, which has position sensors that are adapted for detecting a relative position and/or proximity of a corresponding pointer device relative to the touch sensitive user interface 102. Many existing forms of touch sensitive arrays include arrays which are resistive or capacitive in nature. Still further, the touch sensitive array can even employ a force sensing element array for detecting an amount of force being applied at the selected location. In this way, a force threshold determination can be taken into account in determining an intended interaction including the selection of an interactive element, such as a display element, or the making of a gesture. However, the use of other forms of touch sensitive arrays are possible without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.
While the pointer device can include a user's finger 104, a stylus, or any other suitable often times generally elongated element for identifying a particular area associated with the touch sensitive array, in some instances, the determination of an appropriate pointer may be affected by the particular technology used for the touch sensitive array, where in some instances a particular type of pointer may work better in conjunction with a particular type of array. In
However as noted previously not all interactions detected via the touch sensitive display may be the result of a desired action on the part of the user. In some instances an unintended interaction with the device may be made and detected proximate the touch sensitive surface of the device. As such, in some circumstances, it may be desirable to have the touch sensitive surface be in a lock state, which limits the nature and type of interactions that will be detected as a valid user input. Generally, while in a locked state the user interface will be focused on those particular actions which are intended on contributing to the transition of the user interface back to an unlocked state. The state of the user interface between a locked state and an unlocked state is managed by the controller 204. In support of this function, the controller 204 includes a user interface state module 210, which selectively enables and disables at least a portion of the user interface, including the types of interactions to which the interface will respond.
The controller further includes a state change module 212, which is adapted for switching the state of the user interface, which is managed by the user interface state module 210, between a lock state and an unlock state. The state change module switches the state of the user interface module from the lock state to the unlock state when the state change module detects each of at least one display element in its respective unlock position, which generally includes placement within a respective predetermined area. The controller still further includes a lock state interface module 214 which manages the functioning of at least a portion of the device while the user interface is in a locked state. As part of that management, the lock state interface module 214 may monitor interactions with the touch sensitive surface of the display, and detect interactions with elements being displayed during the locked state of the interface state module 210. The lock state interface module further manages the elements being displayed including their subsequent selection and movement including those prompted by the user, as well as those that occur while the device is in a locked state.
When in a locked state, the user interface provides at least one display element having a variable start zone managed by a start zone movement module 216 of the lock state interface. Prior to a valid selection of the display element, the start zone movement module 216 will manage the movement of the corresponding display elements in a pattern having a predefined manner of movement along the display surface as a function of time. The movement results in the display element having a variable start zone. In other words, the display element has a first location relative to the display surface at a first point in time and a second location relative to the display surface at a second point in time which is different than the first location.
In at least some instances, the act of unlocking may require a selection of a display element, and corresponding movement of the display element from a lock area to an unlock area. In these instances, in order to interact with the display element, the user needs to initiate a selection of the display element. Because the display element is moving as a function of time, the selection of the display element needs to coincide with the current position of the display element. As such, at different points of time the user will need to initiate selection of the display element by interacting with a different portion of the display surface. While a user can visually detect a display element's current position, unintended interactions are generally blind, correspondingly an unintended interaction will only select a particular display element in instances where the unintended interaction coincides with the current variable start zone location of the display element, when the unintended interaction with the display surface is first detected.
As noted previously, the variable nature of the starting zone of the display element necessitates that any selection of the display element through the use of a pointing element provide that the location of the selection coincide with the current position of the display element. In
In addition to or as an alternative to being able to select and relocate the current position of the display element to a new area through a postselection gesture, the display element may be able to transition across boundary 306 dependent upon the current motion vector 402 attributed to the display element 308.
In the case where it is possible for the display element to transition across the boundary 306 between the lock area 302 and the unlock area 304 dependent upon the magnitude of the speed of movement in the direction perpendicular to the boundary exceeding a predetermined threshold when the path of the display element interacts with the boundary 306, a gesture detected relative to the display surface 206 of the touch sensitive display may impart a change in the movement of display element. This may be the case for a detected gesture regardless as to whether the initiation of the gesture coincides with the current location of the display element 308. In such an instance as illustrated in the partial plan view 500 of
In addition to a detected gesture, the velocity of the display element could additionally or alternatively be affected by an amount that the device is twisted, turned or tilted. For example, the user interface 200 may additionally include a movement sensor 218 which could detect movement of the device. At least a couple of examples of movement sensors include tilt sensor(s) 220 and accelerometer(s) 222, see
By providing a variable start zone for a display element 308 where the position of the display element changes as a function of time, and the display element generally follows a pattern having a predetermined manner where the direction changes as it traverses the lock area, multiple repeated unintended gestures which are received will have an effect which will generally cancel out thereby limiting the chances that these unintended detected interactions will serve to unintentionally unlock the device. Still further, the interaction necessary from the user to transition the device from a locked state to an unlocked state is still relatively straight forward and intuitive so as to not be overly complex.
In at least some embodiments, the controller 204 illustrated in
A storage element could include one or more forms of volatile and/or non-volatile memory, including conventional ROM, EPROM, RAM, or EEPROM. The storage element may still further incorporate one or more forms of auxiliary storage, which is either fixed or removable, such as a harddrive or a floppydrive. One skilled in the art will still further appreciate, that still other further forms of memory could be used without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. In the same or other instances, the controller 206 may additionally or alternatively incorporate state machines and/or logic circuitry, which can be used to implement at least partially, some of modules and their corresponding functionality.
When in a locked state, at least a portion of the types of interactions that are generally allowed are restricted. This can include all general access to the device with the exception of the actions which are interpreted in association with any perceived attempted unlocking of the device, or it can include access to one or more features or functions including access to one or more applications operating on the device. Access to these portions of the user interface will generally be restricted until the user interface is placed in an unlocked state, through the user executing a set of one or more actions relative to the device which triggers an unlocking of the user interface. In this way, unintended interactions which can trigger unintended consequences can be reduced.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.