Color Pattern Unlock Mechanism for Touchscreen Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch screen devices lack a secure and intuitive unlocking mechanism that personalizes user experience, relying on traditional password methods which may not provide sufficient security or user engagement.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a color pattern unlock mode that allows users to create a customizable combination of colors, images, or both, which can be configured using a touch screen interface, enabling users to unlock the device by arranging specific color patterns or matching images with corresponding colors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional password methods are used for unlocking, then the unlocking process is simple and quick, but security and user engagement are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs color changes as a core unlocking mechanism, where users select and arrange colors in specific patterns on the touch screen. The system detects color selections through touch input and validates them against stored color pattern credentials. This visual-based approach enhances security while maintaining ease of use through intuitive color selection and pattern arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional one-dimensional password entry (text or numbers) to a two-dimensional color pattern arrangement on the touch screen. Users interact by selecting colors at different positions and orders, creating a multi-dimensional unlocking mechanism that combines spatial arrangement with color selection, thereby improving security without significantly complicating the user experience.
2Reliability
If color pattern unlock mode is implemented, then security and user engagement are enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The color pattern unlock mechanism is integrated into the existing touch screen interface, utilizing the same hardware components (touch sensor, display, processor) for both normal operation and unlocking functions. The system leverages the existing operating system and application framework, adding the color pattern unlock capability as an additional function rather than requiring separate dedicated hardware, thereby minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent stores color pattern credentials in the device's memory as digital copies of the desired color sequences and arrangements. During unlocking, the system compares the detected color pattern against these stored credentials rather than requiring complex real-time verification. This copying approach simplifies the verification process and reduces computational complexity while maintaining strong security.
3Adaptability or versatility
If customizable color patterns are used, then user engagement and personalization are improved, but the time required to configure and remember patterns increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows users to configure and test color patterns during initial setup or first use, performing the learning and memorization process in advance. Once configured, the color pattern is stored in memory and the user does not need to remember or reconfigure it for subsequent unlocking operations. The system automatically retrieves and validates the stored pattern, eliminating the time loss associated with recalling complex patterns during actual unlocking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates visual feedback mechanisms where the touch screen displays the selected color pattern in real-time as the user configures it. This immediate visual confirmation helps users verify their pattern selection and reduces the time needed to ensure correctness. The system provides feedback during both configuration and unlocking processes, making the interaction more efficient and reducing cognitive load on the user.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for providing a color pattern unlock mode in electronic touch sensitive devices. The color pattern unlock mode can display an unlock screen to the user, prompting the user to arrange or create a specific color pattern in order to unlock the device. The customizable color pattern may include any uniquely identifiable unlocking pattern including a combination of colors. Example color patterns include a combination of colors arranged in a certain order, a combination of colors combined with a password, a combination of colors combined with one or more words written out in one or more colors, or a combination of colors each matched with a specific image. When the user has arranged the proper color pattern, the device unlocks and may be used. If the correct color pattern is not arranged, the device remains locked.