Touch Display Unlock Mechanism With Drag Bar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unlock mechanisms for touch-sensitive computing devices without physical keyboards face challenges in reliably unlocking the screen when idle, often requiring users to memorize patterns or sequences, which can be cumbersome and not necessarily indicative of the user's intent to activate the device.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves partitioning the touch-sensitive display into zones adjacent to a vertical edge, where a user can drag an unlock bar from one edge to the opposite edge, revealing the locked screen content as the bar moves, allowing the screen to be unlocked when a predetermined distance is reached, regardless of orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pattern-based unlock mechanisms are used, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates because users must memorize patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the unlock function from the entire display area and concentrates it in a specific zone adjacent to the vertical edge. Users interact only with this designated zone to trigger and complete the unlock process, separating the unlock operation from the general display content and simplifying the interaction required for authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The display is segmented into functional zones: a locked display area and an unlock zone adjacent to the vertical edge. This segmentation allows the unlock operation to be performed in a dedicated area without requiring users to memorize patterns across the entire screen, improving ease of operation while maintaining security through the defined unlock zone.
2Ease of operation
If movement detection is used to unlock, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates because movement does not indicate user intent
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces an intermediary unlock bar element that mediates between the user's touch input and the unlocking function. Users must deliberately interact with this intermediary element (dragging it across the display) to trigger unlocking, ensuring the action reflects user intent rather than incidental movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The unlock bar is pre-positioned and must be deliberately activated by user interaction before unlocking occurs. This preliminary action of dragging the bar across the display ensures the user intentionally initiates the unlock process, filtering out spurious movements that do not indicate genuine user intent.
3Reliability
If the entire display must be unlocked, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential unlock function from the entire display and concentrates it in a specific zone adjacent to the vertical edge. Users interact only with this designated zone to trigger and complete the unlock process, simplifying the interaction required for authentication while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The display is segmented into functional zones: a locked display area and an unlock zone adjacent to the vertical edge. This segmentation allows the unlock operation to be performed in a dedicated area without requiring complex interactions across the entire screen, reducing device complexity while maintaining security.
Data Source
AI summary
An unlock system for a computer such as a tablet. The screen of the tablet can be automatically locked after time were based on an action. Once locked, the contents of this screen are blocked by the locking screen which can be a blank screen or screen which shows status parts. Areas on the locking screen are defined, within which the user can touch the locking screen and drag it to the opposite side. During the time of dragging, the items underneath, showing the actual content of the screen, are revealed. In one embodiment, the unlock action may automatically continue after a certain point on the screen has been reached.