U.S. patent application number 16/845826 was filed with the patent office on 2020-07-30 for lockable widgets on a mobile device.
The applicant listed for this patent is eBay Inc.. Invention is credited to Oliver Nicholas Cockcroft, Eric J. Farraro, John Tapley.
Application Number | 20200242228 16/845826 |
Document ID | 20200242228 / US20200242228 |
Family ID | 1000004752330 |
Filed Date | 2020-07-30 |
Patent Application | download [pdf] |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200242228 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Farraro; Eric J. ; et
al. |
July 30, 2020 |
LOCKABLE WIDGETS ON A MOBILE DEVICE
Abstract
Systems and methods for locking and unlocking software
applications are described. In some embodiments, a software
application is placed in a locked mode. While the software
application is in the locked mode, data to alter the application's
state is received. In response to receiving the data, the mode of
the software application is altered to an unlocked mode. The
placement of a software application in a locked or unlocked mode
does not affect the modes of other software applications on the
user device.
Inventors: |
Farraro; Eric J.; (San Jose,
CA) ; Tapley; John; (San Jose, CA) ;
Cockcroft; Oliver Nicholas; (Los Gatos, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
eBay Inc. |
San Jose |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004752330 |
Appl. No.: |
16/845826 |
Filed: |
April 10, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16243331 |
Jan 9, 2019 |
10664584 |
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16845826 |
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15936193 |
Mar 26, 2018 |
10198569 |
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16243331 |
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15393708 |
Dec 29, 2016 |
9953154 |
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15936193 |
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14629007 |
Feb 23, 2015 |
9536068 |
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15393708 |
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13674007 |
Nov 10, 2012 |
8966612 |
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14629007 |
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61647964 |
May 16, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 1/00413 20130101;
G06F 3/04845 20130101; G06F 3/04883 20130101; H04N 1/00411
20130101; G06F 21/36 20130101; H04M 1/72583 20130101; G06F 3/0482
20130101; H04N 1/00416 20130101; G06F 3/04817 20130101; H04N
1/00408 20130101; G06F 21/31 20130101; G06F 3/048 20130101; H04N
1/00419 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 21/36 20060101
G06F021/36; G06F 3/0488 20060101 G06F003/0488; G06F 3/0484 20060101
G06F003/0484; G06F 3/0482 20060101 G06F003/0482; G06F 3/0481
20060101 G06F003/0481; G06F 21/31 20060101 G06F021/31 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: placing a state of a
first software application on a user device in a first locked mode,
the placing of the first software application in the first locked
mode not affecting a mode of any other software application on the
user device; while the first software application is in the first
locked mode, receiving a first data to alter the state of the first
software application; and altering the state of the first software
application to a second unlocked mode in response to receiving the
first data, the first data not affecting a locked mode of any other
software application on the user device.
2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising: providing
for display of an instruction for altering the state of the first
software application when the first software application is in the
first locked mode.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first software application is
placed in the first locked mode in response to one or more user
commands.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first software application is
placed in the first locked mode in response to a predetermined
amount of time lapsing.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device comprises a
second software application managing states of software
applications on the user device.
6. The method of claim 5, the method further comprising: receiving
an authentication sequence by the second software application
before receiving the first data.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the authentication sequence is a
password.
8. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing
computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more
computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to
perform operations, the operations comprising: placing a state of a
first software application on a user device in a first locked mode,
the placing of the first software application in the first locked
mode not affecting a mode of any other software application on the
user device; while the first software application is in the first
locked mode, receiving a first data to alter the state of the first
software application; and altering the state of the first software
application to a second unlocked mode in response to receiving the
first data, the first data not affecting a locked mode of any other
software application on the user device.
9. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim
8, wherein the operations further comprise: providing for display
of an instruction for altering the state of the first software
application when the first software application is in the first
locked mode.
10. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim
8, wherein the first software application is placed in the first
locked mode in response to one or more user commands.
11. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim
8, wherein the first software application is placed in the first
locked mode in response to a predetermined amount of time
lapsing.
12. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim
8, wherein the user device comprises a second software application
managing states of software applications on the user device.
13. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim
12, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving an
authentication sequence by the second software application before
receiving the first data.
14. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim
13, wherein the authentication sequence is a password.
15. A computer system comprising: one or more processors; and one
or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing
computer-useable instructions that, when used by the one or more
processors, cause the one or more processors to: place a state of a
first software application on a user device in a first locked mode,
the placing of the first software application in the first locked
mode not affecting a mode of any other software application on the
user device; while the first software application is in the first
locked mode, receive a first data to alter the state of the first
software application; and alter the state of the first software
application to a second unlocked mode in response to receiving the
first data, the first data not affecting a locked mode of any other
software application on the user device.
16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the one or more
processors are further caused to: provide for display of an
instruction for altering the state of the first software
application when the first software application is in the first
locked mode.
17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the first software
application is placed in the first locked mode in response to one
or more user commands.
18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the first software
application is placed in the first locked mode in response to a
predetermined amount of time lapsing.
19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the user device
comprises a second software application managing states of software
applications on the user device.
20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the one or more
processors are further caused to: receive an authentication
sequence by the second software application before receiving the
first data.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit
of priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/243,331, filed
Jan. 9, 2019, which is a continuation of and claims the benefit of
priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/936,193, filed Mar.
26, 2018, which is a continuation of and claims the benefit of
priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/393,708, filed on
Dec. 29, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 14/629,007, filed on Feb. 23, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No.
9,536,068, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 13/674,007, filed on Nov. 10, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No.
8,966,612, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/647,964, filed May 16, 2012, the
benefit of priority of each of which is claimed hereby, and each of
which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets, enable
mobile widgets to operate on one or more home screens. The mobile
widget is a specialized software application that is relatively
simple and easy to use (i.e., light). Common examples of mobile
widgets include clock widgets, weather widgets, calculator widgets,
messaging widgets, and calendar widgets.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] FIG. 1 is a network diagram depicting a networked or network
based system, according to an example embodiment, having a
client-server architecture configured for exchanging data over a
network.
[0004] FIGS. 2-4 depict an example portion of a home screen of a
client machine having a widget executing thereon in accordance with
one example embodiment.
[0005] FIGS. 5-7 depict an example portion of a home screen of a
client machine having a widget executing thereon in accordance with
another example embodiment.
[0006] FIGS. 8-10 depict an example portion of a home screen of a
client machine having a widget executing thereon in accordance with
another example embodiment.
[0007] FIG. 11 depicts an example portion of a home screen of a
client machine having an authentication mechanism combined with a
widget in accordance with another example embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 12 is an interaction diagram illustrating a process for
locking and unlocking a widget in accordance with one example
embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 13 is an interaction diagram illustrating a process for
locking and unlocking a widget in accordance with another example
embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 14 is an interaction diagram illustrating a process for
locking and unlocking a widget in accordance with another example
embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 15 is an interaction diagram illustrating a process for
locking and unlocking a widget in accordance with another example
embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for locking
and unlocking a widget in accordance with another example
embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 17 shows a diagrammatic representation of machine in
the example form of a computer system within which a set of
instructions, for causing the machine to perform any one or more of
the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The description that follows includes illustrative systems,
methods, techniques, instruction sequences, and computing machine
program products that embody illustrative embodiments. In the
following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous
specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding
of various embodiments of the inventive subject matter. It will be
evident, however, to those skilled in the art that embodiments of
the inventive subject matter may be practiced without these
specific details. In general, well-known instruction instances,
protocols, structures, and techniques have not been shown in
detail.
[0015] Example methods and systems to provide lockable widgets on a
mobile device are described. In the following description, for
purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in
order to provide a thorough understanding of example embodiments.
It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the
present invention may be practiced without these specific
details.
[0016] In an example embodiment, onscreen widgets are locked. While
a widget may continue to operate while it is locked, some
functionality of the widget is restricted until a user unlocks the
widget. Other functionality of the widget may continue while in the
locked state. For example, while in a locked state, a weather
widget may continue to provide weather updates. In another example,
an auction widget may continue to provide updates (e.g., higher
bids) of items up for auction. Unlocking the widget may be
performed in a variety of ways, some of which will be described in
more detail later.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a network diagram depicting a client-server system
100, within which one example embodiment may be deployed. A
networked system 102, in the example forms of a network-based
marketplace or publication system, provides server-side
functionality, via a network 104 (e.g., the Internet or Wide Area
Network (WAN)) to one or more clients. FIG. 1 illustrates, for
example, a web client 106 (e.g., a browser), and a programmatic
client 108 executing on respective client machines 110 and 112.
[0018] An Application Program Interface (API) server 114 and a web
server 116 are coupled to, and provide programmatic and web
interfaces respectively to, one or more application servers 118.
The application servers 118 host one or more marketplace
applications 120 and payment applications 122. The application
servers 118 are, in turn, shown to be coupled to one or more
database servers 124 that facilitate access to one or more
databases 126.
[0019] The marketplace applications 120 may provide a number of
marketplace functions and services to users that access the
networked system 102. The payment applications 122 may likewise
provide a number of payment services and functions to users. The
payment applications 122 may allow users to accumulate value (e.g.,
in a commercial currency, such as the U.S. dollar, or a proprietary
currency, such as "points") in accounts, and then later to redeem
the accumulated value for products (e.g., goods or services) that
are made available via the marketplace applications 120. While the
marketplace and payment applications 120 and 122 are shown in FIG.
1 to both form part of the networked system 102, it will be
appreciated that, in alternative embodiments, the payment
applications 122 may form part of a payment service that is
separate and distinct from the networked system 102.
[0020] Further, while the system 100 shown in FIG. 1 employs a
client-server architecture, the present invention is of course not
limited to such an architecture, and could equally well find
application in a distributed, or peer-to-peer, architecture system,
for example. The various marketplace and payment applications 120
and 122 could also be implemented as standalone software programs,
which do not necessarily have networking capabilities.
[0021] The web client 106 accesses the various marketplace and
payment applications 120 and 122 via the web interface supported by
the web server 116. Similarly, the programmatic client 108 accesses
the various services and functions provided by the marketplace and
payment applications 120 and 122 via the programmatic interface
provided by the API server 114. The programmatic client 108 may,
for example, be a seller application (e.g., the TurboLister
application developed by eBay Inc., of San Jose, Calif.) to enable
sellers to author and manage listings on the networked system 102
in an off-line manner, and to perform batch-mode communications
between the programmatic client 108 and the networked system
102.
[0022] FIG. 1 also illustrates a third party application 128,
executing on a third party server machine 130, as having
programmatic access to the networked system 102 via the
programmatic interface provided by the API server 114. For example,
the third party application 128 may, utilizing information
retrieved from the networked system 102, support one or more
features or functions on a website hosted by the third party. The
third party website may, for example, provide one or more
promotional, marketplace or payment functions that are supported by
the relevant applications of the networked system 102.
[0023] In an example embodiment, the client machine 110 may include
a widget 132. A widget can be a software application designed to be
constantly (or nearly constantly) running on a client machine 110,
and accessible from a front or main screen of a graphical user
interface. Widgets can involve some sort of communication with a
server to obtain information, the information then being
automatically displayed to a user of the client machine 110 through
a graphical user interface. Widgets can run at the operating system
level, much like a simple application for the operating system.
Many widgets also allow some level of interactivity with the user
via the graphical user interface. While there are any number of
different types of widgets, widgets for displaying information such
as weather, traffic, stock quotes, and sports scores are some of
the more popular types of widgets. In the example embodiment in
FIG. 1, the widget 132 may be an auction listing widget, which can
list the current status/price of an item of interest and allow the
user to make an updated bid.
[0024] Regardless of the type of widget, in an example embodiment a
mechanism to lock the widget can be provided. Locking may either
occur explicitly, via the user executing some combination of
commands to cause the widget to be locked (e.g., keystrokes,
gestures, spoken commands), or may occur implicitly, such as by the
system automatically locking the widget when a predetermined amount
of time has lapsed with no user input, or when the client machine's
screen is turned off or enters a power savings mode.
[0025] FIG. 2 depicts an example portion of a home screen of a
client machine having a widget executing thereon. Here the client
machine is a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet
computer. In such cases, the widget 200 may be referred to as a
mobile widget. The mobile widget 200 depicted is a "weather" widget
displaying current weather conditions. The mobile widget further
includes a "lock" icon 202 indicating that the widget is locked.
When a widget is locked, one or more interactive features of the
widget are inactivated by being made not accessible or not
interactive. As depicted, the weather widget 200 does not include
any interactive features (e.g., buttons, sliders) when locked.
Thus, in this case, the user is able to see the current weather for
San Jose, Calif. 204 (which may have been the last city on which
weather was checked, or may be a default city set by the user), but
the user is not able to interact with the mobile widget to change
the city, or to alter other parameters, such as the type of weather
report to receive (e.g., number of days, allergy reports, satellite
maps, etc.). Thus, in this example, the interactivity with the
mobile widget has been restricted in some way.
[0026] FIG. 3 depicts a second example portion of the home screen
of the mobile device having the weather widget executing thereon.
In response to input using the touch screen or other input device
on the mobile device, the locked widget 200 may display
instructions 300 for unlocking the widget. As depicted, the user is
instructed to drag the "lock" icon 202 from a current position to a
second position on the home screen or within the widget. The lock
icon 202 of the widget 200 may be the only active element of the
widget in a locked state in this example. It should be noted that
in some embodiments the instructions 300 may be displayed without
first requiring user input. Indeed, in some embodiments the
instructions 300 may simply be always displayed when the mobile
widget is locked.
[0027] FIG. 4 depicts a third example portion of the home screen of
the mobile device having the weather widget executing thereon. In
FIG. 4, the widget is unlocked and one or more interactive
features, e.g., a button labelled "New City" 400, are provided to
the user. These interactive features may be ones that were
unavailable while the widget 200 was locked. The widget may be
locked again by, for example, pressing the "unlocked" icon 402 in
the upper right corner of the widget until the widget indicates
that it is locked, returning the example to FIG. 2.
[0028] Another example may involve an auction widget. An auction
widget may interact with an online auction system to display
current status information regarding an item up for auction (either
an item the user is auctioning off, or an item the user is
interested in purchasing). It should be noted that the term
"auction" as used in this document is used broadly, and may cover
any item listed on a web site that is primarily involved in
auctioning items (for example, the item may be listed as a "buy it
now" with a preset price and without any auction component). In
another example, a widget may be provided that allows a user to
purchase from an ecommerce site, not having any auction element at
all.
[0029] FIG. 5 depicts a first example portion of the home screen of
the mobile device having an auction widget executing thereon in
accordance with an example embodiment. As depicted, the auction
widget 500 is locked and one or more interactive features on the
widget are made inactive, as indicated by the "lock" icon 502, and
additional lock icons positioned where one or more interactive
features are normally displayed 504 a, 504 b. While these
interactive features are inactive while the auction widget 500 is
in its locked state, information about the item, such as the
current high bid 506 may continue to be displayed and updated as
the status changes.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 6, directions 600 for unlocking the widget
may be displayed to the user. Here, the instructions 600 indicate
that the user needs to "triple tap" to unlock, namely to press his
or her finger on the widget three times. Upon receiving an input
from the user that complies with the instructions given, the widget
is unlocked and one or more buttons or other interactive features
of the widget are activated. In the unlocked state, the widget
operates normally and has an additional interactive feature that
allows the user to lock the widget, as depicted in FIG. 7. As can
be seen, now that the auction widget 500 has been unlocked, the
user is able to view 702 more information about the item (such as
open an item page listing a description, current high bid and
bidder, ending time, etc.) as well as bid 704. As such, in this
example it can be seen how the auction widget continues to alert
the user of the current high bid even while in a locked state, but
the act of entering a higher bid is restricted while in the locked
state. This allows, for example, a parent to temporarily give his
or her smartphone to a child (for example, to play a game with
while the parent drives a vehicle), and even though the smartphone
as a whole is unlocked while in the hands of the child, the child's
ability to interact with the widget is limited. This protection can
be even further extended by adding an authentication component into
the process, which will be described in more detail later. In
addition to protecting against a child from accessing the widget,
the lock also has the ability to prevent a user from inadvertently
triggering an action in the widget. For example, it is not uncommon
for a smartphone to automatically trigger an action when the user
places the smartphone in his or her pocket, where the touchscreen
may be accidentally depressed through normal body movement. A
locking mechanism would prevent such an occurrence from happening
to any protected widget. This is especially important because
widgets may be viewable even when the smartphone as a whole is
locked.
[0031] FIGS. 8-10 depict an alternative mechanism for unlocking an
auction widget in accordance with an example embodiment. Here, as
in FIG. 5, FIG. 8 depicts an auction widget 800 having a locked
icon 802 as well as locks 804 a, 804 b on interactive features that
are rendered inoperable during the locked state. FIG. 9 depicts how
a user can unlock the auction widget 800 by pressing on the locked
icon 802 and "jiggling" it (i.e., moving quickly back and forth a
number of times). This results in an unlocked auction widget 800,
as evidenced by the unlocked icon 1000 and the availability of
interactive features 1002 a, 1002 b in FIG. 10.
[0032] As described earlier, as an additional security feature the
system may require some sort of authentication be performed to
verify that the user is allowed to unlock the widget.
Authentication is the act of verifying that the user is who he or
she claims to be. This may either be performed anytime the user
wishes to unlock the widget (and, in fact, may take the place of
some other sort of sequence needed to unlock the widget, such as
the sequences depicted in FIGS. 2-10), or may appear when the input
sequence received does not match the sequence described in the
instructions. For example, if the user does not properly drag the
lock icon in FIG. 3 to the bottom left corner, but instead drags it
to the right, then the system may determine that the instructions
were performed incorrectly. If this occurs a preset number of times
(for example, the input is incorrect 3 times), then the system may
trigger an authentication sequence.
[0033] In one example embodiment (not pictured), the authentication
sequence may simply be a request for the user to enter a password.
In another example embodiment, a series of gestures or taps must be
received in the proper sequence. FIG. 11 depicts an example widget
in a locked state where some input has been received but the
received input does not comply with the requirements to unlock the
widget. In the example shown in FIG. 11, instructions 1100 to
authenticate the user are displayed outside the boundaries of the
widget 1102 on the home screen. Further, interactive icons 1104 a,
1104 b, 1104 c, 1104 d that are not part of the widget 1102 are
added to the home screen and/or widget. These interactive icons
1104 a, 1104 b, 1104 c, 1104 d are only interactive for the purpose
of authenticating the user. As depicted, portions of the widget are
overlaid with 4 regions of different color. To unlock the widget,
the user is directed to touch the four regions in a predefined
combination or sequence. Other pre-defined combinations of
gestures, color inputs, or alphanumeric inputs may be used by user
to unlock the widget.
[0034] In some instances, various widgets on the same device may be
locked or unlocked using the same inputs. In other embodiments, a
first input may be required to lock or unlock a first widget and a
second input may be required to lock or unlock a second widget.
[0035] The input used to lock or unlock the widget may be specified
by the user, by the widget, and/or by the locking system that locks
the widgets. For example, the user may be instructed to select one
or more inputs used a lock one or more widgets. The widget itself
may limit the inputs used to lock or unlock the widget. In some
instances, a user or the lockable widget may define a secret input
used to unlock a widget. The secret input may be a gesture, a color
combination, or an alphanumeric input.
[0036] In some instances, the widgets themselves may include the
requisite coding or modules to enable the lock. In other instances,
the mobile device may execute a separate application that accesses
each widget to enable locking and unlocking.
[0037] FIG. 12 is an interaction diagram illustrating a process for
locking and unlocking a widget in accordance with one example
embodiment. In an example, the process 1200 can include a user
interface 1202 interacting with a widget 1204. In this embodiment,
the widget 1204 performs the locking and unlocking functions on
itself. As such, at 1206 user input is received from the user
interface 1202 indicating that the widget 1204 should be locked. At
1208, the widget 1204 then locks itself. At 1210, the widget 1204
generates a display that includes an indication that the widget
1204 is locked on the user interface 1202, and also restricts
interactivity with the widget 1204. The indication that the widget
1204 is locked may be, for example, a "locked" icon displayed on
the widget. The restricting of interactivity may be the disabling
of one or more buttons for the widget 1204 on the user interface
1202 (such as by graying out or removing the buttons).
[0038] At some point later, the user may provide some input that
may or may not indicate a desire to unlock the widget 1204. At
1212, the widget 1202 receives user input from the user interface
1200. At 1214, the widget 1204 may determine if the user input
matches a predetermined unlock sequence. If not, then at 1216 an
indication may be displayed that the widget is still locked. If the
user input matches the unlock sequence, then at 1218 the widget
1204 may unlock itself. At 1220, the widget 1204 may display on the
user interface 1202 an indication that the widget 1204 is unlocked
(e.g., an unlocked icon) and may permit restored interactivity with
the widget 1204 (e.g., un-greyout or redisplay the buttons).
[0039] FIG. 13 is an interaction diagram illustrating a process for
locking and unlocking a widget in accordance with another example
embodiment. This embodiment is similar to FIG. 12 in that the
components of the process 1300 include a user interface 1302 and a
widget 1304, with the widget 1304 acting to lock itself. In this
embodiment, however, an additional authentication process is
executed if the unlock sequence is not entered correctly after a
preset number of attempts.
[0040] At 1306, user input indicating that the widget should be
locked is received by the widget 1304. At 1308, the widget 1304
locks itself. At 1310, the widget 1304 displays an indication that
the widget 1304 is locked on the user interface 1202, and also
restricts interactivity with the widget 1304.
[0041] At some point later, the user may provide some input that
may or may not indicate a desire to unlock the widget 1304. At
1312, the user input is received from the user interface 1302. At
1314, the widget 1304 may determine if the user input matches a
predetermined unlock sequence. If not, then at 1316 an indication
may be displayed that the widget is still locked, and request
authentication (assuming a preset number of attempts to unlock the
widget has been reached).
[0042] If the user input matched the unlock sequence, then at 1318
the widget 1304 may unlock itself.
[0043] Assuming the authentication route is taken, then at 1320 an
authentication attempt may be received. At 1322, it may be
determined if the authentication attempt matches a preset
authentication sequence. If not, then at 1324 an indication that
the widget is still locked may be displayed. If the authentication
attempt matches the preset authentication sequence, then at 1326
the widget may unlock itself. Finally, at 1328, the widget 1304 may
display on the user interface 1302 an indication that the widget
1304 is unlocked (e.g., an unlocked icon) and may permit restored
interactivity with the widget 1304 (e.g., un-greyout or redisplay
the buttons).
[0044] FIG. 14 is an interaction diagram illustrating a process
1400 for locking and unlocking a widget in accordance with another
example embodiment. In this embodiment, a user interface 1402 and
widget 1404 are provided, however unlike FIGS. 12-13, an additional
widget locking module 1406 is provided. At 1408, user input
indicating that the widget should be locked is received by the
widget 1404. At 1410, the user input is passed to the widget
locking module 1406. At 1412, the widget locking module 1406 locks
the widget 1404 (i.e., interactivity with the widget is
restricted). At 1414, the widget locking module displays an
indication that the widget 1404 is locked on the user interface
1402.
[0045] At some point later, the user may provide some input that
may or may not indicate a desire to unlock the widget 1404. At
1416, the user input is received from the user interface 1402. At
1418, the widget 1414 passes the user input to the widget locking
module 1406. At 1420, the widget locking module 1406 may determine
if the user input matches a predetermined unlock sequence. If not,
then at 1422 an indication may be displayed that the widget is
still locked. If the user input matches the unlock sequence, then
at 1424 the widget locking module 1406 may unlock the widget 1404
(i.e., restore interactivity). At 1426, the widget 1406 may display
on the user interface 1402 an indication that the widget 1404 is
unlocked (e.g., an unlocked icon).
[0046] FIG. 15 is an interaction diagram illustrating a process
1500 for locking and unlocking a widget in accordance with another
example embodiment. This embodiment is similar to FIG. 14 in that
the components include a user interface 1502, a widget 1504, and a
widget locking module 1506 acting to lock the widget 1504. In this
embodiment, however, an additional authentication process is
executed if the unlock sequence is not entered correctly after a
preset number of attempts.
[0047] At 1508, user input indicating that the widget should be
locked is received by the widget 1504. At 1510, the user input is
passed to the widget locking module 1506. At 1512, the widget
locking module 1506 locks the widget 1504 (i.e., interactivity with
the widget is restricted). At 1514, the widget locking module
displays an indication that the widget 1504 is locked on the user
interface 1502.
[0048] At some point later, the user may provide some input that
may or may not indicate a desire to unlock the widget 1504. At
1516, the user input is received from the user interface 1502. At
1518, the widget 1514 passes the user input to the widget locking
module 1506. At 1520, the widget locking module 1506 may determine
if the user input matches a predetermined unlock sequence. If so,
then at 1522 interactivity with the widget may be restored, and at
1524 an indication that the widget 1504 is unlocked may be
displayed on the user interface 1502. If the user input does not
match the predetermined unlock sequence, then at 1526 the widget
locking module 1502 may request authentication of the user
(assuming a preset number of attempts to unlock the widget has been
reached).
[0049] Assuming the authentication route is taken, then at 1528 an
authentication attempt may be received. At 1530, this
authentication attempt may be asked to the widget locking module
1506. At 1532, it may be determined if the authentication attempt
matches a preset authentication sequence. If not, then at 1534 an
indication that the widget is still locked may be displayed. If the
authentication attempt matches the preset authentication sequence,
then at 1536 the widget locking module 1506 may unlock the widget
1504.
[0050] FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for securing
a software widget on a user device in accordance with an example
embodiment. At 1600, while the software widget is in a locked mode,
interactivity is restricted between the software widget and a user.
At 1602, user input is received. At 1604, it is determined if the
user input matches a predefined unlocking sequence. If not, then
the process loops back to 1602. If so, then at 1606 the
restrictions on interactivity are moved by placing the widget in an
unlocked mode.
[0051] It should be noted that while the above examples depict
lockable widgets in the context of mobile devices such as
smartphones and tablet computers, similar concepts can be applied
to other hardware devices. For example, a head unit of a vehicle,
such as a car, may be designed to permit software applications to
run. As such, it may be possible to design software widgets for
such head units much in the same way software widgets can be
designed for smartphones or tablet computers. For example, it may
be desirable to provide a software widget for the user to see the
current status of an online auction on the head unit of the
vehicle. As such, the same type of locking mechanisms described
above can also be applied to the head unit embodiment. In another
example, a television, set-top box, or Blu-Ray player may be
designed to permit software applications to run, and thus could be
designed to allow software widgets as described above.
[0052] Certain embodiments are described herein as including logic
or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules may
constitute either software modules (e.g., code embodied (1) on a
non-transitory machine-readable medium or (2) in a transmission
signal) or hardware-implemented modules. A hardware-implemented
module is tangible unit capable of performing certain operations
and may be configured or arranged in a certain manner. In example
embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone,
client or server computer system) or one or more processors may be
configured by software (e.g., an application or application
portion) as a hardware-implemented module that operates to perform
certain operations as described herein.
[0053] In various embodiments, a hardware-implemented module may be
implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, a
hardware-implemented module may comprise dedicated circuitry or
logic that is permanently configured (e.g., as a special-purpose
processor, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) to perform certain
operations. A hardware-implemented module may also comprise
programmable logic or circuitry (e.g., as encompassed within a
general-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that is
temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations.
It will be appreciated that the decision to implement a
hardware-implemented module mechanically, in dedicated and
permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured
circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and
time considerations.
[0054] Accordingly, the term "hardware-implemented module" should
be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity
that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g.,
hardwired) or temporarily or transitorily configured (e.g.,
programmed) to operate in a certain manner and/or to perform
certain operations described herein. Considering embodiments in
which hardware-implemented modules are temporarily configured
(e.g., programmed), each of the hardware-implemented modules need
not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For
example, where the hardware-implemented modules comprise a
general-purpose processor configured using software, the
general-purpose processor may be configured as respective different
hardware-implemented modules at different times. Software may
accordingly configure a processor, for example, to constitute a
particular hardware-implemented module at one instance of time and
to constitute a different hardware-implemented module at a
different instance of time.
[0055] Hardware-implemented modules can provide information to, and
receive information from, other hardware-implemented modules.
Accordingly, the described hardware-implemented modules may be
regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiple of such
hardware-implemented modules exist contemporaneously,
communications may be achieved through signal transmission (e.g.,
over appropriate circuits and buses) that connect the
hardware-implemented modules. In embodiments in which multiple
hardware-implemented modules are configured or instantiated at
different times, communications between such hardware-implemented
modules may be achieved, for example, through the storage and
retrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiple
hardware-implemented modules have access. For example, one
hardware-implemented module may perform an operation, and store the
output of that operation in a memory device to which it is
communicatively coupled. A further hardware-implemented module may
then, at a later time, access the memory device to retrieve and
process the stored output. Hardware-implemented modules may also
initiate communications with input or output devices, and can
operate on a resource (e.g., a collection of information).
[0056] The various operations of example methods described herein
may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors
that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently
configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily
or permanently configured, such processors may constitute
processor-implemented modules that operate to perform one or more
operations or functions. The modules referred to herein may, in
some example embodiments, comprise processor-implemented
modules.
[0057] Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least
partially processor-implemented. For example, at least some of the
operations of a method may be performed by one or processors or
processor-implemented modules. The performance of certain of the
operations may be distributed among the one or more processors, not
only residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number
of machines. In some example embodiments, the processor or
processors may be located in a single location (e.g., within a home
environment, an office environment or as a server farm), while in
other embodiments the processors may be distributed across a number
of locations.
[0058] The one or more processors may also operate to support
performance of the relevant operations in a "cloud computing"
environment or as a "software as a service" (SaaS). For example, at
least some of the operations may be performed by a group of
computers (as examples of machines including processors), these
operations being accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet) and
via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., Application Program
Interfaces (APIs).)
[0059] Example embodiments may be implemented in digital electronic
circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in
combinations of them. Example embodiments may be implemented using
a computer program product, e.g., a computer program tangibly
embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable
medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data
processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, a computer,
or multiple computers.
[0060] A computer program can be written in any form of programming
language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can
be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a
module, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing
environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on
one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed
across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication
network.
[0061] In example embodiments, operations may be performed by one
or more programmable processors executing a computer program to
perform functions by operating on input data and generating output.
Method operations can also be performed by, and apparatus of
example embodiments may be implemented as, special purpose logic
circuitry, e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
[0062] The computing system can include clients and servers. A
client and server are generally remote from each other and
typically interact through a communication network. The
relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer
programs running on the respective computers and having a
client-server relationship to each other. In embodiments deploying
a programmable computing system, it will be appreciated that that
both hardware and software architectures require consideration.
Specifically, it will be appreciated that the choice of whether to
implement certain functionality in permanently configured hardware
(e.g., an ASIC), in temporarily configured hardware (e.g., a
combination of software and a programmable processor), or a
combination of permanently and temporarily configured hardware may
be a design choice. Below are set out hardware (e.g., machine) and
software architectures that may be deployed, in various example
embodiments.
[0063] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of machine in the example form of
a computer system 1700 within which instructions, for causing the
machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed
herein, may be executed. In alternative embodiments, the machine
operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g.,
networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the
machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine
in server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a
peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may
be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web
appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine
capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that
specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a
single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be
taken to include any collection of machines that individually or
jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform
any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.
[0064] The example computer system 1700 includes a processor 1702
(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit
(GPU) or both), a main memory 1704 and a static memory 1706, which
communicate with each other via a bus 1708. The computer system
1700 may further include a video display unit 1710 (e.g., a liquid
crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer
system 1700 also includes an alphanumeric input device 1712 (e.g.,
a keyboard or a touch-sensitive display screen), a user interface
(UI) navigation device 1714 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit
1716, a signal generation device 1718 (e.g., a speaker) and a
network interface device 1720.
[0065] The disk drive unit 1716 includes a machine-readable medium
1722 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions and data
structures (e.g., software) 1724 embodying or utilized by any one
or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The
instructions 1724 may also reside, completely or at least
partially, within the main memory 1704 and/or within the processor
1702 during execution thereof by the computer system 1700, the main
memory 1704 and the processor 1702 also constituting
machine-readable media.
[0066] While the machine-readable medium 1722 is shown in an
example embodiment to be a single medium, the term
"machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple
media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or
associated caches and servers) that store the one or more
instructions or data structures. The term "machine-readable medium"
shall also be taken to include any tangible medium that is capable
of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the
machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of
the methodologies of the present invention, or that is capable of
storing, encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or
associated with such instructions. The term "machine-readable
medium" shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited
to, solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. Specific
examples of machine-readable media include non-volatile memory,
including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g.,
Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically
Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory
devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable
disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.
[0067] The instructions 1724 may further be transmitted or received
over a communications network 1726 using a transmission medium. The
instructions 1724 may be transmitted using the network interface
device 1720 and any one of a number of well-known transfer
protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examples of communication networks include
a local area network ("LAN"), a wide area network ("WAN"), the
Internet, mobile telephone networks, Plain Old Telephone (POTS)
networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., WiFi and WiMax
networks). The term "transmission medium" shall be taken to include
any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding or
carrying instructions for execution by the machine, and includes
digital or analog communications signals or other intangible media
to facilitate communication of such software.
[0068] Although an embodiment has been described with reference to
specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various
modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without
departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in
an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The accompanying
drawings that form a part hereof, show by way of illustration, and
not of limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter
may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated are described in
sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice
the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized
and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical
substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the
scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description, therefore, is
not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various
embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the
full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
[0069] Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be
referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term
"invention" merely for convenience and without intending to
voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single
invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact
disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been
illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any
arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be
substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is
intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various
embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other
embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to
those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.
* * * * *