Android Patern Unlock Patented by Google

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We earlier reported that Apple was able to patent its slide-to-unlock gesture in the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Now, it’s Google’s turn, by patenting the pattern-unlock feature in Android smartphones and tablets.

When Steve Jobs launched the iPhone in 2007, one of the features he highlighted was the iPhone’s slide-to-unlock functionality, which would then be standard in all of Apple’s iOS devices. It was said to be something that can prevent accidental unlocks in one’s pocket. But of course, Android had to trump this feature. Instead of asking users to key in a numeric sequence to get past the device security, Android asked users to draw an on-screen pattern.

The patent Touch Gesture Actions From a Device Lock Screen means more than just unlocking the device from lock screen, though. Google adds a few features to the pattern-unlock screen, perhaps planning to incorporate new features in upcoming iterations of Android. The patent describes how the lock-screen view asks for user-input, which can then be in the form of a pre-defined shape. When this shape is detected, the device is then unlocked. Google goes on to describe how certain patterns can trigger certain actions, such as putting the phone to silent mode.

Another patent to be confirmed is a system by which an Android smartphone can decipher gestures started from anywhere on the lock screen, regardless of size, position or pattern. Apple was earlier reported to be working on a pattern-unlock system for its iOS devices, although development on that feature seems to have gone nowhere. Meanwhile, one can also wonder what Google plans to do with its current default slide-to-unlock screen, given that Apple already owns the patent to said user interface feature.