Google has been awarded a new patent that seems to be quite useful. The patent awarded is based on a new alternative pattern unlocking method in Android. As you already know, on the Android software, you can setup a pattern to protect your data from being accessed.
In this patent, what Google has been awarded is different unique patterns that can be assigned to different tasks. For example, you can have one pattern which may unlock to a certain app you want to come up right away, or another pattern which you want that might take you directly to a game.
One thing we won’t know until later on is that if we do set these specific patterns in place for certain task, then if we exit out, will it bring us to the home screen of the device, or back to the lockscreen and will have to re-enter the master pattern? This could be a security issue if not done properly.
Here is the abstract of the patent:
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for receiving, by a computing system that is locked, input from a user that provides an unlocking pattern. During entry of the unlocking pattern, a display of the computing system does not provide a visual indication of an action that will be performed upon the user completing the unlocking pattern. The computing system compares the provided unlocking pattern to a plurality of stored unlocking patterns to determine whether the provided unlocking pattern matches any of the stored unlocking patterns. The stored unlocking patterns are associated with respective actions that are performed upon completion of the respective unlocking patterns. The unlocking patterns are associated with a same level of unlocked security access to the computing system. The computing system responds by unlocking the computing system and performing the action that is associated with the matching unlocking pattern.
What are your thoughts on it?
