ABSTRACT
Enable users to lock touchscreen-based user interfaces to prevent unauthorized access and/or accidental actions. In most cases, if a touchscreen conveys safety-critical information and functionality, it should have a screen lock. The feature will protect the screen from inadvertent touches that could lead to undesirable outcomes. A factory worker could bump a touchscreen and command material-handling robots to move unexpectedly and/or in a dangerous manner. To simultaneously make touchscreen locks both more secure and faster to unlock, tech companies continue developing new types of user authentication methods like fingerprint sensors and face recognition algorithms. Some touchscreen-based car infotainment systems automatically lock while the car is in motion to prevent the driver from interacting with, and being distracted by, the touchscreen. A potential mitigation is to automatically lock the touchscreen when an accelerometer detects that someone is carrying the device.
