Not too long ago we reported that Apple was granted a new slide-to-unlock lock-screen patent and that it could spell potential trouble for Android. Luckily, Google decided to be proactive and develop their own defensive strategy to fight the trolls. They recently won a new lock-screen patent, that could even bring new features and functionality to Android. It's called “Touch Gesture Actions From A Device’s Lock Screen." Here's a quote with the description from the filing document,
A lock screen view is displayed on the mobile device to prevent unauthorized and inadvertent access to the mobile device’s data. While the mobile device is locked, a touch gesture having a pre-defined shape is detected on a touch screen of the mobile device independently of the initial position of the touch gesture on the touch screen.
The filing document also had this to say,
In response to detection of the touch gesture, a particular action is executed on the mobile device while the mobile device stays locked. The particular action determined according to the pre-defined shape. In this way, detection of the touch gesture causes the particular action to execute while keeping the mobile device locked.

Besides the fact that it gives Google some good armor for the future, it apparently will offer Android users some potential additional usefulness. What ways can you see yourself using this tech?

Source: AndroidPolice