# US 2013/0160110 A1 · Device Locking with Hierarchical Activity Preservation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0160110 A1 - Document ID: US20130160110A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/328,312 - Filed: 2011-12-16 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16 - Assignees: Microsoft Corporation - Inventors: Stuart Schechter; Alince Jane Bernheim Brush; Oriana Riva; Karin Strauss; Eiji Hayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130160110A1 ## CPC - G06F 21/629: {to features or functions of an application} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Techniques are described for device locking with activity preservation at a specified level within a multi-level hierarchy of device states. Such locking enables a user to share a device with another user while specifying a particular level of access to the device, such as access to a particular class of applications, a specific application, or a specific task within an application. Determination of the authorized activity may be based on a currently active application, or on the particular user gesture. The level of functionality made available may be based on the number of times a user gesture is repeated. Gestures may include a selection of a hardware or software control on the device, issuance of a voice command, and the like. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving an indication to lock a device into a device state within a multi-level activity-locking hierarchy of states; determining at least one application on the device; and locking the device into the indicated device state, such that available activities of the device are restricted based at least on the device state and on the at least one application. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the indication includes a number of iterations that indicates the device state within the multi-level activity-locking hierarchy. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-level activity-locking hierarchy includes: a first state restricted to a class of applications that includes the at least one application; a second state restricted to the at least one application; and a third state restricted to an application task within the at least one application. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-level activity locking hierarchy includes: a first state restricted to the at least one application; and a second state restricted to an application task within the at least one application. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising unlocking the device based on receipt of a valid user credential. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising returning the device to a fully locked state based on one or more criteria, including at least one of: an expiration of a predefined time period; a termination of the at least one currently active application; or a completion of an application task. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one application is a currently active application on the device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device is in an unauthenticated state prior to receiving the indication, and wherein the at least one application is determined based on the received indication. ### Claim 9 A device comprising: at least one processor; a memory; a locking component stored on the memory and executed by the at least one processor to: receive an indication to lock the device into a device state within a multi-level activity-locking hierarchy of states; determine at least one currently active application on the device; and lock the device into the indicated device state, such that one or more functions of the device are restricted to the device state based on the at least one currently active application. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the indication includes one or more user gestures including at least one of an explicit user gesture and an implicit user gesture, and wherein a number of the one or more user gestures indicates the device state within the multi-level activity-locking hierarchy. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, further comprising a hardware control, and wherein the one or more user gestures are received from the hardware control. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, further comprising a user interface stored in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, wherein the user interface includes a software control, and wherein the one or more user gestures are received from the software control. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein locking component further operates to unlock the device based on receiving a valid user credential. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the multi-level activity-locking hierarchy includes: a first state restricted to a class of applications that includes the at least one currently active application; a second state restricted to the at least one currently active application; and a third state restricted to an application task within the at least one currently active application. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the multi-level activity-locking hierarchy includes a plurality of states of decreasing activity scope. ### Claim 16 A system comprising: at least one server device, configured to send a locking component to a remote device, wherein the locking component operates on the remote device to: receive an indication to lock the remote device into a device state within a multi-level activity-locking hierarchy of states; lock the remote device into the indicated device state, such that one or more functions of the device are restricted to the device state based on an application that is currently active on the remote device; and place the remote device into a fully locked state based on one or more criteria. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the device state restricts the one or more functions of the remote device to the currently active application. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more criteria include at least one of: an expiration of a predefined time period; a termination of the currently active application; or a completion of an application task within the currently active application. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the multi-level activity locking hierarchy includes: a first state restricted to the currently active application; and a second state restricted to an application task within the currently active application. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the multi-level activity-locking hierarchy includes: a first state restricted to a class of applications that includes the currently active application; a second state restricted to the currently active application; and a third state restricted to an application task within the currently active application.