Above-lock camera access

One or more computer-readable storage devices or memory storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method of operating a mobile device having a plurality of authentication states, including an above-lock state and an below-lock state, the mobile device being coupled to a proximity sensor, the instructions comprising:

• instructions for determining when the mobile device is in the above-lock state, and if so, presenting an unlock user interface;
• instructions for evaluating the status of the proximity sensor to determine that an object is not in proximity with the mobile device by:
• checking the status of the proximity sensor after the input module receives the input data,
• preventing invocation of the unlock user interface if the evaluated status indicates that an object is in proximity with the apparatus, and
• allowing invocation of the unlock user interface if the checked status indicates that an object is not in proximity with the apparatus;
• instructions for receiving input authenticating a user of the mobile device with the unlock user interface;
• and
• based on the receiving the authenticating input, entering the below-lock-state, wherein:
• if the unlock user interface was entered from a lock screen state, then providing an interface for selecting applications to invoke on the mobile device;
• and
• if the unlock user interface was entered because input requesting a disabled function of an application is received, then providing the application, the application allowing access to the previously-disabled function.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an image capture device;
• one or more input sources coupled to the image capture device, the input sources comprising an image capture button operable to initiate image capture with the image capture device;
• a proximity sensor;
• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-readable instructions for an image-capture application that when executed by the processors, cause the apparatus to perform a method, the instructions comprising:
• instructions for receiving input data from the input source,
• instructions for waking the apparatus from a sleep or standby mode responsive to the input data indicating actuation of the image capture button,
• instructions for locking and unlocking the apparatus using authentication,
• instructions for capturing an image using the image capture device and then presenting a plurality of functions for processing the image, wherein:
• if the apparatus is unlocked, the image capture application allows access to each of the functions,
• if the apparatus is locked, the image capture application allows access to one or more but not all of the functions, wherein the image capture application executes the instructions for unlocking the apparatus when a non-accessible function is requested when the apparatus is locked,
• proximity-checking instructions for evaluating the status of the proximity sensor, wherein the proximity-checking instructions comprise:
• instructions for checking the status of the proximity sensor after the input module receives the input data,
• instructions for preventing invocation of the image capture module if the evaluated status indicates that an object is in proximity with the apparatus, and
• instructions for allowing invocation of the image capture module if the checked status indicates that an object is not in proximity with the apparatus.