Hidden Application Icons

Abstract

A user device may include a touchscreen, a storage device, and a processing device. The storage device stores native applications and their corresponding icon data. The icon data includes an icon, a location of the icon on a launch screen, a flag indicating whether the icon is hidden or visible, and an unlocking instruction. The processing device may display the launch screen via the touchscreen whereby the launch screen displaying one or more icons. The processing device monitors the touchscreen and receives user input at an unpopulated screen location occupied by a hidden icon. The processing devices receives a user instruction at the unpopulated screen location, verifies the user instruction with the unlocking instruction associated with the icon. When the user instruction is verified, the processing device can display the hidden icon or may launch the native application corresponding to the hidden icon.

1 . A user device comprising:
 a touchscreen;   a storage device storing a set of native applications and icon data corresponding to each respective native application, each native application including icon data defining an icon, a location of the icon on a launch screen displayed on the touchscreen, a hidden flag indicating whether the icon is visible or hidden, and when the hidden flag indicates the icon is hidden, an unlocking instruction associated with the icon; and   a processing device that executes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to:
 display the launch screen via the touchscreen, the launch screen displaying one or more icons at one or more corresponding locations of the launch screen; 
 monitor the touchscreen for input from a user; 
 receive user input at an unpopulated screen location of the launch screen, the unpopulated screen location being occupied by a hidden icon; 
 receive a user instruction corresponding to the unpopulated screen location; 
 verify the user instruction with the unlocking instruction associated with the icon; and 
 when the user instruction is verified, display the hidden icon at the unpopulated screen location. 
   
     
     
         2 . The user device of  claim 1 , wherein the user instruction is a gesture performed on the touchscreen at the unpopulated screen location and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered gesture. 
     
     
         3 . The user device of  claim 2 , wherein receiving the user instruction includes:
 in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, monitoring the unpopulated screen location for additional user input;   receiving the gesture at the unpopulated screen location via the touchscreen; and   recording the gesture.   
     
     
         4 . The user device of  claim 3 , wherein verifying the user instruction includes:
 retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location;   comparing the recorded gesture with the registered gesture; and   verifying the user instruction when the recorded gesture matches the registered gesture.   
     
     
         5 . The user device of  claim 1 , wherein the user instruction is a passcode entered by the user and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered passcode. 
     
     
         6 . The user device of  claim 5 , wherein receiving the user instruction includes:
 in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, turning on a microphone of the user device;   receiving the passcode from the user in a form of audio input via the microphone; and   recording the audio input.   
     
     
         7 . The user device of  claim 6 , wherein verifying the user instruction includes:
 retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location;   comparing the recorded audio input with the registered passcode; and   verifying the user instruction when the recorded audio input matches the registered passcode.   
     
     
         8 . The user device of  claim 5 , wherein:
 receiving the user instruction includes:
 in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, prompting the user to enter the passcode via the touchscreen; 
 receiving the passcode from the user via the touchscreen; and 
 recording the received passcode; and 
   verifying the user instruction includes:
 retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location; 
 comparing the recorded received passcode with the registered passcode; and 
 verifying the user instruction when the recorded received passcode matches the registered passcode. 
   
     
     
         9 . The user device of  claim 1 , wherein the user instruction is biometric data provided by the user and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered biometric data. 
     
     
         10 . The user device of  claim 1 , wherein a hidden flag corresponding to a native application is set by:
 displaying an icon corresponding to the native application at a specific grid location in the launch screen;   detecting a recognized action at the specific grid location;   prompting the user to register an instruction with respect to the displayed icon;   receiving the instruction via the touchscreen;   associating the received instruction with the native application; and   setting the hidden flag of the native application.   
     
     
         11 . A user device comprising:
 a touchscreen;   a storage device storing a set of native applications and icon data corresponding to each respective native application, each native application including icon data defining an icon, a location of the icon on a launch screen displayed on the touchscreen, a hidden flag indicating whether the icon is visible or hidden, and when the hidden flag indicates the icon is hidden, an unlocking instruction associated with the icon; and   a processing device that executes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to:
 display the launch screen via the touchscreen, the launch screen displaying one or more icons at one or more corresponding locations of the launch screen; 
 monitor the touchscreen for input from a user; 
 receive user input at an unpopulated screen location of the launch screen, the unpopulated screen location being occupied by a hidden icon; 
 receive a user instruction corresponding to the unpopulated screen location; 
 verify the user instruction with the unlocking instruction associated with the icon; and 
 when the user instruction is verified, launch the native application corresponding to the hidden icon. 
   
     
     
         12 . The user device of  claim 11 , wherein the user instruction is a gesture performed on the touchscreen at the unpopulated screen location and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered gesture. 
     
     
         13 . The user device of  claim 12 , wherein receiving the user instruction includes:
 in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, monitoring the unpopulated screen location for additional user input;   receiving the gesture at the unpopulated screen location via the touchscreen; and   recording the gesture.   
     
     
         14 . The user device of  claim 13 , wherein verifying the user instruction includes:
 retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location;   comparing the recorded gesture with the registered gesture; and   verifying the user instruction when the recorded gesture matches the registered gesture.   
     
     
         15 . The user device of  claim 11 , wherein the user instruction is a passcode entered by the user and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered passcode. 
     
     
         16 . The user device of  claim 15 , wherein receiving the user instruction includes:
 in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, turning on a microphone of the user device;   receiving the passcode from the user in a form of audio input via the microphone; and   recording the audio input.   
     
     
         17 . The user device of  claim 16 , wherein verifying the user instruction includes:
 retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location;   comparing the recorded audio input with the registered passcode; and   verifying the user instruction when the recorded audio input matches the registered passcode.   
     
     
         18 . The user device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 receiving the user instruction includes:
 in response to the received user input at the unpopulated screen location, prompting the user to enter the passcode via the touchscreen; 
 receiving the passcode from the user via the touchscreen; and 
 recording the received passcode; and 
   verifying the user instruction includes:
 retrieving the icon data corresponding to the hidden icon based on the unpopulated screen location; 
 comparing the recorded received passcode with the registered passcode; and 
 verifying the user instruction when the recorded received passcode matches the registered passcode. 
   
     
     
         19 . The user device of  claim 11 , wherein the user instruction is biometric data provided by the user and the unlocking instruction associated with the hidden icon is a previously registered biometric data. 
     
     
         20 . The user device of  claim 11 , wherein a hidden flag corresponding to a native application is set by:
 displaying an icon corresponding to the native application at a specific grid location in the launch screen;   detecting a recognized action at the specific grid location;   prompting the user to register an instruction with respect to the displayed icon;   receiving the instruction via the touchscreen;   associating the received instruction with the native application; and   setting the hidden flag of the native application.