“voice unlock” function

Abstract

Most unlock methods for smartphones are unproblematic if users can use their phones freely but can be inconvenient and dangerous in some situations. For example, unlocking might take a user’s attention away from another activity, such as a driver attempting to use a fingerprint-unlock feature. Since a driver should not have to look at or touch his or her phone while driving but may need to receive a call or text, a passenger should be able to unlock the driver’s phone instead. However, a passenger asking the driver to unlock the phone (e.g., via fingerprint) can become uncomfortable and risky. By employing a case-study method through observations of and interviews with drivers and their passengers, this research presents the participants’ unmet needs. The key findings are (a) drivers need a voice-activated unlocking method, (b) passengers need a way to find and play songs and control other functions comfortably without repeatedly having to ask the driver to unlock the phone with his or her fingerprint, and (c) drivers want to protect their privacy by allowing passengers to use only the apps and menus set in a pre-specified “use while driving” mode. Based on these findings, this study suggests a new smartphone unlock method called “Voice Unlock.” The prototype and details of this feature are presented to explain why it provides a more convenient, comfortable, and safer unlocking method than fingerprint recognition for drivers who use a phone when driving with a passenger and passengers who want to use the driver’s phone.