That is the only context in which that gesture makes sense. You couldn't patent the steering wheel just because you stick it in something that's not a car. You

That is the only context in which that gesture makes sense. You couldn't patent the steering wheel just because you stick it in something that's not a car. You'd have to use it for something that's not steering or wheeling. Slide-to-unlock is obvious because it's based on a bolt that you ... slide to unlock. There's no novelty in unlocking something, software or not, by solving such a simple 'puzzle' as moving your finger sideways. It's certainly not a stroke of genius.