Slide to Unlock Patent Claim #1

In Claim #1 of the Slide to Unlock patent filed by Apple, the following is discussed.

Claim 1 talks about the "method" of the slide-to-unlock function:

First, the user makes contact with the slide-to-unlock image on the screen. It senses the individual making contact with a specific image on the display.
Then, the user moves the unlock image (a graphical and interactive object) in the direction that the image points to. 
The screen can then be unlocked as the user maintains contact with the image throughout the full process of sliding across the display. This constitutes of keeping touch from the first predefined location to the predefined location of the end of swipe.

As we can see here, the purpose of claim #1 is to talk about the image and how it creates the unlocking process for the user. It emphasizes how the user must interact with it and follow a predefined set of instructions in order for the phone to be unlocked. Although the instruction is not hard at all, it must be completed for the unlocking effect. 

The claim delineates the process of "slide to unlock" from both a user and technological point of view.