Biometric authentication system and electronic device for same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12135772-B2
Application number	US-202217961324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2022
Priority date	Apr 8, 2020
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A foldable electronic device includes a first housing and a second housing that are foldable with respect to each other; at least one sensor; a display; a camera configured to operate in a first mode associated with user recognition, and a second mode associated with user authentication; a memory storing instructions; at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to: control the display to display notification information about an event corresponding to the foldable electronic device; based on a folding state of the foldable electronic device detected using the at least one sensor satisfying a predetermined condition, obtain at least one first image using the camera operating in the first mode; identify whether a face is present in the at least one first image; based on identifying that the face is present in the at least one first image, obtain at least one second image using the camera operating in the second mode; perform face recognition-based biometric authentication using at least part of the at least one second image; and based on the biometric authentication being successful, control the display to display content corresponding to the event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable electronic device comprising:
a first housing and a second housing that are foldable with respect to each other;
at least one sensor;
a display;
a camera configured to operate in a first mode associated with user recognition, and a second mode associated with user authentication;
a memory storing instructions;
at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:
control the display to display notification information about an event corresponding to the foldable electronic device;
based on a folding state of the foldable electronic device detected using the at least one sensor satisfying a predetermined condition, obtain at least one first image using the camera operating in the first mode;
identify whether a face is present in the at least one first image;
based on identifying that the face is present in the at least one first image, obtain at least one second image using the camera operating in the second mode;
perform face recognition-based biometric authentication using at least part of the at least one second image; and
based on the biometric authentication being successful, control the display to display content corresponding to the event.

2. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
based on an operating time of the camera exceeding a predetermined time in the first mode, terminate an operation of the camera and deactivate the display.

3. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
based on a plurality of faces being present in the at least one first image, control the display to continuously display the notification information about the event without performing the biometric authentication.

4. The foldable electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
extract a location of a face of a user associated with the foldable electronic device from among the plurality of faces included in the at least one first image; and
control the display to display the notification information about the event in a region corresponding to the location.

5. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
based on the biometric authentication being not successful, display a user interface which provides a guide for the biometric authentication on the display.

6. The foldable electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
control the display to display the user interface; and
perform the biometric authentication again based on detecting at least one from among a face composition change of a user using the at least one sensor, or a device movement.

7. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
perform the biometric authentication by reading out only a partial region of the at least one second image.

8. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition comprises a first predetermined condition, and
wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to select a face recognition algorithm for performing the biometric authentication based on whether the folding state of the foldable electronic device detected using the at least one sensor satisfies a second predetermined condition.

9. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
based on identifying that the face is present in the at least one first image, control the display to display at least part of the content corresponding to the event.

10. The foldable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
based on the biometric authentication being successful, control the display to display additional content, from among the content corresponding to the event, in addition to the at least part of the content.

11. The foldable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a power consumption corresponding to the second mode is higher than a power consumption corresponding to the first mode.

12. A method of providing a notification function using a foldable electronic device, the method comprising:
displaying notification information about an event corresponding to the foldable electronic device on a display of the foldable electronic device;
determining whether a folding state of the foldable electronic device detected using at least one sensor satisfies a predetermined condition;
based on the predetermined condition being satisfied, obtaining at least one first image using a camera of the foldable electronic device in a first mode associated with user recognition;
identifying whether a face is present in the at least one first image;
based on identifying that the face is present in the at least one first image, obtaining at least one second image using the camera in a second mode corresponding to user authentication;
performing face recognition-based biometric authentication using at least part of the at least one second image; and
based on the biometric authentication being successful, displaying content corresponding to the event on the display.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the obtaining the at least one first image comprises:
based on an operating time of the camera exceeding a predetermined time in the first mode, terminating an operation of the camera and deactivating the display.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the identifying whether the face is present in the at least one first image comprises:
based on identifying that a plurality of faces are present in the at least one first image,
continuously displaying the notification information about the event on the display without performing the biometric authentication.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the identifying whether the face is present in the at least one first image further comprises:
extracting a location of a face of a user associated with the foldable electronic device, from among the plurality of faces included in the at least one first image; and
displaying the notification information about the event in a region corresponding to the location on the display.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Seungeun
• Kang Minseok
• Kim Nanhee
• Kim Seungnyun
• Kim Chakyum
• Seo Hyewon
• Won Jonghun
• Choi Byengseok

Classifications

• G06V40/16

  Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions · CPC title

• G06F1/1616

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• H04L63/0861

  using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231) · CPC title

• G06F1/1677

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · CPC title

• G06F1/1686

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera · CPC title