Method for identifying fingerprint and electronic device thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9767338-B2
Application number	US-201414504041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2014
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A method for operating of an electronic device is provided. The method includes: sensing an input on an input device, detecting one axis direction of a fingerprint input or to be input to a fingerprint sensor, based on the sensed input, determining whether the one axis direction of the fingerprint is consistent with a reference direction of a reference fingerprint, when the one axis direction is not consistent with the reference direction, making the one axis direction consistent with the reference direction, and determining whether the fingerprint is consistent with the reference fingerprint.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method in an electronic device, the method comprising:
detecting, by a touch screen, a hovering input of a finger;
determining, by at least one processor, an angle between a reference axis for reference fingerprint data stored in the electronic device and an axis for the hovering input;
tracking, by the at least one processor, a change of the angle as the finger approaches a fingerprint sensor;
detecting, by the fingerprint sensor, a touch input of the finger;
generating, by the at least one processor, fingerprint data based on the touch input of the finger; and
authenticating, by the at least one processor, the fingerprint data by modifying at least one of the fingerprint data and the reference fingerprint data based on the change of the angle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hovering input of a finger is detected by an image sensor.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining the axis for the hovering input based on a virtual center line corresponding to a hover area of the hovering input.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein authenticating the fingerprint data comprises rotating the reference fingerprint data or the fingerprint data by using the angle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a function corresponding to the axis of the fingerprint data to the fingerprint sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is in proximity of the touch screen.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein, if the hovering input is sensed at a location in proximity of the fingerprint sensor, the fingerprint sensor is activated.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein, if the hovering input is sensed at a location in the proximity of the fingerprint sensor, at least one function of the touch screen is deactivated.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is included in a touch panel of the electronic device or in proximity of the touch panel.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a touch screen configured to detect a hovering input of a finger;
a fingerprint sensor configured to detect a touch input of the finger; and
at least one processor configured to:
determine an angle between a reference for reference fingerprint data stored in the electronic device and an axis for the hovering input,
track a change of the angle as the finger approaches the fingerprint sensor,
generate fingerprint data based on the touch input of the finger, and
authenticate the fingerprint data by modifying at least one of the fingerprint data and the reference fingerprint data based on the change of the angle.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising an image sensor to detect the hovering input of a finger.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the axis for the hovering input based on a virtual center line corresponding to a hover area of the hovering input.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to rotate the reference fingerprint data or the fingerprint data by using the angle.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform a function corresponding to the axis of the fingerprint data to the fingerprint sensor.

15. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is in proximity of the touch screen.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein, if the hovering input is sensed at a location in proximity of the fingerprint sensor, the fingerprint sensor is activated.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein, if the hovering input is sensed at a location in the proximity of the fingerprint sensor, at least one function of the touch screen is deactivated.

18. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is included in a touch panel of the electronic device or in proximity of the touch panel.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium which, when being executed by an electronic device, stores one or more programs comprising instructions for allowing the electronic device to:
detect, by touch screen, a hovering input of a finger;
determine, by at least one processor, an angle between a reference axis for reference fingerprint data stored in the electronic device and an axis for the hovering input;
track, by the at least one processor, a change of the angle as the finger approaches a fingerprint sensor;
detect, by the fingerprint sensor, a touch input of the finger;
generate, by the at least one processor, fingerprint data based on the touch input of the finger; and
authenticate, by the at least one processor, the fingerprint data by modifying at least one of the fingerprint data and the reference fingerprint data based on the change of the angle.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Su-Ha
• Park Su-Young
• Jung Eui-Chang

Classifications

• G06K9/0002 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00919

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06V10/242

  by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees · CPC title

• G06V40/1365

  Matching; Classification · CPC title