Method for processing fingerprint and electronic device thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9946861-B2
Application number	US-201514616054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2015
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A method of operating an electronic device and the electronic device is provided. The method includes setting a fingerprint detecting area functionally connected to a display; identifying a function corresponding to a gesture of an input means input to the display, and determining whether to perform the function with fingerprint information acquired in the fingerprint detecting area. The electronic device includes a display configured to display at least one content; a memory configured to store at least one fingerprint information acquired in a fingerprint detecting area; the fingerprint detecting area functionally connected to the display; and at least one processor configured to set the fingerprint detecting area, identify a function corresponding to a gesture of an input means input to the display, and determine whether to perform the function with the at least one fingerprint information acquired in the fingerprint detecting area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
displaying a screen comprising a first region containing an icon of an application program and a second region distinguished from the first region;
detecting a touch input for moving the icon from the first region across a third region to the second region; and
displaying the screen in which the icon is moved to the second region,
wherein a security attribute of the application program is changed in response to moving the icon to the second region, and
wherein the method further comprises:
obtaining, via the third region, fingerprint information from the touch input.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the touch input comprises:
dragging the icon in the first region corresponding to a first attribute to the second region corresponding to a second attribute while maintaining contact with the display,
wherein the second attribute comprises a security attribute requiring fingerprint authentication for executing applications of the second region.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising changing the first attribute of the application program into the second attribute if the touch input is terminated in the second region.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising releasing the security attribute designated to the application program if the icon is moved back to the first region.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises a touch screen and a plurality of fingerprint sensors overlapped with the touch screen.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the fingerprint information comprises:
enabling at least one fingerprint sensor corresponding to the third region; and
disabling at least another fingerprint sensor corresponding to a remaining region other than the third region of the display.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing the third region according to another input,
wherein the another input comprises at least one of:
moving an object in the third region of the display to another region;
moving the third region; or
changing a size of the third region.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating with at least another electronic device, and
wherein the third region is determined based on information of the at least another electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the information of the at least another electronic device comprises a size of the at least another electronic device or a position of the at least another electronic device.

10. An electronic device, comprising:
a display configured to display at least one content;
at least one processor operatively coupled to the display; and
a memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store data,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
control the display to display a screen comprising a first region containing an icon of an application program and a second region distinguished from the first region;
detect a touch input for moving the icon from the first region across a third region to the second region; and
control the display to display the screen in which the icon is moved to the second region,

wherein a security attribute of the application program is changed in response to moving the icon to the second region, and
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to obtain, via the third region, fingerprint information from the touch input.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to drag the icon in the first region corresponding to a first attribute to the second region corresponding to a second attribute while maintaining contact with the display,
wherein the second attribute comprises a security attribute requiring fingerprint authentication for executing applications of the second region.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to change the first attribute of the application program into the second attribute if the touch input is terminated in the second region.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to release the security attribute designated to the application program if the icon is moved back to the first region.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the display comprises a touch screen and a plurality of fingerprint sensors overlapped with the touch screen.

15. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
enable at least one fingerprint sensor corresponding to the third region; and
disable at least another fingerprint sensor corresponding to a remaining region other than the third region of the display.

16. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to change the third region according to another input,
wherein the another input comprises at least one of:
moving an object in the third region of the display to another region;
moving the third region; and
changing a size of the third region.

17. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the electronic device is configured to communicate with at least another electronic device, and
wherein the third region is determined based on information of the at least another electronic device.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the information of the at least another electronic device comprises a size of the at least another electronic device or a position of the at least another electronic device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Su-Ha
• Park Su-Young
• Yang Jin-Gil
• Jung Eui-Chang

Classifications

• G06F21/32 Primary

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title

• G06K9/00006

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06V40/12

  Fingerprints or palmprints · CPC title