Fingerprint sensor apparatus and a method for controlling the fingerprint sensor apparatus

• US 10,192,091 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Original Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Inventors: Chung, Hsing-Lung, Lee, Tsung-Chan, Chen, Hsin-Kuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Mia M
• Application Number:
  US15/136,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20170308729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 by interactive indications to the user

Abstract

A fingerprint sensor apparatus including a sampling unit, an image analysing unit and a processor is provided. The sampling unit senses a fingerprint image. The image analysing unit analyses an image parameter of the fingerprint image to obtain an image data, and compares the image data to a reference data to obtain a comparison result. The comparison result includes that the image data corresponds to one of a plurality of stages. The stages are determined based on the image parameter, and the different stages correspond to different pressure regions. The processor controls an electronic device to execute a predetermined operation according to the stage corresponding to the image data. In addition, a method for controlling the fingerprint sensor apparatus is also provided.

Claims

1. A fingerprint sensor apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a sampling unit comprising an image sampling circuit and a sensor circuit, coupled to the processor, and configured to sense a fingerprint image;

an image analysing unit, coupled to the sampling unit and the processor, and the processor is configured to execute the image analysing unit to analyse an image parameter of the fingerprint image to obtain an image data, and compare the image data to a reference data to obtain a comparison result, wherein the comparison result comprises that the image data correspond to one of a plurality of stages,

wherein the image parameter is one of a grayscale value, an image resolution, an image brightness, an image spectral distribution, an image discrepancy, an image relevancy and an image color depth of the fingerprint image, wherein the plurality of stages are determined according to the image parameter, and the plurality of different stages correspond to different pressure regions,

wherein the processor is further configured to control an electronic device to execute a predetermined operation according to the stage corresponding to the image data, wherein the processor outputs a signal representative of a pressure value of a fingerprint according to the stage corresponding to the image data.

2. The fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data comprises a statistic information, and the image analysing unit compares the statistic information to an average, an extremum or a distribution of the reference data, and transmits the comparison result to the processor.

3. The fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether to activate the electronic device to execute the predetermined operation according to the stage corresponding to the image data via an application unit.

4. The fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising the application unit, controlled by the processor, and configured to control the electronic device to execute the predetermined operation.

5. The fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor further outputs a signal representative of the predetermined operation to be executed according to the stage corresponding to the image data.

6. The fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processor comprises a control circuit, configured to output the signal representative of the pressure value of the fingerprint or the predetermined operation to be executed.

7. The fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the representative signal is a screen notification, a sound notification or a vibrating alert.

8. The fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit, controlled by the processor, and configured to store the reference data, wherein the reference data comprises an information of a fingerprint pre-stored in the fingerprint sensor apparatus.

9. A method for controlling a fingerprint sensor apparatus, comprising:

sensing a fingerprint image by a sampling unit comprising an image sampling circuit and a sensor circuit;

executing the image analysing unit by a processor to analyse an image parameter of the fingerprint image to obtain an image data, and compare the image data to a reference data to obtain a comparison result, wherein the comparison result comprises that the image data correspond to one of a plurality of stages, wherein the image parameter is one of a grayscale value, an image resolution, an image brightness, an image spectral distribution, an image discrepancy, an image relevancy and an image color depth of the fingerprint image, wherein the plurality of stages are determined according to the image parameter, and the plurality of different stages correspond to different pressure regions; and

outputting a signal representative of a pressure value of a fingerprint according to the stage corresponding to the image data and controlling an electronic device by the processor to execute a predetermined operation according to the stage corresponding to the image data.

10. The method for controlling the fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the image data comprises a statistic information, and the step of executing the image analysing unit by the processor to analyse an image parameter of the fingerprint image to obtain an image data, and compare the image data to the reference data to obtain the comparison result comprises:

executing the image analysing unit by the processor to compare the statistic information to an average, an extremum or a distribution of the reference data.

11. The method for controlling the fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the step of controlling an electronic device by the processor to execute the predetermined operation according to the stage corresponding to the image data comprises:

determining whether to activate the electronic device to execute the predetermined operation according to the stage corresponding to the image data.

12. The method for controlling the fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

outputting a signal representative of the predetermined operation to be executed according to the stage corresponding to the image data.

13. The method for controlling the fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the representative signal is a screen notification, a sound notification or a vibrating alert.

14. The method for controlling the fingerprint sensor apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

storing the reference data into a storage unit, wherein the reference data comprises a fingerprint information pre-stored in the fingerprint sensor apparatus.