APPARATUS AND RECOGNITION METHOD FOR CAPTURING EAR BIOMETRIC IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20080285813A1
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Holm, Paige M.
• Application Number:
  US11/747,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20080285813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor

Abstract

An apparatus and method is provided for recognizing ear biometrics of an approved user of a wireless device. The apparatus comprises a wireless communication device (50) including a first biometric device (52) for assessing the identity of the user, the biometric device (52) comprising a touch input display (52) including a plurality of pixels for providing a visual output, and a plurality of sensors (84), one each being incorporated within one of the plurality of pixels (82), for recording at least a partial image of a user'"'"'s ear (10) when the touch input display (52) is placed against an ear (10) of the user in a first mode and for receiving an input in response to being touched by the user in a second mode. A controller (120) is coupled to the first biometric device (52) in the first mode, wherein the controller (120) enables the function when the identity of the user is verified by the first biometric device (52). Additional biometric devices may be included wherein a positive response from one of the biometric devices enables the function of the wireless device.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device arranged and constructed to enable a function when an identity of a user is confirmed, the wireless communication device comprising:

a first biometric device for assessing the identity of the user, the biometric device comprising a touch input display including;

a plurality of pixels for providing a visual output; and

a plurality of sensors, one each being incorporated within each of the pixels, for recording at least a partial image of a user'"'"'s ear when the touch input display is placed against an ear of the user in a first mode and for receiving an input in response to being touched by the user in a second mode; and

a controller coupled to the first biometric device in the first mode, wherein the controller enables the function when the identity of the user is verified by the first biometric device.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of pixels comprises a plurality of triads of pixels and the plurality of sensors comprises one each of a photosensor being associated with one of the triads.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of pixels comprises a plurality of triads of pixels and the plurality of sensors comprises one each of the sensors being associated with each of the pixels within each of the triads.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising a second biometric device for assessing the identity of the user, wherein the controller is coupled to the second biometric device, wherein the controller enables the function when the identity of the user is verified by one of the biometric device and the second biometric device.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a plurality of photosensors and further comprising a backlight for lighting the ear in the first mode.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise one of optical, resistive, and capacitive sensors.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the controller includes software for measuring distances between characteristics of the user'"'"'s ear and comparing the results with stored distances.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the controller determines physical characteristics of the user'"'"'s ear and makes a comparison with stored physical characteristics of the user'"'"'s ear.

9. A wireless communication device arranged and constructed to enable a function when an identity of a user is confirmed, the wireless communication device comprising:

a plurality of biometric devices, each of the plurality of biometric devices for assessing the identity of the user;

wherein one of the plurality of biometric devices comprises a touch input display including;

a plurality of sensors, one each being incorporated within one of the plurality of pixels, for recording at least a partial image of a user'"'"'s ear when the touch input display is placed against an ear of the user in a first mode and for receiving an input in response to being touched by the user in a second mode; and

a controller coupled to the plurality of biometric devices for selecting one of the plurality of biometric devices when a corresponding predetermined condition is present,

wherein the controller enables the function when the identity of the user is confirmed by one of the plurality of biometric devices.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9 wherein the plurality of pixels comprises a plurality of triads of pixels and the plurality of sensors comprises one each of a photosensor being associated with one of the triads.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 9 wherein the plurality of pixels comprises a plurality of triads of pixels and the plurality of sensors comprises one each of the sensors being associated with each of the pixels within each of the triads.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 9 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a plurality of photosensors and the touch input display comprises a backlight for lighting the ear in the first mode.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 9 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise one of optical, resistive, and capacitive sensors.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 9 wherein the controller includes software for measuring distances between characteristics of the user'"'"'s ear and comparing the results with stored distances.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 9 wherein the controller determines physical characteristics of the user'"'"'s ear and makes a comparison with stored physical characteristics of the user'"'"'s ear.

16. A method for enabling a feature on a wireless communication device comprising:

collecting a biometric sample of a user'"'"'s ear from a biometric sensor comprising a touch input display including a plurality of photosensors; and

enabling the feature when the biometric sample corresponds to a known sample.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising lighting the ear by a backlight formed as part of the touch input display.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising measuring distances between characteristics of the ear for comparison with stored distances between characteristics of the ear.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the collecting step occurs during a first mode, further comprising, during a second mode, displaying an image by pixels associated with each sensor and receiving an input by the sensors.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the collecting step comprises:

storing a first print of the user'"'"'s ear as a reference print;

binarizing the first print;

assigning reference points of characteristics of the first print;

measuring distances between selected reference points of the first print;

capturing a second print of the user'"'"'s ear during use of the wireless communication device;

binarizing the second print;

assigning reference points of characteristics of the second print;

measuring distances between selected reference points of the second print;

comparing the measured distances of the first and second prints; and

verifying the user if the compared measured distances are similar.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the collecting step comprises automatically collecting a print while the wireless communication device is placed against the user'"'"'s ear during normal use.

22. A wireless communication device arranged and constructed to enable a function when the identity of a user is confirmed, the wireless communication device comprising:

a first biometric device comprising a touch input display including a plurality of sensors for capturing a biometric sample of a user'"'"'s ear; and

a controller for enabling the function when the biometric sample corresponds to a known sample.