Finger Print State Integration with Non-Application Processor Functions for Power Savings in an Electronic Device

• US 20150199554A1
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Merrell, Thomas Y., Sierawski, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,836,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1312 direct reading, e.g. contactless acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231

Abstract

A system includes a fingerprint sensor, an application processor, and an auxiliary processor. The application processor is operable to arm the fingerprint sensor prior to the application processor entering a low power or sleep mode. The auxiliary processor is to receive a state output from the fingerprint sensor. The state output is to cause activation of one or more functions of the auxiliary processor upon fingerprint authentication while leaving the application processor in the low power or sleep mode.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a fingerprint sensor;

an application processor operable to arm the fingerprint sensor prior to the application processor entering a low power or sleep mode; and

an auxiliary processor to receive a state output from the fingerprint sensor;

the state output to cause activation of one or more functions of the auxiliary processor upon fingerprint authentication while leaving the application processor in the low power or sleep mode.

2. The system of claim 1, the auxiliary processor to operate in an operational mode while the application processor is in the low power or sleep mode.

3. The system of claim 1, the state output comprising a first state indicating an authentication process of the fingerprint is in progress.

4. The system of claim 3, the application processor to interrupt the authentication process upon exiting the low power or sleep mode.

5. The system of claim 3, the state output comprising a second state indicating successful authentication of the fingerprint.

6. The system of claim 5, the fingerprint sensor to initiate a timer when the state output transitions to the second state.

7. The system of claim 6, the state output comprising a third state occurring when the fingerprint sensor is waiting to begin the authentication process, the fingerprint sensor to transition from the second state to the third state upon expiration of the timer.

8. The system of claim 5, the state output comprising a third state indicative of an error occurring in the authentication process.

9. The system of claim 8, the third state to cause the auxiliary processor to cause the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode.

10. The system of claim 9, the application processor to reset the authentication process of the fingerprint sensor after exiting the low power or sleep mode.

11. The system of claim 1, the fingerprint sensor to enter an input reception mode upon an object contacting a surface of the fingerprint sensor.

12. The system of claim 1, the auxiliary processor to consume less power than the application processor when both the auxiliary processor and the application processor are operational.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interrupt control to cause the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode in response to actuation of the interrupt control.

14. The system of claim 13, the application processor to request an authentication state from the fingerprint sensor upon exiting the low power or sleep mode in response to the actuation of the interrupt control.

15. The system of claim 1, the one or more functions comprising activation of an audible feedback device, a haptic feedback device, a visible feedback device, or combinations thereof.

16. A method, comprising:

in a fingerprint sensor operable with an application processor and an auxiliary processor;

entering an armed mode;

detecting an object contacting a surface of the fingerprint sensor while the application processor is in a low power or sleep mode;

transitioning a state output to the auxiliary processor from a first state to a second state after the detecting;

authenticating the object; and

transitioning the state output from the second state to a third state after the authenticating to cause the auxiliary processor to perform one or more functions while leaving the application processor in the low power or sleep mode.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, in the fingerprint sensor, transitioning the state output from the second state to the third state while leaving the application processor in the low power or sleep mode.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, in the fingerprint sensor, initiating a timer, the transitioning the state output from the second state to the third state occurring after expiration of the timer.

19. A system, comprising:

a fingerprint sensor;

an application processor operable to activate the fingerprint sensor when entering a low power or sleep mode; and

an auxiliary processor to receive a state output from the fingerprint sensor;

the fingerprint sensor to change the state output to indicate a successful completion of a fingerprint authentication process to the auxiliary processor while retaining data used during the fingerprint authentication process within the fingerprint sensor, the fingerprint sensor to change the state output while leaving the application processor in the low power or sleep mode.

20. The system of claim 19, the auxiliary processor to actuate one of a visible output, a haptic output, an audio output, or combinations thereof in response to the state output changing.