FINGER PRINT STATE INTEGRATION WITH NON-APPLICATION PROCESSOR FUNCTIONS FOR POWER SAVINGS IN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20180053034A1
• Filed: 10/30/2017
• Published: 02/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: MERRELL, Thomas Y., Sierawski, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,402,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system, comprising:

a fingerprint sensor;

an application processor connected to the fingerprint sensor via a connection and configured to arm the fingerprint sensor prior to the application processor entering a low power or sleep mode, and to perform an action on an authentication process after exiting the low power or sleep mode, the connection configured to convey a status of at least one of a serial peripheral interface transfer mode, a device ready mode, or a sleep mode;

an auxiliary processor connected to the fingerprint sensor and configured to receive a state output from the fingerprint sensor, one or more functions of the auxiliary processor configured to be activated, in response to the state output, related to fingerprint authentication while the application processor remains in the low power or sleep mode, the state output comprising a first state indicating the authentication process of a fingerprint is in progress, a second state indicating successful authentication of the fingerprint, and a third state indicating that the fingerprint sensor is waiting to begin the authentication process, the fingerprint sensor configured to initiate a timer in response to the state output transitioning to the second state, the state output configured to transition from the second state to the third state in response to a passing of a duration of time measured by the timer; and

an interrupt control configured to cause the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode in response to an actuation of the interrupt control, the interrupt control separate from the application processor, the interrupt control separate from the auxiliary processor.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the action on the authentication process comprises interrupting the authentication process in response to exiting the low power or sleep mode.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the action on the authentication process comprises resetting the authentication process on the fingerprint sensor.

24. The system of claim 21, the application processor configured to activate the fingerprint sensor in response to the application processor entering the low power or sleep mode.

25. The system of claim 24, the auxiliary processor configured to actuate one of a visible output, a haptic output, an audio output, or combinations thereof in response to the state output changing.

26. The system of claim 21, the one or more functions comprising activation of an audible feedback device, a haptic feedback device, a visible feedback device, or combinations thereof.

27. The system of claim 21, the auxiliary processor configured to operate in an operational mode while the application processor is in the low power or sleep mode.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the auxiliary processor is connected to the fingerprint sensor via a one-wire bus.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the auxiliary processor is connected to the fingerprint sensor via a two-wire bus.

30. The system of claim 21, the state output comprising a fourth state indicative of an error occurring in the authentication process.

31. The system of claim 30, the auxiliary processor configured to cause, in response to the state output being in the fourth state, the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode.

32. The system of claim 21, the fingerprint sensor configured to enter an input reception mode in response to an object contacting a surface of the fingerprint sensor.

33. The system of claim 21, the auxiliary processor configured to consume less power than the application processor when both the auxiliary processor and the application processor are operational.

34. A system, comprising:

a fingerprint sensor,

an application processor connected to the fingerprint sensor via a connection and configured to arm the fingerprint sensor prior to the application processor entering a low power or sleep mode, the connection configured to convey a status of at least one of a serial peripheral interface transfer mode, a device ready mode, or a sleep mode;

an auxiliary processor connected to the fingerprint sensor and configured to receive a state output from the fingerprint sensor, one or more functions of the auxiliary processor configured to be activated, in response to the state output, related to fingerprint authentication while the application processor remains in the low power or sleep mode, the state output comprising a first state indicating an authentication process of a fingerprint is in progress, a second state indicating successful authentication of the fingerprint, and a third state indicating that the fingerprint sensor is waiting to begin the authentication process, the fingerprint sensor configured to initiate a timer in response to the state output transitioning to the second state, the state output configured to transition from the second state to the third state in response to a passing of a duration of time measured by the timer; and

an interrupt control configured to cause the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode in response to an actuation of the interrupt control, wherein the application processor is further configured to request an authentication state from the fingerprint sensor in response to exiting the low power or sleep mode in response to the actuation of the interrupt control, the interrupt control separate from the application processor, the interrupt control separate from the auxiliary processor.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the auxiliary processor is connected to the fingerprint sensor via a one-wire bus.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the auxiliary processor is connected to the fingerprint sensor via a two-wire bus.

37. A method, comprising:

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

entering an armed mode via a signal from the application processor, the application processor connected to the fingerprint sensor via a connection, the connection configured to convey a status of at least one of a serial peripheral interface transfer mode, a device ready mode, or a sleep mode;

transmitting, to the auxiliary processor, a state output of the fingerprint sensor;

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

transitioning the state output from a first state to a second state after the detecting, the first state indicating an authentication process of a fingerprint is in progress, the second state indicating successful authentication of the fingerprint, the fingerprint sensor configured to initiate a timer in response to the state output transitioning to the second state;

authenticating the object;

transitioning the state output from the second state to a third state after the authenticating the object and in response to a passing of a duration of time measured by the timer, the third state indicating that the fingerprint sensor is waiting to begin the authentication process; and

causing the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode in response to an actuation of the interrupt control,

wherein the auxiliary processor is configured to perform, in response to the state output being in the third state, one or more functions while the application processor remains in the low power or sleep mode, and the application processor is configured to interrupt the authentication process in response to exiting the low power or sleep mode, the interrupt control separate from the application processor, the interrupt control separate from the auxiliary processor.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the transitioning the state output from the second state to the third state occurs while the application processor remains in the low power or sleep mode.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the transmitting, to the auxiliary processor, the state output of the fingerprint sensor is via a one-wire bus.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the transmitting, to the auxiliary processor, the state output of the fingerprint sensor is via a two-wire bus.