Apparatus and method of fingerprint recognition for a mobile terminal

• US 7,634,117 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Young-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatnagar; Anand
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMJOO, MANUCHEHR
• Application Number:
  US11/367,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20060210126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 382/124, 382/125, 382/195, 382/209
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

An apparatus for recognizing a fingerprint includes a fingerprint sensing unit for scanning a fingerprint of a user; a storage using for storing a comparison model of the fingerprint of the user and various threshold values; a control unit for obtaining similarity between the fingerprint of the user scanned by fingerprint sensing unit and the comparison model stored in the storage unit, comparing it with a certain threshold value, and controlling a mobile terminal according to the comparison result; and a display unit for transferring a result (success or failure) of the fingerprint recognition or a request from the control unit to the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recognizing a fingerprint for a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a fingerprint sensing unit which scans a fingerprint of a user;

a storage unit which stores a comparison model of fingerprints of the user; and

a controller which compares a similarity between the scanned fingerprint and the comparison model with a first threshold value and a second threshold value which is greater than the first threshold value, releases a lock function set in the mobile terminal if the similarity is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, and registers the scanned fingerprint as a new comparison model if the similarity is equal to or greater than the second threshold value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein if the similarity is smaller than the first threshold value, the controller re-scans the fingerprint of the user to obtain another similarity of the user fingerprint, and compares the obtained similarity with the first threshold value and the second threshold value again.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein if a decision that the similarity is smaller than the first threshold value is detected by a certain number of times or more, the controller lowers a security level of the fingerprint recognition.

4. A method for recognizing a fingerprint for a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

scanning a fingerprint of a user;

obtaining a similarity between the scanned fingerprint and a comparison model; and

comparing the similarity with a first threshold value and a second threshold value which is greater than the first threshold value, releasing a lock function set in the mobile terminal if the similarity is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, and registering the scanned fingerprint as a new comparison model if the similarity is equal to or greater than the second threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein if the similarity is smaller than the first threshold value, the fingerprint of the user is re-scanned.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein if a decision that the similarity is smaller than the first threshold value is detected by a certain number of times or more, a security level of the fingerprint recognition is lowered.

7. An apparatus for recognizing a fingerprint for a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a fingerprint sensing unit which scans a fingerprint of a user;

a storage unit which stores a comparison model of fingerprints of the user; and

a controller which compares a similarity between the scanned fingerprint and the comparison model with a first threshold value and a second threshold value which is greater than the first threshold value, releases a lock function set in the mobile terminal if the similarity is equal to or greater than the first threshold value but smaller than the second threshold value, and registers the scanned fingerprint as a new comparison model if the similarity is equal to or greater than the second threshold value.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein if a decision that the similarity is smaller than the first threshold value is detected by a certain number of times or more, the controller lowers a security level of the fingerprint recognition.

9. A method for recognizing a fingerprint for a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

scanning a fingerprint of a user;

obtaining a similarity between the scanned fingerprint and a comparison model; and

comparing the similarity with a first threshold value and a second threshold value which is greater than the first threshold value, releasing a lock function set in the mobile terminal if the similarity is equal to or greater than the first threshold value but smaller than the second threshold value, and registering the scanned fingerprint as a new comparison model if the similarity is equal to or greater than the second threshold value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if a decision that the similarity is smaller than the first threshold value is detected by a certain number of times or more, a security level of the fingerprint recognition is lowered.