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Systems and methods for controlling access to media content by detecting one or more user fingerprints

  • US 8,408,456 B2
  • Filed: 12/04/2006
  • Issued: 04/02/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:

  • a media content processing subsystem configured to transmit to, communicate with, and receive a signal or data stream containing a media content instance from, a media content provider; and

    an input device comprising a plurality of control surfaces each configured to cause said input device to transmit at least one command to said processing subsystem, each of said control surfaces selectively transmitting a fingerprint of a finger touching said control surface to said input device;

    wherein said input device is configured to acquire an image of a fingerprint of a finger touching one of said control surfaces, to determine a command corresponding to said one of said control surfaces, allow a pre-determined time period to pass after acquiring said fingerprint image before acquiring a subsequent fingerprint image, and cause said processing subsystem to execute, within said pre-determined time period, said command corresponding to said one of said control surfaces in accordance with a user profile that corresponds to said acquired fingerprint image;

    wherein said input device includes at least one fingerprint scanning subsystem configured to acquire said image of said fingerprint of said finger touching said one of said control surfaces, analyze a quality of said fingerprint image acquired based at least in part on whether said quality is acceptable for a particular application associated with said one of said control surfaces through which said fingerprint image was acquired to determine whether said fingerprint image is acceptable for further processing and adjust settings and reacquire said fingerprint image if said fingerprint image is unacceptable for further processing.

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