Electronic device including finger movement based musical tone generation and related methods

• US 8,471,679 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: AuthenTec Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Arthur Leslie
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): MA, KAM WAN
• Application Number:
  US12/259,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20100102939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,701 Days
• Field of Search: 340/384.1, 340/5.83, 340/5.82, 340/5.81, 340/5.8, 340/5.1, 340/1.1, 340/124, 345/156, 382/124, 382/115, 382/100, 455/3.06, 846/00
• US Class Current: 340/5.83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/00 Comparing elements, i.e. elements for effecting comparison directly or indirectly between a desired value and existing or anticipated values
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/161 with 2D or x/y surface coordinates sensing graphical user interface or touchscreen input G10H2220/091; microtonal keyboard G10H2210/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection

Abstract

An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor and an audio output transducer. The electronic device may further include a controller cooperating with the finger biometric sensor for determining at least one biometric characteristic of a user'"'"'s finger. The controller may also cooperate with the finger biometric sensor for causing the audio output transducer to generate at least one musical tone changing based upon movement of a user'"'"'s finger relative to the finger biometric sensor.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a slide finger biometric sensor;

an audio output transducer; and

a controller cooperating with said slide finger biometric sensor for determining at least one biometric characteristic of a user'"'"'s finger based upon a sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger across said slide finger biometric sensor and generating a finger velocity signal based upon a velocity of the sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger relative to said slide finger biometric sensor;

said controller assembling biometric data for the at least one biometric characteristic based upon the finger velocity signal;

said controller authenticating the user by determining a match between the assembled biometric data for the at least one biometric characteristic and at least one stored biometric characteristic;

said controller also cooperating with said slide finger biometric sensor for causing said audio output transducer to generate at least one musical tone changing based upon the finger velocity signal and the sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger across said slide finger biometric sensor.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein said controller cooperates with said slide finger biometric sensor for causing said audio output transducer to generate the at least one musical tone having a pitch that changes based upon the finger velocity signal.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein said controller also cooperates with said slide finger biometric sensor for performing at least one navigation function.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 further wherein said controller permits selecting a musical instrument for the at least one musical tone.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising a wireless link coupling said audio output transducer and said controller.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising at least one of a display and a keypad coupled to said controller.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a finger biometric sensor;

an audio output transducer; and

a controller cooperating with said finger biometric sensor for determining at least one biometric characteristic of a user'"'"'s finger based upon a sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger across said finger biometric sensor;

said controller assembling biometric data for the at least one biometric characteristic based upon a velocity of the sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger relative to said finger biometric sensor;

said controller authenticating the user by determining a match between the assembled biometric data for the at least one biometric characteristic and at least one stored biometric characteristic;

said controller also cooperating with said finger biometric sensor for causing said audio output transducer to generate at least one musical tone having a pitch that changes based upon the velocity of the user'"'"'s finger relative to said finger biometric sensor and the sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger across said finger biometric sensor.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7 further wherein said controller permits selecting a musical instrument for the at least one musical tone.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7 further comprising a wireless link coupling said audio output transducer and said controller.

10. The electronic device according to claim 7 further comprising at least one of a display and a keypad coupled to said controller.

11. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a housing;

a wireless transceiver carried by said housing;

a slide finger biometric sensor carried by said housing;

an audio output transducer carried by said housing; and

a controller cooperating with said slide finger biometric sensor for determining at least one biometric characteristic of a user'"'"'s finger based upon a sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger across said slide finger biometric sensor, said controller for

generating a finger velocity signal based upon a velocity of the sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger relative to said slide finger biometric sensor,

assembling biometric data for the at least one biometric characteristic based upon the finger velocity signal,

authenticating the user by determining a match between the assembled biometric data for the at least one biometric characteristic and at least one stored biometric characteristic, and

enabling operation of said wireless transceiver based upon the authentication;

said controller also cooperating with said slide finger biometric sensor for causing said audio output transducer to generate at least one musical tone changing based upon the finger velocity signal and the sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger across said slide finger biometric sensor.

12. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 11 wherein said controller cooperates with said slide finger biometric sensor for causing said audio output transducer to generate the at least one musical tone having a pitch that changes based upon the finger velocity signal.

13. The mobile wireless communications device according to claim 11 further wherein said controller permits selecting a musical instrument for the at least one musical tone.

14. A method of playing at least one musical tone using an electronic device comprising a slide finger biometric sensor, an audio output transducer, and a controller coupled to the slide finger biometric sensor and the audio output transducer, the method comprising:

using the controller cooperating with the slide finger biometric sensor for determining at least one biometric characteristic of a user'"'"'s finger based upon a sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger across the slide finger biometric sensor and generating a finger velocity signal based upon a velocity of the sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger relative to the slide finger biometric sensor;

using the controller for assembling biometric data for the at least one biometric characteristic based upon the finger velocity signal;

using the controller for authenticating the user by determining a match between the assembled biometric data for the at least one biometric characteristic and at least one stored biometric characteristic; and

further using the controller also cooperating with the slide finger biometric sensor for causing the audio output transducer to generate the at least one musical tone changing based upon the finger velocity signal and the sliding motion of the user'"'"'s finger across the slide finger biometric sensor.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein using the controller comprises using the controller to generate the at least one musical tone having a pitch that changes based upon the finger velocity signal.

16. The method according to claim 14 further comprising using the controller to permit selecting a musical instrument for the at least one musical tone.