Electronic device for displaying a plurality of web links based upon finger authentication and associated methods

• US 8,984,596 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: AuthenTec Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Griffin, Stephanie
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US12/570,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20110078771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 726/5, 705/50, 705/67, 382/124, 382/115
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints

Abstract

An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor, a display, and a processor coupled with the finger biometric sensor and the display. The processor is capable of displaying a plurality of finger representations on the display corresponding to different fingers of a hand, enrolling respective user'"'"'s fingers for the plurality of finger representations using the finger biometric sensor, displaying a menu of available functions on the display, associating at least some of the available functions with respective enrolled user'"'"'s fingers, and performing a given function based upon a match of a newly sensed user'"'"'s finger with a respective enrolled user'"'"'s finger using the finger biometric sensor.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a finger biometric sensor;

a touch screen display;

a hardware processor coupled with said finger biometric sensor and said touch screen display, and configured to

display a plurality of finger representations on said touch screen display corresponding to different fingers of a hand,

enroll respective user'"'"'s fingers for the plurality of finger representations using said finger biometric sensor,

display a menu of available functions on said touch screen display comprising a plurality of different icons each corresponding to a respective available function,

associate an icon corresponding to a given function with a respective finger representation on said touch screen display by dragging the icon on the touch screen display, and

performing a given function based upon a match of a newly sensed user'"'"'s finger with a respective enrolled user'"'"'s finger using said finger biometric sensor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said hardware processor is further configured to display a prompt on said touch screen display to place a finger corresponding to a given finger representation adjacent said finger biometric sensor for enrollment.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the functions comprises opening a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the at least one function comprises opening a Web link for a social networking site.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the functions comprises purchasing of at least one of goods and services.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 wherein said hardware processor facilitates purchasing based upon a payment account.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein said hardware processor also associates the payment account with the authenticated finger.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said hardware processor authenticates the newly sensed user'"'"'s finger by sensing a set of finger biometric verification data using said finger biometric sensor and comparing the set of finger biometric verification data to a set of finger biometric enrollment data to determine a match therebetween.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a finger biometric sensor;

a touch screen display;

a hardware processor coupled with said finger biometric sensor and said touch screen display, and configured to

display a plurality of finger representations on said touch screen display corresponding to different fingers of a hand,

enroll respective user'"'"'s fingers for the plurality of finger representations using said finger biometric sensor,

display a plurality of different icons on said touch screen display each corresponding to a respective available function from among a plurality of different available functions, at least one of the functions comprising opening a Web link,

associate an icon corresponding to a given function with a respective finger representation on said touch screen display by dragging the icon on the touch screen display, and

perform a given function based upon a match of a newly sensed user'"'"'s finger with a respective enrolled user'"'"'s finger using said finger biometric sensor.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein said hardware processor is further configured to display a prompt on said touch screen display to place a finger corresponding to a given finger representation adjacent said finger biometric sensor for enrollment.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein at least one of the functions comprises opening a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein the at least one function comprises opening a Web link for a social networking site.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein at least one of the functions comprises purchasing of at least one of goods and services.

14. A method for using an electronic device comprising a finger biometric sensor and a touch screen display, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of finger representations on the touch screen display corresponding to different fingers of a hand;

enrolling respective user'"'"'s fingers for the plurality of finger representations using the finger biometric sensor;

displaying a menu of available functions on the touch screen display comprising a plurality of different icons each corresponding to a respective available function, at least one of the functions comprising opening a Web link;

associating an icon corresponding to a given function with a respective finger representation on said touch screen display by dragging the icon on the touch screen display; and

performing a given function based upon a match of a newly sensed user'"'"'s finger with a respective enrolled user'"'"'s finger using the finger biometric sensor.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying a prompt on the touch screen display to place a finger corresponding to a given finger representation adjacent the finger biometric sensor for enrollment.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one of the functions comprises opening a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one function comprises opening a Web link for a social networking site.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one of the functions comprises purchasing of at least one of goods and services.