Fingerprint recognition method and electronic device thereof

• US 9,311,519 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Heon-Tak
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US14/105,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20140294259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/116, 382/124, 382/278, 340/5.52, 340/5.81, 340/8.82, 340/5.83
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/987 with the intervention of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor

Abstract

A method and apparatus for recognizing a fingerprint in an electronic device includes recognizing a fingerprint that is input through a touch-based device, determining whether the recognized fingerprint is a white image, and when the recognized image is determined to be a white image, displaying on a display screen a request for a fingerprint retouch.

Claims

1. A method for fingerprint authentication in an electronic device, comprising:

recognizing a fingerprint in responsive to a touch input to a touch input unit;

detecting whether the recognized fingerprint is a white image;

displaying a request for a fingerprint re-touch on a display if the recognized fingerprint is detected to be the white image;

increasing a count of a number of times a fingerprint authentication process failed if the authentication process fails; and

maintaining a current total of the count if the recognized image is determined to be the white image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the recognized fingerprint is not the white image, detecting whether the recognized fingerprint is matched with a pre-stored fingerprint.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for fingerprint re-touch includes at least one of:

a message displayed on the touch display, and an audio cue played through a speaker.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a content of the request for the fingerprint re-touch includes an instruction for a user to remove contaminants from a finger and from a surface of the touch input unit, and to reperform a touch with the finger on the touch display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the white image is an image in which at least a part of the recognized fingerprint is displayed in white due to a contaminant.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising measuring an amount of the recognized fingerprint that is output in white within a predefined threshold range from a center of the recognized fingerprint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein recognition of the recognized fingerprint is implemented using at least one of optical recognition, capacitive recognition, and radio frequency recognition.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a touch input unit;

a fingerprint recognition device configured for recognize a fingerprint in responsive to a touch input on the touch input unit;

at least one memory; and

a processor configured for

detecting whether the recognized fingerprint is a white image,

displaying on the touch display a request for a fingerprint re-touch if the recognized fingerprint is detected to be the white image,

increasing a count of a number of times a fingerprint authentication process failed if the authentication process fails, and

maintaining a current total of the count if the recognized image is determined to be the white image.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the processor determines whether the recognized fingerprint matches with a pre-stored fingerprint if the recognized fingerprint is not the white image.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the request for fingerprint re-touch includes at least one of:

a message displayed on the display, and an audio cue played through a speaker.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein a content of the request for fingerprint re-touch includes an instruction for a user to remove contaminants from a finger and from a surface of the touch input unit, and to reperform a touch with the finger on the touch input unit.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the white image is an image in which at least a part of the recognized fingerprint is output in white due to a contaminant.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising measuring an amount of the recognized fingerprint that is output in white within a predefined threshold range from a center of the recognized fingerprint.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein fingerprint recognition is implemented using at least one method of optical recognition, capacitive recognition, and radio frequency recognition.

15. A method for recognizing a fingerprint in an electronic device, comprising:

recognizing a fingerprint in responsive to a touch input;

detecting whether an area of the recognized fingerprint is smaller than a reference value;

responsive to the area being smaller than the reference value, displaying on a display screen a request for a fingerprint re-touch;

increasing a count of a number of times a fingerprint authentication process failed if the authentication process fails; and

maintaining a current total of the count if the recognized image is determined to be a white image.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, if the area is equal to or larger than the reference value, determining whether the recognized fingerprint matches with a pre-stored fingerprint.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a touch input unit;

a fingerprint recognition device configured for recognizing a fingerprint in responsive to a touch input on the touch input unit;

at least one memory; and

a processor configured for;

detecting whether an area of the recognized fingerprint is smaller than a reference value,

displaying on the display a request for fingerprint re-touch if the area is smaller than the reference value,

increasing a count of a number of times a fingerprint authentication process failed if the authentication process fails; and

maintaining a current total of the count if the recognized image is determined to be a white image.

18. A method for recognizing a fingerprint in an electronic device, comprising:

recognizing a fingerprint in responsive to a touch input;

detecting whether the recognized fingerprint matches a pre-stored fingerprint;

detecting whether the recognized fingerprint is a white image if the recognized fingerprint does not match with the pre-stored fingerprint; and

displaying on a display screen a request for a fingerprint re-touch if the recognized image is detected to be the white image;

detecting that fingerprint authentication has failed if the recognized image is detected not to be the white image;

increasing a count of a number of times a fingerprint authentication process failed if the authentication process fails; and

maintaining a current total of the count if the recognized image is determined to be the white image.