Fingerprint identifying method and electronic device thereof

• US 9,569,087 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Jeong-Ho, Park, Jeong-Min, Chung, Do-Hyoung, Min, Ki-Hong, Lee, Dong-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/669,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20150278577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1335 Combining adjacent partial images (e.g. slices) to create a composite input or reference pattern; Tracking a sweeping finger movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities

Abstract

A method of operating an electronic device is provided. The method includes detecting a plurality of fingerprint drags after a touch on a portion of the electronic device, wherein each of the plurality of fingerprint drags is a consecutive drag from a previous drag and each of the plurality of fingerprint drags has a different orientation from each other; and identifying a fingerprint based on a plurality of images acquired from the plurality of fingerprint drags, wherein each of the plurality of images is compared with corresponding portion of a reference image.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic device, comprising:

detecting a plurality of fingerprint drags if a finger is swiped on a portion of the electronic device, wherein each of the plurality of fingerprint drags is a consecutive drag from a previous drag and each of the plurality of fingerprint drags has a different orientation from each other while a finer orientation remains substantially unchanged during each drag;

comparing a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of fingerprint drags and a corresponding portion of a reference image; and

identifying a fingerprint based on a result of the comparison between the plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of fingerprint drags and a corresponding portion of a reference image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the plurality of fingerprint drags if a finger swiped on the portion of the electronic device comprises continuously detecting the plurality of fingerprint drags through a fingerprint sensor during a reference time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of images is consecutively acquired through the fingerprint sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the fingerprint based on the comparison result comprises identifying the fingerprint according to whether at least one of the plurality of images matches the corresponding portion of the reference image.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing an application corresponding to an orientation of each of the plurality of fingerprint drags.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein executing the application corresponding to the orientation of each of the plurality of fingerprint drags comprises determining an icon display location of the application based on the orientation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when detecting the plurality of fingerprint drags, displaying a content based on a movement of the plurality of fingerprint drags.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when identifying the fingerprint, executing one of a screen unlock function, a security setting function, an information transport function, and an electronic payment function.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when identifying the fingerprint, outputting a fingerprint identification notice using at least one of a sound, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a vibration, and a popup.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a Fingerprint sensor configured to detect a plurality of fingerprint drags if a finger is swiped on a portion of the electronic device, wherein each of the plurality of fingerprint drags is a consecutive drag from a previous drag and each of the plurality of fingerprint drags has a different orientation from each other while a finger orientation remains substantially unchanged during each drag; and

a processor configured to compare a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of fingerprint drags and a corresponding portion of a reference image, and identify a fingerprint based on a result of the comparison between the plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of fingerprint drags and a corresponding portion of a reference image.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to continuously detect the plurality of fingerprint drags through the fingerprint sensor during the reference time.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to consecutively acquire the plurality of images through the fingerprint sensor.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to identify the fingerprint according to whether at least one of the plurality of images matches the corresponding portion of the reference image.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute an application corresponding to an orientation of each of the plurality of fingerprint drags.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an icon display location of the application based on the orientation.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein, the processor is further configured to, when detecting the plurality of fingerprint drags, display a content based on a movement of the plurality of fingerprint drags.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein, the processor is further configured to, when identifying the fingerprint, execute one of a screen unlock function, a security setting function, an information transport function, and an electronic payment function.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein, the processor is further configured to, when identifying the fingerprint, output a fingerprint identification notice using at least one of a sound, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a vibration, and a popup.

19. The device of claim 10, wherein the fingerprint sensor is included in a home button of the electronic device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program which executes a method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising detecting a plurality of fingerprint drags if a finger is swiped on a portion of the electronic device, wherein each of the plurality of fingerprint drags is a consecutive drag from a previous drag and each of the plurality of fingerprint drags has a different orientation from each other while a linger orientation remains substantially unchanged during each drag, comparing a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of fingerprint drags and a corresponding portion of a reference image, and identifying a fingerprint based on a result of the comparison between the plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of fingerprint drags and a corresponding portion of a reference image.