Biometric initiated communication

• US 9,710,092 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marciniak, Craig A., Wright, John A., Han, Byron B.
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US13/840,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 345173, 345174, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1905
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A device has a touch processing module that processes touch screen input to determine if the manner in which the input was entered indicates that the user intends for execution of a particular command. In one embodiment, the module may acquire fingerprint data from the user'"'"'s input and analyze the data to determine if the input was entered with a particular finger or finger sequence. In another embodiment, the module may also acquire timing data from the user'"'"'s entry of a plurality of inputs and analyze the timing data to determine if the touch screen input was entered with a particular timing or cadence. In still another embodiment, the module may also acquire force data from the user'"'"'s entry of a plurality of touch screen inputs and analyze the force data to determine to determine if the touch screen input was entered with a particular force.

Claims

1. A method of executing a command in an electronic device, comprising:

receiving touch input through a touch screen component of an electronic device;

acquiring fingerprint data from one or more fingertips of the user that are used to enter the touch input through the touch screen;

analyzing the fingerprint data to determine if the touch input was entered with a particular sequence of fingers that the user has predetermined to indicate a command to be executed by the electronic device; and

if a predetermined command is indicated by the fingerprint data, executing the command, wherein the touch input comprises a sequence of individual touch inputs separated apart in time, the method further comprising;

acquiring timing data as the touch input is entered through the touch screen, the timing data comprising time intervals between the individual touches;

analyzing the fingerprint data in combination with the timing data to determine if the touch input was entered with a particular finger or sequence of fingers and with a particular timing sequence that the user has predetermined to indicate a command to be executed by the electronic device; and

if a predetermined command is indicated by the fingerprint data and the timing data, executing the command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if a predetermined command is not indicated by the fingerprint data, the method further comprising:

executing any command that is explicitly indicated by the touch input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input conveys an explicit command to be executed by the electronic device, and the user has predetermined that the command indicated by the particular sequence of fingers is a stealth command to be executed by the electronic device without any apparent indication that the stealth command is being executed, the method further comprising:

executing the explicit command; and

while the explicit command is executing, executing the stealth command without outputting an indication that the stealth command is executing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the stealth command is a panic command and the operation of executing the panic command includes sending a communication to emergency services.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication to emergency services includes transmitting the geographic location of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication to emergency services includes transmitting streaming audio or video from the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring force data as the touch input is entered through the touch screen, the force data indicating an amount of force applied by one or more fingertips of the user against the touch screen as the touch input was entered;

analyzing the fingerprint data in combination with the timing data and the force data to determine if the touch input was entered with a particular sequence of fingers, with a particular timing sequence, and with a particular amount of force, all of which the user has predetermined to indicate a command to be executed by the electronic device; and

if a predetermined command is indicated by the fingerprint data, the timing data, and the force data, executing the command.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined command indicated by the fingerprint data, the timing data, and the force data is a panic command.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the command indicated by the particular sequence of fingers is a macro command that includes a series of commands that when executed together execute the macro command.

10. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a processor, a touch screen communicatively coupled to the processor, the touch screen adapted to receive input through a user contacting or nearly contacting a surface of the touch screen;

a fingerprint sensor communicatively coupled to the processor and to the touch screen, the fingerprint sensor adapted to acquire fingerprint data for one or more fingertips of the user as the user enters touch input through the touch screen; and

a touch processing module stored in a computer readable storage medium, the touch processing module comprising processor-executable code that, when executed by the processor, analyzes the fingerprint data to determine if the touch input was entered with a particular sequence of fingers that the user has predetermined to indicate a command to be executed by the electronic device, wherein if a predetermined command is indicated by the fingerprint data, the processor executes the command, wherein the touch input comprises a sequence of individual touch inputs separated apart in time and the processor;

acquires timing data as the touch input is entered through the touch screen, the timing data comprising time intervals between the individual touches;

analyzes the fingerprint data in combination with the timing data to determine if the touch input was entered with a particular finger or sequence of fingers and with a particular timing sequence that the user has predetermined to indicate a command to be executed by the electronic device; and

if a predetermined command is indicated by the fingerprint data and the timing data, executes the command.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein if a predetermined command is not indicated by the fingerprint data, the processor executes any command that is explicitly indicated by the touch input.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein the touch input conveys an explicit command to be executed by the electronic device, the user has predetermined that the command indicated by the particular sequence of fingers is a stealth command to be executed by the electronic device without any apparent indication that the stealth command is being executed, and the processor executes the explicit command and, while the explicit command is executing, executes the stealth command without outputting an indication that the stealth command is executing.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the stealth command is a panic command and the processor sends a communication to emergency services as part of executing the panic command.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the communication to emergency services includes transmitting the geographic location of the electronic device.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the communication to emergency services includes transmitting streaming audio or video from the electronic device.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein the processor:

acquires force data as the touch input is entered through the touch screen, the force data indicating an amount of force applied by one or more fingertips of the user against the touch screen as the touch input was entered;

analyzes the fingerprint data in combination with the timing data and the force data to determine if the touch input was entered with a particular sequence of fingers, with a particular timing sequence, and with a particular amount of force, all of which the user has predetermined to indicate a command to be executed by the electronic device; and

if a predetermined command is indicated by the fingerprint data, the timing data, and the force data, executes the command.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 16, wherein the predetermined command indicated by the fingerprint data, the timing data, and the force data is a panic command.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein the command indicated by the particular sequence of fingers is a macro command that includes a series of commands that when executed together execute the macro command.

19. A method of executing a command in an electronic device, comprising:

receiving touch input through a touch screen component of an electronic device;

acquiring fingerprint data from one or more fingertips of the user that are used to enter the touch input through the touch screen;

acquiring force data as the touch input is entered through the touch screen, the force data indicating an amount of force applied by one or more fingertips of the user against the touch screen as the touch input was entered;

analyzing the fingerprint data in combination with the force data to determine if the touch input was entered with a particular sequence of fingers and with a particular amount of force, both of which the user has predetermined to indicate a command to be executed by the electronic device; and

if a predetermined command is indicated by the fingerprint data and the force data, executing the command, wherein the touch input comprises a sequence of individual touch inputs separated apart in time, the method further comprising;

acquiring timing data as the touch input is entered through the touch screen, the timing data comprising time intervals between the individual touches;

analyzing the fingerprint data in combination with the timing data to determine if the touch input was entered with a particular finger or sequence of fingers and with a particular timing sequence that the user has predetermined to indicate a command to be executed by the electronic device; and

if a predetermined command is indicated by the fingerprint data and the timing data, executing the command.