Electronic device and method of providing security using complex biometric information

• US 9,710,630 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2014
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Min-Chul, Kim, Sang-Heon, Son, Hyo-Jin, Wi, Tae-Hwan, Lee, Eun-Yeung, Lee, Hae-Dong, Lim, Yeon-Wook, Han, Yong-Gil
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Allen T
• Application Number:
  US14/504,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20150116086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 340 581- 586
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• 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

An electronic device and a method that may provide security using complex biometric information are provided. The electronic device includes a sensor module configured to sense two or more pieces of biometric information and a controller configured to execute a command corresponding to biometric combination information when the biometric combination information corresponding to the two or more pieces of biometric information sensed through the sensor module exist. As described above, through use of the complex biometric information combined of two or more pieces of biometric information, more strengthened security may be provided to various objects in the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device for providing security using complex biometric information, the electronic device comprising:

a sensor;

a memory; and

at least one processor configured to;

generate biometric combination information of a first type by combining two or more pieces of biometric information of the first type,

store in the memory the generated biometric combination information, and

execute a command corresponding to the generated biometric combination information if at least one biometric information sensed through the sensor corresponding to the generated biometric combination information is input.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the pieces of biometric information include at least one of fingerprints of an identical user, wrinkles of a knuckle, wrinkles of a palm, finger blood vessel pattern information, biometric bloodstream information, an electrocardiogram, a pulse rate, and an oxygen saturation.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, if the first type corresponds to a fingerprint of the identical user, the biometric combination information is generated by combining partial areas of at least two of fingerprints of the identical user.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when at least two of fingerprints as the first type of different users are sensed, the at least one processor is further configured to:

extract feature points from an entire area of a fingerprint of each different user,

separate the entire area of each fingerprint of the at least two of fingerprints into predetermined areas, and

store the feature points for each area of the two or more fingerprints.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

generate biometric combination information by combining partial areas of the two or more fingerprints of the different users, and

store the biometric combination information.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein, when the at least two of fingerprints of different users are scanned through the sensor, the at least one processor is further configured to authenticate the at least two fingerprints using the feature points stored for each area of the at least two fingerprints.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a fingerprint sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, a hall sensor, an electrocardiogram electrode part, and an optical sensor.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to display an object for which locking is set,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to cancel a lock set for the object when a command corresponding to the biometric combination information is an unlocking command.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the object corresponds to one of a shortcut icon for executing an application, a widget, an icon indicating a document in a predetermined file format, a picture, and a folder.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to display, on the display, the object for which locking is set together with identification information associated with the two or more pieces of biometric information used for locking the object.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether biometric combination information corresponding to the two or more pieces of biometric information exist from among the plurality of pieces of biometric combination information,

search for a command corresponding to the biometric combination information stored in the memory when the biometric combination information corresponding to the two or more pieces of information exist, and

execute the retrieved command.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to;

transmit the two or more pieces of biometric information to a server, and

receive, from the server, authentication information that authenticates that the two or more pieces of biometric information are identical to one of a plurality of biometric combination information,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

search for a command corresponding to the two or more pieces of biometric information when the authentication information is received, and

execute the retrieved command.

13. A method of providing security using complex biometric information, the method comprising:

generating biometric combination information of a first type by combining two or more pieces of biometric information of the first type;

storing in the memory the generated biometric combination information; and

executing a command corresponding to the generated biometric combination information if at least one biometric information sensed through the sensor corresponding to the generated biometric combination information is input.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

when a plurality of objects are displayed and one of the objects is selected, requesting an input of the two or more pieces of biometric information,

wherein the object corresponds to one of a shortcut icon for executing an application, a widget, an icon indicating a document in a predetermined file format, a picture, and a folder.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the executing of the command corresponding to the biometric combination information comprises:

setting a lock with respect to the object.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the pieces of biometric information include at least one of fingerprints of an identical user, wrinkles of a knuckle, wrinkles of a palm, finger blood vessel pattern information, biometric bloodstream information, an electrocardiogram, a pulse rate, and an oxygen saturation.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein, if the first type corresponds to a fingerprint of the identical user, the biometric combination information is generated by combining partial areas of at least two of fingerprints.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein, when at least two of fingerprints as the first type of different users are sensed, the method further comprises:

extracting feature points from an entire area of a fingerprint of each different user;

separating the entire area of each fingerprint of the at least two of fingerprints into predetermined areas; and

storing the feature points for each area.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining of whether biometric combination information corresponding to the sensed two or more pieces of biometric information exist comprises:

authenticating the at least two pieces of fingerprints using the feature points stored for each area when the fingerprints of different users are scanned; and

determining whether biometric combination information combined of the at least two authenticated fingerprints exist from among a plurality of pieces of biometric combination information stored in advance.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the method of claim 13.