Finger print state integration with non-application processor functions for power savings in an electronic device

• US 10,402,621 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Merrell, Thomas Y., Sierawski, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malinowski, Walter J
• Application Number:
  US15/798,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20180053034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 713186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1312 direct reading, e.g. contactless acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231

Abstract

A system includes a fingerprint sensor, an application processor, and an auxiliary processor. The application processor is operable to arm the fingerprint sensor prior to the application processor entering a low power or sleep mode. The auxiliary processor is to receive a state output from the fingerprint sensor. The state output is to cause activation of one or more functions of the auxiliary processor upon fingerprint authentication while leaving the application processor in the low power or sleep mode.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a fingerprint sensor;

an application processor connected to the fingerprint sensor via a connection and configured to arm the fingerprint sensor prior to the application processor entering a low power or sleep mode, and to perform an action on an authentication process after exiting the low power or sleep mode, the connection configured to convey a status of at least one of a serial peripheral interface transfer mode, a device ready mode, or a sleep mode;

an auxiliary processor connected to the fingerprint sensor and configured to receive a state output from the fingerprint sensor, one or more functions of the auxiliary processor configured to be activated, in response to the state output, related to fingerprint authentication while the application processor remains in the low power or sleep mode, the state output comprising a first state indicating the authentication process of a fingerprint is in progress, a second state indicating successful authentication of the fingerprint, and a third state indicating that the fingerprint sensor is waiting to begin the authentication process, the fingerprint sensor configured to initiate a timer in response to the state output transitioning to the second state, the state output configured to transition from the second state to the third state in response to a passing of a duration of time measured by the timer, and wherein the fingerprint sensor is configured to perform the authentication process of the fingerprint independently of the application processor and the auxiliary processor; and

an interrupt control configured to cause the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode in response to an actuation of the interrupt control, wherein the application processor is configured to (i) perform the action on the authentication process by determining, using the connection, a state of the authentication process upon exiting the low power or sleep mode and, (ii) when the fingerprint sensor is in the second state, perform an unlock operation, and wherein the duration of time is configured to provide sufficient time for the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode prior to transitioning to the third state in response to the actuation, the interrupt control separate from the application processor, the interrupt control separate from the auxiliary processor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the action on the authentication process comprises interrupting the authentication process in response to exiting the low power or sleep mode.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the action on the authentication process comprises resetting the authentication process on the fingerprint sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, the application processor configured to activate the fingerprint sensor in response to the application processor entering the low power or sleep mode.

5. The system of claim 4, the auxiliary processor configured to actuate one of a visible output, a haptic output, an audio output, or combinations thereof in response to the state output changing.

6. The system of claim 1, the one or more functions comprising activation of an audible feedback device, a haptic feedback device, a visible feedback device, or combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, the auxiliary processor configured to operate in an operational mode while the application processor is in the low power or sleep mode.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary processor is connected to the fingerprint sensor via a one-wire bus.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary processor is connected to the fingerprint sensor via a two-wire bus.

10. The system of claim 1, the state output comprising a fourth state indicative of an error occurring in the authentication process.

11. The system of claim 10, the auxiliary processor configured to cause, in response to the state output being in the fourth state, the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode.

12. The system of claim 1, the auxiliary processor configured to consume less power than the application processor when both the auxiliary processor and the application processor are operational.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the fingerprint sensor is configured to store thereon biometric data used in the authentication process, and wherein the biometric data remains unshared with the application processor and the auxiliary processor during the authentication process.

14. A system, comprising:

a fingerprint sensor;

an application processor connected to the fingerprint sensor via a connection and configured to arm the fingerprint sensor prior to the application processor entering a low power or sleep mode, the connection configured to convey a status of at least one of a serial peripheral interface transfer mode, a device ready mode, or a sleep mode;

an auxiliary processor connected to the fingerprint sensor and configured to receive a state output from the fingerprint sensor, one or more functions of the auxiliary processor configured to be activated, in response to the state output, related to fingerprint authentication while the application processor remains in the low power or sleep mode, the state output comprising a first state indicating an authentication process of a fingerprint is in progress, a second state indicating successful authentication of the fingerprint, and a third state indicating that the fingerprint sensor is waiting to begin the authentication process, the fingerprint sensor configured to initiate a timer in response to the state output transitioning to the second state, the state output configured to transition from the second state to the third state in response to a passing of a duration of time measured by the timer, and wherein the fingerprint sensor is configured to perform the authentication process of the fingerprint independently of the application processor and the auxiliary processor; and

an interrupt control configured to cause the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode in response to an actuation of the interrupt control, wherein the duration of time is configured to provide sufficient time for the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode prior to transitioning to the third state in response to the actuation, and wherein the application processor is further configured to request an authentication state of the authentication process from the fingerprint sensor in response to exiting the low power or sleep mode in response to the actuation of the interrupt control, the interrupt control separate from the application processor, the interrupt control separate from the auxiliary processor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the auxiliary processor is connected to the fingerprint sensor via a one-wire bus.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the auxiliary processor is connected to the fingerprint sensor via a two-wire bus.

17. A method, comprising:

in a fingerprint sensor operable with an application processor, an auxiliary processor, and an interrupt control;

entering an armed mode via a signal from the application processor, the application processor connected to the fingerprint sensor via a connection, the connection configured to convey a status of at least one of a serial peripheral interface transfer mode, a device ready mode, or a sleep mode;

transmitting, to the auxiliary processor, a state output of the fingerprint sensor;

detecting an object contacting a surface of the fingerprint sensor while the application processor is in a low power or sleep mode;

transitioning the state output from a first state to a second state after the detecting, the first state indicating an authentication process of a fingerprint is in progress, the second state indicating successful authentication of the fingerprint, the fingerprint sensor configured to initiate a timer in response to the state output transitioning to the second state;

authenticating the object by the fingerprint sensor independently of the application processor and the auxiliary processor;

transitioning the state output from the second state to a third state after the authenticating the object and in response to a passing of a duration of time measured by the timer, the third state indicating that the fingerprint sensor is waiting to begin the authentication process; and

causing the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode in response to an actuation of the interrupt control, wherein the duration of time is configured to provide sufficient time for the application processor to exit the low power or sleep mode prior to transitioning to the third state in response to the actuation;

wherein the auxiliary processor is configured to perform, in response to the state output being in the third state, one or more functions while the application processor remains in the low power or sleep mode, and the application processor is configured to (i) interrupt the authentication process in response to exiting the low power or sleep mode by determining, using the connection, a state of the authentication process upon exiting the low power or sleep mode and, (ii) when the fingerprint sensor is in the second state, perform an unlock operation, the interrupt control separate from the application processor, the interrupt control separate from the auxiliary processor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the transitioning the state output from the second state to the third state occurs while the application processor remains in the low power or sleep mode.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the transmitting, to the auxiliary processor, the state output of the fingerprint sensor is via a one-wire bus.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the transmitting, to the auxiliary processor, the state output of the fingerprint sensor is via a two-wire bus.