Navigation assisted fingerprint enrollment

• US 9,152,842 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Vieta, William M., Westerman, Wayne C., Hotelling, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARIAM, DANIEL G
• Application Number:
  US13/802,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20140003678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

An electronic device can include at least one fingerprint image sensor that obtains fingerprint image information, where the fingerprint information can include at least a first partial fingerprint image and a second partial fingerprint image. At least one fingerprint navigation sensor can be disposed to receive navigation information responsive to at least one of movement or orientation of a user'"'"'s finger with respect to the at least one fingerprint image sensor. At least one processing unit can combine the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image into at least one combined fingerprint image utilizing the navigation information.

Claims

1. A fingerprint sensing system, comprising:

at least one fingerprint image sensor that obtains fingerprint image information including at least a first partial fingerprint image and a second partial fingerprint image, wherein the at least one fingerprint image sensor is disposed below a touch button;

at least one fingerprint navigation sensor disposed below the touch button and configured to receive navigation information responsive to at least one of movement or orientation of a user'"'"'s finger on the touch button with respect to the at least one fingerprint image sensor; and

at least one processing unit operably connected to the at least one fingerprint image sensor and the at least one fingerprint navigation sensor and configured to operate in multiple modes, the multiple modes comprising;

a fingerprint recognition mode that combines the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image into at least one combined fingerprint image by adjusting at least one partial fingerprint image with respect to another partial fingerprint image utilizing at least one affine transformation based on the navigation information;

a navigation mode that navigates an object on a display based on navigation information from the at least one fingerprint navigation sensor; and

a standby mode.

2. The fingerprint sensing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit utilizes the navigation information to determine at least one change in position between the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image.

3. The fingerprint sensing system of claim 2, wherein the at least one change in position between the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image comprises at least one of straight-line motion, angular motion, and a change in orientation with respect to an axis.

4. The fingerprint sensing system of claim 3, wherein at least one of:

the straight-line motion comprises at least one of left motion, right motion, up motion, or down motion; and

the angular motion comprises at least one of twist motion, yaw motion, or pitch motion.

5. The fingerprint sensing system of claim 1, wherein at least one processing unit that combines the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image into the at least one combined fingerprint image utilizing the navigation information combines by utilizing the navigation information to correct at least one gap or at least one overlap between the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image.

6. The fingerprint sensing system of claim 1, wherein at least one processing unit that combines the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image into the at least one combined fingerprint image utilizing the navigation information combines by performing at least one of:

translating the second partial fingerprint image in at least one linear direction with respect to the first partial fingerprint image;

rotating the second partial fingerprint image with respect to the first partial fingerprint image;

translating the second partial fingerprint image in at least one first linear direction with respect to the first partial fingerprint image and the first partial image in at least one second linear direction with respect to the second partial fingerprint image; and

rotating the second partial fingerprint image with respect to the first partial fingerprint image and the first partial fingerprint image with respect to the second partial fingerprint image.

7. The fingerprint sensing system of claim 1, wherein adjusting at least one partial fingerprint image with respect to another partial fingerprint image utilizing at least one affine transformation comprises:

adjusting the second partial fingerprint image with respect to the first partial fingerprint image utilizing at least one first affine transformation and the first partial fingerprint image with respect to the second partial fingerprint image utilizing at least one second affine transformation.

8. The fingerprint sensing system of claim 1, wherein at least one processing unit that combines the first partial fingerprint image, the second partial fingerprint image, and at least one additional partial fingerprint image into the at least one combined fingerprint image.

9. The fingerprint sensing system of claim 1, wherein the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image are images of a same fingerprint.

10. The fingerprint sensing system of claim 1, wherein at least one processing unit that combines the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image into the at least one combined fingerprint image utilizing the navigation information combines as part of enrolling a user in at least one fingerprint recognition system or comparing an accessing user with fingerprint information of at least one known user.

11. A method for sensing fingerprints, comprising:

obtaining fingerprint image information, utilizing at least one processing unit via at least one fingerprint image sensor, including at least a first partial fingerprint image and a second partial fingerprint image;

receiving navigation information, utilizing the at least one processing unit via at least one fingerprint navigation sensor, responsive to at least one of movement or orientation of a user'"'"'s finger with respect to the at least one fingerprint image sensor; and

combining the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image into at least one combined fingerprint image based on the navigation information, utilizing the at least one processing unit, by adjusting the second partial fingerprint image with respect to the first partial fingerprint image utilizing at least one first affine transformation and the first partial fingerprint image with respect to the second partial fingerprint image utilizing at least one second affine transformation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said operation of combining the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image into at least one combined fingerprint image is performed as part of enrolling a user in at least one fingerprint recognition system or comparing an accessing user with fingerprint information of at least one known user.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said operation of combining the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image into at least one combined fingerprint image comprises:

combining the first partial fingerprint image, the second partial fingerprint image, and at least one additional partial fingerprint image into at least one combined fingerprint image.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said operation of combining the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image into at least one combined fingerprint image comprises:

determining at least one change in position between the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image utilizing the navigation information.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said operation of combining the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image into at least one combined fingerprint image comprises:

correcting at least one gap or at least one overlap between the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one change in position between the first partial fingerprint image and the second partial fingerprint image comprises at least one of straight-line motion, angular motion, and a change in orientation with respect with respect to an axis.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of:

the straight-line motion comprises at least one of left motion, right motion, up motion, or down motion; and

the angular motion comprises at least one of twist motion, yaw motion, or pitch motion.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch button;

one or more fingerprint image sensors disposed below the touch button and configured to provide fingerprint image information, said fingerprint image information including one or more partial fingerprint images;

one or more fingerprint navigation sensors disposed below the touch button and configured to receive navigation information responsive to at least one of;

movement, orientation, of a user'"'"'s finger on the touch button with respect to said one or more fingerprint image sensors; and

one or more circuits coupled to said fingerprint navigation sensors and to said fingerprint image sensors and configured to operate the one or more fingerprint image sensors or the one or more fingerprint navigation sensors in multiple modes, the multiple modes comprising;

a fingerprint recognition mode that combines information from said fingerprint navigation sensors and said fingerprint image sensors to produce at least one combined fingerprint image by adjusting at least one partial fingerprint image with respect to another partial fingerprint image utilizing at least one affine transformation based on the navigation information;

a navigation mode that navigates an object on a display based on navigation information from said one or more navigation sensors; and

a standby mode.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the display comprises a supplemental display communicably connected to the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein adjusting at least one partial fingerprint image with respect to another partial fingerprint image utilizing at least one affine transformation comprises adjusting the second partial fingerprint image with respect to the first partial fingerprint image utilizing at least one first affine transformation and the first partial fingerprint image with respect to the second partial fingerprint image utilizing at least one second affine transformation.