Button depress wakeup and wakeup strategy

• US 9,251,329 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Thompson, Erik Jonathon, Lien, Ty Bao
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Minh
• Application Number:
  US13/770,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20130263252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints

Abstract

Disclosed is a biometric authentication system. The system comprises a biometric image sensor in an operative position with respect to a mechanical switch on a host electronic device and configured to sense biometric characteristics of a biometric object while the biometric object is operating the mechanical switch, the operating of the mechanical switch providing at least one of input and control to the host electronic device; and wake on event logic cooperating with at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device and configured to at least delay any response by the biometric image sensor or the host electronic device that increases power consumption by either the biometric image sensor or the host electronic device, beyond that needed for the performance, by at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device, of a bona fides analysis of an object being sensed while operating the mechanical switch, until a positive completion of the bona fides analysis determines that the object being sensed is an object desired to be sensed to perform a user authentication.

Claims

1. A biometric authentication system comprising:

a biometric image sensor configured to sense biometric characteristics of an object while the object being sensed is operating a mechanical switch of a host electronic device, the operating of the mechanical switch providing at least one of input and control to the host electronic device; and

wake on event logic cooperating with at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device and configured to at least delay a response by at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device that increases power consumption beyond that needed for performance of a bona fides analysis mode during which the authentication system performs analysis of bona fides of the object being sensed while operating the mechanical switch prior to accessing previously stored biometric enrollment data, with a positive completion of the bona fides analysis determining that the object being sensed is a biometric object desired to be sensed to perform a user authentication,

wherein the wake on event logic is configured to complete a wake on event power-up or power-on sequence for at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device in response to a positive outcome of the bona fides analysis, and

wherein the bona fides analysis comprises an analysis of at least a partial biometric object image captured by the biometric image sensor.

2. The biometric authentication system of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a fingerprint and the bona fides analysis comprises determining whether the object being sensed comprises a finger of a live human being.

3. The biometric authentication system of claim 1, wherein the biometric image sensor comprises:

a sensor substrate comprising a flexible material having sensor elements formed in or on the flexible material and configured to deform to operate the mechanical switch.

4. The biometric authentication system of claim 3, wherein the wake on event logic is configured to cause the commencement of the bona fides analysis when the wake on event logic senses an object in the vicinity of the sensor elements.

5. The biometric authentication system of claim 3, wherein the wake on event logic is configured to cause the commencement of the bona fides analysis when the wake on event logic senses an object in contact with the sensor elements and before the button is depressed.

6. The biometric authentication system of claim 3, wherein the wake on event logic is configured to cause the commencement of the bona fides analysis when the wake on event logic senses an object in contact with the sensor elements and upon or after the button being depressed.

7. The biometric authentication system of claim 1, wherein the biometric image sensor is incorporated into a user authentication apparatus providing user authentication for controlling access to one of an electronic user device or an electronically provided service.

8. The biometric authentication system of claim 7, wherein the host electronic device comprises at least one of a portable phone and a computing device.

9. The biometric authentication system of claim 7, wherein the electronically provided service comprises at least one of providing access to a web site or to an email account.

10. The biometric authentication system of claim 7, wherein the biometric image sensor is incorporated into a user authentication apparatus providing user authentication for controlling an online transaction.

11. The biometric authentication system of claim 7, wherein the user authentication apparatus is incorporated into an apparatus providing user authentication for controlling access to a physical location.

12. The biometric authentication system of claim 7, wherein the user authentication apparatus is incorporated into an apparatus providing user authentication demonstrating the user was present at a certain place at a certain time.

13. The biometric authentication system of claim 7, wherein the user authentication apparatus is incorporated into an apparatus providing at least one of a finger motion user input and a navigation input to a computing device.

14. The biometric authentication system of claim 7, wherein the user authentication apparatus is incorporated into an apparatus providing authentication of the user to a user device and the performance of at least one other task by the user device specific to a finger of the user.

15. The biometric authentication system of claim 7, wherein the user authentication apparatus is incorporated into an apparatus providing user authentication for purposes of making an on-line transaction non-repudiatable.

16. The biometric authentication system of claim 1, wherein when the analysis of the biometric object image captured by the biometric image sensor to perform the bona fides analysis determines that an object other than a fingerprint is in contact with or in the vicinity of the biometric image sensor, the host electronic device instructs the biometric image sensor to terminate the bona fides analysis regardless of the presence of the object on or in the vicinity of the biometric image sensor.

17. The biometric authentication system of claim 16, wherein another bona fides analysis is not configured to occur until after the object other than the fingerprint is no longer in contact or in the vicinity of the biometric image sensor.

18. The biometric authentication system of claim 1, wherein the wake on event logic is configured to detect the object leaving the biometric image sensor in response to a negative outcome of the bona fides analysis.

19. A biometric authentication method comprising:

using a biometric image sensor to sense biometric characteristics of an object being sensed while the object is operating a mechanical switch of a host electronic device, the operating of the mechanical switch providing at least one of input and control to the host electronic device; and

using wake on event logic, cooperating with at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device, to at least delay a response by at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device that increases power consumption beyond that needed for performance of a bona fides analysis mode during which the authentication system performs analysis of the bona fides of the object being sensed while operating the mechanical switch prior to accessing previously stored biometric enrollment data, with a positive completion of the bona fides analysis determining that the object being sensed is a biometric object desired to be sensed to perform a user authentication,

wherein the wake on event logic is configured to complete a wake on event power-up or power-on sequence for at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device in response to a positive outcome of the bona fides analysis, and

wherein the bona fides analysis comprises an analysis of at least a partial biometric object image captured by the biometric image sensor.

20. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

using a biometric image sensor to sense biometric characteristics of an object while the object is operating a mechanical switch of a host electronic device, the operating of the mechanical switch providing at least one of input and control to the host electronic device; and

using wake on event logic, cooperating with at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device, to at least delay a response by at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device that increases power consumption beyond that needed for performance of a bona fides analysis mode during which the authentication system performs analysis of the bona fides of the object being sensed while operating the mechanical switch prior to accessing previously stored biometric enrollment data, with a positive completion of the bona fides analysis determining that the object being sensed is a biometric object desired to be sensed to perform a user authentication,

wherein the wake on event logic is configured to complete a wake on event power-up or power-on sequence for at least one of the biometric image sensor and the host electronic device in response to a positive outcome of the bona fides analysis, and

wherein the bona fides analysis comprises an analysis of at least a partial biometric object image captured by the biometric image sensor.