Method and device for switching tasks using fingerprint information

• US 9,952,681 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2017
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Bae, Joo-yoon, Kang, Nam-wook, Lee, Keum-koo, Lee, Hye-won, Park, Yong-gook
• Primary Examiner(s): DICKE, CHAD M
• Application Number:
  US15/474,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20170205894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Provided are a task switching method capable of rapidly and easily accessing a task of interest by using a button that may receive a touch-based input and a device for executing the task switching method. The device includes a button configured to receive an input; a display configured to display task switching screens; and a processor configured to set a task switching mode in response to the button receiving a first input, and control the display to display the task switching screens in response to the button receiving a second input.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an input interface configured to receive fingerprint information;

a processor configured to;

receive the fingerprint information via the input interface,

determine whether the received fingerprint information corresponds to pre-stored fingerprint information, and

execute a preset function mapped to the pre-stored fingerprint information when the received fingerprint information corresponds to the pre-stored fingerprint information,

wherein the preset function comprises switching task screens, and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

in response to the received fingerprint information corresponding to a first finger of a user, determine that the task screens to be switched are first task screens grouped in a first task screen group among a plurality of task screen groups, and

in response to the received fingerprint information corresponding to a second finger of the user that is different than the first finger of the user, determine that the task screens to be switched are second task screens grouped in a second task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups,

wherein each of the first task screen group and the second task screen group comprises any one of currently executed applications and recently used applications, and

wherein the first task screen group is different than the second task screen group.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the input interface is mounted on a rear surface of the device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the input interface is further configured to receive a gesture input,

wherein the preset function of the device is mapped to the pre-stored fingerprint information and the gesture input.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the pre-stored fingerprint information comprises a plurality of pieces of fingerprint information,

wherein the gesture input comprises a plurality of gesture inputs, and

wherein the preset function comprises a plurality of preset functions based on the plurality of pieces of fingerprint information and the plurality of gesture inputs.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display a task screen based on the executed preset function of the device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the pre-stored fingerprint information comprises a plurality of pieces of fingerprint information, and the preset function of the device comprises a plurality of preset functions based on the plurality of pieces of fingerprint information.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a function included in a guest mode of the device when the received fingerprint information does not correspond to the pre-stored fingerprint information.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display,

wherein the processor is further configured to display, on the display, information related to a gesture input to be able to input via the input interface after receiving the fingerprint information.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the fingerprint information via the input interface while the device is executing a function, and the function executed by the device is different from the preset function.

10. A method for executing a function of a device comprising:

receiving fingerprint information via a input interface of the device;

determining, by the device, whether the received fingerprint information corresponds to pre-stored fingerprint information; and

executing, by the device, a preset function mapped to the pre-stored fingerprint information when the received fingerprint information corresponds to the pre-stored fingerprint information, wherein the preset function comprises switching task screens;

in response to the received fingerprint information corresponding to a first finger of a user, determining that the task screens to be switched are first task screens grouped in a first task screen group among a plurality of task screen groups; and

in response to the received fingerprint information corresponding to a second finger of the user that is different than the first finger of the user, determining that the task screens to be switched are second task screens grouped in a second task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups,

wherein each of the first task screen group and the second task screen group comprises any one of currently executed applications and recently used applications, and

wherein the first task screen group is different than the second task screen group.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the input interface is mounted on a rear surface of the device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a gesture input via the input interface, and

wherein the preset function of the device is mapped to the pre-stored fingerprint information and the gesture input.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the pre-stored fingerprint information comprises a plurality of pieces of fingerprint information,

wherein the gesture input comprises a plurality of gesture inputs, and

wherein the preset function comprises a plurality of preset functions based on the plurality of pieces of fingerprint information and the plurality of gesture inputs.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying, on a display of the device, a task screen based on the executed preset function of the device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the pre-stored fingerprint information comprises a plurality of pieces of fingerprint information, and the preset function of the device comprises a plurality of preset functions based on the plurality of pieces of fingerprint information.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a function included in a guest mode of the device when the received fingerprint information does not correspond to the pre-stored fingerprint information.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying, on a display of the device, information related to a gesture input to be able to input via the input interface after receiving the fingerprint information.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the fingerprint information via the input interface while the device is executing a function, and the function executed by the device is different from the preset function.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a program for executing a method for executing a function of a device, the method comprising:

receiving fingerprint information via a input interface of the device,

determining, by the device, whether the received fingerprint information corresponds to pre-stored fingerprint information, and

executing, by the device, a preset function mapped to the pre-stored fingerprint information when the received fingerprint information corresponds to the pre-stored fingerprint information, wherein the preset function comprises switching task screens;

in response to the received fingerprint information corresponding to a first finger of a user, determining that the task screens to be switched are first task screens grouped in a first task screen group among a plurality of task screen groups; and

in response to the received fingerprint information corresponding to a second finger of the user that is different than the first finger of the user, determining that the task screens to be switched are second task screens grouped in a second task screen group among the plurality of task screen groups,

wherein each of the first task screen group and the second task screen group comprises any one of currently executed applications and recently used applications, and

wherein the first task screen group is different than the second task screen group.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 19, wherein the input interface is mounted on a rear surface of the device.