# US 9,436,864 B2 · Electronic device performing finger biometric pre-matching and related methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,436,864 B2 - Document ID: US9436864B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/592,616 - Filed: 2012-08-23 - Published: 2014-02-27 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-08-23 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Giovanni Gozzini - Inventors: Giovanni Gozzini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436864B2 ## CPC - G06V 40/1365: {Matching; Classification} - G06V 40/1394: {using acquisition arrangements} - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor to sense a user's finger adjacent thereto, and a memory for storing finger matching biometric data and a subset of finger matching biometric data. The electronic device may include a processor coupled to the finger biometric sensor to acquire finger matching biometric data from the finger biometric sensor, and perform a finger pre-matching between a subset of the acquired finger matching biometric data and the subset of stored finger matching biometric data and based upon context data to generate pre-match data. The processor may also perform a finger matching between the acquired finger biometric data and the stored finger matching biometric data based upon the pre-match data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: a finger biometric sensor to sense a user's finger adjacent thereto; a memory for storing finger matching biometric data and a subset of finger matching biometric data; and a processor coupled to said finger biometric sensor to acquire finger matching biometric data from said finger biometric sensor, perform a finger pre-matching between a subset of the acquired finger matching biometric data and the subset of stored finger matching biometric data and based upon context data to generate pre-match data, the context data comprising at least one of a last match index and a last device orientation sensed from an orientation sensor to sense an orientation of the electronic device relative to a surface of Earth, and perform a finger matching between the acquired finger biometric data and the stored finger matching biometric data based upon the pre-match data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the context data comprises a current device orientation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the context data comprises at least one application being executed by said processor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the subset of stored finger biometric data comprises a plurality of pre-matching template metrics. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a housing and a user input device carried by said housing; and wherein said input device carries said finger biometric sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein said input device comprises a finger-operated input device; and wherein said processor performs the finger matching also based upon operation of said finger-operated user input device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said processor is to acquire spoof detection data from said biometric sensor and perform a spoof detecting operation of the acquired spoof detection data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said processor. ### Claim 9 An electronic device comprising: a housing; a finger biometric sensor carried by said housing and to sense a user's finger adjacent thereto; a memory for storing finger matching biometric data and a subset of finger matching biometric data; a wireless transceiver carried by said housing; a finger-operated user input device carried by said housing; an orientation sensor to sense a device orientation relative to a surface of Earth; and a processor coupled to said wireless transceiver to perform at least wireless communications function and to said finger biometric sensor to, based upon operation of said finger-operated user input device acquire finger matching biometric data from said finger biometric sensor, perform a finger pre-matching between a subset of the acquired finger matching biometric data and the subset of stored finger matching biometric data and based upon context data to generate pre-match data, the context data comprising a last match index and a last device orientation sensed from the orientation sensor, and perform a finger matching between the acquired finger biometric data and the stored finger matching biometric data based upon the pre-match data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the context data comprises a current device orientation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the context data comprises at least one application being executed by said processor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the subset of stored finger biometric data comprises a plurality of pre-matching template metrics. ### Claim 13 A method of matching finger biometric data in electronic device comprising a finger biometric sensor to sense a user's finger adjacent thereto, a memory for storing the finger matching biometric data and a subset of finger matching biometric data, and a processor coupled to the finger biometric sensor, the method comprising: acquiring finger matching biometric data from the finger biometric sensor; performing a finger pre-matching between a subset of the acquired finger matching biometric data and the subset of stored finger matching biometric data and based upon context data to generate pre-match data, the context data comprising at least one of a last match index and a last device orientation sensed from an orientation sensor to sense an orientation of the electronic device relative to a surface of Earth; and performing a finger matching between the acquired finger biometric data and the stored finger matching biometric data based upon the pre-match data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the context data comprises a current device orientation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the context data comprises at least one application being executed by said processor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the subset of stored finger biometric data comprises a plurality of pre-matching template metrics. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the finger matching is performed also based upon operation of a finger-operated user input device carrying the finger biometric sensor.