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US 9,542,590 B2Granted
Fingerprint scanning method
AssigneeBlackBerry Limited
InventorsPeter Mankowski, Neil Patrick Adams, Ravi Singh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer-implemented method entails capturing a digital fingerprint of a finger using a fingerprint-capturing device, collecting pressure measurements using pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device, determining a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements and storing the finger-sensor contact direction in association with the digital fingerprint for subsequent biometric authentication.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method comprising:
- capturing a digital fingerprint of a finger using a fingerprint-capturing device;
- collecting pressure measurements using pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device;
- determining a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements;
- determining a contact force for each of the pressure sensors while the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device and creating a force profile along the finger-sensor contact direction;
- and
- storing the finger-sensor contact direction in association with the digital fingerprint for subsequent biometric authentication.
3 more elements
A computer-implemented method comprising:
- capturing a digital fingerprint of a finger using a fingerprint-capturing device;
- collecting pressure measurements using pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device;
- determining a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements;
- and
- storing a first finger-sensor contact direction with a first digital fingerprint to define a first biometric authentication profile and storing a second finger-sensor contact direction with a second digital fingerprint to define a second biometric authentication profile,
- wherein user authentication matching the first biometric authentication profile grants access to a first set of device functions whereas user authentication matching the second biometric authentication profile grants access to a second set of device functions.
3 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions in code which when loaded into a memory and executed by a processor of a computing device cause the computing device to:
- capture a digital fingerprint of a finger using a fingerprint-capturing device;
- collect pressure measurements using pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device;
- determine a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements;
- determine a contact force for each of the pressure sensors while the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device and create a force profile along the finger-sensor contact direction;
- and
- store the finger-sensor contact direction in association with the digital fingerprint for subsequent biometric authentication.
3 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions in code which when loaded into a memory and executed by a processor of a computing device cause the computing device to:
- capture a digital fingerprint of a finger using a fingerprint-capturing device;
- collect pressure measurements using pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device;
- determine a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements;
- and
- store a first finger-sensor contact direction with a first digital fingerprint to define a first biometric authentication profile and store a second finger-sensor contact direction with a second digital fingerprint to define a second biometric authentication profile,
- wherein user authentication matching the first biometric authentication profile grants access to a first set of device functions whereas user authentication matching the second biometric authentication profile grants access to a second set of device functions.
3 more elements
A computing device comprising:
- a processor;
- a fingerprint-capturing device for capturing a digital fingerprint of a finger;
- pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device to collect pressure measurements as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device;
- wherein the processor is configured to determine a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements and to cause a memory to store the finger-sensor contact direction in association with the digital fingerprint for subsequent biometric authentication, and
- wherein the processor cooperates with the pressure sensors to determine a contact force for each of the pressure sensors while the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device and to create a force profile along the finger-sensor contact direction.
2 more elements
A computing device comprising:
- a processor;
- a fingerprint-capturing device for capturing a digital fingerprint of a finger;
- pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device to collect pressure measurements as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device;
- wherein the processor is configured to determine a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements, and
- wherein the processor cooperates with a memory to store a first finger-sensor contact direction with a first digital fingerprint to define a first biometric authentication profile and to store a second finger-sensor contact direction with a second digital fingerprint to define a second biometric authentication profile, wherein user authentication matching the first biometric authentication profile grants access to a first set of device functions whereas user authentication matching the second biometric authentication profile grants access to a second set of device functions.
2 more elements
A computing device comprising:
- a processor;
- a fingerprint-capturing device for capturing a digital fingerprint of a finger;
- pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device to collect pressure measurements as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device;
- wherein the processor is configured to:
- determine a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements;
- and to cause a memory to store the finger-sensor contact direction in association with the digital fingerprint for subsequent biometric authentication;
- compare a total surface area of the scanned fingerprint to a threshold;
- grant access to a first set of applications if the threshold is met or exceeded;
- and grant access to a second set of applications if the threshold is not exceeded.
6 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions in code which when loaded into a memory and executed by a processor of a computing device cause the computing device to:
- capture a digital fingerprint of a finger on a fingerprint-capturing device;
- collect pressure measurements as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device using pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device;
- determine a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements and cause the memory to store the finger-sensor contact direction in association with the digital fingerprint for subsequent biometric authentication;
- compare a total surface area of the scanned fingerprint to a threshold;
- grant access to a first set of applications if the threshold is met or exceeded;
- and
- grant access to a second set of applications if the threshold is not exceeded.
4 more elements
A method at a computing device, the method comprising:
- capturing a digital fingerprint of a finger using a fingerprint-capturing device;
- collecting pressure measurements as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device using pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device;
- determining a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements;
- storing the finger-sensor contact direction in association with the digital fingerprint for subsequent biometric authentication;
- comparing a total surface area of the scanned fingerprint to a threshold;
- granting access to a first set of applications if the threshold is met or exceeded;
- and
- granting access to a second set of applications if the threshold is not exceeded.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.