Controlling activation of fingerprint sensor regions

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems for controlling an activated fingerprint sensor region of a fingerprint sensor system are disclosed. In some examples, one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may involve or correspond to a security level. The security level may correspond to a data security level, a software application security level, or a combination thereof. According to some examples, controlling activation of a fingerprint sensor region may involve activating a relatively large fingerprint sensor region to achieve a relatively high level of security. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to a fingerprint sensor area for obtaining fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in a registration process, a size of the one or more fingers used in the registration process, and a size of the one or more fingers used in the registration process. The size of one or more fingers for one or more recent authentication attempts, or a combination thereof.

Description

[0001] Priority declaration

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 929,616, filed on September 2, 2022, entitled “CONTROLLING AN ACTIVE FINGERPRINTSENSOR AREA,” which is incorporated herein by reference and for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to sensor devices and related methods, including but not limited to fingerprint sensor systems and methods for using such systems. Background Art

[0004] Biometric authentication can be an important feature for controlling access to devices and the like. Many existing products include some type of biometric authentication. Although some existing biometric authentication techniques provide satisfactory performance, improved methods and devices would be desirable. Summary of the invention

[0005] The systems, methods and devices of the present disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

[0006] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in a method. In some examples, the method can involve determining, by a control system of a device including a fingerprint sensor system, one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria. In some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria can relate to a security level. The method can involve controlling, by a control system, activation of a fingerprint sensor area according to the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria.

[0007] In some examples, the method may involve providing a prompt corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area. According to some such examples, providing the prompt may involve controlling a display to present an image corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area.

[0008] According to some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may relate to a function of a device including a fingerprint sensor system. The function may, for example, include a function of one or more software applications.

[0009] In some examples, controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level.

[0010] According to some examples, the security level may correspond to a data security level.Alternatively or additionally, the security level may correspond to a software application security level.

[0011] In some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to a size of one or more fingers involved in the enrollment process. According to some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to a fingerprint sensor area for obtaining fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in the enrollment process.

[0012] According to some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may be related to one or more recent authentication attempts via the fingerprint sensor system. For example, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area to correspond to the finger size used during one or more recent authentication attempts. Alternatively or additionally, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area according to the authentication success rate during multiple recent authentication attempts.

[0013] In some examples, controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area may involve dynamically controlling the fingerprint sensor tile size.

[0014] According to some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to an orientation of a device including the fingerprint sensor system.

[0015] Other innovative aspects of the subject matter described in the present disclosure may be implemented in an apparatus. In some examples, the apparatus may include a fingerprint sensor system having an activated fingerprint sensor area. In some examples, the apparatus may include a control system configured to communicate with the fingerprint sensor system. The control system may include one or more general-purpose single-chip or multi-chip processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or a combination thereof.

[0016] According to some examples, the control system may be further configured to determine one or more fingerprint sensor area activation criteria. In some examples, at least one of the one or more fingerprint sensor area activation criteria may relate to a security level. According to some examples, the control system may be further configured to control the activation of the fingerprint sensor area by the control system according to the one or more fingerprint sensor area activation criteria.

[0017] In some examples, the control system may also be configured to provide a prompt corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area. In some such examples, the device may include a display, and providing the prompt may involve controlling the display to present an image corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area.

[0018] According to some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may relate to a function of the device.Alternatively or additionally, the function may include a function of one or more software applications.

[0019] In some examples, controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level.

[0020] According to some examples, the security level may correspond to a data security level, a software application security level, or a combination thereof.

[0021] In some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria can correspond to the size of one or more fingers involved in the registration process, the fingerprint sensor area used to obtain fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in the registration process, or a combination thereof.

[0022] According to some examples, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area to correspond to the size of the finger used during one or more recent authentication attempts. Alternatively or additionally, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area according to the authentication success rate during multiple recent authentication attempts.

[0023] In some examples, controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area may involve dynamically controlling the fingerprint sensor patch size.

[0024] Some or all of the operations, functions, and / or methods described herein may be performed by one or more devices according to instructions (e.g., software) stored on one or more non-transitory media. Such non-transitory media may include memory devices such as those described herein, including but not limited to random access memory (RAM) devices, read-only memory (ROM) devices, etc. Therefore, some innovative aspects of the subject matter described in the present disclosure may be implemented in one or more non-transitory media having software stored thereon.

[0025] For example, the software may include instructions for controlling one or more devices to perform the method. In some examples, the method may involve determining, by a control system of a device including a fingerprint sensor system, one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria. In some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may relate to a security level. The method may involve controlling, by a control system, activation of a fingerprint sensor area according to the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria.

[0026] In some examples, the method may involve providing a prompt corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area. According to some such examples, providing the prompt may involve controlling a display to present an image corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area.

[0027] According to some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may relate to a function of a device including a fingerprint sensor system. The function may, for example, include a function of one or more software applications.

[0028] In some examples, controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level.

[0029] According to some examples, the security level may correspond to a data security level.Alternatively or additionally, the security level may correspond to a software application security level.

[0030] In some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to a size of one or more fingers involved in the enrollment process. According to some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to a fingerprint sensor area for obtaining fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in the enrollment process.

[0031] According to some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may be related to one or more recent authentication attempts via the fingerprint sensor system. For example, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area to correspond to the finger size used during one or more recent authentication attempts. Alternatively or additionally, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area according to the authentication success rate during multiple recent authentication attempts.

[0032] In some examples, controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area may involve dynamically controlling the fingerprint sensor patch size.

[0033] According to some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to an orientation of a device including the fingerprint sensor system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn to scale. Similar reference numerals and designations in different drawings indicate similar elements.

[0035] Figure 1 An example of a block diagram of components including an apparatus according to some disclosed implementations is shown.

[0036] Figure 2 An example of a flow chart presenting an example of operation according to some disclosed methods is shown.

[0037] Figure 3A Examples of apparatus configured to perform at least some of the disclosed methods are shown.

[0038] Figure 3B An example of a graphical user interface (GUI) that may be used to enroll a single finger using the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is shown.

[0039] Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 5A and Figure 5B An example of controlling activated fingerprint sensor areas during the registration process is shown.

[0040] Figure 6 Shows that you can use Figure 3A An example of a GUI presented during the process of registering multiple fingers by the device is shown.

[0041] Figure 7 Examples of apparatus configured to perform at least some of the disclosed methods are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following description is directed to certain implementations for the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of the present disclosure. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein may be applied in a variety of different ways. The described implementations may be implemented in any device, apparatus, or system including a biometric system as disclosed herein. In addition, it is contemplated that the described implementations may be included in or associated with a variety of electronic devices, such as, but not limited to: mobile phones, multimedia Internet mobile phones, mobile television receivers, wireless devices, smart phones, smart cards, wearable devices such as bracelets, armbands, wristbands, rings, hairbands, badges, etc., Bluetooth® devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless email receivers, handheld or portable computers, netbooks, notebooks, smartbooks, tablet computers, printers, copiers, scanners, fax devices, global positioning system (GPS) receivers / navigators, cameras, digital media players (such as MP3 players), camcorders, game consoles, watches, clocks, calculators, television monitors, flat The teachings herein may also be used in applications such as, but not limited to, electronic switching devices, radio frequency filters, sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, motion sensing devices, magnetometers, inertial elements for consumer electronics, components for consumer electronics, steering wheels or other automotive components, variable capacitors, liquid crystal devices, electrophoretic display devices, drive schemes, manufacturing processes, and electronic test equipment. Therefore, the teachings are not intended to be limited to implementations depicted solely in the accompanying drawings, but rather have broad applicability as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0043] The term "finger" as used herein may correspond to any finger, including the thumb. Therefore, as used herein, a thumbprint is a type of fingerprint. The portion of the finger used for authentication may vary from finger to finger. For example, even a small activation fingerprint sensor area may be able to capture most of the fingerprint of a person's pinky finger, while the same activation fingerprint sensor area may only be able to capture a portion of the fingerprint of the same person's thumb. The portion of the finger used for authentication also generally varies from person to person. For example, a relatively small activation fingerprint sensor area may be able to capture most of the fingerprint of a child or a relatively small adult, while the same activation fingerprint sensor area may not be able to capture most of the fingerprint of a relatively large adult's thumb, index finger, or middle finger. Therefore, in some cases, a relatively small activation fingerprint sensor area may only be able to capture a portion of the fingerprint. In some cases, the size of the captured partial fingerprint may be further reduced by non-optimal placement of the finger, so that the finger is only partially presented to the fingerprint scanner. Nevertheless, the activation area of ​​the fingerprint sensor is generally static.

[0044] Some disclosed methods involve adaptive activation of fingerprint sensor areas. Some such methods involve controlling the activation fingerprint sensor area of ​​a fingerprint sensor system based on one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria. In some examples, one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may relate to or correspond to a security level. The security level may correspond to a data security level, a software application security level, or a combination thereof. According to some examples, controlling the activation fingerprint sensor area may involve activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to the size of the fingerprint sensor area used to obtain fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in the registration process.

[0045] In some or all of the methods disclosed herein, activation of a fingerprint sensor region is not controlled in response to detecting a size of a target object on or near a device including a fingerprint sensor system. For example, in some or all of the methods disclosed herein, activation of a fingerprint sensor region is not controlled based on a touch screen input corresponding to a size of a target object for a current authentication attempt. Instead, such methods typically involve determining activation of a fingerprint sensor region before a user presents a finger for an authentication attempt. However, some disclosed examples may involve controlling activation of a fingerprint sensor region to correspond to a finger size used during one or more recent authentication attempts or a size of an area occupied by multiple fingers.

[0046] Specific implementations of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. Some disclosed methods can reduce power consumption of a fingerprint sensor system. In some such examples, less power is wasted by controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area to be no larger than the area required for a particular security level. According to some examples, less power can be wasted by controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area to be no larger than the area required for a particular expected finger size, or no larger than the area required to obtain data from multiple fingers of expected finger sizes. Power savings can include power saved by reducing the use of the fingerprint sensor transmitter, and power saved by reducing the corresponding amount of fingerprint image processing. Less use of one or more fingerprint sensor areas can also extend the useful life of the fingerprint sensor system.

[0047] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram illustrating example components of an apparatus according to some disclosed implementations. In this example, apparatus 101 includes a fingerprint sensor system 102 and a control system 106. Some implementations may include a touch sensor system 103, an interface system 104, a memory system 108, a display system 110, a microphone system 112, a speaker system 114, a gesture sensor system 116, or a combination thereof.

[0048] According to some examples, the fingerprint sensor system 102 may be or may include an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Alternatively or additionally, in some implementations, the fingerprint sensor system 102 may be or may include another type of fingerprint sensor, such as an optical fingerprint sensor, a capacitive fingerprint sensor, a thermal fingerprint sensor, and the like. In some examples, an ultrasonic version of the fingerprint sensor system 102 may include an ultrasonic receiver and a separate ultrasonic transmitter. In some such examples, the ultrasonic transmitter may include an ultrasonic plane wave generator. However, various examples of ultrasonic fingerprint sensors are disclosed herein, some of which may include a separate ultrasonic transmitter, and some of which may not. For example, in some implementations, the fingerprint sensor system 102 may include a piezoelectric receiver layer, such as a polyvinylidene fluoride PVDF polymer layer or a polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) copolymer layer. In some implementations, a separate piezoelectric layer may be used as an ultrasonic transmitter. In some implementations, a single piezoelectric layer may be used as both a transmitter and a receiver. In some examples, the fingerprint sensor system 102 may include an array of ultrasonic transducer elements, such as a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) array, a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array, and the like. In some such examples, PMUT elements in a single-layer PMUT array or CMUT elements in a single-layer CMUT array can be used as ultrasound transmitters as well as ultrasound receivers.

[0049] Data received from the fingerprint sensor system 102 may sometimes be referred to herein as "fingerprint sensor data," "fingerprint image data," or the like, regardless of whether the received data corresponds to an actual finger or another object from which the fingerprint sensor system 102 has received the data. Such data is typically received from the fingerprint sensor system in the form of electrical signals. Thus, such image data may not necessarily be perceptible to a human as an image without additional processing. As noted elsewhere herein, the term "finger" as used herein may correspond to any finger, including a thumb. Thus, a thumbprint is a type of fingerprint.

[0050] The optional touch sensor system 103 may be or include a resistive touch sensor system, a surface capacitive touch sensor system, a projected capacitive touch sensor system, a surface acoustic wave touch sensor system, an infrared touch sensor system, or any other suitable type of touch sensor system. In some implementations, the area of ​​the touch sensor system 103 may extend over most or all of the display portion of the display system 110.

[0051] In some examples, the interface system 104 may include a wireless interface system. In some implementations, the interface system 104 may include a user interface system, one or more network interfaces, one or more interfaces between the control system 106 and the fingerprint sensor system 102, one or more interfaces between the control system 106 and the touch sensor system 103, one or more interfaces between the control system 106 and the display system 110, one or more interfaces between the control system 106 and the microphone system 112, one or more interfaces between the control system 106 and the speaker system 114, one or more interfaces between the control system 106 and the gesture sensor system 116, and / or one or more interfaces between the control system 106 and one or more external device interfaces (e.g., ports or application processors).

[0052] The interface system 104 may be configured to provide communication between components of the apparatus 101 (which may include wired or wireless communication, electrical communication, radio communication, etc.). In some such examples, the interface system 104 may be configured to provide communication between the control system 106 and the fingerprint sensor system 102. According to some such examples, the interface system 104 may couple at least a portion of the control system 106 to the fingerprint sensor system 102, and the interface system 104 may couple at least a portion of the control system 106 to the touch sensor system 103, for example, via a conductive material (e.g., via a conductive metal wire or trace). According to some examples, the interface system 104 may be configured to provide communication between the device 101 and other devices and / or humans. In some such examples, the interface system 104 may include one or more user interfaces, tactile feedback devices, etc. In some examples, the interface system 104 may include one or more network interfaces and / or one or more external device interfaces (such as one or more universal serial bus (USB) interfaces or serial peripheral interfaces (SPI)).

[0053] The control system 106 may include one or more general purpose single-chip or multi-chip processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or a combination thereof. According to some examples, the control system 106 may also include one or more storage devices, such as one or more random access memory (RAM) devices, read-only memory (ROM) devices, etc. In this example, the control system 106 is configured to communicate with the fingerprint sensor system 102 and to control the fingerprint sensor system 102. In implementations where the device includes a touch sensor system 103, the control system 106 may be configured to communicate with the touch sensor system 103 and to control the touch sensor system 103. In implementations where the device includes a memory system 108 separate from the control system 106, the control system 106 may also be configured to communicate with the memory system 108. In implementations where the device includes a display system 110, the control system 106 may be configured to communicate with the display system 110 and to control the display system 110. In implementations where the device includes a microphone system 112, the control system 106 can be configured to communicate with the microphone system 112 and to control the microphone system 112. In implementations where the device includes a speaker system 114, the control system 106 can be configured to communicate with the speaker system 114 and to control the speaker system 114. According to some examples, the control system 106 can include one or more dedicated components configured to control the fingerprint sensor system 102, the touch sensor system 103, the memory system 108, the display system 110, the microphone system 112, and / or the speaker system 114.

[0054] Some examples of device 101 may include dedicated components configured to control at least a portion of fingerprint sensor system 102 (and / or to process fingerprint image data received from fingerprint sensor system 102). Although control system 106 and fingerprint sensor system 102 are Figure 1 106 and the fingerprint sensor system 102. Although shown as separate components in FIG. 106, in some implementations, at least a portion of the control system 106 and at least a portion of the fingerprint sensor system 102 may be co-located. For example, in some implementations, one or more components of the fingerprint sensor system 102 may reside on an integrated circuit or "chip" of the control system 106. According to some implementations, the functionality of the control system 106 may be divided between one or more controllers or processors, such as between a dedicated sensor controller and an application processor of a device (such as a main processor of a mobile device) (also referred to herein as a "main" processor). In some such implementations, at least a portion of the main processor may be configured for fingerprint image data processing, determining whether currently acquired fingerprint image data matches previously acquired fingerprint image data (such as fingerprint image data obtained during a registration process), and the like.

[0055] In some examples, the memory system 108 may include one or more memory devices, such as one or more RAM devices, ROM devices, etc. In some implementations, the memory system 108 may include one or more computer-readable media, storage media, and / or storage media. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, including any media that can transfer a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. In some examples, the memory system 108 may include one or more non-transitory media. As an example and not a limitation, non-transitory media may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disk ROM (CD-ROM) or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0056] In some examples, device 101 includes display system 110, which may include one or more displays. In some examples, display system 110 may be or may include a light emitting diode (LED) display, such as an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. In some such examples, display system 110 may include layers that may be collectively referred to as a "display stack."

[0057] In some implementations, the apparatus 101 can include a microphone system 112. The microphone system 112 can include one or more microphones, one or more types of microphones, or a combination thereof.

[0058] According to some implementations, the apparatus 101 may include a speaker system 114. The speaker system 114 may include one or more speakers, one or more types of speakers, or a combination thereof.

[0059] In some implementations, the apparatus 101 can include a gesture sensor system 116. The gesture sensor system 116 can be or can include an ultrasonic gesture sensor system, an optical gesture sensor system, or any other suitable type of gesture sensor system.

[0060] The apparatus 101 can be used in a variety of different contexts, some examples of which are disclosed herein. For example, in some implementations, a mobile device may include at least a portion of the apparatus 101. In some implementations, a wearable device may include at least a portion of the apparatus 101. The wearable device may be, for example, a bracelet, an armband, a wristband, a ring, a headband, or a badge. In some implementations, the control system 106 may reside in more than one device. For example, a portion of the control system 106 may reside in a wearable device, while another portion of the control system 106 may reside in another device, such as a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone). In some such examples, the interface system 104 may also reside in more than one device.

[0061] Figure 2 is a flow chart presenting an example of operation according to some disclosed methods. Figure 2 The frames of may be performed by a device including at least a fingerprint sensor system and a control system. Figure 2 The frame can be composed, for example, of Figure 1 The device 101 or a similar device may be used to perform the above. For example, in some implementations, Figure 1 The control system 106 may be configured to at least partially perform the Figure 2 In some examples, the apparatus may be a mobile device such as a cellular phone. However, in other examples, the apparatus may be another type of device such as a tablet, a laptop, an automobile or a component thereof, a wearable device, etc. As with other methods disclosed herein, Figure 2 The method outlined in the may include more or fewer blocks than shown. In addition, the blocks of the method disclosed herein do not have to be executed in the order indicated. In some implementations, one or more blocks may be executed simultaneously.

[0062] According to the example, method 200 is a method of controlling an activated fingerprint sensor area of ​​a fingerprint sensor system. In the example, block 205 involves determining, by a control system of a device including the fingerprint sensor system, one or more activated fingerprint sensor area criteria. According to the example, at least one of the one or more activated fingerprint sensor area criteria involves a security level. In some alternative examples, the one or more activated fingerprint sensor area criteria may not involve a security level. Various other types of activated fingerprint sensor area criteria are disclosed herein.

[0063] In some examples, the security level of box 205 can correspond to a data security level. Alternatively or additionally, in some examples, the security level can correspond to a software application or "app" security level. Alternatively or additionally, in some examples, the security level can correspond to a device functional security level. In some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area standards can relate to the functionality of a device that includes a fingerprint sensor system. Standards involving device functionality may or may not be directly related to the security level, depending on the specific implementation. Similarly, depending on the specific implementation, device functionality may or may not relate to functionality of one or more software applications. For example, some device functionality may correspond to application layer functionality, while other device functionality may correspond to another layer, such as a physical layer, a media access control layer, and the like.

[0064] In some examples, a user may specify two or more levels of data security, application security, device functionality, or a combination thereof. In some such examples, a user may specify two or more security levels via one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs) presented during the initial device setup process. According to some examples, a user may be able to modify security settings after the initial setup of the device, such as via the "Settings" or "Control Panel" software provided by the device. Alternatively or additionally, some types of data, software, or device functionality may be automatically assigned a higher security level than other types of data, software, or device functionality. In some data security examples, certain types of data (such as financial data, social security numbers, etc.) may have or may be assigned a higher security level than information that the user chooses to share with many other individuals (or that a typical user would choose to share with many other individuals) or information that the user does not object to sharing with other individuals. In some software application security examples, banking applications, payment applications, health service provider applications, etc., may have or may be assigned a higher security level than weather applications, language learning applications, news applications, podcast applications, or other applications that provide or allow access to information that the user does not object to sharing with others.

[0065] According to some data security examples, a user may be able to (e.g., via one or more GUIs) specify two or more security levels for the same type of data (such as photos, videos, etc.). The user may consider some photos or videos to be very private or highly confidential. The user may specify that such photos or videos have a high (or relatively high) security level, while the user may specify that other photos or videos that the user is willing to share with a wide audience have a low (or relatively low) security level.

[0066] In this example, block 210 involves controlling, by a control system, activation of a fingerprint sensor region according to one or more activation fingerprint sensor region criteria. Some examples may involve providing a prompt corresponding to the activation of the fingerprint sensor region. According to some such examples, providing the prompt may involve controlling a display to present an image (such as a fingerprint image) corresponding to the activation of the fingerprint sensor region. Alternatively or additionally, the prompt may be or may include a text prompt, an audio prompt, etc.

[0067] According to some examples, controlling activation of a fingerprint sensor area may involve activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher level of security. Activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area may allow a larger total amount of fingerprint image data to be obtained from each finger involved in the authentication process. Therefore, activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area may be advantageous due to a potentially more reliable authentication process. If a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area is used for authentication, the higher reliability may result in a slightly increased cost in terms of power usage and computational overhead. However, if a relatively higher level of security is desired or required, this additional cost may be justified.

[0068] Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may relate to one or more recent authentication attempts via the fingerprint sensor system. For example, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area to correspond to the size of the finger used during one or more recent authentication attempts, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area to correspond to the area of ​​the finger that has been in contact with the device during one or more recent authentication attempts, and so on. For example, if the size of the activation of the fingerprint sensor area during one or more recent authentication attempts is larger than the size required for the size of the finger used during one or more recent authentication attempts, such an implementation may be advantageous. In some such implementations, the size of the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may be reduced to correspond to the expected finger size used during the next authentication attempt, and power may be saved. For example, if the size of the activation of the fingerprint sensor area during one or more recent authentication attempts is not large enough to be optimal for the size of the finger used during one or more recent authentication attempts, such an implementation may also be advantageous. In some such implementations, the size of the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may be increased to correspond to the expected finger size used during the next authentication attempt, and a more accurate authentication process may be obtained.

[0069] Alternatively or additionally, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area based on the authentication success rate during multiple (in other words, two or more) recent authentication attempts. For example, if a threshold percentage (such as 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, etc.) of recent authentication attempts involving a particular finger or finger combination are unsuccessful, the size of the activated fingerprint sensor area may be increased in some cases to obtain relatively more fingerprint image data from the particular finger or finger combination expected to be used in the next authentication attempt. Such an example may be advantageous because obtaining relatively more fingerprint image data from a particular finger or finger combination may result in a higher success rate and, therefore, greater user satisfaction. Such an example may also result in lower power consumption and slower aging of the fingerprint sensor system due to the reduction in the number of authentication attempts required.

[0070] In some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to the size of one or more fingers involved in the registration process, one or more areas in contact with the device when one or more fingers are involved in the registration process, or a combination thereof. For example, if the right thumb of the authorized user will be used or expected to be used during the authentication process, the activation fingerprint sensor area may be based at least in part on the size of the thumb determined during the registration process. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to a fingerprint sensor area used to obtain fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in the registration process. For example, if the left index finger and the left middle finger of the authorized user will be used or expected to be used during the authentication process, the activation fingerprint sensor area may be based at least in part on the fingerprint sensor area used to obtain fingerprint sensor data from the left index finger and the left middle finger during the registration process.

[0071] In some examples, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve controlling the size of the fingerprint sensor sheet. According to some such examples, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve reducing or enlarging the size of the one or more fingerprint sensor sheets based at least in part on the size of one or more fingers used or expected to be used in the authentication attempt. Alternatively or additionally, controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area may involve reducing or enlarging the size of the one or more fingerprint sensor sheets based at least in part on the fingerprint sensor area used to obtain fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers being used or expected to be used in the authentication attempt (e.g., one or more fingerprint sensor areas used in the enrollment process).

[0072] Figure 3A Examples of devices configured to perform at least some of the disclosed methods are shown. As with other disclosed examples, Figure 3A The types, quantities, and arrangements of the elements shown in the drawings are presented by way of example only. Other examples may include different types of elements, different quantities of elements, different arrangements of elements, or combinations thereof.

[0073] In this example, the device 101 is Figure 1 In this implementation, the device 101 includes a fingerprint sensor system 102, a control system 106 ( Figure 3A The fingerprint sensor system 102 may be or may include an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, an optical fingerprint sensor, or another type of fingerprint sensor.

[0074] According to the example, a potential activation area 302 of the fingerprint sensor system 102 is outlined with a large dashed line. The potential activation area 302 may be, for example, an area that includes a fingerprint sensor pixel array of the fingerprint sensor system 102. The fingerprint sensor pixel array may include receiver pixels, transceiver pixels, etc., depending on the type of fingerprint sensor and the specific implementation. According to the example, the potential activation area 302 corresponds to approximately half of the display area 310 of the display system 110. In alternative implementations, the potential activation area 302 may correspond to a larger portion or a smaller portion of the display area 310.

[0075] In this example, the potential activation area 302 includes fingerprint sensor patches A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I, making a total of nine fingerprint sensor patches 304. According to this example, each fingerprint sensor patch 304 includes a portion of the fingerprint sensor pixel array of the potential activation area 302. According to some implementations, the control system can be configured to selectively activate a portion of the potential activation area 302 corresponding to one or more of the fingerprint sensor patches 304. For ease of reference in the present disclosure, the letters on each patch are shown and generally do not become visible to a user of the device 101. In some alternative implementations, the potential activation area 302 may include more than nine or less than nine fingerprint sensor patches 304, such as four fingerprint sensor patches 304, six fingerprint sensor patches 304, eight fingerprint sensor patches 304, twelve fingerprint sensor patches 304, sixteen fingerprint sensor patches 304, twenty fingerprint sensor patches 304, twenty-four fingerprint sensor patches 304, twenty-five fingerprint sensor patches 304, twenty-eight fingerprint sensor patches 304, thirty fingerprint sensor patches 304, thirty-six fingerprint sensor patches 304, etc. Figure 3A References to the devices shown in are intended to encompass all such alternative implementations.

[0076] Figure 3B An example of a graphical user interface (GUI) is shown that can be used to Figure 3A The device shown is used to enroll a single finger. Figure 3BAn example of a GUI 311 is shown. In this example, the GUI 311 includes a text prompt area 312, a fingerprint icon 314, and a progress indicator 316. According to this example, the text prompt area 312 includes a message prompting the user to place a finger on the fingerprint icon 314. In some implementations, the GUI 311 may include a text prompt for the user to place a specific finger (e.g., right thumb, left pinky, etc.) on the fingerprint icon 314. In this example, the control system 106 (not shown) is configured to initially activate only the fingerprint sensor sheet A for this stage of the enrollment process, where the fingerprint icon 314 is displayed. In some examples, the control system may be configured to activate one of more additional fingerprint sensor sheets, such as fingerprint sensor sheet B, fingerprint sensor sheet D, a portion of one or more fingerprint sensor sheets, or a combination thereof, in response to determining that the fingerprint sensor sheet A is not large enough to enroll the current finger.

[0077] In some such examples, as part of the registration process, the control system may determine and record the size of the current finger, the area of ​​the current finger in contact with the device 101, or a combination thereof. Alternatively or additionally, the control system may determine and record what portion of the potential activation area 302 is needed or used to register the current finger. In some such examples, if the control system determines that the fingerprint sensor sheet A is large enough to register the current finger, the control system will simply store information to the effect that one fingerprint sensor sheet is sufficient to register the current finger. However, in some examples, if only a portion of the fingerprint sensor sheet A (such as 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, etc.) is sufficient to register the current finger, the control system may store information indicating what portion (e.g., what percentage) of the fingerprint sensor sheet is sufficient to register the current finger. Similarly, in some examples, if more than the fingerprint sensor sheet A (e.g., 110%, 120%, 130%, 140%, etc.) is needed or used to register the current finger, the control system may store information indicating what portion (e.g., what percentage) of one or more adjacent fingerprint sensor sheets is needed to register the current finger.

[0078] According to this example, the text prompt area 312 includes a message prompting the user to lift the finger after the user feels the vibration. The vibration can be caused, for example, by a tactile feedback system of the device 101, which in some examples can be part of the interface system 104. In some such examples, the control system 106 can be configured to activate the tactile feedback system after the fingerprint sensor system 102 has successfully obtained the fingerprint image data. According to some examples, the control system 106 can be configured to activate the tactile feedback system after the fingerprint sensor system 102 has successfully obtained only a portion of the required amount of fingerprint image data. Some such implementations can prompt the user to place a finger on the device 101 and lift the finger from the device 101 multiple times during the registration process.

[0079] According to this example, the progress indicator 316 indicates the completion percentage of the current finger registration. In some examples, fingerprint image data can be successfully obtained from the fingerprint sensor system 102 in the fingerprint sensor area A. The fingerprint image data can be used in a subsequent authentication process, which can be performed by the control system 106, for example.

[0080] As described elsewhere herein, according to some examples, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area standards disclosed herein (such as reference Figure 2 Method 200) may correspond to the size of one or more fingers involved in the enrollment process, to one or more contact areas of one or more fingers with the device 101 during the enrollment process, or a combination thereof. Alternatively or additionally, at least one activation fingerprint sensor area criterion may correspond to a fingerprint sensor area for obtaining fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in the enrollment process.

[0081] Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 5A and Figure 5B Examples of controlling activation of fingerprint sensor regions during a registration process are shown. In some such examples, one or more types of data corresponding to or relating to controlling activation of fingerprint sensor regions during a registration process may be stored and subsequently used during "runtime" operations, such as during an authentication attempt involving the same fingerprint sensor. Such data may include data corresponding to the size of one or more fingers involved in the registration process, data corresponding to one or more contact areas of one or more fingers involved in the registration process, data corresponding to fingerprint sensor regions used to obtain fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in the registration process, or a combination thereof.

[0082] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Shows that you can use Figure 3AAn example of a GUI presented during the process of registering a single finger by the device is shown. Figure 4A An example of a GUI 411a is shown. In this example, the GUI 411a includes a text prompt area 312 and a fingerprint icon 314. According to this example, the text prompt area 312 includes a message prompting the user to place a finger on the fingerprint icon 314. In some implementations, the GUI 411a may include a text prompt for the user to place a specific finger (e.g., right thumb, left pinky, etc.) on the fingerprint icon 314. Alternatively or additionally, the GUI 411a (or another GUI disclosed herein) may include a text prompt for the user to identify the specific finger that is placed or is about to be placed on the fingerprint icon 314. In some examples, the control system 106 (not shown) may be configured to initially activate only the fingerprint sensor sheet E in which the fingerprint icon 314 is displayed for this stage of the registration process.

[0083] In this example, the area of ​​the finger in contact with the device 101 is indicated by the fingerprint image 414a. The control system does not typically control the display 310 to present the fingerprint image 414a to the user, whether during the enrollment process or otherwise. Instead, the fingerprint image 414a is only shown to indicate the size of the finger and the area of ​​the finger in contact with the device 101. Similarly, as described elsewhere herein, the control system does not typically control the display 310 to present any depiction of the fingerprint sensor sheet AI to the user, whether during the enrollment process or otherwise.

[0084] In this example, the control system detects (e.g., based on touch sensor data received from touch sensor 103 (not shown), based on fingerprint image data received from fingerprint sensor system 102, or a combination thereof) that the area of ​​the finger in contact with device 101 extends beyond fingerprint sensor patch E into fingerprint sensor patches B and H. According to this example, the control system is configured to activate at least a portion of the one or more additional fingerprint sensor patches in response to determining that the area of ​​the finger in contact with device 101 extends beyond fingerprint sensor patch E or beyond any other fingerprint sensor patch that may be used during the enrollment process.

[0085] Figure 4BAn example of GUI 411b is shown. According to the example, GUI 411b is presented after GUI 411a is presented. In the example, GUI 411b includes text hint area 312, fingerprint icon 314, and progress indicator 416. According to the example, the control system is configured to control the fingerprint sensor patch size in response to a determined or estimated finger size, in response to a determined or estimated portion of the potential activation area 302 to be used to obtain fingerprint sensor data from the finger during the enrollment process, or a combination thereof. In the example, the control system has increased the size of fingerprint sensor patch E to include the portion of the potential activation area 302 that was previously designated as part of fingerprint sensor patches B and H. Thus, the area of ​​fingerprint sensor patches B and H has been temporarily reduced, and the area of ​​fingerprint sensor patch E has been temporarily increased. In this particular example, the area of ​​fingerprint sensor patches A, C, G, and I has also been temporarily reduced, and the area of ​​fingerprint sensor patches D and F has also been temporarily increased.

[0086] According to some alternative examples, in response to determining that the area of ​​the finger in contact with device 101 extends beyond fingerprint sensor sheet E into fingerprint sensor sheets B and H, the control system may increase the size of fingerprint sensor sheet E to include portions of potential activation area 302 previously designated as portions of fingerprint sensor sheets B and H, but may not change the sizes of fingerprint sensor sheets A, C, D, F, G, or I. In some alternative examples, in response to determining that the area of ​​the finger in contact with device 101 extends beyond fingerprint sensor sheet E into fingerprint sensor sheets B and H, the control system may increase the size of the activated fingerprint sensor area to include not only fingerprint sensor sheet E, but also the entirety of fingerprint sensor sheets B and H.

[0087] In some examples, the control system can determine and record the size of the current finger as part of the registration process. Alternatively or additionally, the control system can determine and record the area of ​​the current finger that is in contact with the device 101 during the registration process, which portion of the potential activation area 302 is required to register the current finger, or a combination thereof. In some examples where the size of the fingerprint sensor sheet E (or any other fingerprint sensor sheet used to obtain fingerprint image data during the registration process) has been enlarged, such as Figure 4B As shown, the control system can record the current size of fingerprint sensor sheet E (or the current size of any other fingerprint sensor sheet used to obtain fingerprint image data during the enrollment process).

[0088] According to some examples, the control system may be configured to subsequently, in response to certain conditions or combinations thereof, activate a portion of the potential activation area 302 equal to the current size of the fingerprint sensor sheet E in certain circumstances. One such condition or circumstance may involve a subsequent authentication attempt via the same fingerprint sensor system that involves or is expected to involve the same finger. In some such examples, the control system may be configured to activate a portion of the potential activation area 302 equal to the current size of the fingerprint sensor sheet E under high security authentication conditions (such as when seeking access to high security data, when seeking access to a high security software application, etc.). According to some such examples, the default size of the fingerprint sensor sheet (e.g., Figure 3A The fingerprint sensor chip size shown in ) can be used for authentication in normal security or low security contexts.

[0089] According to some alternative implementations involving acquiring fingerprint image data from multiple individual fingers during the enrollment process, the control system may determine and record the size of the largest finger, the area of ​​contact between the device 101 and the largest finger, or both as part of the enrollment process. According to some such implementations, during subsequent authentication attempts via the same fingerprint sensor system involving or expected to involve individual fingers, the control system may be configured to control the activation area of ​​the fingerprint sensor based on the recorded size of the largest finger or the area of ​​contact between the device 101 and the largest finger.

[0090] In some alternative implementations involving acquiring fingerprint image data from multiple individual fingers during the enrollment process, the control system may determine and record what portion of the potential activation area 302 is required to enroll the largest finger. According to some such implementations, during subsequent authentication attempts via the same fingerprint sensor system involving or expected to involve individual fingers, the control system may be configured to control the activation area of ​​the fingerprint sensor based on the size of the recorded portion of the potential activation area 302 that is required to enroll or is used to enroll the largest finger.

[0091] According to this example, progress indicator 416 indicates the completion percentage of the current finger's registration. In some examples, when progress indicator 416 indicates that the completion percentage of the current finger's registration is 100%, this is an indication that a sufficient amount of fingerprint image data corresponding to the current finger has been successfully obtained from fingerprint sensor system 102. For example, this fingerprint image data can be used in a subsequent authentication process to be performed by control system 106.

[0092] Figure 5A and Figure 5B Shows that you can use Figure 3A Additional examples of GUIs presented during the process of the device enrolling a single finger are shown. Figure 5AAn example of a GUI 511a is shown. In this example, the GUI 511a includes a text prompt area 312 and a fingerprint icon 314. According to this example, the text prompt area 312 includes a message prompting the user to place a finger on the fingerprint icon 314. In some implementations, the GUI 511a may include a text prompt for the user to place a specific finger (e.g., right thumb, left pinky, etc.) on the fingerprint icon 314. Alternatively or additionally, the GUI 511a (or another GUI disclosed herein) may include a text prompt for the user to identify the specific finger that is or will be placed on the fingerprint icon 314. In some examples, the control system 106 (not shown) may be configured to initially activate only the fingerprint sensor sheet E for this stage of the registration process, or only activate any other fingerprint sensor sheet in which the fingerprint icon 314 is displayed.

[0093] In this example, the area of ​​the finger in contact with the device 101 is indicated by the fingerprint image 414b. The control system does not typically control the display 310 to present the fingerprint image 414b to the user, whether during the enrollment process or otherwise. Instead, the fingerprint image 414b is only shown to indicate the size of the finger and the area of ​​the finger in contact with the device 101. Similarly, as described elsewhere herein, the control system does not typically control the display 310 to present any depiction of the fingerprint sensor sheet AI to the user, whether during the enrollment process or otherwise.

[0094] In this example, the control system detects (e.g., based on touch sensor data received from touch sensor 103, based on fingerprint image data received from fingerprint sensor system 102, or a combination thereof) that the area of ​​the finger in contact with device 101 extends beyond only a portion of fingerprint sensor sheet E. According to this example, the control system is configured to reduce the activation area of ​​fingerprint sensor 102 in response to determining that the area of ​​the finger in contact with device 101 extends beyond only a portion of the fingerprint sensor sheet (which is fingerprint sensor sheet E in this instance). In some such examples, the control system can be configured to reduce the activation area of ​​fingerprint sensor 102 in response to determining that the area of ​​the finger in contact with device 101 extends beyond less than a threshold portion of the fingerprint sensor sheet, such as less than 80% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 75% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 70% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 65% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 60% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 55% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 50% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, etc.

[0095] Figure 5BAn example of GUI 511b is shown. According to the example, GUI 511b is presented after GUI 511a is presented. In the example, GUI 511b includes text hint area 312, fingerprint icon 314, and progress indicator 516. According to the example, the control system is configured to control the fingerprint sensor sheet size in response to the area of ​​the finger in contact with the device 101, in response to the determined or estimated finger size, in response to the determined or estimated portion of the potential activation area 302 to be used to obtain fingerprint sensor data from the finger during the enrollment process, or a combination thereof. In the example, in response to determining that the area of ​​the finger in contact with the device 101 extends only beyond a portion of the fingerprint sensor sheet, which portion may be less than a threshold portion of the fingerprint sensor sheet in some examples, the control system has reduced the size of the fingerprint sensor sheet E to approximate the portion of the potential activation area 302 required to obtain fingerprint sensor data from the current finger. In the example, the areas of fingerprint sensor sheets B, D, E, F, and H have also been temporarily reduced, and the areas of fingerprint sensor sheets A, C, G, and I have also been temporarily increased.

[0096] According to some alternative examples, in response to determining that the area of ​​the finger in contact with the device 101 extends only beyond a portion of the fingerprint sensor sheet, the control system may reduce the size of the fingerprint sensor sheet E in another manner. In one such example, the control system may be configured as follows: Figure 5B Boundaries 515a and 515b are shown as being moved to approximate the portion of potential activation area 302 needed to acquire fingerprint sensor data from the current finger, but may be configured as Figure 5A In another such example, the control system may be configured as follows: Figure 5B Boundaries 515c and 515d are shown as being moved to approximate the portion of potential activation area 302 needed to acquire fingerprint sensor data from the current finger, but may be configured as Figure 5A Boundaries 515a and 515b are shown maintained.

[0097] In some examples, as part of the registration process, the control system can determine and record the area of ​​the finger in contact with the device 101, the estimated size of the current finger, or both. Alternatively or additionally, the control system can determine and record which portion of the potential activation area 302 is required for registration or used to register the current finger. In some examples where the size of the fingerprint sensor sheet E has been reduced, such as Figure 5BAs shown, the control system can record the current size of the fingerprint sensor sheet E. According to some such examples, the control system can be configured in some examples to activate a portion of the potential activation area 302 equal to the current size of the fingerprint sensor sheet E under certain circumstances, in response to certain conditions, or both. One such condition or circumstance may involve a subsequent authentication attempt via the same fingerprint sensor system that involves or is expected to involve the same finger.

[0098] Figure 6 Shows that you can use Figure 3A An example of a GUI presented during the process of registering multiple fingers by the device is shown. Figure 6 An example of a GUI 611 is shown. In this example, the GUI 611 includes text prompt areas 612 and 622, and fingerprint icons 314a and 314b. According to this example, the text prompt area 312 includes a message prompting the user to place a finger on the fingerprint icons 314a and 314b. In this example, the GUI 611 includes a text prompt for the user to place a specific finger on the fingerprint icons 314a and 314b. According to this example, the text prompt area 622a includes a text prompt for the user to place the user's right index finger on the fingerprint icon 314a, and the text prompt area 622b includes a text prompt for the user to place the user's right middle finger on the fingerprint icon 314b. In some examples, the control system 106 (not shown) can be configured to initially activate only the fingerprint sensor sheets E and F in which the fingerprint icons 314a and 314b are displayed for this stage of the registration process.

[0099] In some examples, if the control system determines that the area of ​​the fingerprint sensor sheets E and F is neither too small nor too large (e.g., if the user's right index finger and right middle finger both fit within the area of ​​the fingerprint sensor sheets E and F, respectively, and occupy more than a threshold percentage of the fingerprint sensor sheets E and F, such as one of the percentage thresholds in the following paragraphs), then the control system may register the user's right index finger and right middle finger using the original or default size of the fingerprint sensor sheets E and F. In some such examples, the control system may store information indicating that the original or default size of the fingerprint sensor sheets E and F is used to register the user's right index finger and right middle finger.

[0100] In some cases, the control system may detect (e.g., based on touch sensor data received from touch sensor 103, based on fingerprint image data received from fingerprint sensor system 102, or a combination thereof) that the area of ​​one or more fingers in contact with device 101 extends beyond only a portion of fingerprint sensor sheet E, fingerprint sensor sheet F, or both. According to this example, the control system is configured to reduce the activation area of ​​fingerprint sensor 102 in response to determining that the area of ​​one or more fingers in contact with device 101 extends beyond only a portion of the fingerprint sensor sheet. In some such examples, the control system may be configured to reduce the activation area of ​​fingerprint sensor 102 in response to determining that the area of ​​one or more fingers in contact with device 101 extends beyond less than a threshold portion of the corresponding fingerprint sensor sheet, such as less than 80% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 75% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 70% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 65% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 60% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 55% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, less than 50% of the fingerprint sensor sheet, etc.

[0101] According to some examples, the control system can be configured to control the size of the one or more fingerprint sensor sheets in response to a determined or estimated finger size of the one or more fingers, in response to a size of one or more areas of the one or more fingers in contact with the device 101, in response to a determined or estimated portion of the potential activation area 302 for acquiring fingerprint sensor data from the one or more fingers during the enrollment process, or a combination thereof. In some examples, in response to determining that the area of ​​the one or more fingers in contact with the device 101 extends only beyond a portion of the fingerprint sensor sheet, which in some examples can be less than a threshold portion of the fingerprint sensor sheet, the control system can reduce the size of the one or more fingerprint sensor sheets (in this example, fingerprint sensor sheet E, fingerprint sensor sheet F, or both) to approximate the portion of the potential activation area 302 required to acquire fingerprint sensor data from the two currently enrolled fingers.

[0102] In some examples, the control system can determine that the area of ​​the one or more fingers in contact with the device 101 extends beyond the area of ​​the fingerprint sensor sheet. According to some examples, in response to determining that the area of ​​the one or more fingers in contact with the device 101 extends beyond a threshold portion (e.g., more than 5%, more than 10%, more than 15%, more than 20%, more than 25%, more than 30%, more than 35%, more than 40%, etc.) of an adjacent fingerprint sensor sheet, the control system can increase the size of one or more fingerprint sensor sheets (in this example, fingerprint sensor sheet E, fingerprint sensor sheet F, or both) to approximate the portion of the potential activation area 302 required to obtain fingerprint sensor data from the two currently enrolled fingers.

[0103] In some examples, as part of the registration process, the control system may determine and record the size of the current finger, the area of ​​contact between the device 101 and the current finger, or both. Alternatively or additionally, the control system may determine and record which portion of the potential activation area 302 is required to register the current finger. In some examples where the size of the fingerprint sensor sheet E, the fingerprint sheet F, or a combination thereof has increased or decreased, the control system may record the increased or decreased size of the fingerprint sensor sheet E, the fingerprint sheet F, or a combination thereof. According to some such examples, the control system may be configured to activate a portion of the potential activation area 302 that is equal to the size of the fingerprint sensor sheet used for registration in certain circumstances in response to certain conditions or combinations thereof. One such condition or situation may involve a subsequent authentication attempt via the same fingerprint sensor system that involves or is expected to involve the same finger.

[0104] In some implementations, if several multiple finger combinations (e.g., right index and middle finger, right middle and ring finger, left index and middle finger, left middle and ring finger, etc.) are registered during the fingerprint registration process, then as part of the registration process, the control system may determine and record the size of each multiple finger combination, the area of ​​contact between the device 101 and each multiple finger combination, or both. According to some such implementations, during subsequent authentication attempts via the same fingerprint sensor system involving or expected to involve a particular multiple finger combination, the control system may be configured to control the activation area of ​​the fingerprint sensor according to the recorded size of the multiple finger combination or the area of ​​contact between the device 101 and each multiple finger combination during the registration process.

[0105] According to some alternative implementations, as part of the enrollment process, the control system may determine and record the size of the maximum multiple finger combination, one or more areas where the device 101 is in contact with the maximum multiple finger combination, or both. According to some such implementations, during subsequent authentication attempts via the same fingerprint sensor system involving or expected to involve any multiple finger combination, the control system may be configured to control the activation area of ​​the fingerprint sensor based on the recorded size of the maximum multiple finger combination or the area where the device 101 is in contact with the maximum multiple finger combination during the enrollment process.

[0106] Alternatively or additionally, the control system may determine and record which portion of the potential activation area 302 is required to register each multiple finger combination. According to some such implementations, during subsequent authentication attempts via the same fingerprint sensor system involving or expected to involve a particular multiple finger combination, the control system may be configured to control the activation area of ​​the fingerprint sensor based on which portion of the potential activation area 302 is required or used to register the particular multiple finger combination.

[0107] According to some alternative implementations, the control system may determine and record the size of the maximum portion of the potential activation area 302 required to enroll each of multiple (two or more) multiple finger combinations during the enrollment process. According to some such implementations, during subsequent authentication attempts via the same fingerprint sensor system involving or expected to involve any multiple finger combinations, the control system may be configured to control the activation area of ​​the fingerprint sensor according to the recorded size of the maximum portion of the potential activation area 302 used for multiple finger enrollment during the enrollment process.

[0108] According to some examples, the disclosure herein (e.g., referring to Figure 2 ) At least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to the orientation of the device including the fingerprint sensor system. In some examples, the orientation may be determined relative to the position of the hand holding the device or relative to the position of one or more fingers expected to be used during the authentication process. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria disclosed herein may correspond to the hand holding the device including the fingerprint sensor system, one or more fingers that have recently touched the device, or a combination thereof.

[0109] Figure 7 Examples of devices configured to perform at least some of the disclosed methods are shown. As with other disclosed examples, Figure 7 The types, quantities, and arrangements of the elements shown in the drawings are presented by way of example only. Other examples may include different types of elements, different quantities of elements, different arrangements of elements, or combinations thereof.

[0110] In this example, the device 101 is Figure 1 In this implementation, the device 101 includes a fingerprint sensor system 102, a control system 106 ( Figure 7 The fingerprint sensor system 102 may be or may include an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, an optical fingerprint sensor, or another type of fingerprint sensor.

[0111] As mentioned above, in some examples, Figure 2The activation fingerprint sensor area control box 210 may be based at least in part on one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria. In some examples, one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria may correspond to current usage information, user preference data, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the user preference data may be received from a user, for example, via a graphical user interface presented on the display system 110. Alternatively or additionally, the user preference data may be determined or estimated based on how the device 101 is actually used. In some examples, the current usage information may be determined based on input from an inertial sensor system, input from the fingerprint sensor system 102, input from the touch sensor system 103, etc., such as data indicating the hand in which the user typically holds or currently holds the device 101.

[0112] For example, the control system may determine that during the one-handed operation mode, the user typically holds the device with her left hand and typically uses her left thumb for fingerprint authentication. In some such examples, block 210 may be based at least in part on the fingerprint sensor area that her left thumb can reach during the one-handed operation mode. Figure 7 The dashed line 706 indicates the area where the fingerprint sensor system 102 has received fingerprint image data corresponding to her left thumb: in this example, the fingerprint image data corresponding to her left thumb has been received by fingerprint sensor areas D, G, H and part of fingerprint sensor area E. Alternatively or additionally, Figure 7 Dashed line 706 may indicate an area where touch sensor system 103 has detected a recent finger touch.

[0113] According to the example, the control system controls the display system 110 to present a GUI 711 that includes a text prompt area 712 and a fingerprint icon 314c. In the example, the fingerprint image 414c indicates the area of ​​the user's left thumb that was in contact with the device 101 during an earlier registration process. According to the example, the fingerprint icon 314c and the fingerprint image 414c are shown in the direction in which the user previously presented her left thumb during one or more previous fingerprint-based authentication processes. As described elsewhere herein, the control system does not typically control the display 310 to present the fingerprint image 414c to the user, whether during an authentication process or otherwise. Instead, the fingerprint image 414c is only shown to indicate the size of the finger and the area of ​​the finger that is in contact with the device 101. According to the example, the text prompt area 712 includes a prompt for the user to place his left thumb on the fingerprint.

[0114] In this example, the control system is configured to control the activation of fingerprint sensor areas based at least in part on the area of ​​the user's left thumb that was in contact with the device 101 during an earlier registration process (as indicated by fingerprint image 414c), and the expected direction of the user's left thumb based on data recently received from the fingerprint sensor system 102, the touch sensor system 103, or a combination thereof. Figure 7 In the example shown, the control system has determined that the normal or default size of the fingerprint sensor sheet G will be sufficient for the current authentication process based in part on the expected orientation of the user's left thumb during the authentication process. It may be noted that if the user presents her thumb in a different orientation, the normal or default size of the fingerprint sensor sheet G may not be sufficient for the current authentication process. In some alternative examples, in response to determining that the normal or default size of the fingerprint sensor sheet G will not be sufficient for the current authentication process, the control system may increase the size of the fingerprint sensor sheet G during the current authentication process.

[0115] The following numbered clauses describe implementation examples:

[0116] 1. A method for controlling an activated fingerprint sensor area of ​​a fingerprint sensor system, the method comprising: determining, by a control system of a device including the fingerprint sensor system, one or more activated fingerprint sensor area criteria, wherein at least one of the one or more activated fingerprint sensor area criteria relates to a security level; and controlling, by the control system, the activated fingerprint sensor area according to the one or more activated fingerprint sensor area criteria.

[0117] 2. The method of clause 1, further comprising providing a prompt corresponding to an activated fingerprint sensor area.

[0118] 3. A method according to clause 2, wherein providing the prompt involves controlling the display to present an image corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area.

[0119] 4. The method according to any of clauses 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria relates to a functionality of a device comprising the fingerprint sensor system.

[0120] 5. A method according to clause 4, wherein the functions include functions of one or more software applications.

[0121] 6. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area involves activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level.

[0122] 7. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the security level corresponds to a data security level.

[0123] 8. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the security level corresponds to a software application security level.

[0124] 9. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 8, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria corresponds to a size of one or more fingers involved in the enrollment process.

[0125] 10. A method according to any of clauses 1 to 9, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria corresponds to a fingerprint sensor area used to obtain fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in the enrollment process.

[0126] 11. A method according to any of clauses 1 to 10, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria relates to one or more recent authentication attempts via the fingerprint sensor system.

[0127] 12. The method of clause 11, wherein controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area involves controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area to correspond to a finger size used during one or more recent authentication attempts.

[0128] 13. The method according to clause 11 or clause 12, wherein controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area involves controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area according to an authentication success rate during a number of recent authentication attempts.

[0129] 14. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 13, wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves dynamically controlling the fingerprint sensor sheet size.

[0130] 15. The method of any of clauses 1 to 14, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria corresponds to an orientation of a device comprising the fingerprint sensor system.

[0131] 16. A device comprising: a fingerprint sensor system, which includes an activated fingerprint sensor area; and a control system, which is configured to communicate with the fingerprint sensor system, the control system being further configured to: determine one or more activated fingerprint sensor area criteria, wherein at least one of the one or more activated fingerprint sensor area criteria relates to a security level; and control the activated fingerprint sensor area according to the one or more activated fingerprint sensor area criteria.

[0132] 17. The apparatus of clause 16, wherein the control system is further configured to provide a prompt corresponding to activating the fingerprint sensor area.

[0133] 18. An apparatus according to clause 17, wherein the apparatus further comprises a display, and wherein providing the prompt involves controlling the display to present an image corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area.

[0134] 19. A device according to any of clauses 16 to 18, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria relates to a functionality of the device.

[0135] 20. An apparatus according to clause 19, wherein the functionality comprises functionality of one or more software applications.

[0136] 21. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 16 to 20, wherein controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area involves activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level.

[0137] 22. The apparatus of any one of clauses 16 to 21, wherein the security level corresponds to a data security level, a software application security level, or a combination thereof.

[0138] 23. An apparatus according to any of clauses 16 to 22, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria corresponds to a size of one or more fingers involved in the registration process, a fingerprint sensor area for obtaining fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in the registration process, or a combination thereof.

[0139] 24. A device according to any one of clauses 16 to 23, wherein controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area involves controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area to correspond to the size of the finger used during one or more recent authentication attempts, or controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area based on the authentication success rate during multiple recent authentication attempts.

[0140] 25. The apparatus of any one of clauses 16 to 24, wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves dynamically controlling the fingerprint sensor sheet size.

[0141] 26. A device comprising: a fingerprint sensor system, which includes an activated fingerprint sensor area; and a control component for: determining one or more activation fingerprint sensor area activation standards, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area standards relates to a security level; and controlling the activation fingerprint sensor area according to the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area standards.

[0142] 27. The apparatus of clause 26, wherein controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area involves activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level.

[0143] 28. Apparatus according to clause 26 or clause 27, wherein the security level corresponds to a data security level, a software application security level, or a combination thereof.

[0144] 29. One or more non-transitory media having software stored thereon, the software including instructions for controlling one or more devices to execute a method for controlling an activation fingerprint sensor area of ​​a fingerprint sensor system, the method comprising: determining one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria by a control system of a device including the fingerprint sensor system, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria relates to a security level; and controlling the activation of the fingerprint sensor area by the control system according to the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria.

[0145] 30. One or more non-transitory media according to clause 29, wherein controlling activation of the fingerprint sensor area involves activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level.

[0146] As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one" of a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. For example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to cover: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc.

[0147] The various illustrative logics, logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the implementations disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. The interchangeability of hardware and software has been generally described in terms of functionality and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0148] The hardware and data processing apparatus for implementing the various illustrative logics, logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or executed with a general purpose single-chip or multi-chip processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some implementations, specific processes and methods may be performed by circuits specific to a given function.

[0149] In one or more aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, digital electronic circuitry, computer software, firmware (including the structures disclosed in this specification and their equivalents), or any combination thereof. The implementation of the subject matter described in this specification may also be implemented as one or more computer programs (i.e., one or more computer program instruction modules) encoded on a computer storage medium for execution by a data processing device or for controlling the operation of the data processing device.

[0150] If implemented in software, these functions may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium or sent on a computer-readable medium (such as a non-transitory medium). The process of the method or algorithm disclosed herein may be implemented in a processor-executable software module residing on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any medium capable of transferring a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access. As an example and not a limitation, a non-transitory medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store the required program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer. Moreover, any connection may be properly referred to as a computer-readable medium. Disks and optical disks as used herein include compact disks (CDs), laser disks, optical disks, digital versatile disks (DVDs), floppy disks, and blue-ray disks, wherein disks typically reproduce data magnetically, and optical disks reproduce data optically with lasers. The above combination should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. Additionally, the operations of a method or algorithm may reside on a machine-readable medium and a computer-readable medium as one or any combination or set of codes and instructions, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0151] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the claims, principles, and novel features disclosed herein. The word "exemplary", if any, is used exclusively herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations.

[0152] Certain features described in this specification in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented separately in multiple implementations or in any suitable subcombination. In addition, although the above features may be described as functioning in certain combinations, or even initially claimed as such, in some cases one or more features from a claimed combination may be deleted from that combination, and a claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of a subcombination.

[0153] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be understood as requiring that these operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a serialized order, or that all of the operations shown be performed to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. In addition, the separation of various system components in the above implementations should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, but rather it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. In addition, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions listed in the claims can be performed in different orders and still achieve the desired result.

[0154] It will be understood that unless features in any of the specifically described implementations are explicitly identified as being incompatible with one another or the surrounding context implies that they are mutually exclusive and cannot be easily combined in a complementary and / or supporting sense, the overall contemplation of the present disclosure and envisions that specific features of those complementary implementations may be selectively combined to provide one or more comprehensive but slightly different technical solutions. Therefore, it will be further understood that the above description is given only as an example and that modifications in detail may be made within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an activated fingerprint sensor area of ​​a fingerprint sensor system, the method comprising: determining, by a control system of a device including the fingerprint sensor system, one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria relates to a security level; as well as The activation fingerprint sensor area is controlled by the control system according to the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a prompt corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the prompt involves controlling a display to present an image corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria relates to a function of the device including the fingerprint sensor system. The method of claim 4 , wherein the functions comprise functions of one or more software applications. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level. The method of claim 1 , wherein the security level corresponds to a data security level. The method of claim 1 , wherein the security level corresponds to a software application security level.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria corresponds to a size of one or more fingers involved in the enrollment process.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor region criteria corresponds to a fingerprint sensor region used to obtain fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in an enrollment process.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria relates to one or more recent authentication attempts via the fingerprint sensor system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area to correspond to a finger size used during the one or more most recent authentication attempts.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area according to an authentication success rate during a plurality of recent authentication attempts.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves dynamically controlling a fingerprint sensor sheet size.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria corresponds to an orientation of the device including the fingerprint sensor system.

16. An apparatus comprising: A fingerprint sensor system including activating a fingerprint sensor area; as well as a control system configured to communicate with the fingerprint sensor system, the control system further configured to: determining one or more fingerprint sensor area activation criteria, wherein at least one of the one or more fingerprint sensor area activation criteria relates to a security level; and The activation fingerprint sensor area is controlled according to the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control system is further configured to provide a prompt corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus further comprises a display, and wherein providing the prompt involves controlling the display to present an image corresponding to the activated fingerprint sensor area.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more fingerprint sensor area activation criteria relates to a function of the device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the functions comprise functions of one or more software applications.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the security level corresponds to a data security level, a software application security level, or a combination thereof.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria corresponds to a size of one or more fingers involved in a registration process, a fingerprint sensor area for obtaining fingerprint sensor data from one or more fingers involved in a registration process, or a combination thereof.

24. A device according to claim 16, wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area to correspond to the size of the finger used during one or more recent authentication attempts, or controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area according to the authentication success rate during multiple recent authentication attempts.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves dynamically controlling a fingerprint sensor sheet size.

26. An apparatus comprising: A fingerprint sensor system including activating a fingerprint sensor area; as well as Control components for: determining one or more fingerprint sensor area activation criteria, wherein at least one of the one or more fingerprint sensor area activation criteria relates to a security level; and The activation fingerprint sensor area is controlled according to the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the security level corresponds to a data security level, a software application security level, or a combination thereof.

29. One or more non-transitory media having software stored thereon, the software comprising instructions for controlling one or more devices to perform a method of controlling an activated fingerprint sensor area of ​​a fingerprint sensor system, the method comprising: determining, by a control system of a device including the fingerprint sensor system, one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria, wherein at least one of the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria relates to a security level; as well as The activation fingerprint sensor area is controlled by the control system according to the one or more activation fingerprint sensor area criteria.

30. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 29, wherein controlling the activated fingerprint sensor area involves activating a relatively larger fingerprint sensor area to obtain a relatively higher security level.

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