Spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication

Abstract

This specification describes systems and techniques related to spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication systems. In one aspect, during biometric authentication, a biometric authentication system having a biometric authentication manager (104) is configured to receive a user input (110) at a touch-sensitive display (106). In response to and based on the user input (110), the biometric authentication manager (104) determines a shape of a contact area of ​​the user input (110) on the touch-sensitive display (106). Based on the determined shape, the biometric authentication manager (104) alters the brightness of an area of ​​the display (106) to increase light reflection from the user input (110), which is effective to facilitate biometric authentication.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Electronic devices continue to make significant contributions to modern society, such as in safety, transportation, communication, and many more areas, facilitating their integration into users' daily lives. To support integration and enhance the user experience, many electronic devices are designed to provide convenient means for users to access, control, and operate the devices. For example, some electronic devices allow users to call family members with voice commands, perform air gestures to skip songs, unlock the device with a biometric identifier, press the device's housing to activate an intelligent virtual assistant, and many other methods of interaction to operate the device. These methods of interaction enhance the user experience by facilitating user-input and device-output technologies and enabling users to operate the device instantly and conveniently. Due to the increasing integration of electronic devices into users' lives, these electronic devices need to support the latest impenetrable physical and non-physical (e.g., software) security systems and protocols to thwart multi-domain attacks that could expose user data.

[0002] For example, consider biometric authentication systems configured to recognize a user's biometric identifier. These biometric authentication systems provide a personalized and convenient method for users to authenticate themselves and access their devices. For example, because fingerprints are unique to each user, electronic devices that require fingerprint authentication as a method of access provide a secure and personalized security service. Moreover, fingerprint authentication is very convenient compared to some other security schemes, requiring little or no effort on behalf of the user to verify their identity (e.g., compared to memorizing a password or drawing a pattern). As a result, biometric authentication systems configured to recognize a user's biometric identifier, such as a fingerprint, are often implemented in electronic devices to provide an instant and effective technique for user authentication, enhancing the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This specification describes systems and techniques related to spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. In one aspect, during biometric authentication, a biometric authentication system having a biometric manager is configured to receive user input at a touch-sensitive display. In response to and based on the user input, the biometric manager determines a shape of a contact area of ​​the user input on the touch-sensitive display. Based on the determined shape, the biometric manager modifies the brightness of regions of the display to enhance light reflection from the user input, which is effective to facilitate biometric authentication.

[0004] In some aspects, a method for spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication is disclosed. The method includes receiving fingertip touch input from a user in a region of a touch-sensitive display, the fingertip touch input being in sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display. In one example, the user may rest their thumb on the touch-sensitive display. The method further includes, in response to receiving the fingertip touch input and based on the fingertip touch input, determining a shape of a contact area of ​​the sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display. The shape may be any two-dimensional shape corresponding to the contact area of ​​the sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display. Additionally, the method includes modifying a brightness of the region of the touch-sensitive display (e.g., increasing the brightness of the region relative to portions of the touch-sensitive display outside the region) based on the determined shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact, the modification being sufficient to enable the biometric authentication system to receive a reflection (e.g., an improved reflection) of the fingertip touch input. The method also includes receiving a reflection of the fingertip touch input and, in response to receiving the reflection, analyzing the reflection in a biometric authentication system effective to enable the biometric authentication system to authenticate the user.

[0005] In a further aspect, an electronic device is disclosed that includes an electronic visual display, one or more processors, and a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement a biometric manager to provide spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication by performing the method described above.

[0006] The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. This Summary is provided to introduce subject matter that is further described in the Detailed Description. As such, the reader should not consider the Summary to describe essential features, nor should it be considered to describe thresholds in the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] Details of one or more aspects of spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication are described herein with reference to the following drawings: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example implementation of an example electronic device having a biometric manager and a display configured to provide spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. [Figure 2] 2 illustrates an implementation of an example electronic device from FIG. 1 configured to implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication; [Figure 3] 3 illustrates in more detail an implementation of the display embodiment from FIG. 2; [Figure 4] 1 illustrates an example implementation of an example electronic device having a display fabricated as a display panel stack. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an implementation of an example electronic device having an example touch input sensor configured to detect user input. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates an example implementation of an example display panel capable of implementing spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an implementation of an example electronic device having a display panel configured to implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. [Figure 8]1 illustrates an implementation of an example electronic device including a biometric authentication system having a fingerprint sensor configured to receive a reflection of a user input illuminated by spatially configurable localized illumination. [Figure 9] 1 depicts a method for enabling spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. [Figure 10] 1 depicts a method for enabling spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. [Figure 11] 1 illustrates an example implementation of an example electronic device configured to implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. [Figure 12] 12 illustrates an example electronic device with an optical under-display fingerprint sensor (UDFPS) in the bottom of the active area of ​​the display from FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 1 illustrates an example technique for determining the shape and location of a user input to provide spatially configurable localized lighting. [Figure 14] 10 illustrates another example implementation of an example electronic device configured to implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. [Figure 15] 15 illustrates an example electronic device with an optical UDFPS in the bottom of the active area of ​​the display from FIG. 14. [Figure 16] 1 illustrates an example technique for determining the shape and location of a user input to provide spatially configurable localized lighting. [Figure 17] 1 illustrates an example implementation of an example electronic device configured to implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The use of the same numbers in different examples may indicate similar features or components. overview Many electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, desktops, smartwatches) that include an electronic visual display are often simply referred to as a display or screen that is integrated into part of the housing of the electronic device. Manufacturers of electronic devices assemble their displays in a layered structure (a "display panel stack") that includes a cover layer (e.g., a cover glass) and a display module with a display panel.

[0010] Display panels increasingly rely on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology (e.g., active matrix OLED (AM) displays) and utilize tens of thousands of pixel circuits (“pixels”), each containing an organic light-emitting diode. An electronic device can control any of the pixels within a display panel to illuminate at various luminous intensities and wavelengths effective to generate on-screen content (e.g., an image). By leveraging a characteristic of the human eye and brain called visual persistence (e.g., retinal persistence), display panels can redraw on-screen content at a predetermined frequency (“refresh rate”) to conserve power, seamlessly change (e.g., scroll) the on-screen content, and give the illusion of the on-screen content as a moving image (e.g., video). For example, a display panel configured to operate at a refresh rate of 120 hertz (Hz) can redraw on-screen content 120 times per second. OLED displays offer many advantages over other display technologies, including faster refresh rates, short display response times, and low power consumption. These advantages make OLED displays better suited for electronic devices and therefore more highly priced by users for their image quality.

[0011] In addition, an electronic device may include one or more biometric authentication systems. Some electronic devices are configured with one or more biometric authentication systems located under or within the display panel stack, including under the cover layer and one or more layers (e.g., all layers, one layer) of the display module. For example, to provide a high screen-to-body ratio and thereby conserve space on the display side of an electronic device, manufacturers may incorporate under-display fingerprint sensors (UDFPS) under the display module. The user may then be given the opportunity to provide user input (e.g., a finger with a fingerprint, fingertip touch input) to authenticate themselves to one or more applications or operating systems implemented on the electronic device. If authentication is successful, the user may be able to access multiple resources provided by the one or more applications or operating systems. A user authenticating themselves on an electronic device using at least one biometric identifier is referred to herein as biometric authentication.

[0012] An electronic device configured to perform biometric authentication using a UDFPS may utilize pixels in one or more regions of an OLED display to illuminate a user input. Capturing well-illuminated user inputs can be difficult due to poor transmission of light from the external environment through the display panel to the UDFPS. For example, a display may have a visible light transmission (VLT) (e.g., a measurement of the transmission of light through a given medium) of less than 5%, making it less than optimal to capture images of some user inputs in the UDFPS. As a result, the electronic device may implement localized high-brightness areas (“high-brightness areas”) in one or more regions of the display panel to better illuminate the user input. Through such techniques, the electronic device may facilitate the UDFPS to detect user inputs (e.g., a finger bearing a fingerprint) by implementing the high-brightness areas.

[0013] However, in many cases, depending on the electronic device and its configuration, high-intensity light emanating from the high-brightness area may illuminate a user's eye(s) during biometric authentication. Such an event may cause frustration or even discomfort to users of the electronic device, degrading their user experience. Many electronic devices are configured with a spatially fixed fingerprint sensing area. For example, the fingerprint sensing area may be within the bottom of the display. Furthermore, the high-brightness area may be defined on a fixed location on the display and may form several amorphous shapes, including rectangles and ellipses. As a result, if a finger does not sufficiently cover the high-brightness area (e.g., a mispositioned finger, a finger that is too small), the high-intensity light from the high-brightness area may shine into the user's eye(s).

[0014] As one example, a user lying in bed at night may wish to email on a device that is on a nearby nightstand. To authenticate themselves to the electronic device and access a messaging application, the user may pick up the electronic device and naturally look at the device's screen. By resting a finger on the screen, the electronic device may initiate a biometric authentication event, causing the brightness to increase from zero to high in the high-brightness area. In such and other similar scenarios, if the finger does not sufficiently cover the high-brightness area, the light emitted from the high-brightness area may cause momentary blinding.

[0015] In some configurations, the high-brightness areas may not immediately illuminate at full brightness, but instead may illuminate at a substantially high enough brightness to allow light reflected from the finger to transmit through one or more layers of the display panel stack for reception by a sensor (e.g., UDFPS). Despite this, the light emitted from a display including the high-brightness areas, necessary for the sensor to identify the finger or finger position, may be uncomfortably bright to a user, especially in dark environments. Furthermore, such configurations may consume additional power and increase processing time for biometric authentication.

[0016] In contrast, this specification describes systems and techniques for spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. In one aspect, an electronic device having a display stack and a biometric authentication system, such as an under-display fingerprint sensor, includes a biometric authentication manager configured to receive a user input at a touch-sensitive display, determine the shape of the user input, and modify the brightness of the display to enable the biometric authentication system to receive a reflection (e.g., an enhanced reflection) of the user input.

[0017] The following discussion describes an operating environment, techniques that may be employed within the operating environment, and example methods. While techniques using spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication and an apparatus for spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication are described, it will be understood that the subject matter of the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the particular features or methods described. Rather, the particular features and methods are disclosed as implementations of the example embodiments, and reference is made to the operating environment by way of example only.

[0018] Example Device 1 illustrates an example implementation 100 of an example electronic device 102 having a biometric manager 104 and a display 106 configured to provide spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. In one example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a user 108 sitting at a table for morning coffee in a dimly lit room wishes to look at their phone (e.g., electronic device 102) to view daily updates, weather, messages, news, etc. To access the phone and view daily content, the user places two fingers 110, each bearing a unique fingerprint (e.g., fingerprint 112-1, fingerprint 112-2), on the phone's display 106.

[0019] In response to a user 108 placing two fingers 110 on the display 106, the biometric manager 104 detects the two fingers 110 (e.g., using a touch input sensor associated with the screen) and determines a shape 114 (e.g., shape 114-1, shape 114-2) for each portion of the two fingers 110 in sustained contact with the display 106. Sustained contact may be defined, for example, by any duration sufficient for the biometric manager 104 to detect the two fingers 110, analyze the two fingers 110, determine the shapes 114 of the two fingers 110, and / or authenticate the user 108. In some embodiments, the biometric manager 104 using one or more sensors may be configured to detect the presence of finger(s) without sustaining contact of the finger(s) on the display. For example, the finger(s) may be located within a threshold distance of the display (e.g., for at least a predetermined threshold time). Biometric manager 104 further determines, based on shape 114-1 and shape 114-2, two regions (not shown) of display 106 that are substantially co-located with portions of two fingers 110 that maintain contact with display 106.

[0020] In some embodiments, shapes 114-1 and 114-2 may be substantially similar (e.g., equal in area and identical in size) to corresponding regions of display 106. In additional embodiments, the biometric manager may determine (e.g., select and identify) regions that differ in size (e.g., similar but smaller) or shape (e.g., dissimilar) from corresponding shapes 114-1 and 114-2. For example, the regions may be smaller than the corresponding shapes to minimize the risk of light escaping, and may be located entirely within the shapes, with the perimeter of the regions offset within the perimeter of the shapes.

[0021] The biometric manager 104 may then implement (e.g., directly or indirectly) a high-intensity area (not shown) in each of the two regions on the display 106. Each high-intensity area may be shaped similarly to each corresponding shape 114-1 and shape 114-2. As a result, the two fingers 110, each with a respective fingerprint 112, can be illuminated with high-intensity light to facilitate fingerprint detection. Assuming that the detected fingerprint 112 of the user 108 shows similarity to a previously enrolled fingerprint, the biometric manager 104 may transition the phone from the locked state 116-1 to the unlocked state 116-2, allowing the user 108 to access the phone's resources (e.g., applications).

[0022] In more detail, consider FIG. 2 , which illustrates an implementation 200 of an example electronic device from FIG. 1 configured to implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. Illustrated is an electronic device 102 with various example devices, including consumer electronic devices. By way of non-limiting examples, the electronic device 102 can be a smartphone 102-1, a tablet device 102-2, a laptop computer 102-3, a computerized watch 102-4, smart glasses 102-5, and an autonomous vehicle 102-6. While not shown, the electronic device 102 can also be implemented as any of a mobile station (e.g., a fixed STA or a mobile STA), a mobile communication device, a client device, a home automation and control system, an entertainment system, a game console, a personal media device, a health monitoring device, a drone, a camera, a wireless Internet access and browsing-enabled Internet home appliance, an IoT device, a security system, and the like. It will be noted that the electronic device 102 can be wearable, non-wearable but mobile, or relatively non-mobile (e.g., a desktop, an appliance). It will also be noted that the electronic device 102 can be used with or incorporated into many electronic devices 102 or peripherals, such as in an automobile or as an attachment to a laptop computer. The electronic device 102 may include additional components and interfaces that are omitted from FIG. 2 for clarity.

[0023] As illustrated, the electronic device 102 includes a printed circuit board assembly 202 (PCBA) 202 on which the components and interconnections of the electronic device 102 are embodied. In one implementation, the PCBA 202 may include multiple printed circuit boards operably coupled together, for example, via electrical wiring. Alternatively or additionally, the components of the electronic device 102 may be embodied on other substrates, such as stretchable circuit material or other insulating materials. Generally, the electrical and electromechanical components of the electronic device 102 are assembled on a printed circuit board (PCB) 202 to form the PCBA 202. The various components (e.g., processor and memory) of the PCBA 202 are then programmed and tested to verify correct functionality of the PCBA 202. The PCBA 202 is connected to or assembled with other portions of the electronic device 102 into a housing.

[0024] As illustrated, PCBA 202 includes one or more processors 204 and computer-readable media 206 . The processor 204 may include any suitable single or multi-core processor (e.g., an application processor (AP), a digital-signal-processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), or a graphics processing unit (GPU). The computer-readable medium 206 includes a memory medium 208 and a storage medium 210. An operating system 212, an application 214, and a biometric manager 216, implemented as computer-readable instructions on the computer-readable medium 206, can be executed by the processor 204 to provide some or all of the functionality described herein. For example, the processor 204 may perform operating system specific computational tasks related to controlling the generation and display of on-screen content on a display. In yet another embodiment, the processor 204 may execute operating system instructions to implement a 120 Hz display refresh rate. The computer-readable medium 206 may include a random access memory, a hard drive, a solid-state drive (SSD), or a microprocessor, each coupled to a computer system bus. The term "coupled" may refer to two or more elements that are in direct contact (physically, electrically, magnetically, optically, etc.) or two or more elements that are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate and / or interact with each other.

[0025] In additional aspects, various implementations of the biometric authentication manager 216 may include a system-on-a-chip (SoC), one or more integrated circuits (ICs), a processor having embedded processor instructions or configured to access processor instructions stored in memory, hardware having embedded firmware, a printed circuit board having various hardware components, or any combination thereof. As described herein, a biometric authentication system may include one or more components of an electronic device 102 configured to perform biometric authentication, as illustrated in FIG. 1 . In additional implementations, the biometric authentication system may be implemented as the electronic device 102.

[0026] The PCBA 202 may also include input / output (I / O) ports 218 and a communication system 220. The I / O ports 218 enable the electronic device 102 to interact with other devices or users through peripheral devices and carry any combination of digital, analog, and radio-frequency (RF) signals. The I / O ports 218 may include any combination of internal or external ports, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, audio ports, Serial ATA (SATA) ports, PCI Express ports or card slots, Secure Digital Input / Output (SDIO) slots, and / or other legacy ports. Various peripherals may be operatively coupled to the I / O ports 218, such as human-input devices (HIDs), external computer-readable storage media, or other peripherals.

[0027] The communication system 220 may enable communication of device data, such as received data, transmitted data, or other information, as described herein, and may provide connectivity to one or more networks and other devices connected thereto. Example communication systems include an NFC transceiver, a WPAN radio conforming to various IEEE 802.15 (Bluetooth®) standards, a WLAN radio conforming to any of various IEEE 802.11 (WiFi®) standards, a WWAN (3GPP®-compliant) radio for cellular telephony, a Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN) radio conforming to the IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX®) standard, an infrared (IR) transceiver conforming to the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) protocol, and a wired local area network (LAN) Ethernet transceiver. Device data communicated through the communication system 220 may be packetized or framed depending on the communication protocol or standard with which the electronic device 102 is communicating. The communication system 220 may include a wired interface, such as an Ethernet or fiber optic interface, for communication over a local network, private network, intranet, or the Internet. Alternatively or in addition, the communication system 220 may include a wireless interface that facilitates communication over a wireless network, such as a wireless LAN, cellular network, or WPAN.

[0028] Although not shown, the electronic device 102 may also include a system bus, interconnect, crossbar, or data transfer system that couples various components within the device. The system bus or interconnect may include any one or combination of different bus structures, such as a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, a universal serial bus, and / or a processor or local bus that utilizes any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0029] The PCBA 202 may further include or be connected to one or more sensors 222 disposed either on or within the electronic device 102. In some embodiments, the sensors 222 may be disposed on or within a peripheral input device connected (e.g., wired, wirelessly) to the electronic device 102. The sensors 222 may include any of a variety of sensing components, such as an audio sensor (e.g., a microphone), a touch input sensor (e.g., a touchscreen), an image capture device (e.g., a camera, a video camera), a proximity sensor (e.g., a capacitance sensor), an ambient light sensor (e.g., a photodetector), and / or an under-display fingerprint sensor (UDFPS). The UDFPS may be implemented as an optical UDFPS or an ultrasonic UDFPS. The UDFPS may be disposed within the housing of the electronic device 102 and may be integrated under or within the display. In one implementation, the PCBA 202 may include more than one UDFPS.

[0030] Additionally, the touch input sensor may be implemented under or within the display. As described herein, a display utilizing one or more touch input sensors is referred to herein as a touch-sensitive display. The touch input sensor may be implemented as any of a 5-wire resistive touch panel, a surface capacitance touch panel, a projected capacitive (P-Cap) touch panel, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch panel, an infrared (IR) touch panel, a force touch sensor touch panel, etc. The touch input sensor may be a transparent substrate.

[0031] The electronic device 102 further includes a display 224 (e.g., display 106). While an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display is described herein, it is provided by way of example only. The electronic device 102 may include or utilize any of a variety of displays, including an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) display, an electroluminescent display (ELD), a microLED display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor (TFT) LCD, an in-plane switching (IPS) LCD, and the like. The display 224 may be referred to as a screen, such as a display screen, on which content may be displayed.

[0032] Figure 3 illustrates in more detail an example implementation 300 of display 224 from Figure 2. While Figure 3 shows various entities and components as part of display 224, any of those entities and components may be separate from display 224, but may also be communicatively coupled to display 224.

[0033] 3, display 224 may include a cover layer 302 and a display module 304. Cover layer 302 may be composed of any of a variety of transparent materials, including polymers (e.g., plastic, acrylic) and glass (e.g., tempered glass), forming any three-dimensional shape (e.g., polyhedron), such as a rectangular prism or cylinder. During manufacturing, the bottom surface of cover layer 302 may be bonded (e.g., glued) to display module 304 to protect it and act as a barrier to intruding contaminants (dust, water).

[0034] The display module 304 may include a touch input sensor 306 and a display panel 308. The display panel 308 may include a pixel array 310 of thousands (or millions) of pixel circuits (e.g., low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) pixel circuits) forming any two-dimensional grid (e.g., a rectangular grid, a circular grid, a curved grid). Each pixel circuit may include light-emitting components, such as one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), commonly referred to as pixels.

[0035] The display panel 308 may further include a Display Driver Integrated Circuit 312 (DDIC 312). The DDIC 312 may include a timing controller 314 and column line driver(s) 316. The column line driver 316 may include, by way of non-limiting example, a data-line driver. The display panel 308 may further include a row-line driver 318. The row-line driver 318 may include, by way of non-limiting example, a gate-line driver, a scan-line driver, and / or an emission-control driver.

[0036] The display panel stack may further include, often integrated within a display module, but sometimes separate from the display module altogether, a collimator, one or more polarizer layers (e.g., polarizing filters), one or more adhesive layers (e.g., glue), and a protective layer (e.g., EMBO layer). The protective layer may include one or more layers, such as a polymer layer (e.g., a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate), a metal layer (e.g., a copper layer, a stainless steel layer), a foam pad, and an adhesive layer. A protective layer may be on the bottom of the display panel stack (e.g., opposite the cover layer 302) and may provide, for example, protection from moisture, debris, and / or radiation (e.g., electromagnetic radiation, thermal radiation).

[0037] 4 illustrates an example implementation 400 of an example electronic device 102 (e.g., smartphone 102-1) having a display 224 fabricated as a display panel stack. As illustrated in detailed view 400-1, electronic device 102 includes at least one layer (e.g., cover layer 302) of display 224 integrated as one or more portions of a housing of electronic device 102. Display 224 includes an active area 404, which may be viewable and / or accessible to the touch by a user.

[0038] Detailed view 400-2 illustrates an enlarged view of display 224. Some components of display 224 may be omitted from the detailed view for clarity. As illustrated, display 224 includes a cover layer 302 disposed as a top layer and a display module 304 disposed therebelow. Display module 304 includes a touch input sensor 306 disposed below cover layer 302 and a display panel 308 disposed below touch input sensor 306.

[0039] In such a configuration, light emitting from the display panel 308 can pass through the touch input sensor 306 and the cover layer 302 for viewing by a user in the active area 404. Additionally, a user can provide user input on or above the cover layer 302 in the active area 404 for receipt by one or more sensors. For example, a user can provide user input to the cover layer 302 in the active area 404 for receipt (e.g., detection) by the touch input sensor 306.

[0040] As described herein, user input may include any physical or behavioral characteristic provided (directly or indirectly) by a user, from which a biometric identifier (e.g., biometric characteristic) may be derived. By way of non-limiting example, biometric identifiers may include fingerprints, irises, palms, voice, facial structure, and others.

[0041] 5 illustrates an example implementation 500 of an example electronic device 102 having an example touch input sensor 306 configured to detect user input. As illustrated in detailed view 500-1, a user provides user input to the electronic device 102 in the form of a thumb 502. For example, the user presses the thumb 502 on the display 224 of the electronic device 102 (e.g., the cover layer 302) within the active area 404. In some examples, the user can hover the thumb directly above the display such that no part of the thumb 502 contacts the display 224. In additional examples, the user can provide other or additional user inputs, including with other fingers, palm, etc.

[0042] In this example, as illustrated in detailed view 500-2, touch input sensor 306 detects thumb 502 pressing down on display 224. Touch input sensor 306, in one example, may detect thumb 502 using capacitive touch technology. For example, a controller and / or processor may monitor a conductive matrix (e.g., a diamond grid layout, an interleaved layout, a diagonal cross pattern layout) by scanning the charge or voltage within the matrix to detect fluctuations therein and thereby identify a touch input. Touch input sensor 306 using capacitive touch technology may enable sub-frame digitization, resulting in higher resolution, greater accuracy, and faster response time than other touch technologies.

[0043] In some examples, the biometrics manager 216 may be configured to analyze touch input received at the touch input sensor 306 and identify false touch input detections. A false touch input detection may include any unintended or undesired input received at the touch input sensor 306 of the electronic device 102. For example, the display 224 of the electronic device 102 in a user's clothing pocket may come into contact with fabric, causing the touch input sensor 306 to activate. In another example, a user may reach into their pocket, grab the electronic device 102, place it on a table, and touch the display 224 without wanting to authenticate. In these and other examples, the biometrics manager 216 may be configured to analyze touch input received at the touch input sensor and identify false detections based on several events or characteristics, including the duration of the user input's sustained contact with the display 224, the orientation or acceleration of the electronic device 102, the movement of the user input across the display 224, and the size of the user input on the display 224. The biometric manager 216 may use one or more of machine learning techniques, heuristic algorithms, or any other algorithms to analyze and identify false positives of touch input.

[0044] As illustrated in detailed view 500-3, before, during, and / or after biometric manager 216 attempts to identify false touch input positives, touch input sensor 306 generates heatmap 504. Heatmap 504 may include capacitive coupling measurements of the user input indicating an area of ​​sustained contact (“contact area”) between thumb 502 and display 224. As described herein, sustained contact may be of any duration sufficient for electronic device 102 or components therein (e.g., touch input sensor 306) to record, process, and / or analyze the user input.

[0045] In one implementation, one or more regions 506 in the heat map 504 may indicate an absence of a contact area. Instead, one or more regions in the heat map 504 may indicate a contact area of ​​variable size (“contact area 508”) that correlates with, by way of non-limiting example, the amount of pressure applied by the thumb 502 on the display 224, the degree of coverage of the thumb 502 on the display 224, etc.

[0046] In one aspect, in response to and based on the heat map 504, the biometric manager 216 can be configured to outline the contact area 508 and generate a shape corresponding to the contact area. For example, the biometric manager 216 having a line drawing algorithm (e.g., a heuristic algorithm, a machine learning algorithm) is configured to trace one or more lines that outline the contact area 508 and generate a shape corresponding to the contact area. The algorithm can be further configured to generate multiple shapes corresponding to multiple contact areas. The biometric manager 216 can implement the line drawing algorithm depending on the resolution of the heat map 504 produced by the touch input sensor 306.

[0047] In additional aspects, in response to and based on the heat map 504, the biometric manager 216 can process the heat map 504 (e.g., image processing). The processing performed by the biometric manager 216 can denoise, blur, deblur, sharpen, and edge detect the heat map 504, etc. In one implementation, the biometric manager 216 can employ a convolution filter configured to use local neighborhoods to calculate a weighted average and thereby adjust the heat map 504. For example, the convolution filter can implement a Gaussian blur to reduce noise in the heat map. As an example, the convolution filter can replace the intensity of a point with an intensity value calculated from eight neighboring intensity values. As an additional example, the biometric manager 216 can implement a nearest neighbor algorithm to determine overlap. In another example, the biometric manager 216 can include a machine learning module configured to process the heat map 504.

[0048] After processing the heatmap 504, the biometric manager 216 may generate an isosurface. For example, the biometric manager 216 may pass the heatmap 504 to the processor 204, IC, or SoC to generate a hardware-accelerated isosurface (e.g., using Very High-Speed ​​Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL)) for rapid input / output testing. The isosurface may be generated and / or processed using any combination of interpolation, thresholding, alpha blending, and the like. Additionally, the biometric manager 216 may employ an algorithm (e.g., a painter's algorithm) configured to identify one or more shapes of interest.

[0049] Through any combination of line drawing algorithms, processing techniques, isosurface generation, and / or shape identification, the biometric manager 216 can generate one or more shapes corresponding to one or more contact areas. In some embodiments, the shapes can have shapes that form regular two-dimensional shapes. In additional embodiments, the shapes can have amorphous shapes that form irregular two-dimensional shapes. In both embodiments, one or more of the shapes can substantially match the one or more contact areas to define similar or matching shapes.

[0050] Further to the above, the biometric manager 216 can be configured to resize one or more shapes. For example, the biometric manager 216 can resize a shape so that it is still similar to the corresponding contact area but smaller in area. In doing so, a first contour of the shape can be within a second contour of the corresponding contact area. As a result, the first contour of the shape can be offset from the second contour by a predetermined distance (e.g., between one pixel and twelve pixels). This predetermined distance can be based on several factors, including, by way of non-limiting example, a measurement of ambient light in the environment in which the electronic device 102 resides, the amount of potential light leakage from the display 224, the current brightness setting of the display 224, the determined curvature of the user input (e.g., the thumb 502), the curvature of the display 224, and a direct proportional relationship between light leakage (acceptable level of light leakage) and contact area.

[0051] Additionally, the biometric manager 216 can identify one or more locations of a user input (e.g., thumb 502) on the display 224 as detected by the touch input sensor 306, and can determine one or more regions ("determined regions") within the pixel array 310 having one or more pixel circuits that correspond to (e.g., within, beneath, near) the one or more locations of the user input on the display 224. For example, co-location can include or be established by barycentric coordinates of one determined region within a second contour of a corresponding contact area, matching barycentric coordinates between one determined region and the corresponding contact area, etc.

[0052] In additional examples, the biometric manager 216 can generate shapes that do not resemble or match the corresponding contact area. For example, the biometric manager 216 may approximate a shape to the corresponding contact area. As one example, the biometric manager 216 may approximate the contact area as being substantially oval. In another example, depending on the size, location, and / or type of user input, the biometric manager 216 may use a pre-defined shape (e.g., a circle, a rectangle) that fits within a second outline of the corresponding contact area.

[0053] 6 illustrates an example implementation 600 of an example display panel that can implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. In this example, the display panel 308 includes similar components as those described and illustrated with respect to the display panel 308 of FIG. 3, with some additional details. The display panel 308 may include additional components not illustrated in FIG. 6. Furthermore, in other implementations, the electronic device 102 may utilize an entirely different display technology than the display panel 308.

[0054] The display panel 308 includes a pixel array 310 having pixel circuits 602 (e.g., pixel circuit 602-1, pixel circuit 602-2). The pixel array may include a plurality of pixel circuits 602 (e.g., hundreds, thousands, or millions), but for clarity and brevity, only 15 pixel circuits 602 are illustrated in FIG. 6. The pixel circuits 602 are operably coupled to drivers (e.g., row line driver 318, column line driver 316). For example, the pixel circuits 602 are operably coupled to the row line drivers 318 (e.g., row line driver 318-1, row line driver 318-2) via row lines 604. Furthermore, the pixel circuits 602 are operably coupled to the column line drivers 316 via column lines 606. Although two row line drivers 318 and only one column line driver 316 are illustrated, the display panel 308 may include multiple row line drivers 318 and column line drivers 316. As non-limiting examples, the row line drivers 318 may be implemented as gate-line drivers, scan-line drivers, and / or emission-control drivers. As non-limiting examples, the column line drivers 316 may be implemented as data-line drivers.

[0055] The display panel 308 further includes a DDIC 312 having column line drivers 316 and a timing controller 314. The timing controller 314 can provide interface functionality between the processor 204 and the drivers (e.g., column line drivers 316, row line drivers 318). The timing controller 314 generally accepts commands and data from the processor 204, generates signals with the appropriate voltage, current, timing, and demultiplexing, and passes the signals to the drivers.

[0056] The drivers may pass time-varying and amplitude-varying signals (e.g., voltage signals, current signals) to one or more pixel circuits 602 in the pixel array 310 via row lines and / or column lines. For example, a data-line driver passes signals containing voltage data to the pixel array 310 that control the brightness of one or more LEDs in the pixel circuits 602. A scan-line driver passes signals that enable or disable one or more LEDs from receiving data voltages from the data-line driver. An emission-control driver provides emission control signals to the pixel array 310. Together, the drivers control the pixel array 310 to produce light to create an image on the display panel 308.

[0057] In one aspect, based on the one or more shapes generated by the biometric manager 216, the biometric manager 216 directs the DDIC 312 (e.g., directly, indirectly via the processor 204) to change the brightness in one or more determined regions within the pixel array 310 of the display panel 308. In some embodiments, changing the brightness may include increasing the brightness of the one or more determined regions while maintaining the display brightness for regions surrounding the determined regions. For example, under the direction of the biometric manager 216, the DDIC 312 may increase the brightness of individual LEDs in one or more regions from low brightness to high brightness.

[0058] FIG. 7 illustrates an example implementation 700 of an example electronic device 102 having a display panel 308 configured to implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. As illustrated in detailed view 700-1, a user provides user input to the electronic device 102 in the form of a thumb 502. As illustrated in detailed view 700-2, the touch input sensor 306 (not shown) detects the thumb 502 pressed on the display 224 and generates a heat map 504 with a contact region 508 indicating the contact area. Based on the generated heat map 504 and the contact region 508, the biometric manager 216 generates a shape corresponding to the contact area. The biometric manager 216 further identifies the position of the thumb 502 on the display 224, as detected by the touch input sensor 306, and determines a region within the pixel array 310 having one or more pixel circuits that corresponds to the position of the thumb 502 on the display 224 (the “determined region”).

[0059] As illustrated in detailed view 700-3, the biometric manager 216 instructs the DDIC 312 to change the brightness of a determined region within the display panel 308, increasing the brightness of LEDs within the determined region. As described herein, the determined region that increases pixel brightness is referred to as a high-brightness region. The high-brightness region 702 may be co-located with and similar in shape to the contact area between the thumb 502 and the display 224. The brightness of the high-brightness region 702, expressed in candelas per square meter (“nits”), may be hundreds to thousands of nits greater in brightness than the rest of the display panel (“background region”) during biometric authentication. For example, the high-brightness region may start at a brightness of 200 nits and increase to a brightness of 1200 nits or more. Background regions (e.g., non-high-brightness regions) surrounding the high-brightness region may be configured to maintain or reduce the starting brightness value of zero nits (e.g., dark mode).

[0060] By doing so, during biometric authentication, the thumb 502 can experience amplified illumination from the high-intensity region 702. Furthermore, because the high-intensity region 702 is co-located with and similarly shaped as the thumb 502, the light emanating from the high-intensity region 702 can be sufficiently obscured by the thumb 502 to minimize potential light leakage visible to the user, enhancing the user experience.

[0061] Light incident on the skin surface of the thumb 502 undergoes reflection and scattering. The light reflected from the skin surface of the thumb 502 may be directly proportional to the amount of light shining thereon. Using the reflected light, a biometric system having (e.g., communicatively coupled to) one or more of the sensors 222, such as a fingerprint sensor, can capture an image of the thumb 502.

[0062] 8 illustrates an example implementation 800 of an example electronic device 102 including a biometric authentication system having a fingerprint sensor configured to receive a reflection of a user input illuminated by spatially configurable localized illumination. As illustrated, the electronic device 102 includes an optical UDFPS 802 disposed within a bottom portion of a display 224 within a housing of the electronic device 102. As illustrated, the optical UDFPS 802 may be integrated within one or more layers of the display 224. Although the optical UDFPS 802 is described as being disposed within the bottom portion of the display 224, the optical UDFPS 802 may be disposed within any portion of the display 224.

[0063] In such a configuration, the optical UDFPS 802 can capture light reflected from the thumb 502 and transmitted through the display 224. The biometric manager 216 can then generate (e.g., capture) a frame containing a visual representation of the thumb 502 bearing the fingerprint (a "verification print"). The biometric manager 216 can then compare the verification print to enrolled prints of previously authenticated users. For example, the biometric manager 216 can compare the verification print to enrolled prints based on whether information inferred from the prints (e.g., biometric identifiers, minutiae) matches. If the comparison is successful, the biometric system can authenticate the user.

[0064] Assuming the biometric manager 216 determines that the verification print indicates an authorized user, the biometric system may grant access to (e.g., unlock) one or more resources of the electronic device 102 (e.g., programs, internet-enabled accounts, peripheral input devices, operating system).

[0065] Although techniques have been described herein with reference to or for use with an optical UDFPS, at least some of the techniques described above can also be implemented with any of a variety of biometric sensors, including an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. For example, the biometric manager 216 can be configured to use any touch input sensor to generate a shape corresponding to the contact area, enabling the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor to more quickly and reliably identify user input. Furthermore, while techniques have been described herein with reference to or for use with a biometric authentication system, the techniques can be applied in any of a variety of other contexts outside of biometric authentication. In addition, while techniques have been described herein with reference to or for use with a single electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102), the techniques are not limited to being implemented on only one electronic device.

[0066] Example Methods 9 and 10 depict methods 900 and 1000, respectively, enabling spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. The methods are illustrated as sets of blocks defining operations to be performed, but are not necessarily limited to the order or combination of operations shown by the respective blocks. Furthermore, any one or more of the operations may be repeated, combined, rearranged, or linked to provide a wide array of additional and / or alternative methods. In the following discussion, reference may be made, and is made by way of example only, to the example implementation 100 of FIG. 1 and entities detailed in FIGS. 2-8. The techniques are not limited to execution by one entity or multiple entities operating on one device. Method 1000 complements method 900 and is optionally performed in conjunction with method 900.

[0067] At 902, the biometric authentication system receives fingertip touch input from a user in an area of ​​a touch-sensitive display, the fingertip touch input being in sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display. For example, the user input may include a user's thumb (e.g., thumb 502) in sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display (e.g., display 224). A touch input sensor (e.g., touch input sensor 306) may receive (e.g., detect) the user input.

[0068] At 904, the biometric authentication system, in response to receiving the fingertip touch input, and based on the fingertip touch input, determines a shape of a contact area of ​​sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display. For example, the biometric authentication manager (e.g., biometric authentication manager 216) uses any of a variety of algorithms (e.g., machine learning techniques, convolution filters) to determine a shape corresponding to the contact area. The shape can be canonical or non-canonical, substantially similar to or even matching the contact area.

[0069] At 906, the biometric authentication system modifies the brightness of a region of the touch-sensitive display based on the determined shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact, the modification being sufficient to enable the biometric authentication system to receive a reflection of the fingertip touch input (e.g., having a desired illumination level). For example, the biometric authentication manager instructs the DDIC (e.g., DDIC 312) to increase the brightness of a region (e.g., high brightness region 702) in the display panel (e.g., display panel 308) that is co-located with the contact area. The increase in brightness is effective to facilitate fingerprint detection by a biometric authentication system that includes an optical UDFPS (e.g., optical UDFPS 802).

[0070] At 908, the biometric system receives a reflection of the fingertip touch input. For example, an optical UDFPS captures the reflected light from the thumb. The biometric manager can then generate a verification print that includes a visual representation of the thumb with the fingerprint.

[0071] At 910, in response to receiving the reflection, the biometric authentication system analyzes the reflection for validity to enable the biometric authentication system to authenticate the user. For example, the biometric manager can compare the verification print to an enrolled print based on whether information inferred from the print matches. If the comparison is successful, the biometric authentication system can authenticate the user.

[0072] As mentioned, the biometric authentication system may implement spatially configurable localized illumination based on optional method 1000 described with respect to FIG. 10 . At 1002, the biometric authentication system receives a second fingertip touch input from a user at a second region of the touch-sensitive display, the second fingertip touch input being in second, sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display. For example, the user input may include the user's index finger in sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display. A touch input sensor may receive (e.g., detect) the user input.

[0073] At 1004, the biometric authentication system, in response to receiving the second fingertip touch input, and based on the second fingertip touch input, determines a second shape of a second contact area of ​​the second sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display. For example, the biometric authentication manager uses any of a variety of algorithms (e.g., machine learning techniques, convolution filters) to determine the second shape corresponding to the second contact area. The second shape can be canonical or non-canonical, substantially similar to or even matching the second contact area.

[0074] At 1006, the biometric authentication system modifies a second brightness of a second region of the touch-sensitive display based on the second determined shape of the second contact area of ​​the second sustained contact, the modification being sufficient to enable the biometric authentication system to receive a second reflection of a second fingertip touch input (e.g., having a desired illumination level of the finger). For example, the biometric authentication manager instructs the DDIC to increase the brightness of the second brightness of a second region in the display panel co-located with the second contact area. The increase in the second brightness is effective to facilitate fingerprint detection by the biometric authentication system including the optical UDFPS.

[0075] At 1008, the biometric system receives a second reflection of the second fingertip touch input. For example, an optical UDFPS captures the second reflected light from the index finger. The biometric manager can then generate a second verification print containing a visual representation of the index finger bearing the second fingerprint.

[0076] At 1010, in response to receiving the second reflection, the biometric authentication system analyzes the second reflection for effectiveness to enable the biometric authentication system to authenticate the user. For example, the biometric authentication manager can compare the second verification print to a second enrolled print based on whether information inferred from the prints matches. If the comparison is successful, the biometric authentication system can authenticate the user.

[0077] Implementation of the embodiment 11 illustrates an example implementation 1080 of an example electronic device configured to implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. The example implementation illustrates a user 1102 providing a user input 1104, such as two fingertips, on a display 1106 (e.g., display 224) of an electronic device 1108 (e.g., electronic device 102) to authenticate themselves. In this particular example, the user 1102 is attempting to authenticate themselves to the operating system of the electronic device 1108.

[0078] In one aspect, the electronic device 1108 may start in a locked state 1110 before the user provides user input 1104. In the locked state 1110, the electronic device 1108 may display a prompt requesting that the user 1102 provide user input 1104, including touch input, to authenticate themselves. The prompt may be an on-screen icon 1112 indicating a method of biometric authentication, such as fingerprint authentication.

[0079] Continuing with the previous example, Figure 12 illustrates an example electronic device 1108 having an optical UDFPS 1200 (e.g., optical UDFPS 802) within the bottom 1202 of the active area 1204 of the display 1106 from Figure 11. The optical UDFPS 1200 may be disposed below all layers of the display 1106. In such a configuration, the user 1102 may provide user input 1104 anywhere within the bottom 1202 of the active area 1204 such that the optical UDFPS 1200 can capture an image of the user input 1104.

[0080] 11 , in response to electronic device 1108 displaying a prompt, user 1102 may provide user input 1104 by touching two fingertips on display 1106 within bottom 1202 of active area 1204. In one example, if user 1102 sustains the touch input, a biometric manager (e.g., biometric manager 216) may determine, at least in part, that the touch input is not a false positive. Concurrent with or in response to determining that the touch input is not a false positive, a touch input sensor (e.g., touch input sensor 306) may generate a heat map (e.g., heat map 504).

[0081] Continuing with this example, Figure 13 illustrates an example technique for determining the shape and position of a user input 1104 to provide spatially configurable localized illumination. In one aspect, the biometric manager may determine a shape for the user input 1104 in contact with the display that includes two shapes 1300 (e.g., shape 1300-1, shape 1300-2) that outline two fingertips, each having a fingerprint 1302 (e.g., fingerprint 1302-1, fingerprint 1302-2). Further, the biometric manager may resize the two shapes 1300 into two smaller shapes 1304 (e.g., shape 1304-1, shape 1304-2) by reducing the area of ​​the two shapes 1300. Based on the two smaller shapes 1304, the biometric manager may direct the DDIC (e.g., DDIC 312) to create high-intensity regions 1306 (e.g., high-intensity region 1306-1, high-intensity region 1306-2) on the display 1106 that are co-located with and similar to the contact areas between the two fingertips and the display 1106. In this manner, light emanating from the high-intensity regions can illuminate the user input to facilitate fingerprint detection by the optical UDFPS. If the biometric manager is able to authenticate the user through analysis of the fingerprint, the biometric manager can transition the electronic device 1108 from the locked state 1110 to the unlocked state.

[0082] 14 illustrates another example implementation 1400 of an example electronic device configured to implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. The example implementation illustrates a user 1402 providing user input 1404, such as three fingertips, on a display 1406 (e.g., display 224) of an electronic device 1408 (e.g., electronic device 102) to authenticate themselves. In this particular example, the user 1402 is attempting to authenticate themselves to the operating system of the electronic device 1408.

[0083] In one aspect, the electronic device 1408 may start in a locked state before the user 1402 provides user input 1404. In the locked state, the display 1406 of the electronic device 1408 may be dimmed (e.g., a black screen, a blank screen). To transition the electronic device 1408 from the locked state to the unlocked state, the user 1402 may provide user input 1404, including a touch input, to authenticate themselves.

[0084] Continuing with the previous example, FIG. 15 illustrates an example electronic device 1408 having an optical UDFPS 1500 (e.g., optical UDFPS 1500-1, optical UDFPS 1500-2, optical UDFPS 1500-3) for each portion 1502 (e.g., top portion 1502-1, middle portion 1502-2, bottom portion 1502-3) of the active area 1504 of the display 1406 from FIG. 14 . At least one optical UDFPS 1500 may be disposed under every layer of the display 1406. In such a configuration, a user 1402 may provide user input 1404 anywhere within the active area 1504 such that one or more optical UDFPSs 1500 can capture an image of the user input 1404.

[0085] 14 , user 1402 may provide user input 1404 by touching three fingertips on display 1406 within active area 1504. In one example, if user 1402 sustains the touch input, a biometric manager (e.g., biometric manager 216) may determine, at least in part, that the touch input is not a false positive. Concurrent with or in response to determining that the touch input is not a false positive, a touch input sensor (e.g., touch input sensor 306) may generate a heat map (e.g., heat map 504).

[0086] Continuing with this example, FIG. 16 illustrates an example technique for determining the shape and position of a user input 1404 to provide spatially configurable localized illumination. In one aspect, a biometric manager may determine a shape for a user input 1404 in contact with a display that includes three shapes 1600 (e.g., shape 1600-1, shape 1600-2, shape 1600-3) outlining three fingertips, each having a fingerprint 1602 (e.g., fingerprint 1602-1, fingerprint 1602-2, fingerprint 1602-3). The biometric manager may resize shape 1600-2 into a smaller shape 1604-2. The smaller shape 1604-2 may be co-located with and similar to shape 1600-2, but smaller than shape 1600-2. The biometric manager may replace shapes 1600-1 and 1600-3 with preset shapes 1604-1 and 1604-3, respectively. Preset shapes 1604-1 and 1604-3 may be co-located with and smaller in area than shapes 1600-1 and 1600-3, respectively. Based on the three shapes 1604, the biometric manager may instruct a DDIC (e.g., DDIC 312) to generate high-intensity regions 1606 (e.g., high-intensity regions 1606-1, 1606-2, 1606-3) on display 1406 that are co-located with and similar to the contact areas between the three fingertips and display 1106. In this manner, light emanating from the high brightness area can illuminate the user input to facilitate fingerprint detection by the optical UDFPS. If the biometric manager is able to authenticate the user through analysis of the fingerprint, the biometric manager can transition the electronic device 1408 from a locked state to an unlocked state.

[0087] 17 illustrates an example implementation 1700 of an example electronic device configured to implement spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication. As illustrated, a user 1402, having recently woken up early in the morning, is lying in bed in a dark room. Considering the day's events, the user 1402 may wish to view a weather forecast on an electronic device 1704 (e.g., electronic device 102) that is located on a nearby nightstand. To access the weather resource on the electronic device 1704, the user 1702 may first need to authenticate themselves. As a result, the user may pick up the electronic device 1704 and look at the display 1706 of the electronic device 1704. By resting a thumb 1708 on the display 1706, the electronic device 1704 may initiate biometric authentication.

[0088] The biometric authentication may include a localized region (e.g., high brightness region 702) spatially configured on the display 1706 with increased brightness relative to the thumb 1708. Because the localized region is spatially configured on the display 1706 relative to the thumb 1708, high brightness light may not leak around the thumb 1708 of the user 1702. Additionally, the user 1702 is given the opportunity to place the thumb 1708 anywhere on the display 1706 to unlock the electronic device 1704. As a result, the electronic device 1704 can authenticate the user 1702 and grant access to a weather resource to view a weather forecast.

[0089] Biometric authentication systems using the systems and techniques described herein can provide many advantages, including, by way of non-limiting examples, reduced processing latency, reduced power expenditures, and a better user experience. For example, compared to a biometric authentication system configured to first utilize a display to illuminate the user input and then utilize an optical UDFPS to detect the user input, a biometric authentication system using the systems and techniques described herein can utilize a touch input sensor to detect the user input. Using the touch input sensor, the biometric authentication system can rely on low power resources to more accurately identify and locate the user input without having to illuminate (power on) the display. Furthermore, when notified by the touch input sensor, the biometric authentication system can more quickly identify the position of the user input within a verification print generated by the optical UDFPS. Meanwhile, in at least some other configurations, the biometric authentication system may utilize image detection on a low-resolution verification print to identify the location of the user input. Additionally, a biometric authentication system using the techniques described herein can more quickly ascertain the orientation of the user input when notified by the touch input sensor. In doing so, power expenditures can be reduced along with processing time, which can further enhance the user experience.

[0090] A biometric authentication system using the systems and techniques described herein can further be configured to change the brightness of the touch-sensitive display (e.g., in the high brightness areas 1306) in response to the biometric authentication system receiving a reflection of a user input (e.g., at the optical UDFPS) and analyzing the user input. For example, the biometric authentication system can be configured to reduce the brightness of the high brightness areas in response to the optical UDFPS receiving a reflection of a user input, such that the entire display has a uniform brightness.

[0091] In addition to the above, the fingerprint sensor (e.g., optical UDFPS 802, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor), touch input sensor (e.g., touch input sensor 306), and processor (e.g., processor 204), as well as communication techniques therebetween, can be optimized to further leverage biometric authentication. For example, a biometric authentication system having a biometric authentication manager (e.g., biometric authentication manager 216) can select a subregion within a verification print containing a focused (e.g., cropped) view of a user input based on position coordinates received by the touch input sensor. This subregion selection can improve synchronous serial communication (SPI) direct memory access (DMA) transfer rates and reduce power. In this manner, the biometric authentication manager can more quickly and reliably analyze the focused view of the verification print containing user input for a biometric identifier.

[0092] In addition to the above, biometric authentication systems using the systems and techniques described herein can provide greater accuracy. For example, determining the shape of the contact area of ​​sustained contact with a touch-sensitive display allows for more accurate shape and position estimation than, for example, centroid approximation. While centroid approximation of a touch input may provide an accurate estimate of a single point for the touch input, it is suboptimal for ascertaining the overall shape, size, and position of the touch input. On the other hand, determining the shape of the contact area of ​​sustained contact on a touch-sensitive display using a heat map generated by a touch input sensor allows for greater accuracy.

[0093] Example In the following sections, examples are provided.

[0094] Example 1: A method comprising: receiving, at a region of a touch-sensitive display, a fingertip touch input from a user in sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display; determining, in response to receiving the fingertip touch input and based on the fingertip touch input, a shape of a contact area of ​​the sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display; and modifying a brightness of the region of the touch-sensitive display based on the determined shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact, the modification being sufficient to enable a biometric authentication system to receive a reflection of the fingertip touch input; the method further comprising: receiving the reflection of the fingertip touch input; and analyzing the reflection in the biometric authentication system in response to receiving the reflection, the modification being effective to enable the biometric authentication system to authenticate the user.

[0095] Example 2: The method of any of the previous examples, further comprising determining that resources of a computing device associated with the touch-sensitive display are locked from access before determining the shape of the contact area or before changing the brightness of the region.

[0096] Example 3: A method according to any of the previous examples, wherein the resource of the computing device associated with the touch-sensitive display is a resource that requires authentication before the access, and the resource that requires authentication is a computer program, an Internet-enabled account, or a peripheral device.

[0097] Example 4: The method of any of the previous examples, wherein analyzing the reflection in the biometric authentication system enables unlocking the resource.

[0098] Example 5: The method of any of the previous examples, further comprising determining the region based on the shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact, and changing the brightness of the region is responsive to determining the region based on the determined shape of the contact area.

[0099] Example 6: A method as in any of the previous examples, wherein determining the shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact determines that the shape is an irregular shape, and determining the region determines that the region is an irregular shaped region.

[0100] Example 7: A method according to any of the previous examples, wherein determining that the region is an irregularly shaped region comprises determining that the irregularly shaped region has a first outer contour, the first outer contour being bounded by a second outer contour, and the second outer contour being a contour of the irregular shape of the contact area.

[0101] Example 8: The method of any of the previous examples, wherein the first outer contour and the second outer contour are equal.

[0102] Example 9: The method of any of the previous examples, wherein the first outer contour is within the second outer contour and does not coincide with the second outer contour.

[0103] Example 10: The method of any of the previous examples, wherein the first outer contour is a fixed offset from and within the second outer contour.

[0104] Example 11: The method of any of the previous examples, wherein the fixed offset is between 1 and 12 pixels.

[0105] Example 12: The method of any of the previous examples, wherein the fixed offset is based on light leakage.

[0106] Example 13: The method of any of the previous examples, wherein the fixed offset is determined based on a brightness setting of the touch-sensitive display outside the shape of the sustained contact.

[0107] Example 14: The method according to any of the previous examples, wherein the fixed offset is determined based on a direct proportional relationship between the light leakage and the size of the contact area.

[0108] Example 15: A method according to any of the previous examples, wherein determining the shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact determines that the shape is an irregular shape, and determining the region determines that the region is an irregular shaped region having an external contour that matches or is within the irregular shape of the sustained contact.

[0109] Example 16: The method of any of the previous examples, wherein the determined region of irregular shape is an ellipse or a rectangle.

[0110] Example 17: A method according to any of the previous examples, wherein determining the shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display inhibits changing the brightness of the contact area or a second area surrounding the contact area.

[0111] Example 18: A method according to any of the previous examples, wherein during a first portion of the sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display, the touch-sensitive display is in a first brightness mode, and determining the shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display maintains the first brightness mode or reduces from the first brightness mode to a second, lower brightness mode.

[0112] Example 19: The method according to any of the previous examples, wherein the first brightness mode is a dark mode with zero brightness for the touch-sensitive display.

[0113] Example 20: A method according to any of the previous examples, wherein determining the shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display is performed using a touch input sensor configured to generate a heat map.

[0114] Example 21: A method as described in any of the previous examples, wherein using a touch input sensor configured to generate the heat map inhibits illuminating the display to determine the shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display.

[0115] Example 22: A method as described in any of the previous examples, wherein determining the shape of the contact area includes receiving a raw heat map and determining the shape of the contact area based on the raw heat map.

[0116] Example 23: The method of any of the previous examples, wherein modifying the brightness of the region causes a localized high brightness mode within the region.

[0117] Example 24: The method of any of the previous examples, further comprising generating a verification image in response to receiving the reflection and based on the reflection.

[0118] Example 25: The method of any of the previous examples, wherein analyzing includes comparing the verification image with a registered image and calculating a probability of similarity based on the comparison.

[0119] Example 26: The method of any of the previous examples, further comprising: receiving a second fingertip touch input from the user in a second region of the touch-sensitive display, the second fingertip touch input being in second sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display; determining a second shape of a second contact area of ​​the second sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display in response to receiving the second touch input or the touch input; and modifying a second color value of the second region based on the determined second shape of the second contact area of ​​the second sustained contact, the modification increasing the second color value sufficient to enable an optical fingerprint system to receive a second reflection of the second fingertip touch input; receiving the second reflection of the second fingertip touch input; and analyzing the second reflection in the biometric authentication system in response to receiving the second reflection, effective to enable the optical fingerprint system to authenticate the user.

[0120] Example 27: A method according to any of the previous examples, further comprising, in response to analyzing the second reflection of the first reflection and the second reflection, using the biometric authentication system to perform authentication of the user based on the first reflection, the second reflection, or a combination thereof.

[0121] Example 28: The method according to any of the previous examples, wherein performing authentication of the user is based on both the first reflection and the second reflection.

[0122] Example 29: A method as described in any of the previous examples, wherein performing authentication of the user is performed in series using one of the first reflection or the second reflection, and in response to a first execution indicating that the user is not authenticated, performing a second performance by the next one of the first reflection or the second reflection.

[0123] conclusion Although implementations of techniques and apparatus enabling spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication have been described in feature and / or method specific language, it will be understood that the subject matter of the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the particular features or methods described. Rather, the particular features and methods are disclosed as example implementations enabling implementations of spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication.

Claims

1. receiving a fingertip touch input from a user in an area of ​​the touch-sensitive display, the fingertip touch input being in sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display; in response to receiving the fingertip touch input and based on the fingertip touch input, determining a shape of a contact area of ​​the sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display; and modifying a brightness of the region of the touch-sensitive display based on the determined shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact, the modification being sufficient to enable a biometric authentication system to receive a reflection of the fingertip touch input; receiving the reflection of the fingertip touch input; responsive to receiving the reflection, analyzing the reflection in the biometric authentication system effective to enable the biometric authentication system to authenticate the user; The method further comprises:

2. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that resources of a computing device associated with the touch-sensitive display are locked from access before determining the shape of the contact area or before changing the brightness of the region.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the resource of the computing device associated with the touch-sensitive display is a resource that requires authentication before the access, and the resource that requires authentication is a computer program, an internet-enabled account, or a peripheral device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein analyzing the reflection in the biometric authentication system effects unlocking of the resource.

5. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the region based on the shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact, and wherein modifying the brightness of the region is responsive to determining the region based on the determined shape of the contact area.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the shape of the contact area of ​​the sustained contact determines that the shape is an irregular shape, and determining the region determines that the region is an irregularly shaped region.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the region is the irregularly shaped region comprises determining that the irregularly shaped region has a first outer contour, the first outer contour being bounded by a second outer contour, the second outer contour being the irregularly shaped contour of the contact area.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first outer contour is within the second outer contour and does not coincide with the second outer contour.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first outer contour is a fixed offset from and within the second outer contour.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fixed offset is based on light leakage.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fixed offset is determined based on a brightness setting of the touch-sensitive display outside the shape of the sustained contact.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fixed offset is determined based on a direct proportional relationship between the light leakage and the size of the contact area.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the shape of the contact area comprises receiving a raw heatmap and determining the shape of the contact area based on the raw heatmap.

14. receiving a second fingertip touch input from the user at a second region of the touch-sensitive display, the second fingertip touch input being in second sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display; determining a second shape of a second contact area of ​​the second sustained contact with the touch-sensitive display in response to receiving the second fingertip touch input or the fingertip touch input; modifying a second brightness of a second region based on the determined second shape of the second contact area of ​​the second sustained contact, the modification increasing the second brightness sufficient to enable an optical fingerprint system to receive a second reflection of the second fingertip touch input; receiving the second reflection of the second fingertip touch input; responsive to receiving the second reflection, analyzing the second reflection in the biometric authentication system effective to enable the optical fingerprint system to authenticate the user; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

15. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, in response to analyzing the second reflection of the reflection and the second reflection, using the biometric authentication system to perform authentication of the user based on the reflection, the second reflection, or a combination thereof.

16. an electronic visual display; one or more processors; a memory storing instructions; The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a biometric manager to provide spatially configurable localized illumination for biometric authentication by performing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 15. Electronic devices.

17. A program comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause said one or more processors to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 15.

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