Nokia patents Cursor actuation with fingerprint recognition

Abstract
A method for controlling a graphical display receives a user input at a touch-sensitive user interface. Responsive to receiving that user input, a user is automatically recognized from biometric data gathered at that touch-sensitive user interface, such as by comparison to a locally stored database of authorized users. A visual cursor at a graphical display is then automatically activated. The visual cursor is removed from the graphical display when the user input is no longer received at the touch-sensitive user interface. So long as the visual cursor is not removed and after user authentication, movement of the visual cursor at the graphical display is made to correspond with movement sensed at the touch-sensitive user interface.

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Description
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TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001]The present invention relates to electronic user interfaces having a graphical display, and particularly relates to actuating a graphical cursor in relation to fingerprint recognition of a user.

BACKGROUND

[0002]In an electronic device such as a mobile station or any computing device that uses a visual display, there are tradeoffs between capabilities that may be made into the device and usability for the end user. A particular concern with multi-functional or portable computing devices is the limited area for visual display and often a limited number of distinct keys at a keypad interface (e.g., less than a full QWERTY keyboard). While advances in software, computer readable storage media, and computer processing enable more functionality in smaller and more reliable devices, such functionality must be readily adoptable by and intuitive to a user in order to add value to the device.

[0003]The visual display cursor is a particularly intuitive user interface tool, moving across a display screen according to a user's motions entered via a computer mouse or touch pad (also known as a glide pad). It is known to add a security feature to the touchpad embodiment, where the touchpad is adapted to sense and recognize a user's fingerprint. Examples of this may be seen at U.S. Pat. No. 6,400,836 B2 to A. W. Senior, which describes regularly scanning fingerprints acquired from a pointing device touch pad by a system that determines six degrees of freedom, enabling a user to manipulate a three-dimensional model of a virtual reality system. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,337,918 B1 to S. D. Holehan, which describes a personal computer touchpad having an infrared source and detector to implement fingerprint security and/or cursor control. Still further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,392,636 B1 to Ferrari et al., and 6,650,314 B2 to L. Philipson, describes cursor positioning on a display in response to a user input on a pointing device. Each of these is incorporated by reference for their technical features.

[0004]Portable devices that generally exhibit smaller display screens, as well as any multi-functional computing device, impose an added tradeoff of determining what to display and what to remove. While it is technically feasible to display a multitude of disparate items corresponding to active and latent actions and applications running at a particular time, after only a few open applications the screen would become filled with items not in the forefront of the user's current mental activities, and the display becomes less relevant to the user because the valid information s/he seeks lies among multiple visual stimuli on a small display screen rather than prominently dominating the display as the expense of less relevant information. The display becomes less intuitive because it is cluttered with information not presently relevant to the user.

[0005]What is needed in the art are further refinements to the correspondence between entries at a touch pad and display at a graphical interface so that the displayed material remains relevant to a current user's actions. The solution described herein has broad applications for any computing device that uses a graphical display and a touch-sensitive interface.

SUMMARY

[0006]The foregoing and other problems are overcome, and other advantages are realized, in accordance with the invention disclosed herein and its various illustrative embodiments. The term "touch-sensitive" interface is not limited to pressure sensitive interfaces; various and multiple other embodiments are presented within the regime of what an objective user would perceive as being "touch-sensitive".

[0007]In accordance with one aspect, the invention is a method for controlling a graphical display. In the method, a user input is received at a touch-sensitive user interface. Responsive to receiving that user input, a user is automatically recognized from biometric data gathered at the touch-sensitive user interface. A visual cursor at a graphical display user interface is then automatically activated. The visual cursor is removed from the graphical display when a user input is no longer sensed at the touch-sensitive user interface.

[0008]In accordance with another aspect, the present invention is a program of machine-readable instructions, tangibly embodied on an information bearing medium and executable by a digital data processor, to perform actions directed toward actuating a cursor in correspondence with a user input. In this embodiment, the actions include determining that a user initiates contact with a touch sensitive interface, and then gathering user biometric data from the touch-sensitive interface. From the biometric data, it is determined whether the user is authorized. Only if the user is authorized, then the following steps occur. A visual cursor is activated at a graphical display interface; movement is sensed at the touch-sensitive interface and the visual cursor is moved in correspondence with that sensed movement. Also, it is continuously or periodically determined whether the user remains in contact with the touch-sensitive interface. When it is determined that the user no longer remains in contact with the touch-sensitive interface, the visual cursor is removed from the graphical display interface.

[0009]In accordance with another aspect, the present invention is a computing device that includes a touch-sensitive interface, a graphical display screen, a computer readable medium, and a processor coupled to each of the above components. The touch-sensitive interface is adapted to gather user biometric data. The computer readable medium stores user biometric data. The processor is for comparing user biometric data gathered at the touch-sensitive user interface to the stored user biometric data, and for initiating display of a cursor at the graphical display screen if the comparing is positive. The processor further is for continuously or periodically determining that an authorized user remains in contact with the touch-sensitive user interface. When the processor determines that the user no longer remains in contact with the touch-sensitive user interface, it disables the display of the cursor at the graphical display screen.

[0010]Further details as to various embodiments and implementations are detailed below.

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