METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTHENTICATING ACCESS TO A MULTI-LEVEL SECURE ENVIRONMENT OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

摘要

An electronic system utilizes a method (500) for authenticating access to a multi-level secure environment. According embodiments, the system stores (501) fingerprint data for at least one authorized human user of the system. The fingerprint data for each authorized user includes copies of fingerprints for two or more fingers of the user. Some time after storing the fingerprint data, the system senses (503) one or more fingers of an individual who is attempting to use the system and compares (505) the sensed finger data to the stored fingerprint data. When at least some of the sensed finger data matches copies of fingerprints in the stored fingerprint data, the system determines (509) a quantity of matching fingerprints. The system then determines (525) a security level for the individual based on the quantity of matching fingerprints and provides access (527) to particular functionality of the system based on the determined security level.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
storing, by an electronic system that provides a multi-level secure environment, fingerprint data to produce stored fingerprint data for at least one authorized user of the electronic system; receiving, by the electronic system, sensed fingerprint data that is associated with a plurality of fingerprints of a user; comparing, by the electronic system, the sensed fingerprint data to the stored fingerprint data; responsive to determining that one or more fingerprints of the sensed fingerprint data matches one or more corresponding fingerprints of the stored fingerprint data for an authorized user, determining, by the electronic system and based on a quantity of matching fingerprints, a security level from a plurality of security levels that each provide a different level of functionality within the multi-level secure environment, wherein each of the plurality of security levels is associated with a respective quantity of matching fingerprints; providing, by the electronic system, audible or haptic feedback indicative of the determined security level; and providing, by the electronic system, access to functionality at the determined security level.