Array sensor and sensing method thereof

• US 10,282,578 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Egis Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Egis Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Xuemei G
• Application Number:
  US15/077,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20170083749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 234662, 235380, 235435, 340 553, 340 583, 345173, 345179, 348247, 382115, 382124, 600509
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor

Abstract

An array sensor is provided. The array sensor includes a sensing array, a memory array, and an access module. The sensing array includes a plurality of sensing units, wherein each of the sensing units includes a sensing electrode. The memory array includes a plurality of memory units, wherein each of the memory units is disposed below the corresponding sensing unit or between the two adjacent sensing units. The access module selectively reads a sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit to provide a sensing output, or accesses the memory unit.

Claims

1. An array sensor, comprising:

a sensing array comprising a plurality of sensing units, wherein each of the sensing units comprises a sensing electrode;

a memory array comprising a plurality of memory units, wherein each of the memory units is disposed below or adjacent to the corresponding sensing unit and is configured to store sensing data of the corresponding sensing unit;

an amplifier, comprising two input terminals and one output terminal, wherein one of the input terminals is coupled to the sensing array, the other of the input terminals is coupled to the memory array and the output terminal is coupled to a processor, configured to non-simultaneously access the sensing array and the memory array, wherein for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, the amplifier reads a sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit from the sensing array and outputs the sensing value to the processor, and reads the sensing data from the corresponding memory unit of the memory array and outputs the sensing data to the processor, wherein the sensing value and the sensing data do not co-exist in the amplifier; and

the processor, configured to, for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, generate a sensing result according to the sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit and the sensing data in the corresponding memory unit and produce a fingerprint pattern according to the sensing results.

2. The array sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing value represents a sensing voltage, a sensing current, a sensing temperature, a sensing brightness, a sensing capacitance or a sensing pressure.

3. The array sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein when no object contacts a surface of the sensing array, for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, the processor stores the sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit into the corresponding memory unit as the sensing data.

4. The array sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein when an object contacts the surface of the sensing array, for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, the processor obtains the sensing result according to the sensing value of the sensing unit and the sensing data stored in the corresponding memory unit.

5. The array sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein when an object contacts the surface of the sensing array, for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, the amplifier reads the sensing value of the sensing unit according to a first addressing signal, and provides the sensing value to the processor, and the amplifier reads the sensing data in the memory unit corresponding to the sensing unit according to a second addressing signal, and provides the sensing data to the processor, wherein the processor generates the sensing result according to the sensing value and the corresponding sensing data.

6. The array sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor stores information regarding an operation or algorithm performed by the array sensor into the memory units, and the information is read by the processor.

7. The array sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, the processor stores the sensing result corresponding to the sensing unit into the memory unit corresponding to the sensing unit via the amplifier as the sensing data.

8. The array sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the array sensor is a fingerprint sensor further comprising:

an insulating surface disposed on the sensing array.

9. The array sensor as claimed in claim 8, wherein when a finger contacts the insulating surface, a processor controls the amplifier to, for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, store the sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit into the corresponding memory unit as the sensing data, wherein the processor generates fingerprint information of the finger according to the sensing data stored in the memory units.

10. A sensing method for an array sensor, wherein the array sensor comprises a sensing array comprising a plurality of sensing units, a memory array comprising a plurality of memory units, an amplifier comprising two input terminals and one output terminal and a processor, wherein each of the sensing units comprises a sensing electrode, and each of the memory units is disposed below or adjacent to the corresponding sensing unit, wherein one of the input terminals of the amplifier is coupled to the sensing array, the other of the input terminals of the amplifier is coupled to the memory array and the output terminal of the amplifier is coupled to the processor, and wherein the sensing method comprises:

non-simultaneously accessing the sensing array and the memory array to, for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, read a sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit from the sensing array and output the sensing value to the processor by the amplifier, and read the sensing data from the corresponding memory unit of the memory array and output the sensing data to the processor by the amplifier, wherein the sensing value and the sensing data do not co-exist in the amplifier; and

for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, generating a sensing result according to the sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit and the sensing data in the corresponding memory unit and producing a fingerprint pattern according to the sensing results by the processor.

11. The sensing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sensing value represents a sensing voltage, a sensing current, a sensing temperature, a sensing brightness, a sensing capacitance or a sensing pressure.

12. The sensing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of non-simultaneously accessing the sensing array and the memory array to, for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, read the sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit from the sensing array and output the sensing value to the processor by the amplifier, and read the sensing data from the corresponding memory unit of the memory array and output the sensing data to the processor by the amplifier further comprises:

for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, storing the sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit into the corresponding memory unit as the sensing data by the processor.

13. The sensing method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of non-simultaneously accessing the sensing array and the memory array to, for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, read the sensing value of the sensing electrode of each of the sensing unit from the sensing array and output the sensing value to the processor by the amplifier, and read the sensing data from the corresponding memory unit of the memory array and output the sensing data to the processor by the amplifier further comprises:

for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, obtaining the sensing result according to the sensing value of the sensing unit and the sensing data stored in the corresponding memory unit by the processor when an object contacts the surface of the sensing array.

14. The sensing method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of non-simultaneously accessing the sensing array and the memory array to, for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, read the sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit from the sensing array and output the sensing value to the processor by the amplifier, and read the sensing data from the corresponding memory unit of the memory array and output the sensing data to the processor by the amplifier further comprises:

for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, reading the sensing value of the sensing unit from the sensing array by the amplifier according to an addressing signal when an object contacts the surface of the sensing array and providing the sensing value to the processor by the amplifier;

reading the sensing data stored in the memory unit corresponding to the sensing unit by the amplifier according to another addressing signal and providing the sensing data to the processor by the amplifier; and

generating the sensing result according to the sensing value and the corresponding sensing data by the processor.

15. The sensing method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

storing information regarding an operation or algorithm performed by the array sensor into the memory units by the processor, wherein the information is read by the processor.

16. The sensing method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, storing the sensing result corresponding to the sensing unit into the memory unit corresponding to the sensing unit via the amplifier as the sensing data by the processor.

17. The sensing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the array sensor is a fingerprint sensor, and further comprises:

an insulating surface disposed on the sensing array.

18. The sensing method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the step of non-simultaneously accessing the sensing array and the memory array to, for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, read the sensing value of the sensing electrode of each of the sensing unit from the sensing array and output the sensing value to the processor by the amplifier, and read the sensing data from the corresponding memory unit of the memory array and output the sensing data to the processor by the amplifier further comprises:

for each of the sensing units in the sensing array, controlling the amplifier by the processor to store the sensing value of the sensing electrode of the sensing unit into the corresponding memory unit as the sensing data when a finger contacts the insulating surface; and

generating fingerprint information of the finger according to all of the sensing data stored in the memory units by the processor.