Method for obtaining biometric data for an individual in a secure transaction

• US 20050194866A1
• Filed: 11/02/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BRAZOS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC
• Original Assignee: Cross Match Technologies Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Scott, Walter G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,132,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/344
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

Provided are a method and system for a biometric sensing apparatus. An apparatus includes an input signal generator configured to produce an activation signal. Also includes is a piezoelectric ceramic sensor having a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements arrayed and spaced to (i) receive the activation signal (ii) detect one or more features of a digit proximate to the array in accordance with the received activation signal and (iii) produce output signals representative thereof. A processor is coupled to the sensor to process the output signals.

Claims

1. A biometric sensing apparatus, comprising:

an input signal generator configured to produce an activation signal;

a piezoelectric ceramic sensor having a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements arrayed and spaced to (i) receive the activation signal (ii) detect one or more features of a digit proximate to the array in accordance with the received activation signal and (iii) produce output signals representative thereof; and

a circuit coupled to the sensor to process the output signals.

2. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least twenty five thousand piezoelectric ceramic elements;

and

wherein each piezoelectric ceramic element has a size equal to or less than about eighty microns by about two hundred twenty microns.

3. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least sixteen thousand elements;

and

wherein each piezoelectric ceramic element has a size equal to or less than about two hundred microns by about five hundred microns.

4. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output signals include biometric features representative of the digit.

5. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor produces data representative of the detected biometric feature.

6. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detected biometric feature is a print ridge pattern.

7. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the print ridge pattern is associated with a thumb or finger

8. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detected biometric feature is blood flow.

9. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the blood flow includes arteriole blood flow.

10. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the blood flow includes capillary blood flow.

11. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detected biometric feature is an arteriole-veinal map.

12. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detected biometric feature is a bone map.

13. The biometric sensing biometric sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor operates in a voltage mode to produce voltage data, and the processor includes a voltage detector that processes voltage data received from the sensor to produce the output.

14. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor operates in a Doppler-shift mode to produce Doppler-shift data, and the processor includes a Doppler-shift detector that processes Doppler-shift data received from the sensor to produce the output.

15. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor operates in an echo mode to produce echo data, and the processor includes a signal-time-of-travel detector that processes echo data received from the sensor to produce the output.

16. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a multiplexer that couples the input signal generator to the sensor and to the processor.

17. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the piezoelectric ceramic elements includes a first and second end, and wherein the multiplexer comprises:

a plurality of first conductors coupled to the first ends of piezoelectric ceramic elements in corresponding rows;

a plurality of first switches each of which is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of first conductors;

a plurality of second conductors coupled to the second ends of piezoelectric ceramic elements in corresponding columns; and

a plurality of second switches each of which is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of second conductors;

wherein the plurality of first conductors are approximately orthogonal to the plurality of second conductors; and

wherein the plurality of first switches are controlled to couple a signal output from an output port of the input signal generator to a particular piezoelectric ceramic element of the plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements; and

wherein the plurality of second switches are controlled to couple a signal associated with the particular piezoelectric ceramic element of the plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements to an input port of the processor.

18. The biometric sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transmitter coupled to the processor that transmits the output.

19. A biometric sensing apparatus, comprising:

an input signal generator configured to produce an activation signal;

a piezoelectric ceramic sensor having a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements arrayed and spaced to (i) receive the activation signal (ii) detect one or more features of a digit proximate to the array in accordance with the received activation signal and (iii) produce output signals representative thereof; and

a processor coupled to the sensor to process the output signals;

a multiplexer that couples the input signal generator to the sensor and to the processor; and

a wireless transmitter coupled to the processor that transmits the output signals.

20. A method for obtaining data representative of a biometric feature of a digit of an individual, the method comprising:

(1) piezo-electrically sensing at least one biometric feature of the digit;

(2) producing an output signal representative of the sensed biometric feature; and

(3) processing the output signal to identify the biometric feature.

21. A biometric sensing apparatus, comprising:

a sensor having at least twenty five thousand approximately rectangular piezoelectric ceramic elements, each piezoelectric ceramic element having a size equal to or less than approximately eighty microns by eighty microns by two hundred twenty microns, the sensor being responsive to features of a digit proximate to the sensor; and

a processor coupled to the sensor and configured to receive data from the sensor and produce a first output representative of features of the digit;

wherein the sensor operates in a Doppler-shift mode to produce Doppler-shift data, and the processor includes a Doppler-shift detector that processes Doppler-shift data received from the sensor to produce a second output.

22. A biometric sensing apparatus, comprising:

a sensor having at least twenty five thousand approximately rectangular piezoelectric ceramic elements, each piezoelectric ceramic element having a size equal to or less than approximately eighty microns by eighty microns by two hundred twenty microns, the sensor being responsive to features of a digit proximate to the sensor; and

a processor coupled to the sensor and configured to receive data from the sensor and produce a first output representative of features of the digit;

wherein the sensor operates in an echo mode to produce echo data, the processor including a signal-time-of-travel detector to process echo data received from the sensor to produce a second output.

23. A biometric sensing apparatus, comprising:

a sensor having at least twenty five thousand approximately rectangular piezoelectric ceramic elements, each piezoelectric ceramic element having a size equal to or less than approximately eighty microns by eighty microns by two hundred twenty microns, the sensor being responsive to features of a digit proximate to the sensor; and

a processor coupled to the sensor and configured to receive data from the sensor and produce a first output representative of features of the digit;

wherein the sensor operates in a voltage mode to produce voltage data, the processor including a voltage detector to process voltage data received from the sensor to produce a second output.

24. A biometric sensing apparatus, comprising:

a piezoelectric ceramic sensor having a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements arranged in an array, the piezoelectric ceramic elements being spaced on a pitch equal to or less than approximately one hundred microns to detect features of a digit proximate to the array; and

a processor coupled to the sensor and (i) configured to receive an input from the sensor representative of features of the digit and (ii) produce a first output, wherein the sensor operates in a Doppler-shift mode to produce Doppler-shift data, the processor including a Doppler-shift detector to process Doppler-shift data received from the sensor to produce a second output.

25. A biometric sensing apparatus, comprising:

a piezoelectric ceramic sensor having a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements arranged in an array, the piezoelectric ceramic elements of said array being spaced on a pitch equal to or less than approximately one hundred microns to detect features of a digit proximate to the array; and

a processor coupled to the sensor and configured to receive data from the sensor and produce a first output representative of features of the digit;

wherein the sensor operates in an echo mode to produce echo data, the processor including a signal-time-of-travel detector to process echo data received from said sensor to produce a second output.

26. A biometric sensing apparatus, comprising:

a piezoelectric ceramic sensor having a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements arranged in an array, the piezoelectric ceramic elements of the array being spaced on a pitch equal to or less than approximately one hundred microns to detect features of a digit proximate to said array; and

a processor coupled to the sensor and configured to receive data from the sensor and produce a first output representative of features of the digit;

wherein the sensor operates in a voltage mode to produce voltage data, the processor including a voltage detector to process voltage data received from the sensor to produce a second output.

27. A biometric sensing apparatus, comprising:

a sensor having at least twenty five thousand approximately rectangular piezoelectric ceramic elements, each piezoelectric ceramic element having a size equal to or less than approximately eighty microns by eighty microns by two hundred twenty microns, the sensor being responsive to features of a digit proximate to the sensor; and

a processor coupled to the sensor and configured to receive data from the sensor and produce a first output representative of features of the digit; and

an input signal generator configured to apply an AC voltage signal across the piezoelectric ceramic elements.