Personal identification apparatus using measured tactile pressure

• US 20060132315A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kulite Semiconductor Products Inc
• Original Assignee: Kulite Semiconductor Products Inc
• Inventors: Kurtz, Anthony D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,180,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/11 Hand-related biometrics; Hand pose recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

A personal identification system employs a matrix of pressure sensors mounted to a plate having a template of a human hand. When a person'"'"'s hand is placed on the plate and overlying the template a pressure profile of the person'"'"'s hand is provided. This profile is compared with a stored pressure profile of the same person'"'"'s hand. If the pressure points or profiles correlate a positive identification of the person is made.

Claims

1. A personal identification apparatus for measuring tactile pressures exerted by a person'"'"'s hand and indicative of his identity, comprising:

a matrix plate having a plurality of pressure sensors distributed on said plate, each operative to provide an output signal proportional to a pressure applied to said plate at the area at which said sensor is located, to enable said sensors to provide said output when a person'"'"'s hand is emplaced on said plate to exert a pressure on said matrix,

storage means for strong pressure profile signals of enrolled persons requiring identification,

means for comparing said stored pressure profile with said output pressure signals to provide a favorable comparison when said output signals conform to said stored profile signals for positively identifying said person.

2. The personal identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pressure plate has a template of a human hand on a surface thereof, with said pressure sensors located within the area encompassed by said template.

3. The personal identification apparatus according to claim 2 wherein given areas within said hand template contain more pressure sensors than other areas of said template.

4. The personal identification apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensors are arranged in an X-Y matrix.

5. The personal identification apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor employs piezoresistive elements arranged in a Wheatstone Bridge configuration.

6. The personal identification apparatus according to claim 4 further including:

a scanner coupled to said X-Y matrix and operative to scan said matrix by rows and columns to provide scanned output signals.

7. The personal identification apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said scanned output signals are stored in a memory.

8. The personal identification apparatus according to claim 1 further including a microprocessor operative to control said storage means and said means for comparing to enable pressure points to be compared under microprocessor control.

9. The personal identification apparatus according to claim 1 further including temperature sensing means located on said plate and operative to measure the temperature of a human hand emplaced on said plate.

10. A personal identification apparatus for measuring tactile pressures indicative of a person'"'"'s identity, comprising:

a replication matrix indicative of a template of a hand and capable of accommodating typical variations of people'"'"'s hand size,

a plurality of pressure sensors distributed within said matrix, each providing an output signal when a person'"'"'s hand is emplaced to exert pressure on said matrix,

storage means for storing pressure profile signals of enrolled persons having access to said personal identification apparatus,

means for comparing said provided output signals with said stored profile signal indicative of a person to be identified to provide a favorable comparison when said output signals conform to said stored profile signals for positively identifying said person.

11. The personal identification apparatus according to claim 10, wherein given areas of said hand template contain a greater number of pressure sensors than other areas.

12. The personal identification apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said pressure sensors are arranged in a X-Y matrix array.

19. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said sensors are piezoresistive elements positioned on a silicon substrate and arranged in a Wheatstone bridge configuration.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein each sensor has a central boss which extends above the sensor substrate surface and which boss receives the applied exerted pressure to direct the same to said piezoresistors.

13. A method of performing personal identification of a user who requires identification to be authorized, comprising the steps of:

providing a matrix of pressure sensors on a plate to which said user'"'"'s hand can be emplaced,

first employing said user'"'"'s hand on said plate to cause selective pressure sensors responsive to the pressure applied by said hand to provide profile output signals,

storing said output signals in a memory to obtain a hand pressure profile for said user.

14. The method according to claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

second emplacing said user'"'"'s hand on said plate to cause pressure sensors to provide output signals according to applied pressure, and

comparing said output signals with said stored signals to provide a favorable comparison when said signals correlate indicative of said user'"'"'s identity to enable said user to be authorized.

15. The method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of providing a matrix indicative of a hand template to accommodate various human hand sizes.

16. The method according to claim 15 comprising the step of:

selecting predetermined areas within said hand template for monitoring said areas to a greater resolution than other areas within said hand template.

17. The method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of:

scanning said matrix by row and column according to an X-Y address for each pressure sensor and to store said sensor output according to said X-Y address.

18. The method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of:

employing a microprocessor to control the storing of said output signals.