Pressure actuated biometric sensor

• US 20080166028A1
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Joseph J. Turek, Katrina S. Champagne, Richard G. Wood, Robert J. Encamacion
• Original Assignee: Joseph J. Turek, Katrina S. Champagne, Richard G. Wood, Robert J. Encamacion
• Inventors: Champagne, Katrina S., Turek, Joseph J., Encamacion, Robert J., Wood, Richard G.
• Application Number:
  US11/651,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20080166028A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

The method and system disclosed herein decreases the rejection rate in fingerprint capturing and authentication by a pressure actuated fingerprint sensing module. The biometric device for fingerprint recognition of a user comprises a fingerprint sensing module for capturing the fingerprint image of the user at a pre-specified pressure, or a pre-specified pressure range. The fingerprint sensing module comprises a fingerprint capturing module, a pressure sensing module, a sensor memory and a sensor controlling module. The fingerprint capturing module captures the fingerprint when the pressure applied by the finger reaches the pre-specified pressure, or when the applied pressure falls within the pre-specified pressure range. The pressure sensing module measures the pressure applied on the fingerprint capturing module. The sensor memory stores a pre-defined set of pressures or pressure ranges. The sensor controlling module actuates the capture of the fingerprint image at a pre-specified pressure or in a pressure range.

Claims

1. A biometric device for fingerprint-recognition of a user, comprising:

a fingerprint sensing module for capturing the fingerprint image of said user at a pre-specified pressure, further comprising;

a fingerprint capturing module for capturing said fingerprint image;

a pressure sensing module for measuring the pressure applied on said fingerprint capturing module;

a sensor memory for storing said pre-specified pressure; and

a sensor controlling module for actuating the capture of said fingerprint image at said pre-specified pressure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said pre-specified pressure comprises a threshold pressure, and a time factor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said threshold pressure is the pressure applied on the fingerprint capturing module sensor above which the fingerprint is captured.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said time factor is the minimum time interval for which pressure applied by the finger has to be maintained at the pre-specified pressure to capture the fingerprint.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-specified pressure can be set at any pressure stored in the sensor memory.

6. The system claim 1, wherein the biometric device further comprises a temporary memory for storing a captured fingerprint.

7. The system claim 1, wherein the biometric device further comprises a fingerprint database for storing fingerprint templates of registered users.

8. The system claim 1, wherein the biometric device further comprises a matching module for comparing said captured fingerprint with fingerprint templates.

9. The system claim 1, wherein the biometric device comprises an input device for inputting the pre-specified pressure.

10. The system claim 1, wherein the biometric device comprises an output device for displaying the authentication result.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the output device displays an indicator when the pre-specified pressure is met.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said fingerprint capturing module comprise a capacitive fingerprint sensor, optical fingerprint sensor, thermal fingerprint sensor, a tactile fingerprint sensor, an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, etc.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensing module comprise a piezoelectric pressure sensor, capacitive pressure sensor, a silicon pressure sensor, a strain gage pressure sensor and a resonant wire pressure sensor, etc.

14. The system claim 1, wherein said pressure sensing module comprises a flexible module, and a pressure transducer.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein fingerprint templates are generated using the fingerprint samples captured during registration.

15. The system of claim 15, wherein said flexible module comprises a curved spring, a U shaped spring, a flat spring and a flexible membrane.

17. A method of capturing the fingerprint of a user at a pre-specified pressure comprising the steps of:

setting a pre-specified pressure at which the fingerprint is captured;

placing a finger on a fingerprint capturing module;

monitoring pressure applied by the finger on the fingerprint capturing module; and

,

capturing the fingerprint when the pressure applied by the finger on the fingerprint capturing module reaches the pre-specified pressure.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said pre-specified pressure is set depending on a user profile.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said user profile is determined after authentication buy a personal identification number based initial authentication, prior to capturing the fingerprint.

20. A method of capturing the fingerprint of a user at a pre-specified pressure range comprising the steps of:

setting a pre-specified pressure range for capture of the fingerprint;

placing a finger on a fingerprint capturing module;

monitoring pressure applied by the finger on the fingerprint capturing module; and

,

capturing the fingerprint when the pressure applied by the finger on the fingerprint capturing module is within the pre-specified pressure range.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said pre-specified pressure range comprises a lower threshold pressure, an upper threshold pressure, and a time factor.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said lower threshold pressure is the minimum pressure applied by the finger on the fingerprint capturing module for capture of the fingerprint.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said upper threshold pressure is the maximum pressure applied by the finger on the fingerprint capturing module above which the fingerprint is not captured.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said time factor is the minimum time interval during which pressure needs to be applied by the finger on the fingerprint capturing module within the pre-specified pressure range to allow capture of the fingerprint.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the pre-specified pressure range can be selected from a stored list of pressure ranges.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein said pressure ranges are stored in said sensor memory.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the user sets the pre-specified pressure range.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the pre-specified pressure range is set depending on a profile of the user.