TOUCH BASED DATA COMMUNICATION USING BIOMETRIC FINGER SENSOR AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20100321159A1
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: AuthenTec Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Arthur L.
• Application Number:
  US12/816,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321159A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.83
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/26 using a biometric sensor integrated in the pass
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means

Abstract

A communications system may include a terminal device that may include a housing, and a conductive radio frequency (RF) terminal receiver carried by the housing for receiving an RF signal conducted via contact with a user. The communications system may also include a user device including a portable housing, and a finger sensor carried by the portable housing and that may include RF excitation circuitry for sensing a finger of the user, and for serving as a conductive RF user device transmitter to transmit the RF signal onto the user to be received by the conductive RF terminal receiver.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

a terminal device comprising

a housing, and

a conductive radio frequency (RF) terminal receiver carried by said housing for receiving an RF signal conducted via contact with a user; and

a user device comprising

a portable housing, and

a finger sensor carried by said portable housing and comprising radio frequency (RF) excitation circuitry for sensing a finger of the user, said RF excitation circuitry also for serving as a conductive RF user device transmitter to transmit the RF signal onto the user to be received by said conductive RF terminal receiver.

2. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein said RF excitation circuitry is for performing a user authentication function.

3. The communications system according to claim 2, wherein said RF excitation circuitry transmits the RF signal onto the user based upon a successful user authentication.

4. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein said RF excitation circuitry is for performing a device navigation function.

5. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein said user device further comprises a wireless transceiver carried by said portable housing.

6. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein said RF excitation circuitry is also for serving as a conductive RF user device receiver for receiving an RF signal from the user.

7. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein said finger sensor further comprises a drive electrode coupled to said RF excitation circuitry to transmit the RF signal onto the finger of the user.

8. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal device comprises a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device.

9. A user device comprising:

a portable housing; and

a finger sensor carried by said portable housing and comprising radio frequency (RF) excitation circuitry for sensing a finger of a user, said RF excitation circuitry also for serving as a conductive RF user device transmitter to transmit the RF signal onto the user.

10. The user device according to claim 9, wherein said RF excitation circuitry is for performing a user authentication function.

11. The user device according to claim 10, wherein said RF excitation circuitry transmits the RF signal onto the user based upon a successful user authentication.

12. The user device according to claim 9, wherein said RF excitation circuitry is for performing a device navigation function.

13. The user device according to claim 9, further comprising a wireless transceiver carried by said portable housing.

14. The user device according to claim 9, wherein said RF excitation circuitry is also for serving as a conductive RF user device receiver for receiving an RF signal from the user.

15. A communications system comprising:

a conductive radio frequency (RF) receiver for receiving an RF signal conducted via contact with a user; and

a user device comprising

a portable housing, and

a finger sensor carried by said portable housing and comprising radio frequency (RF) excitation circuitry for sensing a finger of the user, for performing a user authentication function, and for serving as a conductive RF transmitter to transmit the RF signal onto the user to be received by said conductive RF receiver.

16. The communications system according to claim 15, wherein said RF excitation circuitry transmits the RF signal onto the user based upon a successful user authentication.

17. The communications system according to claim 15, wherein said user device further comprises a wireless transceiver carried by said portable housing.

18. The communications system according to claim 15, wherein said RF excitation circuitry is also for serving as a conductive RF user device receiver for receiving an RF signal from the user.

19. The communications system according to claim 15, wherein said finger sensor further comprises a drive electrode coupled to said RF excitation circuitry to transmit the RF signal onto the finger of the user.

20. A communications system comprising:

a conductive radio frequency (RF) receiver carried by said housing for receiving an RF signal conducted via contact with a user; and

a user device comprising

a portable housing, and

a finger sensor carried by said portable housing and comprising radio frequency (RF) excitation circuitry for sensing a finger of the user, for performing a device navigation function, and for serving as a conductive RF transmitter to transmit the RF signal onto the user to be received by said conductive RF receiver.

21. The communications system according to claim 20, wherein said user device further comprises a wireless transceiver carried by said portable housing.

22. The communications system according to claim 20, wherein said finger sensor further comprises a drive electrode coupled to said RF excitation circuitry to transmit the RF signal onto the finger of the user.

23. The communications system according to claim 20, wherein said RF excitation circuitry is also for serving as a conductive RF user device receiver for receiving an RF signal from the user.

24. A method for communicating comprising:

using RF excitation circuitry of a user device for sensing a finger of the user;

using the RF excitation circuitry for serving as a conductive RF transmitter to transmit the RF signal onto the user.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising receiving the RF signal from an RF receiver of a terminal device via contact with the user.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein further comprising performing a user authentication function using the RF excitation circuitry.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein transmitting the RF signal onto the user based is based upon a successful user authentication.

28. The method according to claim 24, further comprising performing a device navigation function using the RF excitation circuitry.

29. The method according to claim 24, further comprising transmitting another RF signal onto the user from the terminal device to be received by the user device.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein the terminal device comprises a point-of-sale (POS) terminal device.