Fingerprint Sensor in an Electronic Device

• US 20150036065A1
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bussat, Jean-Marie, Lyon, Benjamin B., Gozzini, Giovanni, Hotelling, Steven P., Yousefpor, Marduke, Setlak, Dale
• Granted Patent: US 9,984,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means

Abstract

A fingerprint sensor is incorporated in a display stack in an electronic device. A single fingerprint can be captured at one time at a single pre-defined fixed location on a display. Alternatively, a single fingerprint can be acquired at one time at any location on a display. Alternatively, multiple touches on the display can be acquired substantially simultaneously where only one fingerprint is captured at a time or where all of the fingerprints are acquired at the same time. The fingerprint sensor can be implemented as an integrated circuit connected to a bottom surface of a cover sheet, near the bottom surface of the cover sheet, or connected to a top surface of a display. Alternatively, the fingerprint sensor can be implemented as a full panel fingerprint sensor.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display stack comprising a cover sheet disposed over a display layer; and

a fingerprint sensor included in the display stack to capture a fingerprint image of a finger positioned on a top surface of the cover sheet.

2. The electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising a processing device operably connected to the fingerprint sensor.

3. The electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising a processing device operably connected to the display layer.

4. The electronic device as in claim 1, wherein an intermediate layer is disposed between the cover sheet and the display layer.

5. The electronic device as in claim 1, wherein the fingerprint sensor is attached to a bottom surface of the cover sheet.

6. The electronic device as in claim 1, further comprising one or more blind vias formed in the cover sheet above the fingerprint sensor, wherein a length of each blind via is less than a thickness of the cover sheet.

7. The electronic device as in claim 6, further comprising one or more conductive plates positioned between a top surface of the fingerprint sensor and a bottom surface of the cover sheet.

8. The electronic device as in claim 1, wherein the cover sheet comprises an upper cover sheet and a lower cover sheet attached to the upper cover sheet, and wherein the fingerprint sensor is attached to a bottom surface of the lower cover sheet.

9. The electronic device as in claim 8, further comprising one or more through vias formed in the lower cover sheet above the fingerprint sensor, wherein a length of the through vias is substantially equal to a thickness of the lower cover sheet.

10. The electronic device as in claim 9, further comprising a conductive plate positioned near a top and a bottom of at least one through via.

11. The electronic device as in claim 1, wherein the fingerprint sensor comprises a full panel fingerprint sensor.

12. The electronic device as in claim 11, wherein the full panel fingerprint sensor also functions as a touch sensing device.

13. The electronic device as in claim 11, wherein the cover sheet comprises:

a first cover sheet disposed over the full panel fingerprint sensor, wherein the full panel fingerprint sensor comprises a full panel capacitive fingerprint sensor and a first remote electronics is disposed at an edge of the full panel capacitive fingerprint sensor; and

a second cover sheet disposed below the full panel capacitive fingerprint sensor.

14. The electronic device as in claim 13, further comprising an intermediate layer disposed between the second cover sheet and the display layer, wherein a second remote electronics is operably connected to the first remote electronics and the second remote electronics is attached to one of the display layer and the bottom surface of the second cover sheet.

15. The electronic device as in claim 13, further comprising one or more blind vias formed in the first cover sheet above the full panel capacitive fingerprint sensor, wherein a length of each blind via is less than a thickness of the cover sheet.

16. The electronic device as in claim 15, further comprising one or more conductive plates positioned between a top surface of the fingerprint sensor and a bottom surface of the first cover sheet.

17. The electronic device as in claim 13, further comprising one or more through vias formed in the first cover sheet above the full panel capacitive fingerprint sensor, wherein a length of the through vias is substantially equal to a thickness of the first cover sheet.

19. The electronic device as in claim 11, wherein the full panel fingerprint sensor comprises a full panel ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, the full panel ultrasonic fingerprint sensor comprising:

an ultrasonic piezoelectric receiver layer attached to an intermediate layer in the display stack, wherein the intermediate layer is positioned between the cover sheet and the display layer; and

an ultrasonic piezoelectric transmitter layer below the ultrasonic piezoelectric receiver layer, wherein the display layer is positioned between the ultrasonic piezoelectric receiver layer and the ultrasonic piezoelectric transmitter layer.

20. The electronic device as in claim 19, further comprising remote sensing electronics operably connected to the ultrasonic piezoelectric receiver layer.

18. The electronic device as in claim 18, further comprising a conductive plate positioned near a top and a bottom of at least one through via.

21. An electronic device, comprising:

a display+in-cell ultrasonic piezoelectric receiver layer attached between an intermediate layer in a display stack and an ultrasonic piezoelectric transmitter layer.

22. The electronic device as in claim 21, further comprising remote sensing electronics operably connected to the display+in-cell ultrasonic piezoelectric receiver layer.

23. An electronic device, comprising:

a full panel ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, the full panel ultrasonic fingerprint sensor comprising a display+in-cell capacitive sensing layer attached to an intermediate layer in a display stack.

24. The electronic device as in claim 23, further comprising remote sensing electronics operably connected to the display+in-cell capacitive sensing layer.

25. A display for an electronic device, the display comprising:

a cover sheet disposed over a touch sensing layer;

a display layer disposed below the touch sensing layer;

an ultrasonic receiver layer disposed below the display layer;

an ultrasonic transmitter layer disposed below the ultrasonic receiver layer; and

a full panel ultrasonic fingerprint sensor positioned between the ultrasonic receiver layer and the ultrasonic transmitter layer.

26. The display as in claim 25, wherein the ultrasonic receiver layer comprises a piezoelectric copolymer receiver layer and the second layer a polyvinylidene fluoride transmitter layer.