Fingerprint input apparatus
First Claim
1. A fingerprint input apparatus comprising:
- a prism placed such that a surface in one direction serves as a fingerprint collection surface;
a light source for irradiating light on the fingerprint collection surface through said prism;
a pinhole set in a path of light which is reflected by a pattern surface of a finger placed on said fingerprint collection surface and emerges from said prism; and
an imaging plane on which the light emerging from said prism and passing through said pinhole is formed into an image, wherein when said prism is substituted by air, an optical fingerprint collection surface equivalent to the fingerprint collection surface is set to be substantially parallel to said imaging plane if the optical path from said optical fingerprint collection surface to said imaging plane is a straight line.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fingerprint input apparatus includes a prism, a light source, a pinhole, and an imaging plane. The prism is placed such that a surface in one direction serves as a fingerprint collection surface. The light source irradiates light on the fingerprint collection surface through the prism. The pinhole is set in the path of light which is reflected by the pattern surface of a finger placed on the fingerprint collection surface and emerges from the prism. The light emerging from the prism and passing through the pinhole is formed into an image on the imaging plane. When the prism is substituted by air, an optical fingerprint collection surface equivalent to the fingerprint collection surface is set to be substantially parallel to the imaging plane.
52 Citations
6 Claims
-
1. A fingerprint input apparatus comprising:
-
a prism placed such that a surface in one direction serves as a fingerprint collection surface;
a light source for irradiating light on the fingerprint collection surface through said prism;
a pinhole set in a path of light which is reflected by a pattern surface of a finger placed on said fingerprint collection surface and emerges from said prism; and
an imaging plane on which the light emerging from said prism and passing through said pinhole is formed into an image, wherein when said prism is substituted by air, an optical fingerprint collection surface equivalent to the fingerprint collection surface is set to be substantially parallel to said imaging plane if the optical path from said optical fingerprint collection surface to said imaging plane is a straight line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
Specification
-
- Resources
-
Current AssigneeYamatake-Honeywell Company Limited
-
Original AssigneeYamatake-Honeywell Company Limited
-
InventorsFujiwara, Hisatoshi
-
Primary Examiner(s)MEHTA, BHAVESH M
-
Application NumberUS08/985,112Time in Patent Office1,160 DaysField of Search382/127, 382/124, 356/71, 356/126, 356/115US Class Current382/127CPC Class CodesG06V 40/1324 by using geometrical optics...
