Automatic gain amplifier for biometric sensor device

• US 6,518,560 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2000
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Veridicom, Inc. (Veridicom International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Veridicom, Inc. (Veridicom International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheng, Ericson W., Yeh, Hsueh-Li J., Russo, Anthony P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Song, Hoon K.
• Application Number:
  US09/560,702
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.AG, 250/214.LA, 250/214.LS, 250/214.1, 250/214.R, 250/214.P, 250/208.1, 382/313, 382/214, 382/115
• US Class Current: 250/214.0AG
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

An automatic gain amplifier is disclosed that dynamically improves the quality of scanned biometric information. According to one embodiment, an image distribution of the scanned biometric is generated. Next, areas of higher image distribution are identified. An iterative process of adjusting the gain of, for instance, a capacitive sensing, is employed until an optimum separation of the areas of higher image distribution is achieved. Once the optimum separation is achieved, the gain is applied to the biometric sensing device so that biometric information can be scanned with improved image clarity. Electronic circuitry and software for implementing the methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for implementing an automatic gain amplifier in a biometric sensing device, comprising:

sensing biometric information from said biometric sensing device;

transforming said sensed biometric information into a pixel-based image corresponding to said biometric information;

counting a frequency of occurrence of pixel-values in said pixel-based image;

selecting at least two of said counted frequency of occurrence of pixel-values as a first peak and a second peak;

determining a separation pixel-value between said first peak and said second peak; and

adjusting a gain amplifier coupled to said biometric sensing device in an iterative manner until said second peak is not less than thirty separation pixel values from said first peak.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said biometric sensing device comprises a capacitive fingerprint sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said capacitive fingerprint sensor comprises a finger sensing element configured to enable said biometric sensing device when a finger is present.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said biometric sensing device utilizes an optical fingerprint sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjustment of the automatic gain amplifier is performed by a microcontroller.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the microcontroller has input comprising said pixel-values and an output comprising a signal that controls gain of said gain amplifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said input to said microcontroller corresponds to a charge differential at a capacitive sensing element over a fixed period, and in response to said charge differential, performs said step of adjusting said gain of said gain amplifier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said charge differential is measured in a two phase process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of iteratively adjusting said gain amplifier is accomplished by adjusting a capacitance value of a variable capacitor within said gain amplifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of adjusting said capacitance value of said variable capacitor is accomplished in a successive approximations manner.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more steps of iteratively adjusting said gain amplifier are stored in object code in a persistent memory.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing said pixel-values for specific biometric pattern information when said separation pixel-value is within a specified threshold.

13. An automatic gain amplifier for a biometric sensing device, said automatic gain amplifier comprising:

an operational amplifier having a negative input, a positive input and an output;

a bias voltage input coupled to said negative input through a first capacitor;

a first biometric voltage input coupled to said negative input;

a second biometric voltage input coupled to said positive input, said first biometric input voltage and said second biometric input voltage coupled through a second capacitor;

a programmable capacitance coupled between said negative input and said output, said programmable capacitance inversely proportional to a gain of said automatic gain amplifier; and

a microcontroller communicatively coupled to said programmable capacitance, said microcontroller configured to iteratively adjust said programmable capacitance, said iterative adjustments dependent upon a separation pixel-value between a first peak and a second peak in a pixel-value frequency distribution generated from a plurality of biometric sensing elements in said biometric sensing device.

14. The automatic gain amplifier of claim 13, wherein said microcontroller comprises:

a microprocessor;

a persistent memory;

a volatile memory, each connected through a common bus to the microprocessor; and

an input/output interface communicatively connected to said microcontroller, said input/output interface having an input and an output, said input configured to receive pixel data, said output configured to drive a signal used to adjust a capacitance of said programmable capacitance.

15. The automatic gain amplifier of claim 14, wherein said pixel data received through said input is stored in said volatile memory.

16. The automatic gain amplifier of claim 13, wherein said biometric sensing device comprises:

a sensor chip having an array of capacitive sensing elements;

a biometric contact surface disposed above said array of capacitive sensing elements; and

a passivation layer disposed between said sensing elements and said biometric contact surface.

17. The automatic gain amplifier of claim 13, wherein adjusting said programmable capacitance increases clarity of a pixel-based image created from said plurality of biometric sensing elements.

18. A method for controlling image clarity in a biometric sensing device, comprising:

receiving biometric information from said biometric sensing device;

transforming said sensed biometric information into a pixel-based image comprised of pixel-values corresponding to said biometric information;

counting a frequency of occurrence of said pixel-values in said pixel-based image;

selecting at least two of said counted frequency of occurrence of said pixel-values as a first peak and a second peak;

determining a separation pixel-value between said first peak and said second peak;

inverting said pixel-values;

calculating an adjustment value based on said separation pixel-value; and

adjusting a gain of said biometric sensing device corresponding to said adjustment value.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising repeating claim 18 until said separation-pixel value is within a specified threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising analyzing said plurality of pixel-values for specific biometric pattern information when said separation pixel-value is within said specified threshold.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said steps of reading biometric information from said biometric sensing device and transforming said sensed biometric information into a pixel-based image comprised of pixel-values comprises:

sampling a first charge at a capacitive plate;

discharging said capacitive plate for a fixed period of time;

sampling a second charge at said capacitive plate after said fixed period of time;

measuring a difference in charge between said first charge and said second charge; and

transforming said difference in charge into one of said pixel-values.