Fingerprint input apparatus
First Claim
1. A fingerprint input apparatus comprising:
- an image sensor composed of;
(a) a two-dimensional substrate;
(b) a two-dimensional image sensor formed on said substrate and made of a large number of light-receiving means arranged in a matrix on said substrate; and
(c) a thin, transparent non-conductive member covering and protecting the light-receiving means, an image of the fingerprint pattern being directly input to a light-receiving surface of said light-receiving means; and
a fingerprint recognition section receiving a signal representing an image of a fingerprint from said two-dimensional image sensor, when a fingerprint to be imaged is placed on said thin, transparent non-conductive member so as to be in close proximity to said two-dimensional image sensor only scattered light emerging from a finger that is directly received by said two-dimensional image sensor, wherein light emerging from ridge portions of the fingerprint in contact with said thin, transparent non-conductive member passes through said member to light-receiving elements in close proximity to the ridge portions of the fingerprint and detected as bright portions of the fingerprint image but light emerging from valley portions of the fingerprint and therefore not in contact with said thin, transparent non-conductive member is refracted from said member and scattered within a skin and air interface between said member and the valley portions so as to become diffuse and detected as dark portions of the fingerprint, thereby producing an image of the fingerprint input to said fingerprint recognition section.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fingerprint input apparatus includes scattered light and a two-dimensional image sensor. The scattered light is generated inside a finger having a fingerprint pattern in accordance with external light. The fingerprint pattern is made up of a ridge portion and a valley portion. The two-dimensional image sensor is made of a large number of light-receiving elements arranged in a two-dimensional array. The image of the fingerprint pattern is input to a light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element. The light-receiving element whose light-receiving surface is in substantially contact with the ridge portion detects as the ridge portion a bright portion where the scattered light emerging from the finger reaches at a high intensity. The light-receiving element whose light-receiving surface corresponds to the valley portion via a space detects as the valley portion a dark portion where the scattering light emerging from the finger reaches at a low intensity.
49 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A fingerprint input apparatus comprising:
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an image sensor composed of;
(a) a two-dimensional substrate;
(b) a two-dimensional image sensor formed on said substrate and made of a large number of light-receiving means arranged in a matrix on said substrate; and
(c) a thin, transparent non-conductive member covering and protecting the light-receiving means, an image of the fingerprint pattern being directly input to a light-receiving surface of said light-receiving means; and
a fingerprint recognition section receiving a signal representing an image of a fingerprint from said two-dimensional image sensor, when a fingerprint to be imaged is placed on said thin, transparent non-conductive member so as to be in close proximity to said two-dimensional image sensor only scattered light emerging from a finger that is directly received by said two-dimensional image sensor, wherein light emerging from ridge portions of the fingerprint in contact with said thin, transparent non-conductive member passes through said member to light-receiving elements in close proximity to the ridge portions of the fingerprint and detected as bright portions of the fingerprint image but light emerging from valley portions of the fingerprint and therefore not in contact with said thin, transparent non-conductive member is refracted from said member and scattered within a skin and air interface between said member and the valley portions so as to become diffuse and detected as dark portions of the fingerprint, thereby producing an image of the fingerprint input to said fingerprint recognition section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An image sensor adapted to generate an electrical signal representing an image of a skin surface of a finger, said image sensor comprising:
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a transparent cover having first and second surfaces; and
a plurality of light responsive means arranged under said second surface of said cover, when said first surface of said cover is in contact with said skin surface of said finger, said light responsive means being responsive only to light directly emerging from an inside of said finger through said cover to generate said electrical signal representing said image of said skin surface of a finger. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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- 19. An image sensor adapted to generate an electrical signal representing an image of a skin surface of a finger, said image sensor comprising a plurality of light responsive means, at least one of which is disposed between a ridge and a valley of a fingerprint, light from outside said finger entering said finger and emerging from said finger as scattered light, said plurality of light responsive means generating said electrical signal representing an image of a skin surface of a finger only from scattered light directly emerging from an inside of said finger and not reflected light from outside of said finger.
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28. An-image sensor adapted to generate an electrical signal representing an image of a skin surface of a finger, said image sensor comprising:
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a transparent cover having first and second surfaces; and
a plurality of light responsive means arranged under said second surface of said cover, when said first surface of said cover is in contact with said skin surface of said finger, said plurality of light responsive means generating said electrical signal representing an image of a skin surface of a finger from scattered light directly emerging from an inside of said finger without a light source under said transparent cover. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An image sensor adapted to generate an electrical signal representing an image of a skin surface of a finger, said image sensor comprising:
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a transparent cover having first and second surfaces; and
a plurality of light responsive means arranged under said second surface of said cover, when said first surface of said cover is in contact with said skin surface of said finger, said plurality of light responsive means generating said electrical signal representing an image of a skin surface of a finger from scattered light directly emerging from an inside of said finger without a light source irradiating said skin surface in contact with said cover. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification