Imaging system and apparatus for combining finger recognition and finger navigation
First Claim
1. An apparatus for imaging a fingerprint in one of at least two different modes of operation, one of the modes being a stylus mode and another of the modes being a finger recognition mode, said apparatus comprising:
- a swipe interface having an elongated sensing area on a surface thereof against which a portion of the tip of a human finger may be placed, said elongated sensing area being smaller than the tip of the human finger in at least one dimension;
a light source for emitting light to illuminate the portion of the tip of the human finger placed against the surface of said swipe interface;
a mode switch for selecting one of the at least two different modes of operation; and
an optical image sensor for capturing light reflected from the portion of the tip of the human finger as an image thereof, producing image data representing a sequence of images resulting from motion of the human finger across said swipe interface wherein the image data is used for fingerprint recognition when the apparatus is in the finger recognition mode of operation and is used for identifying a written communication character when the apparatus is in the stylus mode of operation and wherein the intensity of light emitted by the light source during the finger recognition mode of operation is configured to be greater than the intensity of light emitted by the light source during the stylus mode of operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An imaging system for imaging a fingerprint operates in at least two different modes to provide both finger recognition and finger navigation applications. A light source illuminates a swipe interface having an elongated sensing area upon which a user swipes a finger. Light reflected from the finger is captured by an optical image sensor as image data representing a sequence of images resulting from motion of the digit over the sensing area of the swipe interface. The captured image data is output by the optical image sensor for processing of the data in one of the at least two different modes.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus for imaging a fingerprint in one of at least two different modes of operation, one of the modes being a stylus mode and another of the modes being a finger recognition mode, said apparatus comprising:
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a swipe interface having an elongated sensing area on a surface thereof against which a portion of the tip of a human finger may be placed, said elongated sensing area being smaller than the tip of the human finger in at least one dimension; a light source for emitting light to illuminate the portion of the tip of the human finger placed against the surface of said swipe interface; a mode switch for selecting one of the at least two different modes of operation; and an optical image sensor for capturing light reflected from the portion of the tip of the human finger as an image thereof, producing image data representing a sequence of images resulting from motion of the human finger across said swipe interface wherein the image data is used for fingerprint recognition when the apparatus is in the finger recognition mode of operation and is used for identifying a written communication character when the apparatus is in the stylus mode of operation and wherein the intensity of light emitted by the light source during the finger recognition mode of operation is configured to be greater than the intensity of light emitted by the light source during the stylus mode of operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An imaging system for operating in at least two different modes, said imaging system comprising:
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a processor connected to receive image data representing a sequence of images resulting from motion of a portion of a tip of a human finger across an elongated sensing area, said processor further for processing said image data in a selected one of said at least two different modes, said at least two different modes including at least a finger recognition mode and a stylus mode, wherein said stylus mode is used for identifying a written communication character; a mode switch connected to said processor to select said selected mode; and a light source for emitting light to illuminate said sensing area, the light source operable to set a first level of intensity of illumination during the finger recognition mode of operation and a second level during the stylus “
mode of operation, wherein the first level is different from the second level.” - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for imaging a fingerprint in one of at least two modes of operation, the apparatus comprising:
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a swipe interface comprising a first region having a first geometry and a second region having a second geometry;
wherein said first geometry is advantageously selected to be better suited for a fingerprint recognition mode of operation of the apparatus than said second geometry; and
said second geometry is advantageously selected to be better suited for a fingerprint navigation mode of operation of the apparatus than said first geometry;a light source for emitting light to illuminate at least a portion of a human finger placed against a surface of said swipe interface, the light source configured to set a first level of intensity of illumination during the fingerprint recognition mode of operation and a second level during “
the fingerprint navigation mode of operation, wherein the first level is different from the second level”
; andan optical image sensor for capturing light reflected from the swipe interface and producing image data of the human finger. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for operating an imaging system in at least two different modes, said method comprising:
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receiving image data representing a sequence of images resulting from motion of a portion of a tip of a human finger across a swipe interface having an elongated sensing area on a surface thereof, said elongated sensing area being smaller than the tip of the human finger in at least one dimension; selecting one of said at least two different modes for processing said image data, said at least two different modes including at least a finger recognition mode and a stylus mode, wherein said stylus mode is selected for identifying a written communication character; illuminating said sensing area; setting the intensity of illumination during the finger recognition mode of operation to be different than the intensity of illumination during the stylus mode of operation; correlating said image data representing said sequence of images to determine navigation information indicating the magnitude and direction of movement of the human finger between successive ones of the sequence of images; and processing said image data in said selected mode using said navigation information. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification