Multi-biometric finger sensor having different selectivities and associated methods

• US 7,361,919 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: AuthenTec Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Setlak, Dale R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Que Tan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui-Pho; Pascal M
• Application Number:
  US10/935,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20050089203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 250555-557, 250/271, 250/221, 382115-127, 356/71, 356/73, 283/68, 283/69, 396/14, 396/15, 340 551- 553, 340 58- 583, 455/410, 455/411, 902/1, 902/3
• US Class Current: 250/556
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1335 Combining adjacent partial images (e.g. slices) to create a composite input or reference pattern; Tracking a sweeping finger movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1394 using acquisition arrangements

Abstract

A multi-biometric finger sensor may sense different biometric characteristics that have different matching selectivities and that have at least a known spatial relationship. The sensor may include an integrated circuit substrate for receiving a user'"'"'s finger adjacent thereto, and a first set of biometric sensing pixels on the substrate for sensing a first finger biometric characteristic to generate first finger biometric characteristic data having a first matching selectivity. The sensor may also include a second set of biometric sensing pixels on the integrated circuit substrate for sensing a second finger biometric characteristic different than the first finger biometric characteristic to generate second finger biometric characteristic data with a known spatial relationship to the first fingerprint characteristic data. The second finger biometric characteristic data may have a second matching selectivity less than the first matching selectivity.

Claims

1. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus comprising:

an integrated circuit substrate for receiving a user'"'"'s finger adjacent thereto;

a first set of biometric sensing pixels on said integrated circuit substrate for sensing a first finger biometric characteristic to generate first finger biometric characteristic data having a first matching selectivity; and

a second set of biometric sensing pixels on said integrated circuit substrate for sensing a second finger biometric characteristic different than the first finger biometric characteristic to generate second finger biometric characteristic data with a known spatial relationship to the first fingerprint characteristic data, the second finger biometric characteristic data having a second matching selectivity less than the first matching selectivity.

2. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first biometric characteristic data comprises fingerprint image data;

and further comprising a processor cooperating with said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels for spatially correlating the second finger biometric data relative to the fingerprint image data.

3. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said processor operates said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels substantially simultaneously.

4. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said first set of biometric sensing pixels comprises an electric field fingerprint image sensing pixel.

5. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 4 wherein each of said electric field fingerprint image sensing pixels also generates a complex impedance as third finger biometric characteristic data.

6. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said second set of biometric sensing pixels comprises an infrared sensing pixel.

7. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 6 wherein each of said infrared sensing pixels is for sensing naturally emitted infrared radiation from the user'"'"'s finger.

8. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said second set of biometric sensing pixels comprises an optical dispersion sensing pixel for sensing dispersed light from the user'"'"'s finger.

9. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising an optical source for directing light into a user'"'"'s finger when positioned adjacent said integrated circuit substrate, the light propagating into and being dispersed by the user'"'"'s finger so that at least a portion of the dispersed light exits the user'"'"'s finger in a direction toward said plurality of optical dispersion sensing pixels.

10. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a matcher connected to said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels.

11. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising processing circuitry on said integrated circuit substrate.

12. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels operate based upon static placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent said integrated circuit substrate.

13. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels operate based upon sliding placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent said integrated circuit substrate.

14. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an uppermost dielectric passivation layer over said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels and upon which the user'"'"'s finger is positioned.

15. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said integrated circuit substrate comprises single crystal silicon.

16. A multi-biometric finger sensor comprising:

an integrated circuit substrate for receiving a user'"'"'s finger adjacent thereto;

a first set of biometric sensing pixels on said integrated circuit substrate for sensing a first finger biometric characteristic to generate first finger biometric characteristic data having a first matching selectivity; and

a second set of biometric sensing pixels on said integrated circuit substrate for sensing a second finger biometric characteristic different than the first finger biometric characteristic to generate second finger biometric characteristic data with known temporal and spatial relationships to the first fingerprint characteristic data, the second finger biometric characteristic data having a second matching selectivity less than the first matching selectivity.

17. A multi-biometric finger sensor according to claim 16 wherein the first biometric characteristic data comprises fingerprint image data;

and further comprising a processor cooperating with said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels for spatially correlating the second finger biometric data relative to the fingerprint image data.

18. A multi-biometric finger sensor according to claim 17 wherein said processor operates said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels substantially simultaneously.

19. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus to claim 16 wherein each of said first set of biometric sensing pixels comprises an electric field fingerprint image sensing pixel.

20. A multi-biometric finger sensor apparatus to claim 19 wherein each of said electric field fingerprint image sensing pixels also generates a complex impedance as third finger biometric characteristic data.

21. A multi-biometric finger sensor according to claim 16 wherein each of said second set of biometric sensing pixels comprises an infrared sensing pixel.

22. A multi-biometric finger sensor according to claim 21 wherein each of said infrared sensing pixels is for sensing naturally emitted infrared radiation from the user'"'"'s finger.

23. A multi-biometric finger sensor according to claim 16 wherein each of said second set of biometric sensing pixels comprises an optical dispersion sensing pixel for sensing dispersed light from the user'"'"'s finger.

24. A multi-biometric finger sensor according to claim 23 further comprising an optical source on said integrated circuit substrate for directing light into the user'"'"'s finger, the light propagating into and being dispersed by the user'"'"'s finger so that at least a portion of the dispersed light exits the user'"'"'s finger in a direction toward said plurality of optical dispersion sensing pixels.

25. A multi-biometric finger sensor according to claim 16 wherein said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels operate based upon static placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent said integrated circuit substrate.

26. A multi-biometric finger sensor according to claim 16 wherein said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels operate based upon sliding placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent said integrated circuit substrate.

27. A multi-biometric finger sensor according to claim 16 further comprising an uppermost dielectric passivation layer over said first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels and upon which the user'"'"'s finger is positioned.

28. A multi-biometric finger sensor according to claim 16 wherein said integrated circuit substrate comprises single crystal silicon.

29. A multi-biometric finger sensor method comprising:

receiving a users'"'"' finger adjacent an integrated circuit substrate;

sensing a first finger biometric characteristic to generate first finger biometric characteristic data having a first matching selectivity by using a first set of biometric sensing pixels on the integrated circuit substrate; and

sensing a second finger biometric characteristic different than the first finger biometric characteristic to generate second finger biometric characteristic data with a known spatial relationship to the first fingerprint characteristic data by using a second set of biometric sensing pixels on the integrated circuit substrate, the second finger biometric characteristic data having a second matching selectivity less than the first matching selectivity.

30. A method according to claim 29 wherein the first biometric characteristic data comprises fingerprint image data;

and further comprising spatially correlating the second finger biometric data relative to the fingerprint image data.

31. A method according to claim 30 wherein the first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels are operated substantially simultaneously.

32. A method according to claim 29 wherein each of the first set of biometric sensing pixels comprises an electric field fingerprint image sensing pixel.

33. A method according to claim 32 further comprising using each of the electric field fingerprint image sensing pixels also generates a complex impedance as third finger biometric characteristic data.

34. A method according to claim 29 wherein each of the second set of biometric sensing pixels comprises an infrared sensing pixel.

35. A method according to claim 34 wherein each of the infrared sensing pixels is for sensing naturally emitted infrared radiation from the user'"'"'s finger.

36. A method according to claim 29 wherein each of the second set of biometric sensing pixels comprises an optical dispersion sensing pixel for sensing dispersed light from the user'"'"'s finger.

37. A method according to claim 36 further comprising using an optical source for directing light into a user'"'"'s finger when positioned adjacent the integrated circuit substrate, the light propagating into and being dispersed by the user'"'"'s finger so that at least a portion of the dispersed light exits the user'"'"'s finger in a direction toward the plurality of optical dispersion sensing pixels.

38. A method according to claim 29 wherein the first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels operate based upon static placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent the integrated circuit substrate.

39. A method according to claim 29 wherein the first and second sets of biometric sensing pixels operate based upon sliding placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent the integrated circuit substrate.