Infrared biometric finger sensor including infrared antennas and associated methods

• US 7,433,729 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mears Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Jones, Richard J., Setlak, Dale R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernandez; Katherine L
• Application Number:
  US10/935,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20060008128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 600/473, 382/115, 382/116, 382/124, 382/312, 250/556, 250/504, 250/495.1, 340/5.82, 340/5.83, 340/5.8
• US Class Current: 600/473
• 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 finger sensor may include an integrated circuit substrate for receiving a user'"'"'s finger adjacent thereto, and a plurality of infrared sensing pixels on the substrate. Each infrared sensing pixel may include at least one temperature sensor, at least one infrared antenna, and at least one conductive via interconnecting the at least one temperature sensor and the at least one infrared antenna. The infrared sensing pixels are for sensing infrared radiation emitted from subdermal features when the user'"'"'s finger is positioned adjacent the integrated circuit substrate. The finger sensor apparatus may also include a processor connected to the infrared sensing pixels for generating infrared biometric data based upon infrared radiation emitted from the subdermal features of the user'"'"'s finger.

Claims

1. An infrared finger sensor apparatus comprising:

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

a plurality of infrared sensing pixels on said integrated circuit substrate for sensing infrared radiation from subdermal features of the user'"'"'s finger when positioned adjacent said integrated circuit substrate;

each infrared sensing pixel comprising

at least one temperature sensor,

at least one infrared antenna, and

at least one conductive via interconnecting said at least one temperature sensor and said at least one infrared antenna; and

a processor connected to said plurality of infrared sensing pixels for generating infrared biometric data based upon infrared radiation emitted from the subdermal features of the user'"'"'s finger.

2. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each infrared sensing pixel further comprises a ground plane between said at least one temperature sensor and said at least one infrared antenna.

3. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one temperature sensor comprises at least one thermocouple temperature sensor.

4. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said at least one thermocouple temperature sensor comprises an exposed measuring junction, and an obscured reference junction connected to said exposed measuring junction.

5. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one infrared antenna and said at least one temperature sensor for each infrared sensing pixel comprises an array of infrared antennas and an array of temperature sensors connected thereto.

6. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each infrared antenna comprises a dipole antenna.

7. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the infrared biometric data comprises naturally emitted infrared image data.

8. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an uppermost dielectric passivation layer over said plurality of infrared sensing pixels and upon which the user'"'"'s finger is positioned.

9. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said processor further comprises a matcher for determining a match between the infrared biometric data of the user'"'"'s finger and stored infrared biometric data for an enrolled user.

10. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said processor comprises processing circuitry on said integrated circuit substrate.

11. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said processor comprises processing circuitry at least a portion of which is spaced from said integrated circuit substrate.

12. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said processor generates the infrared biometric data based upon static placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent said integrated circuit substrate.

13. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said processor generates the infrared biometric data based upon sliding placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent said integrated circuit substrate.

14. An infrared finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said integrated circuit substrate comprises single crystal silicon.

15. An infrared finger sensor comprising:

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

a plurality of infrared sensing pixels on said integrated circuit substrate for sensing infrared radiation from subdermal features of the user'"'"'s finger when positioned adjacent said integrated circuit substrate;

each infrared sensing pixel comprising

at least one temperature sensor, and

at least one infrared antenna above and connected to said at least one temperature sensor.

16. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 15 wherein each infrared sensing pixel further comprises at least one conductive via interconnecting said at least one temperature sensor and said at least one infrared antenna.

17. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 15 wherein each infrared sensing pixel further comprises a ground plane between said at least one temperature sensor and said at least one infrared antenna.

18. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 15 wherein said at least one temperature sensor comprises at least one thermocouple temperature sensor.

19. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 18 wherein said at least one thermocouple temperature sensor comprises an exposed measuring junction, and an obscured reference junction connected to said exposed measuring junction.

20. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 15 wherein said at least one infrared antenna and said at least one temperature sensor for each infrared sensing pixel comprises an array of infrared antennas and an array of temperature sensors connected thereto.

21. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 15 wherein each infrared antenna comprises a dipole antenna.

22. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 15 wherein the infrared biometric data comprises naturally emitted infrared image data.

23. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 15 further comprising an uppermost dielectric passivation layer over said plurality of infrared sensing pixels and upon which the user'"'"'s finger is positioned.

24. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 15 wherein said plurality of infrared sensing pixels generates the infrared biometric data based upon static placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent said integrated circuit substrate.

25. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 15 wherein said plurality of infrared sensing pixels generates the infrared biometric data based upon sliding placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent said integrated circuit substrate.

26. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 15 wherein said integrated circuit substrate comprises single crystal silicon.

27. An infrared finger sensor comprising:

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

a plurality of infrared sensing pixels on said integrated circuit substrate for sensing infrared radiation from subdermal features of the user'"'"'s finger when positioned adjacent said integrated circuit substrate;

each infrared sensing pixel comprising

an array of thermocouple temperature sensors,

an array of infrared antennas, and

an array of conductive vias interconnecting said array of thermocouple temperature sensors to said array of infrared antennas.

28. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 27 wherein each infrared sensing pixel further comprises a ground plane between said array of thermocouple temperature sensors and said array of antennas.

29. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 27 wherein each thermocouple temperature sensor comprises an exposed measuring junction, and an obscured reference junction connected to said exposed measuring junction.

30. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 27 wherein each infrared antenna comprises a dipole antenna.

31. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 27 wherein the infrared biometric data comprises naturally emitted infrared image data.

32. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 27 further comprising an uppermost dielectric passivation layer over said plurality of infrared sensing pixels and upon which the user'"'"'s finger is positioned.

33. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 27 wherein said plurality of infrared sensing pixels generates the infrared biometric data based upon static placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent said integrated circuit substrate.

34. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 27 wherein said plurality of infrared sensing pixels generates the infrared biometric data based upon sliding placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent said integrated circuit substrate.

35. An infrared finger sensor according to claim 27 wherein said integrated circuit substrate comprises single crystal silicon.

36. A method for infrared finger sensing comprising:

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

sensing infrared radiation emitted from subdermal features of the user'"'"'s finger when positioned adjacent the integrated circuit substrate by using a plurality of infrared sensing pixels on the integrated circuit substrate, each infrared sensing pixel comprising at least one temperature sensor, and at least one infrared antenna above and connected to the at least one temperature sensor; and

generating infrared biometric data based upon infrared radiation emitted from the subdermal features of the user'"'"'s finger.

37. A method according to claim 36 wherein each infrared sensing pixel further comprises at least one conductive via interconnecting the at least one temperature sensor and the at least one infrared antenna.

38. A method according to claim 36 wherein each infrared sensing pixel further comprises a ground plane between the at least one temperature sensor and the at least one infrared antenna.

39. A method according to claim 36 wherein the at least one temperature sensor comprises at least one thermocouple temperature sensor.

40. A method according to claim 39 wherein the at least one thermocouple temperature sensor comprises an exposed measuring junction, and an obscured reference junction connected to the exposed measuring junction.

41. A method according to claim 36 wherein the at least one infrared antenna and the at least one temperature sensor for each infrared sensing pixel comprises an array of infrared antennas and an array of temperature sensors connected thereto.

42. A method according to claim 36 wherein each infrared antenna comprises a dipole antenna.

43. A method according to claim 36 wherein the infrared biometric data comprises naturally emitted infrared image data.

44. A method according to claim 36 further comprising an uppermost dielectric passivation layer over the plurality of infrared sensing pixels and upon which the user'"'"'s finger is positioned.

45. A method according to claim 36 wherein the generating comprises generating the infrared biometric data based upon static placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent the integrated circuit substrate.

46. A method according to claim 36 wherein the generating comprises generating the infrared biometric data based upon sliding placement of the user'"'"'s finger adjacent the integrated circuit substrate.