Ultrasonic imaging scanner

• US 7,568,391 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ultra-Scan Corporation (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shmelkin, Igor, Kitchens, Jack C., Schneider, John K., Gojevic, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Surin; J M
• Application Number:
  US11/059,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20050196022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 736/20, 736/21, 736/22, 382/124, 382/125, 382/126, 382/127, 600/445, 600/459
• US Class Current: 73/620
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

The invention includes a system and a method of scanning fingerprints. A system may include an imaging surface, an ultrasound transducer, a probe arm joined to the transducer, a driver capable of moving the pivot location linearly and the transducer arcuately, a measurer capable of measuring a linear position of the pivot-location and an arcuate position of the transducer, and a coupler capable of coupling information corresponding to the linear position and the arcuate position with information from the transducer.

Claims

1. A fingerprint scanning system comprising:

an imaging surface capable of receiving a finger;

an ultrasound transducer capable of providing information corresponding to a fingerprint of the finger;

a probe arm joined to the transducer, the probe arm having a pivot-location;

a crank arm pivotally connected to the probe arm;

a flywheel pivotally connected to the crank arm;

a flywheel driver capable of rotating the flywheel in order to cause the transducer to move along an arcuate path;

a linear driver capable of moving the pivot location linearly;

a measurer capable of measuring linear positions of the pivot-location and arcuate positions of the transducer; and

a coupler capable of coupling one linear position of the pivot-location and one arcuate position of the transducer with information from the transducer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a fluidic ultrasound transmission medium between the imaging surface and the transducer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the fingerprint scanning system further comprises an elastomeric bellows.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the fingerprint scanning system further comprises a gas scavenging molecular sieve.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a control system for controlling the position of the pivot-location.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a microprocessor programmed to control the linear position of the pivot-location and the arcuate position of the transducer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a memory for storing information related to the linear position of the pivot-location and the arcuate position of the transducer, and information from the transducer.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a communications system for transmitting the information from the memory to a computer system.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a communications system and a computer system, wherein the communications system is capable of transmitting the information from the memory to the computer system, and the computer system is capable of displaying an image using the information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the imaging surface is made of a polished substantially planar synthetic resin.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the crank arm and the flywheel are pivotally connected at a location that is not coincident with the flywheel'"'"'s center of rotation.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the crank arm and the probe arm are pivotally connected at a location that is not coincident with the pivot-location.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the probe arm is joined to the transducer at a location that is not coincident with the pivot-location.

14. A fingerprint scanning system comprising:

an imaging surface capable of receiving a finger;

an ultrasound transducer capable of providing information corresponding to a fingerprint of the finger;

a probe arm joined to the transducer, the probe arm having a pivot location;

a linear driver capable of moving the pivot location linearly;

an arcuate driver capable of moving the transducer arcuately;

a measurer capable of measuring a linear position of the pivot-location, and an arcuate position of the transducer; and

a coupler capable of coupling the linear position of the pivot location, the arcuate position of the transducer, and the information from the transducer.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the linear driver includes a screw and a motor, and the system further includes a carriage supporting the probe arm, the carriage being movable linearly when the motor turns the screw.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a current detector capable of sensing an amount of electric current being used by the linear driver, and capable of providing an indication about the current being used.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a control system in communication with the current detector, and capable of receiving the indication about the current being used.

18. A method of scanning a fingerprint comprising:

(A) receiving a finger on an imaging surface;

(B) providing (a) an ultrasonic transducer joined to a probe arm which is pivotable about a pivot-location, (b) a crank arm pivotally connected to the probe arm, (c) a flywheel pivotally connected to the crank arm, and (d) a flywheel-driver capable of rotating the flywheel in order to cause the transducer to move along an arcuate path;

(C) recording a linear position of the pivot location to provide a linear recording;

(D) recording an arcuate position of the ultrasonic transducer to provide an arcuate recording;

(E) sending an ultrasonic signal from the ultrasonic transducer toward the finger;

(F) receiving a reflected ultrasonic signal;

(G) recording information about the reflected ultrasonic signal to provide recorded signal information;

(H) coupling the recorded signal information with the linear recording and the arcuate recording;

(I) rotating the flywheel using the flywheel driver;

(J) repeating steps D through H;

(K) moving the pivot-location linearly;

(L) repeating steps C through J.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising sending the ultrasonic signal through a fluidic ultrasound transmission medium.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising scavenging gas with a molecular sieve.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising utilizing a control system to control the position of the pivot-location.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising utilizing a memory to store information related to the recorded linear position, the recorded arcuate position, and a change in time between sending the ultrasonic signal from the ultrasonic transducer and receiving the reflected ultrasonic signal.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising transmitting the stored information.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising using the transmitted information to display an image on a computer system.

25. The method of claim 18 further comprising recording signal information relating to a change in time between sending the ultrasonic signal and receiving the reflected ultrasonic signal.

26. A method of scanning a fingerprint, comprising:

providing (a) an ultrasound transducer capable of providing information corresponding to a fingerprint of the finger, (b) a probe arm attached to the transducer, the probe arm having a pivot location, (c) a linear driver capable of moving the pivot location linearly, the linear driver including a screw, and (c) an arcuate driver capable of moving the transducer arcuately about the pivot location;

turning the screw to move the pivot location to a desired linear position;

generating a first set of fingerprint information using the transducer at the linear position and a first arcuate position;

moving the transducer arcuately to a second arcuate position using the arcuate driver;

generating a second set of fingerprint information using the transducer at the linear position and the second arcuate position;

detecting an amount of current being used by the linear driver, and providing an indication about the current being used;

determining whether the indication exceeds a threshold level;

if the indication exceeds the threshold level, then causing the linear driver to stop attempting to move the pivot location further.

27. A method of scanning a fingerprint, comprising:

providing (a) an ultrasound transducer capable of providing information corresponding to a fingerprint of the finger, (b) a probe arm attached to the transducer, the probe arm having a pivot location, (c) a linear driver capable of moving the pivot location linearly, and (c) an arcuate driver capable of moving the transducer arcuately about the pivot location;

positioning the transducer in a waiting position;

sending an ultrasonic signal;

receiving a reflected ultrasonic signal;

using the reflected ultrasonic signal, determining whether a finger has been presented for scanning to provide a determination signal;

if the determination signal indicates a finger has been presented for scanning, then generating a first set of fingerprint information using the transducer at a first linear position and a first arcuate position;

moving the transducer arcuately to a second arcuate position using the arcuate driver;

generating a second set of fingerprint information using the transducer at the linear position and the second arcuate position.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein determining whether a finger has been presented for scanning includes:

calculating an amount of time between sending the ultrasonic signal and receiving the reflected signal, and

comparing the determined amount of time to a predetermined time, the predetermined time being an amount of time expected for an ultrasonic signal to travel from the transducer to a finger, and back to the transducer.