Fingerprint acquisition expansion card apparatus

• US 8,331,096 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Validity Sensors Incorporated (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Garcia, Ed
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Hung S
• Application Number:
  US12/860,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20120044639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 361728-730, 361/737, 361/740, 361/679.01, 361/600, 361801-803
• US Class Current: 361/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect

Abstract

An apparatus is described for a fingerprint acquisition device that can be integrated into an expansion card capable of being inserted into a PC card slot of a portable computer such that the apparatus is substantially flush with the computer. The apparatus can contain a drawer that rotates or slides out of the apparatus to expose a fingerprint module where a user'"'"'s fingerprint data can be collected. A latching mechanism is provided so that the drawer can be locked in a retracted position in the apparatus when the drawer is pushed into the apparatus and so that the drawer can extract out of the apparatus if the user pushes on the drawer again when the drawer is in the retracted position.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing configured to be secured in a user device;

a drawer configured to slide in and out of the housing;

a fingerprint acquisition device attached to the drawer;

a latch located on the drawer and a catch located on the housing configured to;

lock the latch into the catch when the drawer is pushed in so as to push the latch into the catch; and

when the latch is locked into the catch, unlock the latch from the catch when pressure is applied to push the drawer in so as to push the latch into the catch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a connector configured to interface with a portable computer;

a wire configured to electronically connect the fingerprint acquisition device with the connector.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus and connector conform to the physical standards for PCMCIA expansion cards.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus and connector conform to the size standards for PCMCIA expansion cards.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a housing configured to be secured in a user device;

a drawer configured to swing on a pivot in and out of the housing;

a fingerprint acquisition device attached to the drawer;

a latch located on the drawer and a catch located on the housing configured to;

lock the latch into the catch when the drawer is pushed in so as to rotate the drawer on the pivot and push the latch into the catch; and

when the latch is locked into the catch, unlock the latch from the catch when pressure is applied to push the drawer in so as to rotate the drawer on the pivot and push the latch into the catch.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a connector configured to interface with a portable computer;

a contact configured to electronically connect the fingerprint acquisition device with the connector when the drawer is in an extracted position.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus and connector conform to the physical standards for PCMCIA expansion cards.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus and connector conform to the size standards for PCMCIA expansion cards.