Finger sensing apparatus with selectively operable transmitting/receiving pixels and associated methods

• US 8,598,555 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: AuthenTec Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Franza, Gordon S., Sherlock, Peter E., Guerrero, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): MERCEDES, DISMERY E
• Application Number:
  US12/622,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20110122059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 250/556
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

A finger sensing device may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate and an array of pixels on the IC substrate. Each pixel may be selectively operable in at least a receiving mode for receiving radiation from an adjacent finger, or a transmitting mode for transmitting radiation into the adjacent finger. The finger sensing device may also include a controller coupled to the array of pixels for selectively operating at least one first pixel in the receiving mode, and while selectively operating at least one second pixel in the transmitting mode. Each pixel may also be selectively operable in a mask mode for neither receiving nor transmitting radiation. The controller may also selectively operate at least one third pixel in the mask mode while selectively operating the at least one first and second pixels in the receiving and transmitting modes.

Claims

1. A finger sensing apparatus comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC) substrate;

an array of finger biometric sensing pixels on said IC substrate, each finger biometric sensing pixel switchable to a receiving mode for receiving radiation from an adjacent finger, and a transmitting mode for transmitting radiation into the adjacent finger; and

a controller coupled to said array of finger biometric sensing pixels for operating at least one first finger biometric sensing pixel in the receiving mode while operating at least one second finger biometric sensing pixel in the transmitting mode.

2. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each finger biometric sensing pixel is also switchable to in a mask mode for neither receiving nor transmitting radiation;

and wherein said controller also operates at least one third finger biometric sensing pixel in the mask mode while operating the at least one first and second finger biometric sensing pixels in the receiving and transmitting modes respectively.

3. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said controller operates the at least one third finger biometric sensing pixel in the mask mode between the at least one first and second finger biometric sensing pixels in the receiving and transmitting modes respectively.

4. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said array of finger biometric sensing pixels comprises an array of rows and columns of finger biometric sensing pixels;

and wherein said controller operates at least one first column of the first finger biometric sensing pixels in the receiving mode.

5. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said controller operates at least one second column of second finger biometric sensing pixels in the transmitting mode.

6. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein each finger biometric sensing pixel is also operable in a mask mode for neither receiving nor transmitting radiation;

and wherein said controller also operates at least one column of third finger biometric sensing pixels in the mask mode positioned between the at least one first and second columns.

7. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said array of finger biometric sensing pixels comprises an array of rows and columns of finger biometric sensing pixels;

wherein said controller operates a plurality of columns of second finger biometric sensing pixels in the transmitting mode; and

wherein said controller operates the at least one third finger biometric sensing pixel between the plurality of columns of second finger biometric sensing pixels.

8. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the radiation comprises electric field radiation.

9. The finger sensor apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a finger sensing package surrounding said IC substrate and being devoid of another electrode operated by said controller.

10. A finger sensing apparatus comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC) substrate;

an array of electric field finger biometric sensing pixels on said IC substrate, each electric field finger biometric sensing pixel switchable to a receiving mode for receiving electric field radiation from an adjacent finger, a transmitting mode for transmitting electric field radiation into the adjacent finger, and a mask mode for neither transmitting nor receiving electric field radiation; and

a controller coupled to said array of electric field finger biometric sensing pixels for operating at least one first electric field finger biometric sensing pixel in the receiving mode while operating at least one second electric field finger biometric sensing pixel in the transmitting mode and while operating at least one third electric field finger biometric sensing pixel in the mask mode.

11. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said controller operates the at least one third electric field finger biometric sensing pixel in the mask mode between the at least one first and second electric field finger biometric sensing pixels in the receiving and transmitting modes respectively.

12. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said array of electric field finger biometric sensing pixels comprises an array of rows and columns of electric field finger biometric sensing pixels;

and wherein said controller operates at least one first column of the first electric field finger biometric sensing pixels in the receiving mode.

13. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said controller operates at least one second column of second electric field finger biometric sensing pixels in the transmitting mode.

14. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said controller also operates at least one third column of third electric field finger biometric sensing pixels positioned between the at least one first and second columns.

15. The finger sensing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said array of electric field finger biometric sensing pixels comprises an array of rows and columns of electric field finger biometric sensing pixels;

wherein said controller operates a plurality of columns of second electric field finger biometric sensing pixels in the transmitting mode; and

wherein said controller operates the at least one third electric field finger biometric sensing pixel between said the plurality of columns of second electric field finger biometric sensing pixels.

16. The finger sensor apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a finger sensing package surrounding said IC substrate and being devoid of another electrode operated by said controller.

17. A method of using a finger sensing apparatus comprising a controller coupled to an array of finger biometric sensing pixels on an integrated circuit substrate, each finger biometric sensing pixel being switchable to a receiving mode for receiving radiation from an adjacent finger, and a transmitting mode for transmitting radiation into the adjacent finger, the method comprising:

using the controller to operate at least one first finger biometric sensing pixel in the receiving mode while operating at least one finger biometric sensing second pixel in the transmitting mode.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein each finger biometric sensing pixel is also operable in a mask mode for neither receiving nor transmitting radiation;

and wherein the method further comprises using the controller to operate at least one third finger biometric sensing pixel in the mask mode while operating the at least one first and second finger biometric sensing pixels in the sensing and transmitting modes respectively.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein using the controller to operate at least one third finger biometric sensing pixel in the mask mode comprises using the controller to operate the at least one third finger biometric sensing pixel in the mask mode between the at least one first and second finger biometric sensing pixels in the receiving and transmitting modes respectively.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein the array of finger biometric sensing pixels comprises an array of rows and columns of finger biometric sensing pixels;

wherein using the controller to operate at least one second finger biometric sensing pixel in the transmitting mode while operating the at least one first finger biometric sensing pixel in the receiving mode comprises using the controller to operate a plurality of columns of second finger biometric sensing pixels in the transmitting mode; and

wherein using the controller to operate the at least one third finger biometric sensing pixel in the mask mode comprises using the controller to operate the at least one third finger biometric sensing pixel between the plurality of columns of second finger biometric sensing pixels.

21. The method according to claim 17 wherein the array of finger biometric sensing pixels comprises an array of rows and columns of finger biometric sensing pixels;

and wherein using the controller to operate the at least one first finger biometric sensing pixel in the receiving mode comprises using the controller to operate at least one first column of the first finger biometric sensing pixels in the receiving mode.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein using the controller to operate at least one second finger biometric sensing pixel in the transmitting mode comprises using the controller to operate at least one second column of second finger biometric sensing pixels in the transmitting mode.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein each finger biometric sensing pixel is also operable in a mask mode for neither receiving nor transmitting radiation;

and wherein the method further comprises using the controller to also operate at least one third column of third finger biometric sensing pixels in the mask mode positioned between the at least one first and second columns.