Biometric scanner with waveguide array

• US 8,781,180 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Schneider, John K., Kitchens, Jack C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Chan S
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICE, ELISA M
• Application Number:
  US13/423,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20120206585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/123
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02466 Biological material, e.g. blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/06 Visualisation of the interior, e.g. acoustic microscopy medical or veterinary diagnosis using sonic waves A61B8/00; representation of acoustic wave distribution G01H3/125, G01H9/002; short-range imaging systems using reflection of acoustic waves G01S15/8906
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 39/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive element covered by groups H10N30/00 – H10N35/00

Abstract

Devices and methods of creating an image of a biological object are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention there is a plane wave ultrasonic pulse generator, an ultrasonic wave manipulation device, an ultrasonic detector and an image generator. In a method according to the invention, a biological object is imaged by emitting an unfocussed ultrasonic energy wave front, reflecting at least a portion of the ultrasonic energy wave front from the object, altering a direction of the ultrasonic energy, detecting that energy, and using the detected energy to create an image of the object.

Claims

1. A biometrical object reader, comprising:

a first acoustic waveguide array;

a second acoustic waveguide array;

a plane wave generator positioned between the first acoustic waveguide array and the second acoustic waveguide array, wherein the plane wave generator includes a piezoelectric film and a pair of electrodes that are in contact with opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric film;

and wherein the acoustic waveguide arrays are positioned to receive ultrasonic energy from the plane wave generator and guide the received ultrasonic energy away from the plane wave generator,

an ultrasonic detector array positioned to receive via one of the waveguide arrays ultrasonic energy reflected from a biological object being imaged; and

an image generator that creates an image of the object using the ultrasonic energy received by the detector array.