Biometric sensing device with discrete ultrasonic transducers

• US 9,607,203 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2015
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yazdandoost, Mohammad Yeke, Bussat, Jean-Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Mariam, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/596,932
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 382115-125, 340/5.82, 340/5.83, 902/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

A biometric sensing system includes discrete ultrasonic transducers, a first electrode layer disposed over a first surface of the discrete ultrasonic transducers, and a second electrode layer disposed over a second surface of the discrete ultrasonic transducers. The first electrode layer includes discrete electrode members. Each discrete electrode member spans two or more discrete ultrasonic transducers. The second electrode layer includes discrete electrode elements, with a discrete electrode element disposed over the second surface of one ultrasonic transducer. Drive circuitry is operably connected to the first electrode layer, and readout circuitry is operably connected to the second electrode layer.

Claims

1. A biometric sensing system, comprising:

discrete ultrasonic transducers, each discrete ultrasonic transducer comprising a piezoelectric material having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first electrode layer disposed over the first surface of the discrete ultrasonic transducers, wherein the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of discrete electrode members each spanning two or more discrete ultrasonic transducers;

a second electrode layer disposed over the second surface of the discrete ultrasonic transducers, wherein the second electrode layer comprises discrete electrode elements with each discrete electrode element disposed over one ultrasonic transducer;

high voltage drive circuitry operably connected to the first electrode layer; and

low voltage readout circuitry operably connected to the second electrode layer.

2. The biometric sensing system as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the low voltage readout circuitry is included in a first integrated circuit operably connected to the second electrode layer.

3. The biometric sensing system as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the high voltage drive circuitry is included in a second integrated circuit operably connected to the first electrode layer.

4. The biometric sensing system as in claim 1, wherein the high voltage drive circuitry comprises a driver circuit operably connected to at least one discrete electrode member in the first electrode layer.

5. The biometric sensing device as in claim 1, wherein the readout circuitry comprises:

a voltage protection circuit operably connected to at least one discrete electrode element in the second electrode layer;

a first terminal of a drive transistor operably connected to the at least one discrete electrode element;

a gate of a readout transistor operably connected to the at least one discrete electrode element; and

a first terminal of a first select transistor operably connected to a terminal of the readout transistor.

6. The biometric sensing device as in claim 5, further comprising a processing channel operably connected to a second terminal of the first select transistor.

7. The biometric sensing device as in claim 5, further comprising:

a first terminal of a second readout transistor operably connected to a second terminal of the first select transistor;

a processing channel operably connected to a second terminal of the second select transistor; and

a column bias operably connected to the second terminal of the second select transistor.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a biometric sensing device comprising;

discrete ultrasonic transducers, each discrete ultrasonic transducer comprising a piezoelectric material having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first electrode layer disposed over the first surface of the discrete ultrasonic transducers, wherein the first electrode layer comprises discrete electrode members each spanning two or more discrete ultrasonic transducers;

a second electrode layer disposed over the second surface of the discrete ultrasonic transducers, wherein the second electrode layer comprises discrete electrode elements with one discrete electrode element disposed over one ultrasonic transducer;

an upper element that includes at least one layer of material disposed over the ultrasonic biometric sensing device, wherein an exterior surface of the upper element is an input surface for the biometric sensing device;

high voltage drive circuitry operably connected to the first electrode layer;

low voltage readout circuitry operably connected to the second electrode layer; and

a processing channel operably connected to the low voltage readout circuitry;

wherein

each discrete ultrasonic transducer electrically isolates the high voltage drive circuitry from the low voltage readout circuitry.

9. The electronic device as in claim 8, wherein the discrete ultrasonic transducers are positioned transverse to the input surface.

10. The electronic device as in claim 8, further comprising a processing device operably connected to the high voltage drive circuitry.

11. The electronic device as in claim 8, further comprising a processing device operably connected to the low voltage readout circuitry.

12. The electronic device as in claim 8, further comprising a processing device operably connected to the processing channel.

13. The electronic device as in claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the low voltage readout circuitry is included in a first integrated circuit operably connected to the second electrode layer.

14. The electronic device as in claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the high voltage drive circuitry is included in a second integrated circuit operably connected to the first electrode layer.

15. The electronic device as in claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the processing channel is included in the second integrated circuit operably connected to the first electrode layer.

16. The biometric sensing system as in claim 8, wherein the high voltage drive circuitry comprises a driver circuit operably connected to at least one discrete electrode member in the first electrode layer.

17. The electronic device as in claim 8, wherein the readout circuitry comprises:

a voltage protection circuit operably connected to at least one discrete electrode element in the second electrode layer;

a first terminal of a drive transistor operably connected to the at least one discrete electrode element;

a gate of a readout transistor operably connected to the at least one discrete electrode element; and

a first terminal of a first select transistor operably connected to a terminal of the readout transistor, wherein a second terminal of the first select transistor is operably connected to the processing channel.

18. The electronic device as in claim 8, wherein the readout circuitry comprises:

an isolation circuit operably connected to at least one discrete electrode element in the second electrode layer;

a first terminal of a drive transistor operably connected to the at least one discrete electrode element;

a gate of a readout transistor operably connected to the at least one discrete electrode element; and

a first terminal of a first select transistor operably connected to a terminal of the readout transistor; and

a first terminal of a second select transistor operably connected to a second terminal of the first select transistor, wherein a second terminal of the second select transistor is operably connected to a column bias and the processing channel.

19. The electronic device as in claim 8, wherein the processing channel comprises:

multiplexers operably connected to the readout circuitry;

gain and correction circuitry operably connected to the multiplexers; and

analog-to-digital converters operably connected to the gain circuitry.

20. A method of operating a biometric sensing device that includes discrete ultrasonic transducers, a plurality of first discrete electrode members each disposed over a first surface of a piezoelectric substrate of the discrete ultrasonic transducers and spanning two or more discrete ultrasonic transducers, and a second discrete electrode member disposed over a second surface opposite the first surface of the piezoelectric substrate of each discrete ultrasonic transducer, the method comprising:

applying a drive signal pulse to the plurality of first discrete electrode members when an image of a biometric subject is to be captured, wherein each discrete ultrasonic transducer produces a sound wave pulse based on the drive signal pulse;

using the second discrete electrode elements to read signals from the discrete ultrasonic transducers, wherein the signals are generated by the discrete ultrasonic transducers based on reflected portions of the sound wave pulses; and

constructing a biometric image based on the signals read from the discrete ultrasonic transducers.