Fingerprint identification device, touch panel, input device and fingerprint identification method

• US 10,121,047 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Qin, Wei, Zhao, Jiayang
• Primary Examiner(s): WERNER, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US15/303,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20170140194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a fingerprint identification device, a touch panel, an input device and a fingerprint identification method. The fingerprint identification device includes a fingerprint identification module, gate lines and signal lines. The gate lines and the signal lines cross so as to define a plurality of sensing regions including a thin film transistors and a sensing electrode connected to the thin film transistors. A gate electrode of the thin film transistor is connected to the corresponding gate line, a source electrode is connected to the corresponding signal line, and a drain electrode is connected to the corresponding sensing electrode. The signal lines include signal-transmitting lines and signal-receiving lines, the sensing electrodes include transmitting electrodes and receiving electrodes. An electric field is generated between the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode adjacent to the transmitting electrode, and a direction of the electric field is from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode adjacent to the transmitting electrode. The fingerprint identification module is connected to the signal-receiving lines, and determines, by detecting the intensity of the electric field when a finger is in the electric field, a fingerprint of the finger.

Claims

1. A fingerprint identification device, comprising:

a fingerprint identification module, a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of signal lines;

wherein the gate lines and the signal lines cross so as to define a plurality of sensing regions, and each of the sensing regions comprises a thin film transistor and a sensing electrode connected to the thin film transistor;

a gate electrode of the thin film transistor is connected to the corresponding gate line, a source electrode thereof is connected to the corresponding signal line, and a drain electrode thereof is connected to the sensing electrode;

the signal lines comprise signal-transmitting lines and signal-receiving lines, and each sensing electrode comprises a transmitting electrode connected to the signal-transmitting line and a receiving electrode connected to the signal-receiving line;

an electric field is generated between the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode adjacent to the transmitting electrode, and a direction of the electric field is from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode adjacent to the transmitting electrode;

the fingerprint identification module is connected to each of the signal-receiving lines, and determines, by detecting an intensity of the electric field when a finger is in the electric field, a fingerprint of the finger; and

the sensing electrodes in an identical row comprise the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrodes, and are connected to an identical gate line;

wherein the fingerprint identification device further comprises;

first amplifiers, arranged at the sensing regions corresponding to the transmitting electrodes, wherein an output terminal of each of the first amplifiers is connected to the transmitting electrode of the corresponding sensing region, and an inverting input terminal of each of the first amplifiers is connected to the drain electrode of the thin film transistor of the corresponding sensing region; and

second amplifiers, arranged at the sensing regions corresponding to the receiving electrodes, wherein an output terminal of each of the second amplifiers is connected to the drain electrode of the thin film transistor of the corresponding sensing region, and an inverting input terminal of each of the second amplifiers is connected to the receiving electrode of the corresponding sensing region.

2. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrodes in an identical column are arranged alternately.

3. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 2, wherein, among the sensing electrodes in the identical column, at least one receiving electrode is arranged between every two transmitting electrodes;

or

at least one transmitting electrode is arranged between every two receiving electrodes.

4. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrodes in the identical row are arranged alternately.

5. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 4, wherein, among the sensing electrodes in the identical row, at least one receiving electrode is arranged between every two transmitting electrodes;

or

at least one transmitting electrode is arranged between every two receiving electrode.

6. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 1, wherein, among the sensing electrodes in the identical row, one receiving electrode is arranged between every two transmitting electrodes;

and, among the sensing electrodes in an identical column, one receiving electrode is arranged between every two transmitting electrodes.

7. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 1, wherein the fingerprint identification module is connected to each of the signal-receiving lines and each of the signal-transmitting lines.

8. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the transmitting electrodes is smaller than the number of the receiving electrodes in the identical row.

9. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 1, further comprising an environment noise detection unit configured to detect an environment electric field of each of the sensing regions, wherein the environment electric field is an electric field when the finger is not in touch with the sensing region, by which a reference electric field is acquired when determining the fingerprint of the finger, so as to determine the fingerprint of the finger based on an intensity of the reference electric field and the intensity of the electric field when the finger is in the electric field.

10. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 9, wherein the environment noise detection unit further comprises a third amplifier and an environment noise sensing electrode;

an output terminal of the third amplifier is connected to the environment noise sensing electrode, and an inverting input terminal of the third amplifier is connected to the fingerprint identification module.

11. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 1, further comprising a driving unit configured to drive the gate lines row by row.

12. The fingerprint identification device according to claim 1, wherein a density of the sensing electrodes is at least 300 per square inch.

15. A fingerprint identification method, applied to the fingerprint identification device according to claim 1, comprising:

applying electrical signals to the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrodes;

acquiring an electric field signal generated between each of the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrode adjacent to the corresponding transmitting electrode in a direction from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode; and

determining a fingerprint of the finger based on an intensity of the electric field signal.

16. A fingerprint identification method, applied to the fingerprint identification device according to claim 9, comprising:

applying electrical signals to the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrodes;

acquiring an electric field signal generated between each of the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrode adjacent to the corresponding transmitting electrode in a direction from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode; and

determining a fingerprint of the finger based on an intensity of the electric field signal;

wherein, subsequent to acquiring an electric field signal generated between each of the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrode adjacent to the corresponding transmitting electrode in the direction from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode, the method further comprises;

determining a reference electric field based on an environment electric field detected by the environment noise detection unit and the acquired electric field signal generated between each of the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrode adjacent to the corresponding transmitting electrode in the direction from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode; and

determining the fingerprint of the finger based on an intensity of the reference electric field and the intensity of the electric field when the finger is in the electric field.

18. A fingerprint identification method, applied to the fingerprint identification device according to claim 10, comprising:

applying electrical signals to the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrodes;

acquiring an electric field signal generated between each of the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrode adjacent to the corresponding transmitting electrode in a direction from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode; and

determining a fingerprint of the finger based on an intensity of the electric field signal;

wherein, subsequent to acquiring an electric field signal generated between each of the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrode adjacent to the corresponding transmitting electrode in the direction from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode, the method further comprises;

determining a reference electric field based on an environment electric field detected by the environment noise detection unit and the acquired electric field signal generated between each of the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrode adjacent to the corresponding transmitting electrode in the direction from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode; and

determining the fingerprint of the finger based on an intensity of the reference electric field and the intensity of the electric field when the finger is in the electric field.

19. A touch panel, comprising the fingerprint identification device according to claim 1.

13. A touch panel, comprising a fingerprint identification device, wherein the fingerprint identification device comprises:

a fingerprint identification module, a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of signal lines;

wherein the gate lines and the signal lines cross so as to define a plurality of sensing regions, and each of the sensing regions comprises a thin film transistor and a sensing electrode connected to the thin film transistor;

a gate electrode of the thin film transistor is connected to the corresponding gate line, a source electrode thereof is connected to the corresponding signal line, and a drain electrode thereof is connected to the sensing electrode;

the signal lines comprise signal-transmitting lines and signal-receiving lines, and each sensing electrode comprises a transmitting electrode connected to the signal-transmitting line and a receiving electrode connected to the signal-receiving line;

an electric field is generated between the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode adjacent to the transmitting electrode, and a direction of the electric field is from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode adjacent to the transmitting electrode;

the fingerprint identification module is connected to each of the signal-receiving lines, and determines, by detecting an intensity of the electric field when a finger is in the electric field, a fingerprint of the finger; and

the sensing electrodes in an identical row comprise the transmitting electrodes and the receiving electrodes, and are connected to an identical gate line;

wherein the fingerprint identification device further comprises an environment noise detection unit configured to detect an environment electric field of each of the sensing regions, wherein the environment electric field is an electric field when the finger is not in touch with the sensing region, by which a reference electric field is acquired when determining the fingerprint of the finger, so as to determine the fingerprint of the finger based on an intensity of the reference electric field and the intensity of the electric field when the finger is in the electric field;

wherein the environment noise detection unit further comprises a third amplifier and an environment noise sensing electrode;

an output terminal of the third amplifier is connected to the environment noise sensing electrode, and an inverting input terminal of the third amplifier is connected to the fingerprint identification module.

14. The touch panel according to claim 13, further comprising a conductive glass layer and a glass substrate, wherein the fingerprint identification device is arranged at a fingerprint identification region of the touch panel and between the conductive glass layer and the glass substrate.

17. An input device, comprising a touch panel according to claim 13.

20. A fingerprint identification device, comprising:

a fingerprint identification module, a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of signal lines;

wherein the gate lines and the signal lines cross so as to define a plurality of sensing regions, and each of the sensing regions comprises a thin film transistor and a sensing electrode connected to the thin film transistor;

a gate electrode of the thin film transistor is connected to the corresponding gate line, a source electrode thereof is connected to the corresponding signal line, and a drain electrode thereof is connected to the sensing electrode;

the signal lines comprise signal-transmitting lines and signal-receiving lines, and each sensing electrode comprises a transmitting electrode connected to the signal-transmitting line and a receiving electrode connected to the signal-receiving line;

an electric field is generated between the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode adjacent to the transmitting electrode, and a direction of the electric field is from the transmitting electrode to the receiving electrode adjacent to the transmitting electrode;

wherein the fingerprint identification device further comprises an environment noise detection unit configured to detect an environment electric field of each of the sensing regions, wherein the environment electric field is an electric field when the finger is not in touch with the sensing region, by which a reference electric field is acquired when determining the fingerprint of the finger, so as to determine the fingerprint of the finger based on an intensity of the reference electric field and the intensity of the electric field when the finger is in the electric field;

wherein the environment noise detection unit further comprises a third amplifier and an environment noise sensing electrode;

an output terminal of the third amplifier is connected to the environment noise sensing electrode, and an inverting input terminal of the third amplifier is connected to the fingerprint identification module.