Ultrasonic imaging devices and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10140534-B2
Application number	US-201615253387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus may include an ultrasonic sensor array and a control system. The control system may be configured to acquire first image data generated by the ultrasonic sensor array corresponding to at least one first reflected ultrasonic wave received by at least a portion of the ultrasonic sensor array from a target object during a first acquisition time window. The control system may be configured to acquire second image data generated by the ultrasonic sensor array corresponding to at least one second reflected ultrasonic wave received by at least a portion of the ultrasonic sensor array from the target object during a second acquisition time window that is longer than the first acquisition time window. The control system may further be configured to initiate an authentication process based on the first image data and the second image data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
an ultrasonic sensor array; and
a control system, at least part of which is coupled to the ultrasonic sensor array, the control system configured to:
acquire first image data, for an area of a finger, generated by the ultrasonic sensor array, the first image data corresponding to at least one first reflected ultrasonic wave received by at least a portion of the ultrasonic sensor array from a target object during a first acquisition time window;
acquire second image data, for the same area of the finger, generated by the ultrasonic sensor array, the second image data corresponding to at least one second reflected ultrasonic wave received by at least the portion of the ultrasonic sensor array from the target object during a second acquisition time window that is longer than the first acquisition time window; and
initiate an authentication process based on the first image data and the second image data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first acquisition time window is initiated at an end time of a first acquisition time delay and wherein the second acquisition time window is initiated at an end time of a second acquisition time delay.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first acquisition time delay and the second acquisition time delay are of equal duration.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the apparatus includes a platen positioned with respect to the ultrasonic sensor array and wherein the first acquisition time delay corresponds to an expected amount of time for an ultrasonic wave reflected from a surface of the platen to be received by at least a portion of the ultrasonic sensor array.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first acquisition time delay and the first acquisition time window cause the first image data to correspond to a fingerprint feature of the target object.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second acquisition time delay and the second acquisition time window cause the second image data to correspond to the fingerprint feature of the target object and to a sub-epidermal feature of the target object.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the target object comprises a user's finger, and at least a portion of the first image data represents at least one fingerprint feature of the user's finger, and at least a portion of the second image data represents at least one sub-epidermal feature of the user's finger.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to acquire third image data generated by the ultrasonic sensor array, the third image data corresponding to at least one third reflected ultrasonic wave received by at least the portion of the ultrasonic sensor array from the target object, and wherein the initiated authentication process is based, at least in part, on identifying a temporal-based feature difference of the target object between the third image data and either the first image data or the second image data.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the initiated authentication process generates a liveness indicator based, at least in part, on the temporal-based feature difference of the target object.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the authentication process involves detecting one or more surface fingerprint features on a surface of the target object and one or more subsurface fingerprint features below the surface of the target object.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the initiated authentication process generates a spoof-detected indication based on differences between at least one of the one or more surface fingerprint features and at least one of the one or more subsurface fingerprint features.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the control system is further configured to store at least one of the first image data, the second image data, fingerprint minutiae, fingerprint keypoints or fingerprint features if surface fingerprint features and subsurface fingerprint features are detected.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, as part of the initiated authentication process, a fingerprint feature on a surface of the target object is identified based on an enrolled fingerprint template, and wherein the initiated authentication process is further based on a plurality of image data acquired in a sub-surface region of the target object based on the identified fingerprint feature.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of image data is generated by at least a portion of the ultrasonic sensor array.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a candidate user is validated based, at least in part, on the presence or absence of one or more temporal variations in the plurality of image data acquired in the sub-surface region.

16. An authentication method, comprising:
acquiring first image data, for an area of a finger, generated by an ultrasonic sensor array, the first image data corresponding to at least one first reflected ultrasonic wave received by at least a portion of the ultrasonic sensor array from a target object during a first acquisition time window;
acquiring second image data, for the same area of the finger, generated by the ultrasonic sensor array, the second image data corresponding to at least one second reflected ultrasonic wave received by at least a portion of the ultrasonic sensor array from the target object during a second acquisition time window that is longer than the first acquisition time window; and
initiating an authentication process based on the first image data and the second image data.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first acquisition time window is initiated at an end time of a first acquisition time delay and wherein the second acquisition time window is initiated at an end time of a second acquisition time delay.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first acquisition time delay and the second acquisition time delay are of equal duration.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first acquisition time delay or the second acquisition time delay corresponds to an expected amount of time for an ultrasonic wave to be reflected from a surface of a platen to be received by the ultrasonic sensor array.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first acquisition time delay and the first acquisition time window cause the first image data to correspond to a fingerprint feature of the target object.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the second acquisition time delay and the second acquisition time window cause the second image data to correspond to the fingerprint feature of the target object and to a sub-epidermal feature of the target object.

22. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
storing at least one of the first image data, the second image data, fingerprint minutiae, fingerprint keypoints or fingerprint features if surface fingerprint features on the surface of the target object and subsurface fingerprint features below the surface of the target object are detected.

23. A non-transitory medium having software stored thereon, the software including instructions for controlling one or more devices to perform an authentication method, the method comprising:
acquiring first image data generated by an ultrasonic sensor array, the first image data corresponding to at least one first reflected ultrasonic wave received by at least a portion of the ultrasonic sensor array from a target object during a first acquisition time window;
acquiring second

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Kitchens Ii Jack Conway
• Schneider John Keith
• Gojevic Stephen Michael
• Schneider Philip John
• Breloff Evan Michael
• Hinger Ashish
• Burns David William
• Sezan Muhammed Ibrahim

Classifications

• G16H50/30

  for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment · CPC title

• A61B8/0858 Primary

  involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces · CPC title

• G06V40/10

  Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands · CPC title

• A61B5/6898

  Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers · CPC title

• G01S7/52061

  Plan position indication (PPI display); C-scan display · CPC title