Biometric finger sensor including array shielding electrode and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9322794-B2
Application number	US-201213718307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2012
Priority date	Dec 18, 2012
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A biometric finger sensor may include an array of biometric finger sensing pixels and an array shielding electrode outside the array of biometric finger sensing pixels. The biometric finger sensor may further include a finger drive electrode outside the array shielding electrode. Finger drive circuitry may generate a finger drive signal for the finger drive electrode and generate a compensating finger drive signal for the shielding electrode.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A biometric finger sensor comprising:
an array of biometric finger sensing pixels capable of sensing biometric data;
an array shielding electrode outside and adjacent a periphery of said array of biometric finger sensing pixels;
a finger drive electrode outside said array shielding electrode; and
finger drive circuitry to generate a finger drive signal for said finger drive electrode and to invert the finger drive signal to generate an inverted finger drive signal for said array shielding electrode, the finger drive signal causing noise in the sensed biometric data based upon a proximity of the finger drive electrode to the array of biometric finger sensing pixels, and the inverted finger drive signal reducing the noise in the sensed biometric data.

2. The finger sensor of claim 1 , wherein said array shielding electrode comprises a plurality of shielding pixels.

3. The finger sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a ground electrode between said array shielding electrode and said array of biometric finger sensing pixels.

4. The finger sensor of claim 3 , further comprising a dummy biometric finger sensing pixel area between said array of biometric finger sensing pixels and said ground electrode.

5. The finger sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a dielectric routing substrate having a first surface adjacent said array of biometric finger sensing pixels, and a second surface adjacent said array shielding electrode and said finger drive electrode.

6. The finger sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a dielectric cap over said array of biometric finger sensing pixels.

7. The finger sensor of claim 6 , wherein said dielectric cap has a curved upper surface.

8. The finger sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a semiconductor substrate carrying said array of biometric finger sensing pixels.

9. The finger sensor of claim 1 , wherein said array of biometric finger sensing pixels comprises an array of electric field finger sensing pixels.

10. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:
a housing;
wireless communications circuitry carried by said housing;
an input device carried by housing;
a biometric finger sensor carried by said input device and comprising
an array of biometric finger sensing pixels capable of sensing biometric data,
an array shielding electrode outside and adjacent a periphery of said array of finger sensing pixels,
a finger drive electrode outside said array shielding electrode, and
finger drive circuitry to generate a finger drive signal for said finger drive electrode and to invert the finger drive signal to generate an inverted finger drive signal for said array shielding electrode, the finger drive signal causing noise in the sensed biometric data based upon a proximity of the finger drive electrode to the array of biometric finger sensing pixels, and the inverted finger drive signal reducing the noise in the sensed biometric data.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein said array shielding electrode comprises a plurality of shielding pixels.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein said biometric finger sensor further comprises a ground electrode between said array shielding electrode and said array of biometric finger sensing pixels.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein said biometric finger sensor further comprises a dummy biometric finger sensing pixel area between said array of biometric finger sensing pixels and said ground electrode.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein said biometric finger sensor further comprises a dielectric routing substrate having a first surface adjacent said array of biometric finger sensing pixels, and a second surface adjacent said array shielding electrode and said finger drive electrode.

15. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein said input device comprises a pushbutton switch.

16. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein said biometric finger sensor further comprises a dielectric cap over said array of biometric finger sensing pixels, said finger drive electrode, and said finger drive circuitry.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein said dielectric cap has a curved upper surface.

18. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein said biometric finger sensor further comprises a semiconductor substrate carrying said array of biometric finger sensing pixels.

19. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising a processor coupled to said biometric finger sensor for performing at least one authentication function.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein said processor is to perform the at least one authentication function based upon operation of said at least one input device.

21. A method of making a biometric finger sensor comprising:
forming an array shielding electrode outside and adjacent a periphery of an array of biometric finger sensing pixels;
forming a finger drive electrode outside the array shielding electrode; and
coupling finger drive circuitry to generate a finger drive signal for the finger drive electrode and to invert the finger drive signal to generate an inverted finger drive signal for the array shielding electrode, the finger drive signal causing noise in sensed biometric data based upon a proximity of the finger drive electrode to the array of biometric finger sensing pixels, and the inverted finger drive signal reducing the noise in the sensed biometric data.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein forming the array shielding electrode comprises forming a plurality of shielding pixels.

23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising forming a ground electrode between the array shielding electrode and the array of biometric finger sensing pixels.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising forming a dummy biometric finger sensing pixel area between the array of biometric finger sensing pixels and the ground electrode.

25. The method of claim 21 , further comprising a positioning a dielectric routing substrate having a first surface adjacent the array of biometric finger sensing pixels, and a second surface adjacent the array shielding electrode and the finger drive electrode.

26. The method of claim 21 , further comprising positioning a dielectric cap over the array of biometric finger sensing pixels, the finger drive electrode, and the finger drive circuitry.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the dielectric cap has a curved upper surface.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Setlak Dale R
• Gozzini Giovanni

Classifications

• G01N27/02 Primary

  by investigating impedance · CPC title

• G06V40/1306 Primary

  non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing · CPC title

• G06V40/1329

  Protecting the fingerprint sensor against damage caused by the finger · CPC title

• G06K9/0002

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F21/32

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title