Fingerprint sensing system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9323975-B2
Application number	US-201414566175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2014
Priority date	Dec 12, 2013
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of determining a representation of a fingerprint pattern. The method comprises the steps of acquiring a reference signal indicative of an electric coupling between a hand surface having friction ridges and a reference sensing structure extending across a plurality of the friction ridges; and determining the representation of the fingerprint pattern based on the reference signal and a capacitive coupling between the finger and each of a plurality of sensing elements. The acquired reference signal can, for example, be used for controlling the sensing elements so that the sensing performed by the sensing elements is carried out using favorable timing, when the signal quality is good. Alternatively, or in combination, the acquired reference signal may be used for post-processing, whereby the signals/signal values obtained by the sensing elements are modified depending on the corresponding values of the reference signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of determining a representation of a fingerprint pattern of a finger using a fingerprint sensor comprising a plurality of sensing elements, the method comprising the steps of:
acquiring a reference signal indicative of an electric coupling between a hand surface having friction ridges and a reference sensing structure configured in such a way that at least a portion of said reference sensing structure faces one of said friction ridges; and
determining the representation of said fingerprint pattern based on said reference signal and a capacitive coupling between said finger and each of said sensing elements, wherein said step of determining comprises the steps of:
acquiring pixel signals indicative of said capacitive coupling between said finger and each of said sensing elements using acquisition settings being dependent on said reference signal, and
determining the representation of said fingerprint pattern based on said pixel signals, and

wherein said step of acquiring said pixel signals comprises the steps of:
sampling said reference signal at a sampling time, resulting in a reference signal value;
sampling at least one pixel signal from at least one of said sensing elements at said sampling time, resulting in at least one pixel signal value; and
resampling, when said reference signal value is outside a reference signal value range, said at least one pixel signal at a later sampling time.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said reference sensing structure is configured to extend across a plurality of said friction ridges.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
converting, when said reference signal value is inside said reference signal value range, said at least one pixel signal value from analog to digital.

4. A method of determining a representation of a fingerprint pattern of a finger using a fingerprint sensor comprising a plurality of sensing elements, the method comprising the steps of:
acquiring a reference signal indicative of an electric coupling between a hand surface having friction ridges and a reference sensing structure configured in such a way that at least a portion of said reference sensing structure faces one of said friction ridges; and
determining the representation of said fingerprint pattern based on said reference signal and a capacitive coupling between said finger and each of said sensing elements, wherein said step of determining comprises the steps of:
acquiring pixel signals indicative of said capacitive coupling between said finger and each of said sensing elements using acquisition settings being dependent on said reference signal, and
determining the representation of said fingerprint pattern based on said pixel signals, and

wherein said step of acquiring said pixel signals comprises the steps of:
sampling said reference signal at a series of sampling times, resulting in a series of reference signal values; and
sampling said pixel signal at said series of sampling times, resulting in a series of pixel signal values,
wherein said representation of said fingerprint pattern is determined based on said series of reference signal values and said series of pixel signal values.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising the step of:
modifying said series of pixel signal values using said series of reference signal values to provide a modified series of pixel signal values,
wherein said representation of said fingerprint pattern is determined based on said modified series of pixel signal values.

6. A method of determining a representation of a fingerprint pattern of a finger using a fingerprint sensor comprising a plurality of sensing elements, the method comprising the steps of:
acquiring a reference signal indicative of an electric coupling between a hand surface having friction ridges and a reference sensing structure configured in such a way that at least a portion of said reference sensing structure faces one of said friction ridges; and
determining the representation of said fingerprint pattern based on said reference signal and a capacitive coupling between said finger and each of said sensing elements, wherein said step of determining comprises the steps of:
acquiring pixel signals indicative of said capacitive coupling between said finger and each of said sensing elements using acquisition settings being dependent on said reference signal, and
determining the representation of said fingerprint pattern based on said pixel signals, and

wherein said step of acquiring said pixel signals comprises the steps of:
evaluating said reference signal; and
sampling a pixel signal from each of said sensing elements using sampling timing being dependent on the evaluation of said reference signal.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said step of evaluating comprises the step of:
comparing said reference signal with a threshold value,
wherein said sampling timing is based on said comparison.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said step of sampling comprises the steps of:
performing a first sampling at a first sampling time; and
performing a second sampling at a second sampling time later than said first sampling time,
wherein a time period between said first sampling time and said second sampling time is determined based on said reference signal.

9. A fingerprint sensing system for determining a representation of a fingerprint pattern of a finger, said fingerprint sensing system comprising:
a plurality of sensing elements each being configured to capacitively couple to a finger arranged adjacent to said sensing element;
a reference sensing structure being configured in such a way that at least a portion of said reference sensing structure faces one of said friction ridges when a hand surface having said friction ridges is arranged adjacent to said reference sensing structure;
read-out circuitry connectable to said reference sensing structure and configured to acquire a reference signal indicative of an electric coupling between said hand surface and said reference sensing structure;
fingerprint determining circuitry configured to determine the representation of said fingerprint pattern based on said reference signal and a capacitive coupling between said finger and each of said sensing elements;
evaluation circuitry connected to said read-out circuitry and configured to evaluate at least one property of said reference signal; and
sampling circuitry connected to each of said sensing elements and to said evaluation circuitry, said sampling circuitry being configured to sample a pixel signal from each of said sensing elements using sampling timing being dependent on the evaluation of said reference signal.

10. The fingerprint sensing system according to claim 9 , wherein said reference structure has a lateral extension of at least 200 μm.

11. The fingerprint sensing system according to claim 9 , wherein said reference sensing structure comprises a plurality of said sensing elements.

12. An electronic device comprising;
a fingerprint verification arrangement comprising the fingerprint sensing system according to claim 9 ; and
processing circuitry configured to control said fingerprint verification arrangement to carry out a fingerprint verification of a user, and to perform at least one user-requested process only when said user is verified using said fingerprint verification arrangement.

13. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said reference sensing structure is configured to extend across a plurality of said friction ridges.

14. The method according to cla

Assignees

• Fingerprint Cards Ab

Inventors

• Riedijk Frank Robert
• Thornblom Hans

Classifications

• G06V40/1376 Primary

  Matching features related to ridge properties or fingerprint texture · CPC title

• G06V40/1306 Primary

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

• G06K9/001 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/0002

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00013

  Physics · mapped topic