Integrated fingerprint sensor and navigation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9594498-B2
Application number	US-201514621048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Jun 2, 2010
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed in a first embodiment of the invention as including a non-conductive substrate providing a first surface onto which a user can apply a fingerprint. A fingerprint sensing circuit is applied to a second surface of the non-conductive substrate opposite the first surface. The fingerprint sensing circuit is capable of sensing a fingerprint through the non-conductive substrate. A navigation device is positioned adjacent to (e.g., below) the non-conductive substrate and is capable of being manipulated by the user through the non-conductive substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A user device, comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a fingerprint sensor having a flexible substrate, a fingerprint sensing area exposed through the opening of the housing, and a plurality of fingerprint sensing elements configured to sense a fingerprint of a finger that is present over the fingerprint sensing area; and
a navigation device disposed below the fingerprint sensing area,
wherein a first portion of the flexible substrate is disposed under the fingerprint sensing area and a second portion of the flexible substrate is enclosed within the housing,
wherein the fingerprint sensing area includes a plurality of transmitting elements configured to emit a probing signal and a plurality of receiving elements configured to receive a response signal in response to the probing signal.

2. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the flexible substrate is attached to the navigation device.

3. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the flexible substrate is attached to the housing.

4. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate is attached to both the navigation device and the housing.

5. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the navigation device comprises a selection device positioned below the flexible substrate.

6. The user device of claim 5 , wherein the selection device comprises a switch or button.

7. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises a flexible polyimide material.

8. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint sensor further comprises a fingerprint sensing IC.

9. The user device of claim 8 , wherein the fingerprint sensing IC is attached to the second portion of the flexible substrate enclosed within the housing.

10. The user device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of fingerprint sensing elements are electrically connected but physically decoupled from the fingerprint sensing IC.

11. The user device of claim 8 , wherein the fingerprint sensing IC is configured to process navigation data received from the navigation device.

12. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fingerprint sensing elements are integrated into a silicon die.

13. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is configured to wake up in response to manipulation of the navigation device.

14. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the navigation device comprises a pointing device.

15. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate is fabricated from a transparent or translucent material.

16. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is configured to generate navigational data and fingerprint image data from the plurality of sensing elements.

17. The user device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is a housing of a cell phone.

18. A user device, comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a fingerprint sensor having a flexible substrate, a fingerprint sensing area exposed through the opening of the housing, and a plurality of fingerprint sensing elements configured to sense a fingerprint of a finger that is present over the fingerprint sensing area; and
a navigation device disposed below the fingerprint sensing area,
wherein a first portion of the flexible substrate is disposed under the fingerprint sensing area and a second portion of the flexible substrate is enclosed within the housing,
wherein the fingerprint sensing area includes a plurality of receiving elements configured to receive a response signal in response to a probing signal, wherein a magnitude of the response signal is related to an RF impedance of a finger ridge or valley.

19. A user device, comprising:
a fingerprint sensor having a flexible substrate, a fingerprint sensing area, and a plurality of fingerprint sensing elements configured to sense a fingerprint of a finger that is present over the fingerprint sensing area,
wherein the fingerprint sensing area is configured to be exposed through an opening of a housing,
wherein the fingerprint sensing area is configured to be positioned above a navigation device,
wherein a first portion of the flexible substrate is disposed under the fingerprint sensing area and a second portion of the flexible substrate is configured to be enclosed within the housing, and
wherein the fingerprint sensing area includes a plurality of transmitting elements configured to emit a probing signal and a plurality of receiving elements configured to receive a response signal in response to the probing signal.

20. The user device of claim 19 , wherein the second portion of the flexible substrate is attachable to the housing.

21. The user device of claim 19 , wherein the flexible substrate is attachable to both the navigation device and the housing.

22. The user device of claim 19 , wherein the fingerprint sensor further comprises a fingerprint sensing IC, wherein the fingerprint sensing IC is attached to the second portion of the flexible substrate.

23. The user device of claim 19 , wherein the fingerprint sensor further comprises a fingerprint sensing IC, wherein the plurality of fingerprint sensing elements are electrically connected but physically decoupled from the fingerprint sensing IC.

24. The user device of claim 19 , wherein the fingerprint sensor further comprises a fingerprint sensing IC, wherein the fingerprint sensing IC is configured to process navigation data received from the navigation device.

25. The user device of claim 19 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is configured to wake up in response to manipulation of the navigation device.

26. The user device of claim 19 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is configured to generate navigational data and fingerprint image data from the plurality of sensing elements.

27. A user device, comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a fingerprint sensor having a fingerprint sensing IC enclosed within the housing, a flexible substrate, a fingerprint sensing area exposed through the opening of the housing, and a plurality of fingerprint sensing elements configured to sense a fingerprint of a finger that is present over the fingerprint sensing area; and
a switch or button disposed below the fingerprint sensing area,
wherein a first portion of the flexible substrate is disposed under the fingerprint sensing area and a second portion of the flexible substrate is enclosed within the housing, and
wherein the fingerprint sensing area includes a plurality of transmitting elements configured to emit a probing signal and a plurality of receiving elements configured to receive a response signal in response to the probing signal.

28. A method of forming a user device, the method comprising:
enclosing a fingerprint sensor in a housing having an opening, wherein the fingerprint sensor has a flexible substrate, a fingerprint sensing area exposed through the opening of the housing, and a plurality of fingerprint sensing elements configured to sense a fingerprint of a finger that is present over the fingerprint sensing area,
wherein a navigation device disposed below the fingerprint sensing area,
wherein a first portion of the flexible substrate is disposed under the fingerprint sensing area and a second portion of the flexible substrate is enclosed within the housing, and
wherein the fingerprint sensing area includes a plurality of transmitting elements configur

Assignees

• Synaptics Inc

Inventors

• Dean Gregory Lewis
• Erhart Richard Alexander
• Jandu Jaswinder
• Russo Anthony
• Thompson Erik

Classifications

• G06F3/03543

  Mice or pucks (G06F3/03541 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/033 Primary

  Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user {, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks}; Accessories therefor (digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041) · CPC title

• G06F3/03545

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F2203/0336

  Mouse integrated fingerprint sensor · CPC title

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title