Patent · US Expired

Monolithic sensor of fingerprints

US5844287A · kind A · utility

101Cited by
8References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 10, 1996
Grant dateDec 1, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 10, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06V40/1306
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An electronic fingerprint sensor works by the detection of pressure, the ridge lines of the finger exerting a greater pressure than the valleys. The sensor has a matrix of pressure microsensors and electronic control and signal-processing circuits. It is made in an entirely monolithic form, according to techniques for the making of electronic circuits (deposition of thin layers, photo-etching, doping and thermal processing), both for the pressure detection part and for the signal-processing and control part. The matrix-type pressure sensor uses either piezoelectric resistors lying on an insulator layer stretched above a cavity or a variable capacitor or a microcontactor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.