Electronic apparatus comprising fingerprint sensing devices
US6327376A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 3, 1998 |
| Grant date | Dec 4, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 3, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07C9/26
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An electronic apparatus comprising a fingerprint sensing device (10) having an array of sensing elements (12) carried on a transparent substrate (35) for sensing capacitively the ridge pattern of a fingerprint placed over the array, in which the transparency of the device is utilised to provide additional capabilities. Thus, an optical sensing device (60) may be disposed beneath the device (10) to sense optically through the device a further biometric characteristic, or the presence, of the finger overlying the sensing element array. Substantial transparency can be afforded to the device by forming the sense electrodes (30) of the array from transparent conductive material. In products like mobile telephones, notebook computers, PDAs, smart cards or like portable electronic products of small size such as fingerprint sensing device can then advantageously be arranged overlying a display device with the display output being visible through the device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.