The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 08, 2006
Filed:
Jun. 20, 2005
Giovanni Gozzini, Berkeley, CA (US);
Giovanni Gozzini, Berkeley, CA (US);
UPEK, Inc., Emeryville, CA (US);
Abstract
For each pixel in an array of pixels in a fingerprint sensor, a fingerprint capacitor is defined by the fingerprint-bearing skin of a user's finger proximate to the top exposed surface of a sensing plate of the pixel. First and second plates are embedded in dielectric material beneath the sensing plate, and define therewith first and second capacitors of a sensing element. The capacitance of the fingerprint capacitor is coupled by the sensing element to an amplifier. During a sensing operation, the amplifier generates a pixel output signal that is a function of the variable capacitance of the fingerprint capacitor, which varies according to the presence of a fingerprint ridge or valley appearing directly above the sensing plate when the user's finger is in contact with the fingerprint sensor.