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:
Apr. 25, 2017
Filed:
Mar. 01, 2012
Benjamin J. Pope, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Daniel W. Jarvis, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Nicholas G. L. Merz, San Francisco, CA (US);
Scott A. Myers, San Francisco, CA (US);
Benjamin J. Pope, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Daniel W. Jarvis, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Nicholas G. L. Merz, San Francisco, CA (US);
Scott A. Myers, San Francisco, CA (US);
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Abstract
An electronic device may have electrical components such as sensors. A sensor may have sensor circuitry that gathers sensor data using a conductive structure. The sensor may be a touch sensor that uses the conductive structure to form a capacitive touch sensor electrode or may be a fingerprint sensor that uses the conductive structure with a fingerprint electrode array to handle fingerprint sensor signals. Near field communications circuitry may be included in an electronic device. When operated in a sensor mode, the sensor circuitry may use the conductive structure to gather a fingerprint or other sensor data. When operated in near field communications mode, the near field communications circuitry can use the conductive structure to transmit and receive capacitively coupled or inductively coupled near field communications signals. A fingerprint sensor may have optical structures that communicate with external equipment.