Electronic device with fingerprint sensing system and conducting housing

1. An electronic device comprising:

a fingerprint sensing system including a plurality of sensing elements, each being configured to capacitively couple to a finger arranged adjacent to said sensing element and to provide a sensing signal indicative of a response to a time-varying finger excitation signal provided to said finger;

an electrically conducting housing at least partly enclosing an interior of said electronic device; and

housing connection circuitry connected to said electrically conducting housing, and arranged and configured to at least intermittently allow a potential of said electrically conducting housing to follow said finger excitation signal, and to at least intermittently keep the potential of said electrically conducing housing at a reference potential for said electronic device,

wherein said housing connection circuitry comprises active circuitry,

said active circuitry being controllable to switch said housing connection circuitry between a signal following state in which the potential of said electrically conducting housing is allowed to follow said finger excitation signal and a reference potential state in which the potential of said electrically conducting housing is kept at the reference potential for said electronic device.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said electrically conducting housing constitutes at least 10% of an outer surface of the electronic device.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said housing connection circuitry is enclosed by said electrically conducting housing.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said active circuitry comprises a plurality of switches arranged at mutually different locations.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said housing connection circuitry further comprises ESD protection circuitry.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said housing connection circuitry is further connected to said fingerprint sensing system.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein said fingerprint sensing system comprises excitation circuitry for generating said finger excitation signal,

said fingerprint sensing system being configured to provide said finger excitation signal to the electrically conducting housing, via the housing connection circuitry.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein said fingerprint sensing system is configured to receive fingerprint sensing signals from the conducting housing, via the housing connection circuitry.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said electronic device comprises wireless communication circuitry and an antenna connected to said wireless communication circuitry,

said antenna being enclosed by said electrically conducting housing.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein:

said housing connection circuitry is controllable between a signal following state in which the potential of said electrically conducting housing is allowed to follow said finger excitation signal and a reference potential state in which the potential of said electrically conducting housing is kept at the reference potential for said electronic device; and

said electronic device comprises processing circuitry configured to control said wireless communication circuitry to only transmit signals via said antenna when the housing connection circuitry is in said reference potential state.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a fingerprint sensing system including a plurality of sensing elements, each being configured to capacitively couple to a finger arranged adjacent to said sensing element and to provide a sensing signal indicative of a response to a time-varying finger excitation signal provided to said finger;

an electrically conducting housing at least partly enclosing an interior of said electronic device; and

housing connection circuitry connected to said electrically conducting housing, and arranged and configured to at least intermittently allow a potential of said electrically conducting housing to follow said finger excitation signal, and to at least intermittently keep the potential of said electrically conducing housing at a reference potential for said electronic device,

wherein said housing connection circuitry comprises a filter allowing the potential of said electrically conducting housing to follow said finger excitation signal within a first frequency range and keeping the potential of said electrically conducting housing at the reference potential for said electronic device within a second frequency range separated in frequency from said first frequency range, said second frequency range including higher frequencies than said first frequency range.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein said filter is configured in such a way that said first frequency range includes frequencies below 1 MHz and said second frequency range includes frequencies above 800 MHz.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein said housing connection circuitry further comprises ESD protection circuitry.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein said housing connection circuitry is further connected to said fingerprint sensing system.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14 , wherein said fingerprint sensing system comprises excitation circuitry for generating said finger excitation signal,

said fingerprint sensing system being configured to provide said finger excitation signal to the electrically conducting housing, via the housing connection circuitry.

16. The electronic device according to claim 14 , wherein said fingerprint sensing system is configured to receive fingerprint sensing signals from the conducting housing, via the housing connection circuitry.

17. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein said electronic device comprises wireless communication circuitry and an antenna connected to said wireless communication circuitry,

said antenna being enclosed by said electrically conducting housing.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17 , wherein:

said housing connection circuitry is controllable between a signal following state in which the potential of said electrically conducting housing is allowed to follow said finger excitation signal and a reference potential state in which the potential of said electrically conducting housing is kept at the reference potential for said electronic device; and

said electronic device comprises processing circuitry configured to control said wireless communication circuitry to only transmit signals via said antenna when the housing connection circuitry is in said reference potential state.

19. A fingerprint sensor device for integration with an electronic device comprising an electrically conducting housing at least partly enclosing an interior of said electronic device, said fingerprint sensor device comprising:

a plurality of sensing elements, each being configured to capacitively couple to a finger arranged adjacent to said sensing element and to provide a sensing signal indicative of a response to a time-varying finger excitation signal provided to said finger; and

housing connection circuitry connectable to said electrically conducting housing, and, when connected to said housing, being arranged and configured to at least intermittently allow a potential of said electrically conducting housing to follow said finger excitation signal, and to at least intermittently keep the potential of said electrically conducing housing at a reference potential for said electronic device,

wherein said housing connection circuitry comprises active circuitry,

said active circuitry being controllable to switch said housing connection circuitry between a signal following state in which the potential of said electrically conducting housing is allowed to follow said finger excitation signal and a reference potential state in which the potential of said electrically conducting housing is kept at the reference potential for said electronic device.

20. A fingerprint sensor device for integration with an electronic device comprising an electrically conducting housing at least partly enclosing an interior of said electronic device, said fingerprint sensor device comprising:

a plurality of sensing elements, each being configured to capacitively couple to a finger arranged adjacent to said sensing element and to provide a sensing signal indicative of a response to a time-varying finger excitation signal provided to said finger; and

housing connection circuitry connectable to said electrically conducting housing, and, when connected to said housing, being arranged and configured to at least intermittently allow a potential of said electrically conducting housing to follow said finger excitation signal, and to at least intermittently keep the potential of said electrically conducing housing at a reference potential for said electronic device,

wherein said housing connection circuitry comprises a filter allowing the potential of said electrically conducting housing to follow said finger excitation signal within a first frequency range and keeping the potential of said electrically conducting housing at the reference potential for said electronic device within a second frequency range separated in frequency from said first frequency range, said second frequency range including higher frequencies than said first frequency range.