Biometric image sensing
A novel sensor is provided having a plurality of substantially parallel drive lines configured to transmit a signal into a surface of a proximally located object and also a plurality of substantially parallel pickup lines oriented proximate the drive lines and electrically separated from the drive lines to form intrinsic electrode pairs that are impedance sensitive at each of the drive and pickup proximal locations. A switch is integrated with the sensor.
1. A mobile communication device comprising:
a sensor assembly for user authentication by fingerprint recognition and comprising:
a rigid base having a top surface; and
a flexible sensor covering the top surface of the rigid base to form a sensing surface, and
a switch disposed beneath the sensing surface and configured to be activated by a finger placed on the sensing surface to control an operation of the mobile communication device upon authentication of a user by the sensor assembly.
2. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , comprising a mobile telephone or a smart phone.
3. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the switch is operable as at least one of a power switch, a selector switch, and a navigation switch of the mobile communication device.
4. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein user authentication is performed by the sensor assembly simultaneously with activation of the switch.
5. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , further comprising a display screen, and wherein the sensor assembly is disposed adjacent to the display screen.
6. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the switch comprises a plunger and a base.
7. The mobile communication device of claim 6 , wherein the wherein the flexible sensor and the switch are constructed and arranged so that a finger placed on the sensing area will simultaneously depress the plunger.
8. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the switch comprises a dome switch.
9. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible sensor comprises:
a flexible dielectric substrate,
a plurality of drive lines configured to transmit a signal, and
a plurality of pickup lines configured to receive at least a portion of the signal transmitted by the drive lines, wherein the pickup lines are oriented transversely to the drive lines and are physically separated from the drive lines by the flexible dielectric substrate to form a sensing area having a two dimensional array of electrode pairs that are impedance sensitive to detect ridge and valley features of a finger proximally located with respect to at least a portion of the sensing area.
10. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein the drive lines are parallel to one another and the pickup lines are parallel to one another.
11. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein the sensor assembly further comprises a processor attached to the flexible sensor and connected to the drive lines and to the pickup lines.
12. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein the drive lines and the pickup lines are disposed on different portions of a first side of the flexible dielectric substrate, and wherein the flexible sensor is folded over the rigid base so that the portions of the flexible dielectric substrate on which the drive lines and pickup lines are disposed overlap each other on the top surface of the rigid base.
13. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the base includes an opening formed therein and the switch is disposed within the opening of the base.
14. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible sensor is at least partially folded about the rigid base.
15. A method for controlling an operation of a mobile communication device comprising:
(A) authenticating a user by fingerprint recognition of a finger placed on a sensing surface of a sensor assembly supported on the mobile communication device, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a rigid base having a top surface and a flexible sensor covering the top surface of the rigid base to form the sensing surface; and
(B) during step (A), controlling an operation of the mobile communication device upon (i) activation of a switch disposed below the sensing surface by the finger placed on the sensing surface and (ii) authentication of the user by the sensor assembly.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the switch is operable as at least one of a power switch, a selector switch, and a navigation switch of the mobile communication device.