Patents by Inventor Gordon S. Franza

Gordon S. Franza has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7915601
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a portable housing, an optical source carried by the portable housing, and an optical dispersion finger sensor carried by the portable housing. The sensor may include an integrated circuit substrate adjacent the optical source so that light propagates into and is dispersed by the user's finger with at least a portion of the dispersed light exiting the user's finger in a direction toward the integrated circuit substrate. The sensor may also include at least one optical dispersion sensing pixel on the substrate for sensing dispersed light from the user's finger to be used to generate optical dispersion biometric data from the user's finger. A processor may be connected to the one or more sensing pixels to enable at least one device function based upon the optical dispersion biometric data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Richard J. Jones, Gordon S. Franza
  • Patent number: 7671351
    Abstract: An optical dispersion finger sensor includes an integrated circuit substrate, and an optical source for directing light into a user's finger when positioned adjacent the integrated circuit substrate. The light may propagate into and be dispersed by the user's finger so that at least a portion of the dispersed light exits the user's finger in a direction toward the integrated circuit substrate. The sensor may also include at least one optical dispersion sensing pixel on the integrated circuit substrate for sensing dispersed light from the user's finger. A processor may be connected to the optical dispersion sensing pixels for generating optical dispersion biometric data based upon dispersed light from the user's finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Richard J. Jones, Gordon S. Franza
  • Patent number: 7358514
    Abstract: A multi-biometric finger sensor may include infrared sensing pixels on an integrated circuit substrate for sensing infrared radiation emitted from the user's finger, and at least one other finger biometric characteristic sensor on the integrated circuit substrate for sensing a finger biometric characteristic different than the infrared radiation emitted from the user's finger. The sensor may also include a processor connected to the plurality of infrared sensing pixels and the at least one other finger biometric characteristic sensor. Each of the infrared sensing pixels may include at least one infrared antenna and at least one temperature sensor connected thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Authentic, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Richard J. Jones, Gordon S. Franza
  • Patent number: 7358515
    Abstract: A multi-biometric finger sensor includes a plurality of electric field fingerprint sensing pixels on an integrated circuit substrate for sensing an image of the user's finger, and at least one other finger biometric characteristic sensor on the integrated circuit substrate for sensing a finger biometric characteristic different than the image of the user's finger. Each of the electric field fingerprint sensing pixels may include an electric field sensing electrode, a guard shield surrounding the electric field sensing electrode, and an amplifier connected between the electric field sensing electrode and the guard shield. The sensor may also include a finger drive electrode adjacent the plurality of electric field sensing pixels, and a processor connected to the electric field fingerprint sensing pixels and the at least one other finger biometric characteristic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Richard J. Jones, Gordon S. Franza
  • Patent number: 7214953
    Abstract: A multi-biometric finger sensor may include at least one optical dispersion sensing pixel on an integrated circuit substrate for sensing dispersed light from the user's finger, and at least one other finger biometric characteristic sensor on the integrated circuit substrate for sensing a finger biometric characteristic different than the dispersed light from the user's finger. The sensor may also include a processor connected to the at least one optical dispersion sensing pixel and the at least one other finger biometric characteristic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Richard J. Jones, Gordon S. Franza