Abstract: A multi-biometric finger sensor may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate for receiving a user's finger. The multi-biometric finger sensor may also include an optical source for projecting light of a known polarization angle onto the user's finger and at least one optical sensing pixel on the IC substrate for detecting a relative depolarization angle of the light reflected from the user's finger. The multi-biometric finger sensor may also include at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel on the IC substrate for sensing at least one other biometric characteristic from the user's finger.

Abstract: A finger sensing device may include a finger sensing area, at least one processing stage coupled to the finger sensing area and having at least one adaptively determined processing parameter, and a controller for spoof reduction. More particularly, the controller may determine a spoof attempt based upon a change in the at least one adaptively determined processing parameter. For example, the at least one adaptively determined processing parameter may include a feedback determined processing parameter. Accordingly, the finger sensing device has enhanced spoof reduction, since different materials, for example, will cause a change in an adaptive processing parameter and thereby indicate the attempted spoof.

Abstract: A method of making finger sensor packages may include advancing a flexible circuit tape along a predetermined path of travel. The flexible circuit tape may include a flexible layer and conductive traces thereon defining individual flexible circuits. The method may include, as the flexible circuit tape is advanced along the path of travel, securing a respective finger sensing integrated circuit (IC) and surrounding sensor package frame to each flexible circuit, applying at least one fluid fill material adjacent each finger sensor IC while using the corresponding sensor package frame as a dam to thereby define finger sensor packages, and stamping out the finger sensor packages from the flexible circuit tape to form at least one flush common edge of each sensor package frame and individual flexible circuit.

Abstract: A finger sensing device may include an array of finger sensing pixels to receive a user's finger adjacent thereto. Each finger sensing pixel may include a finger sensing electrode. The finger sensing device may include a finger drive electrode configured to couple a drive signal through the user's finger to the array of finger sensing pixels. The finger sensing device may also include differential pixel measurement circuitry coupled to the array of finger sensing pixels and configured to generate a plurality of interpixel difference measurements for adjacent pairs of the finger sensing pixels.

Abstract: A finger sensing apparatus may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate, an array of finger sensing elements on the IC substrate, and encryption circuitry on the IC substrate cooperating with the array of finger sensing elements for encrypting a user template comprising finger template data and at least one user credential. The at least one user credential may enable another device, such as a host platform, to perform at least one protected operation.

Abstract: An improved biometric data sensing circuit, for example adapted for fingerprint sensing, uses a charge subtraction technique at the input of the circuit integrator to cancel the so called “common mode” signal from the circuit output. The result is an output signal that is (a) linear, (b) free from any amplification effect due to the presence of the detected object (e.g. a finger), and (c) indicative of the detected object's fine surface geometry (i.e., indicative of the fingerprint's ridges and valleys).

Abstract: A finger sensor may include a finger sensing integrated circuit (IC) having a finger sensing area and at least one bond pad adjacent thereto, and a flexible circuit coupled to the IC finger sensor. More particularly, the flexible circuit may include a flexible layer, and at least one conductive trace carried thereby and coupled to the at least one bond pad. The sensor may also include at least one Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) electrode carried by the flexible layer. The ESD electrode may be positioned adjacent a beveled edge, for example, of an IC carrier and thereby exposed through a small gap between an adjacent portion of a frame.

Abstract: A fingerprint sensor may include a substrate, and a finger sensing IC on the substrate and including a finger sensing area on an upper surface thereof for sensing an adjacent finger. The fingerprint sensor may include an encapsulating material on the finger sensing IC and covering the finger sensing area, and a bezel adjacent the finger sensing area and on an uppermost surface of the encapsulating layer.

Abstract: A finger sensing device may include a finger sensing area to receive a user's finger moved in a sliding motion, and a controller cooperating with the finger sensing area for generating successive image samples. Moreover, the controller may also generate the displacement estimate of the user's finger by at least performing a plurality of different image sample correlations between at least one pair of image samples, and cross-verifying results of the plurality of different image sample correlations.

Abstract: An improved fingerprint sensing device is provided with multiple sensing apparatus, two or more of which operating on different sensing principles. For example, a capacitive sensor may be integrally formed with an optical sensor on a single substrate. Ideally, the multiple sensing apparatus are disposed such that they may sense nearly identical portions of a fingerprint simultaneously. A primary sensor may be employed to establish the identity of a user based on a fingerprint, while a secondary sensor may be employed to establish that the fingerprint is part of a live human (anti-spoofing). Integrated light sources may be provided to drive an optical sensor. The light sources may also provide visual cues for usage, and enhance the aesthetics of the device.

Abstract: A finger sensing device may include a mounting substrate, an integrated circuit (IC) die carried by the mounting substrate and having an array of electric field-based finger sensing elements, and first electrical connections coupling the mounting substrate and the IC die. In addition, the finger sensing device may include a protective plate attached over the array of electric field-based finger sensing elements and having a dielectric constant greater than 5 in all directions and a thickness greater than 40 microns to define a capacitive lens for the array of electric field-based finger sensing elements. The finger sensing device may also include an encapsulating material adjacent the mounting substrate and the IC die and around at least the first electrical connections.

Abstract: A finger sensing device may include an array of finger sensing electrodes, and a processor cooperating with the array of finger sensing electrodes for operation in a lower power consumption finger detecting mode, and for operation in a higher power consumption reading mode upon detection of a finger. The processor may selectively bus together finger sensing electrodes into at least one group from the array thereof when in the lower power consumption finger detecting mode to thereby detect a finger adjacent the array of finger sensing electrodes. Accordingly, a finger may be accurately detected and while in a low power mode, such as may be particularly beneficial to extend battery life for portable electronic devices.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a communications interface, a user prompting device, a biometric sensor, and a controller. The controller may perform biometric spoof detection with the biometric sensor, and receive a request for human presence verification from a remote device via the communications interface. The controller may also prompt the user for a verification action using the sensor based upon receiving the request, and determine that the user has completed the verification action in response to the prompting and based upon the biometric spoof detection. The controller may further send a response to the remote device via the communications interface and based upon determining that the user has completed the verification action. The controller may send a notification to the remote device that there is a biometric sensor.

Abstract: A finger sensing device may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate and an array of pixels on the IC substrate. Each pixel may be selectively operable in at least a receiving mode for receiving radiation from an adjacent finger, or a transmitting mode for transmitting radiation into the adjacent finger. The finger sensing device may also include a controller coupled to the array of pixels for selectively operating at least one first pixel in the receiving mode, and while selectively operating at least one second pixel in the transmitting mode. Each pixel may also be selectively operable in a mask mode for neither receiving nor transmitting radiation. The controller may also selectively operate at least one third pixel in the mask mode while selectively operating the at least one first and second pixels in the receiving and transmitting modes.

Abstract: A device in accordance with the present invention has a top metal layer that shows increased resistance to degradation such as abrasion, erosion, or both. A device in accordance with the present invention includes a device layer and a top metal layer. The device layer includes contact sensing elements and has a plurality of depressions that extend into the device layer. The first metal layer overlies or is adjacent to the contact sensing elements and extends into the depressions. Preferably, a surface of the metal layer opposed to the device layer is contoured to the depressions. In some embodiments the top metal layer makes electrical connections to the contact sensor, but in other embodiments it does not. Preferably, the device forms a finger swipe sensor, and the contact sensing elements are coupled to finger swipe processing electronics.

Abstract: A finger biometric sensor may include a finger biometric sensing layer having an upper major surface and at least one sidewall surface adjacent thereto. The finger biometric layer may be for generating signals related to at least one biometric characteristic of the user's finger when positioned adjacent the first major surface. The finger biometric sensor may also include a piezoelectric transducer layer coupled to the at least one sidewall surface of the finger biometric sensing layer and a plurality of electrically conductive layers coupled to the piezoelectric transducer layer to define transducer electrodes. At least one of the electrically conductive layers may also cooperate with the finger biometric sensing layer for sensing the at least one biometric characteristic.

Abstract: An electronic device is for communicating with a remote server hosting a web feed of updated content including a plurality of web links. The electronic device includes a finger biometric sensor, a display, and a processor. The processor is for authenticating a finger placed adjacent the finger biometric sensor, and displaying on the display the plurality of web links from the web feed of updated content based upon authenticating the finger. The processor is also for associating account access data with the authenticated finger, and accessing information from a selected web link based upon the account access data associated with the authenticated finger. Additionally, the processor is for downloading and displaying on the display information from the selected web link.

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.