Patents by Inventor Dale R. Setlak

Dale R. Setlak 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: 8432252
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a housing and a finger biometric sensing area exposed on the housing. The electronic device may also include an optical indicator at least partially surrounding the finger biometric sensing area and exposed on the housing. The electronic device may also include a controller for performing at least one function based upon the finger biometric sensing area, and activating the optical indicator based upon communications with a remote web site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, John David McKinney, Thomas Aebli, Stephanie Griffin
  • Publication number: 20120085822
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: AuthenTec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Patrick J. Landy, Albert M. Straub, Roger Lee Schenk
  • Patent number: 8085998
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Matthew M. Salatino, Philip J. Spletter, Yang Rao
  • Publication number: 20110090049
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: AuthenTec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, James W. Neil, Daryl D. Williams, Richard J. Jones, Nicolaas W. Van Vonno
  • 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: 7894643
    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. The flexible circuit may include a flexible layer covering both the finger sensing area and the at least one bond pad, and at least one conductive trace carried by the flexible layer and coupled to the at least one bond pad. The flexible layer may permit finger sensing therethrough. The flexible circuit may include at least one connector portion extending beyond the finger sensing area and the at least one bond pad. For example, the connector portion may include a tab connector portion and/or a ball grid array connector portion. A fill material, such as an epoxy, may be provided between the IC finger sensor and the flexible circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Matthew M. Salatino, Philip J. Spletter, Yang Rao
  • Publication number: 20110032077
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: Authen Tec, Inc, State of Incorporated: Delaware
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, James W. Neil, Daryl D. Williams, Richard J. Jones, Nicolaas W. Van Vonno
  • Publication number: 20100321158
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a housing and a finger biometric sensing area exposed on the housing. The electronic device may also include an optical indicator at least partially surrounding the finger biometric sensing area and exposed on the housing. The electronic device may also include a controller for performing at least one function based upon the finger biometric sensing area, and activating the optical indicator based upon communications with a remote web site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: AuthenTec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, John David McKinney, Thomas Aebli, Stephanie Griffin
  • Publication number: 20100320553
    Abstract: A finger sensor assembly may include a circuit board and an integrated circuit (IC) finger sensor grid array package including a grid array on a lower end thereof mounted to the circuit board, and a finger sensing area on an upper end thereof. The finger sensor assembly may further include at least one visible light source carried by the circuit board and a visible light guide optically coupled to the at least one visible light source. The at least one visible light source may at least partially laterally surround the upper end of the IC finger sensor grid array package to provide visual light indications. The IC finger sensor grid array package may also include circuitry for controlling the at least one visible light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: AuthenTec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. SETLAK, John David Mckinney
  • Patent number: 7734074
    Abstract: A finger sensor may include a plurality of finger image sensing arrays for generating a respective plurality of finger image data sets based upon sliding finger movement over the finger image sensing arrays, and a processor cooperating with the finger image sensing arrays. The processor may determine finger movement based upon the finger image data sets, and generate a resampled finger image data set by resampling the finger image data sets based upon the determined finger movement. The processor may further deskew the finger image data sets when generating the resampled finger image data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Barbara E. Cornett, Kuntal Sengupta
  • 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: 7616786
    Abstract: A finger biometric sensor may include a thin film substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT) layer on the thin film substrate, and an array of electric field sensing electrodes adjacent the TFT layer for receiving a finger adjacent thereto. The TFT layer may include a plurality of TFTs defining a respective TFT amplifier stage for each electric field sensing electrode. The sensor may further include a finger excitation electrode adjacent the array of electric field sensing electrodes, and at least one integrated circuit adjacent the thin film substrate. The integrated circuit may include a monocrystalline substrate and processing circuitry adjacent the monocrystalline substrate and connected to the TFT amplifier stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventor: Dale R. Setlak
  • Patent number: 7599532
    Abstract: A finger sensor may include a finger sensing integrated circuit (IC) having a finger sensing area, an IC carrier having a cavity receiving the finger sensing IC therein and having at least one beveled upper edge, and a frame surrounding at least a portion of an upper perimeter of the IC carrier and having at least one inclined surface corresponding to the at least one beveled upper edge of the IC carrier. The finger sensor may also include a biasing member for biasing the IC carrier into alignment within the frame. The biasing member may include at least one resilient body for biasing the IC carrier upward within the frame. In other embodiments, the finger sensor may include an IC carrier having a cavity receiving the finger sensing IC therein and having at least one laterally extending projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Matthew M. Salatino, Philip J. Spletter, Yang Rao
  • Publication number: 20090067687
    Abstract: A finger sensing device may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate, an array of finger sensing elements on the IC substrate, and image watermark circuitry on the IC substrate and cooperating with the array of finger sensing elements for generating finger image data with an image watermark embedded therein. The finger sensing apparatus may also include match circuitry on the IC substrate for performing finger matching based at least upon the image watermark. The array of finger sensing elements may include an array of finger sensing pixels. The image watermark circuitry may distort values from the array of finger sensing pixels to generate the finger image data with the image watermark embedded therein. The watermark circuitry may distort position values from the array of finger sensing pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: AuthenTec, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Boshra, Jeffrey C. Lee, Gregory Thomas Minteer, Gary S. Porter, Dale R. Setlak, Peter E. Sherlock, Andrew J. Vandamia, James R. Waldron
  • Publication number: 20090003664
    Abstract: A finger sensor may include a finger sensing integrated circuit (IC) having a finger sensing area, an IC carrier having a cavity receiving the finger sensing IC therein and having at least one beveled upper edge, and a frame surrounding at least a portion of an upper perimeter of the IC carrier and having at least one inclined surface corresponding to the at least one beveled upper edge of the IC carrier. The finger sensor may also include a biasing member for biasing the IC carrier into alignment within the frame. The biasing member may include at least one resilient body for biasing the IC carrier upward within the frame. In other embodiments, the finger sensor may include an IC carrier having a cavity receiving the finger sensing IC therein and having at least one laterally extending projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: AuthenTec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Matthew M. Salatino, Philip J. Spletter, Yang Rao
  • Patent number: 7433729
    Abstract: A finger sensor may include an integrated circuit substrate for receiving a user's finger adjacent thereto, and a plurality of infrared sensing pixels on the substrate. Each infrared sensing pixel may include at least one temperature sensor, at least one infrared antenna, and at least one conductive via interconnecting the at least one temperature sensor and the at least one infrared antenna. The infrared sensing pixels are for sensing infrared radiation emitted from subdermal features when the user's finger is positioned adjacent the integrated circuit substrate. The finger sensor apparatus may also include a processor connected to the infrared sensing pixels for generating infrared biometric data based upon infrared radiation emitted from the subdermal features of the user's finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: MEARS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Richard J. Jones
  • Patent number: 7424136
    Abstract: A finger sensor may include a finger sensing integrated circuit (IC) having a finger sensing area, an IC carrier having a cavity receiving the finger sensing IC therein and having at least one beveled upper edge, and a frame surrounding at least a portion of an upper perimeter of the IC carrier and having at least one inclined surface corresponding to the at least one beveled upper edge of the IC carrier. The finger sensor may also include a biasing member for biasing the IC carrier into alignment within the frame. The biasing member may include at least one resilient body for biasing the IC carrier upward within the frame. In other embodiments, the finger sensor may include an IC carrier having a cavity receiving the finger sensing IC therein and having at least one laterally extending projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale R. Setlak, Matthew M. Salatino, Philip J. Spletter, Yang Rao
  • Patent number: 7361919
    Abstract: A multi-biometric finger sensor may sense different biometric characteristics that have different matching selectivities and that have at least a known spatial relationship. The sensor may include an integrated circuit substrate for receiving a user's finger adjacent thereto, and a first set of biometric sensing pixels on the substrate for sensing a first finger biometric characteristic to generate first finger biometric characteristic data having a first matching selectivity. The sensor may also include a second set of biometric sensing pixels on the integrated circuit substrate for sensing a second finger biometric characteristic different than the first finger biometric characteristic to generate second finger biometric characteristic data with a known spatial relationship to the first fingerprint characteristic data. The second finger biometric characteristic data may have a second matching selectivity less than the first matching selectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Authentec, Inc.
    Inventor: Dale R. Setlak
  • 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: 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