Abstract: A fingerprint sensor is incorporated in a display stack in an electronic device. A single fingerprint can be captured at one time at a single pre-defined fixed location on a display. Alternatively, a single fingerprint can be acquired at one time at any location on a display. Alternatively, multiple touches on the display can be acquired substantially simultaneously where only one fingerprint is captured at a time or where all of the fingerprints are acquired at the same time. The fingerprint sensor can be implemented as an integrated circuit connected to a bottom surface of a cover sheet, near the bottom surface of the cover sheet, or connected to a top surface of a display. Alternatively, the fingerprint sensor can be implemented as a full panel fingerprint sensor.

Abstract: An electronic device may include finger biometric sensing pixels and a processor capable of cooperating with the finger biometric sensing pixels to generate a series of finger images at a progressively slower capture rate as a finger settling increases over time from initial placement of a user's finger adjacent the finger biometric sensing pixels. The processor may also be capable of cooperating with the finger biometric sensing pixels to determine a quality factor for each image in the series thereof, and select at least one image from the series thereof for matching and based upon the quality factor.

Abstract: An electronic device may include finger biometric sensing pixels and a processor capable of cooperating with the finger biometric sensing pixels to generate a series of finger images at a progressively slower capture rate as a finger settling increases over time from initial placement of a user's finger adjacent the finger biometric sensing pixels. The processor may also be capable of cooperating with the finger biometric sensing pixels to determine a quality factor for each image in the series thereof, and select at least one image from the series thereof for matching and based upon the quality factor.

Abstract: A biometric sensing device is operatively connected to a processing channel. The processing channel can include one or more variable gain amplifiers and/or one or more variable offset circuits. The signal levels associated with a section of a biometric image can be reconstructed using a digitized section of the biometric image and a particular gain and/or a particular offset value used in the processing channel to process the digitized section of the biometric image. The reconstructed sections of the biometric image can be combined to form a reconstructed biometric image. Additional processing operations can be performed on the reconstructed biometric image.

Abstract: A biometric sensing device is operatively connected to a processing channel. The processing channel can include one or more variable gain amplifiers and/or one or more variable offset circuits. The signal levels associated with a section of a biometric image can be reconstructed using a digitized section of the biometric image and a particular gain and/or a particular offset value used in the processing channel to process the digitized section of the biometric image. The reconstructed sections of the biometric image can be combined to form a reconstructed biometric image. Additional processing operations can be performed on the reconstructed biometric image.

Abstract: An object can depress an input device, such as, for example, a function button in an electronic device. A resistive element having a mechanically resistive force can be disposed to resist the depression or movement of the input device. One or more electrodes can be disposed to provide a measure of capacitance based on the depression of the input device. A shield can be disposed to reduce the parasitic capacitance between the one or more electrodes and the object. The electronic device can include a fingerprint sensor operably connected to at least one of the one or more electrodes.

Abstract: A biometric sensing device is operatively connected to a processing channel. The processing channel can include one or more variable gain amplifiers and/or one or more variable offset circuits. The signal levels associated with a section of a biometric image can be reconstructed using a digitized section of the biometric image and a particular gain and/or a particular offset value used in the processing channel to process the digitized section of the biometric image. The reconstructed sections of the biometric image can be combined to form a reconstructed biometric image. Additional processing operations can be performed on the reconstructed biometric image.

Abstract: A fingerprint sensor is incorporated in a display stack in an electronic device. A single fingerprint can be captured at one time at a single pre-defined fixed location on a display. Alternatively, a single fingerprint can be acquired at one time at any location on a display. Alternatively, multiple touches on the display can be acquired substantially simultaneously where only one fingerprint is captured at a time or where all of the fingerprints are acquired at the same time. The fingerprint sensor can be implemented as an integrated circuit connected to a bottom surface of a cover sheet, near the bottom surface of the cover sheet, or connected to a top surface of a display. Alternatively, the fingerprint sensor can be implemented as a full panel fingerprint sensor.

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.

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.

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 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.

Abstract: An integrated circuit sensor may include at least one infrared sensing element on a substrate. The sensing element may include at least one first thermocouple junction heated from infrared radiation, at least one second thermocouple junction connected to the first thermocouple junction, and a controller. The controller may detect a temperature difference between the first and second thermocouple junctions, and may pump heat therebetween to drive the detected temperature difference toward a desired value. The controller may also generate an infrared radiation output signal based upon the heat pumped. The controller may alternatingly switch between detecting the temperature difference and pumping heat, and the desired temperature difference may be zero. The sensor is readily made using integrated circuit processing technology, and may, for example, be used in many types of applications, such as biometric identification by including biometric processing circuitry connected to the controller.

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.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing and a finger sensor carried by the housing to receive a fingerprint area of a user's finger adjacent thereto. A processor can be carried by the housing and connected to the finger sensor. The processor determines a plurality of finger motion patterns of the fingerprint area of the user's finger relative to the finger sensor. The processor also matches the determined finger motion patterns to stored finger motion patterns of respective characters, and may display the characters as text on a display. The finger sensor may also be used to verify the user based upon a fingerprint, for example.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing, a display carried by the housing, and a fingerprint sensor also carried by the housing. The electronic device may also include a processor for generating a plurality of menu items on the display, and for scrolling an indicator along the menu items based upon static placement of a finger adjacent a selected portion of the fingerprint sensor. The sensor may have a polygonal shape, and the scrolling may be in a direction of a corner portion of the polygonal shape. The menu items may be arranged in a single column, or in a plurality of columns.

Abstract: A finger sensor apparatus may include an integrated circuit substrate for receiving a user's finger adjacent thereto, and a plurality of infrared sensing pixels on the integrated circuit substrate. The infrared sensing pixels are for sensing infrared radiation naturally 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 naturally emitted from the subdermal features of the user's finger.