Patents by Inventor Erik Jonathon Thompson

Erik Jonathon Thompson 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: 11175177
    Abstract: A method for determining an amount of ambient light illumination is disclosed. The method includes: estimating a contribution per color component in an optical sensing region of an input frame to be displayed on a display device, wherein the optical sensing region corresponds to a location of an optical sensor in the display device, wherein the input frame comprises digital information for each color component for each pixel of the input frame; causing the optical sensor to detect an amount of illumination in the optical sensing region based on illuminating the display device with a representation of the input frame; and determining the amount of ambient light illumination based on the estimated contribution per color component in the optical sensing region of the input frame and the amount of illumination in the optical sensing region detected by the optical sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Petr Shepelev, Patrick A. Worfolk, Erik Jonathon Thompson
  • Patent number: 11120247
    Abstract: An input device includes a fingerprint sensor and a processing system. The fingerprint sensor is configured to capture images of a sensing region of the input device. The processing system is configured to acquire a first image of the sensing region, where the first image includes one or more fingerprints. The processing system compares the first image with one or more adjunct templates to determine a similarity score for each of the one or more fingerprints. The processing system further compares at least one of the fingerprints with one or more fingerprints templates to determine a match score, and selectively authenticates the first image based at least in part on the similarity score and the match score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventor: Erik Jonathon Thompson
  • Patent number: 11010589
    Abstract: An input device includes a biometric sensor and a processing system. The biometric sensor is configured to capture images of a sensing region of the input device. The processing system is configured to acquire a first image of the sensing region in response to a first authentication trigger, and to acquire a second image of the sensing region in response to a second authentication trigger. The processing system is further configured to determine an amount of similarity between the first image and the second image, and to validate the second image for user authentication when the amount of similarity between the first image and the second image is below a threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Anthony P. Russo, Erik Jonathon Thompson
  • Patent number: 10891460
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for optical sensing, comprising: a display comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of light emitters disposed above the transparent substrate; a transparent cover layer disposed above the display, wherein a top surface of the transparent cover layer provides an input surface for sensing an input object; and, an angled filter disposed below the transparent substrate of the display, wherein the angled filter is configured to allow light within a tolerance angle of an acceptance angle to pass through the angled filter, wherein the acceptance angle is centered around a non-zero angle relative to a normal of the input surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Will Semiconductor (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Guozhong Shen, Richard Klenkler, Paul Wickboldt, Young Seen Lee, Patrick Smith, Bob Lee Mackey, Marek Mienko, Arash Akhavan Fomani, Alvin Jee, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Bjoren Davis
  • Publication number: 20200349332
    Abstract: A hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor system includes: capacitive sensor electrodes; an optical image sensor having a plurality of image sensor pixels; light conditioning elements, configured to condition light from a sensing region of the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor for detection by the optical image sensor; and a processing system having one or more controllers, configured to operate the capacitive sensor electrodes in a low-power mode of operation for the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor, and to operate the optical image sensor to acquire an image from the sensing region of the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Applicant: FINGERPRINT CARDS AB
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Lillie, Mark Pude, Eric Bohannon, Eric Moule, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Patrick Smith, Lynn Kern
  • Patent number: 10719683
    Abstract: A hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor system includes: capacitive sensor electrodes; an optical image sensor having a plurality of image sensor pixels; light conditioning elements, configured to condition light from a sensing region of the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor for detection by the optical image sensor; and a processing system having one or more controllers, configured to operate the capacitive sensor electrodes in a low-power mode of operation for the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor, and to operate the optical image sensor to acquire an image from the sensing region of the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: FINGERPRINT CARDS AB
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Lillie, Mark Pude, Eric Bohannon, Eric Moule, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Patrick Smith, Lynn Kern
  • Publication number: 20200200596
    Abstract: A method for determining an amount of ambient light illumination is disclosed. The method includes: estimating a contribution per color component in an optical sensing region of an input frame to be displayed on a display device, wherein the optical sensing region corresponds to a location of an optical sensor in the display device, wherein the input frame comprises digital information for each color component for each pixel of the input frame; causing the optical sensor to detect an amount of illumination in the optical sensing region based on illuminating the display device with a representation of the input frame; and determining the amount of ambient light illumination based on the estimated contribution per color component in the optical sensing region of the input frame and the amount of illumination in the optical sensing region detected by the optical sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Petr SHEPELEV, Patrick A. WORFOLK, Erik Jonathon THOMPSON
  • Publication number: 20200184191
    Abstract: An input device includes a fingerprint sensor and a processing system. The fingerprint sensor is configured to capture images of a sensing region of the input device. The processing system is configured to acquire a first image of the sensing region, where the first image includes one or more fingerprints. The processing system compares the first image with one or more adjunct templates to determine a similarity score for each of the one or more fingerprints. The processing system further compares at least one of the fingerprints with one or more fingerprints templates to determine a match score, and selectively authenticates the first image based at least in part on the similarity score and the match score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventor: Erik Jonathon THOMPSON
  • Patent number: 10664676
    Abstract: An optical sensor system includes a display substrate, display pixel circuitry including a plurality of light emitting display elements or pixels disposed over the display substrate, a first circular polarizer disposed over the display substrate and the display pixel circuitry, and a transparent cover sheet disposed over the first circular polarizer. A top surface of the transparent cover sheet provides a sensing surface for an object such as a finger. The optical sensor system also includes a sensor layer disposed below the display substrate, the sensor layer having a plurality of photosensors, and a second circular polarizer disposed between the sensor layer and the display substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Will Semiconductor (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Bob Lee Mackey, Patrick Smith, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Arash Akhavan Fomani, Marek Mienko
  • Patent number: 10592717
    Abstract: A method and system for fingerprint imaging in an electronic device having a display, a touch sensor with a touch interface and an optical fingerprint sensor with a sensing region is described. The method and system include placing the electronic device in a hover detect mode, the hover detect mode scanning for a hovering finger; detecting the hovering finger; initiating illumination in the sensing region to image a fingerprint of the finger; capturing an image of the fingerprint in the sensing region; and disabling the illumination in the sensing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Mohamed Sheik-Nainar, Justin Mockler, Adam L. Schwartz, Erik Jonathon Thompson
  • Patent number: 10380402
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for conserving power during navigation, e.g., user device pointer/cursor navigation, using a fingerprint image sensor, that may comprise processing, via a computing device, fingerprint image sensor data indicative of finger position and movement with respect to a fingerprint image sensor surface in a finger navigation mode to determine if the finger is in a first finger navigation mode; processing, via the computing device, fingerprint image sensor data indicative of finger position and movement with respect to a fingerprint image sensor surface in a finger navigation mode to determine if the finger is in a second finger navigation mode; and transitioning, via the computing device, the fingerprint image sensor from a first power consumption mode to a second power consumption mode, based on detecting a transition from the first finger navigation mode to the second finger navigation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Erik Jonathon Thompson, Frank Schwab, Anthony P. Russo, Bjoren Davis, Charles Bellman, Gregory Lewis Dean, Philip Yiu Kwong Chan, Jaswinder Jandu
  • Patent number: 10282579
    Abstract: A method for initiating fingerprint capture in an electronic device is described. The device includes a touch screen with a sensing region, a touch controller, a fingerprint controller, and a host. The device is placed in a low power doze mode where the fingerprint controller is in a low power state and the device scans for an object proximate to the sensing region. When an object is proximate to the sensing region, the device executes a validation mode to determine whether the object is a fingerprint. When a fingerprint is detected, the device sends a wake up signal to the fingerprint controller and places the fingerprint controller in a high power mode. One or more fingerprint images are then captured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Erik Jonathon Thompson, Adam L. Schwartz
  • Publication number: 20190026523
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for optical sensing, comprising: a display comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of light emitters disposed above the transparent substrate; a transparent cover layer disposed above the display, wherein a top surface of the transparent cover layer provides an input surface for sensing an input object; and, an angled filter disposed below the transparent substrate of the display, wherein the angled filter is configured to allow light within a tolerance angle of an acceptance angle to pass through the angled filter, wherein the acceptance angle is centered around a non-zero angle relative to a normal of the input surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Guozhong SHEN, Richard KLENKLER, Paul WICKBOLDT, Young Seen LEE, Patrick SMITH, Bob Lee MACKEY, Marek MIENKO, Arash Akhavan FOMANI, Alvin JEE, Erik Jonathon THOMPSON, Bjoren DAVIS
  • Publication number: 20190018998
    Abstract: A hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor system includes: capacitive sensor electrodes; an optical image sensor having a plurality of image sensor pixels; light conditioning elements, configured to condition light from a sensing region of the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor for detection by the optical image sensor; and a processing system having one or more controllers, configured to operate the capacitive sensor electrodes in a low-power mode of operation for the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor, and to operate the optical image sensor to acquire an image from the sensing region of the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Lillie, Mark Pude, Eric Bohannon, Eric Moule, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Patrick Smith, Lynn Kern
  • Publication number: 20180357462
    Abstract: An optical sensor system includes a display substrate, display pixel circuitry including a plurality of light emitting display elements or pixels disposed over the display substrate, a first circular polarizer disposed over the display substrate and the display pixel circuitry, and a transparent cover sheet disposed over the first circular polarizer. A top surface of the transparent cover sheet provides a sensing surface for an object such as a finger. The optical sensor system also includes a sensor layer disposed below the display substrate, the sensor layer having a plurality of photosensors, and a second circular polarizer disposed between the sensor layer and the display substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Bob Lee Mackey, Patrick Smith, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Arash Akhavan Fomani, Marek Mienko
  • Patent number: 10102411
    Abstract: A hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor system includes: capacitive sensor electrodes; an optical image sensor having a plurality of image sensor pixels; light conditioning elements, configured to condition light from a sensing region of the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor for detection by the optical image sensor; and a processing system having one or more controllers, configured to operate the capacitive sensor electrodes in a low-power mode of operation for the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor, and to operate the optical image sensor to acquire an image from the sensing region of the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Lillie, Mark Pude, Eric Bohannon, Eric Moule, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Patrick Smith, Lynn Kern
  • Patent number: 10049254
    Abstract: A biometric imager may comprise a plurality of sensor element traces formed in or on a sensor substrate which may comprise at least a portion of a display screen defining a biometric sensing area and forming in-active pixel locations; an auxiliary active circuit formed in or on the sensor substrate on the periphery of the biometric sensing area and in direct or indirect electrical contact with the sensor element traces; and providing a signal processing interface to a remotely located controller integrated circuit. The sensor element traces may form a portion of one dimensional linear sensor array or pixel locations in a two dimensional grid array capacitive gap biometric imaging sensor. The auxiliary circuit may provide pixel location selection or pixel signal amplification. The auxiliary circuit may be mounted on a surface of the display screen. The auxiliary circuit further comprising a separate pixel location selection controller circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Paul Wickboldt, Gregory Lewis Dean, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Jaswinder Jandu, Patrick Smith, Steven Molesa
  • Publication number: 20180218195
    Abstract: A method and system for fingerprint imaging in an electronic device having a display, a touch sensor with a touch interface and an optical fingerprint sensor with a sensing region is described. The method and system include placing the electronic device in a hover detect mode, the hover detect mode scanning for a hovering finger; detecting the hovering finger; initiating illumination in the sensing region to image a fingerprint of the finger; capturing an image of the fingerprint in the sensing region; and disabling the illumination in the sensing region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Mohamed Sheik-Nainar, Justin Mockler, Adam L. Schwartz, Erik Jonathon Thompson
  • Publication number: 20180211078
    Abstract: A hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor system includes: capacitive sensor electrodes; an optical image sensor having a plurality of image sensor pixels; light conditioning elements, configured to condition light from a sensing region of the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor for detection by the optical image sensor; and a processing system having one or more controllers, configured to operate the capacitive sensor electrodes in a low-power mode of operation for the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor, and to operate the optical image sensor to acquire an image from the sensing region of the hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Lillie, Mark Pude, Eric Bohannon, Eric Moule, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Patrick Smith, Lynn Kern
  • Publication number: 20180068161
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for conserving power during navigation, e.g., user device pointer/cursor navigation, using a fingerprint image sensor, that may comprise processing, via a computing device, fingerprint image sensor data indicative of finger position and movement with respect to a fingerprint image sensor surface in a finger navigation mode to determine if the finger is in a first finger navigation mode; processing, via the computing device, fingerprint image sensor data indicative of finger position and movement with respect to a fingerprint image sensor surface in a finger navigation mode to determine if the finger is in a second finger navigation mode; and transitioning, via the computing device, the fingerprint image sensor from a first power consumption mode to a second power consumption mode, based on detecting a transition from the first finger navigation mode to the second finger navigation mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Erik Jonathon Thompson, Frank Schwab, Anthony P. Russo, Bjoren Davis, Charles Bellman, Gregory Lewis Dean, Philip Yiu Kwong Chan, Jaswinder Jandu