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).
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Patent number: 9836638Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 1, 2015Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Erik Jonathon Thompson, Frank Schwab, Anthony P. Russo, Bjoren Davis, Charles Bellman, Gregory Lewis Dean, Philip Yiu Kwong Chan, Jaswinder Jandu
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Patent number: 9824200Abstract: Disclosed is a biometric authentication system.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2016Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Ty Bao Lien, Erik Jonathon Thompson
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Patent number: 9792482Abstract: A method and device for providing a multi-modal capacitive sensor, including a plurality of sensor electrodes, in an electronic device is provided. In a first mode, the capacitive sensor is configured to capture an image of a biometric object. In a second mode, the capacitive sensor is configured to provide presence detection functionality. In the second mode, the capacitive sensor includes at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode selected from a plurality of sensor electrodes. When operating in the second mode, the at least one first electrode is configured to receive a transmit signal, and the at least one second electrode is configured to receive a resulting signal capacitively coupled from the at least one first electrode. Based on the resulting signal, a processing system of the electronic device determines whether a biometric object to be imaged is present in the sensing area.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2015Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Guozhong Shen, Ozan Ersan Erdogan, Ajay Taparia, Erik Jonathon Thompson
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Publication number: 20170220842Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2017Publication date: August 3, 2017Inventors: Erik Jonathon Thompson, Adam L. Schwartz
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Patent number: 9665762Abstract: A biometric authentication apparatus and method is disclosed which may comprise a biometric authentication unit which may comprise: a biometric object sensor comprising sensor elements and a sensor computing device; a wake-on-event logic controller maintaining the sensor computing device in one of a powered-off or powered down mode, and including a bulk biometric object detector configured to detect a biometric object on or in the vicinity of the sensor elements and to power-on or power-up the sensor computing device responsive to the detection of the biometric object on or in the vicinity of the sensor elements; the sensor computing device configured to analyze one or more lines of biometric object image comprising a partial biometric object image and determine if the partial biometric image belongs to a biometric object desired to be imaged to obtain a complete biometric object image, and to provide a power-on or power-up signal to a host electronic device computing device when the partial biometric image iType: GrantFiled: February 13, 2013Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Erik Jonathon Thompson, Charles Walter Bellman, Anthony P. Russo, Philip Yiu Kwong Chan, Bjoren Kurt Davis, Gregory Lewis Dean, Richard Alexander Erhart, Jaswinder Jandu, Ty Bao Lien, Frank Schwab
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Publication number: 20170098115Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2016Publication date: April 6, 2017Inventors: Paul WICKBOLDT, Gregory Lewis DEAN, Erik Jonathon THOMPSON, Jaswinder JANDU, Patrick SMITH, Steven MOLESA
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Publication number: 20160253539Abstract: A method and device for providing a multi-modal capacitive sensor, including a plurality of sensor electrodes, in an electronic device is provided. In a first mode, the capacitive sensor is configured to capture an image of a biometric object. In a second mode, the capacitive sensor is configured to provide presence detection functionality. In the second mode, the capacitive sensor includes at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode selected from a plurality of sensor electrodes. When operating in the second mode, the at least one first electrode is configured to receive a transmit signal, and the at least one second electrode is configured to receive a resulting signal capacitively coupled from the at least one first electrode. Based on the resulting signal, a processing system of the electronic device determines whether a biometric object to be imaged is present in the sensing area.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2015Publication date: September 1, 2016Inventors: Guozhong SHEN, Ozan Ersan ERDOGAN, Ajay TAPARIA, Erik Jonathon Thompson
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Publication number: 20160154951Abstract: Disclosed is a biometric authentication system.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2016Publication date: June 2, 2016Inventors: Ty Bao LIEN, Erik Jonathon Thompson
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Publication number: 20160104025Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2015Publication date: April 14, 2016Inventors: Erik Jonathon Thompson, Frank Schwab, Anthony P. Russo, Bjoren Davis, Charles Bellman, Gregory Lewis Dean, Philip Yiu Kwong Chan, Jaswinder Jandu
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Publication number: 20160034740Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2015Publication date: February 4, 2016Inventors: Paul WICKBOLDT, Gregory Lewis DEAN, Erik Jonathon THOMPSON, Steven MOLESA, Jaswinder JANDU, Patrick SMITH
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Patent number: 9251329Abstract: Disclosed is a biometric authentication system.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2013Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Ty Bao Lien, Erik Jonathon Thompson
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Patent number: 9208371Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 26, 2013Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Erik Jonathon Thompson, Frank Schwab, Anthony P. Russo, Bjoren Davis, Charles Bellman, Gregory Lewis Dean, Philip Yiu Kwong Chan, Jaswinder Jandu
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Patent number: 9158958Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 24, 2014Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Paul Wickboldt, Gregory Lewis Dean, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Steven Molesa, Jaswinder Jandu, Patrick Smith
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Patent number: 9137438Abstract: A biometric image sensor system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first light source having a first wavelength ?1, a second light source having a second wavelength ?2, a photodetector configured and positioned to receive light of the first wavelength ?1 and light of the second wavelength ?2 reflecting from a biometric object being imaged and to produce a first output indicative of the amount of reflectance of the light of the first wavelength ?1 and a second output indicative of the amount of reflectance of the light of the second wavelength ?2, and a computing device configured to compare the difference between the first output and the second output with an authenticity threshold.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2013Date of Patent: September 15, 2015Assignee: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Richard Alexander Erhart, Erik Jonathon Thompson, Jaswinder Jandu, Pamela Percy
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Publication number: 20150030217Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2014Publication date: January 29, 2015Inventors: Paul WICKBOLDT, Gregory Lewis DEAN, Erik Jonathon THOMPSON, Steven MOLESA, Jaswinder JANDU, Patrick SMITH
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Publication number: 20140328522Abstract: An apparatus for reducing noise in fingerprint sensing circuits is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including a fingerprint sensing area onto which a user can apply a fingerprint. An analog front end is coupled to the fingerprint sensing area and is configured to generate an analog response signal. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) samples the analog response signal and converts the sample to a digital value, which may be received by a digital device such as a processor or CPU. To reduce the amount of the noise that is present in the analog response signal and therefore reflected in the digital value, the digital device may be shut down while the ADC is sampling the analog response signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2014Publication date: November 6, 2014Inventors: Gregory Lewis DEAN, Richard Alexander ERHART, Jaswinder S. JANDU, Erik Jonathon THOMPSON
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Patent number: 8787632Abstract: An apparatus for reducing noise in fingerprint sensing circuits is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including a fingerprint sensing area onto which a user can apply a fingerprint. An analog front end is coupled to the fingerprint sensing area and is configured to generate an analog response signal. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) samples the analog response signal and converts the sample to a digital value, which may be received by a digital device such as a processor or CPU. To reduce the amount of the noise that is present in the analog response signal and therefore reflected in the digital value, the digital device may be shut down while the ADC is sampling the analog response signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2013Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Gregory Lewis Dean, Richard Alexander Erhart, Jaswinder Jandu, Erik Jonathon Thompson
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Publication number: 20140198960Abstract: A biometric authentication apparatus and method is disclosed which may comprise a biometric authentication unit which may comprise: a biometric object sensor comprising sensor elements and a sensor computing device; a wake-on-event logic controller maintaining the sensor computing device in one of a powered-off or powered down mode, and including a bulk biometric object detector configured to detect a biometric object on or in the vicinity of the sensor elements and to power-on or power-up the sensor computing device responsive to the detection of the biometric object on or in the vicinity of the sensor elements; the sensor computing device configured to analyze one or more lines of biometric object image comprising a partial biometric object image and determine if the partial biometric image belongs to a biometric object desired to be imaged to obtain a complete biometric object image, and to provide a power-on or power-up signal to a host electronic device computing device when the partial biometric image iType: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2013Publication date: July 17, 2014Applicant: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Erik Jonathon THOMPSON, Charles Walter BELLMAN, Anthony P. Russo, Philip Yiu Kwong CHAN, Bjoren Kurt DAVIS, Gregory Lewis DEAN, Richard Alexander ERHART, Jaswinder JANDU, Ty Bao LIEN, Frank SCHWAB
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Patent number: RE45601Abstract: A fingerprint sensor with programmable sensing patterns is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including a fingerprint sensing circuit having multiple I/O interconnects. The I/O interconnects are configured to sequentially drive a plurality of fingerprint sensing elements. A memory device may be operably coupled to the fingerprint sensing circuit. A programmable data structure, such as a table, file, character string, numeric value, array, or the like may be stored in the memory device to designate a pattern for driving the fingerprint sensing elements. The fingerprint sensing circuit is configured to drive the fingerprint sensing elements according to the designated pattern. In selected embodiments, the fingerprint sensing elements may include transmitting elements, receiving elements, or a combination thereof.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2013Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Inventors: Gregory Lewis Dean, Richard Alexander Erhart, Jaswinder Jandu, Erik Jonathon Thompson
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Patent number: RE45650Abstract: A fingerprint sensing circuit for reducing noise and parasitic capacitive coupling is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including a plurality of transmitting elements to sequentially emit a probing signal. A digital ground is provided to ground digital components in the fingerprint sensing circuit. A quiet ground, separate from and quieter than the digital ground, is provided to ground transmitting elements that are not transmitting the probing signal. Similarly, control logic is provided to connect, to the quiet ground, transmitting elements that are not transmitting the probing signal, while disconnecting, from the quiet ground, transmitting elements that are emitting the probing signal. The quiet ground helps to reduce the adverse effects of parasitic capacitive coupling and noise on the inactive transmitting elements.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2013Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: Gregory Lewis Dean, Richard Alexander Erhart, Jaswinder Jandu, Erik Jonathon Thompson