Patents by Inventor Fred G. Benkley

Fred G. Benkley 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: 7751601
    Abstract: A fingerprint sensing module includes a sensor substrate having a sensing side and a circuit side, an image sensor including conductive traces on the circuit side of the sensor substrate, and a sensor circuit including at least one integrated circuit mounted on the circuit side of the sensor substrate and electrically connected to the image sensor. The sensor substrate may be a flexible substrate. The module may include a velocity sensor on the sensor substrate or on a separate substrate. The module may further include a rigid substrate, and the sensor substrate may be affixed to the rigid substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Validity Sensors, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred G. Benkley, III
  • Patent number: 7463756
    Abstract: A finger position sensing apparatus, typically used in a fingerprint sensing system, includes a position pickup plate disposed generally orthogonally with respect to an expected direction of movement of a finger and a plurality of position drive plates having different spacings from the position pickup plate to define plurality of position sensor gaps between respective position drive plates and the position pickup plate. The position drive plates are dimensioned and spaced from the position pickup plate to sense the bulk of a finger rather than fingerprint features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Validity Sensors, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred G. Benkley, III
  • Patent number: 7460697
    Abstract: Image sensing apparatus includes an image pickup plate disposed generally orthogonally with respect to an expected direction of movement of an object, such as a finger, multiple image drive plates in spaced relation to the image pickup plate to define sensor gaps between respective image drive plates and the image pickup plate, and a reference plate disposed substantially parallel to the image pickup plate. The reference plate is spaced from the image pickup plate to permit common mode noise and coupling to be cancelled and is spaced from the image drive plates to permit a differential image signal to develop between the image pickup plate and the reference plate. A differential amplifier coupled to the image pickup plate and the reference plate provides noise cancellation. The apparatus may further include a comb plate spaced from the reference plate and coupled to a reference potential, such as ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Validity Sensors, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Erhart, Darioush Keyvani, Fred G. Benkley, III, Jaswinder Jandu
  • Patent number: 7146024
    Abstract: A fingerprint sensing system includes an image sensor, a rate sensor and a sensor circuit. The image sensor includes a linear array of capacitive sensors for capacitive sensing of ridge peaks and ridge valleys of a fingerprint on a swiped finger. The rate sensor senses the speed of the finger as it is swiped across the image sensor. The sensor circuit supplies image drive signals to the image sensor and detects image signals in response to the drive signals. The sensor circuit supplies rate drive signals to the rate sensor and detects rate signals in response to the rate drive signals. The sensor circuit further coordinates the image signals and the rate signals to provide a fingerprint image. The image sensor may be configured as an image pickup plate and multiple image drive plates formed on a substrate, such as a flexible printed circuit board or other flexible substrate which may conform to the shape of the finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Validity Sensors, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred G. Benkley, III
  • Patent number: 7099496
    Abstract: A fingerprint sensing system includes an image sensor, a rate sensor and a sensor circuit. The image sensor includes a linear array of capacitive sensors for capacitive sensing of ridge peaks and ridge valleys of a fingerprint on a swiped finger. The rate sensor senses the speed of the finger as it is swiped across the image sensor. The sensor circuit supplies image drive signals to the image sensor and detects image signals in response to the drive signals. The sensor circuit supplies rate drive signals to the rate sensor and detects rate signals in response to the rate drive signals. The sensor circuit further coordinates the image signals and the rate signals to provide a fingerprint image. The image sensor may be configured as an image pickup plate and multiple image drive plates formed on a substrate, such as a flexible printed circuit board or other flexible substrate which may conform to the shape of the finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Validity Sensors, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred G. Benkley, III
  • Publication number: 20040081339
    Abstract: A fingerprint sensing system includes an image sensor, a rate sensor and a sensor circuit. The image sensor includes a linear array of capacitive sensors for capacitive sensing of ridge peaks and ridge valleys of a fingerprint on a swiped finger. The rate sensor senses the speed of the finger as it is swiped across the image sensor. The sensor circuit supplies image drive signals to the image sensor and detects image signals in response to the drive signals. The sensor circuit supplies rate drive signals to the rate sensor and detects rate signals in response to the rate drive signals. The sensor circuit further coordinates the image signals and the rate signals to provide a fingerprint image. The image sensor may be configured as an image pickup plate and multiple image drive plates formed on a substrate, such as a flexible printed circuit board or other flexible substrate which may conform to the shape of the finger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventor: Fred G. Benkley
  • Publication number: 20030035570
    Abstract: A fingerprint sensing system includes an image sensor, a rate sensor and a sensor circuit. The image sensor includes a linear array of capacitive sensors for capacitive sensing of ridge peaks and ridge valleys of a fingerprint on a swiped finger. The rate sensor senses the speed of the finger as it is swiped across the image sensor. The sensor circuit supplies image drive signals to the image sensor and detects image signals in response to the drive signals. The sensor circuit supplies rate drive signals to the rate sensor and detects rate signals in response to the rate drive signals. The sensor circuit further coordinates the image signals and the rate signals to provide a fingerprint image. The image sensor may be configured as an image pickup plate and multiple image drive plates formed on a substrate, such as a flexible printed circuit board or other flexible substrate which may conform to the shape of the finger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Applicant: Validity, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred G. Benkley
  • Patent number: 4170025
    Abstract: A low contrast measurement apparatus for electronically measuring video signal modulation under low contrast scene conditions. The measurement apparatus utilizes a low contrast periodic optical bar chart in conjunction with a filter-integrator processor to measure very low contrast ratios.The filter-integrator processor contains a filter which is tuned to the corresponding fundamental frequency of the bar chart, thereby reducing the noise bandwidth and consequently improving the signal-to-noise ratio. The filtered signal is integrated over one whole picture frame which results in an improved signal to noise ratio. The integrated output of the filtered video signal constitutes a linearly increasing ramp with a period equal to the frame time and whose height is proportional to the amplitude of the periodic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1979
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Fred G. Benkley, Gerhard O. Sauermann