Patents by Inventor Geir Ivar Bredholt
Geir Ivar Bredholt 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: 10095906Abstract: An electronic sensor forms a grid to detect surface features of a proximally located object, such as a fingerprint. The grid includes a plurality of parallel drive lines connectable to a drive source and a plurality of parallel pickup lines oriented substantially perpendicular to the drive lines and overlapping the drive lines. The drive lines are separated from the pickup lines by an insulating dielectric layer. The overlaps where the drive lines and pickup lines cross define impedance-sensitive electrode pairs which act as pixels at which surface features of the proximally located object are detected. One or more conductive probes extend from one or more corresponding impedance-sensitive electrode pairs, through an overlay layer of insulating material, to the sensing surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2015Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: IDEX ASAInventors: Fred G. Benkley, III, Ralph W. Bernstein, Nicolai W. Christie, Geir Ivar Bredholt, Øyvind Sløgedal
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Patent number: 9881196Abstract: A fingerprint sensor and fingerprint sensor system especially for integration in a device having an overlay made of an insulating material comprises a plurality of sensing elements positioned on a first side of the overlay; a plurality of probes positioned in a predetermined pattern defining a fingerprint sensing area on a second side of the overlay, the plurality of probes extending from the first side of the overlay at least partially through the overlay; a plurality of conductor leads on the first side of the overlay interconnecting the plurality of probes with the plurality of sensing elements; a plurality of amplifiers connected to the plurality of sensing elements, the number of amplifiers being less than the number of sensing elements; and an activation circuit connected to the plurality of sensing elements, the activation circuit being adapted to output at least one activation signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2016Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: IDEX ASAInventors: Ralph W. Bernstein, Nicolai W. Christie, Geir Ivar Bredholt, Øyvind Sløgedal
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Patent number: 9818014Abstract: A sensor unit for measuring surface structures and properties of an object of organic tissue includes a contact surface adapted to have mechanical contact with the object, a first dielectric layer made from a dielectric material, a first conductor layer including at least one shielding electrode essentially covering an area of the dielectric layer facing the contact surface, the at least one shielding electrode surrounding at least one essentially non-conductive aperture defining a sensing region, and a second conductor layer separated from the first conductor layer by the first dielectric layer and comprising a number of conductive wires extending at least partially under the at least one aperture and having a direction essentially perpendicular to the sensing region, each wire having a predetermined width. A sensing area of each wire is defined by the width and the length of each wire extending in the sensing region.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2014Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: IDEX ASAInventors: Geir Ivar Bredholt, Ralph W. Bernstein, Øyvind Sløgedal
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Patent number: 9625408Abstract: A method and apparatus for electrical detection of a finger print has a reduced number of interconnect signals between a sensor area and a substrate and an electronic circuit for excitation and detection of the finger print compared to a single-chip finger print sensor. The individual signals are connected internally at the sensor substrate in such a way that the response from the individual sensor elements can be separated from each other. Cross-talk is reduced by keeping the sensor outputs at a constant potential, thus eliminating the effect of capacitive coupling between different sensor outputs and also between sensor outputs and a ground or reference potential.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2014Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: IDEX ASAInventors: Nicolai W. Christie, Geir Ivar Bredholt
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Publication number: 20170068836Abstract: A fingerprint sensor and fingerprint sensor system especially for integration in a device having an overlay made of an insulating material comprises a plurality of sensing elements positioned on a first side of the overlay; a plurality of probes positioned in a predetermined pattern defining a fingerprint sensing area on a second side of the overlay, the plurality of probes extending from the first side of the overlay at least partially through the overlay; a plurality of conductor leads on the first side of the overlay interconnecting the plurality of probes with the plurality of sensing elements; a plurality of amplifiers connected to the plurality of sensing elements, the number of amplifiers being less than the number of sensing elements; and an activation circuit connected to the plurality of sensing elements, the activation circuit being adapted to output at least one activation signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2016Publication date: March 9, 2017Applicant: IDEX ASAInventors: Ralph W. BERNSTEIN, Nicolai W. CHRISTIE, Geir Ivar BREDHOLT, Øyvind SLØGEDAL
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Patent number: 9501685Abstract: A fingerprint sensor and fingerprint sensor system especially for integration in a device having an overlay made of an insulating material comprises a plurality of sensing elements positioned on a first side of the overlay; a plurality of probes positioned in a predetermined pattern defining a fingerprint sensing area on a second side of the overlay, the plurality of probes extending from the first side of the overlay at least partially through the overlay; a plurality of conductor leads on the first side of the overlay interconnecting the plurality of probes with the plurality of sensing elements; a plurality of amplifiers connected to the plurality of sensing elements, the number of amplifiers being less than the number of sensing elements; and an activation circuit connected to the plurality of sensing elements, the activation circuit being adapted to output at least one activation signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2014Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: IDEX ASAInventors: Ralph W. Bernstein, Nicolai W. Christie, Geir Ivar Bredholt, Øyvind Sløgedal
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Publication number: 20160148035Abstract: A sensor unit for measuring surface structures and properties of an object of organic tissue includes a contact surface adapted to have mechanical contact with the object, a first dielectric layer made from a dielectric material, a first conductor layer including at least one shielding electrode essentially covering an area of the dielectric layer facing the contact surface, the at least one shielding electrode surrounding at least one essentially non-conductive aperture defining a sensing region, and a second conductor layer separated from the first conductor layer by the first dielectric layer and comprising a number of conductive wires extending at least partially under the at least one aperture and having a direction essentially perpendicular to the sensing region, each wire having a predetermined width. A sensing area of each wire is defined by the width and the length of each wire extending in the sensing region.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2014Publication date: May 26, 2016Applicant: IDEX ASAInventors: GEIR IVAR BREDHOLT, RALPH W. BERNSTEIN, ØYVIND SLØGEDAL
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Publication number: 20160004897Abstract: This invention relates to a fingerprint sensor especially for integration in a unit having a cover material such as glass being transparent in a certain area, the fingerprint sensor comprising a number of electrodes positioned in a predetermined pattern on or close to the surface of said cover material, each electrode being connected to a conductor lead extending through said cover material, the conductor lead being essentially transparent and being routed on the opposite side from the electrodes to a processing unit being positioned outside said transparent area.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2014Publication date: January 7, 2016Applicant: IDEX ASAInventors: Øyvind SLØGEDAL, Ralph W. BERNSTEIN, Geir Ivar BREDHOLT
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Patent number: 9122901Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor for detection of properties and structures of an organic tissue and its surface, e.g.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2010Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: IDEX ASAInventors: Øyvind Sløgedal, Geir Ivar Bredholt, Nicolai W. Christie, Anders Nåtas, Ralph W. Bernstein
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Publication number: 20150242672Abstract: An electronic sensor forms a grid to detect surface features of a proximally located object, such as a fingerprint. The grid includes a plurality of parallel drive lines connectable to a drive source and a plurality of parallel pickup lines oriented substantially perpendicular to the drive lines and overlapping the drive lines. The drive lines are separated from the pickup lines by an insulating dielectric layer. The overlaps where the drive lines and pickup lines cross define impedance-sensitive electrode pairs which act as pixels at which surface features of the proximally located object are detected. One or more conductive probes extend from one or more corresponding impedance-sensitive electrode pairs, through an overlay layer of insulating material, to the sensing surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2015Publication date: August 27, 2015Applicant: IDEX ASAInventors: FRED G. BENKLEY, III, RALPH W. BERNSTEIN, NICOLAI W. CHRISTIE, GEIR IVAR BREDHOLT, ØYVIND SLØGEDAL
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Publication number: 20150136860Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor for detection of properties and structures of an organic tissue and its surface, e.g.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2015Publication date: May 21, 2015Applicant: IDEX ASAInventors: Øyvind SLØGEDAL, Geir Ivar BREDHOLT, Nicolai W. CHRISTIE, Anders NATÅS, Ralph W. BERNSTEIN
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Publication number: 20150115981Abstract: A method and apparatus for electrical detection of a finger print has a reduced number of interconnect signals between a sensor area and a substrate and an electronic circuit for excitation and detection of the finger print compared to a single—chip finger print sensor. The individual signals are connected internally at the sensor substrate in such a way that the response from the individual sensor elements can be separated from each other. Cross-talk is reduced by keeping the sensor outputs at a constant potential, thus eliminating the effect of capacitive coupling between different sensor outputs and also between sensor outputs and a ground or reference potential.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2014Publication date: April 30, 2015Applicant: IDEX ASAInventors: NICOLAI W. CHRISTIE, GEIR IVAR BREDHOLT
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Publication number: 20140241595Abstract: A fingerprint sensor and fingerprint sensor system especially for integration in a device having an overlay made of an insulating material comprises a plurality of sensing elements positioned on a first side of the overlay; a plurality of probes positioned in a predetermined pattern defining a fingerprint sensing area on a second side of the overlay, the plurality of probes extending from the first side of the overlay at least partially through the overlay; a plurality of conductor leads on the first side of the overlay interconnecting the plurality of probes with the plurality of sensing elements; a plurality of amplifiers connected to the plurality of sensing elements, the number of amplifiers being less than the number of sensing elements; and an activation circuit connected to the plurality of sensing elements, the activation circuit being adapted to output at least one activation signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2014Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: IDEX ASAInventors: Ralph W. BERNSTEIN, Nicolai W. CHRISTIE, Geir Ivar BREDHOLT, Øyvind SLØGEDAL
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Publication number: 20130194071Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor for detection of properties and structures of an organic tissue and its surface, e.g.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2010Publication date: August 1, 2013Applicant: Idex ASAInventors: Øyvind Sløgedal, Geir Ivar Bredholt, Nicolai W. Christie, Anders Nåtas, Ralph W. Bernstein
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Patent number: 8487624Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor for measuring structures in a surface, e.g. a fingerprint sensor comprising a chosen number of sensor elements at chosen positions for coupling to a finger surface having a size less or comparable to the size of the structures in the finger surface, and a processing unit including interrogation electrodes coupled to said sensor elements for providing impedance measurements at said finger surface, the processing unit being mounted on one side of a substrate and the sensor elements being positioned on the opposite side of said substrate, the substrate including through going first conducting leads between said sensor elements and said interrogation electrodes. The substrate is made from a semiconductor material such as silicon and said first conducting leads are constituted by through going substrate sections of a chosen size surrounded by an insulating dielectric separating them from the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2009Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: IDEX ASAInventors: Geir Ivar Bredholt, Ralph W. Bernstein, Nicolai W. Christie, Anders Natas, Oyvind Slogedal
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Publication number: 20110182488Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor for measuring structures in a surface, e.g. a fingerprint sensor comprising a chosen number of sensor elements at chosen positions for coupling to a finger surface having a size less or comparable to the size of the structures in the finger surface, and a processing unit including interrogation electrodes coupled to said sensor elements for providing impedance measurements at said finger surface, the processing unit being mounted on one side of a substrate and the sensor elements being positioned on the opposite side of said substrate, the substrate including through going first conducting leads between said sensor elements and said interrogation electrodes. The substrate is made from a semiconductor material such as silicon and said first conducting leads are constituted by through going substrate sections of a chosen size surrounded by an insulating dielectric separating them from the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2009Publication date: July 28, 2011Inventors: Geir Ivar Bredholt, Ralph W. Bernstein, Nicolai W. Christie, Anders Natas, Oyvind Slogedal