Abstract: Improving fingerprint image measurement despite damage to the stratum corneum. Determining whether a fingerprint image is adequate for matching with a database. If not, re-measure those image portions that are inadequate (overexposed or underexposed), such re-measuring a minimal selection of image portions. An amount of time or power to re-measure is minimized. Improving fingerprint image data collection despite fixed pattern noise like saturated bars in blocks of picture elements. Determining a histogram of grayscale values, removing fixed pattern noise, and expanding real histogram values to obtain more bits of precision.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a housing and circuitry carried by the housing. The electronic device may also include a finger sensing device carried by the housing and coupled to the circuitry. The finger sensing device may include a mounting substrate, and a semiconductor interposer having a lower surface adjacent the mounting substrate. The finger sensing device may also include a plurality of semiconductor finger sensing die on an upper surface of the semiconductor interposer in side-by-side and abutting relation, and defining a finger sensing surface to receive at least one finger thereon.

Abstract: A finger sensing device may include a mounting substrate, an integrated circuit (IC) die carried by the mounting substrate and having an array of electric field-based finger sensing elements, and first electrical connections coupling the mounting substrate and the IC die. In addition, the finger sensing device may include a protective plate attached over the array of electric field-based finger sensing elements and having a dielectric constant greater than 5 in all directions and a thickness greater than 40 microns to define a capacitive lens for the array of electric field-based finger sensing elements. The finger sensing device may also include an encapsulating material adjacent the mounting substrate and the IC die and around at least the first electrical connections.

Abstract: A biometric sensor device, such as a fingerprint sensor, comprises a substrate to which is mounted a die on which is formed a sensor array and at least one conductive bezel. The die and the bezel are encased in a unitary encapsulation structure to protect those elements from mechanical, electrical, and environmental damage, yet with a portion of the sensor array and the bezel exposed or at most thinly covered by the encapsulation or other coating material structure.

Abstract: A biometric finger sensor may include an array of biometric finger sensing pixels and an array shielding electrode outside the array of biometric finger sensing pixels. The biometric finger sensor may further include a finger drive electrode outside the array shielding electrode. Finger drive circuitry may generate a finger drive signal for the finger drive electrode and generate a compensating finger drive signal for the shielding electrode.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor to sense a user's finger adjacent thereto, and a memory for storing finger matching biometric data and a subset of finger matching biometric data. The electronic device may include a processor coupled to the finger biometric sensor to acquire finger matching biometric data from the finger biometric sensor, and perform a finger pre-matching between a subset of the acquired finger matching biometric data and the subset of stored finger matching biometric data and based upon context data to generate pre-match data. The processor may also perform a finger matching between the acquired finger biometric data and the stored finger matching biometric data based upon the pre-match data.

Abstract: A biometric sensor device, such as a fingerprint sensor, comprises a substrate to which is mounted a die on which is formed a sensor array and at least one conductive bezel. The die and the bezel are encased in a unitary encapsulation structure to protect those elements from mechanical, electrical, and environmental damage, yet with a portion of the sensor array and the bezel exposed or at most thinly covered by the encapsulation or other coating material structure.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) package includes at least one light source disposed together with an IC structure within an encapsulation structure. The material forming the encapsulation structure is generally opaque. Accordingly, the light source and at least a portion of the IC are not visible to the unaided human eye. The thickness and geometry of the encapsulation are such that when the light source is caused to emit light, the encapsulation structure permits at least a portion of that light to be visible to a user. The IC may be a portion of a fingerprint sensor, exposed for receiving a fingertip of a user. The light source, or a plurality of such light sources, may be functional (e.g., providing visual indication of the of the condition or state of an item of hardware or software, assist the user in operation of a device), be primarily aesthetic, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A finger biometric sensing device may include drive circuitry capable of generating a drive signal and an array of finger biometric sensing pixel electrodes cooperating with the drive circuitry and capable of generating a detected signal based upon placement of a finger adjacent the array of finger biometric sensing pixel electrodes. The detected signal may include a relatively large drive signal component and a relatively small sense signal component superimposed thereon. The finger biometric sensing device may also include a gain stage coupled to the array of finger biometric sensing pixel electrodes, and drive signal nulling circuitry coupled to the gain stage capable of reducing the relatively large drive signal component from the detected signal.

Abstract: A biometric sensor device, such as a fingerprint sensor, comprises a substrate to which is mounted a die on which is formed a sensor array and at least one conductive bezel. The die and the bezel are encased in a unitary encapsulation structure to protect those elements from mechanical, electrical, and environmental damage, yet with a portion of the sensor array and the bezel exposed or at most thinly covered by the encapsulation or other coating material structure.

Abstract: A biometric sensor assembly comprises a substrate to which is mounted a die containing sensor circuitry, at least one conductive bezel having a visual indicator region formed therein, and electrically connected to said die by way of said substrate, a light source, and a light-directing region directing light from the light source to the visual indicator region. The die, the light-directing region, and the bezel are encased in an encapsulation structure such that a portion of a surface of the die and the visual indication region are exposed or at most thinly covered by the encapsulation structure. The light-directing region directs light emitted by the light source within the encapsulation structure to the visual indicator region. Desired indicia in the visual indicator region may thereby be illuminated, while the die and bezel, and optionally the light source, are protected by the encapsulation structure.

Abstract: An authentication device may include a housing and a finger sensor carried by the housing and including first processing circuitry and a finger sensing area coupled thereto. The first processing circuitry may be configured to generate finger image data based upon a finger positioned adjacent the finger sensing area, and generate and store a first template based upon the finger image data. The authentication device may include second processing circuitry carried by the housing and configured to obtain the finger image data from the first processing circuitry. The second processing circuitry may be configured to generate a second template based upon the finger image data. The first processing circuitry may further be configured to obtain the second template from second processing circuitry, and validate the second template against the first template.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a housing and circuitry carried by the housing. The electronic device may also include a finger sensing device carried by the housing and coupled to the circuitry. The finger sensing device may include a mounting substrate, and a semiconductor interposer having a lower surface adjacent the mounting substrate. The finger sensing device may also include a plurality of semiconductor finger sensing die on an upper surface of the semiconductor interposer in side-by-side and abutting relation, and defining a finger sensing surface to receive at least one finger thereon.

Abstract: A biometric sensor device, such as a fingerprint sensor, comprises a substrate to which is mounted a die on which is formed a sensor array and at least one conductive bezel. The die and the bezel are encased in a unitary encapsulation structure to protect those elements from mechanical, electrical, and environmental damage, yet with a portion of the sensor array and the bezel exposed or at most thinly covered by the encapsulation or other coating material structure.

Abstract: An improved biometric data sensing circuit, for example adapted for fingerprint sensing, uses a charge subtraction technique at the input of the circuit integrator to cancel the so called “common mode” signal from the circuit output. The result is an output signal that is (a) linear, (b) free from any amplification effect due to the presence of the detected object (e.g. a finger), and (c) indicative of the detected object's fine surface geometry (i.e., indicative of the fingerprint's ridges and valleys).

Abstract: An improved fingerprint sensing device is provided with multiple sensing apparatus, two or more of which operating on different sensing principles. For example, a capacitive sensor may be integrally formed with an optical sensor on a single substrate. Ideally, the multiple sensing apparatus are disposed such that they may sense nearly identical portions of a fingerprint simultaneously. A primary sensor may be employed to establish the identity of a user based on a fingerprint, while a secondary sensor may be employed to establish that the fingerprint is part of a live human (anti-spoofing). Integrated light sources may be provided to drive an optical sensor. The light sources may also provide visual cues for usage, and enhance the aesthetics of the device.

Abstract: A heartbeat monitoring circuit shares one electrode with another device, such as a biometric sensor, and a second electrode that may be a dedicated element or form a part of the case of the apparatus in which the circuit is housed. When operated as an electrode for the heartbeat monitoring circuit, the biometric sensor is contacted by the user's finger while the second electrode is contacted by another part of the user's body, such as a finger on the hand holding the apparatus (e.g., cell phone). Contact may then simply and naturally be made on either side of the user's heart, and ideal arrangement for parametric heart data acquisition. A third electrode may optionally be provided. Data analysis may be performed on the apparatus or by a remote optional processing center.

Abstract: A finger sensing device may include a mounting substrate, an integrated circuit (IC) die carried by the mounting substrate and having an array of electric field-based finger sensing elements, and first electrical connections coupling the mounting substrate and the IC die. In addition, the finger sensing device may include a protective plate attached over the array of electric field-based finger sensing elements and having a dielectric constant greater than 5 in all directions and a thickness greater than 40 microns to define a capacitive lens for the array of electric field-based finger sensing elements. The finger sensing device may also include an encapsulating material adjacent the mounting substrate and the IC die and around at least the first electrical connections.