Patents by Inventor Gregory T. MINTEER

Gregory T. MINTEER 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).

  • Publication number: 20220317271
    Abstract: An acoustic imaging system coupled to an acoustic imaging medium to define an imaging surface. The acoustic imaging system includes an array of piezoelectric acoustic transducers formed at least in part from a thin-film piezoelectric material, such as PVDF. The array is coupled to the acoustic imaging medium opposite the imaging surface and formed using a thin-film manufacturing process over an application-specific integrated circuit that, in turn, is configured to leverage the array of piezoelectric actuators to generate an image of an object at least partially wetting to the imaging surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Gordon S. Franza, Gregory T. Minteer, Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost, Dale Setlak, Marcus C. Yip, Ehsan Khajeh, Aaron S. Tucker, Andrew W. Joyce, Brian M. King, Giovanni Gozzini, Jason S. Griesbach
  • Patent number: 9898641
    Abstract: A finger biometric sensor may include an array of finger biometric sensing pixels and processing circuitry coupled thereto. The processing circuitry may be capable of acquiring initial data from the array based upon an initial drive signal level and with a finger positioned adjacent the array, and determining an updated drive signal level based upon the initial data. The processing circuitry may also be capable of acquiring finger biometric data from the array of finger biometric sensing pixels based upon the updated drive signal level and with the finger positioned adjacent the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Gregory T. Minteer, Dale R. Setlak, Albert M. Straub
  • Patent number: 9818015
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor that includes an array of electric field sensing pixels and image data output circuitry coupled thereto and capable of outputting image data from a plurality of sub-arrays of the array of electric field sensing pixels and processing circuitry coupled to the image data output circuitry. The processing circuitry is capable of determining movement of a user's finger across the array of electric field sensing pixels by comparing image data from borders of adjacent sub-arrays, the movement causing artifacts in the image data, and, when movement of the user's finger is determined, remove the artifacts from the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael Boshra, Gregory T. Minteer
  • Publication number: 20170277933
    Abstract: A finger biometric sensor may include an array of finger biometric sensing pixels and processing circuitry coupled thereto. The processing circuitry may be capable of acquiring initial data from the array based upon an initial drive signal level and with a finger positioned adjacent the array, and determining an updated drive signal level based upon the initial data. The processing circuitry may also be capable of acquiring finger biometric data from the array of finger biometric sensing pixels based upon the updated drive signal level and with the finger positioned adjacent the array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: GREGORY T. MINTEER, DALE R. SETLAK, ALBERT M. STRAUB
  • Publication number: 20170177918
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor that includes an array of electric field sensing pixels and image data output circuitry coupled thereto and capable of outputting image data from a plurality of sub-arrays of the array of electric field sensing pixels and processing circuitry coupled to the image data output circuitry. The processing circuitry is capable of determining movement of a user's finger across the array of electric field sensing pixels by comparing image data from borders of adjacent sub-arrays, the movement causing artifacts in the image data, and, when movement of the user's finger is determined, remove the artifacts from the image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Michael BOSHRA, Gregory T. MINTEER
  • Patent number: 9679183
    Abstract: A finger biometric sensor may include an array of finger biometric sensing pixels and processing circuitry coupled thereto. The processing circuitry may be capable of acquiring initial data from the array based upon an initial drive signal level and with a finger positioned adjacent the array, and determining an updated drive signal level based upon the initial data. The processing circuitry may also be capable of acquiring finger biometric data from the array of finger biometric sensing pixels based upon the updated drive signal level and with the finger positioned adjacent the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Gregory T. Minteer, Dale R. Setlak, Albert M. Straub
  • Patent number: 9477870
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Gordon S. Franza, Gregory T. Minteer, Jerry G. Dooley, Patrick J. Landy, Dale R. Setlak, Giovanni Gozzini
  • Patent number: 9390307
    Abstract: A finger biometric sensing device may include an array of finger biometric sensing pixel electrodes and a gain stage coupled to the array of finger biometric sensing pixel electrodes. The finger biometric sensing device may also include error compensation circuitry that may include a memory capable of storing error compensation data. The error correction circuitry may also include a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) cooperating with the memory and coupled to the gain stage and capable of compensating for at least one error based upon the stored error compensation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Gordon S. Franza, Gregory T. Minteer, Jerry G. Dooley, Patrick J. Landy, Dale R. Setlak, Giovanni Gozzini
  • Patent number: 9390306
    Abstract: A finger biometric sensor may include an array of finger biometric sensing pixels and processing circuitry coupled to the array of finger biometric sensing pixels. The processing circuitry may be capable of acquiring finger stability biometric data from a subset of the array, and determining whether a finger is stable relative to the array of finger biometric sensing pixels based upon the finger stability biometric data. The processing circuitry may also be capable of acquiring finger biometric data from the array of finger biometric sensing pixels when the finger is stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Gregory T. Minteer, Eric P. Kraemer, Zhiqiang Gu
  • Publication number: 20160171274
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: GORDON S. FRANZA, GREGORY T. MINTEER, JERRY G. DOOLEY, PATRICK J. LANDY, DALE R. SETLAK, GIOVANNI GOZZINI
  • Patent number: 9298967
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Gordon S. Franza, Gregory T. Minteer, Jerry G. Dooley, Patrick J. Landy, Dale R. Setlak, Giovanni Gozzini
  • Patent number: 9104901
    Abstract: An electronic device may include an array of finger sensing pixels and data acquisition circuitry coupled to the array. The data acquisition circuitry may be capable of acquiring finger biometric data from each sub-array of the array, and acquiring spoof detection data from at least one of the sub-arrays in an interleaved fashion with the finger biometric data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Gregory T. Minteer, Patrick J. Landy, Ondrej Konopka
  • Publication number: 20150178542
    Abstract: A finger biometric sensor may include an array of finger biometric sensing pixels and processing circuitry coupled thereto. The processing circuitry may be capable of acquiring initial data from the array based upon an initial drive signal level and with a finger positioned adjacent the array, and determining an updated drive signal level based upon the initial data. The processing circuitry may also be capable of acquiring finger biometric data from the array of finger biometric sensing pixels based upon the updated drive signal level and with the finger positioned adjacent the array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Gregory T. Minteer, Dale R. SETLAK, Albert M. STRAUB
  • Publication number: 20150070137
    Abstract: A finger biometric sensor may include an array of finger biometric sensing pixels and processing circuitry coupled to the array of finger biometric sensing pixels. The processing circuitry may be capable of acquiring finger stability biometric data from a subset of the array, and determining whether a finger is stable relative to the array of finger biometric sensing pixels based upon the finger stability biometric data. The processing circuitry may also be capable of acquiring finger biometric data from the array of finger biometric sensing pixels when the finger is stable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Gregory T. Minteer, Eric P. Kraemer, Zhiqiang Gu
  • Publication number: 20130294662
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventors: Gordon S. Franza, Gregory T. MINTEER, Jerry G. DOOLEY, Patrick J. Landy, Dale R. SETLAK, Giovanni GOZZINI