| AuthenTec, Inc. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120085822 | FINGER SENSING DEVICE INCLUDING DIFFERENTIAL MEASUREMENT CIRCUITRY AND RELATED METHODS - A finger sensing device may include an array of finger sensing pixels to receive a user's finger adjacent thereto. Each finger sensing pixel may include a finger sensing electrode. The finger sensing device may include a finger drive electrode configured to couple a drive signal through the user's finger to the array of finger sensing pixels. The finger sensing device may also include differential pixel measurement circuitry coupled to the array of finger sensing pixels and configured to generate a plurality of interpixel difference measurements for adjacent pairs of the finger sensing pixels. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20110309482 | FINGER SENSOR INCLUDING ENCAPSULATING LAYER OVER SENSING AREA AND RELATED METHODS - A fingerprint sensor may include a substrate, and a finger sensing IC on the substrate and including a finger sensing area on an upper surface thereof for sensing an adjacent finger. The fingerprint sensor may include an encapsulating material on the finger sensing IC and covering the finger sensing area, and a bezel adjacent the finger sensing area and on an uppermost surface of the encapsulating layer. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110254108 | FINGER SENSOR INCLUDING CAPACITIVE LENS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - 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. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110122059 | FINGER SENSING APPARATUS WITH SELECTIVELY OPERABLE TRANSMITTING/RECEIVING PIXELS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A finger sensing device may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate and an array of pixels on the IC substrate. Each pixel may be selectively operable in at least a receiving mode for receiving radiation from an adjacent finger, or a transmitting mode for transmitting radiation into the adjacent finger. The finger sensing device may also include a controller coupled to the array of pixels for selectively operating at least one first pixel in the receiving mode, and while selectively operating at least one second pixel in the transmitting mode. Each pixel may also be selectively operable in a mask mode for neither receiving nor transmitting radiation. The controller may also selectively operate at least one third pixel in the mask mode while selectively operating the at least one first and second pixels in the receiving and transmitting modes. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110090049 | FINGER BIOMETRIC SENSOR INCLUDING LATERALLY ADJACENT PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSDUCER LAYER AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A finger biometric sensor may include a finger biometric sensing layer having an upper major surface and at least one sidewall surface adjacent thereto. The finger biometric layer may be for generating signals related to at least one biometric characteristic of the user's finger when positioned adjacent the first major surface. The finger biometric sensor may also include a piezoelectric transducer layer coupled to the at least one sidewall surface of the finger biometric sensing layer and a plurality of electrically conductive layers coupled to the piezoelectric transducer layer to define transducer electrodes. At least one of the electrically conductive layers may also cooperate with the finger biometric sensing layer for sensing the at least one biometric characteristic. | 04-21-2011 |
| 20110078771 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING A PLURALITY OF WEB LINKS BASED UPON FINGER AUTHENTICATION AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - An electronic device is for communicating with a remote server hosting a web feed of updated content including a plurality of web links. The electronic device includes a finger biometric sensor, a display, and a processor. The processor is for authenticating a finger placed adjacent the finger biometric sensor, and displaying on the display the plurality of web links from the web feed of updated content based upon authenticating the finger. The processor is also for associating account access data with the authenticated finger, and accessing information from a selected web link based upon the account access data associated with the authenticated finger. Additionally, the processor is for downloading and displaying on the display information from the selected web link. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20100321159 | TOUCH BASED DATA COMMUNICATION USING BIOMETRIC FINGER SENSOR AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A communications system may include a terminal device that may include a housing, and a conductive radio frequency (RF) terminal receiver carried by the housing for receiving an RF signal conducted via contact with a user. The communications system may also include a user device including a portable housing, and a finger sensor carried by the portable housing and that may include RF excitation circuitry for sensing a finger of the user, and for serving as a conductive RF user device transmitter to transmit the RF signal onto the user to be received by the conductive RF terminal receiver. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100321158 | FINGER SENSOR HAVING REMOTE WEB BASED NOTIFICATIONS - An electronic device may include a housing and a finger biometric sensing area exposed on the housing. The electronic device may also include an optical indicator at least partially surrounding the finger biometric sensing area and exposed on the housing. The electronic device may also include a controller for performing at least one function based upon the finger biometric sensing area, and activating the optical indicator based upon communications with a remote web site. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100320553 | ILLUMINATED FINGER SENSOR ASSEMBLY AND RELATED METHODS - A finger sensor assembly may include a circuit board and an integrated circuit (IC) finger sensor grid array package including a grid array on a lower end thereof mounted to the circuit board, and a finger sensing area on an upper end thereof. The finger sensor assembly may further include at least one visible light source carried by the circuit board and a visible light guide optically coupled to the at least one visible light source. The at least one visible light source may at least partially laterally surround the upper end of the IC finger sensor grid array package to provide visual light indications. The IC finger sensor grid array package may also include circuitry for controlling the at least one visible light source. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100102939 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING FINGER MOVEMENT BASED MUSICAL TONE GENERATION AND RELATED METHODS - An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor and an audio output transducer. The electronic device may further include a controller cooperating with the finger biometric sensor for determining at least one biometric characteristic of a user's finger. The controller may also cooperate with the finger biometric sensor for causing the audio output transducer to generate at least one musical tone changing based upon movement of a user's finger relative to the finger biometric sensor. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20090316963 | SOFTWARE BASED METHOD FOR FINGER SPOOF DETECTION AND RELATED DEVICES - A finger sensor may include a finger sensing area and a controller cooperating with the finger sensing area for storing enrollment data including finger feature locations. The controller may be for generating authentication data including finger feature locations based upon positioning of an object adjacent the finger sensing area. The controller may also be for performing aligning the authentication data and the enrollment data, matching between the aligned enrollment and authentication data, and spoof attempt detecting based upon corresponding pairs of finger features and their spatial locations in the aligned enrollment and authentication data. The controller may further be for performing an authentication decision based upon the matching and spoof detecting. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20090257626 | THINNED FINGER SENSOR AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - An electronic device may include a housing with a connector member opening therein, electronic circuitry within the housing, and a finger sensor assembly carried by the housing. The finger assembly may include a thinned finger sensing integrated circuit (IC) secured to the housing that has a thickness less than 200 microns. The finger sensor assembly may also include a connector member extending through the connector member opening in the housing and coupling together the thinned finger sensing IC and the electronic circuitry. The thinned finger sensing IC may be adhesively secured to the housing, such as using a pressure sensitive adhesive, and the thinned finger sensing IC may conform to a non-planar surface. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090070593 | FINGER SENSING APPARATUS USING UNIQUE SESSION KEY AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A finger sensor apparatus may include a finger sensor having an integrated circuit (IC) substrate, an array of finger sensing elements on the IC substrate, and session key negotiation circuitry on the IC substrate. The finger sensing apparatus may also include a host platform external from the finger sensor and cooperating with the session key negotiation circuitry to negotiate a unique session key for secure communication with the finger sensor during a respective communication session therewith. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090070592 | FINGER SENSING APPARATUS USING ENCRYPTED USER TEMPLATE AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A finger sensing apparatus may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate, an array of finger sensing elements on the IC substrate, and encryption circuitry on the IC substrate cooperating with the array of finger sensing elements for encrypting a user template comprising finger template data and at least one user credential. The at least one user credential may enable another device, such as a host platform, to perform at least one protected operation. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090067689 | FINGER SENSING APPARATUS PERFORMING SECURE SOFTWARE UPDATE AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A finger sensing apparatus may include a finger sensor having an integrated circuit (IC) substrate, an array of finger sensing elements on the IC substrate, and secure software update circuitry on the IC substrate. In addition, the finger sensing apparatus may include a host platform external from the finger sensor and hosting software associated with the finger sensor. The host platform may cooperate with the secure software update circuitry to authorize an attempted software update. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090067688 | FINGER SENSING APPARATUS WITH CREDENTIAL RELEASE AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A finger sensing apparatus may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate, an array of finger sensing elements on the IC substrate, match circuitry on the IC substrate for performing finger matching, and credential release circuitry on the IC substrate. The credential release circuitry may cooperate with the match circuitry for releasing at least one user credential based upon finger matching for enabling another device to perform at least one protected operation. Accordingly, the user may use a single finger match to securely have one or more protected operations performed. The at least one user credential may include at least one of a user password, passphrase, username, certificate, and key data, for example. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090067687 | FINGER SENSING APPARATUS USING IMAGE WATERMARKING AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A finger sensing device may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate, an array of finger sensing elements on the IC substrate, and image watermark circuitry on the IC substrate and cooperating with the array of finger sensing elements for generating finger image data with an image watermark embedded therein. The finger sensing apparatus may also include match circuitry on the IC substrate for performing finger matching based at least upon the image watermark. The array of finger sensing elements may include an array of finger sensing pixels. The image watermark circuitry may distort values from the array of finger sensing pixels to generate the finger image data with the image watermark embedded therein. The watermark circuitry may distort position values from the array of finger sensing pixels. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090067686 | FINGER SENSING APPARATUS USING HYBRID MATCHING AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A finger sensing apparatus may include a finger sensor including an integrated circuit (IC) substrate, an array of finger sensing elements on the IC substrate, and match circuitry on the IC substrate for performing final finger matching. The finger sensing apparatus may also include a host platform cooperating with the array of finger sensing elements for performing at least one finger prematch function. In addition, the finger sensor and the host platform may implement at least one security function therebetween. The at least one security function may include a watermarking function, and/or an encryption/decryption function. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090067685 | FINGER SENSING APPARATUS USING TEMPLATE WATERMARKING AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A finger sensing apparatus may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate, an array of finger sensing elements on the IC substrate, match circuitry on the IC substrate, and a host platform external from the IC substrate and cooperating with the array of finger sensing elements for generating finger template data with a template watermark embedded therein. The host platform may also generate a match score based on the finger template data with the template watermark embedded therein for use by the match circuitry. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090003664 | FINGER SENSING WITH ENHANCED MOUNTING AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A finger sensor may include a finger sensing integrated circuit (IC) having a finger sensing area, an IC carrier having a cavity receiving the finger sensing IC therein and having at least one beveled upper edge, and a frame surrounding at least a portion of an upper perimeter of the IC carrier and having at least one inclined surface corresponding to the at least one beveled upper edge of the IC carrier. The finger sensor may also include a biasing member for biasing the IC carrier into alignment within the frame. The biasing member may include at least one resilient body for biasing the IC carrier upward within the frame. In other embodiments, the finger sensor may include an IC carrier having a cavity receiving the finger sensing IC therein and having at least one laterally extending projection. The frame may surround at least a portion of an upper perimeter of the IC carrier and have at least one shoulder cooperating with the at least one laterally extending projection of the IC carrier to define at least one upward stop. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20080219522 | FINGER SENSOR USING POLARIZED LIGHT AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A multi-biometric finger sensor may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate for receiving a user's finger. The multi-biometric finger sensor may also include an optical source for projecting light of a known polarization angle onto the user's finger and at least one optical sensing pixel on the IC substrate for detecting a relative depolarization angle of the light reflected from the user's finger. The multi-biometric finger sensor may also include at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel on the IC substrate for sensing at least one other biometric characteristic from the user's finger. | 09-11-2008 |
