“…this technology could be used to provide input to a wide range of devices, including computers, mobile devices, wearables like smart watches, and even video game controllers.”
![FPC Patent Details Hybrid Capacitive/Optical Biometric Sensor](https://findbiometrics.com/wp-content/uploads/HiRes-28-e1472146967354-300x279.jpg)
Fingerprint Cards has an updated patent filing for a hybrid capacitive and optical fingerprint sensor system.
Filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the patent describes a system comprising capacitive sensor electrodes along with an optical image sensor with a number of image sensor pixels, as well as “light conditioning elements” that would be configured to enable optical image sensing.
The patent explains that this system could enable multiple functions. Its optical sensor components could be used to process a high-resolution biometric image, while the capacitive sensor elements could be used for relatively low-power operations like touch-based navigation, though in some configurations they could also provide sufficient resolution for fingerprint sensing.
The hybrid sensor system could thus “provide different levels of power consumption and sensor performance that are particularly suitable for different usage scenarios, and further are able to provide relatively stronger security and anti-spoof functionality,” the patent explains.
It goes on to note that this technology could be used to provide input to a wide range of devices, including computers, mobile devices, wearables like smart watches, and even video game controllers. It could do so as an integrated component of a device, or as a separate input.
The patent filing represents a continuation of a copending patent application with the USPTO filed on Jan. 25, 2017. Notably, it patent credits a team of inventors located in the US (in New York, Arizona, and California), even though Fingerprint Cards is based in Gothenberg, Sweden. In any case, the filing helps to illustrate FPC’s ongoing commitment to biometric research and development as one of the leading pioneers of fingerprint recognition for consumer-facing devices.
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July 28, 2020 – by Alex Perala
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