# US 10,121,046 B2 · Dermatoglyph identification apparatus and identifying method thereof

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- Number: US 10,121,046 B2
- Document ID: US10121046B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/253,410
- Filed: 2016-08-31
- Published: 2018-03-01
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-31
- Assignees: Himax Technologies Limited
- Applicants: Himax Technologies Limited
- Inventors: Jia-Ming He; Yaw-Guang Chang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121046B2

## CPC

- G06V 40/1306: {non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing}
- G06V 40/1365: {Matching; Classification}
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

A dermatoglyph identification apparatus and an identifying method thereof are provided. The dermatoglyph identification apparatus includes a switch circuit, a signal source and a plurality of sensors. The signal source is selectively connected to the sensors through an impedance element. The switch circuit switches at least one sensor to be connected to the impedance element, and switches rest of the sensors to be connected to a ground terminal of the signal source. The dermatoglyph identification apparatus identifies dermatoglyph according to a sensing signal generated by the sensor connected to the impedance element in response to a reference signal of the signal source.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A dermatoglyph identification apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of sensors, detecting a dermatoglyph;
a switch circuit, coupled to the sensors; and
a signal source, having a ground terminal and an output terminal, wherein the output terminal is coupled to the switch circuit through an impedance circuit and the ground terminal is coupled to the switch circuit, the signal source generates a reference signal, the switch circuit switches at least one of the sensors to be connected to the output terminal of the signal source through the impedance circuit and switches rest of the sensors to be connected to the ground terminal, the at least one sensor generates a sensing signal in response to the reference signal and the impedance circuit, and the dermatoglyph identification apparatus identifies the dermatoglyph based on the sensing signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The dermatoglyph identification apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switch circuit switches the sensors to be connected to the impedance circuit in turn, and switches the rest of the sensors not connected to the impedance circuit to be connected to the ground terminal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The dermatoglyph identification apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a sensing object touches the sensors, a sensing capacitance corresponding to the at least one sensor is in serial connection with sensing capacitances corresponding to the rest of the sensors between the impedance circuit and the ground terminal through the sensing object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The dermatoglyph identification apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sensing object is a finger.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The dermatoglyph identification apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a processing circuit, coupled to the impedance circuit and the switching circuit and converting the sensing signal into sensing information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The dermatoglyph identification apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the processing circuit comprises:
an amplifier, coupled to the impedance circuit and amplifying the sensing signal; and
an analog-to-digital converting circuit, coupled to the amplifier and converting the amplified sensing signal into the sensing information.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The dermatoglyph identification apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the sensors comprises a sensing electrode.

### Claim 8

A dermatoglyph identifying method of a dermatoglyph identification apparatus, wherein the dermatoglyph identification apparatus comprises a signal source, a plurality of sensors, and an impedance circuit, the signal source is selectively connected to the sensors through the impedance circuit, and the dermatoglyph identifying method of the dermatoglyph identification apparatus comprises:
switching at least one sensor to be connected to an output terminal of the signal source through the impedance circuit;
switching rest of the sensors to be connected to a ground terminal of the signal source; and
identifying the dermatoglyph based on a sensing signal generated by the at least one sensor in response to the reference signal and the impedance circuit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The dermatoglyph identifying method of the dermatoglyph identification apparatus as claimed in claim 8, comprising:
switching the sensors to be connected to the impedance circuit in turn.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The dermatoglyph identifying method of the dermatoglyph identification apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein when a sensing object touches the sensors, a sensing capacitance corresponding to the at least one sensor is in serial connection with sensing capacitances corresponding to the rest of the sensors between the impedance circuit and the ground terminal through the sensing object.