Finger biometric sensor including capacitance change sensing pressure sensing circuit and related methods
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorDale R. Setlak
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Abstract
A finger biometric sensor may include a lower conductive layer, an upper conductive layer, and a spacer between the lower and upper conductive layers to define an air gap therebetween. The finger biometric sensor may also include a finger biometric sensing integrated circuit (IC) above the upper conductive layer and capable of deflecting the upper conductive layer toward the lower conductive layer to change a capacitance thereof based upon pressure applied to the finger biometric sensing IC. A pressure sensing circuit may be coupled to the lower and upper conductive layers to sense the change in capacitance.
Claims18
An electronic device comprising:
- a housing;
- wireless communications circuitry carried by the housing;
- a touch screen display carried by the housing and comprising a lower conductive layer, an upper conductive layer, and a finger biometric sensor;
- a pressure sensing circuit coupled to the lower and upper conductive layers;
- and
- a controller coupled to the wireless communications circuitry, the touch screen display and the pressure sensing circuit, the controller configured to perform a plurality of different device functions corresponding to a plurality of different sensed pressures based upon the pressure sensing circuit.
An electronic device comprising:
- a housing;
- wireless communications circuitry carried by the housing;
- a touch screen display carried by the housing and comprising a lower conductive layer, an upper conductive layer, and a finger biometric sensor comprising an array of sensing pixels;
- a pressure sensing circuit coupled to the lower and upper conductive layers and operating based upon a changing capacitance between the lower conductive layer and the upper conductive layer;
- and
- a controller coupled to the wireless communications circuitry, the touch screen display and the pressure sensing circuit, the controller configured to perform a plurality of different device functions corresponding to a plurality of different sensed pressures based upon the pressure sensing circuit.
A method for making an electronic device comprising:
- mounting wireless communications circuitry in a housing;
- mounting a touch screen display in the housing and comprising a lower conductive layer, an upper conductive layer, and a finger biometric sensor;
- coupling a pressure sensing circuit to the lower and upper conductive layers;
- and
- coupling a controller to the wireless communications circuitry, the touch screen display and the pressure sensing circuit, the controller configured to perform a plurality of different device functions corresponding to a plurality of different sensed pressures based upon the pressure sensing circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.