Ultrasound face scanning and identification apparatuses and methods

Abstract

An electronic face-identification device, which performs face scanning with ultrasonic waves, includes a housing and an ultrasound device disposed within the housing. The ultrasound device may be configured to transmit ultrasonic waves through air to a face and scan the face with the ultrasonic waves, to receive reflected waves through the air corresponding to reflections of the ultrasonic waves from the face, and to perform a recognition process for the face based on reflections of the ultrasonic waves from the face. The ultrasound device may include a plurality of ultrasound transducers, and electronic circuitry configured to transmit signals to the ultrasound transducers and receive signals from the ultrasound transducers. The face-identification device may be incorporated into various electronic equipment, such as hand-held equipment in the form of smartphones and tablet computers, as well as in larger scale installations at airports, workplace entryways, and the like.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.