Electronic Assembly, Apparatus and Method for Detecting User's Fingerprints

An electronic assembly for detecting a user's fingerprints, comprising:

• a touch-sensitive surface configured to register user touch;
• a fingerprint sensor for detecting user's fingerprints on at least a part of the touch-sensitive surface;
• a first controller circuit configured to activate the fingerprint sensor and receive fingerprint information from the fingerprint sensor;
• a second controller circuit configured to detect a position and/or movement of a user's finger on or above the touch-sensitive surface, in response to signals from the touch-sensitive surface;
• a host system connected to the first and second controller circuits, the host system comprising circuitry for processing information received from the first and second controller circuits,
• wherein the first controller circuit is further configured to receive information from the second controller circuit related to the current position and/or movement of the user's finger on or above the touch-sensitive surface and activate a portion of the fingerprint sensor on which to perform fingerprint reading.

A method for detecting user's fingerprints on a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:

• receiving information related to the current position and/or movement of the user's finger on or above the touch-sensitive surface in a second controller circuit;
• activating a portion of a fingerprint sensor on which to perform fingerprint reading by a first controller circuit;
• and
• performing fingerprint reading on the portion of the fingerprint sensor corresponding to the position of the user's finger and/or where the movement of the user's finger is below a movement threshold value on the touch-sensitive surface,
• wherein activation of the fingerprint sensor and fingerprint reading is done independently of a host system communicating with the first and second controller circuits.