Image acquisition apparatus
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsStefan Jung, Roland Thewes, Werner Weber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sensor elements are arranged in a hexagonal grid. A processor element in the form of a primitive automaton is assigned to each of the sensor elements in the grid. The processor elements are set up to perform algorithms which enable lines of a fingerprint to be simplified such that characteristic minutiae of the fingerprint (endings and branchings of the lines) can be extracted. The processor elements are embodied using CMOS/Neuron MOS threshold value logic or using CMOS/NMOS pass transistor logic. The image grid can be read out via read-out circuits as a matrix.
Claims7
An image acquisition apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of sensor elements arranged in a hexagonal grid dimensioned for acquiring a fingerprint sufficiently differentiated for identifying a person;
- a plurality of processor elements each associated with a respective sensor element and integrated in accordance with said grid;
- each of said processor elements having a memory unit for storing values;
- each of said processor elements being connected to adjacent processor element in said grid for receiving values output by said adjacent processor elements;
- said sensor elements being constructed for a capacitive measurement within a patterned, electrically conductive layer;
- circuits associated with said sensor elements or said respectively assigned processor elements for generating a logic ‘0’ or ‘1’ depending on a capacitance ascertained by said sensor element;
- said processor elements being adapted to store a logic “0” or “1”;
- and
- each of said processor elements being configured for implementing algorithms for:
- a) setting the stored value from ‘1’ to ‘0’ if at most one connected processor element communicates a value ‘1’;
- b) setting the stored value from ‘0’ to ‘1’ if at least five connected processor elements communicate the value ‘1’;
- c) setting the stored value from ‘1’ to ‘0’ if at least two connected processor elements communicate the value ‘1’;
- d) setting the stored value from ‘1’ to ‘0’ if two connected processor elements of a first pair communicate the value ‘1’ and two connected processor elements of a second pair communicate the value ‘0’ and if the connected processor elements belonging to the same pair are adjacent to one another in the grid and are not adjacent to the processor elements of the respective other pair.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.