Fingerprint based smartcard

A fingerprint based smartcard comprising:

• a fingerprint module comprising:
• a fingerprint capture device, comprising:
• a first memory for capturing an initial fingerprint of a user and at least one subsequent fingerprint of the user the first memory comprising a first plurality of memory cells wherein each memory cell has a corresponding electrical device;
• and
• a fingerprint contact surface disposed substantially coplanar to the first memory wherein the fingerprint contact surface has a plurality of conductive paths formed through the fingerprint contact surface and wherein at least some of the conductive paths are substantially directly conductively coupled to at least some of the corresponding electrical devices;
• and
• a first processor operatively coupled to the fingerprint capture device for comparing the at least one subsequent fingerprint to the initial fingerprint;
• and
• smartcard circuitry comprising a second processor, a second memory and a communication element operatively coupled together and to the fingerprint module for receiving the results of the comparison and communicating the results to a host system, the second memory comprising a second plurality of memory cells wherein each memory cell has a corresponding electrical device, wherein the first plurality of memory cells comprises at least a portion of the second plurality of memory cells.