# US 9,436,865 B2 · Fingerprinting apparatus, system, and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,436,865 B2 - Document ID: US9436865B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/259,627 - Filed: 2014-04-23 - Published: 2014-08-14 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-06 - Applicants: Leonard P. Longo - Inventors: Leonard P. Longo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436865B2 ## CPC - G06V 40/1365: {Matching; Classification} - G06V 40/1306: {non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing} - G06V 40/1318: {using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing} - G07C 9/00563: {using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns} - G07C 9/37: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract An apparatus, system and method for biometric acquisition are disclosed. In one embodiment, a sensor is configured to detect a biometric signature of a subject. The sensor is configured to be mounted to a surface. Various sensors are disclosed as being operative with the biometric acquisition apparatus. A vehicle with a mounted biometric acquisition apparatus is disclosed. A method for identification of suspects is also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A biometric acquisition apparatus, comprising: a sensor comprising a sensing element, the sensor configured to detect a biometric signature of a subject through the sensing element, wherein the sensor is configured to be mounted to a vehicle; and a wireless communication module in signal communication with the sensor, wherein the wireless communication module is configured to transmit a signal associated with the biometric signature of the subject to a remote database. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the capacitive element comprises an array of conductive elements having a first spacing and a second spacing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the conductive elements of the capacitive element comprise: a first conductor plate and a second conductor plate embedded in an insulating material; an amplifier connected to the first and second conductor plates, wherein the output of the amplifier is a stored voltage between the first plate and the second plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sensor is configured to output a difference in voltage between a first conductive element and one or more adjacent conductive elements in response to the subject contacting the sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sensor is configured to output a difference in voltage between a first conductive element and a reference voltage in response to the subject contacting the sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first spacing is substantially equal to the second spacing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first spacing is not substantially equal to the second spacing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a thermal element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the thermal sensor comprises: an imaging surface; an array of heat sensing elements configured to detect the temperature of the imaging surface at discrete points in response to the subject contacting the sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an electromagnetic wave sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the electromagnetic wave sensor comprises: an imaging surface; an electromagnetic wave source configured to produce an electromagnetic wave in the direction of the imaging surface in response to the subject contacting the sensor; a charge-coupled device comprising one or more photosites positioned to receive a reflected electromagnetic wave from the imaging surface, wherein the photosites are configured to produce a signal in response to the electromagnetic wave. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the electromagnetic wave source comprises a light-emitting diode and the one or more photosites comprise light-sensitive semiconductor devices. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an ultrasonic element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a first processing node in signal communication with the wireless module, wherein the signal processing node is configured to receive identifying information corresponding to the subject from the remote database. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, comprising a screen in signal communication with the first processing node, wherein the screen is configured to display the identifying information corresponding to the subject. ### Claim 17 A biometric security apparatus, comprising: a sensor comprising a sensing element, the sensor configured to detect a biometric signature of a subject through the sensing element, wherein the sensor is configured to be mounted to a surface; a processing node in signal communication with the sensor, wherein the processing node is configure to compare the detected biometric signature to a biometric database; and a door lock in signal communication with the processing node, wherein the processing node is configured to control the door lock. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The biometric security apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processing node is configured to disable the door lock when the biometric signature matches an authorized signature stored in the biometric database. ### Claim 19 A method for identifying a subject, comprising: obtaining, by a biometric sensor comprising a sensing element, a biometric signature of a subject through the sensing element, wherein the biometric sensor is mounted to a surface; transmitting, by a communication module, the biometric sensor to a processing node comprising a biometric database, wherein the processing node is configured to compare the biometric signature to a plurality of biometric data stored in the biometric database; and receiving, by the communication module, a response from the processing node indicating a result of the comparison of the biometric signature to the biometric database. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the result of the comparison received by the communications module comprises identifying information of the subject associated with the biometric signature.