Fingerprint Sensor Guide Display for Complete Capture

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge is to effectively integrate a small-sized fingerprint sensor into electronic devices with limited space, such as smartphones, while ensuring accurate fingerprint recognition without increasing production costs and without requiring users to repeatedly position their fingers to capture the entire fingerprint image.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves displaying a guide on the device's screen to help users position their fingers correctly over the fingerprint sensor, allowing the sensor to obtain fingerprint information through overlapping regions, and adjusting the guide's position and shape to ensure comprehensive fingerprint capture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the size of fingerprint sensor is reduced to fit limited space, then the area occupied by the sensor decreases, but the ability to capture the entire fingerprint image deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor areaVSAvoidfingerprint capture completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dimensionality change by displaying a guide pattern on the screen surface that overlaps with the fingerprint sensor region. The guide provides directional information (first direction and second direction) to guide users to move their fingers across the sensor in multiple directions, effectively using the 2D screen surface to compensate for the limited sensor area and ensure complete fingerprint capture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide displayed on the screen acts as an intermediary between the user and the fingerprint sensor. It provides visual feedback and directional guidance to help users position and move their fingers correctly over the small sensor area, enabling complete fingerprint capture without requiring a larger sensor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If the size of fingerprint sensor is reduced, then production cost decreases, but the number of recognition procedures required increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction costVSAvoidrecognition time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by displaying the guide on the screen that shows the current fingerprint recognition progress and provides directional guidance. This real-time feedback helps users understand which regions need to be scanned, reducing the number of repeated procedures needed to capture the complete fingerprint image with a small sensor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The guide is displayed in advance before fingerprint recognition begins, showing users the expected finger placement and movement directions. This preliminary action prepares users for the recognition process, reducing confusion and the number of attempts needed when using a small sensor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If guide is displayed to improve fingerprint capture accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefingerprint capture accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display screen serves multiple functions: it displays the guide for fingerprint positioning, shows feedback during recognition, and provides directional information. By making the display multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated components, thus improving measurement precision without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3497607B1Apparatus and method for receiving fingerprint information through guide
Publication Date: 2023.05.03 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3497607B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3497607B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3497607B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electronic apparatus is provided. The electronic device includes a display, a fingerprint sensor disposed under the display, and a processor electrically connected with the display and the fingerprint sensor. The processor is configured to set a fingerprint sensing region at a location, which corresponds to a location where the fingerprint sensor is disposed, on the display if the electronic apparatus enters a state for registering a fingerprint of a finger, to display a first guide on the display such that the first guide at least partly overlaps the fingerprint sensing region, to obtain first fingerprint information through the fingerprint sensing region if the finger touches the first guide, to display a second guide on the display such that the second guide at least partly overlaps the fingerprint sensing region, and to obtain second fingerprint information through the fingerprint sensing region if the finger touches the second guide.