Fingerprint Sensor Module Concurrent Capacitance Measurement

The patent segments the fingerprint sensor into two separate components: the sensor element and the substrate. The sensor element can be mounted on the substrate in a T-shaped assembly, allowing the active sensing area to remain exposed while the substrate provides mechanical protection. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling sensitivity preservation through exposed sensor elements while maintaining structural integrity through the separate substrate component.

Instead of mounting the substrate over the sensor elements (which would protect but block sensing), the patent inverts the approach by mounting the sensor elements on the substrate in a configuration where the active area faces outward. The T-shaped assembly positions the sensor elements such that their active surfaces are exposed for fingerprint capture, while the substrate provides lateral and rear protection without interfering with the sensing function.

By segmenting the sensor element from the substrate and using a T-shaped assembly, the patent enables separate manufacturing of these components. The sensor element can be fabricated using standard semiconductor processes, while the substrate can be produced independently. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex high-temperature, high-pressure bonding processes that would be required to integrate sensor elements directly into a protected structure, thereby simplifying manufacturing while maintaining mechanical robustness.

The T-shaped assembly acts as an intermediary structure that connects the sensor element to the substrate. This intermediate configuration allows for simplified attachment methods compared to direct integration, enabling the sensor element to be mounted on the substrate using conventional techniques while still achieving mechanical protection. The T-shaped geometry provides stable mounting without requiring complex high-temperature or high-pressure processes.

The patent merges multiple capacitance measurements into a single concurrent measurement operation. Instead of measuring each sensor element's capacitance separately in sequence, the system measures the combined capacitance of multiple sensor elements simultaneously. This merging approach reduces measurement time significantly while maintaining precision through subsequent signal processing that can distinguish individual element contributions from the combined measurement.

The patent uses partial action by measuring capacitances on subsets of sensor elements concurrently rather than all elements at once. This approach balances measurement speed and precision by dividing the sensor array into manageable subsets that can be measured in parallel, reducing overall measurement time while maintaining adequate precision through multiple sequential subset measurements that can be processed to reconstruct full fingerprint data.