Flexible Fingerprint Sensor Stack for Bendable Payment Cards

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fingerprint recognition credit cards with silicone-based secure chips face flexibility issues, leading to damage and limited production capacity due to inflexible materials and batch production limitations.

Innovation Solution

A fingerprint sensing device comprising a flexible substrate unit, a sensing unit with capacitive electrodes, and a chip unit, where the flexible substrates are stacked with indented sides to allow for flexible connections and a roll-to-roll manufacturing process, enabling the device to pass flexibility tests and increase production capacity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a silicone-based secure chip is used in a credit card, then the chip provides security functionality, but the card fails flexibility tests and the chip is easily damaged due to inflexible material properties

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity functionalityVSAvoidflexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the rigid silicone-based secure chip with a flexible organic electronic chip that can be integrated into the credit card substrate. This flexible chip maintains security functionality while enabling the card to pass flexibility tests and resist damage during normal use, directly resolving the contradiction between security reliability and operational flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite material structures combining flexible substrates with electronic sensing components. The credit card integrates an organic flexible substrate with capacitive sensing electrodes and a flexible secure chip, creating a composite structure that simultaneously achieves both security functionality and flexibility, allowing the card to bend without damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If a silicone-based secure chip is used in a credit card, then the chip provides security functionality, but the chip is easily damaged or broken due to folding or bending the card

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity functionalityVSAvoiddamage resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The rigid silicone chip is replaced with a flexible organic electronic chip structure that can withstand folding and bending. This flexible chip design maintains structural integrity during card manipulation, preventing damage while preserving security functionality, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and damage resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the material parameters from rigid silicone to flexible organic materials, fundamentally altering the mechanical properties of the secure chip. This parameter change enables the chip to withstand repeated folding and bending without damage, resolving the contradiction between maintaining security functionality and improving damage resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional semiconductor processes are used for silicone-based secure chips, then the chips can be manufactured, but batch production is limited and production capacity is constrained

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovemanufacturabilityVSAvoidproduction capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional mechanical semiconductor fabrication processes with organic electronic manufacturing methods that enable roll-to-roll production. This substitution allows for continuous batch production of flexible secure chips, dramatically increasing production capacity while maintaining manufacturability through simplified processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables continuous roll-to-roll manufacturing of flexible organic electronic chips, replacing discrete batch processing. This continuous production method allows multiple chips to be manufactured simultaneously on flexible substrates, significantly increasing production capacity while maintaining ease of manufacture through streamlined processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The flexible design enhances durability and production efficiency, allowing the fingerprint sensing device to pass credit card flexibility tests and significantly increase production capacity while reducing material costs.

Implementation Method 1

The sensing unit includes a plurality of first strip electrodes, a plurality of second strip electrodes... The first strip electrodes are disposed on the first surface and are disposed between the first flexible substrate and the double-sided substrate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Data Source

PatentEP4123601B1Fingerprint sensing device and method of making the same
Publication Date: 2023.11.22 WANG WILLIAM
  • EP4123601B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4123601B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4123601B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

A fingerprint sensing device (1) includes a double-sided substrate (22) between first and second flexible substrate (21, 23), and first strip electrodes (31) formed on the double-sided substrate (23) and contacting first electroconductive pads (33) disposed on the first flexible substrate (21) and downwardly contacting connecting pads (34) on a second flexible substrate (23). Second strip electrodes (32) are formed on the double-sided substrate (22) and downwardly contacting second electroconductive pads (35) disposed on the second substrate (23). The connecting pads (34) and the second electroconductive pads (35) are electrically connected to a chip unit (7). A method of making the same is also disclosed.