Patent ID: 6628810
Filing Date: 2003-09-30
Classification: A61B,G06K,G07C

Abstract:
A sensing device for sensing a biometric characteristic of a person's hand and comprisinga matrix array of sensing elements defining a sensing area, wherein in a first portion of the array the sensing elements have a resolution capable of sensing the fingerprint pattern of a person's finger when placed over that portion of the sensing area; in a second portion of the array the sensing elements have a lower resolution for sensing at least one other hand biometric characteristic; the sensing elements are arranged in rows and columns on a substrate and sets of address conductors carried on the substrate for addressing the sensing elements, the rows of sensing elements each being connected to a respective row address conductor, a pitch of the row address conductors in the column direction being greater in the second portion than in the first portion; and a drive circuit, connected to the set of row address conductors, for addressing the rows of sensing elements in turn, wherein in the first portion the sensing elements in each column are connected to a respective column address conductor and in the second portion the number of sensing elements in each row is less than in the first portion and the sensing elements are connected to selected ones only of the column address conductors associated with the sensing elements in the first portion.