Patent ID: 8854179

Claim:
A household appliance ( 10 ), having: an exterior protective casing ( 11 ) covering operable components of the household appliance ( 10 ); a transparent casing element ( 12 ) transparent to light of at least one wavelength in the infrared or visible area, wherein the transparent casing element ( 12 ) is an integrated portion of the exterior protective casing ( 11 ), thereby maintaining an impermeable surface of the exterior protective casing ( 11 ); and a fingerprint sensor ( 20 ) arranged below the transparent casing element ( 12 ) and mounted to the inside surface of said transparent casing element ( 12 ), said fingerprint sensor ( 20 ) comprising: a light source ( 21 ; 21 ′; 21 ″; 21 ′″) emitting light of at least one wavelength in the infrared or visible area for which said transparent casing element ( 12 ) is transparent; a detector ( 23 ; 23 ″; 23 ′″) for detecting reflected light emitted from said light source ( 21 ; 21 ′; 21 ″; 21 ′″); and a light guiding means ( 22 ; 22 ′; 22 ″; 22 ′″; 22 b ′″) for guiding emitted light from said light source ( 21 ; 21 ′; 21 ″; 21 ′″) towards the transparent casing element ( 12 ) and guiding light reflected at the exterior surface of the transparent casing element ( 12 ) to the detector ( 23 ; 23 ″; 23 ′″), thereby enabling detection of a fingerprint image through said transparent casing element ( 12 ), wherein the transparent casing element ( 12 ) is a part of a user interface ( 13 ) for controlling the operation of the household appliance ( 10 ) and wherein the fingerprint sensor ( 20 ) is combined with the user interface ( 13 ).