Patent ID: 7110577

Claim:
A method for sensing a fingerprint comprising: generating a plurality of images of different portions of a fingerprint surface by measuring structural features of the fingerprint surface at given intervals of time with an essentially one-dimensional sensor array as the fingerprint surface is moved relative to the sensor array in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the sensor array; determining which of the plurality of images overlap or partially overlap others of the plurality of images; disregarding those images which overlap or partially overlap one or more other images; and constructing a two-dimensional image of the fingerprint surface from only non-overlapping images obtained from said generating step, wherein said measuring is performed simultaneously at each of a plurality of equally spaced measuring points arranged in at least two generally parallel lines spaced apart by a distance different from the distance separating the measuring points, wherein the measuring points of one line are shifted with respect to the measuring points of the next line, and wherein said generating is performed from measurements performed at one of the at least two lines.