US 12,412,416 B2
Apparatus and method for ultrasonic fingerprint and touch sensing
Kohei Azumi, Los Gatos, CA (US)
Assigned to QUALCOMM Incorporated, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by QUALCOMM Incorporated, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 2, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/500,762.
Application 18/500,762 is a continuation of application No. 17/247,781, filed on Dec. 22, 2020, granted, now 11,837,009.
Prior Publication US 2024/0127620 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. G06F 3/041 (2006.01); G06F 3/043 (2006.01); G06V 40/13 (2022.01)
CPC G06V 40/1306 (2022.01) [G06F 3/0412 (2013.01); G06F 3/04166 (2019.05); G06F 3/043 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor system, comprising:
a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic receiving pixels, wherein:
each of a plurality of the ultrasonic receiving pixels is divided into and associated with a plurality of ultrasonically-sensitive subregions that are electrically coupled to a common node, and
each of the plurality of the ultrasonically-sensitive subregions is substantially surrounded by ultrasonically-sensitive subregions associated with other ultrasonic receiving pixels such that the ultrasonically-sensitive subregions of different ultrasonic receiving pixels are interleaved together within the array; and
an ultrasonic transmitter; and
a control system configured for:
controlling the ultrasonic transmitter for transmission of first ultrasonic waves towards a target object proximate an area in which at least a portion of the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor system resides; and
receiving first ultrasonic receiver signals from the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor system, the first ultrasonic receiver signals including signals corresponding to reflections of the first ultrasonic waves from the target object;
obtaining common node receiver signals from common nodes of at least some of the ultrasonic receiving pixels; and
converting the common node receiver signals into at least one pair of touch position coordinates.