Fingerprint sensor touts security, navigation, and personalization for cell phones Gina Roos eeProductCenter (03/10/2005 7:28 PM ET)
The manufacturer says
Melbourne, Fla. — AuthenTec has introduced its new EntrPad 1510 — the world's smallest, most powerful and versatile biometric fingerprint sensor, which combines high level security with a host of touch-powered features and functions for cell phones. The sensor is available today and already is being designed into several cell phones scheduled to be unveiled later this year. The tiny, low-cost sensor is the first to feature AuthenTec's "The Power of Touch" approach, which enhances the overall consumer electronics experience by extending biometric technology beyond secure user authentication to take full advantage of the power of touch.
AuthenTec's EntrPad 1510 enables cell phone manufacturers to easily incorporate compelling new features and functions that are controlled at the simple touch or swipe of your finger. Capabilities such as;
Security: protects important personal or business data, images and lists from theft or fraud; enables m-commerce and wireless banking. Convenience: easily opens applications or operate functions with the touch of a finger, rather than passwords or multiple keypad strokes. Navigation: includes scroll wheel and full motion navigating that replaces keypads or other devices; enables wireless gaming Personalization: enables personalization of a phone with features such as multi-finger speed dial, individualized buddy lists, and other functions. Built on AuthenTec's best-in-class TruePrint technology, the EntrPad 1510 provides the most accurate and reliable security solution for the wireless market. Unlike competitive "surface based" solutions that read the top layer of a fingerprint, AuthenTec's TruePrint technology reads below the surface " enabling it to read virtually anyone's fingerprint.
In addition to its advanced security and touch features, the EntrPad 1510 is also the fastest sensor in the industry, which enables cell phones to quickly acquire finger images for authentication and detect motion for smoother navigation and gaming performance. The new sensor features the lowest power consumption and minimal system CPU loading — important factors for cell phone manufacturers. The sensor is extremely rugged, with proven scratch and impact resistance including wear and rub-resistance in excess of 10 million finger rubs.
"AuthenTec is changing the way the world uses fingerprint biometrics by incorporating the market's lowest-cost, most convenient and reliable authentication technology with innovation that enables finger-controlled function activation based on specific finger motions," said Scott Moody, president and CEO of AuthenTec. "The 1510 offers an all-in-one solution to designers and manufacturers of wireless electronic devices looking to add a premium end-user feature at a low-cost."
EntrPad 1510 Technology Highlights
Cost: Under $5 in quantities Performance: Fast finger motion capture > 500 mm/sec, high-rate image capture greater than 1,500 frames-second Size: 12 mm x 5 mm x 1.86 mm or 1.20 mm Form Factors: 40 ball grid array Mobile temp operation: -20°C to 70°C Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows Mobile; Symbian 6.1, 8.x; Qualcomm REX, Linux
eePC's Gina Roos says A new tinier biometric fingerprint sensor from AuthenTec combines security, navigation and personalization functionality in the industry's smallest package for cell phones. Touting a 33% smaller footprint than comparable sensors, the new low-cost EntrePad 1510 features the company's TruePrint technology and its newest approach to biometrics called "The Power of Touch". Plus, it's low cost, easy-to-use and provides speedy fingerprint imaging and motion. What AuthenTec has done is to take biometric technology one step further beyond secure user authentication into the arena of navigation and personalization features. So this new all-in-one sensor can provide both a high level of security and touch-powered features and functions for cell phones.
This tiny sensor, which measures 12 x 5 mm, is the first to feature AuthenTec's "The Power of Touch" approach, which enables cell phone designers to easily incorporate new features and functions for security, navigation, or personalization that are controlled by a touch or the swipe of a finger.
The "Power of Touch goes well beyond the classical security area of biometrics, and adds the element of convenience, making security practical, as well as providing personalization and navigation functionality, said Scott Moody, president and CEO of AuthenTec.
Initially, cell phone manufacturers focused on personal security to protect personal user information such as contact lists, photos and e-mail, Moody said. Today, cell phone makers are extending the idea of personal security to M-commerce, he said. Already in Japan, near field communications chips embedded with encryption technologies are being integrated into cell phones, allowing the phone to act as a credit card by using a fingerprint sensor to authenticate the transaction.
Built on AuthenTec's TruePrint RF-imaging technology, the EntrPad 1510 provides a reliable security solution for the wireless market. Unlike competitive surface-based solutions that read the top layer of a fingerprint, said the company, AuthenTec's TruePrint technology reads below the surface, enabling it to read virtually anyone's fingerprint.
TruePrint Technology (Click on Image to Enlarge)
This new sensor also includes several key new capabilities. For security applications, the new sensor helps protect personal or business data, images and other important information from theft or fraud as well as enables M-commerce and wireless banking. It also allows users to easily open applications or to operate functions with the touch of a finger rather than with passwords or multiple keypad strokes.
Particularly targeting wireless gaming applications, advanced navigation features provide a wide range of finger speed and direction detection including scroll wheel and full motion navigation to replace keypads or other devices. It also enables easy control of screen menus and graphical content.
The primary driver behind "The Power of Touch" for navigation is to improve the gaming experience on the cell phone. The idea of using the fingerprint sensor for navigation is to eventually replace the mechanical button and use it as a joystick in every direction and at every speed, Moody said.
Personalization opens the door to a new world of wireless features, giving users nearly unlimited ways to personalize their phones. This allows users to personalize their cell phones with features such as multi-finger speed dial, individualized buddy lists, and other functions. For example, it offers users the potential of setting each of their fingers for different tasks.
The new sensor also provides for easy integration by providing multiple system interfaces including 4-bit parallel and synchronous serial interfaces. The master-mode SSI permits image capture via a SMA channel, which eliminates the need for the application processor to obtain images or navigation data.
Optimized for wireless applications, the EntrePad 1510 uses synchronous serial or 4-bit parallel interfaces. This brings us to the issue of power consumption. Key features, developed specifically for cell phone designers, are the device's low power consumption and minimal system CPU loading. Once again AuthenTec has significantly reduced the processor load whether the sensor is being used in imaging or navigation mode. Power consumption (at 2.5 volts) is 35 milliamps (mA) for peak imaging and less than .3 mA for finger detection and less than 3.5 mA in navigation mode. (Search www.eeproductcenter.com for article ID 22100509.)
The company also touts that the EntrPad 1510 is the fastest sensor in the industry, which enables cell phones to quickly acquire finger images for authentication and detect motion for smoother navigation and gaming performance. Finger motion capture (in all directions) is rated at greater than 500 mm/second and image capture is rated at greater than 1,500 frames per second. This is faster than AuthenTec's previous introduction, the AES2510, with an image capture of 240 frames per second.
The sensor is also extremely rugged, with scratch and impact resistance including wear and rub-resistance in excess of 10 million finger rubs.
The company also provides hardware, software and support for integration. This includes sensor control, fingerprint matching algorithms, and device drivers for Microsoft Windows Mobile, Symbian 6.1, 8.x, Qualcomm REX and Linux.
Packaged in an ultra-small 40 ball grid array package, the 12 x 5 mm EntrePad 1510 is available in two thickness of 1.20 mm and 1.86 mm. The new device is priced at less than $5 in volume quantities.
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