Samsung wins patent for fingerprint sensor package and biometric cards

Samsung has been granted a patent for an integrated circuit (IC) for fingerprint reading, storage and processing and biometric cards they can be implemented in.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Organization (USPTO) granted the intellectual property protection for a “Fingerprint sensor package and smart card including the same,” which was originally filed in July of last year.  The patent award was noted by Patently Apple.

The patent describes a packaging substrate with a cavity and a core dielectric layer connecting the components. It also describes other possible elements for the card, such as a display unit, a memory device for storing card details and an RF chip. Samsung says the all-in-one chip includes algorithms and software that reduce latency and match failure rates for a better user experience, as well as biometric presentation attack detection (PAD).

The IC incorporates the fingerprint sensor, the secure element where the biometric template is stored, and the secure processor where the match is carried out. It was originally launched in 2022, and was awarded for Cybersecurity & Personal Privacy at the CES 2023 Best of Innovation Awards. Even prior to the launch of Samsung’s IC, the company had signed an MoU with Mastercard to develop fingerprint-enabled biometric payment cards.

The company referred to the IC in a promotional video last year as “the first all-in-one security solution” for biometric cards.

Idex Biometrics launched its “biometric-system-on-chip” or BSoC in 2020, which combines everything except the secure element. Fingerprint Cards and Infineon partnered to bring biometric processing within the secure element and eliminate the role of a separate processor a year later.

“The product positions Samsung as a first mover in the next-generation payment IC market, and Samsung will contribute to the expansion of the biometric card market by presenting a completely new payment experience,” said Gwanbon Koo, VP of the Security & Power Product Development Team at Samsung when the video was released a year ago.

At that time, Samsung emphasized the potential of biometric payment cards to help improve financial inclusion, and stated its intention to pave the way for mainstream adoption of the technology.

Samsung also offers payments through its digital wallet, Samsung Pay.  So does Apple, which introduced its Apple Card in 2019.

Article Topics

biometric cards  |  biometric payments  |  patents  |  research and development  |  Samsung  |  secure element