Technology

AuthenTec's award-winning technology is built on a strong foundation of intellectual property.  In fact, AuthenTec has more patents today than any peer company, with 200 filed and issued U.S. patents. These patents cover include many of the foundational IP from the biometric fingerprint sensor industry and cover sensor and packaging design, software, end user applications and embedded security.  Included below are just of a few of the technologies that have helped AuthenTec become a leader in security and identity management.

Live Layer Fingerprint Imaging

AuthenTec sensors are based on subsurface fingerprint imaging technology specifically and uniquely designed to read fingerprint patterns from everyone, under a wide variety of conditions. AuthenTec’s semiconductor-based sensors are based on both capacitive and radio frequency (RF) technology that detects an image of the fingerprint ridge and valley pattern beneath the surface of the skin, thus capturing sharp and clear fingerprint patterns from the live layer. This approach, which is in marked contrast with optical, thermal and other solutions that simply read the surface of the skin, gives AuthenTec sensors significant advantages in image quality and in the protective coatings that the sensor can image through.

TouchStone™

TouchStone is a highly durable waterproof packaging technology that combines smart sensor biometric performance and features with flexible aesthetic options for designers of today's ultra-thin mobile phones.  TouchStone packaging was used in the world's first waterproof smartphone with a fingerprint sensor, and has been used in several waterproof models since.

SteelCoat™

SteelCoat is a unique protective coating for AuthenTec Smart Sensors and TouchChips that significantly enhances durability and enhances resistance to electrostatic discharge (ESD).  SteelCoat is a hard epoxy protective coating for long, trouble-free sensor operation and is tested to withstand over 20 million swipes.

Fingerprint Matching

AuthenTec’s provides the most accurate fingerprint matching possible, allowing it to create sensors that are more secure, smaller, and lower cost than sensors using surface technologies. Captured digital fingerprint images are analyzed by a patented algorithm technology for extracting and matching unique information from a fingerprint. AuthenTec uses a combination of global and local features in the fingerprint image to maximize information density and incorporates patented compositing techniques to build a fingerprint template over time. This is essential for the convenient operation of a small sensor and also eliminates the need for the user to accurately position a finger in the same place each time.

Anti-Spoofing

AuthenTec's anti-spoofing technology dynamically measures the properties of finger skin placed on the sensor while the finger is being scanned. This patented technology ensures that only real fingerprints are read by converting the properties of the skin into digital data which are delivered to the host computer for analysis. AuthenTec anti-spoofing technology then compares the data with expected properties to ensure fingerprint authentication.

TrueNav™

As AuthenTec’s next generation solution for fluid on screen graphic and menu navigation with just the swipe of a finger, TrueNav utilizes the high quality image capabilities of TruePrint to track the motion of a finger placed on the sensor. Motion is tracked and processed to create two dimensional direction vectors, which are then used by the display system on the host to control the motion of an on screen cursor. Additionally, TrueNav relies on the combined strengths of silicon circuitry and software, as well as techniques to minimize the amount of power consumed by the silicon – critical for mobile applications where frequent use of cursor navigation would otherwise drain the battery.

Encryption

AuthenTec applies expertise encryption technologies to a wide variety of applications and Virtual Private Networks (“VPN’s”), while ensuring ease-of-use, performance, and scalability. Recent innovations in this area include the application of DRM to downloadable mobile applications, exploiting the rise of the “application store” and enablement of install of IPsec functionality by non-root users.