Finger guide device with switch

Abstract

A finger guide device that positions a finger (or minutiae containing digit) of a human subject on a fingerprint sensor in a manner optimal for the data capture operation of authentication of identification of said subject, wherein a relevant portion of the finger is in alignment with a sensor or scanner. The finger guide device may also be used for enrollment of the initial fingerprint data into the system. The finger guide device may have a curved inside surface to contour to a wide variety of fingertip shapes and sizes, wherein the sides and front have shorter radii of curvature than the rearward portion of the finger guide device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a finger guide device having side surfaces that form a recess for receiving a user's finger, wherein the recess has:
 a front end and a back end; 
 a concave circular or oval surface having a bottom with an opening in the bottom to expose a fingerprint sensor that can be placed in the opening, wherein the opening is closer to the front end than to the back end; and 
 a short concave radius at the front end where a fingertip just below a fingernail of the user's finger can touch the front end, and has a longer concave radius, relative to short concave radius, at the back end adjacent to the opposite side of the opening so that the back end extends up the finger towards the user's body; 
   wherein the finger guide device is adapted to provide mechanical inputs from a user to the fingerprint sensor for sensing when the finger guide device is touched or pressed by the user, and thereby permitting the finger guide device to serve as an element in a switch such that the user is authenticated just before or during a switching process;   wherein the finger guide device enables a relevant portion of the person's finger to rest in a stable position onto the sensor area of the fingerprint sensor each time authentication or confirmation is needed; and   wherein the device is configured to inform the person via a feedback mechanism when the person's finger is located on the stable position, wherein the feedback mechanism is at least one of a sound command, voice command, visual indicator, and a mechanical movement.   
     
     
         2 . The device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the concave surface is circular providing a physical guidance to the user's finger into a correct position against the fingerprint sensor thereby reducing the average number of attempts to authenticate the user. 
     
     
         3 . The device as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the concave surface has a low enough profile so that when a relevant portion of the person's finger rests in the stable position in alignment with the fingerprint sensor, the person's fingernail does not contact the periphery of the finger guide device.