LG Designs Button-Free Fingerprint Sensor Module

LG Innotek has introduced an under-glass fingerprint sensor module that identifies your fingerprint on mobile devices without the use of a button-type module.

Button-type modules require the consumer to press a finger on a raised square or circular button for a fingerprint to be read exactly, requiring the sensor to be mounted on the front, rear or side buttons of a smartphone. Without a button-type sensor, smartphone designers now are free to implement security functions on mobile devices in a more user-friendly way, including making the devices waterproof and scratch proof.

The cover glass features an embedded fingerprint sensor module without a raised button component. Source: LG Innotek LG says it installed the fingerprint sensor on a 0.01-inch thick furrow on the lower backside of the cover glass. This implementation allows the sensor to not be exposed to the outside of the device, meaning it will not come in direct contact with water or get damaged from scratches. At the same time, the module is designed for fingerprint recognition accuracy as compared to the button type, the company says.

With the demand for mobile payments increasing in the mobile device market, LG believes the fingerprint recognition technology demand will increase dramatically in the coming years. Market research firm IHS forecasts 1.6 billion fingerprint sensors will be sold by 2020, up from just 499 million sensors in 2015.

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