Infineon’s Automotive Fingerprint Sensor IDs and Authenticates Drivers

The new biometric fingerprint sensors may be a simple, accurate, and cost-effective way to identify drivers and approve in-vehicle personalization and payments.

Infineon Technologies has introduced the CYFP10020x00 series (CYFP10020A00 and CYFP10020S00) of automotive-grade biometric fingerprint sensor ICs. These chips identify and authenticate drivers for in-vehicle personalization and payment applications, including charging and parking.

CYFP10020x00 EV board with fingerprint module. 

Infineon designed the new biometric sensor ICs to pair with the company's Traveo T2G Cortex M4 microcontroller family. They also fully comply with AEC-Q100 automotive standards with an expanded operating temperature range of -40°C to 105°C. The CYFP10020x00 sensors are compatible with Precise Biometrics' IP, specifically its Biomatch algorithm software, for precise fingerprint identification and authentication.

The CYFP10020x00 is available in an 8.9 mm x 9.3 mm BGA package with an 8 mm x 8 mm sensing area and can be operated from a single 3.3-V rail.

How Infineon's Automotive Fingerprint Sensors Works

Infineon built its CYFP10020x00 fingerprint sensors (datasheet linked) on a polymer substrate with a grid of row and column electrodes. These electrodes capture fingerprint image data and feed it to the precision capacitive sensing circuits in the IC’s analog front-end (AFE). The on-chip 32-bit Arm Cortex-M0 CPU leverages image optimization algorithms to capture high-resolution images of a fingertip's ridge and valley structure. The sensor can also detect finger touch-down and lifting events.

CYFP10020x00 fingerprint sensor substrate and IC. 

Infineon’s Traveo T2G Cortex M4 microcontroller then receives and decrypts the fingerprint images from the sensor. The M4 MCU includes matching software algorithms from Infineon's partner Precise Biometrics (or other sources) and performs the authentication function based on the fingerprint image.

Fingerprint module functional block diagram. 

The CYFP10020x00 is housed within the larger fingerprint sensor module. It is typically coated with paint, glass, or a similar protective coating and connected to the module host processor with a flexible PCB. The sensor can accommodate different coating types and bezels as dictated by the manufacturer’s desires for the look and feel of the fingerprint module.    

Speed and Accuracy: The Keys to Fingerprint Sensor Performance

The CYFP10020x00's image acquisition time is about 160 ms. With qualified matching software, the false reject rate (FRR) is less than 1.5%, with a false accept rate (FAR) of less than one occurrence per 100,000 reads. The FRR and FAR define how well an authentication solution performs, determining the probability of a legitimate user being rejected and an imposter being authenticated.

Fingerprint (FP) sensing has been mainstream in mobile device markets for many years. And, according to Infineon, the global automotive fingerprint market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 36% through 2028. For drivers, fingerprint sensing has proven simpler and quicker than other authentication methods, making technology like Infineon's new ICs a potentially useful option for OEMs in the automotive industry.