New biometric fingerprint sensor for 2009 Notebook PCs

UPEK today launched the TCS5 TouchStrip Fingerprint Sensor, a technology breakthrough designed to be integrated into 2009 notebook PC models worldwide. Building on the universal usability and secure architecture that has made UPEK the leader in fingerprint sensors for the PC market, the TCS5 delivers innovations in design, durability, size and price that are unique in their ability to bring fingerprint sensors into the mainstream market. UPEK fingerprint sensors have shipped in millions of notebook PCs by leading brands such as Dell, HP, Acer, Sony, IBM/Lenovo, Toshiba, Gateway and Asus.

The TCS5 showcases UPEK’s new SteelCoat sensor coating that delivers durability, a critical feature for an authentication user interface, that is six times more robust than competing swipe sensors. The thick SteelCoat sensor coating is made possible by UPEK’s unique HD3D (High Definition 3 Dimensional) amplified sensing technology that penetrates thick surfaces to read the “live layer” of the skin. HD3D sensing technology, the same technology behind the only FIPS 201 and FBI certified silicon fingerprint sensor, reads virtually all fingerprints in all conditions to ensure that authorized and unauthorized individuals are recognized reliably.

The TCS5 Fingerprint Sensor sports a sleek, black look that complements the growing trend towards design-focused laptops. The TCS5 also boasts a compact footprint for easier integration and lower cost without sacrificing usability.

The TCS5 is offered with UPEK’s next generation Digital ID Hardware Engine, a security co-processor that performs biometric processes – i.e. fingerprint template extraction, storage and matching – in a secure, hardware environment. UPEK’s sensor/processor chipset combination has set the standard for a secure biometric architecture over the past five years, enabling enterprise-level security such as RSA SecurID authentication.