UPEK Eikon Fingerprint Reader TCRD4CA1H6A3

Circa 2007

Use Case:

Designed for individuals seeking enhanced security and convenience for their personal computers.

• PC Security: It provides quick and reliable biometric authentication for logging into Windows systems, locking/unlocking the PC, and switching user accounts.

• Password Management: Used with bundled software (like Protector Suite QL or TrueSuite), it managed online account logins and application passwords securely.

• File Encryption: The technology allowed users to encrypt sensitive files using their fingerprint as the key.

• Technology: It utilizes a swipe capacitive CMOS sensor for image capture, with all biometric processing performed securely within the device itself.

Historical Significance:

• Biometrics for the Masses: It helped bring advanced biometric security, previously a feature of high-end corporate laptops, to a broader consumer desktop PC market.

• Award-Winning Design: The sleek, practical, and stylish design won the prestigious 2007 CES Best of Innovations Award.

• Security Innovation: It featured liveliness detection technology, making it more secure against spoofing attempts than older optical readers.

• Legacy: UPEK was eventually acquired by APPLE, which led to a discontinuation of third-party support for these Windows/Linux devices, but the technology lives on in modern biometrics.

(H-3cm x W-3.5cm x D-8.5cm)