Huawei recently published a patent for a new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, potentially signaling a step towards developing its own ultrasonic fingerprint technology. This is because many phone manufacturers now rely on Goodix’s solutions, which are limited to Qualcomm patents.

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The patent, titled “Ultrasonic Fingerprint Identification Module, System and Electronic Device” (CN117058725A), details a sensor design that promises improved fingerprint identification accuracy.

Currently, ultrasonic fingerprint sensors are used in some high-end phones, especially Samsung’s flagship S series smartphones, but these solutions are limited to the patents owned by Qualcomm. A new Huawei patent suggests they are trying to create an alternative ultrasonic fingerprint recognition technology that would potentially free them from dependence on other companies’ patents.

The specifics of the patent concern technical details of the sensor design, including the common electrode, piezoelectric layer, and pixel electrode array. The technical breakdown explains how the sensor works in both transmit and receive modes to capture fingerprint information with higher accuracy.

While the technical details are complicated, Huawei’s new patent points to its goal of developing its own ultrasonic fingerprint technology, potentially reducing their reliance on solutions from other companies in the future.