Using the fingerprint scanner as scroll wheel and button

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jketzetera · #1 Post by **jketzetera** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:46 am

I have noticed that some other notebooks (Sony and Toshiba) offer alternative functionality for the fingerprint scanner. On Sony VAIO's you can use the fingerprint scanner as scroll wheel (which is pretty nifty) and on some Toshiba's the scanner can even double as an extra mouse button.

I have been searching for a similar solution to the fingerprint scanner on the Thinkpad notebooks but have not found anything yet.

Has anyone else any insights/ideas on how to achieve the above mentioned functionality on a Thinkpad?

davidspalding · #2 Post by **davidspalding** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:31 pm

It probably has to be supported from a hardware perspective.

jketzetera · #3 Post by **jketzetera** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:25 pm

davidspalding wrote:It probably has to be supported from a hardware perspective.

Are you sure? I would rather guess that it is a software implementation rather than Sony and Toshiba's fingerprint readers containing additional sensor hardware to enable those functions.

blackomegax · #4 Post by **blackomegax** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:45 pm

If there is a way to read the raw data stream from the finger reader, it would be a simple matter to write something to interpret that as up/down movement.

jketzetera · #5 Post by **jketzetera** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:41 pm

It seems that the finperprint sensor scroll functionality is integrated in the latest version of UPEK's Protector Suite QL (version 5.6). Lenovo's fingerprint software is based on UPEK's Protector Suite QL but lacks the scroll functionality. Either the Lenovo software is based on an older version of the software or Lenovo choose to remove scroll functionality (doubt it though).

So it seems that we have to wait for an updated version of the fingerprint software from Lenovo (if they release it).

Trekk69 · #6 Post by **Trekk69** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:53 pm

I would also be interested in this function, especially when the screen is folded down.
Hopefully the updated software rolls out soon enough.

jketzetera · #7 Post by **jketzetera** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 2:13 am

Trekk69 wrote:I would also be interested in this function, especially when the screen is folded down.
Hopefully the updated software rolls out soon enough.

It seems that UPEK is selling their non-branded version of the software for download at a very reasonable price (approx EUR 11).

Trekk69 · #8 Post by **Trekk69** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 10:26 am

jketzetera wrote:It seems that UPEK is selling their non-branded version of the software for download at a very reasonable price (approx EUR 11).

Thanks a lot, will look into it!

Using the fingerprint scanner as scroll wheel and button

Using the fingerprint scanner as scroll wheel and button

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