System and method for remotely searching biometric data

• US 20030126121A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SSK Virtualimage Corporation
• Original Assignee: Martin D. Levine, Sal Khan
• Inventors: Khan, Sal, Levine, Martin D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/94 Hardware or software architectures specially adapted for image or video understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

A system and method that permits a plurality of clients to remotely search and share biometric information contained in single or a plurality of databases over a local area network, wide area network or public network such as the Internet. The system comprises one ore more remote workstations each having a camera and means for converting facial images of persons of interest to biometric templates. A biometric search query may be placed from the remote workstation to one or more searchable databases containing a plurality of biometric templates. The databases are connected to the workstation by communication means through a server that manages data traffic between the remote workstation and the database. A search engine compares the biometric template of the person of interest to those stored on the database(s) and indicates a match according to a predetermined confidence interval. A predetermined number of matches are prioritized in order of similarity to the person of interest and returned to the workstation for review.

Claims

1. A system for remotely searching biometric data comprising:

a. at least one remote workstation for inputting a search query;

b. at least one searchable database for receiving a search query and executing a search;

c. a server operatively connected between the at least one workstation and the at least one database for managing data traffic between the remote workstation and the database; and

,

d. a communication circuit between said remote workstation and said server and between said server and said database for the transmission of data.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the remote work station comprises:

a. an image detector for obtaining images of individuals;

b. an image converter operatively coupled to said image detector for digitally encoding said images into biometric templates representative of said images;

c. means for inputting a search query;

d. means for receiving search query results; and

,

e. means for converting said search query results into visible image viewable by a user.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the searchable database comprises:

a. a plurality of searchable retrievable biometric templates representative of a group of individuals of interest;

b. means for receiving a search query from a server for a target biometric template;

c. means for executing a search for a target biometric template against those contained in the database;

d. means for determining the closest match between the target biometric template and-the biometric templates compared in the database;

e. means for temporarily storing said closest matched templates;

f. means for prioritizing potential matches in descending order of degree of match;

g. means for transmitting search results to the server.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the server is operatively connected between the at least one workstation and the at least one database said server including:

a. means for receiving a search query from a user via a remote work station;

b. means for transmitting said search query to at least one database;

c. means for receiving potential matches from at least one database;

d. means for storing said potential matches;

e. means for determining the closest potential matches to the target biometric template;

f. means for prioritizing said closest potential matches in descending order of degree of match received from a plurality of databases in accordance with a predetermined confidence level; and

,

g. means for transmitting search results to the workstation.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said communication means is a public communications network.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the communications means is the Internet.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the communications means is secured by encryption of data transmissions.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the communications means is secured by the creation of a virtual private network between the workstation and the server and between the server and the database.

9. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein each biometric template representative of an individual is cross-referenced to a text file containing additional information on the individual.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the text file is remotely downloadable by the user at the remote workstation from a central database of text files over the communication means.

11. A method for creating a searchable database of retrievable biometric templates comprising the steps of:

a. identifying a group of individuals of interest wherein said individuals are live individuals;

b. applying a registration process to each individual in said group of individuals whereby relevant personal information pertaining to each individual is collected and recorded into a database;

c. obtaining a plurality of video images of the faces of each individual in various positions;

d. extracting the required facial features from each of the plurality of video images;

e. converting required facial features into a digital biometric template representing a single individual;

f. transmitting said digital biometric template to a remote storage medium.

15. The method as claimed in claims 11 and 12 wherein each image is tagged with a numerical identifier wherein said identifier is related to additional retrievable data relevant to the individual.

12. A method for creating a searchable database of biometric templates comprising the steps of:

a. identifying a photographic database of a group of individuals of interest;

b. scanning each photographic image into an image detector;

c. converting each photographic image into a digital video image;

d. extracting the required facial features from each of the plurality of video images;

e. converting required facial features into a digital biometric template representing a single individual;

f. transmitting said digital biometric template to a remote storage medium.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the photographic images may be digital photographic images.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein each digital video image is visually inspected for defects and rescanned as required.

16. In a system for remotely searching biometric data comprising:

a least one remote workstation for inputting a search query;

at least one searchable database for receiving a search query and executing a search;

a server operatively connected between the at least one workstation and the at least one database for managing data traffic between the remote workstation and the database; and

, a communication circuit between said remote workstation and said server and between said server and said database for the transmission of data a method of searching a database comprising the steps of;

a. receipt of a search query by the database from the server wherein said query contains a target biometric template;

b. executing a search routine contained in the database that compares the target biometric template with all biometric templates stored in the database;

c. executing a confidence algorithm with a pre-selectable confidence match level for each comparison of target biometric template with stored biometric template;

d. selecting only those biometric templates stored in the database that fall within said confidence match level;

e. storing the matched biometric templates in a memory;

f. repeating steps b to e until all biometric templates stored in the database have been assessed;

g. prioritizing matched biometric templates in descending order of match;

h. transmitting matched biometric templates to the server.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the step of selecting a predetermined number of prioritized matches and sending those to the server.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 or 17 further comprising the steps of:

a. receipt of the selected biometric templates by the server from all databases queried;

b. storing received biometric templates in server memory;

c. a executing a search routine contained in the server that compares the target biometric template with all biometric templates stored in the server,

d. executing a confidence algorithm stored within the server with a pre-selectable confidence match level for each comparison of target biometric template with stored biometric template;

e. selecting only those biometric templates stored in the server that fall within said confidence match level;

f. rejecting those biometric templates stored in the database that fall outside of said confidence match level;

g. repeating steps c to f until all biometric templates stored in the server have been assessed;

h. prioritizing matched biometric templates in descending order of match; and

,

i. transmitting matched biometric templates to the workstation.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 further comprising the step of selecting a predetermined number of prioritized matches and sending those to the workstation.

20. In a system for remotely searching biometric data comprising:

a least one remote workstation for inputting a search query;

at least one searchable database for receiving a search query and executing a search;

a server operatively connected between the at least one workstation and the at least one database for managing data traffic between the remote workstation and the database; and

, a communication circuit between said remote workstation and said server and between said server and said database for the transmission of data, wherein each biometric template stored in the database is tagged with a unique identifier said system further including a second database containing relevant textual records of each individual correlated to the biometric template of said individual by the tagged identifier.

21. The system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the user is able to retrieve relevant textual records from said second database through the workstation.

22. A system for remotely searching biometric data comprising:

a. at least one remote workstation for inputting a search query, said remote workstation mounted to a mobile platform;

b. data transmission means for transmitting data from said mobile platform to;

c. data receiving means for receiving data transmitted from the mobile platform;

d. a communications network portal for transferring data from said data receiving means to a communications network;

e. at least one searchable database for receiving a search query from the mobile workstation and executing a search;

f. a server operatively connected between the at least one mobile workstation and the at least one database for managing data traffic between the remote workstation and the database;

g. a communication circuit between said portal and said server and between said server and said database for the transmission of data;

h. a fixed remote workstation for receiving search query results from the server;

i. means for the review and analysis of search results; and

,

j. communication means for relaying data from the fixed workstation to the mobile workstation.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22 wherein search results are relayed directly from the server the remote workstation.