Method and device for recording fingerprint data

• US 20050152584A1
• Filed: 02/18/2003
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precise Biometrics AB (Precise Biometrics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Precise Biometrics AB (Precise Biometrics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Svedin, Ola
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1347 Preprocessing; Feature extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

In a method for recording reference fingerprint data for a person, at least two fingerprint images are recorded that depict at least partially different areas of one and the same finger of the person. Data from these images is stored in at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data that are to be used in checking the identity of the person. This method makes it possible to use a small sensor that only records partial fingerprints, both when recording reference data and when verifying, without the person having to make repeated attempts during the verification in order for the sensor to record the same area on the finger both when recording reference data and during the verification. In addition, a method is described for checking identity, in which method the fact is utilized that there are alternative sets of reference fingerprint data, and devices for carrying out the methods.

Claims

1. A method for recording reference fingerprint data for a person, comprising the steps of:

receiving (30) at least two fingerprint images (2a, 2b, 2c) that depict at least partially different areas of one and the same finger of the person, and

storing (34) data from said at least two fingerprint images (2a, 2b, 2c) as at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data, that comprise data from at least partially different areas (A, B, C, D, E, F), of the finger, for use in checking the identity of the person, whereby said at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data, are stored in a first unit (24) in which checking of the person'"'"'s identity is to be carried out, each of the sets of reference fingerprint data, comprising public data that can be communicated from the first unit (24) to a second unit (22) during the check, and also private data that is used exclusively in the first unit (24) during the check.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the two sets of reference fingerprint data, are determined from their respective fingerprint image of the at least two fingerprint images (2a, 2b, 2c).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the step (37) of storing data as at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data, comprises storing data from the first image, determining the relative positions of the first and the second images by comparison of the data stored from the first image with the second image, and storing data from the second image utilizing the thus determined relative positions of the images.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the first and the second images are combined into a larger image and said at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data, are determined from the combined image.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the data that is stored from the images comprises a plurality of partial areas (A, B, C, D, E, F), of the images (2a, 2b, 2c).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the data that is stored from the images comprises features.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the fingerprint images (2a, 2b, 2c) are received from a sensor that has a sensor surface, the size of which only allows a partial fingerprint to be recorded.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of checking whether said at least two fingerprint images (2a, 2b, 2c) together cover an area of the finger that is larger than a predetermined area and, if so, giving (38) an indication to the person that the recording has been completed.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of giving (32) an indication to the person concerning how the fingertip is to be moved in relation to the sensor.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the steps of receiving more than two fingerprint images (2a, 2b, 2c), checking how these images overlap each other and selecting a predetermined number of images on the basis of the overlap, the storage of said at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data being carried out from the selected images.

11. A computer program comprising program code that carries out a method as claimed in claim 1 when it is executed in a computer.

12. A computer-readable computer program product on which is stored a computer program as claimed in claim 11.

26. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of giving (32) an indication to the person concerning how the fingertip is to be moved in relation to the sensor.

13. A device for recording reference fingerprint data for a person, comprising a signal processor (22) which is arranged to receive (30) at least two fingerprint images (2a, 2b, 2c) depicting at least partially different areas of one and the same finger of the person, and to store data from said at least two fingerprint images as at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data, comprising data from at least partially different areas (A, B, C, D, E, F), of the finger, for use in checking the identity of the person, whereby said at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data, are stored in a first unit (24) in which checking of the person'"'"'s identity is to be carried out, each of the sets of reference fingerprint data, comprising public data that can be communicated from the first unit (24) to a second unit (22) during the check, and also private data that is used exclusively in the first unit (24) during the check.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, which device comprises a sensor (21) that has a sensor surface, the size of which only allows a partial fingerprint to be recorded.

15. A method for checking identity, comprising the steps of:

receiving (40) a current fingerprint image (3) that depicts a part of a finger of a person whose identity is to be checked;

comparing (44) data from the fingerprint image (3) with data from at least a first set of reference fingerprint data selected from at least two previously stored alternative sets of reference fingerprint data that relate to at least partially different areas of one and the same finger from a person whose identity is known; and

, on the basis of the result of the comparison,

determining (46) which of said at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data is to be used for the identity check, whereby said at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data are stored in a first unit (24) and comprise public data that can be communicated from the first unit (24) to a second unit (22) during the identity check, and private data that is used exclusively in the first unit (24) during the check, and in which the step of comparing (44) comprises receiving public data from the first unit and comparing this with the data from the fingerprint image (3).

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, in which the data from the fingerprint image (3) is compared with data from all the sets of reference fingerprint data in order to determine which set of reference fingerprint data is to be used for the identity check.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, in which the first set of reference fingerprint data comprises at least one partial area (A, B, C, D, E, F) of a previously recorded fingerprint image (2a, 2b, 2c) of a part of a finger of the person whose identity is known, and in which the step of comparing (40) comprises checking whether the partial area has a match in the current fingerprint image (3).

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, in which the first set of reference fingerprint data comprises a plurality of reference features, and in which the step of comparing (44) comprises comparing reference features with features in the current fingerprint image (3).

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the step (42) of giving an indication to the person whose identity is to be checked concerning how his finger is to be moved in relation to the sensor (21).

20. A computer program comprising program code that carries out a method as claimed in claim 15 when it is executed in a computer.

21. A computer-readable computer program product on which is stored a computer program as claimed in claim 20.

27. The method as claimed in claim 16, in which the first set of reference fingerprint data comprises at least one partial area (A, B, C, D, E, F) of a previously recorded fingerprint image (2a, 2b, 2c) of a part of a finger of the person whose identity is known, and in which the step of comparing (40) comprises checking whether the partial area has a match in the current fingerprint image (3).

28. The method as claimed in claim 16, in which the first set of reference fingerprint data comprises a plurality of reference features, and in which the step of comparing (44) comprises comparing reference features with features in the current fingerprint image (3).

29. The method as claimed in claim 17, in which the first set of reference fingerprint data comprises a plurality of reference features, and in which the step of comparing (44) comprises comparing reference features with features in the current fingerprint image (3).

30. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the step (42) of giving an indication to the person whose identity is to be checked concerning how his finger is to be moved in relation to the sensor (21).

31. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the step (42) of giving an indication to the person whose identity is to be checked concerning how his finger is to be moved in relation to the sensor (21).

32. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the step (42) of giving an indication to the person whose identity is to be checked concerning how his finger is to be moved in relation to the sensor (21).

33. A computer program comprising program code that carries out a method as claimed in claim 16 when it is executed in a computer.

34. A computer program comprising program code that carries out a method as claimed in claim 17 when it is executed in a computer.

35. A computer program comprising program code that carries out a method as claimed in claim 18 when it is executed in a computer.

36. A computer program comprising program code that carries out a method as claimed in claim 19 when it is executed in a computer.

22. A device for checking identity, comprising a signal processor which is arranged to:

receive (40) a current fingerprint image (3) that depicts a part of a finger of a person whose identity is to be checked;

compare (44) data from the fingerprint image (3) with data from at least a first set of reference fingerprint data selected from at least two previously stored sets of reference fingerprint data that relate to at least partially different areas of a finger of a person whose identity is known; and

determine (45) which of said at least two sets of reference fingerprint data is to be used for the identity check, whereby said at least two previously stored sets of reference fingerprint data are received from a first unit (24) and comprise public data that can be communicated from the first unit (24) to a second unit (22) during the identity check, and private data that is used exclusively in the first unit (24) during the check, and in which the step of comparing (44) comprises receiving public data from the first unit and comparing this with the data from the fingerprint image (3).

23. The device as claimed in claim 23, which device comprises a sensor (21) that has a sensor surface, the size of which only allows a partial fingerprint to be recorded.

24. A method for recording reference fingerprint data for a person, comprising the steps of receiving (30) at least two fingerprint images (2a, 2b, 2c) that depict at least partially different areas of one and the same finger of the person, and storing (37) data from said at least two fingerprint images as at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data, that comprise data from at least partially different areas (A, B, C, D, E, F), of the finger, for use in checking the identity of the person.

25. A method for checking identity, comprising the steps of receiving (40) a current fingerprint image (3) that depicts a part of a finger of a person whose identity is to be checked;

comparing (44) data from the fingerprint image with data from at least a first set of reference fingerprint data selected from at least two previously stored alternative sets of reference fingerprint data that relate to at least partially different areas of one and the same finger from a person whose identity is known; and

, on the basis of the result of the comparison, determining (45) which of said at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data is to be used for the identity check.