Methods and Apparatus for Generation of Cancelable Fingerprint Template

• US 20090175513A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bolle, Rudolf Maarten, Chikkerur, Sharat S., Ratha, Nalini Kanta, Connell, Jonathan Hudson
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/125
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1371 Matching features related to minutiae or pores

Abstract

Techniques for generating a distorted fingerprint representation for a given fingerprint image are provided. First, at least one fingerprint feature point from a given fingerprint image is selected. At least one representation of a region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point is then generated. Next, the representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point is distorted. The distortion comprises applying a random projection to the representation to generate a randomly projected representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point. A distorted template is then formed, wherein the distorted template comprises the randomly projected representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point.

Claims

1. A method for generating a distorted fingerprint representation for a given fingerprint image, comprising the steps of:

selecting at least one fingerprint feature point from the given fingerprint image;

generating at least one representation of a region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point;

distorting the representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point, wherein distorting the representation comprises applying a random projection to the representation to generate a randomly projected representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point; and

forming a distorted fingerprint representation comprising the randomly projected representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the representation of a region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point further comprises generating a set of transform coefficients representative of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of transform coefficients comprises a set of Gabor expansion coefficients.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a selected subset of the set of transform coefficients are used, wherein selection is random or based on a prior evaluated strategy.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of transform coefficients are quantized.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of applying a random projection to the representation to generate a randomly projected representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point further comprises randomly projecting at least a portion of the set of transform coefficients.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one fingerprint feature point is a minutia comprising at least one of a ridge ending and a bifurcation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of computing a dominant direction associated with the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of aligning the representation of said region to the computed dominant direction.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the distorted fingerprint representation is non-invertible.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the distortion step is performed in accordance with a distortion key.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the distortion key comprises a projection matrix.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the projection matrix is split into two parts and the two parts are kept separately with one part of the two parts being with a user.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the projection matrix comprises random orthonormal axes.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the distorted fingerprint representation comprises a template.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the distorted fingerprint representation is subsequently useable for an identity verification operation.

17. An article of manufacture for generating a distorted fingerprint representation for a given fingerprint image, the article comprising a computer readable storage medium containing one or more programs, which when executed by a computer implement the steps of claim 1.

18. A system for generating a distorted fingerprint representation for a given fingerprint image, comprising:

a feature locator for selecting at least one fingerprint feature point from the given fingerprint image;

a feature summarizer for generating at least one representation of a region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point;

a distorter for distorting the representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point, wherein distorting the representation comprises applying a random projection to the representation to generate a randomly projected representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point; and

a distorted fingerprint representation generator for forming a distorted fingerprint representation comprising the distorted representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein generation of the representation of a region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point further comprises generating a set of transform coefficients representative of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point.

20. Apparatus for generating a distorted fingerprint representation for a given fingerprint image, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to;

(i) select at least one fingerprint feature point from the given fingerprint image;

(ii) generate at least one representation of a region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point;

(iii) distort the representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point, wherein distorting the representation comprises applying a random projection to the representation to generate a randomly projected representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point; and

(iv) form a distorted fingerprint representation comprising randomly projected representation of the region proximate to the selected fingerprint feature point.