METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR ENROLLING AND MATCHING BIOMETRIC DATA

• US 20130259330A1
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Validity Sensors Incorporated (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: RUSSO, Anthony P., HATTERY, Larry E., KRISHNAPURA, Rohini, CHAN, Philip Yiu Kwong
• Granted Patent: US 9,268,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/50 Maintenance of biometric data or enrolment thereof

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for comparing biometric image data to a stored enrollment template that may comprise collecting a set of biometric image data for a biometric object image from a biometric object imaging sensor; storing the biometric object image data in a memory as an enrollment template for further comparison to find a match with subsequently imaged biometric object image data; collecting a subsequent set of biometric image data for a biometric object image from the biometric object imaging sensor; updating the enrollment template; determining if a limited enrollment window remains open; and repeating the collecting of a subsequent set of biometric data step if the enrollment window remains open. Determining if the enrollment window remains open may be by determining the existence of one of a stability indicator and an instability indicator.

Claims

1. A method of comparing biometric image data to a stored enrollment template comprising:

collecting a set of biometric object image data for a biometric object image from a biometric object imaging sensor;

storing the biometric object image data in a memory as an enrollment template for further comparison to find a match with subsequently imaged biometric object image data;

collecting a subsequent set of biometric object image data for a biometric object image from the biometric object imaging sensor;

updating the enrollment template;

determining if a limited enrollment window remains open; and

repeating the collecting of a subsequent set of biometric object image data step and the updating step if the limited enrollment window remains open, wherein the biometric object imaging sensor is incorporated into a user authentication apparatus providing user authentication for controlling access to one of an electronic user device or an electronically provided service.

2. The biometric authentication system of claim 1 wherein the electronic user device comprises at least one of a portable phone and a computing device.

3. The biometric authentication system of claim 1 wherein the electronically provided service comprises at least one of providing access to a web site or to an email account.

4. The biometric authentication system of claim 1 wherein the biometric object imaging sensor is incorporated into a user authentication apparatus providing user authentication for controlling an online transaction.

5. The biometric authentication system of claim 1 wherein the user authentication apparatus is in replacement of at least one of a user password or personal identification number.

6. The biometric authentication system of claim 1 wherein the user authentication apparatus is incorporated into an apparatus providing user authentication for controlling access to a physical location.

7. The biometric authentication system of claim 1 wherein the user authentication apparatus is incorporated into an apparatus providing user authentication demonstrating the user was present at a certain place at a certain time.

8. The biometric authentication system of claim 1 wherein the user authentication apparatus is incorporated into an apparatus providing at least one of a finger motion user input or navigation input to a computing device.

9. The biometric authentication system of claim 1 wherein the user authentication apparatus is incorporated into an apparatus providing authentication of the user to a user device and the performance by the user device of at least one other task specific to the particular finger of the user.

10. The biometric authentication system of claim 1 wherein the user authentication apparatus is incorporated into an apparatus providing user authentication for purposes of making an on-line transaction non-repudiatable.

40. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the entity performing the further comparison to find a match with subsequently imaged biometric object image data comprising a user of the biometric object image data for authentication of the user or a provider of a service of authenticating users; and

adjusting by the entity the criteria for the limited enrollment window remaining open.

11. A method of comparing biometric image data to a stored enrollment template comprising:

collecting a set of biometric object image data for a biometric object image from a biometric object imaging sensor;

storing the biometric object image data in a memory as an enrollment template for further comparison to find a match with subsequently imaged biometric object image data;

collecting a subsequent set of biometric object image data for a biometric object image from the biometric object imaging sensor;

updating the enrollment template;

determining if a limited enrollment window remains open; and

repeating the collecting of a subsequent set of biometric object image data step and the updating step if the limited enrollment window remains open.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining if the limited enrollment window remains open by determining the existence of one of a stability indicator and an instability indicator.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

the stability indicator comprises at least one of a number of times the enrollment template has been updated and a time since the enrollment template was first produced.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

the stability indicator comprises a number of successive times that an amount of change to the stored enrollment template remains below a selected threshold.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

the instability indicator comprising at least one of the amount of biometric image data being added to or removed from the stored enrollment template exceeding a selected threshold for a selected number of updates of the stored enrollment template.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

the instability indicator comprising the frequency at which at least one of biometric image data being added to or removed from the stored enrollment template exceeding a selected threshold.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one of a number of times the enrollment template has been updated and a time since the enrollment template was first produced comprises both the number of times the enrollment template has been updated and the time since the enrollment template was first produced.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein when the enrollment template was first produced comprises one of when the biometric image data for the enrollment template was first produced and when the biometric image data for the enrollment template was first stored.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the biometric object comprises a fingerprint.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the biometric object comprises a fingerprint.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the biometric object comprises a fingerprint.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the biometric object comprises a fingerprint.

31. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

after determining the existence of an instability indicator receiving from a user an additional authenticator apart from the biometric image data used to attempt a match with the existing enrollment template; and

receiving biometric image data to update the enrollment template after receiving the additional authenticator.

32. The method of claim 13 wherein the stored enrollment template comprises one of the previously stored enrollment template, a first stored enrollment template, a stored enrollment template stored prior to any indication of the existence of an instability indicator, an average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates and a weighted average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates.

33. The method of claim 14 wherein the stored enrollment template comprises one of the previously stored enrollment template, a first stored enrollment template, a stored enrollment template stored prior to any indication of the existence of an instability indicator, an average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates and a weighted average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates.

34. The method of claim 15 wherein the stored enrollment template comprises one of the previously stored enrollment template, a first stored enrollment template, a stored enrollment template stored prior to any indication of the existence of an instability indicator, an average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates and a weighted average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates.

35. The method of claim 16 wherein the stored enrollment template comprises one of the previously stored enrollment template, a first stored enrollment template, a stored enrollment template stored prior to any indication of the existence of an instability indicator, an average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates and a weighted average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates.

41. The method of claim 12 further comprising”

the entity performing the further comparison to find a match with subsequently imaged biometric object image data comprising a user of the biometric object image data for authentication of the user or a provider of a service of authenticating users; and

adjusting by the entity the criteria for determining at least one of the existence of a stability indicator and an instability indicator.

23. A machine readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

collecting a set of biometric object image data for a biometric object image from a biometric object imaging sensor;

storing the biometric object image data in a memory as an enrollment template for further comparison to find a match with subsequently imaged biometric object image data;

collecting a subsequent set of biometric image data for a biometric object image from the biometric object imaging sensor;

updating the enrollment template;

determining if a limited enrollment window remains open; and

repeating the collecting of a subsequent set of biometric data step if the limited enrollment window remains open.

24. The machine readable medium of claim 23 further comprising:

determining if the limited enrollment window remains open by determining the existence of at least one of a stability indicator and an instability indicator.

25. The machine readable medium of claim 24 further comprising:

the stability indicator comprises at least one of a number of times the enrollment template has been updated and a time since the enrollment template was first produced.

26. The machine readable medium of claim 24 further comprising:

the stability indicator comprises a number of successive times the changes to the stored enrollment template remains below a selected threshold.

27. The machine readable medium of claim 24 further comprising:

the instability indicator comprising at least one of the amount of biometric image data being added to or removed from the stored enrollment template exceeding a selected threshold for a selected number of updates of the stored enrollment template.

28. The machine readable medium of claim 24 further comprising:

the instability indicator comprising the frequency at which at least one of biometric image data being added to or removed from the stored enrollment template exceeding a selected threshold.

29. The machine readable medium of claim 23 wherein the biometric object comprises a fingerprint.

36. The machine readable medium of claim 25 wherein the stored enrollment template comprises one of the previously stored enrollment template, a first stored enrollment template, a stored enrollment template stored prior to any indication of the existence of an instability indicator, an average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates and a weighted average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates.

37. The machine readable medium of claim 26 wherein the stored enrollment template comprises one of the previously stored enrollment template, a first stored enrollment template, a stored enrollment template stored prior to any indication of the existence of an instability indicator, an average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates and a weighted average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates.

38. The machine readable medium of claim 27 wherein the stored enrollment template comprises one of the previously stored enrollment template, a first stored enrollment template, a stored enrollment template stored prior to any indication of the existence of an instability indicator, an average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates and a weighted average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates.

39. The machine readable medium of claim 28 wherein the stored enrollment template comprises one of the previously stored enrollment template, a first stored enrollment template, a stored enrollment template stored prior to any indication of the existence of an instability indicator, an average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates and a weighted average of any grouping of such stored enrollment templates.

30. A system comprising:

a biometric object image sensor configured to collect a set of biometric object image data for a biometric object image;

a memory configured to store the biometric object image data as an enrollment template for further comparison to find a match with subsequently imaged biometric object image data;

the sensor configured to collect a subsequent set of biometric image data for a biometric object image;

a computing device configured to update the enrollment template;

the computing device configured to determine if a limited enrollment window remains open; and

the computing device configured to repeat the updatingof the enrollment template step if the limited enrollment window remains open.

42. A method of comparing biometric image data to a stored enrollment template comprising:

collecting a set of biometric object image data for a normal biometric object image from a biometric object imaging sensor;

storing the normal biometric object image data in a memory as a first enrolled template for further comparison to find a match with subsequently imaged biometric object image data;

collecting at least one adjunct set of biometric object image data for a biometric object image at a periphery of the normal biometric object image from the biometric object imaging sensor;

collecting a subsequent set of biometric object image data for a biometric object image of a biometric of a user for comparison with the first enrolled template;

if a match is not found with the first enrolled template, utilizing at least one of a second enrolled template formed using the first enrolled template and the at least one adjunct set of biometric object image data and stored in a memory or formed by supplementing the normal biometric object image with the at least one adjunct set of biometric image data at the time of matching, in order to determine if a match exists.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising:

collecting the at least one adjunct set of biometric object image data for a biometric object image at a periphery of the normal biometric object image by a user positioning the biometric object in a non-normal position with respect to the biometric object imaging sensor.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

the non-normal position comprises at least one of rolling the object left or right, rolling the object up or down or tapping the object on the sensor randomly.

45. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

the non-normal position comprises at least one of moving the object in a circular motion, moving the object in rectangular motion, moving the object in a zigzag motion and moving the object in a swipe motion over a normally non-swiped sensor or a misaligned or misdirected swipe motion over a normally swiped sensor.

46. The method of claim 42 further comprising:

determining that a substantial portion of the stored normal biometric object image data for a substantial portion of the first enrolled template is present in the collected subsequent set of biometric object image data before either comparing the at least one of a second stored enrolled template or a supplemented normal biometric object image created at the time of the matching is performed.

47. The method of claim 42 further comprising:

utilizing the determination that a substantial portion of the stored normal biometric object image data for a substantial portion of the first enrolled template is present to determine which of a portion or portions is missing in order to select either the at least one of a second stored enrolled template or the adjunct set of biometric object image data to use to supplement the first enrolled template for comparison with the collected subsequent biometric object image data.