Fingerprint--Acquisition apparatus for access control; personal weapon and other systems controlled thereby
First Claim
1. Apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including;
a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, anda second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end;
means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where the prism means satisfy at least one physical condition for efficient nonducting transillumination based upon a relationship between indices of refraction in the prism means, for lighting the first-end terminations;
wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and
electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
At a first end of an optic-fiber prism assembly are fiber terminations to contact a relieved surface, e.g. finger (stabilized by a handgrip). In a region where fiber diameter is essentially constant with longitudinal position, light enters the prism, crosses the fibers and enters individual fibers through their sidewalls, lighting the terminations. To allow crosslighting of the assembly, the fiber-optic numerical aperture (NA) is small: preferably not exceeding one-half. Due to fingerprint etc. detail, fractions of light pass along the fibers; at the assembly second end a detector responds with an electrical-signal array based on the surface relief. The signals are processed to check finger etc. identity and applied to control access to a personal weapon, other equipment, facilities, data, or a money service. FTIR ("frustrated total internal reflection") bright- and dark-field versions have various benefits. For use of small, low-cost detectors--and/or internal-mirror versions that light the finger straight-on--the assembly has a separate element, e.g. a high-NA fiber-optic taper with extramural absorption or "EMA" material (no entry light crosses it). For a weapon, a unitary antibypassing module (which matches a weapon port, and must be present) holds part of the access-control and firing systems. Bullets etc. fire only on a special signal from the module.
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Citations
79 Claims
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1. Apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where the prism means satisfy at least one physical condition for efficient nonducting transillumination based upon a relationship between indices of refraction in the prism means, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
- said apparatus comprising;
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40. A bright-field apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; and means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and
wherein;said projecting means comprise means for projecting light to enter individual fibers, through their respective side walls, immediately adjacent to their respective terminations; and each termination at said first end is oriented, relative to said projected light and relative to a longitudinal direction of its fiber, so that said light at that termination is; reflected at that termination into and along its fiber toward the electrooptical means, if such relieved surface is out of contact with that termination, and in large part scattered by such relieved surface out of the corresponding fiber, if such relieved surface is in contact with that termination; and the prism means comprise at least two separately fabricated optical elements secured together along a partially reflecting interface; a first one of the elements comprising a fiber-optic prism that includes said first end and that is crossed by the light from said projecting means, and a second one of the elements comprising a fiber-optic taper that includes said second end. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
- said apparatus comprising;
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44. A dark-field FTIR apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; and means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and
wherein;said projecting means comprise means for projecting light to enter individual fibers, through their respective side walls, immediately adjacent to their respective terminations at the first end; and each termination at said first end is oriented, relative to said projected light and relative to a longitudinal direction of its fiber, so that said light at that termination is; reflected at that termination out of its fiber, if such relieved surface is out of contact with that termination, and fractionally scattered by such relieved surface into and along its said fiber toward the electrooptical means, if such relieved surface is in contact with that fiber termination; the projecting means comprise at least two generally opposed light sources for projecting light from opposite sides of the prism means to cross the fibers where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, and to enter individual fibers through side walls of the fibers, for illuminating said first-end terminations; light from the projecting means enters the prism means at each side with a respective initial intensity, and some of this projected light from each side crosses the entire prism means; and the prism-means numerical aperture is small enough, at least where the light crosses the fibers, that projected light which crosses the entire prism means from each side has at least one hundredth of the respective initial intensity.
- said apparatus comprising;
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45. A dark-field FTIR apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; and means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and
wherein;said projecting means comprise means for projecting light to enter individual fibers, through their respective side walls, immediately adjacent to their respective terminations at the first end; and each termination at said first end is oriented, relative to said projected light and relative to a longitudinal direction of its fiber, so that said light at that termination is; reflected at that termination out of its fiber, if such relieved surface is out of contact with that termination, and fractionally scattered by such relieved surface into and along its said fiber toward the electrooptical means, if such relieved surface is in contact with that fiber termination; the projecting means comprise at least two generally opposed light sources for projecting light from opposite sides of the prism means to cross the fibers where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, and to enter individual fibers through side walls of the fibers, for illuminating said first-end terminations; light from the projecting means enters the prism means with a respective initial intensity, and some of this projected light from each side crosses the entire prism means; and the prism-means numerical aperture, at least in a region where the light crosses the fibers, does not exceed
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2n.sub.avg (D/x.sub.M).sup.1/4,where navg =average of core and cladding refractive indices in said region of the prism means; D=periodicity of the fiber structure in said region; and xM =illumination-path distance across the prism means to a prism midplane, in said region.
- said apparatus comprising;
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46. A dark-field FTIR apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; and means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and
wherein;said projecting means comprise means for projecting light to enter individual fibers, through their respective side walls, immediately adjacent to their respective terminations at the first end; and each termination at said first end is oriented, relative to said projected light and relative to a longitudinal direction of its fiber, so that said light at that termination is; reflected at that termination out of its fiber, if such relieved surface is out of contact with that termination, and fractionally scattered by such relieved surface into and along its said fiber toward the electrooptical means, if such relieved surface is in contact with that fiber termination; the prism means comprise at least two separately fabricated optical elements secured together along a partially reflecting interface; a first one of the elements comprising a fiber-optic prism that includes said first end and that is crossed by the light from said projecting means, and a second one of the elements comprising a fiber-optic taper that includes said second end. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
- said apparatus comprising;
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49. A dark-field FTIR apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; and means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and
wherein;the prism means comprise at least two separately fabricated fiber-optic optical elements secured together along a partially reflecting interface; a first one of the elements comprising a prism that includes said first end and that is crossed by the light from the protecting means, and a second one of the elements that includes said second end; said projecting means comprise means for projecting light into said prism to enter individual fibers, through their respective side walls, immediately adjacent to the partially reflecting interface; the partially reflecting interface redirects some of the light from the projecting means to pass along said individual fibers within said prism toward their respective terminations at the first end; said redirected light reaching each termination at said first end is; reflected by the termination out of said corresponding fiber, if such relieved surface is out of contact with that termination, and fractionally scattered by such relieved surface back into the first prism and along said corresponding fiber, if such relieved surface is in contact with that fiber termination; and light fractionally scattered back into and along said corresponding fiber passes fractionally through the partially reflecting interface and the second element to the electrooptical means; and said second one of the elements comprises a fiber-optic taper. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
- said apparatus comprising;
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52. Apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; and means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and
wherein;the projecting means comprise at least two generally opposed light sources for projecting light from opposite sides of the prism means to cross the fibers where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, and to enter individual fibers through side walls of the fibers, for illuminating said first-end terminations; light from the projecting means enters the prism means with a respective initial intensity, and some of this projected light from each side crosses the entire prism means; and the prism-means numerical aperture is small enough, at least where the light crosses the fibers, that projected light which crosses the entire prism means has at least roughly one hundredth of the initial intensity.
- said apparatus comprising;
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53. Apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling alona the fibers from the first end; and means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and
wherein;the projecting means comprise at least two generally opposed light sources for projecting light from opposite sides of the prism means to cross the fibers where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, and to enter individual fibers through side walls of the fibers, for illuminating said first-end terminations; light from the projecting means enters the prism means with a respective initial intensity, and some of this projected light from each side crosses the entire prism means; and the prism-means numerical aperture, at least in a region where the light crosses the fibers, does not exceed
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2n.sub.avg (D/x.sub.M).sup.1/4,where navg =average of core and cladding refractive indices in said region of the prism means; D=periodicity of the fiber structure in said region; and xM =illumination-path distance across the prism means to a prism midplane, in said region.
- said apparatus comprising;
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54. Apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; and means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and
wherein;the prism means comprise at least two separately fabricated optical elements secured together along a partially reflecting interface; a first one of the elements comprising a fiber-optic prism that includes said first end and that is crossed by the light from the projecting means, and a second one of the elements comprising a fiber-optic taper that includes said second end. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57)
- said apparatus comprising;
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58. Apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; an optical data-input end, comprising terminations of fibers of the bundle, for contact with such relieved surface at the fiber terminations, at least one side face for receiving light into the prism means in a region where indices of refraction of the prism means are sufficiently close to one another for efficient nonducting illumination, and a partially reflecting surface for redirecting light received through the side face to illuminate the fiber terminations at the data-input end; and means for receiving light that passes through the partially reflecting surface from the illuminated fiber terminations, and in response providing at least one signal which is characteristic of such surface relief. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60)
- said apparatus comprising;
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61. Apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and wherein the prism means, at least in a region where the light crosses the fibers, have a numerical aperture that does not exceed
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2n.sub.avg (D/x.sub.F).sup.1/4,where navg ≡
average of core and cladding refractive indices in said region of the prism means;D≡
periodicity of the fiber structure in said region; andxF ≡
illumination-path distance in said region;said illumination-path distance being measured across the prism means if the apparatus is illuminated through one said side face, and being measured to the midplane of the prism means if the apparatus is illuminated through more than one said side face.
- said apparatus comprising;
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62. Apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and wherein the prism means, at least where the light crosses the fibers, have a numerical aperture that does not exceed one-half.
- said apparatus comprising;
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63. Apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and wherein the prism means, at least in a region where the light crosses the fibers, have a numerical aperture that does not exceed
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2n.sub.avg (D/2x.sub.F).sup.1/4,where navg ≡
average of core and cladding refractive indices in said region of the prism means;D≡
periodicity of the fiber structure in said region; andxF ≡
illumination-path distance in said region;said illumination-path distance being measured across the prism means if the apparatus is illuminated through one said side face, and being measured to the midplane of the prism means if the apparatus is illuminated through more than one said side face.
- said apparatus comprising;
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64. Apparatus for acquiring surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and in response forming an electrical signal characteristic of such surface relief; and wherein the prism means, at least where the light crosses the fibers, have a numerical aperture that does not exceed 0.42.
- said apparatus comprising;
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65. Apparatus for acquiring and using surface-relief data, from a relieved surface such as a finger, for controlling access to facilities, equipment, a financial service or information;
- said apparatus comprising;
prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where indices of refraction of the prism means are sufficiently close to one another for efficient nonducting illumination, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and for processing the received light to determine identity of the relieved surface, and for applying the determined identity to control access to such facilities, equipment, financial service or information.
- said apparatus comprising;
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66. A secured system subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a relieved surface such as a finger;
- said system comprising;
utilization means, susceptible to misuse in the absence of a particular such relieved surface that is related to an authorized user, said utilization means being selected from the group consisting of; a facility, apparatus, means for providing a financial service, and means for providing information; prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where indices of refraction of the prism means are sufficiently close to one another for efficient nonducting illumination, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and for processing the received light to determine identity of the relieved surface, and for applying the determined identity to control access to the utilization means.
- said system comprising;
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67. A personal weapon subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a human user'"'"'s finger;
- said weapon comprising;
means for discharging an energy-transmitting agency to influence an adversary, said agency-discharging means requiring enablement for its operation; prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where indices of refraction of the prism means are sufficiently close to one another for efficient nonducting illumination; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination along its fiber; and electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and for processing the received light to determine identity of the relieved surface, and for applying the determined identity to control enablement of the agency-discharging means.
- said weapon comprising;
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68. A personal weapon subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a human user'"'"'s finger;
- said weapon comprising;
means for discharging an energy-transmitting agency to influence an adversary, said agency-discharging means requiring enablement for its operation; prism means formed from optical fibers and including; a first end, comprising terminations of the fibers for contact with such relieved surface, and a second end, comprising opposite terminations of the same or corresponding fibers, for passage of light traveling along the fibers from the first end; means for projecting light across the fibers in a region where fiber diameter is substantially constant with respect to longitudinal position, for lighting the first-end terminations; wherein a light fraction dependent on contact between such relieved surface and each illuminated first-end termination is ducted from that termination alone its fiber; electrooptical means for receiving at the second end each light fraction from the first end, and for processing the received light to determine identity of the relieved surface, and for applying the determined identity to control enablement of the agency-discharging means; and a handgrip for firm grasping by such human subject'"'"'s hand to support the weapon, with a particular finger braced against the first end of the prism means by said firm grasping. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
- said weapon comprising;
Specification