Economical skin-pattern-acquisition and analysis apparatus for access control; 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;
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
intermediate focal means for relaying each light fraction at said second end to the electrooptical means.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Surface relief of a finger etc. is read using an optical-fiber prism unit, with fiber terminations at one end to contact the surface, and at the other for light passage along fibers from the first. Light enters where NA<0.5 and fiber diameter is constant with longitudinal position. The device is in a 1.4-2 L case, with a battery or power input, converter to form a corresponding data array for verifying, digital signal processor to do the verifying, and output to indicate or implement a decision. A video controller (with custom-programmed logic circuit) operates the sensors to develop the data array; an ADC digitizes the array; memory holds an authorized-user skin-pattern template, firmware for the processor, and data used in verifying; an output register holds the decision signal--all on a control, address, and data bus. High-power, radiative elements and a fast high-impedance data reader are on a common board in an isolating layout. The prism unit is cylindrical, held by a cylindrical-section cradle and forming a novel condenser lens to support lights and couple light to the prism. The imager has a cylindrical wall, transverse face for output of a skin pattern, and angled elliptical face to contact skin. To make many optical-fiber prisms each with one transverse and one angled face, transverse and angled cuts through a fused-fiber cylinder are alternated. The verifier can be within, and respond to the analysis to control, a door handle or lock: a hand need not move from reading position to open the door.
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Citations
59 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; 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 intermediate focal means for relaying each light fraction at said second end to the electrooptical means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- said apparatus comprising;
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16. 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 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, and a partially reflecting surface for redirecting light received through the side face to illuminate the fiber terminations at the data-input end; 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; and intermediate focal means for relaying light that passes through the partially reflecting surface to the receiving-and-providing means. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
- said apparatus comprising;
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20. 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 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 intermediate focal means for relaying each light fraction at said second end to the electrooptical means; 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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21. 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 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 intermediate focal means for relaying each light fraction at said second end to the electrooptical means; 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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22. 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 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 intermediate focal means for relaying each light fraction at said second end to the electrooptical means 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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23. 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 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 intermediate focal means for relaying each light fraction at said second end to the electrooptical means; 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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24. 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 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; 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; and intermediate focal means for relaying each light fraction at said second end to the electrooptical means. - View Dependent Claims (25)
- said apparatus comprising;
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26. 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 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; 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 and intermediate focal means for relaying each light fraction at said second end to the electrooptical means. - View Dependent Claims (27)
- said system comprising;
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28. Self-contained apparatus for skin-pattern verification, comprising:
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a case having volume less than about two liters (one hundred twenty cubic inches), and having mounted within or for access at the surface of the case all the following elements; means for holding an electrical-energy storage device or for receiving electrical power from an external source, to power the apparatus; means for contacting a skin pattern to develop an electronic data array corresponding to an image of the skin pattern; means for generating in response a corresponding electronic data array for use in verification; means for performing a verification procedure; output means for indicating or effectuating, or both, a verification decision; means for formatting the data array in a compact form for use in storage, import or export; and means for converting the data array from said compact form to a different form for use by the verification-procedure performing means. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. Self-contained apparatus for skin-pattern verification, comprising:
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a case having volume less than about two liters (one hundred twenty cubic inches), and having mounted within or for access at the surface of the case all the following elements; means for holding an electrical-energy storage device or for receiving electrical power from an external source, to power the apparatus; means, including an imaging unit and a sensor array disposed to receive an image therefrom, for contacting a skin pattern to develop an electronic data array corresponding to an image of the skin pattern; a video controller for controlling the sensor array to develop said electronic data array; an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the electronic data array; a digital signal processor for performing verification procedures based upon the electronic data array, and for developing a decision signal based upon the verification procedures; memory means for holding an authorized-user skin-pattern template, program firmware for the digital signal processor, and data used in the verification procedures; an output register for holding the decision signal; output means for transmitting a utilization-means switching signal, based on the decision signal, from the apparatus for effectuation of the decision signal; and a control, address, and data bus interconnecting the video controller, analog-to-digital converter, video processor, memory means, and output register. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. Self-contained apparatus for skin-pattern verification, comprising:
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a case having volume less than about two liters (one hundred twenty cubic inches), and having mounted within or for access at the surface of the case all the following elements; means for holding an electrical-energy storage device or for receiving electrical power from an external source, to power the apparatus; an optical bench disposed within or forming part of, or both, the case;
said bench having;mounting bosses for optical-fiber prism means, a mounting ring for an objective lens, and a mounting pocket for a sensor array; optical-fiber prism means mounted to the optical-bench bosses for contacting a skin pattern to develop an image thereof; an objective lens mounted to the optical-bench ring for relaying the skin-pattern image to a sensor array; a sensor array mounted to the optical-bench pocket for receiving said image and in response developing an electronic data array corresponding to the image; a surface-mount electronics board holding a digital signal-processing chip for analyzing the data array to verify identity corresponding to such skin pattern; and verification-decision indicating or effectuating means, or both. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification