System and method for fingerprint data verification

• US 6,195,447 B1
• Filed: 01/16/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ross, Paul C.
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHTA, BHAVESH M
• Application Number:
  US09/008,623
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 382/124, 382/125, 382/126, 382/127, 380/23
• US Class Current: 382/125
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2253 Recognition of characters printed with magnetic ink G06V30/2247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints

Abstract

A system and method for authenticating fingerprints includes a remote site having a scanner for generating fingerprint data and an access mechanism. A local site connects to the remote site via transmission cables and includes a processor for extracting minutia from the fingerprint data. A comparator matches the fingerprint data to historical fingerprint data maintained in a database to verify whether the detected fingerprint data falls within statistical maximum deviations and exceeds statistical minimum deviations to establish the authenticity of the fingerprint.

Claims

1. An object authentication system for use in a secured environment for verifying an object having a nonpredictable plasticity in order to detect a counterfeit fingerprint, said system including:

a remote site for selectively allowing access to said secured environment and including;

a detector for generating real time image data of an applied object;

an access mechanism responsive to a verification signal to provide access to said secured environment; and

a local site disposed from said secured environment and coupled in signal communication to said remote site, said local site including

a processor for extracting from said image data real time topographical minutia points and measuring at least one real time physical relationship between said real time minutia points;

a database memory for storing a historical image file corresponding to said applied object, said historical image file comprising respective statistical representations of respective spatial relationships between said minutia points, said statistical representations acquired through repeated detection and statistical analysis of said applied object; and

a comparator for comparing said real time physical relationship to said statistical representations of said object and operative

to verify said applied object as matching said statistical representations where said real time physical relationship is within a predetermined minimum deviation from said statistical representations and

to further verify said applied object in order to determine whether said applied object is a counterfeit, said applied object being authentic where said real time physical relationship is greater than zero and not greater than a predetermined maximum deviation from said statistical representations.

2. An object authentication system according to claim 1 wherein:

said object comprises a fingerprint.

3. An object authentication system according to claim 1 wherein:

said object comprises a handprint.

4. An object authentication system according to claim 1 wherein:

said detector comprises an optical scanning device.

5. An object authentication system according to claim 2 wherein:

said detector comprises a capacitive fingerprint scanning device.

6. A fingerprint authentication system according to claim 2 wherein:

said minutia points comprise spatial relationships between at least one characteristic from the following group comprising ridge endings, ridge bifurcations and ridge count.

7. A fingerprint authentication system according to claim 1 wherein:

said secured environment comprises physical location.

8. A fingerprint system for verifying a fingerprint having a nonpredictable plasticity in order to detect a counterfeit fingerprint, said system including:

a fingerprint scanner, said scanner generating real time image data signals of an applied fingerprint;

a programmed processor, said processor operating to extract real time topographical minutia points from said image data signals and to measure at least one real time physical relationship between said real time minutia points to form physical relationship signals;

a database memory in which is stored a historical image data signal file corresponding to said applied fingerprint, said historical image data signal file comprising respective statistical spatial relationship signals representative of respective spatial relationships between said minutia points, said statistical representations acquired through repeated detection and statistical analysis of said applied fingerprint; and

a comparator which receives said real time physical relationship signals and said corresponding statistical signals and compares them to verify said applied fingerprint as matching said statistical representations where said real time physical relationship is within a predetermined minimum deviation from said statistical representations in order to determine whether said applied fingerprint is a counterfeit and

as authentic where said real time physical relationship signal is greater than zero and not greater than a predetermined maximum deviation from said statistical representations.

9. A fingerprint authentication system according to claim 8 wherein:

said fingerprint scanner comprises an optical scanning device.

10. A fingerprint authentication system according to claim 8 wherein:

said fingerprint scanner comprises a capacitive fingerprint scanning device.

11. A fingerprint authentication system according to claim 8 wherein:

said minutia points comprise spatial relationships between at least one characteristic from the group consisting of ridge endings, ridge bifurcations and ridge count.

12. A fingerprint authentication system according to claim 8 and further including:

a remote site for selectively allowing access to said secured environment;

an access mechanism responsive to a verification signal to provide access to said secured environment;

a local site disposed from said secured environment and coupled in signal communication to said remote site; and

said secured environment comprises a restricted physical location.

13. A fingerprint authentication system according to claim 12 wherein:

said secured environment comprised a restricted electronic data path.

14. A method of determining whether a fingerprint having a nonpredictable plasticity is counterfeit, said fingerprint having a corresponding digitized image file stored in a remote database memory and comprising respective statistical representations of respective spatial relationships between discrete topographical minutia points, said minutia points acquired through repeated detection of said fingerprint, said method including the steps of:

detecting real time image of said fingerprint;

processing said image data to locate real time discrete topographical minutia points and identify at least one real time physical relationship between said real time minutia points corresponding to said statistical representations;

comparing said real time physical relationship to said statistical representations;

verifying said fingerprint matching said statistical representations where said real time physical relationship is within a predetermined minimum deviation from said statistical representations; and

determining whether said fingerprint is a counterfeit based on said fingerprint being authentic where said real time physical relationship is greater than zero and not greater than a predetermined maximum deviation from said statistical representations.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein:

said detecting step includes scanning real time image data with an optical scanner.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein:

said processing step includes extracting minutia representing individual endings of fingerprint ridges.

17. A method according to claim 14 wherein:

said processing step includes extracting minutia representing bifurcations of fingerprint ridges.

18. A method according to claim 14 wherein:

said processing step includes determining relative spatial coordinates between minutia points.

19. A method according to claim 14 wherein:

said processing step includes determining relative angular coordinates between minutia points.

20. A method according to claim 14 wherein:

said comparing step includes identifying statistical mean coordinates for comparison between said real time minutia and said historical minutia.

21. A method according to claim 14 wherein:

said comparing step includes identifying statistical standard deviation information for comparison between said real time minutia and said historical minutia.

22. A method of determining whether a fingerprint applied on a fingerprint authentication system is a counterfeit, said fingerprint having a nonpredictable plasticity, said method including the steps of:

storing a corresponding digitized image file corresponding to said applied fingerprints in said system, said image file comprising respective statistical representations of respective spatial relationships between discrete topographical minutia points, said minutia points acquired through repeated detection of said fingerprints, said method including the steps of;

detecting real time image data of said fingerprint with a fingerprint scanner;

processing said image data to locate real time discrete topographical minutia points and identify at least one real time physical relationship between said real time minutia points corresponding to said statistical representations;

comparing said real time physical relationship to said statistical representations;

verifying said fingerprint matching said statistical representations where said real time physical relationship is within a predetermined minimum deviation from said statistical representations; and

determining whether said fingerprint is a counterfeit based on said fingerprint being authentic where said real time physical relationship is greater than zero and not greater than a predetermined maximum deviation from said statistical representations.

23. A method according to claim 22 and further including the step of:

updating said digitized image file with said real time physical relationship if said verifying step determines that said fingerprint is authentic.

24. A method of determining whether a fingerprint having a nonpredictable plasticity is a counterfeit, said fingerprint having a corresponding digitized image file stored in a remote database memory and comprising respective statistical representations of respective spatial relationships between discrete topographical minutia points, said minutia points acquired through repeated detection of said fingerprint, said method including the steps of:

detecting real time image data of said fingerprint;

processing said image data to locate real time discrete topographical minutia points and identify at least one real time physical relationship between said real time minutia points; and

determining whether said fingerprint is a counterfeit based on said fingerprint being authentic where said real time physical relationship is greater than zero and not greater than a predetermined maximum deviation from said statistical representations.