Fingerprint identification system, fingerprint identification apparatus, fingerprint identification method, and biometric identification apparatus

• US 6,980,673 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Funahashi, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Samir
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, CHONG R
• Application Number:
  US10/091,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382124-127, 382/209, 356/71
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence

Abstract

In a fingerprint identification system, a fingerprint sensor 104 of a registration apparatus 2 reads a fingerprint in a larger region, whereas a fingerprint sensor 30 of an identification apparatus 4, which is smaller in size, reads a fingerprint in a smaller region. When registering a fingerprint, the fingerprint sensor 104 of the registration apparatus 2 reads a fingerprint, and a fingerprint registration circuit 14 generates binary image data based on the fingerprint which has been read. The binary image data is transferred to the identification apparatus 4 and stored in an image memory 16 of the identification apparatus 4. When identifying a fingerprint, the fingerprint sensor 30 of the identification apparatus 4 reads a fingerprint, and a fingerprint identification circuit 32 generates binary image data based on the fingerprint which has been read. Then, the binary image data is compared against the binary image data stored in the image memory 16.

Claims

1. A fingerprint identification system comprising:

a timepiece unit; and

a main unit,

wherein said timepiece unit is swingably connected to said main unit through a hinge,

said main unit comprising;

a registration apparatus; and

an identification apparatus,

wherein both of said registration apparatus and said identification apparatus are covered by a bottom surface of said timepiece,

said registration apparatus comprising;

a first fingerprint sensor for reading a fingerprint in a first region of a human finger to output a first image signal representing an image of the fingerprint;

first image data generating means for generating first image data of the fingerprint based on the first image signal output from said first fingerprint sensor; and

data output means for outputting the first image data generated by said first image data generating means;

said identification apparatus comprising;

data input means for receiving the first image data output from said data output means;

storage means for storing the first image data received by said data input means;

a second fingerprint sensor for reading a fingerprint in a second region of a human finger, which is smaller than said first region, to output a second image signal representing an image of the fingerprint;

second image data generating means for generating second image data of the fingerprint based on the second image signal output from said second fingerprint sensor; and

image identification means for comparing the second image data generated by said second image data generating means against the first image data stored in said storage means to determine whether the fingerprints represented by the first and second image data, respectively, coincide with each other.

2. The fingerprint identification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first fingerprint sensor generates the first image signal by detecting variation in capacitance due to ridges and valleys of the fingerprint when the finger is placed on a fingerprint reading unit.

3. The fingerprint identification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image data generating means generates first image data representing a binary image of the fingerprint based on the first image signal output from said fingerprint sensor.

4. The fingerprint identification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image identification means compares the second image data generated by said second image data generating means against the first image data stored in said storage means by pattern matching to determine whether the fingerprints represented by the first and second image data, respectively, coincide with each other.

5. The fingerprint identification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second fingerprint sensor reads the fingerprint a plurality of times with the finger placed at different positions with respect to said second fingerprint sensor so that said second image data generating means generates a plurality of image data of the fingerprint, and said image identification means compares each of the plurality of image data generated by said second image data generating means against the first image data stored in said storage means to calculate scores each score indicating the degree of coincidence between the first and second image data, thereby determining whether the fingerprints represented by the first and second image data coincide with each other based on the scores.

6. The fingerprint identification apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image identification means determines coincidence based on a comparison of the total of the scores with a predetermined threshold value.

7. The fingerprint identification apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image identification means determines coincidence based on individual comparisons of each of the scores with a predetermined threshold value.

8. A fingerprint identification method comprising, a timepiece unit and a main unit, said main unit having a registration apparatus and an identification apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

swinging said timepiece unit about a hinge so that said registration apparatus and said identification apparatus of said main unit are exposed;

controlling said registration apparatus through the steps of;

a first image signal output step for reading a fingerprint in a first region of a human finger by a first fingerprint sensor to output a first image signal representing a first image of the fingerprint;

a first image data generating step for generating first image data of the fingerprint based on the first image signal output in said first image signal output step; and

a data output step for outputting the first image data generated in said first image data generating step;

controlling said identification apparatus through the steps of;

a data input step for receiving the first image data output in said data output step;

storing the first image data received in said data input step in storage means;

a second image signal output step for reading a fingerprint in a second region of a human finger, which is smaller than said first region, by a second fingerprint sensor to output a second image signal representing a second image of the fingerprint;

a second image data generating step for generating second image data of the fingerprint based on the second image signal output in said second image signal output step; and

an image identification step for comparing the second image data generated in said second image data generating step against the first image data stored in said storage means to determine whether the fingerprints represented by the first and second image data, respectively, coincide with each other.

9. A fingerprint identification method according to claim 8, wherein the fingerprint is read in said second image signal output step a plurality of times with the finger placed at different positions with respect to said fingerprint sensor so that a plurality of image data of the fingerprint is generated in said second image data generating step, and in said image identification step, each of the plurality of image data generated in said second image data generating step is compared against the first image data stored in said storage means to calculate scores each indicating the degree of coincidence between the first and second image data, thereby determining whether the fingerprints represented by the first and second image data coincide with each other based on the scores.

10. A biometric identification apparatus comprising:

a timepiece unit; and

a main unit,

wherein said timepiece unit is swingably attached to said main unit through a hinge,

said main unit comprising;

storage means for storing first image data representing a first image of biometric information in a first region of a human body;

a biometric sensor for reading biometric information in a second region of a human body, which is smaller than said first region, to output an image signal representing a second image of the biometric information;

image data generating means for generating second image data of the biometric information based on the image signal output from said biometric sensor; and

image identification means for comparing the second image data generated by said image data generating means against the first image data stored in said storage means to determine whether the biometric information represented by the first and second image data, respectively, coincide with each other.

11. The biometric identification apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said image data generating means generates second image data representing a binary image of the biometric information based on the image signal output from said biometric sensor.

12. The biometric identification apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said image identification means compares the second image data generated by said image data generating means against the first image data stored in said storage means by pattern matching to determine whether the biometric information represented by the first and second image data, respectively, coincide with each other.

13. The biometric identification apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said biometric sensor reads the biometric information a plurality of times with the relevant part of the human body placed at different positions with respect to said biometric sensor so that said image data generating means generates a plurality of second image data of the biometric information, and said image identification means compares each of the plurality of second image data generated by said image data generating means against the first image data stored in said storage means to calculate scores each score indicating the degree of coincidence between the first and second image data, respectively, thereby determining whether the biometric information represented by the first and second image data coincide with each other based on the scores.

14. The biometric identification apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said image identification means determines coincidence based on a comparison of the total of the scores with a predetermined threshold value.

15. The biometric identification apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said image identification means determines coincidence based on individual comparisons of each of the scores with a predetermined threshold value.