Device and method for biometric verification and registration of a persons identity by means of fingerprint information

• US 7,330,571 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fingerprint Cards IP AB
• Original Assignee: Fingerprint Cards AB
• Inventors: Svensson, Peter, Sivertsson, Par
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu; Tom Y
• Application Number:
  US10/398,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20040013288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 382124-127, 382/115, 382/181, 382/209, 382/217
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1335 Combining adjacent partial images (e.g. slices) to create a composite input or reference pattern; Tracking a sweeping finger movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for biometric verification of an individual'"'"'s identity by means of fingerprint information, comprising controller and memory means, means for consecutively reading, and storing in said memory means, fingerprint information from partial areas of a finger, and means for extracting, and storing in said memory means, verification data from fingerprint information read from a partial area, moreover comprising means for verification processing of the extracted verification data, the device also comprising decision-making means for deciding if fingerprint information from a new partial area has been read. At least those points in time when fingerprint information from a new partial area has been read are used by the controller means to update the contents of the memory means, said updating comprising removing fingerprint information from previously read partial areas, the controller means also updating the stored verification data on or before said points in time.

Claims

1. A device for biometric verification of an individual'"'"'s identity using fingerprint information, comprising:

a controller,

a memory,

electronic circuitry configured to;

consecutively read and store in said memory fingerprint information from partial areas of a finger,

extract and store in said memory verification data from fingerprint information read from a partial area,

perform verification processing of the extracted verification data, and

decide if fingerprint information from a new partial area has been read,

wherein the controller is configured to use at least those points in time when fingerprint information from a new partial area has been read to update the contents of the memory including removing from memory fingerprint information from previously read-partial areas, and

wherein the controller is configured to update the stored verification data on or before said points in time.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to remove from the memory all fingerprint information from previously read partial areas upon said update.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to make a decision only if fingerprint information from an entire new partial area has been read.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to check if any of the previously extracted and stored verification data should be exchanged for the verification information extracted most recently, in which case, the controller is configured to remove previously extracted verification data from the memory.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to manage the reading on the basis of a relative sliding movement between the finger and the device.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the partial areas are rectangular, and said new partial area has at one of its edges a predetermined overlap with an earlier read partial area.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured compare extracted verification data from one or several partial areas with previously stored reference information in order to determine whether the verification data extracted from said partial areas show a certain predetermined agreement with data from said reference information.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein during said comparison, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to search for a certain quantity of significant information in a read partial area which, according to certain criteria, is in agreement with significant information in a partial area in a table.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to use extracted data from the various partial areas in order to create a table for later verification.

10. A method for biometric verification of an individual'"'"'s identity using fingerprint information, comprising:

consecutively reading and storing—

fingerprint information from partial areas of a finger,

extracting and storing verification data from fingerprint information read from a partial area,

verification processing of the extracted verification data,

deciding whether fingerprint information from a new partial area has been read,

using at least those points in time when fingerprint information from a new partial area has been read for updating including discarding fingerprint information from previously read areas, and

updating stored verification data on or before said points in time.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein all fingerprint information from previously read partial areas is removed upon said updating.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said decision is made only if fingerprint information from an entire new partial area has been read.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein said updating comprises checking if any of the previously extracted and stored verification data should be exchanged for the verification information extracted most recently, in which case previously extracted verification data may be removed from the device.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the reading -of fingerprint information is carried out on the basis of a relative sliding movement of a finger.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the partial areas read are rectangular, and said new partial area has, at one of its edges, a predetermined overlap with one of said earlier partial areas.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the verification processing comprises comparing extracted verification data from one or several partial areas with previously stored reference information in order to see whether the verification data extracted from said partial area/s show a certain predetermined agreement with data from said reference information.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein during said comparison, there is an attempt to try to find a certain quantity of verification data in a read partial area which, according to certain criteria, is in agreement with verification data in a partial area in a table.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the verification processing comprises using extracted data from the various partial areas in order to create a table for later verification.

19. A device for registering reference data for use in verification of an individual'"'"'s identity by means of at least one of that individual'"'"'s fingerprints, comprising:

controller means,

memory means,

means for consecutively reading and storing in said memory means fingerprint information from partial areas of a finger,

means for extracting and storing in said memory means reference data from fingerprint information read from a partial area,

decision-making means for deciding if fingerprint information from a new partial area has been read,

wherein the controller means is configured to use at least those points in time when fingerprint information from a new partial area has been read to update the contents of the memory means, said updating comprising removing fingerprint information from previously read partial areas, and

wherein the controller means is configured to update the stored reference data on or before said points in time.

20. The device according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for removing all fingerprint information from previously read partial areas upon said updating.

21. The device according to claim 19, wherein said decision-making means is configured to decide only if fingerprint information from an entire new partial area has been read.

22. The device according to claim 19, wherein said updating of stored reference data comprises checking if any of the previously extracted and stored reference data should be exchanged for the reference data information extracted most recently, in which case previously extracted reference data may be removed from the memory means of the device.

23. The device according to claim 19, wherein the reading means is adapted to manage the reading on the basis of a relative sliding movement between the finger and the device.

24. The device according to claim 19, wherein the partial areas read are rectangular, and said new partial area has, at one of its edges, a predetermined overlap with one of said earlier partial areas.

25. A method for registering reference data for use in verification of an individual'"'"'s identity using at least one of that individual'"'"'s fingerprints, comprising:

reading and storing fingerprint information from partial areas of a finger,

extracting and storing reference data from fingerprint information read from a partial area,

deciding whether fingerprint information from a new partial area has been read,

using at least those points in time when fingerprint information from a new partial area has been read to update the stored fingerprint information from previously read partial areas, and

updating the stored reference data on or before said points in time.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein all fingerprint information from previously read partial areas is removed upon said updating.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein said decision is made only if fingerprint information from an entire new partial area has been read.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein said updating comprises checking if any of the previously extracted and stored verification data should be exchanged for the verification information extracted most recently, in which case previously extracted verification data may be removed from the device.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the reading of fingerprint information is carried out on the basis of a relative sliding movement of a finger.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein partial areas read are rectangular, and said new partial area has, at one of its edges, a predetermined overlap with one of said earlier partial areas.