System and method to remove artifacts from fingerprint sensor scans
First Claim
1. A method to correct artifacts in a biometric image assembled from a plurality of partial biometric images, comprising:
- acquiring a first partial biometric image as a reference image;
performing a comparison between the reference image and a second subsequent partial biometric image using a comparison function;
determining if the result of using the comparison function to compare the reference image and the second subsequent partial biometric image is less than a preset limit;
if the result is less than the preset limit, discarding the second subsequent partial biometric image;
if the result is not less than the preset limit, setting the second subsequent partial biometric image as the reference image;
repeating the performing, determining, discarding, and setting steps until the comparison is performed for each of the plurality of partial biometric images;
reassigning one of a time stamp and a position indicator for remaining subsequent partial biometric images subsequent to any discarded partial biometric image or images by using the difference in the time stamp or position indicator between a partial biometric image just prior to a first discarded partial biometric image in the any discarded partial biometric image or images and a partial biometric image subsequent to a last discarded partial biometric image in the any discarded partial biometric image or images, and utilizing one of the reassigned time stamp and position indicator for each remaining subsequent partial biometric image, unless and until a further reassigning step occurs, to assemble the plurality of partial biometric images into a redacted biometric image.
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Abstract
A method and device for removing common artifacts, such as stiction, from fingerprint scans created by partial fingerprint scanners. The partial fingerprint scanner data is assessed to determine if successive partial fingerprint images are overly similar to each other, which can occur during stiction. If this similarity exceeds a preset threshold, then at least some of the overly similar partial images will be removed (redacted) from the overall image dataset. The complete overall image is generated from the redacted data set. This method is particularly useful for creating “intelligent” low-cost, low power partial fingerprint scanners and scanner driver chips that can pre-process the partial fingerprint data that is generated during the course of a finger swipe, and remove stiction artifacts on a real-time or near-real time basis using relatively simple and low power on-chip processing circuits, and then send the corrected data to more sophisticated processors for subsequent fingerprint analysis.
374 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method to correct artifacts in a biometric image assembled from a plurality of partial biometric images, comprising:
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acquiring a first partial biometric image as a reference image; performing a comparison between the reference image and a second subsequent partial biometric image using a comparison function; determining if the result of using the comparison function to compare the reference image and the second subsequent partial biometric image is less than a preset limit; if the result is less than the preset limit, discarding the second subsequent partial biometric image; if the result is not less than the preset limit, setting the second subsequent partial biometric image as the reference image; repeating the performing, determining, discarding, and setting steps until the comparison is performed for each of the plurality of partial biometric images; reassigning one of a time stamp and a position indicator for remaining subsequent partial biometric images subsequent to any discarded partial biometric image or images by using the difference in the time stamp or position indicator between a partial biometric image just prior to a first discarded partial biometric image in the any discarded partial biometric image or images and a partial biometric image subsequent to a last discarded partial biometric image in the any discarded partial biometric image or images, and utilizing one of the reassigned time stamp and position indicator for each remaining subsequent partial biometric image, unless and until a further reassigning step occurs, to assemble the plurality of partial biometric images into a redacted biometric image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method to reduce the distorting effect of stiction on fingerprint images assembled from a plurality of partial fingerprint images, said method comprising:
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acquiring a first partial fingerprint image as a reference image; performing a comparison between the reference image and a second subsequent partial fingerprint image using a comparison function; determining if the result of using the comparison function to compare the reference image and the second subsequent partial fingerprint image is less than a preset limit; if the result is less than the preset limit, discarding the second subsequent partial fingerprint image; if the first result is not less than the preset limit, setting the second subsequent partial fingerprint image as the reference image; repeating the performing, determining, discarding, and setting steps until the comparison is performed for each of the plurality of partial fingerprint images; reassigning one of a time stamp and a position indicator for remaining subsequent partial fingerprint images subsequent to any discarded partial fingerprint image or images by using the difference in the time stamp or position indicator between a partial fingerprint image just prior to a first discarded partial fingerprint image in the any discarded partial fingerprint image or images and a partial fingerprint image subsequent to a last discarded partial fingerprint image in the any discarded partial fingerprint image or images, and utilizing one of the reassigned time stamp and position indicator for each remaining subsequent partial fingerprint image, unless and until a further reassigning step occurs, to assemble the plurality of partial fingerprint images into a redacted biometric image. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system comprising:
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a biometric image acquisition unit configured to acquire a first partial biometric image as a reference image; a comparator configured to perform comparison between the reference image and a second subsequent partial biometric image using a comparison function; the comparator configured to determine if the result of using the comparison function to compare the reference image and the second subsequent partial biometric image is less than a preset limit; a controller configured to, if the result is less than the preset limit, discard the second subsequent partial biometric image; the controller further configured to, if the result is not less than the preset limit, set the second subsequent partial biometric image as the reference image; the controller further configured to repeat the performing, determining, discarding, and setting, until the comparison is performed for each of the plurality of partial biometric images; the controller further configured to reassign one of a time stamp and a position indicator for remaining subsequent partial biometric images subsequent to any discarded partial biometric image or images by using the difference in the time stamp or position indicator between a partial biometric image just prior to a first discarded partial biometric image in the any discarded partial biometric image or images and a partial biometric image subsequent to a last discarded partial biometric image in the any discarded partial biometric image or images, and utilizing one of the reassigned time stamp and position indicator for each remaining subsequent partial biometric image, unless and until a further reassigning step occurs, to assemble the plurality of partial biometric images into a redacted biometric image. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A tangible machine readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:
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acquiring a first partial biometric image as a reference image; performing a comparison between the reference biometric image and a second subsequent partial biometric image using a comparison function; determining if the result of using the comparison function to compare the reference image and the second subsequent partial biometric image is less than a preset limit; if the result is less than the preset limit, discarding the second subsequent partial biometric image; if the result is not less than the preset limit, setting the second subsequent partial biometric image as the reference image; repeating the performing, determining, discarding, and setting steps until the comparison is performed for each of the plurality of partial biometric images; and reassigning one of a time stamp and a position indicator for remaining subsequent partial biometric images subsequent to any discarded partial biometric image or images by using the difference in the time stamp or position indicator between a partial biometric image just prior to a first discarded partial biometric image in the any discarded partial biometric image or images and a partial biometric image subsequent to a last discarded partial biometric image in the any discarded partial biometric image or images, and utilizing one of the reassigned time stamp and position indicator for each remaining subsequent partial biometric image, unless and until a further reassigning step occurs, to assemble the plurality of partial biometric images into a redacted biometric image. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification