Automated biometric submission and improved scanning system and method

• US 8,699,764 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aware Incorporated (Crowley Holdings Preferred LLC)
• Original Assignee: AFIX Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Vitt, Joan L., Caudle, Derald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Repko, Jason M
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HA N
• Application Number:
  US13/095,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20120106807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/125
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/96 Management of image or video recognition tasks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints

Abstract

An automated biometric submission and scanning system includes a scanner adapted for creating digital image files corresponding to biometrics, such as fingerprints. A computer, which can be standalone or linked to a network, receives the scanner output. The computer is programmed with an image enhancement program, which transforms the biometric image to an appropriate format for searching in one or more biometrics databases. An automated biometric submission and scanning method includes the steps of scanning a biometric image, enhancing the scanned image file, running a biometrics tracking program, selecting a biometrics database, complying with the database submission standards and submitting a biometrics database search.

Claims

1. A fingerprint submission and scanning method, which includes the steps of:

providing a fingerprint scanner adapted for scanning a fingerprint and providing a digital output corresponding to said scanned fingerprint;

providing a computing device connected to said fingerprint scanner and including a processor, a memory storage device and a graphical user interface (GUI);

scanning a fingerprint with said scanner and producing a scanned fingerprint digital output with said computing device by;

selecting a fingerprint target minutiae;

defining a target area with a perimeter around said target minutiae;

dividing said target area into multiple segments with boundaries extending radiating outwardly from said target minutiae to said target area perimeter;

tagging additional minutiae in said segments relative to said target minutiae;

determining if neighboring minutiae are found within a predetermined ridge count from said target minutiae;

tagging any found minutiae; and

tagging and recording a lack of found minutiae if no minutiae are found within said predetermined ridge count;

providing an image enhancer connected to said processor and said GUI, said image enhancer configured for altering said scanned fingerprint digital output and including gamma adjustment, edge detection, blur reduction, embossing and noise reduction functions;

scanning a biometric source;

creating a digital image corresponding to said scanned biometric source;

providing a biometric tracking system;

tracking said digital image with said biometric tracking system;

selecting a database of biometrics;

preparing said scanned biometric pursuant to compliance standards for said selected database;

enhancing said scanned biometric with said image enhancer;

producing with said processor an altered digital output corresponding to said scanned fingerprint;

submitting said scanned biometric to said selected database;

generating identification information from said scanned biometric using minutiae-to-minutiae ridge counts;

providing output comprising an identification of said scanned biometric from said database;

associating an e-mail transaction control number (TCN) with said scanned fingerprint;

conducting a search of fingerprint records in said database for said scanned fingerprint;

automatically generating multiple e-mails corresponding to biometrics of an individual subject;

performing a logic loop for each e-mail created;

providing a counter for said e-mails;

incrementing said counter with each said e-mail created; and

exiting said logic loop upon reaching a predetermined number of e-mails.

2. A biometric-based identification system for submitting fingerprint information from a subject to a remote biometric tracking database with compliance standards, said database matching subject identification, which system includes:

a fingerprint scanner adapted for scanning a fingerprint and providing a digital output corresponding to said scanned fingerprint;

a computing device connected to said fingerprint scanner and including a processor, a memory storage device and a graphical user interface (GUI), said computing device being configured for;

selecting a target minutiae;

defining a target area with a perimeter around said target minutiae;

dividing said target area into multiple segments with boundaries extending radiating outwardly from said target minutiae to said target area perimeter;

tagging additional minutiae in said segments relative to said target minutiae;

determining if neighboring minutiae are found within a predetermined ridge count from said target minutiae;

tagging any found minutiae; and

tagging and recording a lack of found minutiae if no minutiae are found within said predetermined ridge count;

an image enhancer connected to said processor and said GUI, said image enhancer configured for altering said scanned fingerprint digital output and including gamma adjustment, edge detection, blur reduction, embossing and noise reduction functions;

said computing device configured for creating a digital image corresponding to a scanned biometric source; and

said computing device configured for;

selecting a biometric tracking system database and providing output to said selected biometric tracking system;

preparing said scanned biometric pursuant to compliance standards for said selected database;

enhancing said scanned biometric with said image enhancer;

producing an altered digital output corresponding to said scanned fingerprint;

submitting said scanned biometric to said selected database;

generating identification information from said scanned biometric using minutiae-to-minutiae ridge counts;

providing output comprising an identification of said scanned biometric from said database;

associating an e-mail transaction control number (TCN) with said scanned fingerprint;

conducting a search of fingerprint records in said database for said scanned fingerprint;

automatically generating multiple e-mails corresponding to biometrics of an individual subject;

performing a logic loop for each e-mail created;

providing a counter for said e-mails;

incrementing said counter with each said e-mail created; and

exiting said logic loop upon reaching a predetermined number of e-mails.