Biometric authentication apparatus and method

• US 9,013,271 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Aoki, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/601,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20120326841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.82, 340/5.52, 340/5.53, 382/115, 382/126
• US Class Current: 340/5.82
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/50 Maintenance of biometric data or enrolment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 by interactive indications to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861

Abstract

A biometric authentication apparatus is provided, the apparatus including: a comparator that performs authentication of the user by comparing biological information read from a user with registered biological information registered in a storage in advance; a high accuracy comparator that compares the biological information with the registered biological information with a higher accuracy instead of comparison using the comparator when the user is not authenticated by the comparator; and a comparison result storage that records a comparison result obtained by the high accuracy comparator in the storage.

Claims

1. A biometric authentication apparatus comprising:

a comparator that performs authentication of a user by comparing biological information over searchable areas comprising searchable positions read from the user'"'"'s hand with registered biological information registered in a storage in advance;

a high accuracy comparator that compares the biological information with the registered biological information with a higher accuracy instead of comparison using the comparator when the user is not authenticated by the comparator; and

a comparison result storage that records a comparison result obtained by the high accuracy comparator in the storage, wherein

the comparator generates and records an error authentication data in the storage, when the user is not authenticated by the comparator;

the error authentication data comprising a search area indicating an area searched by the comparator and a search position of the biological information at which the degree of similarity becomes largest;

the high accuracy comparator compares the biological information and the registered biological information by performing a wide area comparison of an increased search area beyond the search area of the comparator based on the error authentication data, and

the high accuracy comparator records in the storage a moved position of the search position at which a degree of similarity in the wide area comparison is largest, the moved position being moved with respect to a reference position of the biological information corresponding to the user, and

the comparator determines whether an average of a plurality of moved positions corresponding to the registered biological information of the user stored in the storage over a plurality of authentication occurrences is at least equal to a predetermined value and a standard deviation of the plurality of moved positions is less than a predetermined value, the comparator causes a display of the biometric authentication apparatus to output information to instruct the user to move the user'"'"'s hand to an opposite direction opposite to a direction of movement of the plurality of moved positions.

2. The biometric authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the high accuracy comparator further divides the increased search area into a plurality of parts, and calculates a distance from the search position, which the degree of similarity performed by the comparator, to the center of each parts of the plurality parts.

3. The biometric authentication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the high accuracy comparator expands a search area while giving a higher priority to a part with corresponding distance is smaller.

4. The biometric authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the high accuracy comparator excludes, in performing the wide area comparison, the search area for which comparison has been performed by the comparator.

5. The biometric authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the high accuracy comparator performs the wide area comparison giving a higher priority to an area closer to the search position recorded in the storage by the comparator.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a program for causing a computer to execute a digital signature process comprising:

performing, using a comparison, by comparing biological information over searchable areas comprising searchable positions read from a user'"'"'s hand and registered biological information registered in a storage in advance, authentication of the user; and

when the user is not authenticated, comparing, using a high accuracy comparison, the biological information and the registered biological information with a higher accuracy than the comparison; and

recording a comparison result by the high accuracy comparison in the storage, wherein

in the comparison, an error authentication data is generated and recorded in the storage when the user is not authenticated;

the error authentication data comprising a search area indicating an area searched by the comparison and a search position of the biological information at which the degree of similarity becomes largest;

in the high accuracy comparison, the biological information and the registered biological information are compared by a wide area comparison of an increased search area beyond the search area of the comparison based on the error authentication data, and

in the high accuracy comparison, a moved position of the search position at which a degree of similarity in the wide area comparison is largest is recorded in the storage, the moved position being moved with respect to a reference position of the biological information corresponding to the user, and

in the comparison, an average of a plurality of moved positions corresponding to the registered biological information of the user stored in the storage over a plurality of authentication occurrences is at least equal to a predetermined value and a standard deviation of the plurality of moved positions is less than a predetermined value, the comparison causes a display in communication with the computer to output information to instruct the user to move the user'"'"'s hand to an opposite direction opposite to a direction of movement of the plurality of moved positions.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 6, wherein

in the high accuracy comparison, further, the increased search area is divided into a plurality of parts, and a distance from the search position, which the degree of similarity performed by the comparison, to the center of each parts of the plurality parts is calculated.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 7, wherein in the high accuracy comparison, a search area is expanded while giving a higher priority to a part with corresponding distance is smaller.

9. A biometric authentication method using a biometric authentication apparatus, comprising:

performing authentication of a user by comparing biological information over searchable areas comprising searchable positions read from the user'"'"'s hand with registered biological information registered in a storage in advance using a comparator;

comparing the biological information with the registered biological information using a high accuracy comparator with a higher accuracy instead of comparison using the comparator when the user is not authenticated by the comparator; and

recording a comparison result obtained by the high accuracy comparator in the storage, wherein

the comparator generates and records an error authentication data in the storage, when the user is not authenticated by the comparator;

the error authentication data comprising a search area indicating an area searched by the comparator and a search position of the biological information at which the degree of similarity becomes largest;

the high accuracy comparator compares the biological information and the registered biological information by performing a wide area comparison of an increased search area beyond the search area of the comparator based on the error authentication data, and

the high accuracy comparator records in the storage a moved position of the search position at which a degree of similarity in the wide area comparison is largest, the moved position being moved with respect to a reference position of the biological information corresponding to the user, and

the comparator determines whether an average of a plurality of moved positions corresponding to the registered biological information of the user stored in the storage over a plurality of authentication occurrences is at least equal to a predetermined value and a standard deviation of the plurality of moved positions is less than a predetermined value, the comparator causes a display of the biometric authentication apparatus to output information to instruct the user to move to an opposite direction opposite to a direction of movement of the plurality of moved positions.

10. The biometric authentication method according to claim 9, wherein the high accuracy comparator, further, divides the increased search area into a plurality of parts and calculates a distance from the search position, which the degree of similarity performed by the comparator, to the center of each parts of the plurality parts;

wherein the high accuracy comparator expands a search area while giving a high priority to a part with corresponding distance is smaller.