Fingerprint authenticating system for carrying out a fingerprint authentication by using a small fingerprint sensor

• US 20030194114A1
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Personal Computers, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Higuchi, Teruyuki, Mitsuyu, Norihisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,190,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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

Abstract

A fingerprint authenticating system includes a fingerprint registering unit and a fingerprint collating unit. The fingerprint registering unit takes a first fingerprint data indicating a first portion of a first fingerprint from a first fingerprint sensor, registers said first fingerprint data to a memory unit, and takes a second fingerprint data indicating a second portion of a second fingerprint from a second fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint collating unit collates said second fingerprint data with said first fingerprint data to confirm whether or not said first fingerprint is equal to said second fingerprint. Here, an area of the first portion is equal to or larger than an area of the second portion.

Claims

1. A fingerprint authenticating system comprising:

a fingerprint registering unit; and

a fingerprint collating unit,

wherein said fingerprint registering unit takes a first fingerprint data indicating a first portion of a first fingerprint from a first fingerprint sensor, registers said first fingerprint data to a memory unit, and takes a second fingerprint data indicating a second portion of a second fingerprint from a second fingerprint sensor,

said fingerprint collating unit collates said second fingerprint data with said first fingerprint data to confirm whether or not said first fingerprint is equal to said second fingerprint, and

an area of said first portion is equal to or larger than an area of said second portion.

2. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 1, wherein said first fingerprint sensor is relatively moved against said first fingerprint while taking said first fingerprint data, and

said second fingerprint sensor is relatively stopped against said second fingerprint while taking said second fingerprint data.

3. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 1, wherein said first fingerprint sensor takes said first fingerprint data of n data which is obtained by scanning said first fingerprint n times, each of said n data is different from each other, n is a positive integer, and

said second fingerprint sensor takes said second fingerprint data of m data which is obtained by scanning said second fingerprint m times, each of said m data is different from each other, m is a positive integer and less than n.

4. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fingerprint sensor which is said first fingerprint sensor and said second fingerprint sensor.

5. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 4, wherein both said first fingerprint data and said second fingerprint data are any one of image data, numeral data and character data.

6. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 4, wherein said fingerprint sensor takes said first fingerprint data by scanning said first fingerprint toward a first direction, and takes said second fingerprint data by scanning said second fingerprint toward a second direction, and

said first direction is different from said second direction.

7. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 1, wherein said fingerprint registering unit reconfigures said first fingerprint data from a plurality of part data which indicate parts of said first fingerprint, and

said fingerprint collating unit collates said second fingerprint data with said first fingerprint data by detecting an area corresponding to said second fingerprint data from said first fingerprint data.

8. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 4, wherein said fingerprint sensor is relatively moved against said second fingerprint while taking said second fingerprint data.

9. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 8, wherein said fingerprint collating unit instructs an apparatus, to which the fingerprint authenticating system is applied, to carry out an operation different between one case of said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor and the other cases.

10. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 8, wherein said fingerprint collating unit takes said second fingerprint data as data that said second fingerprint relatively stopped against said second fingerprint sensor, in one case that all of a plurality of said second fingerprint data are similar to each other, and takes said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor, in the other cases.

11. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 8, wherein said fingerprint collating unit carries out said collation more severely in one case of said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor than in the other cases.

12. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 8, wherein said fingerprint collating unit changes a speed of taking said second fingerprint data, based on whether or not said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor.

13. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 4, wherein said fingerprint sensor is provided with a sweep type of a fingerprint sensor.

14. A fingerprint authenticating method comprising the steps of:

(a) taking a first fingerprint data indicating a first portion of a first fingerprint from a first fingerprint sensor;

(b) registering said first fingerprint data to a memory unit;

(c) taking a second fingerprint data indicating a second portion of a second fingerprint from a second fingerprint sensor; and

(d) collating said second fingerprint data with said first fingerprint data to confirm whether or not said first fingerprint is equal to said second fingerprint;

wherein an area of said first portion is equal to or larger than an area of said second portion.

15. The fingerprint authenticating method according to claim 14, wherein said first fingerprint sensor is relatively moved against said first fingerprint during said step (a), and

said second fingerprint sensor is relatively stopped against said second fingerprint during said step (c).

16. The fingerprint authenticating method according to claim 14, wherein said first fingerprint sensor takes said first fingerprint data of n data which is obtained by scanning said first fingerprint n times during said step (a), each of said n data is different from each other, n is a positive integer, and

said second fingerprint sensor takes said second fingerprint data of m data which is obtained by scanning said second fingerprint m times during said step (c), each of said m data is different from each other, m is a positive integer and less than n.

17. The fingerprint authenticating method according to claim 14, wherein said first fingerprint sensor is equal to said second fingerprint sensor.

18. The fingerprint authenticating method according to claim 17, wherein both said first fingerprint data and said second fingerprint data are any one of image data, numeral data and character data.

19. The fingerprint authenticating method according to claim 17, wherein said first fingerprint sensor takes said first fingerprint data by scanning said first fingerprint toward a first direction, and said second fingerprint sensor takes said second fingerprint data by scanning said second fingerprint toward a second direction, and

said first direction is different from said second direction.

20. The fingerprint authenticating method according to claim 14, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of:

(a1) reconfiguring said first fingerprint data from a plurality of part data which indicate parts of said first fingerprint;

wherein said step (d) collates said second fingerprint data with said first fingerprint data by detecting an area corresponding to said second fingerprint data from said first fingerprint data.

21. The fingerprint authenticating method according to claim 17, wherein said step (c) takes said second fingerprint data while said second fingerprint sensor is relatively moved against said second fingerprint.

22. The fingerprint authenticating method according to claim 21, wherein said step (d) comprises the step of:

(d1) instructing an apparatus, to which the fingerprint authenticating method is applied, to carry out an operation different between one case of said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor and the other cases.

23. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 21, wherein said step (c) takes said second fingerprint data as data that said second fingerprint relatively stopped against said second fingerprint sensor, in one case that all of a plurality of said second fingerprint data are similar to each other, and takes said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor, in the other cases.

24. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 21, wherein said step (d) carries out said collation more severely in one case of said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor in said step (c) than in the other cases.

25. The fingerprint authenticating system according to claim 21, wherein said step (c) changes a speed of taking said second fingerprint data, based on whether or not said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor.

26. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising code that, when executed, causes a computer to perform the following:

(e) taking a first fingerprint data indicating a first portion of a first fingerprint from a first fingerprint sensor;

(f) registering said first fingerprint data to a memory unit;

(g) taking a second fingerprint data indicating a second portion of a second fingerprint from a second fingerprint sensor; and

(h) collating said second fingerprint data with said first fingerprint data to confirm whether or not said first fingerprint is equal to said second fingerprint;

wherein an area of said first portion is equal to or larger than an area of said second portion.

27. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein said first fingerprint sensor is relatively moved against said first fingerprint during said step (e), and

said second fingerprint sensor is relatively stopped against said second fingerprint during said step (g).

28. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein said first fingerprint sensor takes said first fingerprint data of n data which is obtained by scanning said first fingerprint n times during said step (e), each of said n data is different from each other, n is a positive integer, and

said second fingerprint sensor takes said second fingerprint data of m data which is obtained by scanning said second fingerprint m times during said step (g), each of said m data is different from each other, m is a positive integer and less than n.

29. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein said first fingerprint sensor is equal to said second fingerprint sensor.

30. The computer program product according to claim 29, wherein said both first fingerprint data and said second fingerprint data are any one of image data, numeral data and character data.

31. The computer program product according to claim 29, wherein said first fingerprint sensor takes said first fingerprint data by scanning said first fingerprint toward a first direction, and said second fingerprint sensor takes said second fingerprint data by scanning said second fingerprint toward a second direction, and

said first direction is different from said second direction.

32. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein said step (e) comprises the step of:

(e1) reconfiguring said first fingerprint data from a plurality of part data which indicate parts of said first fingerprint;

wherein said step (h) collates said second fingerprint data with said first fingerprint data by detecting an area corresponding to said second fingerprint data from said first fingerprint data.

33. The computer program product according to claim 29, wherein said step (g) takes said second fingerprint data while said second fingerprint sensor is relatively moved against said second fingerprint.

34. The computer program product according to claim 33, wherein said step (h) comprises the step of:

(h1) instructing an apparatus, to which the fingerprint authenticating method is applied, to carry out an operation different between one case of said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor and the other cases.

35. The computer program product according to claim 33, wherein said step (g) takes said second fingerprint data as data that said second fingerprint relatively stopped against said second fingerprint sensor, in one case that all of a plurality of said second fingerprint data are similar to each other, and takes said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor, in the other cases.

36. The computer program product according to claim 33, wherein said step (h) carries out said collation more severely in one case of said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor in said step (g) than in the other cases.

37. The computer program product according to claim 33, wherein said step (g) changes a speed of taking said second fingerprint data, based on whether or not said second fingerprint data of said second fingerprint relatively moved against said fingerprint sensor.