Economical skin-pattern-acquisition and analysis apparatus for access control, systems controlled thereby

• US 6,115,484 A
• Filed: 06/23/1999
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bioscrypt, Inc. (Advent International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arete Associates
• Inventors: Bolton, Clive, Miller, Stephen G., Wartman, John M., Bowker, J. Kent, Lubard, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHTA, BHAVESH M
• Application Number:
  US09/338,905
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/116, 382/124-127, 356/71, 340/825.34, 359/710, 250/556
• US Class Current: 382/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1324 by using geometrical optics, e.g. using prisms G06V40/1312 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

Surface relief of a finger is read using an optical-fiber prism unit, with fiber terminations at one end to contact the surface, and at the other for light passages along fibers from the first. Light enters where NA<0.5 and fiber diameter is constant with longitudinal position. The device is in a 1.4-2 L case, with a battery or power unit, converter to form a corresponding data array for verifying, digital signal processor to do the verifying, and output to indicate or implement a decision. The optical fiber prism unit has a substantially circular cylindrical wall defining a longitudinal axis, fused optical fibers parallel to the longitudinal axis, a traverser face for output of a skin pattern image from the prism and a generally elliptical angled face for contacting such a skin pattern.

Claims

1. An optical-fiber imager for use in a skin-pattern analyzer and comprising:

an optical-fiber prism having;

a substantially circular-cylindrical wall defining a longitudinal axis;

fused optical fibers parallel to the longitudinal axis;

a transverse face for output of a skin-pattern image from the prism; and

a generally elliptical, angled face for contacting such a skin pattern.

2. The imager of claim 1, wherein:

the generally elliptical face is at a critical angle for frustrated total internal reflection, relative to the longitudinal axis.

3. The imager of claim 1, wherein:

the generally elliptical face is at substantially forty-five degrees to the longitudinal axis.

4. The imager of claim 3, wherein:

the transverse face is at substantially a right angle to the longitudinal axis.

5. The imager of claim 1, wherein:

the transverse face is at substantially a right angle to the longitudinal axis.

6. The imager of claim 1, further comprising:

a cylindrical-section condenser lens, fixed to the cylindrical wall of the prism, for coupling illumination into the prism.

7. The imager of claim 6, further comprising:

illumination means for projecting illumination through the cylindrical-section condenser lens into the prism.

8. The imager of claim 7, wherein:

the prism and the illuminating means are both supported from the cylindrical-section condenser lens.

9. The imager of claim 8, wherein:

the illuminating means comprise at least one light-emitting diode fixed to the cylindrical-section condenser lens.