Combined fingerprint acquisition and control device

• US 6,400,836 B2
• Filed: 05/15/1998
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Senior, Andrew William
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bali, Vikkram
• Application Number:
  US09/080,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20010036299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115-119, 382/124, 382/125, 382/126, 347/173-178, 713/182-186
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints

Abstract

The present invention combines the functionality of a computer pointing device with a fingerprint authentication system. In the preferred embodiment, by regularly scanning fingerprints acquired from the pointing device touch pad, fingerprint features may be extracted and compared to stored data on authorized users for passive authentication. Furthermore, calculations based upon the acquired fingerprint images and associated features allows the system to determine six degrees of freedom of the finger, allowing the user to control a variety of functions or to manipulate a three-dimensional model or virtual reality system.

Claims

1. A system for imaging a fingerprint for input of pointing information for a computer, said system comprising:

a fingerprint image acquisition scanner for acquiring a fingerprint image of a finger; and

an image processor for extraction from said fingerprint image at least one contact parameter other than any optional authentication status data for said fingerprint image, wherein said image processor calculates which portion of the finger'"'"'s surface is in contact with said scanner; and

said image processor estimates the angular rotation of the finger in each of three directions from said calculation of which portion of the finger'"'"'s surface is in contact with said scanner.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a feature extraction processor for extracting representative features from said fingerprint image;

a memory for storing representative features of at least one authorized user; and

a feature comparison processor for comparing said stored representative features with said extracted representative features, and generating authentication status data therefrom.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said feature comparison processor sets a security status flag when said acquired fingerprint image matches said stored representative features of one authorized user.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said security status flag is unset after a predetermined time period since said security status flag was most recently set.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said system repeatedly acquires fingerprint images and compares said stored representative features with said extracted representative features of said acquired fingerprint images during normal operation of the computer.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said system unsets said security status flag when a predetermined security violation is detected.

7. The system of claim 3 further comprising a data transmission circuit for transmitting a command to the computer requesting a prompt to the user to present a finger for fingerprint acquisition when said feature comparison processor cannot accurately determine whether said extracted representative features match said stored representative features.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein said fingerprint image scanner may be disabled from obtaining minutae data for said fingerprint image while obtaining overall shape and location data on said fingerprint image.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein said feature comparison processor may be disabled by the software on the computer.

10. The system of claim 2 wherein the computer displays a representation of said authentication status data.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data transmission circuit for transmitting contact parameter information to the computer.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said contact parameter information is used by the computer for controlling the position of an on-screen cursor.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said contact parameter comprises a spatial location coordinate.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said contact parameter comprises a measure of force applied to said scanner by the finger.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said image processor calculates said force by calculating a weighted sum of pixels comprising said fingerprint image.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said system derives the angle of rotation of said fingerprint image from calculating the principal axis of the active pixels in said fingerprint image.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said calculating the principal axis of the active pixels in said fingerprint image comprises comparison of said active pixels with a threshold value.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said calculation of which portion of the finger'"'"'s surface is in contact with said scanner comprises estimation by using a correspondence of fingerprint features.

19. The system of claim 2 wherein said image processor estimates six degrees of freedom from said acquired fingerprint image.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer displays a derived representation of the acquired fingerprint image.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer displays a representation of said at least one contact parameter.

22. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data transmission circuit for transmitting said at least one contact parameter to the computer for controlling software operating in the computer.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said contact parameter comprises a status contact parameter indicating whether the finger is in contact with said fingerprint image scanner.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein a predetermined series of transitions of said status contact parameter is interpreted as equivalent to clicking a button on a mouse.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer displays a representation of said fingerprint image.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the three directions of angular rotation of the finger are pitch, roll and yaw.

27. A system for imaging a fingerprint for input of pointing information for a computer, said system comprising:

a fingerprint image acquisition scanner for acquiring a fingerprint image of a finger; and

an image processor for extracting from said acquired fingerprint image a two dimensional coordinate pair and a third coordinate representing the applied force of the finger, wherein said image processor further extracts three coordinates representing the rotation of the finger in each of three dimensions.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said image processor extracts said third coordinate representing applied force of the finger by computing the area of said acquired fingerprint.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the three directions of angular rotation of the finger are pitch, roll and yaw.

30. A system for imaging a fingerprint for input of pointing information for a computer, said system comprising:

a fingerprint image acquisition scanner for acquiring a fingerprint image of a finger; and

an image processor for extracting from said acquired fingerprint image parameters representing the six degrees of freedom of the finger, three of said six degrees of freedom being rotation in each of three directions.

31. The system of claim 30 further comprising a data transmission circuit for transmitting said parameters to the computer for controlling position and rotation in a three-dimensional model.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein rotation in three directions comprise a pitch, roll and yaw.

33. A method of imaging a fingerprint for input of pointing information for a computer, said method comprising:

a) acquiring a fingerprint image from an acquisition scanner for acquiring a fingerprint image of a finger;

b) processing said fingerprint image to extract from said fingerprint image at least one contact parameter other than any optional authentication status data for said fingerprint image;

c) calculating which portion of the finger'"'"'s surface is in contact with said scanner; and

d) estimating angular rotation of the finger in each of three directions from said calculating of which portion of the finger'"'"'s surface is in contact with said scanner.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said step of processing said fingerprint image further comprises:

c) extracting representative features from said fingerprint image;

d) storing representative features of at least one authorized user; and

a) comparing said stored representative features with said extracted representative features.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein step f) further comprises setting a security status flag when said acquired fingerprint image matches said stored representative features of one authorized user.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said security status flag is unset after a predetermined time period since said security status flag was most recently set.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said system repeatedly performs steps a) through f) during normal operation of the computer, and unsets said security status flag when a predetermined security violation is detected.

38. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

g) transmitting a command to the computer requesting a prompt to the user to present a finger for fingerprint acquisition when said feature comparison processor cannot accurately determine whether said extracted representative features match said stored representative features.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein said stored representative features are adaptively changed to correspond to changes in the authorized user'"'"'s fingerprint over time.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein said authentication data is provided to authorize an electronic transaction.

41. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of transmitting said contact parameter to the computer.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said contact parameter is used by the computer for controlling the position of an on-screen cursor.

43. The method of claim 33 wherein said contact parameter comprises a spatial location coordinate.

44. The method of claim 33 wherein said contact parameter comprises a force parameter representing the force applied to said scanner by the finger.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein said force parameter is obtained by calculating a weighted sum of pixels comprising said fingerprint image.

46. The method of claim 35 wherein said contact parameter is derived by calculating the principal axis of the active pixels in said fingerprint image.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said calculating the principal axis of the active pixels in said fingerprint image comprises comparison of said active pixels with a threshold value.

48. The method of claim 33 further comprising calculating a surface parameter representing which portion of the finger'"'"'s surface is in contact with said scanner.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said surface parameter is calculated using a correspondence of fingerprint features.

50. The method of claim 33 wherein said step b) of processing said fingerprint image further comprises applying a dilation operator to said fingerprint image.

51. The method of claim 33 wherein said angular rotation of the finger in three directions comprises determining pitch, roll and yaw of the finger.

52. A system for authentication of the identity of a user of a data entry device, said system comprising:

a fingerprint image acquisition scanner for acquiring a fingerprint image of a finger;

an image processor for extracting from said fingerprint image at least one contact parameter other than any optional authentication status data for said fingerprint image; and

a data transmission circuit for transmitting contact parameter information to the computer,

wherein said image processor calculates which portion of the finger'"'"'s surface is in contact with said scanner; and

said image processor estimates the angular rotation of the finger in each of three directions from said calculation of which portion of the finger'"'"'s surface is in contact with said scanner.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the three directions of angular rotation correspond to pitch, roll and yaw.