Image analysis – Applications – Personnel identification
Patent
1997-12-22
2000-05-09
Couso, Jose L.
Image analysis
Applications
Personnel identification
382126, 382127, G06K 900
Patent
active
060614633
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing and detecting an image of a topographic surface such as a fingerprint for optical viewing, or storage in a recording medium such as photographic film, a hologram, or computer storage means. The topographic image may be independently analyzed or compared with previously recorded topographic data. Such methods and apparatus are used, for example, for personal identification in the criminology and access control fields.
2. Description of the Related Art
Examination of the fingerprints or other biometric features of an individual is a well known technique to establish a person's identity. In the past, fingerprints were recorded by applying ink to the finger and then rolling the finger on a piece of paper. Agencies then maintained these originals, or photocopies or photographs of the originals. Later comparison of these archives with a live or latent fingerprint could prove to be quite tedious and time consuming. More recently, methods have arisen to create fingerprint images which can be captured directly electronically for storage and/or analysis by a computer, or photographically for storage on film.
Many methods have been proposed for optical detection of fingerprints and other topographic biometric features such as footprints and palmprints. Most of these methods utilize optical systems, typically incorporate a prism or beamsplitting apparatus, and operate on the principle of frustrated total internal reflection. Such systems are necessarily bulky, cannot detect certain skin detail information, such as valley or pore detail, or require expensive optical components. In addition some prior art systems suffer from distortion, poor signal to noise ratio, aberrations, lack of contrast, and/or lack of resolution of finger detail information. There are many patents which describe variations of optical systems wherein illuminating light is directed into a prism. The basic common concept as applied, for example to inkless fingerprint detection, involves illuminating one side of a prism with light and pressing a finger onto another surface of the prism, usually the hypotenuse. A fingerprint image, formed by frustrated total internal reflection, is created where the finger meets the prim. Light passing out of the prism containing the fingerprint image is then captured by an image detection system. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,414, J. Myer describes apparatus for recording fingerprints using photochemical or xerographic means separately or in combination with photographs. This U.S. Patent shows various means of creating a fingerprint image by the principle of total internal reflection, using a prism, and other optical system parts to relay the fingerprint image. Many other such examples of prism-based systems exist in the prior art, and can be found such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,498 to L. Becker and U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,128 to Z. Weinberger, et. al.
Other prior art systems illuminate and/or view the finger directly, without using the principle of total internal reflection. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,059 to W. White. U.S. Pat. No. 5, 177,802 to Y. Fujimoto, et. al. describes a system which uses a light guide plate having a through hole, so that the finger is in air, and light traveling through the light guide exits the light guide near the hole to illuminate the finger. The finger image is captured by a detection system directly opposite the finger. In another system, the finger rests on the light guide surface and operates by frustrated total internal reflection of the illuminating light traveling through the light guide. A third system is described which does not use a light guide, but uses linear light sources such as fluorescent tubes placed near the "belly" of the finger to be imaged, and a detection system to image the finger directly. In embodiments, the finger is illuminated directly via light emerging from the light guide, the light strikes the finger at an a
REFERENCES:
patent: 4728186 (1988-03-01), Euguchi et al.
patent: 5177802 (1993-01-01), Fujimato et al.
Coleman Zane
Flatow Carl
Metz Michael
Phillips Nicholas J
Couso Jose L.
Do Anh Hong
Imedge Technology, Inc.
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