Image analysis – Applications – Personnel identification
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-15
2003-11-04
Au, Amelia M. (Department: 2623)
Image analysis
Applications
Personnel identification
C345S173000, C382S312000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06643388
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a shape recognition device which can detect the existence/absence or normal/abnormal state of an object, and the shape and movement of the object. In particular, the present invention relates to the construction of a shape detection device for detecting the shape and movement of a conductive object by directly contacting the object.
2. Description of the Related Art
A device has been proposed for recognizing the shape of human fingerprints as one of the conventional devices for recognizing and discriminating the shape of an object. This fingerprint recognition device discriminates and identifies the owner of a specified fingerprint, and accordingly it can selectively permit his or her access to a specified device.
The conventional fingerprint recognition device solves the problem involved in mechanical locks which may be easily released by a person who understands the structure of the mechanical locks well and has undesirable intentions, and permits only specified persons access to the specified target by recognizing the fingerprints having inherently different shapes from one another.
The conventional fingerprint recognition device may employ either type of an optical detection section using an image pickup device, that is, an indirect contact type shape detection section for being in indirect contact with the human body or the object and detecting the amount of electric charge differently charged thereon in accordance with the minute differences in the distance between the peaks and valleys in the fingerprint or the object, or a direct contact type shape detection section for being in direct contact with the human body or the object and detecting minute electric signal flowing therethrough.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram of a conventional shape recognition device for recognizing the shape of an object.
FIGS. 2A and 2B
are views illustrating the structure and the use of an indirect contact type shape detection section of a conventional shape recognition device.
FIGS. 3A and 3B
are views illustrating the structure and the use of a direct contact type shape detection section of a conventional shape recognition device.
The construction and operation of the conventional device for recognizing the shape of the fingerprint or the object will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the conventional shape recognition device includes a shape detection section
10
for detecting the minute electric signal flowing through a fingerprint
40
or an object or for detecting the amount of charge charged thereon, a shape discrimination section
20
for discriminating the shape of the fingerprint or the object by comparing electric signals outputted from the shape detecting section
10
corresponding to the shape of the fingerprint or the object and outputting a corresponding control signal, and a display/control section
30
for performing the necessary shape display or control function in accordance with the control signal outputted from the shape discrimination section
20
.
The conventional optical shape detection section
10
using an image pickup device, not being illustrated in the drawings, has drawbacks in that it is expensive and it is difficult to ascertain the authenticity of the object if a photograph is used for the shape detection instead of the actual object, thereby limiting its use.
According to the conventional indirect contact type shape detection section
10
as shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B
, the charges residing on peaks
42
and valleys
44
, which are protrusions and recesses of the fingerprint
40
or the object, respectively, are detected by a plurality of first electrodes
121
and second electrodes
122
respectively arranged at regular intervals which are determined to be smaller than those between the peaks
42
and valleys
44
. The first and second electrodes
121
and
122
are respectively formed in a line on the upper portion of an insulating substrate
110
by a semiconductor manufacturing process, and electrically connected to the shape discrimination section
20
through signal transmission lines (not illustrated).
The upper surface of the first and second electrodes
121
and
122
are coated with an anti-wear dielectric
130
.
As described above, the first and second electrodes
121
and
122
of the indirect type shape detection section
10
detect the electric charges residing on the fingerprint
40
or the object. At this time, the amounts of charge detected by the respective electrodes
121
and
122
differ from one another due to the minute differences in distance between the peaks
42
and the valleys
44
of the fingerprint
40
or the object.
The electrodes may be arranged in multiple lines, and the shape detection signals detected by the respective electrodes in accordance with the different amounts of charge residing on the fingerprint
40
or the object are applied to the shape discrimination section
20
through the signal transmission lines.
The shape discrimination section
20
processes and converts the received signals into data corresponding to the shape of the fingerprint
40
or the object, discriminates the shape of the fingerprint
40
or the object by comparing the data with reference data stored therein, and then outputs a corresponding control signal to the display/control section
30
, so that the display/control section
30
controls the operation of a security device.
Also, in the event that the fingerprint
40
or the object detected by the shape detection section
10
moves in a certain direction, the shape discrimination section
20
discriminates the moving direction of the object by processing the signals sensed by the electrodes, which reflect the variation of the sensed charge amounts, and provides the corresponding control signal to the display/control section
30
. Accordingly, it can perform the function of a mouse or a joystick used in a multimedia appliance.
However, the conventional indirect contact type shape detection device has drawbacks in that the anti-wear dielectric
130
for contacting the fingerprint
40
or the object is finally worn away by the repeated use thereof, and this causes an error to occur in detecting the amount of charge in accordance with the minute differences in distance between the electrodes and the fingerprint
40
or the object, so that the shape or the position of the object cannot be accurately identified accurately.
There are limitations in increasing the anti-wear characteristic of the dielectric
130
, and the indirect contact type shape detection section is expensive since it is manufactured using a semiconductor thin film manufacturing process, thereby limiting its use.
The conventional direct contact type shape detection section
10
as shown in
FIGS. 3A and 3B
has been proposed to solve the problems of the indirect contact type shape detection section.
According to the conventional direct contact type shape detection section
10
of
FIGS. 3A and 3B
, a plurality of first row holes
161
and second row holes
162
, the diameter of which does not exceed 0.1 mm at maximum, are formed on an insulating substrate
150
by a laser boring or drilling, or by other specified methods. At this time, the space between the holes is determined not to exceed a maximum of 0.1 mm.
Thereafter, the first row electrodes
171
and second row electrodes
172
are formed by filling the first row holes
161
and the second row holes
162
with conductive metal by plating, application, insertion, etc. The lower portions of the first and second row electrodes
171
and
172
are respectively connected to signal transmission lines
175
formed on the lower surface of the insulating substrate by plating, application, printing, etc. The signal transmission lines
175
transmit the signals detected by the first and second row electrodes
171
and
172
to the shape discrimination section
20
.
The minute electric signals flowing through the human body or the o
Au Amelia M.
Howard & Howard
LaRose Colin
Saerhim Techmate Corporation
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