Image analysis – Applications – Personnel identification
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-25
2001-11-20
Bella, Matthew C. (Department: 2721)
Image analysis
Applications
Personnel identification
C382S118000, C382S119000, C382S313000, C340S870030, C361S689000, C361S689000, C361S689000, C361S727000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320974
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to identification systems. More particularly, it relates to a method and apparatus for identifying individuals based on biometric information such as fingerprints and photographs.
(b) Description of Related Art
In the past, identification of individuals that are processed by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) or other governmental agencies, for example, has been a relatively slow process. Although many governmental agencies maintain large databases containing fingerprints, photographic information and other relevant data pertaining to individuals that use the services of the respective agencies, no known system has been able to quickly search and retrieve information relating to identification and interaction with these individuals. For example, the INS interacts with and is required to identify millions of persons each year, including immigration law violators, immigration benefit applicants, individuals requesting asylum, travelers, and visitors to the United States. Many encounters are processed under severe time constraints and with insufficient access to relevant information.
A co-pending, commonly owned patent application, Ser. No. 08/857,112 filed on May 15, 1997 U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,739 addresses this problem by providing a distributed biometric identification system and architecture for rapidly identifying individuals using fingerprint and photographic data. The disclosed architecture includes a centralized server, a plurality of distributed client workstations that are remotely located from the centralized server, and a wide area telecommunications network interconnecting the client workstations to the server. The centralized server includes a transaction management subsystem, a database for storing fingerprint minutiae of individuals that are of interest to users of the system, a matching controller subsystem coupled between the transaction management subsystem and the database for matching fingerprints of individuals to fingerprints stored in the database, and an image storage and retrieval subsystem for storing and retrieving electronic images of fingerprints and photographic images of individuals.
Still another co-pending, commonly owned patent application, Ser. No. 08/937,956 filed on Sep. 15, 1997 is directed to an improvement over the above-described distributed biometric system wherein user location options, user mobility, and overall user access to the system is even further enhanced by providing highly mobile user workstations. More particularly, the invention disclosed in Ser. No. 08/987,956 may be embodied in a distributed, mobile biometric identification system and architecture for rapidly identifying individuals using fingerprint and photographic data. The disclosed architecture includes a centralized server, a plurality of distributed, mobile client workstations that are remotely located from the centralized server, and a two-way modem connection for providing a communications medium between the client workstations and the server.
The above-described mobile workstation is preferably embodied in a substantially portable computing environment having, for example, a portable computer, a portable camera coupled to the computer, a portable fingerprint scanner coupled to the computer, and a substantially portable communications link coupled to the computer. Preferably, the communications link includes a land-based or satellite-based mobile radiotelephone.
The above-described distributed biometric systems are highly effective in allowing a large number of remotely located users to access, search, compare and retrieve various types of biometric identifying data/information. The present invention is directed to an improvement wherein user location options, user mobility, and overall user access to the distributed biometric system is even further enhanced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention may be embodied in a distributed biometric identification system having a plurality of stand-alone user workstations. More particularly, the invention may be embodied in a distributed biometric identification system and architecture for rapidly identifying individuals using fingerprint and photographic data. The disclosed architecture includes a plurality of substantially stand-alone work stations. The workstations communicate with one another, via a centralized server, in a variety of ways, including modem and/or a wide-area or local-area telecommunications network. Each work station includes a transaction management subsystem, a database for storing fingerprint minutiae of individuals that are of interest to users of the system, a matching controller subsystem coupled between the transaction management subsystem and the database for matching fingerprints of individuals to fingerprints stored in the database, and an image storage and retrieval subsystem for storing and retrieving electronic images of fingerprints and photographic images of individuals. The modem or WAN/LAN telecommunications network allows the stand-alone workstations to communicate with the centralized INS server in order to provide information about each workstations activities. The information from each workstation is gathered at a centralized INS server and re-distributed to all stand-alone workstations as a update to each workstation's files.
The above-described stand-alone workstation is preferably embodied in a computer-based environment having, for example, a conventional personal computer, a camera coupled to the computer, a fingerprint scanner coupled to the computer, and a communications link coupled to the computer. Preferably, the communications link includes a modem communicating through a land-based radiotelephone, a satellite-based mobile radiotelephone, the PSTN, a WAN/LAN connection, or other medium.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-described personal computer has, for example, 32 MB of RAM, an AC power supply, an AC cable, an MRT video cable, a modem/phone cable, an ethernet cable, MRT VideoPort PC card, and a Megahertz 33.6 modem/ethernet. The personal computer may be configured with Windows 95 operating system software, for example. The personal computer may be further configured with a user-friendly and intuitive graphical user interface using, for example, Microsoft Visual C++ software, and a Structured Query Language (SQL) based, client-server, front end query tool. The personal displays menu-driven screens from which users may select specific functions (such as search and enroll, search only, and verify functions) that are to be performed by the computer.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the personal computer is replaced with a so-called “notebook” or “laptop” computer having, for example, 32 MB of RAM, an AC power supply, an AC cable, an MRT video cable, a modem/phone cable, an ethernet cable, MRT VideoPort PC card, and a Megahertz 33.6 modem/ethernet. The laptop computer may be configured with Windows 95 operating system software, for example. The laptop computer may be further configured with a user-friendly and intuitive graphical user interface using, for example, Microsoft Visual C++, and a Structured Query Language (SQL) based, client-server, front end query tool. The laptop displays menu-driven screens from which users may select specific functions (such as search and enroll, search only, and verify functions) that are to be performed by the system.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the laptop computer, camera, fingerprint scanner and modem/radiotelephone are electronically coupled together and conveniently housed in a carrying case. For example, a two-piece, hinged rugged construction carrying case may be outfitted with a foam template having cutouts for holding in place the various components, a power strip for accepting the power cord connections of the various components and providing 12 volt AC power thereto, and a 12 volt DC invertor having a 12 volt extension cord for coupling
Braceland Joseph M.
Glaze Mary L.
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Bella Matthew C.
Chawan Sheela
Raytheon Company
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