초록 ▼

An automatic system is described wherein pattern representations of epidermal ridges, such as fingerprints, are uniquely described by the extraction of specific information. Specific information such as ridge contour data, describing the ridge flow in the fingerprint pattern and minutiae data, princ

An automatic system is described wherein pattern representations of epidermal ridges, such as fingerprints, are uniquely described by the extraction of specific information. Specific information such as ridge contour data, describing the ridge flow in the fingerprint pattern and minutiae data, principally describing ridge endings and bifurcations, are identified and extracted from the fingerprint pattern. Topological data, identifying singularity points such as tri-radii and cores, as well as ridge flow line tracings related to those points are extracted from the ridge contour data. The extracted information is then utilized by the system to automatically perform classification of the fingerprint pattern and/or matching of the fingerprint pattern with patterns stored in a mass file. Identification is automatically achieved by comparing the extracted information with the information stored in the mass file corresponding to previously identified fingerprint patterns. In a simplified version of the automatic system, verification of claimed identity may be achieved by matching the fingerprint pattern with a particular pattern stored in a mass file according to the claimed identity.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of processing fingerprint patterns which are each characterized by ridge lines forming a contour pattern classifiable into one of a predetermined number of classification types, including the steps of: providing a fingerprint pattern; providing identifying information corresponding to said

A method of processing fingerprint patterns which are each characterized by ridge lines forming a contour pattern classifiable into one of a predetermined number of classification types, including the steps of: providing a fingerprint pattern; providing identifying information corresponding to said provided fingerprint; extracting ridge contour data from said provided fingerprint corresponding to said contour pattern; classifying said provided fingerprint pattern into one of said predetermined classification types; and storing said identifying information according to said corresponding classification type; said contour data extracting step including the steps of identifying contour lines in said fingerprint, determining average angle contour values of said identified contour lines for predetermined areas of said fingerprint, and storing said average angle contour values to define said line contour data; and said classifying step including the steps of identifying the occurrence of tri-radii points from said line contour data, and representing three contour lines uniquely associated with each identified tri-radii point.