초록 ▼

At a first end of an optic-fiber prism assembly are fiber terminations to contact a relieved surface, e. g. finger (stabilized by a handgrip). In a region where fiber diameter is essentially constant with longitudinal position, light enters the prism, crosses the fibers and enters individual fibers

At a first end of an optic-fiber prism assembly are fiber terminations to contact a relieved surface, e. g. finger (stabilized by a handgrip). In a region where fiber diameter is essentially constant with longitudinal position, light enters the prism, crosses the fibers and enters individual fibers through their sidewalls, lighting the terminations. To allow crosslighting of the assembly, the fiber-optic numerical aperture (NA) is small: preferably not exceeding one-half. Due to fingerprint etc. detail, fractions of light pass along the fibers; at the assembly second end a detector responds with an electrical-signal array based on the surface relief. The signals are processed to check finger etc. identity and applied to control access to a personal weapon, other equipment, facilities, data, or a money service. FTIR ("frustrated total internal reflection") bright- and dark-field versions have various benefits. For use of small, low-cost detectors--and/or internal-mirror versions that light the finger straight-on--the assembly has a separate element, e. g. a high-NA fiber-optic taper with extramural absorption or "EMA" material (no entry light crosses it). For a weapon, a unitary antibypassing module (which matches a weapon port, and must be present) holds part of the access-control and firing systems. Bullets etc. fire only on a special signal from the module.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A personal weapon subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a human user's finger; said weapon comprising:means for discharging an energy-transmitting agency to influence an adversary, said agency-discharging means requiring enablement for its operatio

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A personal weapon subject to access control based upon surface-relief data from a human user's finger; said weapon comprising:means for discharging an energy-transmitting agency to influence an adversary, said agency-discharging means requiring enablement for its operation; andmeans for developing an electronic signal representing a determination of whether a human user's fingerprint data which are presented to the weapon are a particular authorized user's fingerprint data, and for applying the electronic signal to control enablement of the agency-discharging means;at least a part of said discharging means and at least a part of said developing-and-applying means being physically formed together as a substantially unitary electronic module to deter unauthorized bypassing of said fingerprint-data access control.