3D minutiae extraction in 3D fingerprint scans.

Traditionally, fingerprint image acquisition was based on contact. However the conventional touch-based fingerprint acquisition introduces some problems such as distortions and deformations to the fingerprint image. The most recent technology for fingerprint acquisition is touchless or 3D live scans introducing higher quality fingerprint scans. However, there is a need to develop new algorithms to match 3D fingerprints. In this dissertation, a novel methodology is proposed to extract minutiae in the 3D fingerprint scans. The output can be used for 3D fingerprint matching. The proposed method is based on curvature analysis of the surface. The method used to extract minutiae includes the following steps: smoothing; computing the principal curvature; ridges and ravines detection and tracing; cleaning and connecting ridges and ravines; and minutiae detection. First, the ridges and ravines are detected using curvature tensors. Then, ridges and ravines are traced. Post-processing is performed to obtain clean and connected ridges and ravines based on fingerprint pattern. Finally, minutiae are detected using a graph theory concept. A quality map is also introduced for 3D fingerprint scans. Since a degraded area may occur during the scanning process, especially at the edge of the fingerprint, it is critical to be able to determine these areas. Spurious minutiae can be filtered out after applying the quality map. The algorithm is applied to the 3D fingerprint database and the result is very encouraging. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first minutiae extraction methodology proposed for 3D fingerprint scans

A Translation And Rotation Independent Fingerprint Identification Approach

This thesis describes a new approach for fingerprint identification that will be shift and rotation independent. Detailed descriptions of directional filtering, foreground and background segmentation, feature extraction, and matching based on structural correlation are the main topics of this thesis. The fingerprint identification system consists of image preprocessing, feature extraction, and matching which run on a PC platform. The preprocessing step includes histogram equalization, block-based directional filtering, thinning, and adaptive thresholding to enhance the original images for successful feature extraction. The features extracted will be stored in the database for matching. The matching algorithm presented is a modification and improvement of the structural approach. A two-step process of local feature matching and global feature matching guarantees the correct matching results

ADAPTABLE FINGERPRINT MINUTIAE EXTRACTION ALGORITHM BASED-ON CROSSING NUMBER METHOD FOR HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION USING FPGA DEVICE

In this article. a main perspective of developing and implementing fingerprint extraction and matching algorithms as a pari of fingerprint recognition system is focused. First, developing a simple algorithm to extract fingerprint features and test this algorithm on Pc. The second thing is implementing this algorithm into FPGA devices. The major research topics on which the proposed approach is developing and modifying fingerprint extraction feature algorithm. This development and modification are using crossing number method on pixel representation value '0'. In this new proposed algorithm, it is no need a process concerning ROI segmentation and no trigonometry calculation. And specially in obtaining their parameters using Angle Calculation Block avoiding floating points calculation. As this method is local feature that usually involve with 60-100 minutiae points, makes the template is small in size. Providing FAR. FRR and EER, performs the performance evaluation of proposed algorithm. The result is an adaptable fingerprint minutiae extraction algorithm into hardware implementation with 14.05 % of EEl?, better than reference algorithm, which is 20.39 % . The computational time is 18 seconds less than a similar method, which takes 60-90 seconds just for pre-processing step. The first step of algorithm implementation in hardware environment (embedded) using FPGA Device by developing IP Core without using any soft processor is presented

Fractal analysis of fingerprints

Current methods for comparing fingerprints have weaknesses that have opened them to criticism. Current methods concentrate on the comparison of minutia in the print either manually or with the assistance of a computer algorithm. This causes these methods to depend highly on the presence of minutia and their relationship to one another. Absence or rotations of minutia can prevent current methods form making accurate comparisons. The goal of this process is to develop a new method for analyzing fingerprints that addresses many of the concerns with current methods.;The developed process uses an iterated function sequence (IFS) to convert the image of a fingerprint into a fractal pattern. The input for the IFS is constructed by a random walk through the image. Once a fingerprint is converted into a fractal pattern, the fractals can be used to make comparisons. Fractals are well defined mathematical objects that make them far easier to compare than fingerprints themselves. This process addresses many of the issues with current methods. This method is global in nature and thus it is not dependent on a set number of minutiae. Moreover, the rules for the random walk are constructed so as to make the fractal produced invariant of orientation of the print.;This method offers a new fast way to compare images. This method can be used to increase confidence, both in court and public opinion, in the use of fingerprints as identification. It can offer both an independent and/or supplemental method to the current ones used

Fingerabdruckswachstumvorhersage, Bildvorverarbeitung und Multi-level Judgment Aggregation

Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit wird Fingerwachstum untersucht und eine Methode zur Vorhersage von Wachstum wird vorgestellt. Die Effektivität dieser Methode wird mittels mehrerer Tests validiert. Vorverarbeitung von Fingerabdrucksbildern wird im zweiten Teil behandelt und neue Methoden zur Schätzung des Orientierungsfelds und der Ridge-Frequenz sowie zur Bildverbesserung werden vorgestellt: Die Line Sensor Methode zur Orientierungsfeldschätzung, gebogene Regionen zur Ridge-Frequenz-Schätzung und gebogene Gabor Filter zur Bildverbesserung. Multi-level Jugdment Aggregation wird eingeführt als Design Prinzip zur Kombination mehrerer Methoden auf mehreren Verarbeitungsstufen. Schließlich wird Score Neubewertung vorgestellt, um Informationen aus der Vorverarbeitung mit in die Score Bildung einzubeziehen. Anhand eines Anwendungsbeispiels wird die Wirksamkeit dieses Ansatzes auf den verfügbaren FVC-Datenbanken gezeigt.Finger growth is studied in the first part of the thesis and a method for growth prediction is presented. The effectiveness of the method is validated in several tests. Fingerprint image preprocessing is discussed in the second part and novel methods for orientation field estimation, ridge frequency estimation and image enhancement are proposed: the line sensor method for orientation estimation provides more robustness to noise than state of the art methods. Curved regions are proposed for improving the ridge frequency estimation and curved Gabor filters for image enhancement. The notion of multi-level judgment aggregation is introduced as a design principle for combining different methods at all levels of fingerprint image processing. Lastly, score revaluation is proposed for incorporating information obtained during preprocessing into the score, and thus amending the quality of the similarity measure at the final stage. A sample application combines all proposed methods of the second part and demonstrates the validity of the approach by achieving massive verification performance improvements in comparison to state of the art software on all available databases of the fingerprint verification competitions (FVC)

The Assessment of Fingerprint Quality for a More Effective Match Score in Minutiae-Based Matching Performers

One of the most common types of evidence recovered from a crime scene are latent fingerprints, however these impressions are often of low quality. The quality of a latent fingerprint is described as the degree to which the ridge details can be observed. If the quality of the latent fingerprint is very clear, a minutiae-based matching algorithm with automatic extraction may detect and utilize the minutiae that are truly present in the fingerprint. However, if the impression is of poor quality, the minutiae-based matching algorithm\u27s automatic extraction may detect fewer features and could completely miss features resulting in the return of an unrelated candidate. The aim of this research was to determine a method to improve the match score of latent fingerprints by removing the bad quality regions, where both a subjective and objective methods were utilized. The subjective method utilized the predetermined quality categories of good, bad or ugly to assign a latent fingerprint. After classification, each impression was processed by AdobeRTM PhotoshopRTM and four quality areas were serially removed. In the objective method, each latent fingerprint was assessed with NFIQ algorithm and then MINDTCT algorithm. The MINDTCT algorithm provided a quality map that was used to remove successive portions of each latent fingerprint. The resulting new images from both methods were compared to a database using the two different minutiae-based matching algorithms: AFIX TrackerRTM and BOZORTH3.;The results were examined utilizing the statistical methods of receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves, area under the ROC curve (AUC), cumulative match characteristic (CMC) curve, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Spearman\u27s rank correlation and the comparison of the removal methods. ROC curves and the resulting AUC were able to determine that the AFIX TrackerRTM program is a reliable performer with high AUC values, while the BOZORTH3 minutiae-based algorithm did not perform well with low AUC scores of around 0.5. The results produced from the CMC curves showed that the subjective method produced higher rank 1 and top 10 rank identification than the objective method, contrary to what was hypothesized. The correlation scores showed the manual and automatic extraction were weakly correlated to one another. However, a very weak to no correlation between the algorithms of the BOZORTH3 and AFIX Tracker R was observed. The comparison between the subjective and objective methods of removal showed the examiner allowed for a more conservative removal of the fingerprint than the objective method. With this result in connection with the CMC curve results shows that being more conservative produces higher rank 1 and top ten rank identification scores

A Biometric Approach to Prevent False Use of IDs

What is your username? What is your password? What is your PIN number? These are some of the commonly used key questions users need to answer accurately in order to verify their identity and gain access to systems and their own data. Passwords, Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and ID cards are different means of tokens used to identify a person, but these can be forgotten, stolen or lost. Currently, University of Hertfordshire (UH) carries out identity checks by checking the photograph on an ID card during exams. Other processes such as attendance monitoring and door access control require tapping the ID card on a reader. These methods can cause issues such as unauthorised use of ID card on attendance system and door access system if ID card is found, lost or borrowed. During exams, this could lead to interruptions when carrying out manual checks. As the invigilator carries out checks whilst the student is writing an exam, it is often difficult to see the student’s face as they face down whilst writing the exam. They cannot be disturbed for the ID check process. Students are also required to sign a manual register as they walk into the exam room. This process is time consuming. A more robust approach to identification of individuals that can avoid the above mentioned limitations of the traditional means, is the use of biometrics. Fingerprint was the first biometric modality that has been used. In comparison to other biometric modalities such as signature and face recognition, fingerprint is highly unique, accepted and leads to a more accurate matching result. Considering these properties of fingerprint biometrics, it has been explored in the research study presented in this thesis to enhance the efficiency and the reliability of the University’s exam process. This thesis focuses on using fingerprint recognition technology in a novel approach to check identity for exams in a University environment. Identifying a user using fingerprints is not the only aim of this project. Convenience and user experience play vital roles in this project whilst improving speed and processes at UH

Fast fingerprint verification using sub-regions of fingerprint images.

Chan Ka Cheong.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-85).Abstracts in English and Chinese.Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction to Fingerprint Verification --- p.1Chapter 1.1.1 --- Biometrics --- p.1Chapter 1.1.2 --- Fingerprint History --- p.2Chapter 1.1.3 --- Fingerprint characteristics --- p.4Chapter 1.1.4 --- A Generic Fingerprint Matching System Architecture --- p.6Chapter 1.1.5 --- Fingerprint Verification and Identification --- p.8Chapter 1.1.7 --- Biometric metrics --- p.10Chapter 1.2 --- Embedded system --- p.12Chapter 1.2.1 --- Introduction to embedded systems --- p.12Chapter 1.2.2 --- Embedded systems characteristics --- p.12Chapter 1.2.3 --- Performance evaluation of a StrongARM processor --- p.13Chapter 1.3 --- Objective -An embedded fingerprint verification system --- p.16Chapter 1.4 --- Organization of the Thesis --- p.17Chapter 2 --- Literature Reviews --- p.18Chapter 2.1 --- Fingerprint matching overviews --- p.18Chapter 2.1.1 --- Minutiae-based fingerprint matching --- p.20Chapter 2.2 --- Fingerprint image enhancement --- p.21Chapter 2.3 --- Orientation field Computation --- p.22Chapter 2.4 --- Fingerprint Segmentation --- p.24Chapter 2.5 --- Singularity Detection --- p.25Chapter 2.6 --- Fingerprint Classification --- p.27Chapter 2.7 --- Minutia extraction --- p.30Chapter 2.7.1 --- Binarization and thinning --- p.30Chapter 2.7.2 --- Direct gray scale approach --- p.32Chapter 2.7.3 --- Comparison of the minutiae extraction approaches --- p.35Chapter 2.8 --- Minutiae matching --- p.37Chapter 2.8.1 --- Point matching --- p.37Chapter 2.8.2 --- Structural matching technique --- p.38Chapter 2.9 --- Summary --- p.40Chapter 3. --- Implementation --- p.41Chapter 3.1 --- Fast Fingerprint Matching System Overview --- p.41Chapter 3.1.1 --- Typical Fingerprint Matching System --- p.41Chapter 3.1.2. --- Fast Fingerprint Matching System Overview --- p.41Chapter 3.2 --- Orientation computation --- p.43Chapter 3.21 --- Orientation computation --- p.43Chapter 3.22 --- Smooth orientation field --- p.43Chapter 3.3 --- Fingerprint image segmentation --- p.45Chapter 3.4 --- Reference Point Extraction --- p.46Chapter 3.5 --- A Classification Scheme --- p.51Chapter 3.6 --- Finding A Small Fingerprint Matching Area --- p.54Chapter 3.7 --- Fingerprint Matching --- p.57Chapter 3.8 --- Minutiae extraction --- p.59Chapter 3.8.1 --- Ridge tracing --- p.59Chapter 3.8.2 --- cross sectioning --- p.60Chapter 3.8.3 --- local maximum determination --- p.61Chapter 3.8.4 --- Ridge tracing marking --- p.62Chapter 3.8.5 --- Ridge tracing stop criteria --- p.63Chapter 3.9 --- Optimization technique --- p.65Chapter 3.10 --- Summary --- p.66Chapter 4. --- Experimental results --- p.67Chapter 4.1 --- Experimental setup --- p.67Chapter 4.2 --- Fingerprint database --- p.67Chapter 4.3 --- Reference point accuracy --- p.67Chapter 4.4 --- Variable number of matching minutiae results --- p.68Chapter 4.5 --- Contribution of the verification prototype --- p.72Chapter 5. --- Conclusion and Future Research --- p.74Chapter 5.1 --- Conclusion --- p.74Chapter 5.2 --- Future Research --- p.74Bibliography --- p.7