Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

Finger prints of authorized personnel are initially stored in digital form in a memory. Subsequently, personal identification is obtained by matching the fingerprints of individuals with the stored prints. The individual places his finger in an activator which indexes the finger and turns on the equipment. The fingerprint image may be refleted directly into an electronic image sensor or it may be initially impressed upon a tape for later image scanning. In either case, the electronic image sensor scans the fingerprint image and converts the optical characteristic of the print into a plurality of picture elements, and provides an electrical signal representative of each of the picture elements at its output. The picture elements are converted either in the electronic image sensor or in an analog to digital converter into a digital code representative of each picture element. These digital codes are entered into a temporary storage for comparison with the fingerprints contained in the memory. Handshaking circuits cause the image fingerprint to be compared with each stored fingerprint until either a match is obtained or the image has been compared with each print contained in the memory and no match was made. The match or no-match condition causes, respectively, a go or no-go output indication which may be used to perform any number of desired functions.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim