Apparatus and method of inputting fingerprints
View Patent ↗A fingerprint input apparatus is provided that specifies the cause when a failure in fingerprint reading occurs and then notifies a user of the content of the cause and/or the countermeasure against it. The fingerprint input apparatus comprises a fingerprint sensor ( 1 ) for reading a fingerprint and then outputting fingerprint image data corresponding to the fingerprint, a fingerprint analyzer ( 3 ) for analyzing the quality of a fingerprint image represented by fingerprint image data and creating an evaluation result representing the cause of the quality failure and/or a countermeasure against it when the analysis result indicates a quality failure, and an evaluation result display ( 2 ) for displaying the evaluation result.
1. A fingerprint input apparatus, comprising:
a fingerprint sensor for reading a fingerprint;
a fingerprint analyzer for
acquiring a fingerprint image corresponding to said read fingerprint,
analyzing the quality of said fingerprint image based on an image quality and/or feature points of said fingerprint image, and
generating an evaluation result if a result of said analysis indicates a quality malfunction; and
an evaluation result display for displaying said evaluation result in a plurality of ways,
wherein,
if said quality malfunction indicates a first quality malfunction associated with said image quality, said fingerprint analyzer generates a first evaluation result that indicates a cause of said first quality malfunction and/or a countermeasure for said cause of said first quality malfunction as said evaluation result, and
if said quality malfunction indicates a second quality malfunction associated with said feature points, said fingerprint analyzer generates a second evaluation result that indicates a cause of said second quality malfunction and/or a countermeasure for said cause of said second quality malfunction as said evaluation result,
wherein said first quality malfunction includes at least one of
a quality malfunction associated with a fingerprint display area of said fingerprint image and
a quality malfunction associated with a shape of ridges of said fingerprint image, and
wherein the quality malfunction associated with the shape of ridges of said fingerprint image includes a continuity malfunction of a ridge of said fingerprint image.
2. The fingerprint input apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein said fingerprint analyzer comprises:
a quality evaluation and processing means for performing the analysis based on the image quality and/or feature points of a fingerprint image represented by said fingerprint image data; and
an evaluation result display and processing means for driving said evaluation result display based on said evaluation result.
3. The fingerprint input apparatus defined in claim 2 , wherein said fingerprint sensor comprises a light source and an image pickup device.
4. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 2 , wherein said quality evaluation and processing means performs the analysis based on any one of the density of said fingerprint image, a fingerprint display area indicated by said fingerprint image, the shape of ridges indicated by said fingerprint image, and the position of a spiral shape indicated by said fingerprint image.
5. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 2 , wherein said plurality of ways for evaluation result display is drawn from the group of light emitting elements for visually displaying said evaluation result, a display panel for visually displaying said evaluation result, and an acoustic device for acoustically displaying said evaluation result.
6. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 2 , wherein said plurality of ways for evaluation result display includes a display panel for visually displaying said evaluation result and light emitting elements for visually displaying said evaluation result.
7. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 6 , wherein said evaluation result display also includes an acoustic device for acoustically displaying said evaluation result.
8. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein said fingerprint sensor comprises a light source and an image pickup device.
9. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 8 , wherein said fingerprint analyzer performs the analysis based on any one of the density of said fingerprint image, a fingerprint display area indicated by said fingerprint image, the shape of ridges indicated by said fingerprint image, and the position of a spiral shape indicated by said fingerprint image.
10. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 8 , wherein said plurality of ways for evaluation result display is drawn from the group of light emitting elements for visually displaying said evaluation result, a display panel for visually displaying said evaluation result, and an acoustic device for acoustically displaying said evaluation result.
11. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 8 , wherein said plurality of ways for evaluation result display includes a display panel for visually displaying said evaluation result and light emitting elements for visually displaying said evaluation result.
12. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 11 , wherein said evaluation result display also includes an acoustic device for acoustically displaying said evaluation result.
13. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein said fingerprint analyzer performs the analysis based on any one of the density of said fingerprint image, a fingerprint display area indicated by said fingerprint image, the shape of ridges indicated by said fingerprint image, and the position of a spiral shape indicated by said fingerprint image.
14. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 13 , wherein said plurality of ways for evaluation result display is drawn from the group of light emitting elements for visually displaying said evaluation result, a display panel for visually displaying said evaluation result, and an acoustic device for acoustically displaying said evaluation result.
15. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 13 , wherein said plurality of ways for evaluation result display includes a display panel for visually displaying said evaluation result and light emitting elements for visually displaying said evaluation result.
16. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 15 , wherein said evaluation result display also includes an acoustic device for acoustically displaying said evaluation result.
17. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of ways for evaluation result display is drawn from the group of light emitting elements for visually displaying said evaluation result, a display panel for visually displaying said evaluation result, and an acoustic device for acoustically displaying said evaluation result.
18. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of ways for evaluation result display includes a display panel for visually displaying said evaluation result and light emitting elements for visually displaying said evaluation result.
19. The fingerprint image apparatus defined in claim 18 , wherein said evaluation result display also includes an acoustic device for acoustically displaying said evaluation result.
20. A fingerprint input method comprising the steps of:
reading a fingerprint and then outputting fingerprint image data corresponding to said fingerprint;
analyzing the quality of a fingerprint image based on an image quality and/or feature points of said fingerprint image, and generating an evaluation result if a result of said analysis indicates a quality malfunction; and
displaying said evaluation result in a plurality of ways, wherein,
if said quality malfunction indicates a first quality malfunction associated with said image quality, said fingerprint analyzing step generates a first evaluation result that indicates a cause of said first quality malfunction and/or a countermeasure for said cause of said first quality malfunction as said evaluation result, and
if said quality malfunction indicates a second quality malfunction associated with said feature points, said fingerprint analyzing step generates a second evaluation result that indicates a cause of said second quality malfunction and/or a countermeasure for said cause of said second quality malfunction as said evaluation result,
wherein said first quality malfunction includes at least one of
a quality malfunction associated with a fingerprint display area of said fingerprint image and
a quality malfunction associated with a shape of ridges of said fingerprint image, and
wherein the quality malfunction associated with the shape of ridges of said fingerprint image includes a continuity malfunction of a ridge of said fingerprint image.