Extracting fingerprint feature data from a fingerprint image

1. A method of a fingerprint sensing system of extracting fingerprint feature data from an image captured by a fingerprint sensor of the fingerprint sensing system, comprising:

capturing at least one image of an object contacting the fingerprint sensor, the image comprising impairment data caused by impairments that the fingerprint sensor is subjected to;

storing the captured image comprising the impairment data;

capturing at least one further image of a fingerprint of a finger contacting the fingerprint sensor;

extracting fingerprint feature data from the captured at least one further image, wherein at least some of the feature data in sections of the image which are indicated in the stored image to comprise impairment data is lesser relied upon when extracting the fingerprint feature data than the feature data in sections of the image which are not indicated to comprise impairment data; and

computing a confidence metric for the stored captured image comprising the impairment data,

wherein when extracting the fingerprint feature data from the captured at least one further image, the feature data in sections of the image which are indicated in the stored image to comprise impairment data is more relied upon in case a value of the confidence metric indicates a low confidence for the impairment data, and less relied upon in case a value of the confidence metric indicates a high confidence for impairment data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in case the impairment data is similar over a plurality of captured images, the confidence metric is given a higher value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein when extracting the fingerprint feature data from the captured at least one further image, at least some of the feature data in sections of the image which are indicated in the stored image to comprise impairment data is excluded when extracting the fingerprint feature data.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

processing the further captured image of a fingerprint with the stored captured image comprising the impairment data in order to at least partly suppress the impairment data in said further captured image of a fingerprint.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

computing a presence metric for the impairment data in the captured image;

wherein when extracting the fingerprint feature data from the captured at least one further image, the feature data in sections of the image which are indicated in the stored image to comprise impairment data is more relied upon in case a value of the presence metric indicates a low presence of the impairment data, and less relied upon in case a value of the presence metric indicates a high presence of the impairment data.

6. The method of claim 1 , the object being a rubber stamp.

7. The method of claim 1 , said object being a finger, wherein the capturing of at least one image of an object contacting the fingerprint sensor further comprises:

capturing a plurality of images of the fingerprint of the finger, the images comprising impairment data caused by impairments that the fingerprint sensor is subjected to;

creating, from the plurality of captured images of the fingerprint, an image comprising the impairment data, wherein the storing of the captured image comprises:

storing the created image comprising the impairment data.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of images are captured during normal user operation of an electronic device in which the fingerprint sensing system is arranged.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein one or more images are repeatedly captured upon a user contacting the fingerprint sensor during normal user operation of the electronic device, wherein the image created from the plurality of captured images of the fingerprint is created and stored after a sufficient number of images of the fingerprint has been captured.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

repeatedly capturing new images of the fingerprint, the images comprising impairment data;

creating, from the captured new images, an updated image comprising the impairment data;

storing the updated image comprising the impairment data, wherein the extracting of fingerprint feature data from the captured at least one further image is performed using the stored updated image.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the processing of the further captured image of a fingerprint is performed using the stored updated image comprising the impairment data in order to at least partly suppress the impairment data present in said further captured image of a fingerprint.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

computing an updated impairment data confidence metric based on the captured new images of the fingerprint and storing the updated confidence metric, wherein the stored updated confidence metric subsequently is taken into account when extracting the fingerprint feature data from the further captured image.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the creation of the image comprising the impairment data from the plurality of captured images of the fingerprint comprises:

combining the plurality of captured images into a single image comprising the impairment data.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing the extracted fingerprint feature data of the captured image of the finger with one or more authorised pre-stored fingerprint templates; and

authenticating a user if the extracted fingerprint feature data of the captured image is considered to match one or more of the authorised pre-stored fingerprint templates.

15. A fingerprint sensing system comprising a processing unit configured to extract fingerprint feature data from an image captured by a fingerprint sensor of the fingerprint sensing system,

the fingerprint sensor being configured to:

capture at least one image of an object contacting the fingerprint sensor, the image comprising impairment data caused by impairments that the fingerprint sensor is subjected to; and

capture at least one further image of a fingerprint of a finger contacting the fingerprint sensor;

the processing unit being configured to:

store the captured image comprising the impairment data;

extract fingerprint feature data from the captured at least one further image, wherein at least some of the feature data in sections of the image which are indicated in the stored image to comprise impairment data is lesser relied upon when extracting the fingerprint feature data than the feature data in sections of the image which are not indicated to comprise impairment data; and

compute a confidence metric for the stored captured image comprising the impairment data,

wherein when extracting the fingerprint feature data from the captured at least one further image, the feature data in sections of the image which are indicated in the stored image to comprise impairment data is more relied upon in case a value of the confidence metric indicates a low confidence for the impairment data, and less relied upon in case a value of the confidence metric indicates a high confidence for impairment data.

16. The fingerprint sensing system of claim 15 , the processing unit further being configured to:

assign a higher value to the confidence metric in case the impairment data is similar over a plurality of captured images.

17. An electronic device comprising the fingerprint sensing system of claim 15 .

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program comprising computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for causing a fingerprint sensing system to perform the method of claim 1 when the computer-executable instructions are executed on a processing unit included in the fingerprint sensing system.

19. A method of a fingerprint sensing system of extracting fingerprint feature data from an image captured by a fingerprint sensor of the fingerprint sensing system, comprising:

capturing at least one image of an object contacting the fingerprint sensor, the image comprising impairment data caused by impairments that the fingerprint sensor is subjected to;

storing the captured image comprising the impairment data;

capturing at least one further image of a fingerprint of a finger contacting the fingerprint sensor;

extracting fingerprint feature data from the captured at least one further image, wherein at least some of the feature data in sections of the image which are indicated in the stored image to comprise impairment data is lesser relied upon when extracting the fingerprint feature data than the feature data in sections of the image which are not indicated to comprise impairment data; and

computing a presence metric for the impairment data in the captured image,

wherein when extracting the fingerprint feature data from the captured at least one further image, the feature data in sections of the image which are indicated in the stored image to comprise impairment data is more relied upon in case a value of the presence metric indicates a low presence of the impairment data, and less relied upon in case a value of the presence metric indicates a high presence of the impairment data.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein when extracting the fingerprint feature data from the captured at least one further image, at least some of the feature data in sections of the image which are indicated in the stored image to comprise impairment data is excluded when extracting the fingerprint feature data.