Touchless fingerprinting acquisition and processing application for mobile devices
This disclosure is of a biometric authentication system and method. The system includes a mobile device having a camera and a screen, and a database. The system is programmed to superimpose on the screen an overlay of a finger over a real-time image seen by the camera, capture an image of a fingerprint of a user with the camera, compare the captured image with an authenticated fingerprint image that is stored in the database, and return a positive result if the compared images match.
1. A method for biometric authentication of a user comprising the steps of:
a) providing:
a mobile device comprising a camera and a screen;
a database; and
a randomly-generated image that is unique to each user using the mobile device;
b) capturing with the camera an image of a fingerprint of the user;
c) extracting first significant geographical areas of the fingerprint image;
d) extracting second significant geographical areas of the randomly-generated image;
e) concatenating the first significant geographical areas with the second significant geographical areas to produce a concatenated string;
f) comparing the concatenated string with an authenticated concatenated string that is stored in the database; and
g) returning a positive result if the compared strings match.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising step:
h) discarding the fingerprint image.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein step a) further comprises providing a server external to the mobile device, wherein the server comprises the database; the method further comprising step:
i) sending the concatenated string to the server;
wherein step i) occurs after step e) and before step f).
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the randomly-generated image of the user is stored on that user's mobile device.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the database is stored on the mobile device.
6. The method of claim 2 further comprising step:
j) superimposing on the screen an overlay of a finger over a real-time image as currently seen through the camera;
wherein step j) occurs after step a) and before step b).
7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the comparing of step f) comprises performing standard deviation analysis.
8. The method of claim 2 further comprising step:
k) the positive result in step g) causing at least one of the following group of actions:
unlocking the mobile device;
accessing an application on the mobile device; and
authenticating a mobile payment system.
9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the database provided in step a) includes authenticated concatenated strings for a plurality of users using the mobile device;
wherein step a) further comprises providing a plurality of randomly-generated images, each of which is unique to each of the plurality of users using the mobile device;
wherein step d) comprises extracting second significant geographical areas of each of a plurality of randomly-generated images in sequential iterations of steps d)-g);
wherein step e) comprises concatenating the first significant geographical areas with the second significant geographical areas of each of a plurality of randomly-generated images in sequential iterations of steps d)-g) to produce a new concatenated string in each iteration;
wherein step f) comprises comparing the concatenated string of each iteration of steps d)-g) with the authenticated concatenated strings that are stored in the database; and
wherein step g) further comprises identifying the user for who the compared strings match.