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; and
a server external to the mobile device, wherein the server comprises a database;
b) superimposing on the screen a translucent overlay of a finger over a real-time image as currently seen through the camera;
c) capturing with the camera an image of a fingerprint of the user;
d) sending the captured image to the server;
e) processing on the server the fingerprint image, which processing includes at least one of:
converting the fingerprint image to black-and-white;
reducing noise in the fingerprint image;
reducing blurring of the fingerprint image;
enhancing ridge contours of the fingerprint image; and
compressing the fingerprint image;
f) comparing the captured image with an authenticated fingerprint image that is stored in the database; and
g) returning a positive result if the compared images match;
wherein step d) occurs after step c) and before step f); and
wherein step e) occurs after step d) and before step f).
2. A method for biometric authentication of a user comprising the steps of:
a) providing:
a mobile device comprising a camera and a screen; and
a database;
b) superimposing on the screen a translucent overlay of a finger over a real-time image as currently seen through the camera;
c) capturing with the camera an image of a fingerprint of the user;
d) processing the fingerprint image, which includes at least one of:
converting the fingerprint image to black-and-white;
reducing noise in the fingerprint image;
reducing blurring of the fingerprint image;
enhancing ridge contours of the fingerprint image;
compressing the fingerprint image; and
encrypting the fingerprint image;
e) calculating a time used for the processing of step h); and
f) comparing the calculated time from step i) against a pre-set threshold;
g) comparing the captured image with an authenticated fingerprint image that is stored in the database;
h) returning a positive result if the compared images match;
wherein steps d)-f) occur after step c) and before step g); and
wherein step h) returns a negative result if the calculated time from step e) is less than the pre-set threshold compared against in step f).
3. A method for biometric authentication of a user comprising the steps of:
a) providing:
a mobile device comprising a camera and a screen; and
a database;
b) superimposing on the screen a translucent overlay of a finger over a real-time image as currently seen through the camera, wherein the overlay is oriented such that the finger of the overlay is positioned horizontally;
c) capturing with the camera an image of a fingerprint of the user, wherein at least one of the top and bottom one-third portions of a field of view of the camera is either: 1) not imaged, or 2) cropped out after imaging;
d) comparing the captured image with an authenticated fingerprint image that is stored in the database; and
e) returning a positive result if the compared images match.