System for multiple algorithm processing of biometric data

Abstract

A system performs processing of biometric information to create multiple templates. This allows biometric systems to be flexible and interact with a plurality of vendors' technologies. Specifically, a biometric sample is captured from a sensor and transmitted to a processing component. The biometric sample is then processed by a first algorithm to yield a biometric template and the template is stored and associated with a record identifier. The biometric sample is also processed by a second algorithm to yield a second template. The second template is stored and associated with the record identifier.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A biometric data match template generated by the steps of:
 capturing a first biometric sample of a live subject from a single device;   transmitting the first biometric sample from the device to a processing component;   processing the first biometric sample by a first vendor's template generation algorithm to yield a first reference template;   associating the first reference template with a record identifier;   processing the first biometric sample by a second vendor's template generation algorithm to yield a second reference template;   associating the second reference template with the record identifier; and   processing a subsequent biometric sample for verification of the live subject by a template generation algorithm, wherein the source of the template generation algorithm is selected from the group consisting of the first vendor, the second vendor, or a different vendor, to yield a biometric match template.   
     
     
         2 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the template is stored in temporary memory. 
     
     
         3 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the template is generated by the additional steps comprising:
 processing the first biometric sample by one or more additional vendor's template generation algorithms to yield one or more additional reference templates; and   associating the one or more additional reference templates with the record identifier.   
     
     
         4 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the template is generated by the additional steps comprising:
 receiving a request for a type of template from a requesting authority, wherein the request identifies the type of template needed to perform a match and the record identifier;   determining from a plurality of storage units if the requested type of template is available for the record identifier; and   transmitting the type of template requested to the requesting authority.   
     
     
         5 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the template is generated by the additional steps comprising:
 receiving a request for a biometric match from a requesting authority along with the match template, wherein the request identifies the record identifier;   locating from a plurality of storage units a reference template associated with the record identifier that is compatible with the match template; and   performing a template comparison between the match template and the located reference template.   
     
     
         6 . The biometric match template of  claim 5 , wherein the template is generated by the additional step comprising returning the result of the template comparison to the requesting authority. 
     
     
         7 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the template generation algorithms includes minutiae matching, pattern matching, vector line analysis, Eigenface, or neural network processing. 
     
     
         8 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the processing to yield the first and second reference templates is preceded by an image pre-processing step wherein the first biometric sample is modified according to information in a vendor profile associated with the vendor's algorithm. 
     
     
         9 . The biometric match template of  claim 8 , wherein the information in the vendor profile include image dimension, resolution, scale, speed, time, frequency, or orientation. 
     
     
         10 . The biometric match template of  claim 8 , wherein the vendor profile is created prior to the image pre-processing step based on features associated with a specific algorithm. 
     
     
         11 . The biometric match template of  claim 8 , wherein the image pre-processing comprises the steps of:
 extracting several different sub-samples from the first biometric sample by means for superimposing geometric shapes on the first biometric sample, wherein the geometric shapes are associated with the vendor profile; and   performing a match between a reference template created from the sub-samples and one of the reference templates.   
     
     
         12 . The biometric match template of  claim 11 , wherein the geometric shapes are rectangles. 
     
     
         13 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second biometric samples include a fingerprint, a facial image, an iris image, a retina image, a voiceprint, a DNA sample, a hand shape, a signature, or a gait. 
     
     
         14 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the single device is a livescan input device with at least 400 dots per square inch resolution. 
     
     
         15 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second vendor's template generation algorithms perform feature extraction. 
     
     
         16 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the template is generated by the additional step comprising granting access or privilege rights to the subject when the degree of similarity meets a specified threshold. 
     
     
         17 . The biometric match template of  claim 1 , wherein the single device includes one or more sensors. 
     
     
         18 . A biometric data match template generated by the steps of:
 capturing a first biometric sample of a live subject from a single device;   transmitting the first biometric sample from the device to a storage component;   receiving a request from a requesting authority, wherein the request identifies a vendor and associated template generation algorithm to be used in creating a reference template, and the reference template is not created until the request is received from the requesting authority;   processing the first biometric sample by the identified vendor's template generation algorithm to create the reference template; and   processing a subsequent biometric sample for verification of the live subject by a template generation algorithm to create a match template,   wherein the template generation algorithm may be the first vendor's template generation algorithm, the second vendor's template generation algorithm, or a different template generation algorithm;   performing, by a computer, a comparison between the match template and the first reference templates or the second reference template;   determining, using the computer, a degree of similarity based on the comparison; and   authenticating the live subject based on the degree of similarity.   
     
     
         19 . The biometric match template of  claim 18 , wherein the template is generated by the additional step comprising returning the reference template to the requesting authority. 
     
     
         20 . The biometric match template of  claim 19 , wherein the first and second vendor's template generation algorithms perform feature extraction. 
     
     
         21 . The biometric match template of  claim 20 , wherein the template is generated by the additional step comprising returning the degree of similarity to the requesting authority.