FEASIBILITY DEMONSTRATION: PERSONNEL IDENTIFICATION DEVICE FOR ENTRY ACCESS CONTROL (PIDEAC)

WE PROPOSE TO DEMONSTRATE FEASIBILITY OF ACHIEVING PERSONNEL ENTRY ACCESS CONTROL BY IDENTIFYING A PROFILE PATTERN GENERATED FROM TV IMAGES OF TEN FINGERS, EACH SCANNED TRANSVERSELY IN ABOUT 80 SLICES FROM TIP TO KNUCKLE. THE 80 WIDTHS DESCRIBING THE SHAPE OF EACH FINGER ARE AUTOMATICALLY MEASURED, FORMING 10 INDIVIDUAL "WIDTH PROFILES." IN 1980-81, USING X-RAY IMAGES OF FINGER BONES, WE DEVELOPED THE BASIC PROFILE MATCHING PRINCIPLES UNDER A NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES/AIR FORCE RESEARCH PROJECT. WE IDENTIFIED THE CORRECT PERSON TO APPLY THIS METHOD TO FLESH-COVERED FINGERS IMAGED BY A TV CAMERA, AND TO DEMONSTRATE AN ERROR RATE SO LOW AS TO PRECLUDE ADMISSION OF AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON PRESENTING A FAKED OR STOLEN I.D. CARD. CONTINUAL UPDATING IS ACCOMPLISHED BY REPLACING THE PRE VIOUSLY STORED PROFILE WITH THE MOST RECENTLY ACCEPTED PROFILE. THERE IS NO NEED TO STORE ACTUAL IMAGES, ONLY TEN STRINGS OF 10-BIT NUMBERS, WHICH COULD BE MAGNETICALLY RECORDED ON THE BEARER'S I.D. CARD. MATCH COMPUTATION TIME WITH A HARD-WIRED MICOCHIP PROGRAM SHOULD BE A MATTER OF SECONDS.