Showing papers by "Nalini K. Ratha published in 2003"

Guide to Biometrics

Abstract: This complete, technical guide details the principles, methods, technologies, and core ideas used in biometric authentication systems. It explains the definition and measurement of performance and examines the factors involved in choosing between different biometrics. It also delves into practical applications and covers a number of topics critical for successful system integration. These include recognition accuracy, total cost of ownership, acquisition and processing speed, intrinsic and system security, privacy and legal requirements, and user acceptance. The "Guide to Biometrics:" * Debunks myths and candidly confronts problems associated with biometrics research * Details relevant issues in choosing between biometrics, as well as defining and measuring performance * Defines and explains how to measure the performance of both verification and identification systems * Addresses challenges in managing tradeoffs between security and convenience Security and financial administrators, computer science professionals, and biometric systems developers will all benefit from an enhanced understanding of this important technology.

Business system and method using a distorted biometrics

Abstract: A method of doing business is disclosed that transforms a biometric used by a user in a transaction. The transformation creates a distorted biometric. The distorted biometric is used to identify the user to another party without requiring the user to provide actual physical or behavioral characteristics about himself to the other party.

System and method for distortion characterization in fingerprint and palm-print image sequences and using this distortion as a behavioral biometrics

Abstract: This invention uses a novel biometrics, called resultant fingerprints and palm-prints, for authentication. The novel biometrics are consecutive traditional print images where the subject physically changes the appearance of the print images by rotating or rotating and translating, or rotating, translating, and shearing the finger or palm. That is, it is a sequence of finger or palm-print images over a short interval of time where the images are modified according to the rotation or a combination of rotation and translation or a combination of rotation, translation, and shear. The rotational and translational and shear components of the motion in the sequence of print images are determined from the image-to-image flow. This flow is either computed from motion-compensation vectors of the sequence compressed in MPEG formats or directly from the uncompressed images. The global image-to-image flow is expressed in terms of an affine transformation, computed from the local flow in blocks around a non-moving central region. The rotational and translational components of this affine transformation are smoothed over a temporal neighborhood resulting in a function of time. This function of time is a behavioral biometrics which can be changed by the user when compromised. Matching of this function for authentication purposes is achieved very much as is done in legacy signature matching authentication systems where two temporal signals are compared.

A comparative performance analysis of JPEG 2000 vs. WSQ for fingerprint image compression

Abstract: The FBI Wavelet Scalar Quantization (WSQ) compression standard was developed by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The main advantage of WSQ-based fingerprint image compression has been its superiority in preserving the fingerprint minutiae features even at very high compression rates which standard JPEG compression techniques were unable to preserve. With the advent of JPEG 2000 image compression technique based on Wavelet transforms moving away from DCT-based methods, we have been motivated to investigate if the same advantage still persists. In this paper, we describe a set of experiments we carried out to compare the performance of WSQ with JPEG 2000. The performance analysis is based on three public databases of fingerprint images acquired using different imaging sensors. Our analysis shows that JPEG 2000 provides better compression with less impact on the overall system accuracy performance.

A JC-BioAPI compliant smart card with biometrics for secure access control

Abstract: Smart cards play a very important and complimentary role in biometrics-based access control systems. While the most common application of the smart card in biometrics systems is as a platform for the secure storage of biometric data, matching on the smart card will enhance both the users privacy and the over all security of the system. However, the proprietary and non-standard smart card operating systems and development environments, make developing biometric matching on the card very difficult. Java Cards partially address this problem by ensuring inter-operability through the use of Java Virtual Machines (JVM). However, the use of an interpreted language like Java is not without a performance penalty and does not help biometric interoperability at the application level. The objective of this paper is to provide a synthesis of current smart card open standard development with respect to biometric applications. After introducing the current state of smart card open standards, we aim to highlight some of the more pertinent issues faced by biometric application developers. To aid this process we present two fingerprint-based applications for access control, both developed on an IBM JCOP31 smart card. The first example is our implementation of a storage-based fingerprint application using the contact-less interface available on the JCOP31. The second example is our implementation of a high performance, fingerprint-based match-on-card application using the new JC-BioAPI. We will conclude by presenting some performance figures that should help dispel the myth that Java Card biometric applications by nature have to be slow.

Architecture for synchronous multiparty authentication using biometrics

Abstract: Biometrics-based remote individual authentication has become widespread recently. However, several existing business systems and processes often require participation of multiple parties synchronously in real time. Further, new e-business processes can be enabled by technology that allows multiple participants to authenticate themselves synchronously and persistently. In this paper, we make distinction between traditional workflow processes that require multiparty authentication from synchronous multiparty authentication needed in business and consumer scenarios. A new system and method for multiparty authentication and authorization using real-time biometrics is proposed. We define real-time biometrics to include concepts that cover certificates that witness the simultaneous acquisition of biometrics signal from multiple parties and certificates that prove that the parties continuously provided the biometrics signal over an unbroken interval of time. We also present novel business processes based on this technology such as remote (web-based) owner access to bank lockers controlled by a designated bank officer even when the officer is not physically present at the bank, notarization of a document remotely, and signing "e-Will" without being present in the attorney's office.