We report the implementation and performance of a photorefractive joint transform correlator operating as an optical post-processor of an electronic fingerprint database search/identification system. The approach is as follows: in an initial electronic identification step, a list of possible 'candidates' is extracted from a large database, using standard electronic group-classification techniques. This candidate list is processed by optical correlation for final identification. We present the experimental demonstration of database search using a 3500- fingerprint candidate list. More specifically, we have operated on group-1 fingerprints, for which the lack of bifurcation, center and delta prevents efficient electronic classification. Undistorted fingerprints are unambiguously recognized. In this approach, significant fingerprint distortions can be handled. We discuss the system performance in terms of robustness, speed and efficiency.

Date Published: 15 March 1996
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 2752, Optical Pattern Recognition VII, (15 March 1996); doi: 10.1117/12.235653

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2752:
Optical Pattern Recognition VII
David P. Casasent; Tien-Hsin Chao, Editor(s)