Update to “Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial & Other Biometric

Information” for multiple finger capture designations

ANSI/NIST­ITL 1a­2009

Description:

This is an extension of the table, Finger Position Code & Maximum Image Dimensions

in order to include additional finger combinations.  The extension is to Table 12 in 

Part 1 and Table 212 in Part 2.  This brings the ANSI/NIST standards into harmony 

with “Mobile ID Device Best Practice Recommendation Version 1.0” (NIST Special 

Publication 500‐280). Only the table extension is subject to vote.  

The “Mobile ID Device Best Practice Recommendation Version 1.0” (BPR) was 

developed by a working group established by the Advisory Policy Board (APB) to 

the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  The Working Group was comprised of 

representatives from Government (US and international), academia, and industry.  It 

met over thirteen months and produced several drafts before reaching a consensus 

on the final version that was then issued as a NIST Special Publication. 

The document is intended to assist organizations that process and exchange 

biometric data captured and acquired from a Mobile ID device without regard to any 

peculiarities of that device.  Information captured, compiled and formatted in 

accordance with the BPR and compliant with the target system’s implementation of 

the ANSI/NIST‐ITL 1‐2007 or ANSI/NIST 2‐2008 standards can be transmitted and 

seamlessly exchanged. This update does not impact any existing parts of Part 1 or 

Part 2 of the standard. 

The working group recognized the need to be able to transmit data captured from 

multiple fingers simultaneously.   The ANSI/NIST finger position codes are extended 

to allow for this type of data.   Note that Table 12(Part1) and Table 212 (Part 2) are 

identical.  The codes start at 0 and go to 19.  Palm codes utilize numbers 20 through 

36 in Record Type 15.  Thus, the additional finger codes (used for the simultaneous 

capture of multiple fingers) adopted in the BPR start at 40.  
Text to be inserted immediately following the existing Note to Table 12 in Part

1 and Table 212 part 2:

The above table is extended with minimum dimensions for common 2‐finger and 3‐

finger combinations captured by mobile ID devices.   Note that mobile devices can 

use the codes defined in the above table, as well as those presented here. 

    Table 12.A  (Table 212.A for Part 2)

Finger position Finger 

code 

Min image 

area (cm2) 

Min Width 

(mm) (in) 

Min Length 

(mm) (in) 

2-Finger 

Combinations 

Right index/middle 40 15.47 40.6 1.6 38.1 1.5 

Right middle/ring 41 15.47 40.6 1.6 38.1 1.5 

Right ring/little 42 15.47 40.6 1.6 38.1 1.5 

Left index/middle 43 15.47 40.6 1.6 38.1 1.5 

Left middle/ring 44 15.47 40.6 1.6 38.1 1.5 

Left ring/little 45 15.47 40.6 1.6 38.1 1.5 

Right index/ Left index 46 15.47 40.6 1.6 38.1 1.5 

3-Finger 

Combinations 

Right 

index/middle/ring 

47 24.19 63.5 2.5 38.1 1.5 

Right 

middle/ring/little 

48 24.19 63.5 2.5 38.1 1.5 

Left 

index/middle/ring 

49 24.19 63.5 2.5 38.1 1.5 

Left 

middle/ring/little 

50 24.19 63.5 2.5 38.1 1.5 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

All who voted approved the table update unanimously.  Some voted “Yes with 

comments”.   These comments are summarized below: 

1) It may be helpful to provide guidance on maximum dimensions.   

2) There is no need for the minimum image area, given the width and length 

columns. 

3) It might be better to change mm to cm. 

4) The minimum areas for codes 42, 45, 48 and 50 may not be sufficient.  The 

use of these codes is also like to be minimal. 

5) It should be noted that Tables 12 and 212 are extended with minimum 

dimensions for common simultaneous 2‐finger and 3‐finger combinations 

captured by mobile ID devices.  Note that mobile devices can use the codes 

defined in the Table 12 and 212 as well as those presented here. 
6) The titles of the finger combinations are given from the thumb outwards 

(that is, left to right for the right hand and right to left for the left hand).   

“Right index / Left index” means that the right index placed on the right 

portion of the imaging area and the left index on the left portion of that same 

imaging area.    

7) The standard as it is currently written is restricted to a continuous sensor 

image capture for the multiple fingers.   Similar conditions could occur for 

sensors placed in close proximity and capturing the separate finger images 

simultaneously, but currently the standard requires them to be transmitted 

separately.