Patent ID: 7136514

Claim:
A method for authenticating an individual by use of fingerprint data, comprising: obtaining a biometrics fingerprint signature template (“BFST”) for the individual in an enrollment process by the following steps: selecting a plurality of bands for the BFST; obtaining a plurality of tracks corresponding to each of the plurality of bands by use of an enrollment frame of a selected finger of the individual, wherein the plurality of bands are spatially referenced to the enrollment frame and can be spatially referenced to a reference barrier; and determining whether there is a match between a candidate finger and the BFST in an authentication process by the following steps: selecting a swipe direction and an access code for the individual; obtaining a plurality of candidate tracks from the candidate finger through use of the reference barrier in an authentication unit so that each of the plurality of candidate tracks is spatially referenced so as to be within a corresponding one of the plurality of bands; calculating a similarity index for each of the plurality of candidate tracks and each of the plurality of tracks for the band to which the candidate track corresponds by use of a Fast Fourier-transform fingerprint algorithm; and using the maximum similarity index calculated for each of the plurality of tracks in the preceeding step to determine if the candidate finger and the BFST match.