Patent ID: 6917694

Claim:
A surface shape recognition method of detecting a shape of a target collation surface of an object having a small surface shape pattern and comparing and collating the shape with predetermined data to authenticate the object, comprising the steps of: electrically detecting the surface shape pattern in a partial region of the target collation surface of the object by surface shape detection means constructed by a plurality of sensor elements, partially reading out, as collation data, template data representing the surface shape pattern of the entire target collation surface, the template data being obtained from the object in advance, comparing the collation data with the detection data, and performing determination for authentication between the template data and the object on the basis of a comparison result, wherein the result of authenticaion is issued as data coincide at a particular point of time determination is made and scan processing and at said particular point of time when a result of said comparing shows coincidence, when said comparison result does not show coincidence, the position from which the template data is to be read out is changed to a different position, when the comparison is ended for all positions, the result of authentication is issued as data do not coincide and scan processing ends.