A Memory-Efficient Fingerprint Verification Algorithm Using a Multi-Resolution Accumulator Array

Abstract

Using biometrics to verify a person's identity has several advantages over the present practices of personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords. At the same time, improvements in VLSI technology have recently led to the introduction of smart cards with 32-bit RISC processors. To gain maximum security in verification systems using biometrics, verification as well as storage of the biometric pattern must be done in the smart card. However, because of the limited resources (processing power and memory space) of the smart card, integrating biometrics into it is still an open challenge. In this paper, we propose a fingerprint verification algorithm using a multi-resolution accumulator array that can be executed in restricted environments such as the smart card. We first evaluate both the number of instructions executed and the memory requirement for each step of a typical fingerprint verification algorithm. We then develop a memory-efficient algorithm for the most memory-consuming step (alignment) using a multiresolution accumulator array. Our experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can reduce the required memory space by a factor of 40 and can be executed in real time in resource-constrained environments without significantly degrading accuracy.