Automated Fingerprint Identification System

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion3

Fingerprint3

History of Fingerprint Identification4

Automated Fingerprint Identification System5

Automated Fingerprint Identification System - The Step by Step Procedure6

A)Capture of images7

B)Encoding of images7

C)Editing and/or quality control8

D)Launching the search8

E)Verification of results8

F)Validation of case9

Automated Fingerprint Identification Database9

Performance and Reliability of Automated Fingerprints Identification Systems10

Advantages of Automated Identification by Fingerprints11

Limitations of Automated Identification by Fingerprints12

Implementation of Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems14

Conclusion15

References17

Automated Fingerprint Identification System

Introduction

The paper attempts to discuss the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). It provides the history of fingerprint identification dating back from 1686 till 2011. It also explains the complete step by step procedure of the way fingerprint identification is done by an AFIS. The paper then describes the automated fingerprint identification databases and explains the performance and reliability of the AFIS. The advantages and limitations of AFIS are also pointed out. The paper then highlights the implementation of AFIS in today's world.



Discussion

The definition of standards in fingerprint identification is currently an issue of discussion in the field. Quantitative standards have been used in the past to provide justifications for conclusions; however, a scientific basis for relying on numerical standards alone currently does not exist (Prabhakar, Pankanti & Jain, 2002). Furthermore, the searched area of the fingerprint and the size of the database play roles in determining how well the system is able to discriminate between states. Through future comparison against results submitted by latent fingerprint examiners, inferences can be drawn as to the reliability of conclusions based on varying levels of available detail (Maltoni, Maio, Jain & Pankanti, 2003).

Fingerprint

Fingerprints is an impression taken of the indents present on the finger tips. It is an impression of the friction ridges of all or any part of the finger. The science of fingerprints is called dactyloscopy and within it there are two major branches with their own fingerprint classification (Amengual, Juan, Prez, Prat, Sez & Vilar, 1997). A fingerprint is the visible or molded impression produced by the contact of the ridges. It is an individual characteristic that is used as a means of identifying individuals. These have been used in the detection of crime relying on the hypothesis that no two people have the same fingerprint (Amengual, Juan, Prez, Prat, Sez & Vilar, 1997).

History of Fingerprint Identification

Marcello Malpighi wrote the first scientific work dedicated to the pattern of ridges, valleys and pores of the surface of the fingers, dating back in 1686 (Liu, Xia & Li, 2004). In 1788, Johann Christopher Andreas Mayer described the anatomical formation of fingerprints, and the first fingerprint signature was made by Thomas Bewick in the year 1809 (Prabhakar, Pankanti & Jain, 2002). John Purkinje was the first person to classify fingerprints into nine classes, taking into account the layout of the line, in 1823 (Xiao & Raafat, 1991). Later in 1863, Professor Paul-Jean Coulier published his observations on the collection of fingerprints and the possibility of preserving and identifying fingerprints with a magnifying glass (Maltoni, Maio, Jain & Pankanti, 2003). In the year 1880, Henry Faulds confirmed the individuality of fingerprints by confirming a ...