JPH0346873B2 - - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a fingerprint input device, and more particularly to a cleaning device for a fingerprint input prism in a fingerprint verification device that uses fingerprints to identify individuals.

Prior Art Systems that use fingerprints to identify individuals have extremely high reliability due to the characteristics of fingerprints, which are ``unique for all people'' and ``unchangeable throughout life.'' Various devices have been proposed for verifying identity with a registered fingerprint stored in a registered file.

In such a fingerprint verification device, a light source and an imaging device such as an ITV are detected by using the optical boundary conditions of the glass from the back side of the finger pressure surface of a transparent glass prism to the finger placed on the surface of the glass prism. It has a fingerprint input device that generates a photoelectric conversion image of a fingerprint pattern, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-69300 and 54-
It is disclosed in Publication No. 85600.

Since the finger tips of an unspecified number of people are pressed against the finger pressure surface of the prism of the fingerprint collection part in such a fingerprint input device, it is inevitable that dirt such as sweat and oil will adhere to the prism, which reduces the reliability of fingerprint verification. This not only reduces the performance but also causes discomfort to the user.

Purpose of the Invention The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cleaner for cleaning the acupressure bonding surface of the prism so that the surface is always kept clean, thereby eliminating user discomfort and making it possible to collect accurate fingerprint images. It is to provide an input device.

Structure of the Invention A fingerprint input device according to the present invention includes a transparent body cleaning member having a compress and a dry cloth that are provided in contact with a finger pressure bonding surface of a transparent body such as a prism, and a cleaning member after the finger is removed from the finger pressure bonding surface. The present invention is characterized by having a control means for controlling the compressed cloth and the dry cloth to wipe the surface of the transparent body while coming into contact with the same.

Examples Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, including a partially transparent view, of an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a prism, which irradiates light from a light source 2 from the back side of this acupressure bonding surface to measure the optical boundary conditions of the glass caused by the unevenness of the fingerprint of a finger (not shown) that is pressed and placed on the acupressure bonding surface. The reflected light due to the change is scanned by the imaging camera 3. Directly above prism 1 is this prism 1.
A turntable 4 having a notch sufficient to expose the finger-pressing surface of the turntable 4 is rotatably supported by a motor 5.

As shown in the plan view of FIG. 2, this turntable 4 has a fan-shaped wet cloth 8 and a dry cloth 9 attached to the surface facing the acupressure-applying surface of the prism 1. The wet cloth 8 and dry cloth 9 can be easily replaced by removing the turntable 4. The position of the compressed cloth 8 and the dry cloth 9 in relation to the rotational direction A of the turntable 4 is as shown in FIG. 2. Assuming that the position of the turntable in FIG. 2 is the fingerprint input position, A sprayer 6 is installed directly below the sprayer 8. The sprayer 6 is supplied with cleaning liquid that has been filled in a cleaning liquid storage container 7 in advance, and is sprayed onto the compress 6 at a predetermined timing.

Reference numeral 10 designates a keyboard, through which an ID number is entered by the fingerprint affixer and sent to the host computer 19 in order to call up a registered fingerprint feature file 20 for personal identification, which will be described later. 11 is the base of the fingerprint input device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a fingerprint verification device including an embodiment of the present invention. Detection signals from a finger release detection section 13 that detects when a finger is removed from the finger pressure bonding surface are supplied to a controller 14, respectively. This controller 14 digitizes the signal from the fingerprint input section 12 and outputs it to the image memory 15, and also outputs it to the host computer 19.
Send the ID number to. Furthermore, it sends a control signal to the cleaner drive unit 17, and the output of the cleaner drive unit 17 causes the cleaner 18, which includes the turntable 4 and the sprayer 6 shown in FIG. 1, to operate.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the prism 1, the wet cloth 8, and the dry cloth 9 as the turntable 4 rotates.If there is no user, as shown in (A), the cutout part of the turntable 4 In front of the dry cloth 9
The acupressure bonding surface is in contact with this dry cloth 9 and is stopped directly under the dry cloth 9, and is in a standby state. In this state, the prism 1 is hidden by the turntable and is not exposed to the outside, which is effective in terms of preventing dust from attaching and ensuring safety.

Here, when the user inputs his/her own ID number, the controller 14 responds to this by controlling the cleaner drive unit 17, and the turntable starts to rotate clockwise as shown by the arrow (B). is directly above prism 1. Therefore, at this position, the user presses the tip of his finger onto the finger pressure surface of the prism 1. Then, an image signal is output from the fingerprint input section 12 and the fingerprint image information is stored in the memory 15 via the controller 14. The controller is configured so that the input of the fingerprint image at this time is started when the black-white ratio of the fingerprint image signal on the acupressure surface (the high-low ratio of the signal level due to the unevenness of the fingerprint) exceeds a certain threshold. However, the black-and-white ratio is obtained, for example, from a signal on a scanning line approximately at the center of the acupressure surface, or from an image signal at a random number position on the acupressure surface. When the black-and-white ratio of the imprinted fingerprint image does not exceed the threshold,
Request reprinting.

This stored information and the fingerprint minutiae data read out from the registered fingerprint feature file 20 specified by the ID number are collated by the fingerprint collation unit 16. The configuration and verification operation of the fingerprint verification unit 16 are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 137987/1987, and can be used as is.

When the user releases his or her finger from the acupressure contact surface of the prism 1 upon completion of the verification, the finger release detection unit 13 detects this and sends a detection signal to the controller 14 . The finger release detection unit 13 similarly detects the presence or absence of a finger on the prism 1 by detecting the black and white ratio of the image signal when the finger is pressed. In response to this detection signal, the cleaner drive unit 17 operates to drive the turntable clockwise from the state shown in (B). At this time, sprayer 6
While the cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the compress 8, the compress 8 comes into contact with the acupressure contact surface of the prism 1 as shown in (C). Therefore, dirt and the like on this acupressure bonding surface is cleaned. When further rotated, the dry cloth 9 moves while coming into contact with the acupressure bonding surface, so that the cleaning liquid after cleaning is applied to this dry cloth 9.
will be wiped out. The turntable is then controlled to stop at a position where the prism 1 is covered just before the cutout of the turntable, as shown in (D). This position is similar to state (A) and is a standby state. In the present invention, the turntable may be rotated by the cleaner drive unit 17 not only in a clockwise direction but also in a counterclockwise direction.

In the standby position shown in (A), the finger pressure surface of the prism 1 is in contact with the dry cloth 9, but if the environment in which the device is installed is clean, the dry cloth 9 can be inserted into the notch of the turntable as shown in the figure. It may be arranged so that the acupressure-applying surface of the prism 1 faces the lower surface of the turntable with a predetermined gap in the standby position, without pasting it to the vicinity. Further, the cutout portion may be positioned so that the prism 1 is exposed in the standby state A.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, a turntable having a compressed cloth and a dry cloth is provided and the acupressure surface of the prism is always cleaned after each use, so that the acupressure surface of the prism is always clean and it is easy to use. Not only does this not cause any discomfort to the person, it also enables accurate fingerprint collection. Furthermore, since the prism 1 is in a position hidden by the turntable in the standby state, the protection and cleanliness of the prism can be maintained. Furthermore, by making the turntable removable, it becomes easy to replace the compress and dry cloth.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a plan view of the turntable of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the turntable and the prism during operation. Explanation of symbols of main parts, 1...prism, 4...
... Turntable, 6 ... Sprayer, 8 ... Compress,
9...Dry cloth.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A fingerprint input device that inputs a fingerprint image by pressing a finger onto a transparent body, the device comprising a dry cloth and a poultice provided on a surface of the transparent body opposite to a finger pressure bonding surface. A turntable is provided with a part of the surface facing the acupressure surface of the body cut out, and the acupressure surface of the transparent body is positioned in the notch of the turntable, and after a fingerprint image is collected from the finger tip, the poultice controls the rotation of the turntable so that the cloth continues to wipe the acupressure surface and the dry cloth wipes the acupressure surface, and the turntable is moved to a position where the acupressure surface is partially covered by the turntable. A fingerprint input device comprising: a control means for controlling a stop. 2. The fingerprint input device according to claim 1, wherein the compress is configured to be sprayed with a cleaning liquid before wiping the finger pressure surface.