How Biometric Fingerprint Scanners Work

Biometric identification is a modern way of recognizing a person based on their inimitable physical characteristics. There are different types of biometric devices that are used to differentiate human attributes such as an individual's voice pattern, facial pattern, iris, or fingerprints. Fingerprint scanners are, by far, the most widely used type of biometric identification device.



Take a close look at the tip of your finger and you will notice many tiny ridges. These "friction ridges" create a pattern that is unique to you and only you. No two people share the same fingerprint pattern. For this reason, fingerprints are used as identification in forensic science and for security purposes.



Biometric fingerprint scanners store a fingerprint database and then use software to compare this database with newly scanned fingerprints. For instance, for employee identification purposes, high-security office buildings make use of such scanners. The fingerprints of all employees are entered into the database. Each print is matched to the employee's personal information. Every time a person scans their own fingerprint, the database is accessed to confirm or deny entry.




This type of ID security system can be used for simple tasks such as a time clock. Gone are the days when fingerprint scanners are bulky, exorbitantly expensive machines. It is now possible to purchase a small USB scanner for your own personal computer for about $100. Of course, for network security measures, fingerprint scanners will be far more expensive.



Biometric fingerprint scanners require you to place your finger onto a glass plate. A CCD (charged coupled device) camera then takes a picture. This generates an inverted image of your finger with the dark areas representing the ridges in your finger and the light areas representing the spaces between the ridges. Next, the device checks the image for accuracy. The scan will be rejected if the picture quality is poor and you will then need to rescan your finger. Once the picture has been confirmed to be clear, the scanner will compare your fingerprint with the fingerprints it has on file.



The idea behind fingerprint scanners is to provide greater identification accuracy and to speed up the procedure. Instead of determining fingerprints with the possibility of human error, advanced scanners are designed to compare fingerprint images much more precisely. Many people expect that such devices will begin to be used regularly in high-security buildings, and believe that this will provide a more convenient and reliable security measure

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