Finger Vein Authentication Suitability Evaluation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional finger vein authentication devices struggle with identifying fingers that have thick, dry, or rough skin, as these conditions lead to weak contrast in blood vessel patterns, reducing accuracy and failing to detect unsuitable fingers for registration.

Innovation Solution

A personal identification device and system that evaluates the suitability of a finger for vein authentication by adjusting light quantity and extracting blood vessel patterns, allowing for the selection of the most suitable body portion for registration, using a data capture device with an infrared light source and imager to assess wrinkle and blood vessel levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If infrared light is applied to a finger with thick, dry, or rough skin, then the light transmission process is initiated, but the contrast of the blood vessel pattern becomes weak reducing identification accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveblood vessel pattern contrastVSAvoidthick skin effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of finger suitability by assessing wrinkle level and blood vessel level before completing registration. This preliminary action identifies unsuitable fingers early, preventing wasted processing and ensuring only fingers with adequate blood vessel visibility are registered, thereby maintaining high measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces subjective manual assessment of finger suitability with an automated optical evaluation system. The imager captures images and the evaluation unit automatically analyzes wrinkle levels and blood vessel levels, substituting mechanical/optical measurement for human judgment and enabling objective, consistent evaluation of light transmission quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If conventional vein authentication is performed without suitability evaluation, then registration process is simple, but unsuitable fingers are not detected leading to registration errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoidregistration process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of finger suitability by assessing wrinkle level and blood vessel level before completing registration. This preliminary action identifies unsuitable fingers early, preventing wasted processing and ensuring only fingers with adequate blood vessel visibility are registered, thereby maintaining high measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The evaluation unit provides feedback to the registration unit about finger suitability based on wrinkle and blood vessel analysis. This feedback mechanism allows the system to automatically reject unsuitable fingers and request alternative fingers, ensuring high reliability without requiring complex manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If light transmission through thick skin is attempted, then identification process can proceed, but light scattering reduces blood vessel pattern visibility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentification processing efficiencyVSAvoidblood vessel pattern information
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of finger suitability by assessing wrinkle level and blood vessel level before completing registration. This preliminary action identifies unsuitable fingers early, preventing wasted processing and ensuring only fingers with adequate blood vessel visibility are registered, thereby maintaining high measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces subjective manual assessment of finger suitability with an automated optical evaluation system. The imager captures images and the evaluation unit automatically analyzes wrinkle levels and blood vessel levels, substituting mechanical/optical measurement for human judgment and enabling objective, consistent evaluation of light transmission quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables highly accurate identification by evaluating finger suitability based on wrinkle and blood vessel levels, preventing registration of unsuitable fingers and ensuring stable identification over time.

Implementation Method 1

applies infrared light from the right and left side of a finger to shoot a finger vein image

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared radiation: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

hemoglobin in blood absorbs the infrared light more than the tissue therearound does

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 3

The finger vein authentication device images the infrared light transmitted through the palm surface of the finger

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight transmission imaging: Photography

Data Source

PatentEP2453385B1Personal identification device and method
Publication Date: 2021.04.28 HITACHI INDUSTRY & CONTROL SOLUTIONS LTD
  • EP2453385B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP2453385B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2D
  • EP2453385B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A highly accurate identification device is implemented by developing a function of evaluating the suitability of a registration candidate finger for vein authentication. A personal identification system includes a light source, an imager that images light transmitted through a living body, and a processor that performs identification based on a blood vessel pattern imaged at the imager. The processor evaluates suitability for identification, from body surface information and blood vessel information in the blood vessel pattern based on a shot image.