Fingerprint Image Orientation Accuracy via Weighted Gradient Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current fingerprint image enhancement methods misjudge fingerprint orientation due to scars or defects on the finger, leading to inaccurate performance in identifying fingerprint orientation.

Innovation Solution

A fingerprint image enhancement method that uses a weighted image to increase confidence levels at ridge positions and decrease them at valley positions, allowing for accurate computation of fingerprint orientation without being influenced by defects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional fingerprint image enhancement methods are used, then the enhancement process can be completed, but the fingerprint orientation determination is inaccurate due to scars or defects on the finger

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefingerprint orientation determination accuracyVSAvoidrobustness against finger defects
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the fingerprint image processing by separating orientation determination from enhancement. It first determines orientation using gradient-based methods on the original image, then applies enhancement based on this pre-determined orientation, avoiding the interference of defects during orientation calculation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary orientation determination before enhancement. By calculating the orientation map from the gradient of the original fingerprint image before any enhancement operations, it ensures that defect-induced errors do not propagate into the enhancement process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3598337B1Fingerprint image enhancement method and fingerprint image module
Publication Date: 2024.02.07 SHENZHEN GOODIX TECH CO LTD
  • EP3598337B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3598337B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3598337B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A fingerprint image enhancement method, comprising: receiving a fingerprint image; computing a horizontal variation image and a vertical variation image of the fingerprint image (300); computing a weighted image, wherein a weighted value of a first pixel corresponding to a finger ridge in the weighted image is greater than a weighted value of a second pixel corresponding to a finger valley (304); multiplying the horizontal variation image with the weighted image to generate a weighted horizontal variation image, and multiplying the vertical variation image with the weighted image to generate a weighted vertical variation image (306); computing a fingerprint orientation image according to the weighted horizontal variation image and the weighted vertical variation image (308); and performing fingerprint image enhancement on the fingerprint image according to the fingerprint orientation image (310).