Biometric interoperability

July 2010 Access Control & Identity Management

Interoperability is crucial when dealing with mobile biometric identification.

Mobile ID devices are commonly known as portable biometric acquisition stations used to capture one or more biometric samples such as fingerprint, facial and iris from a subject.

Currently mobile ID devices have been very popular in several government and industry applications, but one problem that the users encounter is lack of common interoperability in order to connect and search other systems without regard to existing dissimilarities between vendor systems.

Mobile ID devices have been applied for a variety of non-stationary applications where access to traditional implementation of full-sized live scan fingerprint readers and photo capture stations with setups adhering to standards are not possible.

There is a great need for guidelines for the capture, security and transmission of mobile identification data that can be interoperable with similar and dissimilar systems. The guidelines that can lead to international standards for mobile ID units and promote interoperability and data exchange.

Currently, government applications are major drivers in setting international standards and institutions such as NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology) and ISO/IEC (International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission) are the vehicles of writing relevant best practice recommendations and standards.

Participation of all countries is required and South Africa is well represented in the above organisations through the South African Bureau of Standards. The compatibility of a mobile ID device for enrolment, identification or verification functions can be tailored to the government or industry applications based on different SAP (Subject Acquisition Profile) levels.

ANSI/NIST guidelines define parameters concerning the content, format and units of measurement for the exchange of biometric sample information such as fingerprint scanning resolution or pixel distances between facial features. Processing and exchanging biometric data captured from a Mobile ID device should be compliant with ANSI/NIST-ITL standards for transmission and seamless exchange.

Mobile ID fingerprint capture devices

A very high quality enrolment image must be acquired in order to achieve acceptable matcher performance. ANSI/NIST-ITL type 14 record must be used for capturing more than a single finger. An initial quality assessment should be done on the mobile device during the capture process applying NFIQ algorithm (NIST Fingerprint Image Quality).

To achieve high interoperability across dissimilar systems, the mobile ID fingerprint capture device should transmit the fingerprint image(s) and enable the finger minutiae to be extracted and processed on the system where the matching will take place. However, sometimes minutiae-based approach may not be acceptable in some cases.

Mobile ID facial image capture devices

In some circumstances, capturing facial images may be of more value than taking fingerprints. The face image quality should be done to provide feedback to the operator during the capture process. Face Capture Requirements address capture distance, capture device controls, capture device frame rate photo image format, capture device image size and aspect ratio, capture device sensitivity and facial image compression.

For the exchange of facial images the SAP levels the ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2007 Type 10 logical record standard should be used to encode compressed image files and other metadata.

Mobile ID iris image capture

The mobile ID iris capture device must be able to measure the iris image quality preferably during the capture process and on the device. The minimum acceptable iris image diameter is 140 pixels and increases with the SAP levels up to 210 pixels.

In order to support interoperability ANSI/NIST-ITL Type 17 records should be used with raw images conforming to ISO 19794-6 rectilinear image standards.

Image quality requirements differ for each biometric function (enrolment, identification and verification). Severe security risk levels require aggressive image size and quality requirements independent of technology availability.

Continuous work is being done to produce guidelines and standards to meet the stringent requirements of governments and industry.

For more information contact Interoptic Networks, +27 (0)82 733 0030, basia@interoptic.co.za, www.interoptic.co.za





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

New State of Physical Access Control Report from HID
HID Global Editor's Choice Access Control & Identity Management News & Events
HID released the 2024 State of Physical Access Control Report, identifying five key trends shaping access control's future and painting a picture of an industry that has been undergoing considerable transformation.

Read more...
Smart intercoms are transforming access control
Access Control & Identity Management Products & Solutions
Smart intercoms have emerged as a pivotal tool in modern access control. They provide a seamless and secure way to manage entry points without the need for traditional security guards to validate visitors before granting them access.

Read more...
Easy, secure access for student apartments
Paxton Access Control & Identity Management Surveillance
Enhancing Security and Convenience at Beau Vie II Student Accommodation, a student apartment block located at Banghoek Road, Stellenbosch, with Paxton's access control and video management solution

Read more...
Invixium acquires Triax Technologies
News & Events Access Control & Identity Management
Invixium has announced it has acquired Triax Technologies to expand its biometric solutions with AI-based RTLS (Real-Time Location Systems) offering for improved safety and productivity at industrial sites and critical infrastructure.

Read more...
ControliD's iDFace receives ICASA certification
Impro Technologies News & Events Access Control & Identity Management
The introduction of Control iD's iDFace facial biometric reader, backed by mandatory ICASA certification, underscores the commitment to quality, compliance, and innovation.

Read more...
The future of workplace access
HID Global Access Control & Identity Management
Mobile credentials are considerably more secure than physical access control, because they eliminate the need for physical cards or badges, support multiple security protocols, and add layers of protection on top of basic card encryption.

Read more...
Integrated, mobile access control
SA Technologies Entry Pro Technews Publishing Access Control & Identity Management
SMART Security Solutions spoke to SA Technologies to learn more about what is happening in the estate access world and what the company offers the residential estate market.

Read more...
Bespoke access for prime office space
Paxton Access Control & Identity Management Residential Estate (Industry)
Nicol Corner is home to a six-star fitness club, prime office space, and an award-winning rooftop restaurant. It is also the first building in South Africa to have its glass façade fully incorporate fritted glazing, saving 35% on energy consumption.

Read more...
Next-generation facial recognition access control system
Enkulu Technologies Products & Solutions Access Control & Identity Management Residential Estate (Industry)
With a modern and innovative design, iDFace is the ideal device for monitoring and controlling people entering and exiting a building using facial recognition technology, including liveness detection, for enhanced security.

Read more...
Long-distance vehicle identification
Products & Solutions Access Control & Identity Management Residential Estate (Industry)
The STid SPECTRE reader can identify vehicles up to 14 metres away, across four traffic lanes, ensuring secure access to an estate without disrupting the traffic flow.

Read more...