Fingerprint Cards first complete swipe development kit for fingerprint verification; FPC6430
by Helén Jansson
Fingerprint Cards presents a capacitive swipe sensor (FPC1030) that, unlike alternative small square sensors, can scan the entire fingerprint pattern. With measurements of only 3 mm x 11 mm this is the smallest and lowest cost fingerprint sensor. It also meets the requirements for 15 kV repeated air discharges (ESD). Manufacturers can integrate swipe sensor FPC1030 or complete fingerprint verification system into high-volume devices such as PC peripherals, portable PCs and mobile phones – a development kit, FPC6430, is available now.
Fingerprint Cards AB, a leading provider of embedded PC-independent biometric systems, presents the market’s first complete fingerprint swipe development kit. The system comprises an in-house developed capacitive swipe sensor, an in-house developed processor chip, and an in-house developed algorithm. All processing for identity verification takes place in the processor chip. Attainment of a low price system is now possible thanks to the new swipe sensor where the silicon surface, and thus the production cost, have been reduced to a fifth of the silicon surface of traditional sensors. The developed biometric processor chip also replaces conventional, more expensive DSP processors. The swipe sensor scans the entire fingerprint pattern when the fingertip is swiped over the sensor surface of just 3 mm depth x 11 mm width.
Manufacturers in the IT, electronic and telecom industries will now be able to integrate affordable biometrics-enabled authentication technology into devices such as PC peripherals, mobile phones, PDAs and smart cards, by purchasing either the complete fingerprint verification system or just the swipe sensor FPC1030 as an independent component.
For prospective users wishing to try the technology, the complete fingerprint verification system is available in a development package, Swipe Development Kit FPC6430.
The System
The full system includes the FPC1030 swipe sensor, the FPC2010 processor, and the FPC4030 Distinct Area Detection (DAD) algorithm developed in parallel by the company since 1997 and optimised as a single system for high performance. The swipe sensor senses the small variations in surface capacitance when a fingertip is swiped over the chip. With this measurement method, only a minimal scanning surface is required, so allowing for the significant reduction in sensor size.
Unlike competing fingerprint sensors, FPC1030 measures by sending electric impulses through the fingertip, reaching the living structures in the skin’s lower layers. The robust FPC1030 sensor meets the requirements for 15 KV repeated air discharges of electrostatic electricity (ESD) and can withstand a wear cycle test of one million touches. The protective surface layer is between 10- 25 times thicker than on competitors’ sensors, significantly improving the ‘real world’ robustness of the fingerprint sensor technology.
“Thanks to the powerful price performance ratio of the swipe sensor FPC1030, we are bringing the price for fingerprint verification technology down dramatically. Whether manufacturers choose the complete system or to purchase the swipe sensor as an independent component, our technology offers an unprecedented low-cost track towards the integration of effective biometric-enabled security applications into high-volume products”, said Lennart Carlson, President and CEO of Fingerprint Cards. “The critical factors for a successful implementation of a biometric solution in any environment are performance, robustness, size. Together, our three components meet these demands, and uniquely they do this at a low cost to the customer.”
With security demands increasing, biometric-enabled security applications are gaining ground as traditional authentication techniques such as PIN codes and passwords are increasingly deemed costly to administrate and inadequate in terms of convenience and security levels. According to UK-based consultancy Int’l Biometric & Authentication Consulting Ltd, more than 500 000 biometric-enabled PC peripherals were sold in the twelve months ending the 30th of June 2002, with units sold estimated to pass a million over the following twelve months.
About Fingerprint Cards
Fingerprint Cards AB (publ) develops fingertip verification systems that determine personal identity through electronic scanning and analysis of fingertip patterns. The technology is completely chip-based and scans, stores and compares fingertip patters without the aid of external processor power. The Company has developed in house silicon sensors, processor chips and algorithms. Thanks to the small size and robustness of these devices, their low power consumption and the potential for low production cost, this technology can be implemented in small volume products such as smart cards and mobile (cell) phones, where the standards for such features are extremely high. The Company sells its technology to manufacturers of products in which fingertip pattern recognition technology is integrated in order to verify user identity. The Company from its own warehouse provides small and medium-sized customers with technology, while larger customers conclude direct delivery agreements with the chip manufacturers. For more information, please visit www.fingerprints.com.
Fingerprint Cards AB
Box 2412
Östra Larmgatan 16
S-403 16 Göteborg
Sweden
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