Fingerprint re-alignment: a solution based on the true fingerprint center point

Abstract

Fingerprint re-alignment is an important aspect in the subject of fingerprint biometrics because a fingerprint that has been rotated, voluntarily or involuntarily, can have negative impact on the functionality of an automated fingerprint recognition system. A fingerprint recognition system that does not attempt to re-align an involuntarily rotated fingerprint can create opportunities for falsely rejecting a legitimate subject. It can also create opportunities for security attacks where an illegitimate subject voluntarily rotates their fingerprint, as a way of tempering with the functionality of the recognition system. This manuscript presents a new fingerprint re-alignment solution that uses the True Fingerprint Center Point (TFCP) as a reference, where the TFCP is introduced as the actual center of the fingerprint image foreground. Using the TFCP as a reference point proves – in general – to be fast, independent, and efficient for all types of fingerprints. It, in particular, is useful when dealing with the type of fingerprints that belong to the Plain Arch (PA) fingerprint class.