WO1999031620A1

WO1999031620A1 - Procedure to accelerate the comparison of dermatoglyphic patterns, especially palm prints and fingerprints

Info

Publication number: WO1999031620A1
Application number: PCT/HU1998/000088
Authority: WO
Inventors: György MATAKOVICS; Péter MOLDVAI
Original assignee: Recoware Ltd.
Priority date: 1997-12-17
Filing date: 1998-09-22
Publication date: 1999-06-24
Also published as: HUP9702484A2; HU218130B; HUP9702484A3; HU9702484D0; AU9453698A

Abstract

The invention relates to the acceleration of the comparison of demartoglyphic patterns, especially palm prints and fingerprints, in the course of which basic groups of signs, which can be handled by the comparing device, are created about the information carrying elements, e.g.: minutiae, of the master patterns of people belonging to a primary group, and a reference set is produced from an aggregate of certain basic groups of signs, and also, from the information carrying parts of the patterns to be examined, collected in a target group, suiting the information carrying elements of the master patterns, investigated groups of signs are created which can also be handled with the comparing device, then with the help of the comparing device the investigated groups of signs are compared with the basic groups of signs of the reference set, the result of the analysis is recorded and relation indicators are created from it, and putting the basic groups of signs of the reference set in order in accordance with the relation indicators, a relation order is produced. The characteristics feature of the invention is that apart from creating the investigated groups of signs (22) of the patterns to be examined (21), excluded groups of signs (33), which can be handled by a supplementary comparing device (50), are also created about the information carrying elements (32a), e.g.: minutiae, of the live patterns (32) of persons (31) belonging to the excluded group (30), and first the investigated groups of signs (22) of the patterns to be examined (21) are compared to the excluded groups of signs (33) of the live patterns (32) with the help of the supplementary comparing device (50), and the investigated groups of signs (22) of the paired investigated groups of signs (22) and excluded groups of signs (33) in the course of the comparison are removed from the patterns to be examined (21), and thus reducing the number of the patterns to be examined (21) a set of pre-examined patterns (40) is created, andonly the investigated groups of signs (22) put in the set of pre-examined patterns (40) are compared to the basic groups of signs (12) of the reference set (13).

Description

Procedure to accelerate the comparison of dermatoglyphic patterns, especially palm prints and fingerprints

The invention relates to the acceleration of the comparison of dermatoglyphic patterns, especially palm prints and fingerprints, m the course of which basic groups of signs, which CM be handled by the companng device, are created about the information carrying elements, e.g minutiae, of the master patterns of people belonging to a primary group, and a reference set is produced from an aggregate of certain basic groups of signs, and also, from the information carrying parts of the patterns to be examined, collected in a target group, suiting the information carrying elements of the master patterns, investigated groups of signs are created which can also be handled with the comparing device, then with the help of the comparing device the investigated groups of signs are compared with the basic groups of signs of the reference set, the result of the analysis is recorded and relation indicators are created from it, and putting the basic groups of signs of the reference set in order in accordance with the relation indicators, a relation order is produced

In the interest of solving crimes, the crime fighting organisations record numerous pieces of evidence on the scene of the cnme Some of the recorded evidence generally deπves from the person or persons committing the cnme, but a significant amount of it are irrelevant from the aspect of the investigation or determining who the offenders are As a result of this, in connection with the examination of the collected evidence, it is practical to decide which ones need to be checked investing significant energy, and which ones can be excluded from the investigation quickly This is especially significant in the case of the different pieces of dermatoglyphic evidence

Several solutions have become known in respect of the examination of fingerprints and palm prints The simplest method is when the evidence and the earlier taken prints are examined by a specialist However, manual checking requires great expeπence and professional knowledge, and is also very slow . 7

More developed procedures are generally characterised by that the dermatoglyphic patterns are stored in information recording equipment, so that they can be evaluated by a computer technology device, in a data store containing a large amount of data, and the pattern intended to be compared is compared to the data placed in this store earlier In most cases the basis of compaπson is the position of the so-called "minutiae" in relation to each other Such examination methods are descπbed, for example, in the procedures descπbed in patents US 4,896,363, EP 343 508 and HU 212 149

In the course of the latter solution the master patterns stored earlier and the evidence recorded on the scene of the cnme are compared to each other in several steps, and finally the list of the probable offenders is created from the results of similanty

The undoubted advantage of the solution is that because of the similanty examinations the reliability of the procedure significantly exceeds the characteristic features of other versions However, its disadvantage is that even in the case of evidence which is not really valuable from the aspect of revealing the cnme, the examination must be earned out with high capacity devices which work with a large amount of data

In the interest of reducing the time invested in the work, in the course of the evaluation of the dermatoglyphic evidence, the device of the so-called "innocent exclusion" is applied in the investigation work At this stage of the investigation pπnts taken subsequently from persons who definitely cannot be suspected are compared manually, with the co-operation of a specialist, to the evidence recorded on the scene of the cnme

However, the disadvantage of such a stage of exclusion is that because of the significant investment of specialist work the analysis and examination of the dermatoglyphic pπnts is slower and less efficient, and due to this the revealing becomes more time-consuming and more uncertain Another disadvantage of the time-consuming examination of innocent person exclusion is that it reduces the possibility of the so-called recent evidence examinations, because the length of the penod spent in analysis makes it impossible from the beginning It is also regarded as unfavourable that the companson of palm pnnts, which is a more difficult task, may significantly increase the time needed due to the lack of points of companson and due to the larger surfaces to be examined

Our aim with the procedure according to the invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the known deπnatoglyphic evidence analysing procedures, and to elaborate a version which significantly reduces the time needed for carrying out the examinations as well as the investment of specialist work, and increases the successfulness and reliability of evidence evaluation and by this the efficiency of the investigation

The idea of the invention was based on the realisation that if before companng the evidence recorded on the scene to the master pπnts, a specially prepared temporary supplementary data file is also created, and using it appropnately the evidence is filtered, then the companson of the remaining evidence and the master pπnts can become significantly more efficient

In accordance with the set aim the procedure according to the invention relates to the acceleration of the companson of deπnatoglyphic patterns, especially palm pπnts and finge πnts, m the course of which basic groups of signs, which can be handled by the companng device, are created about the ιnfoιτnatιon carrying elements, e g minutiae, of the master patterns of people belonging to a pnmary group, and a reference set is produced from an aggregate of certain basic groups of signs, and also, from the information carrying parts of the patterns to be examined, collected in a target group, suiting the information carrying elements of the master patterns, investigated groups of signs are created which can also be handled with the comparing device, then with the help of the companng device the investigated groups of signs are compared with the basic groups of signs of the reference set, the result of the analysis is recorded and relation indicators are created from it, and putting the basic groups of signs of the reference set in order in accordance with the relation indicators a relation order is produced, - constructed in a way that apart from creating the investigated groups of signs of the patterns to be examined, excluded groups of signs, which can be handled by a supplementary companng device, are also created about the information carrying elements, e g minutiae, of the live patterns of people belonging to the excluded group, and first the investigated groups of signs of the patterns to be examined are compared to the excluded groups of signs of the live patterns with the help of the supplementary companng device, and the investigated groups of signs of the paired investigated groups of signs and excluded groups of signs in the course of the companson are removed from the patterns to be examined, and thus reducing the number of the patterns to be examined a set of pre-examined patterns is created, and only the investigated groups of signs put in the set of pre-examined patterns are compared to the basic groups of signs of the reference set

A further cnteπon of the procedure according to the invention is that the live patterns are transferred onto the input of a computer technology device with the help of a picture digitising device, e g scanner, and then with the computer technology device they are transformed into a structure of numbers, the members of the received structure of numbers representing the information carrying elements, e g minutiae, of the live pattern are supplemented with descnptive characteπstics, and the excluded group of signs is produced in this way

In the case of a version of the procedure the pattern to be examined is subjected to sample taking with the help of an optical-electronic device, e g a video camera, then it is digitised, the digitised signs are transfeπed into the input of a computer technology device, then they are transformed into a structure of numbers with the computer technology device, and the members of the received structure of numbers representing the lnfoirnation carrying elements, e g minutiae, of the pattern to be examined are supplemented with descnptive charactenstics, and the investigated groups of signs are produced in this way

From the aspect of the invention it is favourable, if a computer is used as a supplementary companng device and as a companng device

The most important advantage of the procedure according to the invention is that with its help the innocent can be excluded with a minimum of labour investment, quickly and efficiently, and the evaluation of the evidence remaining after the filtenng is also simpler as compared to traditional procedures It should also be regarded as an advantage that the application of the procedure, as a result of the reduction of the specialist work, releases analysing capacity for the investigation of further crimes, consequently it may also increase the efficiency of crime fighting in genera.

The procedure according to the invention is described in more detail below with the help of a drawing, on the basis of an example. In the drawing

Figure No. 1. is the block plan of the process of the procedure according to the invention.

In figure No. 1. the schematic drawing of the process of the procedure according to the invention can be seen. The primary group (10) created from offenders who have committed crimes before can be observed, and from the dermatoglyphic prints, that is the master patterns (11), of the offenders belonging to it the basic groups of signs (12) can be created.

The patterns to be examined (21) found on the scene of the crime, classed in the target groups (20) can also be observed, together they form the investigated groups of signs (22).

In figure No. 1. the excluded group (30) can be seen in which the live patterns (32) of persons (31) are collected, where the live patterns (32) together form the excluded group of signs (33). The examined group of signs (22) and the excluded groups of signs (33) can be compared with the help of a supplementary comparing device (50), and the set of pre- examined patterns (40) produced as a result of the comparison can be compared to the reference set (13) formed by the aggregate of the basic groups of signs (12) using the comparing device (60). .After the examination carried out with the comparing device (60) finally the relation order (70) is formed, in which the m.aster patterns (11) are listed which are the most similar to the patterns to be examined (21) belonging to the target group (20).

In the course of the realisation of the procedure according to the invention first the dermatoglyphic patterns, e.g.: fingerprints and palm prints of the primary group (10) consisting of offenders airested in connection with different crimes are recorded in the known way, and thus the master patterns (11) were received. Then from the master patterns (11), with the method described in patent No. HU 212.147, digitised basic groups of signs ( 12) containing descriptive charactenstics transformed with the help of a computer technology device were created, and they were collected in a reference set (13). The reference set (13) was continuously extended with basic groups of signs (12) created from the master patterns (11) deriving from the offenders of the recently revealed crimes.

After another crime has been committed, the evidence found on the scene of the crime was also recorded as patterns to be examined (21), and a target group (20) was formed from all of them. The individual patterns to be examined (21) produced after recording the evidence was also digitised with the help of an optical-electronic device, e.g.: a video camera, and these digitised signs were transformed with the help of a computer technology device so that the information carrying elements (21a) of the patterns to be examined (21) were supplemented with descriptive characteristics. From the digitised and identified patterns to be examined (21), the investigated groups of signs (22) were created, which can be handled by a computer technology device.

.After the recording and transformation of the evidence found on the scene, with a print recording procedure also known in itself, the print sheets with live patterns (32) were prepared of the persons (31) who can all be classed in the excluded group (30). The members of the excluded group (30) are persons (31 ) whose live patterns (32) can be found on the scene of the crime as patterns to be examined (21), but their participation in the cnme can be excluded.

The print sheets containing the live patterns (32) of the persons (31) belonging to the excluded group (30) were put in a computer technology device with the help of a picture digitising device, a scanner in our case, and there they were transformed so that the information carrying elements (32a) of the live patterns (32) can be characterised with descriptive characteristics. After this transfoπnation excluded groups of signs (33) were created from the live patterns (32).

In the next phase of the procedure the investigated groups of signs (22) and the excluded groups of signs (33) were compared to each other with the help of a supplementary comparing device (50), a personal computer in this case, with the method mentioned earlier, described in patent No. HU 212.147, and as a result of the comparison the set of pre-examined patterns (40) was created, which only contained the investigated groups of signs (22) which could not be found among the excluded groups of signs (33). Thus the set of pre-examined patterns needed for the further examination was reduced by the subset of the valueless information as compared to the value of the examined group of signs (22) recorded on the scene of the crime, belonging to the target group (20).

.After producing the set of pre-examined patterns (40), it was compared to the reference set (13) with the help of a comparing device (60), which is a high capacity computer, and at the end of this step of the procedure a relation order (70) was created from the members of the primary group (10) containing the earlier offenders, in the case of which the master patterns (11) belonging to the individual members were the most similar to the patterns to be examined (21) recorded in the target group (20).

In the course of the procedure it was found that using the supplementary comparing device (50) and the excluded group (30) the period of the examination was significantly shorter, and the reliability of the evaluation improved to a great extent.

The procedure according to the invention can be used well in crime fighting for the quick and reliable evaluation of the dermatoglyphic patterns found on the scenes of crimes.

List of references

primary group 11 master patterns

12 basic groups of signs

13 reference set

target group 21 patterns to be examined

21a information carrying element

22 investigated groups of signs excluded group 31 persons

32 live patterns

32a information carrying elements

33 excluded groups of signs

set of pre-examined patterns supplementary comparing device comparing device relation order

Claims

C L A I M S

1. Procedure for the acceleration of the comparison of dermatoglyphic patterns, especially palm prints and fingerprints, in the course of which basic groups of signs, which can be handled by the comparing device, are created about the information carrying elements, e.g.: minutiae, of the master patterns of people belonging to a primary group, and a reference set is produced from an aggregate of certain basic groups of signs, and also, from the information carrying parts of the patterns to be examined, collected in a target group, suiting the information carrying elements of the master patterns, investigated groups of signs are created which can also be handled with the comparing device, then with the help of the comparing device the investigated groups of signs are compared with the basic groups of signs of the reference set, the result of the analysis is recorded and relation indicators are created from it, and putting the basic groups of signs of the reference set in order in accordance with the relation indicators a relation order is produced, characterised by that apart from creating the investigated groups of signs (22) of the patterns to be examined (21), excluded groups of signs (33), which can be handled by a supplementary comparing device (50), are also created about the information carrying elements (32a), e.g.: minutiae, of the live patterns (32) of persons (31) belonging to the excluded group (30), and first the investigated groups of signs (22) of the patterns to be examined (21) are compared to the excluded groups of signs (33) of the live patterns (32) with the help of the supplementary comparing device (50), and the investigated groups of signs (22) of the paired investigated groups of signs (22) and excluded groups of signs (33) in the course of the comparison are removed from the patterns to be examined (21), and thus reducing the number of the patterns to be examined (21) a set of pre-examined patterns (40) is created, and only the investigated groups of signs (22) put in the set of pre- examined patterns (40) are compared to the basic groups of signs (12) of the reference set (13).

2. Procedure as in claim 1, characterised by that the live patterns (32) are transferred onto the input of a computer technology device with the help of a picture digitising device, e.g.: scanner, and then with the computer technology device they are transformed into a structure of numbers, the members of the received structure of numbers representing the information carrying elements (32a), e.g.: minutiae, of the live pattern (32) are supplemented with descriptive characteristics, and the excluded group of signs (33) is produced in this way.

3. Procedure as in claim 1 or 2, characterised by that the pattern to be examined (21) is subjected to sample taking with the help of an optical-electronic device, e.g.: a video camera, then it is digitised, the digitised signs are transferred onto the input of a computer technology device, then they are transformed into a structure of numbers with the computer technology device, and the members of the received structure of numbers representing the information carrying elements (21a), e.g.: minutiae, of the pattern to be examined (21) are supplemented with descriptive characteristics, and the investigated groups of signs are produced in this way.

4. Procedure as in any of the claims 1 to 3, characterised by that a computer is used as a supplementary comparing device (50).

5. Procedure as in any of the claims 1 to 4, characterised by that a computer is used as a comparing device (60).