Fingerprint matching using ridge feature maps

A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for matching fingerprint images, the method comprising the steps of:

• acquiring a query image of a fingerprint;
• extracting a minutiae set from the query image;
• comparing the minutiae set of the query image with a minutiae set of at least one template image to determine transformation parameters to align the query image to the at least one template image and to determine a minutiae matching score;
• constructing a ridge feature map of the query image;
• comparing the ridge feature map of the query image to a ridge feature map of the at least one template image to determine a ridge feature matching score;
• and
• combining the minutiae matching score with the ridge feature matching score resulting in an overall score, the overall score being compared to a threshold to determine if the query image and the at least one template image match.

A method for matching fingerprint images, the method comprising the steps of:

• acquiring a query image of a fingerprint;
• constructing a ridge feature map of the query image;
• aligning the ridge feature map of the query image to a ridge feature map of at least one template image;
• comparing the ridge feature map of the query image to the ridge feature map of the at least one template image to determine a ridge feature matching score;
• and
• comparing the ridge feature matching score to a threshold to determine if the query image and the at least one template image match.