Data and image capture, compression and verification system

A communication control device for capturing biometric data for identity verification, said device consisting essentially of:

• (a) receiving means for receiving a set of biometric data from a biometric data entry device and a set of input data from a data input device,
• (b) a first conversion means for selectably capturing a portion of the set of biometric data received from the biometric data entry device and converting said portion of captured biometric data into a compressed digital file of the captured biometric data,
• (c) a second conversion means for formatting the set of input data from the data input device into a network protocol standard,
• (d) transmitting means for transmitting data from the communication control device to a visual output device, and
• (e) connecting means for connecting the first conversion means to the biometric data entry device, the second conversion means to the data input device, the transmitting means to the visual output device, and the communication control device to a computer network.

A communication control device for capturing biometric data for identity verification, said device consisting essentially of:

• (a) a camera server having
• a video engine in communication with at least one camera, wherein the video engine selectably captures a set of photographic images taken with the camera and converts the images into a compressed digital file,
• a first data conversion engine in communication with at least one data input device, wherein the first data conversion engine captures a set of input data from the data input device and formats the captured data into a network protocol standard, and
• a second data conversion engine, wherein the second data conversion engine formats a set of output data for communication with a visual output device;
• and
• (b) a main board that connects the camera server to the camera, the data input device, the visual output device and a computer network.

A method for image capture and verification comprising:

• sending a live video stream of an individual taken with a camera to a communication control device;
• capturing at least one photographic frame out of the video stream;
• converting the photographic frame into a compressed digital file;
• capturing a set of input data in a common protocol format from at least one data input device;
• converting the common protocol formatted data into a network standard protocol;
• sending the compressed digital file and converted input data to a central processing unit for image verification or identification;
• and
• providing feedback on the status of the verification process to a visual output device.

A face recognition based method for verifying the identity of an individual, the method comprising the steps of:

• entering an identifier associated with an individual through a referenced data input device into a communication control device, said communication control device in communication with a CPU;
• searching an enrolled face database residing on the CPU for the identifier, wherein said enrolled face database links a set of previously obtained and stored digitized facial template files with the previously obtained and stored personal identifiers of various persons;
• activating a camera reference-linked to the referenced data input device;
• gathering a plurality of photographic images of the individual;
• capturing a set of selected photographic images with the communication control device and generating a compressed digitized image file from the selected photographic images;
• transmitting the compressed digitized image file to the CPU;
• processing the compressed digitized image file though a face recognition system residing on the CPU to form a test facial template file;
• comparing the test facial template file with a specific stored facial template file linked to the individual's identifier in the enrolled face database;
• and
• providing feedback on the correspondence of the test facial template file with the previously stored facial template file linked to the individual's identifier to a visual output device associated with the biometric data entry mechanism.