Biometric authentication method and biometric authentication apparatus

A biometric authentication apparatus comprising:

• a fingerprint authentication unit that provides authentication by comparison of fingerprint image data with the reference fingerprint image data;
• the biometric authentication apparatus characterized by a storing unit that stores information corresponding to a plurality of users in association with reference fingerprint image data of each of users and reference biometric data;
• a fingerprint unit that obtain image data of a user;
• an image data quality determining unit that determines quality of the obtained fingerprint image data by evaluating a clear condition in a ridge line of the obtained fingerprint image data;
• a fingerprint authentication unit that provides fingerprint authentication by comparison of fingerprint image data with the reference fingerprint image data when the image data quality of the obtained fingerprint image data determined by the determining unit is not less than a predetermined level;
• a biometric data unit that obtains biometric data of the user by inputting second biometric information of the user when the image data quality of the fingerprint image data determined by the determining is less than the predetermined level;
• a second authentication unit that provides biometric authentication by comparison of the obtained biometric data with the stored reference biometric data of the users;
• and
• a dividing unit that divides the users to a first group and a second group based on qualities of the first reference biometric data of the users, qualities of first reference biometric data of users divided to the first group being larger than qualities of first reference biometric data of users divided to the second group;
• wherein the fingerprint authentication is performed at a higher speed than the second biometric authentication.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores a computer program for controlling an apparatus according to a process comprising:

• providing fingerprint authentication by comparison of fingerprint image data with the reference fingerprint image data;
• the process characterized by
• storing information corresponding to a plurality of users in association with reference fingerprint image data of each of users and reference biometric data;
• obtaining fingerprint image data of a user;
• determining an image data quality of the obtained fingerprint image data by evaluating a clear condition in a ridge line of the obtained fingerprint image data;
• providing fingerprint authentication by comparison of fingerprint image data with the reference fingerprint image data when the image data quality of the obtained fingerprint image data determined by the determining is not less than a predetermined level;
• obtaining biometric data of the user by inputting biometric information of the user when the image data quality of the fingerprint image data determined by the determining is less than the predetermined level;
• providing biometric authentication by comparison of the obtained biometric data with the stored reference biometric data of the users;
• and
• dividing the users to a first group and a second group based on qualities of the first reference biometric data of the users, qualities of first reference biometric data of users divided to the first group being larger than qualities of first reference biometric data of users divided to the second group;
• wherein the fingerprint authentication is performed at a higher speed than the second biometric authentication.