ABSTRACT
Fingerprints are today the most widely used biometric features for personal
identification. With the increasing usage of biometric systems the question arises
naturally how to store and handle the acquired sensor data. Our algorithm for the
digitized images is based on adaptive uniform scalar quantization of discrete wavelet
transform sub band decomposition. This technique referred to as the wavelet scalar
quantization method. The algorithm produces archival quality images at compression
ratios of around 15 to 1 and will allow the current database of paper finger print
cards to be replaced by digital imagery. A compliance testing program is also being
implemented to ensure high standards of image quality and interchangeability of data
between different implementations.
Keywords: fingerprint compression, discrete wavelet, binarization, adaptive
quantization