Week 7

This week we found that our fingerprint scanner required certain drivers to work appropriately. After installing these drivers we realized that the fingerprint scanner works more as a security as it incorporates itself with the Windows log-in credentials. The demo version of the software that came with the fingerprint scanner however can save the images it scans as bitmap files. Here are a couple scans and their thinned counterparts after processing them through the Matlab code from last week.

 

Thinned

Week 6

We found code this week from a Matlab Central post about previous projects done by people on fingerprint processing. We have been using them as guidelines to how we can tackle our project in the aspect of the analyzing the fingerprint. We came to use the following code to start the thinning process of a fingerprint:

clear, clc, close all

I=imread('Test_4.bmp');

imshow(I)

set(gcf,'position',[1 1 600 600]);

J=I(:,:,1)>160;

imshow(J)

set(gcf,'position',[1 1 600 600]);

K=bwmorph(~J,'thin','inf');

imshow(~K)

set(gcf,'position',[1 1 600 600]);

It took this image:

And turned it into this image:

Week 5

We received the fingerprint scanner this week. The fingerprint scanner is the Futronic FS88/PIV USB 2.0 Fingerprint Scanner. We installed the driver and the demo program that came with it. The demo takes an image of the fingerprint that can be saved and then input into Matlab. We have not been able to integrate the actual scanner with Matlab yet.

Week 4

We began creating the a store in matlab. Initially, we were nearly clueless as to how code properly to create a store, however, with extensive research we learned the material. We focused on youtube video tutorials and matlab coding instructions to code properly. We followed the block diagram created in week 3 step by step to code in matlab. The concluding production of matlab code for this week was:

 menu('Store','new user','old user')

user_choice
case'new user'
    
case'old user'
exampleOutput = menu('Item 1','Item 2','Item 3')
exampleOutput = Item 1('10')
exampleOutput = Item 2 ('5')
exampleOutput = Item 3 ('7')

This code allows for a customer to scan his/her finger. If the person is a new user......

If the person is an already existing (old user), the menu will appear, allowing for him/her to choose from the available options.

Week 2: Design Proposal

ENGR 103 - Spring 2013 Freshman Engineering Design Lab

“Fingerprint Credit Card System Project Design Proposal”

Abstract:

Identity theft is a recurring crime due to faulty loopholes in the current credit card system. To limit the chance of identity theft occurring, the Fingerprint Credit Card System has been created. The goal of the Fingerprint Credit Card System is to replace the code contained in the actual card of the current system with an individual's fingerprint. The major challenges of this endeavor are coding issues and possibly system integration. The major tasks are creating online accounts, corresponding them to an individual’s fingerprint, and creating failsafes. The final deliverables will be the fingerprint scanner, the code, the algorithm, and the working system as a whole.

1. Introduction
The current credit card system has egregiously allowed the theft of thousands of identities across the world. People have had all their information illegally disclosed by the identity thieves that make it their mission to use that information to do anything from spending money to avoiding incarceration. The new technology, the Fingerprint Credit Card System, can mitigate the possibility of future identity theft cases. The goal is to bridge the separation between a fingerprint scanner and a person’s personal account and replace the credit card itself with the person’s fingerprint. The fingerprint scanner is encoded so that when a person places his finger on the scanner, his personal account will be accessed. The major obstacles for the design project are to obtain a fingerprint scanner, write the code for the system, and create credit card accounts. Some of the technical challenges will be to create the code, and other mechniquely issues. The final desired outcome would be to eliminate identity theft by producing a successful fingerprint credit card.
2. Deliverables
A fingerprint credit card system would be created at the end of the course. The system will include a fingerprint scanner, a Matlab oriented program to interpret the fingerprints and saved files keyed to each fingerprint. The system will save images of account holders’ fingerprints and will be able to recognize whether or not a scanned fingerprint matches an image saved in the database. A program will be created in Matlab, to simulate an online store. The fingerprint scanner will be connected to the program through a USB port. There will be fake accounts set up in the program. Each account will have a fingerprint assigned to it. The fingerprint will be scanned whenever a purchase is made and the charge will be deducted from the account. The program will also decline purchases when there are insufficient funds. The screen will read “insufficient funds” when the account holder has insufficient funds or when a fingerprint is scanned that does not match a saved fingerprint image.The actual deliverable will be a demonstration of the working system.
3. Technical Activities 3.1 Coding
Matlab will be used to encode the fingerprint scanner to behave in the intended manner. Using matlab, the system will be programmed to register whether or not the finger pressed on the scanner is that of an existing account. If the fingerprint does not correlate to an account in the database, the screen will read “insufficient funds.” If the account is located, the account holder can make his desired purchase. Based off of varying prices, the encoded program will subtract the purchased amount from the net balance in the person’s account.

5. Facilities and Resources

A fingerprint scanner would obviously be necessary, one that reads one finger at a time and has a USB connection to successfully use it in the Matlab script. Ideally this scanner wouldn’t be too expensive and Windows friendly. A computer with Matlab installed is another necessity. The use of the scanner and its testing would be done best during lab time under the supervision of the faculty.
6. Expertise

•   Matlab Programming
  
•   Knowledge of fingerprint scanner and establishing a relationship with the scanner
  and the computer
  7. Budget
  7.1 Mechanical Hardware
  The only mechanical equipment needed is a fingerprint scanner with a USB connection. This is the main component of the fingerprint scanning system. The scanner that is desired for the project is the Futronic FS88 FIPS201/PIV USB 2.0 Fingerprint Scanner. This scanner will cost $88 plus shipping and handling. 
  

Week 3: Block Diagram

Week One

This week we created the concept behind our project. We are designing a Fingerprint credit card system. This system will connect your fingerprint scan to an account so that any purchase can be made with the swipe of a finger. This system would eliminate the need for an actual credit card. This system should also decrease the likelihood of fraud and identity theft.