A
Acquisition device: The hardware components used to obtain templates using biometric technology.
Algorithm: An array of instructions to guide a biometric device to match a live biometric sample with a
template.
ANSI: American National Standards Institute, the organization which is involved in setting standards for biometric fingerprint data between various AFIS.
Attempt: The process of submitting a sample to biometric device for identification or verification.
Authentication: The process of verifying a user making the attempt.
Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS): The fingerprint analysis system, which was initially developed by the law enforcement body, is now used for commercial purposes as well.
B
Behavioural Biometric: The biometric that involves the behavioural attributes of a person, including voice, handwriting and signature style.
BioAPI: The standard biometric API, released in the year 2000, to set up standards for various biometric devices being launched in the market.
Biometric: A physical attribute recorded as template and used to carry out authentication.
Biometric Engine: The software installed in the biometric device to carry out different functions like enrolment, capture, feature extraction, comparison and matching.
Biometric Sample: Mock-up of one or more physical attributes of a person, stored in the biometric template database.
Biometrics: The technique of comparing the live biometric sample with the templates to carry out authentication.
C
Capture: The process by which biometric sample is collected from the end-user.
Coding: It is the process employed by biometric software to extract details of the sample image.
Comparison: The process of evaluating the live biometric sample with one stored in the database.
Crossover Error Rate (CER): The rate at which false-acceptance rate equals false-rejection rate. It is the test for evaluating the accuracy of a biometric device. Lower the CER value, more accurately the device is performing.
D
Digital Encryption Standard: The official standard of encrypting data, adopted by US government.
Digital Signature: The digital code obtained by employing various cryptographic algorithms on the text.
E
Enrolee: A user having a biometric sample stored in the template database.
Enrolment: The process of collecting and storing biometric samples from different enrolees.
Extraction: The process of converting biometric sample from the enrolee to biometric data by extracting key points only.
F
Feature Extraction: The process of generating a biometric sample by extracting distinctive traits and encoding them.
False Acceptance: Also known as Type II Error, it is the situation, when a biometric system falsely accepts a user with wrong identity.
False Acceptance Rate (FAR): The rate at which a biometric system accepts false identities.
False Rejection: Also known as Type I Error, it is the situation, when a biometric system falsely rejects a user with true identity.
False Rejection Rate (FRR): The rate at which a biometric device rejects authorized identities.
Fingerprint Template: The template designed using minutiae of fingerprint patterns for the process of verification.
H
Hand Geometry: The physical trait used for preparing biometric templates. It involves dimensions of hands, along with palm thickness and also the shape of the hand.
I
Identification: The process of concluding the identity of a person submitting live sample to the biometric system.
Image Database: The collection of various images of biometric samples captured from enrolees and stored in the biometric system.
Impostor: A user with false identity claim.
Iris Recognition: One of the most accurate biometric processes in which the veins structure in the iris is used as biometric sample to identify a person.
M
Matching: The process on the basis of which, a person is accepted or rejected as the authorized user to access the system.
Minutiae: The pints described in fingerprint template and obtained by extraction of details like ridge endings and bifurcations.
Multimodal Biometric: The biometric that involves the samples from more than one physical attributes. The data is then combined to create the template for future comparison.
N
NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology, actively involved in deciding standards for various biometric systems.
O
One-to-many: The process of comparing a person’s biometric sample with all those stored in the template database for carrying out identification.
One-to-one: The process of comparing a person’s biometric sample with a particular record for carrying out verification.
P
Physical Biometric: The biometric that involves the physical attributes of a person, including hand geometry, fingerprints, iris structure, veins and face recognition.
Physiological Biometric: See physical biometric.
R
Rejection: When the biometric system rejects the attempt of a user, due to mismatch between the live sample and stored biometric sample.
Response Time: The time taken by a biometric device to compare the samples and return the result.
S
Score: The number obtained on the basis of degree of similarity between live sample and stored biometric sample.
Sensor: The hardware component of a biometric device, used to capture the biometric sample of the enrolee.
T
Template: The representation of sample submitted by an enrolee in the mathematical form.
Threshold: A number designated to the biometric system to compare the obtained score and return the decision.
V
Verification: The process of verifying, whether a user submitting sample is an enrolee or not.
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