System and method of capturing and producing biometric-matching quality fingerprints and other types of dactylographic images with a mobile device

Abstract

An optical module includes a housing with a lighting mechanism, an aperture formed therein, and a window that frames a transparent surface adapted to contact a skin surface of a person, for example, a fingertip. The lighting mechanism provides light to illuminate the skin surface placed upon the transparent surface. A prism has a first side facing the lighting mechanism, a second side at the window, and a third side through which a dactylographic image exits the prism. One or more light reflecting surfaces are disposed within the housing to reflect the dactylographic image towards the housing aperture. The optical module is coupled to a mobile device having a camera, with the aperture of the housing aligning with a lens of the camera. The camera acquires the dactylographic image, and the mobile device adjusts this dactylographic image to produce a dactylographic image suitable for biometric matching.

1 - 55 . (canceled) 
     
     
         56 . A passive optical module configured to acquire a dactylographic image comprising:
 an attachment mechanism mechanically fixable to a smartphone, the attachment mechanism configured to hold the optical module at a location proximate to a camera of the smartphone;   a housing including a side with an aperture and a window framing a transparent surface, the transparent surface configured to contact a skin surface of a person;   a lighting mechanism adapted to provide light to illuminate the skin surface of the person;   a prism having:
 a first side facing the lighting mechanism, 
 a second side facing the window, and 
 a third side through which an acquired dactylographic image of the skin surface of the person exits the prism; and 
   a plurality of light reflecting surfaces within the housing spatially separated from the prism, the plurality of light reflecting surfaces disposed within the housing and configured to reflect the dactylographic image of the skin surface of the person exiting the prism towards the aperture in the side of the housing toward the camera.   
     
     
         57 . The optical module of  claim 56 , wherein the skin surface of the person that contacts the transparent surface comprises one or more fingertips, and the dactylographic image of the skin surface of the person comprises a fingerprint image. 
     
     
         58 . The optical module of  claim 56 , wherein the lighting mechanism comprises a diffuser window. 
     
     
         59 . The optical module of  claim 58 , wherein the plurality of light reflecting surfaces include at least one mirror disposed within the housing that reflects light entering the diffuser window towards the first side of the prism. 
     
     
         60 . The optical module of  claim 56 , further comprising a lens disposed in a light path between the prism and one of the reflecting surfaces to focus the dactylographic image. 
     
     
         61 . The optical module of  claim 56 , wherein the plurality of light reflecting surfaces includes first and second mirrors, the first mirror being disposed within the housing to reflect the dactylographic image towards the second mirror, and the second mirror being disposed within the housing to reflect the dactylographic image reflected from the first mirror towards the aperture in the side of the housing. 
     
     
         62 . The optical module of  claim 61 , further comprising a lens disposed in a light path between the first and second mirrors to focus the dactylographic image reflected from the first mirror onto the second mirror. 
     
     
         63 . The optical module of  claim 62 , wherein the second mirror is disposed within the housing to reflect the dactylographic image into the aperture in the side of the housing. 
     
     
         64 . The optical module of  claim 56 , wherein the attachment mechanism further comprises a frame that couples detachably to the camera such that a lens of the camera of the smartphone aligns with the aperture in the side of the housing. 
     
     
         65 . The optical module of  claim 56 , wherein the lighting mechanism comprises forwarding light toward the camera in the smartphone via a diffuser window. 
     
     
         66 . A passive optical module to capture a dactylographic image from a person, comprising:
 a frame that mechanically couples the optical module to a smartphone in alignment with a camera, the optical module having a diffuser window that diffuses ambient light, the frame having an aperture, and a second window that contacts a skin surface of the person, the frame coupling the optical module to a camera of the smartphone such that the aperture of the frame portion aligns with the camera of the smartphone;   a prism disposed in the frame with a first side of the prism facing the second window and a second side of the prism facing the diffuser window, wherein diffused ambient light enters the optical module through the diffuser window and illuminates the skin surface; and   a lens that focuses the dactylographic image of the skin surface exiting the prism and propagating towards the aperture for capture by the camera.   
     
     
         67 . The optical module of  claim 66 , wherein the skin surface of the person comprises one or more fingertips, and the dactylographic image of the skin surface comprises a fingerprint image. 
     
     
         68 . The optical module of  claim 67 , further comprising a light reflecting surface disposed within the optical module that reflects the ambient light entering through the diffuser window towards the second side of the prism. 
     
     
         69 . The optical module of  claim 66 , wherein the lens abuts a third side of the prism. 
     
     
         70 . The optical module of  claim 66 , further comprising one or more light reflecting surfaces disposed within the optical module that reflect the fingerprint image exiting the prism into the aperture of the frame portion and, thereby, into the camera aligned with the aperture. 
     
     
         71 . A passive optical module comprising:
 means for holding the optical module at a location proximate to a camera of a smartphone;   a housing including a side with an aperture and a window framing a transparent surface, the transparent surface configured to contact a skin surface of a person;   means for providing light to illuminate the skin surface of the person;   a prism having:
 a first side facing the lighting mechanism, 
 a second side facing the window, and 
 a third side through which a dactylographic image of the skin surface of the person exits the prism; and 
   a plurality of light reflecting surfaces within the housing spatially separated from the prism, the plurality of light reflecting surfaces disposed within the housing and configured to reflect the dactylographic image of the skin surface of the person exiting the prism towards the aperture in the side of the housing toward the camera for capture by the camera.   
     
     
         72 . The optical module of  claim 56 , wherein the skin surface of the person comprises one or more full or partial fingerprints, thumbprints, palm prints, and/or footprints. 
     
     
         73 . The optical module of  claim 66 , wherein the skin surface of the person comprises one or more full or partial fingerprints, thumbprints, palm prints, and/or footprints. 
     
     
         74 . The optical module of  claim 71 , wherein the skin surface of the person comprises one or more full or partial fingerprints, thumbprints, palm prints, and/or footprints.