A single chip sensor and image processor for fingerprint verification

The authors describe a real-time image processing system, including an image sensing array, which is implemented as a single VLSI device. An architectural overview and system performance figures demonstrate that, through efficient integration of the sensing, processing, and memory elements of the image-processing system, increased performance and greatly reduced manufacturing costs can be achieved for a specific application (in this case, fingerprint verification). The device, designed and fabricated using a standard 1.2- mu m ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) CMOS process and 18-MHz operation, includes a 258*258 image sensor array, real-time image normalization and image matching circuitry, 8 kb of fast access memory, and 16 kb of ROM.<
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