SE 4C03 Winter 2004Fingerprint Cell Phone TouchpadWilliam Mac 9814795Last revised: April 5, 2004Introduction: The wireless industry is an ever growing industry, and new innovations have consistently saturated the market over the last 20 years [7]. One of the newest advancements to the cell phone sector is that of a fingerprint touchpad for navigation and security purposes. Some of the key historical inventions which led to this cell phone-fingerprint touchpad integration are outlined below.Touch-Screens: The touch sensor was developed by Dr. Sam Hurst in 1971 and was called an Elograph. It was the stepping stone to transparent touch-screens in use today. Developed again by Dr. Sam Hurst in 1974, was the first touch-screen.A touch-screen is an input device used with computers or other devices that displays an interface in which one can simply operate the computer with the touch of the hand onto the screen. It consists of three main components; the touch sensor, the controller and the software. The touch sensor is an interactive clear glass surface that responds to pressure. The sensor would cover an entire display screen, and pressure at different points in the sensor will interact with the actual display to conclude the location of the input. The determining factor in the location of input is based on some sort of signal change (ie. Electrical currant) that resulted from touching the sensor screen.The controller is basically the hardware that is connected to the computer/system that translates the signals to usable input data in which the computer/system can understand. The controller can be found in an integrated form within a monitor already or an external clear plastic case that can be placed over the monitor screen. Controllers can work thru a Serial/COM connection, USB connection or even specialized connections that work with DVD players.The software is the portion that interprets what the controller translated. Also, it acts as the interface in which we view and interact with, something like that of the mouse. Touching the screen would be interpreted as the click and pointer in the same instance.Fingerprint Sensors: Finger prints are a way of identifying a particular person, since no two people have the same identical print. With this in mind, using it as an authentication mechanism would be an ideal security feature in computers and systems alike. There are systems today that can scan in the whole hand, or even scan for face recognition. Some advantages of certain fingerprinting sensor technologies in today’s world are:• Extremely clear images taken via high-end optical lasers• Scanning requires no moving parts, so it reduces length of wait• Scanner can read without consistent wiping/cleaning• Fingers do not have to be dried prior to being scannedThere are many companies that have come up with algorithms for interpreting and storing these fingerprint images for authentication purposes. The one being discussed further created by ISL Biometrics is unique in the sense that fingerprint images are not stored eliminating any “concerns about the civil-liberty implications of fingerprinting,” says Colin Small the Camden City Learning Centre (CLC) Technical Manager. The technology used by ISL Biometrics known as SentriNET takes a matter of a few seconds to scan and convert the image into digital number form, consisting of up to 250 characters. The SentriNET algorithm measures distances on the fingerprint image to form ratios and store as a number in which only the SentriNET system can interpret. When the fingerprint is registered in the system, authenticating the same user in the future requires the system to make a simple comparison between the newly scanned images’ digital number and the one previously stored. The algorithm has been tested for fingers that may have grown with age, and due to the fact that the algorithm calculates ratios between specific points on the finger, growth of the finger would not affect it’s interpretations since the ratios stay relatively the same.The benefit of fingerprint authentication obviously includes security, but also with uniqueness and high encryption of the digital number representing the fingerprint image, one would never have to worry about having to remember another password again. Consider using a single fingerprint for verification of all password required mechanisms. Passwords would never again require changing.Fingerprint Cell Phones: Atrua Technologies was the first to encompass these two technologies and ideas into the cell phone. Atrua Wings which utilizes HaptorXD™, designed by Atrua Technologies is a family of products for mobile phones and other electronic devices. Their haptic processing technology is made up of three key elements:1. HapticWare™ software2. SenTru™ haptic sensor3. Flexi- Connex™ flexible set of interfacesHaptic processing is the science of human touch, and Atrua Wings uses 4-dimensional controls (x-, y-, pressure and rotation) to enhance the science. The plan for this technological advancement was not just for security reasons, but also to improve gaming on mobile devices. It was specifically designed to eliminate the frustrations of multiple steps required to perform any such mobile-commerce transactions or mobile-gaming interactions. The three main components mentioned above work as follows:HapticWare™ is the portion of the system that deals with the software algorithms to identify the specific user by fingerprint and also to interpret various finger movements. HapticWare™ does not require super fast processors nor a lot of memory to perform it’s computations.The SenTru™ haptic sensor is a small, light weight, low power sensor that acts like the controller in the touch-screens. Its fingerprint scanner is about the size, shape and weight of half a paper clip.Flexi-Connex™, a flexible set of interfaces, connections and ultra-thin packaging designed for optimal mounting in a mobile phone.All three components work close together to provide great sensitivity. It is powerful enough to detect all the tiny ridges in one’s fingers. Although this sensor is not made exclusively for fingerprint recognition, its technology is comparable if not better than existing technologies solely made for fingerprint recognition purposes. With these capabilities one can not forget the growing industry of mobile-commerce in which Atrua Wings may soon become a