LiveScan API

Fingerprint autocapture, quality assurance, and scanner abstraction

LiveScan API is an SDK that provides fingerprint capture device abstraction though a common API.  It supports over forty single finger, multi-finger and palm capture devices and is designed to allow an application to support any of these devices with no changes to the application code. It is ideal for fingerprint identification and verification applications where multiple high-quality, standards-compliant fingerprints must be collected within strict time constraints, and where it is desirable to utilize the same enrollment application with different hardware devices over time or within a system.

Real-time image analysis and capture logic

LiveScan API provides capture logic that helps ensure true device abstraction. It is a programmable, configurable logic layer that allows an application to make autocapture decisions independently and without influence of the API or firmware of the device. It enables a biometric enrolment application with automated fingerprint capture and quality assurance. It performs real-time quality checks on finger images to ensure compliance and maximum quality before a final image is taken, dramatically improving overall capture speed. LiveScan API performs the following processes in real time prior to final image capture:

  • Fingerprint segmentation and bounding box definition
  • Ridge flow-based image quality scoring
  • Leftness and rightness detection and measurement
  • Finger angle measurement
  • Missing finger detection
  • Finger on platen edge detection

Real-time analysis of the preview mode data greatly reduces the likelihood that the captured image must be recaptured because it fails post capture quality analysis. By setting programmable quality targets and thresholds, each slap or individual fingerprint image is captured automatically only when it satisfies the above requirements. In doing so, LiveScan API substantially improves capture time and workflow efficiency, enabling collection of a complete set of ten flat fingerprints in as little as ten seconds.

Capture device abstraction

LiveScan API abstracts the device interface layer from the application logic and to provide optimal quality of capture without undue dependence on the device. LiveScan API provides abstraction of most market leading fingerprint scanning devices, including live scan, single and dual finger devices, and capacitive sensors. Support for new hardware is added in subsequent revisions of the SDK as they become available. A list of supported devices is available upon request.

Use with other products

LiveScan API output, along with biographical data, can be forwarded to Aware’s NISTPack software libraries to create FBI- and/or NIST-compliant Type-14 EFTS fingerprint records, acceptable for civil background check submissions.