scope:

Summary

This Amendment to INCITS 358 adds support for biometric fusion to the standard. This Amendment extends the API and the SPI of BioAPI by specifying new functions and new values for existing data types.

Some applications of biometrics require a level of technical performance that is difficult to obtain with a single biometric modality or with a single instance of a biometric modality. Such applications include prevention of multiple registrations for national identity cards and security checks for air travel. In addition, provision is needed for people who are unable to give a reliable biometric sample for some biometric modalities.

Use of multiple biometric measurements, from substantially independent biometric modalities or instances, typically gives improved technical performance and reduces risk. This includes an improved level of performance where not all biometric measurements are available such that decisions can be made from any number of biometric devices within an overall policy on accept/reject thresholds.

The current edition of INCITS 358 (BioAPI 1.1) provides no direct support for biometric fusion. In addition, the use of FARs in representation of matching scores is not suitable, in general, for performing score-level fusion (though it does allow some limited forms of fusion). This amendment adds support of biometric fusion to the standard in the form of:

a) four new functions (BioAPI_ProcessUsingAuxBIRs, BioAPI_VerifyMatchUsingAuxBIRs, BioAPI_Decide, and BioAPI_Fuse);

b) three new BIR data types (BioAPI_DATA_TYPE_SCORE, BioAPI_DATA_TYPE_DECISION, and BioAPI_DATA_TYPE_BIOGRAPHIC); and

c) one new BIR purpose (BioAPI_PURPOSE_DECIDE). The new data type BioAPI_DATA_TYPE_BIOGRAPHIC is intended to designate non-biometric data that potentially affects a biometric operation (to which that data is passed as input), and is not intended to enable BioAPI to manage biographic information in general. This amendment also specifies a simple "score" BDB format and a simple "decision" BDB format.