BIOMETRIC FINGERPRINT TERMS S
Scenario Evaluation
One of the three types of performance evaluations. The primary goal of a scenario evaluation is to measure performance of a biometric system operating in a specific application.
Segmentation
The process of parsing the biometric signal of interest from the entire acquired data system. For example, finding individual finger images from a slap impression, as illustrated below.
Sensor
Hardware found on a biometric device that converts biometric input into a digital signal and conveys this information to the processing device.
Sensor Aging
The gradual degradation in performance of a sensor over time.
Signature Dynamics
A behavioral biometric modality that analyzes dynamic characteristics of an individual’s signature, such as shape of
signature, speed of signing, pen pressure when signing, and penin-air movements, for recognition.
Similarity Score
A value returned by a biometric algorithm that indicates the degree of similarity or correlation between a biometric sample and a reference.
Skimming
The act of obtaining data from an unknowing end user who is not willingly submitting the sample at that time. An example could be secretly reading data while in close proximity to a user on a bus.
Slap Fingerprint
Fingerprints taken by simultaneously pressing the four fingers of one hand onto a scanner or a fingerprint card, as illustrated below. Slaps are known as four finger simultaneous plain impressions.
Speaker Recognition
A biometric modality that uses an individual’s speech, a feature influenced by both the physical structure of an individual’s vocal tract and the behavioral characteristics of the individual, for recognition purposes. Sometimes referred to as “voice recognition.” “Speech recognition” recognizes the words being said, and is not a biometric technology.
Speaker Recognition Evaluations
An ongoing series of evaluations of speaker recognition systems. For more information, visit http://www.nist.gov/speech/tests/spk/index.htm.
Speech Recognition
A technology that enables a machine to recognize spoken words. Speech recognition is not a biometric technology.
Spoofing
The ability to fool a biometric sensor into recognizing an illegitimate user as a legitimate user (verification) or into missing an identification of someone that is in the database.
Submission
The process whereby an end user provides a biometric sample to a biometric system.