Identification and comparison apparatus for contour patterns such as fingerprints

Claim 1

CONTOUR PATTERN INDENTIFICATION APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A QUESTIONED PATTERN OF CONTOUR LINES SUBMITTED THERETO IS KNOW COMPRISING SCANNING MEANS ADAPTED TO SCAN SAID QUESTIONED PATTERN OF CONTOUR LINES AND PRODUCE A TRAIN OF ELECTRICAL PULSES CORRELATIVE TO THE SCANNING PATH; MEMORY STORAGE MEANS PROVIDING STORED INDICIA CORRELATIVE TO A KNOWN PATTERN OF CONTOUR LINES; REFERENCE COORDINATE DETERMINATION MEANS ADAPTED TO SEARCH THE QUESTIONED PATTERN OF CONTOUR LINES FOR A KNOWN REFERENCE COORDINATE COMPRISING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID SCANNING MEANS SO AS TO DIRECT A PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE OF SCANNING CENTERS, AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID SCANNING MEANS SO AS TO DIRECT A PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE OF RADIAL SCANS AT EACH SAID SCANNING CENTER; PATTERN INDENTIFICATION MEANS ADAPTED TO RESPOND TO LOCATION OF A REFERENCE COORDINATE BY SAID REFERENCE COORDINATE DETERMINATION MEANS BY CONTROLLING SAID SCANNING MEANS SO AS TO MAKE A SERIES OF SCANS HAVING A KNOWN SPATIAL RELATION TO SAID REFERENCE COORDINATE; AND COMPARATOR MEANS ADAPTED TO COMPARE ANY TRAIN OF PULSES PRODUCED BY SAID SCANNING MEANS WITH THE INDICIA STORED IN SAID MEMORY STORAGE MEANS FOR CORRESPONDENCE.