Technical information

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Bloomberg Secure Access Technology
What is the Technology used to capture finger scans?
The Bloomberg Biometric device uses Active Array Sensing (also knows as E-Field or Linear-field)
technology for acquiring accurate finger scans. The sensor in the Biometric device contains a drive-
ring, which emits a small signal that is detected by the sensor array. The sensor array detects minute
differences in the sub dermal layer of the skin. The sensor is a solid-state antenna array that uses
these signal variations to create a gray-scale bit map image of the finger.
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A number of samples are taken during enrollment in order to arrive at a representative template via a
complex averaging process. This template is then stored in the user's record in the Bloomberg
database and cross-referenced to the user's Login Name and Password. When a user logs on, the
values taken by the Biometric finger scan are compared to the template values in the Bloomberg
database. If both password and finger-scan are verified, the login is allowed.
How does the Technology work?
People associate finger scans with criminality where an entire finger scan is acquired and stored for
future reference. The Biometric Technology that Bloomberg is implementing is based around Finger
Scan technology, which acquires the finger scan but does not store the full image. It extracts a set of
key points taken from the original print. The geometry of these points is then stored for subsequent
authentication.
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The total size of the stored information is around 300 bytes of information whereas the storage of a
typical finger scan is approximately 250k Bytes.
NOTE: At no time can Bloomberg or any other Organization ever access a copy of one’s image.
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AuthenTec, Inc; White Paper: Solid-State Finger Scan detection; 2065 Rev 1.1; 2000
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"Finger Scan Identification & Authentication" http://www.sensorsmag.com/articles January 2003. Douglas
McArthur.