Silicon fingerprint sensor scoops a FIPS 201 first

UPEK’s TouchChip TCS1 Fingerprint Sensor has become the first silicon fingerprint sensor to be certified and listed on the US General Services Administration (GSA) Approved Products List (APL) for use in the Federal Information Processing Standard 201 (FIPS 201) and Personal Identity Verification (PIV) programmes. The TouchChip TCS1 is also the first silicon fingerprint sensor certified by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)} to meet its Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System’s (IAFIS) image quality specifications for single finger capture devices.

Obtaining these certifications was driven by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which mandates that fingerprint biometric ID credentials be issued to approximately 10 million US federal employees and contractors from 27 October 2006.  According to UPEK: “FIPS 201-certified products are also likely to be deployed across other large-scale US and international biometric ID credentialing programmes, such as first responders, transportation workers, biometric e-passports and other global initiatives over the next few years.”

UPEK claims that silicon fingerprint imaging technology is a major advance compared to more expensive optical devices. It says: “Solutions based on UPEK’s silicon technology enable cost reductions of 50% or more, device size reductions of up to 100x, and power efficiency improvements of 10x or more when compared to existing optical sensors.”