FR2801395A1 - Credit card activation finger print command mechanism having finger print detector and comparator with stored biometric data and best match activating command mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The finger print command mechanism selection has a finger print (ED) read by a detector (CA). The finger print is then compared (AN) with stored biometric data (R0-Rn-1). The best match is established and the command (C0-Cn-1) corresponding to this match is set.

Description

The present invention belongs to the field of biometrics and particularly to fingerprint recognition techniques.

A fingerprint minicaptor comprising a matrix of pressure microsensors sensitive to the fingerprint pattern is known for example from the patent application FR-B-2739977. Another mini-image pickup sensor for biometric data recognition is, thanks to its compactness integrated in a key of a keyboard, for example in the navigation key of a mobile radiotelephone, as is disclosed in the DE -U-297 222.

An analysis means connected to the fingerprint sensor analyzes features of the fingerprint pattern of a finger applied to the sensor to detect the identity of the person who has applied the finger. The singularities, also called minutiae, of the peak network constituting the fingerprint, are analyzed.

Thus, according to the prior art, a fingerprint sensor is used to verify the identity of a person, by comparing the fingerprint read by the sensor with the fingerprint of the single finger, such as index , from each of the few persons authorized to access the function produced by the device in which the sensor is integrated. According to the above example, the verification of the fingerprint of the index placed on the navigation key of the mobile radiotelephone allows the user to navigate on the screen. In another example, a check of this type gives access to a local or to all the functions of a device, in a manner analogous to the well-known verification of a secret code dialed on the keyboard of an automaton such as a credit card dispenser, or a computer terminal.

The present invention aims at using a fingerprint sensor to select several commands by at least one predetermined person whose identity can be recognized.

To this end, a method for selecting commands is characterized in that it comprises the following steps - reading a fingerprint with fingerprint sensor, - comparing similarities between the fingerprint read and pre-established biometric references associated respectively to the commands in order to determine the greatest of the similarities, and - to trigger the execution of the command associated with the biometric reference corresponding to the greatest similarity; and a command selection device is characterized in that it comprises a fingerprint sensor for reading fingerprints, a means for storing preset biometric references associated respectively with the commands, a means for comparing similarities between each fingerprint read and biometric references to determine the greatest similarity, and a means to trigger the execution of the command associated with the biometric reference corresponding to the greatest similarity. The invention thus associates with a predetermined fingerprint, defined by a biometric reference, a command, and more generally associated in a one-to-one way, fingerprints with commands. Thus, a user of a device, such as remote control, mobile radiotelephone, computer apparatus, automaton, domestic appliance or household appliance, in which is integrated the command selection device according to the invention instead of at least part of a keyboard classic, that is to say instead of at least two keys, selects different commands according to the fingerprints of his fingers. The device of the invention can thus be equivalent to a traditional multi-key keyboard, for example ten keys numbered from 0 to 9. A single sensor of reduced size can thus replace a ten-key keyboard. More generally, characteristics of the fingerprints of several fingers of a user or of several users can be pre-stored as biometric references in association with respective commands in the device of the invention. Each user can advantageously associate one of the commands with one of his fingers, as he wishes.

The invention also provides for secure access to commands by refining the search for the greatest similarity in the step comparing the execution of the associated command. The biometric reference corresponding to the greatest similarity is triggered when the greatest similarity is greater than a predetermined threshold, that is to say is very large. Thus, the invention ensures that each selected command is triggered only by an authorized person, who can belong to a group of several authorized users.

Previously, each biometric reference can be established according to the following steps - read a fingerprint with the fingerprint sensor, - analyze the fingerprint read according to predetermined algorithm to determine characteristics of the fingerprint read, - memorize the characteristics of the fingerprint. fingerprint read to constitute said biometric reference, and - associate the biometric reference to one of the commands.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description. Several preferred embodiments of the invention refer to the corresponding appended drawings in which - FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a selection device. commands according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a command selection algorithm according to the invention, implemented by the device of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an algorithm for creating fingerprint references included in the algorithm of FIG. 2; - Figure 4 is a diagram of different variants of the recognition of a fingerprint; and FIGS. 5 to 10 illustrate examples for the six variants envisaged according to FIG. 4. According to a first embodiment of the selection process of commands and of the selection device. of commands according to the invention, these are used by a single user, that is to say commands are selected respectively by fingerprints fingers of the user.

With reference to FIG. 1, the command selection device DS essentially comprises a digital fingerprint sensor CA, a fingerprint analyzer AN, a fingerprint reference memory MR and a control address memory MC.

The AC sensor has a single active zone on which the user comes to place one of his fingers. The AC sensor is of a known type, for example comprising an optical image acquisition means of the impression, or a set of elements sensitive to the pressure and / or the temperature imparted by the set finger (FR). B-2739977 FR-A-2755526), where the sensor uses the capacitive effect, that is to say measures an electric field difference between peaks and grooves of a fingerprint.

The analyzer AN serves firstly to establish fingerprint references Ro to RN-1, hereinafter called biometric references, respectively associated with the fingers Do to DN-1 of the user during a preliminary step of association of biometric references with predetermined commands Co to CN-1. On the other hand, in normal operation device DS, the analyzer AN serves to recognize fingerprint presented similar to one Rn biometric references, in order to trigger the command Cn associated with the recognized reference Rn, the entire index n being between 0 and N-1. In this respect, the memory MR stores the biometric references during the prior step of associating the biometric references with the commands and is read by the analyzer to compare a fingerprint read by the sensor CA and having undergone a analog-to-digital conversion at the sensor output or at the analyzer input, usually with all stored biometric references.

The control address memory MC is programmable so that the user can associate each biometric reference Rn with an address of a respective command Cn selected from the commands CO to CN_l. In practice, when the analyzer has recognized a reference Rn, it reads a biometric reference number in the memory MR in order to read the memory MC with a biometric reference number to read a command address AC whose transmission to a command executing means y triggers execution of the selected command.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the command executing means is a microcontroller CO with RAM memory included in an apparatus AP which, according to the prior art, often comprises a traditional keyboard and which cooperates with a non-volatile memory EEPROM ME containing application programs respectively for the execution of commands, and a ROM ROM including an OS operating system. In response to a control address via a BA, the microcontroller CO executes the corresponding command which may be a simple logic or analog signal, or a succession of instructions according to a predetermined application program. For example, according to the illustrated embodiment, it is assumed that each command consists at least in the display of a textual and / or symbolic image in the form of a character or symbol, or a group of characters and / or symbols, or a screen page, through a BA bus, if necessary together with the execution of the actual command via a BC bus. The command can be an order or a succession of orders to a household or household appliance automaton, or a transmission of the number of a radio channel, a television channel or a compact disc via an infrared or radio link when the device is a portable remote control, or the issuance of a call number digit in a telephone line or a radio channel when the device is a telephone or radiotelephone terminal.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the apparatus AP comprises, in addition to the microcontroller CO and the device DS, an AF display with a generator of characters, symbols and screen pages GE, a navigation key TN, a validation key TV and an input-output interface IES intermediate between the aforementioned elements. On / Off button (not shown) turns on the DS device and AP device that can hold a battery when portable.

As shown in FIG. 2, the command selection essentially comprises the prior EO association step for associating biometric references RO to RN-1 respectively to commands <B> CO </ B> to CN-1 and three main steps E1 , E2 and E3. The integer N is at least 2 and can be 10 to match the user's fingers <B> DO </ B> to D9 to 10 custom controls Co to C9 in a similar manner to the numeric keys of a traditional keyboard. Naturally, like the commands associated with the keys of a keyboard, the means of executing the commands, such as the microcontroller C0, can combine successive elementary commands CO to CN-1 in order to execute very large number of commands.

For example, each of the fingers of a user is associated with a respective digit 0 to 9 in a manner equivalent to counting on fingers. For example, the right thumb is number 1, the right finger is 2, the right finger is 3, the right finger is 4, the right finger is 5, the left thumb is 6, the left finger is 7, the left middle finger at 8, the left ring finger at 9 and the left finger at 0.

Thanks to the programmable memory MC, the user customizes the association between his fingerprints and commands and thus can associate any <B> Co </ B> command with CN_1 to any reference RO to RN- 1, that is to say any finger Do to DN-1. Without requiring a new registration of biometric references in the MR memory, the user reconfigures the association in time or in a contextual manner according to the destination of the AP apparatus and the nature of the commands to be executed by modifying only the correspondences between biometric reference numbers and control addresses in the memory MC.

For example, the numbers 1 to 5 and 6 to 0 can be associated respectively with the fingers of the left hand and the fingers of the right hand for a southpaw. According to another example, the right index (or left) is associated with a "validation" command instead of the number "2" in the context of an apparatus AP containing EEPROM ME a directory, for example a directory of telephone correspondents, the nine fingers with the exception of the aforementioned index respectively select correspondent call numbers and the aforementioned index validates this selection to execute a call from the correspondent. According to yet another example, the aforementioned index serves as a validation key and four other fingers of the same hand respectively serve as keys for moving a designation means, such as cursor on a display screen, associated with move to the right, left, up and down, as for a navigation key or mouse.

With reference to FIG. 3, the combination of the biometric references with the commands comprises, for each biometric reference, mainly creating five steps A1 to A5. For example, these biometric references are pre-established during a first use of the DS command selection device of the invention integrated in the AP device comprising the navigation key TN and the validation key TV, by presentation to the user. a menu on the AF display in step A01 after switching on the device. In this menu, the user selects a sub-menu "reference creation" by means of the navigation key TN to the next advance step A02 and confirms this selection with the validation key TV.

The display then invites the user to "apply the finger Dn to associate with the command Cn" in step Al. The user affixes one of the fingers, in this case the finger Dn on the active area of the sensor CA impression which captures the image of the finger fingerprint Dn, for example in the form of a matrix of points, to transmit it to the fingerprint analyzer AN. In step A2, the biometric reference Rn is constructed in the analyzer AN according to a predetermined analysis algorithm applied to the transmitted digital fingerprint ED in order to determine characteristics representative of the fingerprint picked up from the finger affixed Dn. The analyzer AN then writes the determined characteristics of the biometric reference Rn in a box of the memory MR, for example to a box address corresponding to the index n, in step A3. This reference is associated implicitly with the identity of the user and explicitly with the command Cn according to the following step A4.

Preferably, step A4 consists in selecting one of the commands Cn in a control panel displayed by the display AF to associate it with the biometric reference Rn, according to the wish of the user by means of the control key. TN navigation and TV confirmation button. This selection entered in the programmable memory MC after validation allows the user to associate the address of a command with the number n corresponding to the address of the biometric reference he wishes to associate in the MR memory. However, alternatively, the step A4 is removed and the microcontroller CO imposes the command Cn to associate with the biometric reference Rn by displaying the textual or symbolic identification of this command in the display AF. Thus, in step A5, the control memory MC has memorized at the index address n an address of the command Cn selected by the user or imposed by the microcontroller CO.

Then, as indicated by a step A6, the steps A1 to A5 are repeated if another biometric reference is to be created, or the method returns to the display of the menu in step A01. The menu also offers a dialog box to change the address of a command without changing the corresponding biometric reference and to change the biometric reference without changing the address of the corresponding command.

Referring back to FIG. 2, to select a command Cn in the command selection device DS in normal operation, after storing N biometric references to RN-1, the user places his finger Dn on the active area of the sensor CA which reads a fingerprint ED transmitted to the analyzer AN in step El.

In the next step E2, if necessary after solicitation of the validation key, the analyzer AN evaluates the similarities between the digital fingerprint ED transmitted by the sensor CA and all the pre-established biometric references Ro to RN_1 which are read into the memory MR. For example, the similarity or likelihood between a fingerprint read and a biometric reference is estimated by means of the distance, or alternatively by means of the score, between the set of determined characteristics of the biometric reference and those extracted from the biometric reference. fingerprint read. After evaluating the N similarities, the analyzer compares them in pairs in order to determine the greatest similarity, ie the smallest distance, ie inf IIED, Rnl with n varying from 0 to N- 1, or 'ie the largest score according to this variant.

In the next step E3, the analyzer AN transmits as a reading address the index the biometric reference corresponding to the greatest similarity, to the control address memory MC. The command address corresponding to the applied index is read in the memory MC and transmitted to the microcontroller CO in order to trigger the execution of the command associated with the biometric reference corresponding to the greatest similarity.

Then steps E1 to E3 can be repeated, for example when the microcontroller CO prompt on the display AF the user to trigger the execution of another command by placing another finger, or the previous finger, on the AC sensor, as shown in E4 in Figure 2.

However, according to another embodiment more ergonomic and fast for the user, the three-step sets El, E2 and E3 relating to the execution of several commands are conducted in parallel. In the case of the composition of a four-digit confidential code, for example, four fingerprints corresponding to the four digits are read successively one after the other, without the user waiting for the step of comparing the similarities E2 and of the triggering step E3 of the execution of the command following the reading E1 of a fingerprint are completed to read the next fingerprint; the fingerprints read are stored as they are entered and the comparison processing similarities and triggering the execution of the command related to each read fingerprint are then parallelized. According to another variant, in addition to the use of each finger to generate a respective command, a biometric reference corresponding to a finger is associated with several commands each in response to the recognition of the fingerprint of a finger affixed to the finger. sensor and simultaneously with the solicitation of a respective one of several keys. According to FIG. 1, a single additional key TS is contained in the device DS for example to be solicited by a finger of the left hand, such as a "capital", "shift" or "control" key on a traditional keyboard, simultaneously with placing one of the five fingers of the right hand on the AC sensor, which corresponds globally to 2x5 = 10 corresponding commands.

Different variants of steps E1 and are envisaged as schematically illustrated in the diagram of FIG. 4, depending on whether the DS command selection device is usable by a user or several users (phase P1) and whether each command to be executed must be triggered in a secure manner or not (P2 phase), that is to say must be associated with the recognition of an identity of a user authorized to trigger commands. The present invention uses the recognition of a fingerprint but also the verification of a fingerprint.

A fingerprint verification consists in measuring the similarity between a fingerprint presented by the user and the corresponding biometric reference, for example between the fingerprint of the finger Dn of a user with the biometric reference Rn when they have previously been associated. By comparing the degree of similarity with a decision threshold, the verification leads either to the triggering of the command associated with the biometric reference when the similarity is greater than the decision threshold, and therefore the fingerprint presented is included in a given confidence interval, or in the opposite case to the rejection of the triggering of the command.

A fingerprint recognition consists in comparing the fingerprint presented on the sensor CA with several biometric references known by the device DS, stored in memory MR. The analyzer AN of the device determines the command associated with the biometric reference closest to the fingerprint presented, as indicated simply in step E2 in FIG. 2. If the associated command with the nearest reference must be secured, the similarity is compared with a predetermined decision threshold SE to conclude that the fingerprint is one of those known by the device and thus allow only the fingers of the authorized user, or only those authorized to use the device .

According to the diagram of FIG. 4, it is assumed in a first phase P1 that the identity of the person wishing to select the digital control is known either because the identity of the latter has been declared during the prior control phase of the control. access, either because the command selection device used it by default assigned, for example when the command selection device is integrated into a personal telephone at the workplace. if in the next phase P2, always prior to the selection of the fingerprint command, the access control has been secured, in the sense that the identity declared by the person has been verified, for example through a verification check the fingerprint of a predetermined one of his fingers, for example the right index finger, or by any other more traditional means such as verification of a confidential code, two variants are possible.

According to a first variant (phase P3, yes) illustrated in FIG. 5, the finger, for example the left index finger IG of the user U placed on the impression sensor CA is predetermined, for example when the device connects one-to-one left index and a validation function. In this first variant, the device carries out a verification between the fingerprint presented and the biometric reference RI stored associated finger expected IG, to generate or not the command, as indicated in steps E1a and E2a. These steps secure the use of the DS device for example by validating each control selection by position of the left index on the sensor, similar to the validation key, for example called ENTER, on a computer keyboard.

If, at a given moment, the device DS does not know which finger must be placed on the sensor (phase P3, no), the device recognizes the presented fingerprint ED by comparison with the N references Ro to RN-1 prerecorded in the memory MR to produce the command associated with the finger that it has recognized, that is to say associated with the biometric reference most similar to the fingerprint ED, as already described in steps E1 and E2. According to the example shown in FIG. 6, when N is equal to 10, a finger of the right hand of the user U placed on the sensor CA produces the display of the corresponding digit 1 to 5 if the key TS is inactive, and 6 to 0 if the TS key is active.

By returning to phase P2, when the access control has not been secured, two variants are also envisaged prior to the selection of the fingerprint command according to whether it is not necessary to secure access according to a first variant or that it is necessary to secure the access according to a second variant.

According to the first variant, for example for the selection of telephone number memories in a telephone terminal whose access is not secured, or according to the example illustrated in FIG. 7 for the selection of "seat and mirror" commands , "temperature" and "car radio" in a vehicle whose access is not secured, the DS command selection device performs a recognition of the ED fingerprint presented on the CA sensor at stages Elb and E2b. I1 compares the N biometric references potentially usable Ro RN_1, for example those three fingers, to generate the command associated with the finger he has recognized. If an intruder, is a person who has impersonated the user or who selects a fingerprint command on the unsecured device that is not dedicated to him, put his finger on AC sensor, a command is generated in all cases. Indeed, in step E2b, the analyzer AN determines the greatest similarity between the read fingerprint ED and the biometric references RO to RN_1, and selects the biometric reference associated with this greater similarity, regardless of the degree of the greatest similarity determined.

Returning to phase P4, if the security of the fingerprint access control must be conducted at the same time as the recognition of the fingerprint associated with the command to be selected, the DS device proceeds to steps Elc and E2c. The digital fingerprint ED presented on the sensor CA is again compared by the analyzer AN to the N biometric references potentially usable Ro to RN-1, for example corresponding to the N = 10 fingers of the authorized user, to trigger the execution of the control associated with the finger he has recognized, provided that the fingerprint presented ED is sufficiently close to one of the N biometric references. Thus, in step E2c, the analyzer AN not only compares the similarities between the fingerprint presented ED and the biometric references, but retains only the greatest of these similarities insofar as it is greater than a predetermined threshold. , which predetermined threshold corresponds to an upper limit threshold SE for a distance estimation IIED, RnIl - A contrario, if distances between the presented footprint and the biometric references are all greater than the threshold SE, that is to say outside the confidence interval, the analyzer AN rejects the attempt to select commands, since the fingerprint presented is not one of the fingerprints expected from the authorized user. The configuration of the DS device according to the steps Elc and combines the simplicity since there is no "-access control and security against any fraudster wishing to use the device.

According to the example illustrated in FIG. 8, one of the "validate", "delete" and "repeat" commands for reading / writing of data in a memory is executed only if one of the fingers such as thumb, index and major of the authorized user U is recognized.

Returning now to the first phase P1, it is now assumed that the person making the selection of the command has an unknown identity, that is to say the user must be recognized among several users authorized to use the device of selection of DS commands. In this, at a preliminary phase PO analogous to the previous step E0, the device DS associates MN biometric references R00 to RM-1, N-1 to MN commands C0.0 to CM-1, N-1 For M authorized users UQ to UM-1. Thus, any user Um with m E [0, M-1] is able to select N commands Cm, O to Cm, N-1. In practice, the number of commands that can be selected by a user um may be different from the number of commands to be selected respectively by the other users, and some users may be associated with common commands; for example when Cm, n = Ci, j = Ck, 1, with i, k E [0, M-1] and j, 1 E [0, N-1], the users Um, Ui and Uk have access to the same command, that is to say the analyzer AN trigger said command in response to the recognition of one of three respective fingerprints associated with the three users, corresponding to the references Rm, n, <B> Ri, j </ B> and Rk, 1. In this multi-user embodiment, two variants are envisaged in the next phase P5, in a manner analogous to the phase P4, depending on whether the access to the device must be secure or unsecured. .

If the access to the device does not require security or if the security is already performed, for example by the recognition of an anonymous access control badge, the DS device selects the command associated with the biometric reference R00 to RM- 1, N-1 closest to the fingerprint shown ED on the AC sensor, at stages Eld and E2d. According to the example illustrated in FIG. 9, when the device DS is integrated in a remote control of N = 5 television channels and is programmed to recognize the identity of three users U0, U1, U2, each user selects the soundtrack choice affixing the finger associated with the respective chain. However, any intruder, that is to say a person other than the three users who has access to the system unexpectedly, for example a person not belonging to the family of Uo users who affixes his finger, must select control since in step E2d, the analyzer AN determines a default biometric reference, or the closest to the fingerprint presented ED even if the degree of similarity between them is relatively low.

According to the second variant of the P5 phase, a command can be triggered only after real recognition of the fingerprint presented at steps Ele and E2e. In this variant, step E2e ensures that the fingerprint ED presented is sufficiently close to one of the stored biometric references Rp @ O to RM-1, N-1, that is to say that the distance between the digital fingerprint ED and the biometric reference corresponding to the greatest similarity is less than the threshold SE. If, on the other hand, the greater similarity is lower than the threshold SE, the analyzer AN refuses selection of the command and considers that there is an attempt of fraud since the presented fingerprint ED is not one of those of the authorized users Uo at U2.

According to the example illustrated in FIG. 10 relating to the integration of the DS command selection device into a telephone directory for selecting subscriber names in correspondence with their telephone numbers, the command C10 to call the "Jacques" number "is selected when the user's thumb U1 is presented on the AC sensor and is recognized as very close to the reference R1, O by the analyzer AN.

From the above description, it appears that the invention has a DS command selection device which can be included in or constitute an alphanumeric information input device, that is to say which can constitute the functions an N key keyboard, for example N = 10 keys, in which each command is associated with an alphanumeric character or a group of alphanumeric characters, for example to be displayed on an AF display or on a printer or to be transmitted to a remote terminal, or to be broadcast by voice synthesis. The command selection device can be integrated in a device, preferably portable, replacing a keyboard and is thus customizable, securable and reconfigurable over time and / or contextually, in particular by programming MR and MC memories.

The device of the invention also has the following advantages in terms of ergonomics - speed of execution when used for example to select a phone number in a directory, by associating a finger to a telephone number ; - invariability of use since it suffices to affix the tip of a finger on a predetermined surface, such as the active surface of the AC sensor, without requiring different learning of a user to particular configurations as with the current keyboards different between devices different kinds; easy storage, since the gesture control by the fingers is more easily memorizable than the digits for short dialing for example; - greater compactness compared to a physical keyboard with several keys.

This last advantage in terms of compactness allows the invention to replace the alphanumeric information input device, such as keyboard, in any device, domestic or industrial. In particular, the space saving provided by the command selection device according to the invention is advantageous when this device is integrated, or even replaces the alphanumeric information input device, such as keyboard, in a portable device such as a television remote control, a mobile radiotelephone terminal, a surveillance-alarm remote control, a calculator, an organizer, etc. In particular, for a mobile radiotelephone terminal, the input device including the fingerprint sensor CA of the device of the invention occupies a smaller area than that of a traditional keyboard, which allows either to reduce the terminal volume or equal volume to offer the screen user having a much larger area than that occupied by said input device.

In addition, the selection device with a sensor such as a silicon sensor can be advantageously less expensive conventional input device.

Claims (1)

CLAIMS 1 - Method for selecting commands, characterized in that it comprises the following steps - reading (E1) a fingerprint (ED) with a fingerprint sensor (CA), - comparing (E2) similarities between the fingerprint read (ED) and pre-established biometric references (RO to RN-1) respectively associated with the commands (CO to CN_1) to determine the greatest of the similarities, and - trigger (E3) the execution of the command associated with the biometric reference corresponding to the greatest similarity. 2 - Process according to claim 1, wherein the biometric references (RO to RN_1) are respectively characteristics of fingerprints (Do to DN_1) of a user. 3 - Process according to claim 1, wherein the biometric references (Ro @ 0 to RM-1, N-1) are respectively characteristics of the fingerprints of several fingers of several users (U0 to UM-1). 4 - Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the execution of the command associated with the biometric reference corresponding to the greatest similarity is triggered when the greatest similarity is greater than a predetermined threshold (E2c) . 5 - Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising previously for each biometric reference (Rn), the following steps - read (Al) a fingerprint with the fingerprint sensor (CA), - analyze ( A2) the imprint read according to a predetermined algorithm for determining characteristics of the imprint read, - storing (A3) the characteristics of the imprint read to constitute said biometric reference (Rn), and - associating (A5) the biometric reference (Rn) to one (Cn) commands. 6 - Process according to claim 5, comprising the step of selecting (A4) one (Cn) commands to associate it with said biometric reference (Rn). 7 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a biometric reference corresponding to a finger is associated with several commands each in response to the recognition of the fingerprint of a finger affixed to the sensor (CA ) and simultaneously with the solicitation of a respective one of several keys (TS). 8 - Control selection device characterized in that it comprises a fingerprint sensor (CA) for reading fingerprints, a means (MR) for storing preset biometric references (RO to RN respectively associated with commands (CO to CN-1), means (AN) for comparing similarities between each fingerprint read and the biometric references to determine the greatest similarities, and means (MC) for triggering the execution of the command associated with the biometric reference. 9 - Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a programmable memory (MC) for associating with each biometric reference (Rn) a respective command (Cn) selected from the commands 10 - Device according to claim 8 or 9, included in an alphanumeric information input device, in which each command is associated with a character alphanumeric or to a group of alphanumeric characters. 11 - Device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that it is integrated in a device, preferably portable, replacing a keyboard. 12 - Remote control or mobile radiotelephone terminal in which an alphanumeric information input device comprises the command selection device (DS) according to claim 8 or 9. 13 - Remote control or mobile radiotelephone terminal according to claim 12, wherein the input device occupies a smaller area than that of a display screen.