IE33076L - Identification system. - Google Patents

Abstract

1,267,996. Releasable fastenings. IDENTIMATION CORP. 1 May, 1969 [14 April, 1969], No. 22233/69. Heading E2A. [Also in Divisions B6 and G1] Apparatus for identifying a person from the length measurements of his fingers, and which may also be arranged to operate the tumblers of a lock, comprises divisions 4, 10, Figs. 2, 3 forming slots for the fingers of a hand and guides for sensors 11-14 which are pushed back by the fingers to slide their ends 11'- 14', Figs. 4, 5, over an opaque identity card 21. The card is personal to the person being examined and has transparent windows 11"- 14" defining a space pattern related through a scale or code to the length of the individual fingers. The sensor ends 11'-14' are spaced axially and related to each other by the same scale or code employed in determining the window pattern for the card, the provision of such a code making it more difficult for an unauthorised person to falsify the security check. Photo-electric sensing devices actuated by the placing of the card in the recess 20 then detect any light passing from a lamp in the housing 6 through the windows in the card, an absence of light passing indicating an identity between the person and the card. In Figs. 8, 8A (not shown) the entire housing (6A) is slid on rails (60) (61) by a motor (M1) instead of the hand itself moving to operate the sensors, and when the sensor (26A) comes into contact with the crotch between the finger and thumb the motor (M1) is stopped and the motor (M2) started to rotate the housing (6A) about pin (71) by means of rack and pinion (73) (74) to bring the sensor (26B) into pressure contact with the crotch between the little finger and the next adjacent finger, whereupon (M2) is stopped. In Fig. 10 (not shown) the hand is first positioned with its first finger crotch in contact with sensor (26A) and then further movement of the hand causes the housing to pivot about the pin (100) to make contact with sensor (26B). In a modification the information on the identification card can be contained in a lock mechanism having pins corresponding to the rods 15 in Fig. 5 and operated by the fingers to control lock tumblers which open the lock when there is identity between the finger pattern and the identity card. [GB1267996A]