Patent attributes
A method and apparatus for authenticating a fingerprint image captured through an optical sensor. For at least some embodiments, light scattering characteristics associated with a fingerprint are determined and compared to a reference light scattering characteristic. The fingerprint is authenticated when the light scattering characteristics are within a threshold difference of the reference light scattering characteristic. For some embodiments, the light scattering characteristics associated with the fingerprint are compared to light scattering characteristics associated with one or more reference (enrollment) images. For at least some embodiments, the light scattering characteristics may be based on a correlation value based on identified pixels and one or more pixels neighboring the identified pixel.