JP3970269B2 - Surface shape recognition apparatus and method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sensor for detecting a surface shape having fine irregularities such as human fingerprints and animal noseprints, and a technique for collating and recognizing the same.

There is a growing interest in security technology in the development of the information society and the environment of the modern society. For example, in the information society, personal authentication technology for system construction such as electronic cashing is an important key. ing.
In fact, research and development is also active on authentication technology for protection against theft and unauthorized use of cards (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). As such an authentication method, there are various methods such as a fingerprint and a voiceprint. Among them, a lot of techniques have been developed for the fingerprint authentication technology.

Fingerprint authentication methods are roughly classified into optical reading methods, use of human electrical characteristics, and methods for detecting fingerprint irregularities and replacing them with electrical signals.
The optically reading method is a method in which fingerprint data is mainly captured and collated using light reflection and a CCD (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
A method using a piezoelectric thin film for reading the pressure difference between the fingerprints of a finger has also been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
Similarly, as a method for detecting a fingerprint by replacing a change in electric characteristics caused by skin contact with an electric signal distribution, an authentication method using a pressure-sensitive sheet and a resistance change amount or a capacitance change amount has been proposed. (See, for example, Patent Document 3).

However, in the above technique, first, the method using light is difficult to reduce in size and versatility, and uses are limited.
Next, it is conceivable that the method of detecting the unevenness of the finger using a pressure-sensitive sheet is difficult to put into practical use and has low reliability due to the special material and difficulty in workability.
On the other hand, a capacitive fingerprint sensor using LSI manufacturing technology has also been proposed (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2).

This is a method in which a small sensor arranged two-dimensionally on an LSI chip detects an uneven pattern on the skin using a feedback capacitance method.
In this capacitive sensor, two plates are formed on the uppermost layer of LSI wiring, and a passivation film is formed thereon.
The surface of the skin functions as a third plate, is isolated by an insulating layer made of air, and detects fingerprints by sensing at different distances.
This structure is characterized by the fact that no special interface is required and the size can be reduced as compared with the conventional optical type.
JP-A-61-218883 JP-A-5-61965 JP 7-168930 A Yoshimi Shimizu et al., A study on IC card with personal authentication function, IEICE Technical Report, Technical report of IEICE, 0FS92-32, p25-30 (1992) Marco Tartagni and Roberto Guerrieri, A390dpi Live Fingerprint Imager Based on Feedback Capacitive Sensing Scheme, 1997 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, p200-201 (1997) S. Shigematsu, H. Morimura, Y. Tanabe, and K. Machida, "A15x15mm2 single-chip fingerprint seneorandidentiffier using pixel-parallel processing," 1999 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, (1999) Jeong-Woo Lee, Dong-Jin Min, Jiyoun Kim, and WonchanKim, "A 600-dpi Capacitive Fingerprint Sensor Chip and Image-Synthesis Technique," IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuit, vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 469-475, April 1999

However, in the conventional recognition apparatus, the surface area occupied by the sensor portion is large and there are some problems.
The first is the problem that the cost is high when considering the yield of LSI development in system construction, and the second is that if the contact area is small, the probability of breakage is low, and it is strong against mechanical stress. The problem is that it is fragile from the viewpoint of reliability due to its large volume.
That is, in the conventional recognition device, as shown in FIG. 17, the sensor circuit device 81, the verification processing circuit device 82, and the memory circuit device 83 having a large surface area of the sensor portion are mounted and authenticated.

In this case, for example, for fingerprint authentication, authentication processing is performed using a sensor having a large contact area with the finger, and the image area and the contact area used for authentication are the same.
Therefore, the area of the sensor circuit device 81 is increased, which is an obstacle to cost reduction.
Of course, even if a single chip is used instead of multichip mounting, it is inevitable that the chip area will increase, and it is clear that the cost will increase from the viewpoint of LSI yield, and this is also a problem from the viewpoint of reliability. Is clear.

  As shown in FIG. 18, a large number of pixel circuits 92 are provided to face the large number of sensor elements 91, and each pixel circuit 92 has a sensor circuit that drives the sensor element 91, a memory circuit that stores verification data, and verification A method in which authentication and a sensor are integrated by mounting a processing circuit has also been proposed (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 3).

In this case, as many pixel circuits as the number corresponding to the contact area of the finger are required, and the chip becomes larger due to the mounting area. Therefore, there is a problem that the cost cannot be reduced from the viewpoint of the yield of the LSI.
The present invention is for solving such problems, and can recognize surface shapes of fine irregularities such as fingerprints of animals and animal noseprints with a relatively small detection area, as well as cost reduction and reliability. It is an object of the present invention to provide a surface shape recognition processing apparatus that can ensure the above.

The surface shape recognition apparatus according to the present invention electrically detects irregularities in a partial region of the surface of the object to be collated, compares detection data indicating the irregularities with predetermined collation data, and compares the comparison result. An output surface shape detection circuit, a storage circuit for storing template data indicating the unevenness of the entire surface to be collated previously obtained from the object, and an arbitrary position among the template data stored in the storage circuit A part of the data is read out as collation data, output to the surface shape detection circuit, and placed on the periphery of the surface shape detection circuit, a control circuit for performing authentication judgment of the object based on the comparison result from the surface shape detection circuit It provided a position detection circuit comprising a plurality of contact sensor circuits, for the surface shape detection circuit provided corresponding to the partial region of the checking target surface of the object, and a part of territory Compares the detection data obtained from the detection signal of the corresponding sensor element and the corresponding verification data with multiple sensor elements that electrically detect the unevenness of the sensor and output it as detection signals And a plurality of signal processing circuits that output comparison results, the position detection circuit detects the position of the object relative to the surface shape detection circuit, and the control circuit limits the region from which the collation data is cut out from the template data. The detection data obtained from a part of the surface to be collated of the object to be read is compared with the collation data read out in a limited manner.

Another surface shape recognition apparatus according to the present invention includes a surface shape detection circuit that electrically detects unevenness of a partial region of a surface to be verified of an object and outputs detection data indicating the unevenness, and the detection data A holding circuit that holds the comparison data to be compared with, a comparison circuit that compares the detection data from the surface shape detection circuit and the matching data of the holding circuit, and the unevenness of the entire surface to be verified previously obtained from the object. And a part of the template data stored in the storage circuit is read out as a collation data from the arbitrary position and output to the holding circuit. Based on the comparison result from the comparison circuit, and a control circuit for performing authentication judgment object, a position detection circuit comprising a plurality of contact sensor circuits arranged in the circumferential portion of the surface shape detection circuit is provided, the surface shape detection times For a plurality of sensor elements that are provided corresponding to a partial area of the surface of the object to be verified, and that electrically detect unevenness in the partial area and output it as a detection signal, and for each of these sensor elements And a plurality of signal processing circuits that output detection data obtained from detection signals of corresponding sensor elements, and the position detection circuit detects the position of the object relative to the surface shape detection circuit, and the control circuit Reads the limited area from which the collation data is cut out from the template data, and the comparison circuit compares the detection data obtained from a part of the surface of the object to be collated with the collation data read out in a limited manner. It is.

Another surface shape recognition apparatus according to the present invention detects a shape of a surface to be collated of a target object having fine irregularities, and performs surface shape recognition by performing comparison and collation with predetermined data. In the apparatus, a surface shape detection circuit that electrically detects unevenness of a partial region of the surface of the object to be verified and outputs detection data indicating the unevenness, and the surface of the object to be verified previously obtained from the object A memory circuit that stores template data indicating the overall unevenness, and a part of the template data stored in the memory circuit is read as a collation data from any position, and the collation data and detection from the surface shape detection circuit comparing the data, and a control circuit for performing authentication judgment of the object based on the comparison result, a plurality of contact sensor circuits arranged in the circumferential portion of the surface shape detection circuit Tona A position detection circuit is provided, for the surface shape detection circuit provided corresponding to the partial region of the checking target surface of the object, and outputs the unevenness of the partial region as electrically detecting detects signal A plurality of sensor elements and a plurality of signal processing circuits that are provided for each of the sensor elements and that output detection data obtained from the detection signals of the corresponding sensor elements. The position detection circuit is connected to the surface shape detection circuit. Detects the position of the object, reads the limited area where the control circuit cuts the collation data from the template data, and collates the data that is read out with the detection data obtained from a part of the surface of the object to be collated The data is compared.

In the above configuration example, with respect to the collation data, the control circuit sequentially reads a part of the template data from each position as collation data, and performs authentication determination of the object based on the comparison result between the collation data and the detection data. You may do it.
Furthermore, a plurality of template data obtained from the object may be stored in the storage circuit, and the control circuit may perform authentication determination between the template data and the object.
A timing generation circuit that outputs a predetermined timing signal is provided for the timing for acquiring the verification data, and the control circuit instructs the surface shape detection circuit to acquire detection data in accordance with the timing signal from the timing generation circuit. The authentication determination of the object is performed using the comparison result of the detected data.

  For the detection data used for authentication, the surface shape detection circuit detects and outputs a plurality of detection data from the object, and the control circuit performs a collation determination with the template data for each of the plurality of detection data. You may make it perform the authentication determination of a target object based on each collation determination result. Further, the detection data may be individually detected and output from different positions of the object by the surface shape detection circuit. At this time, the control circuit authenticates the object based on the result of comparing the number of matches and the number of mismatches among the matching judgment results between the detection data and the template data with the corresponding adjustable set values. May be performed.

As for template data, a plurality of template data obtained from different objects may be stored in a storage circuit.
As for the timing generation circuit, a contact sensor circuit that detects that an object is in contact with the surface shape detection circuit and outputs a timing signal in response to the detection may be used, and a timing signal is output every predetermined period. Alternatively, a timer circuit or a movement sensor circuit that detects the amount of movement of the object while contacting the surface shape detection circuit and outputs a timing signal according to the amount of movement may be used.

Each circuit in the above specific configuration example may be formed as one chip as the same semiconductor integrated circuit device, or may be divided into a plurality of chips and mounted on the same substrate. May be.
Further, among the circuits, at least the memory circuit may be formed on a chip different from other circuits, and the chip of the memory circuit and the chip of the other circuit may be mounted on the same substrate.
A RAM (random access memory) may be used as the holding circuit, and a nonvolatile memory may be used as the storage circuit.

The total detection area of all sensor elements may be smaller than the entire surface of the object to be verified, and each signal processing circuit is placed close to the corresponding sensor element to occupy all signal processing circuits. The area may be substantially equal to or less than the total detection area of all sensor elements.
As template data, you may make it use the data detected with the large sensor which has the detection area more than all the comparison object surfaces of a target object, the data detected with the optical sensor or semiconductor sensor with a comparatively large contact area, A sensor having a detection area smaller than the entire target surface of the object to be detected may be used to divide the target surface to detect a plurality of divided data, and use data obtained by combining these divided data. .

A surface shape recognition method according to the present invention includes a step of electrically detecting, as detection data, irregularities in a partial area of a surface to be collated of a target object by means of a surface shape detection means comprising a plurality of sensor elements, and a position detection circuit surface The step of detecting the position of the object relative to the shape detection circuit, and the collation data is cut out from the template data indicating the unevenness of the entire surface to be collated obtained from the object in advance according to the detected position of the object. A step of reading out a limited region, and a step of comparing the detection data obtained from a part of the surface of the object to be collated with the collation data read out in a limited manner. .

According to the present invention, the surface shape detecting means composed of a plurality of sensor elements electrically detects the unevenness of a partial area of the surface of the object to be collated as detection data, and is obtained in advance from the object. A part of the template data showing the unevenness of the entire surface to be collated is read out as a collation data from an arbitrary position and compared with the detection data, and authentication judgment between the template data and the object is performed based on the comparison result. It is a thing.
At that time, the surface shape detection circuit individually detects and outputs detection data from different positions of the object, and the control circuit performs a collation determination with the template data for each of the plurality of detection data, and each detection data Of the object and the template data, the authentication determination of the object is performed based on the result of comparing the number of matches and the number of mismatches with the corresponding adjustable set values. Alternatively, a position detection circuit comprising a plurality of contact sensor circuits arranged around the surface shape detection circuit, the position detection circuit detects the position of the object relative to the surface shape detection circuit, and the control circuit generates template data. The verification data is extracted from a limited area, and the detection data obtained from a part of the verification target surface of the target object is compared with the limited verification data.

Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce the surface area occupied by the entire sensor element necessary to detect the unevenness of the surface of the object to be verified, which improves the yield in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor integrated circuit device and reduces the cost. It can be realized, and reliability can be ensured as compared with the conventional large area.
As a result, it is possible to recognize the surface shape of fine irregularities such as human fingerprints and animal noseprints with a relatively small surface area, and to ensure cost reduction and reliability.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a surface shape recognition apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the entire apparatus and (b) shows a signal processing circuit portion.
In the present embodiment, each circuit unit is mounted on a one-chip semiconductor integrated circuit device 10 by a semiconductor integrated technique.
In FIG. 1A, a surface shape detection circuit 7 includes a sensor 2 (semiconductor sensor) composed of a large number of sensor elements 1 arranged in a matrix, and signal processing provided in proximity to each sensor element 1. The circuit 3 is configured.

The sensor element 1 is a circuit element that converts unevenness on the surface of the object to be verified into an electrical signal, and is formed in the sensor 2 using a semiconductor integrated technology.
In this case, the sensor elements 1 are provided as many as necessary to detect a part of the object to be collated rather than the entire surface to be collated, and the surface area occupied by all the sensor elements 1 is smaller than the conventional one.
The signal processing circuit 3 includes a sensor circuit 4 that processes the detection signal 1A from the corresponding sensor element 1 and outputs detection data 15 as shown in FIG. The holding circuit 5 that holds the data 13, and the sensor circuit 4 and the holding circuit 5 are controlled based on the drive signal 14, and the comparison data 13 is compared with the detection data 15 from the sensor circuit 4 and the collation data 13 from the holding circuit 5. 16 is provided.

  Further, separately from the surface shape detection circuit 7, a storage circuit 9 that stores the entire template data in advance, and a part of template data, that is, verification data 12 is read from the storage circuit 9 and output to the surface shape detection circuit 7 as verification data 13. In addition, a control circuit 8 that performs authentication determination of the object based on the comparison result 16 from the surface shape detection circuit 7 and outputs the determination result 17 is provided.

The sensor element 1 and the sensor circuit 4 correspond to detection means for electrically detecting unevenness in a partial region of the surface to be verified of the object and outputting detection data indicating the unevenness, and the holding circuit 5 and The comparison circuit 6 corresponds to comparison means for comparing the detection data from the detection means with predetermined collation data and outputting the comparison result.
Further, the storage circuit 9 corresponds to storage means for storing template data indicating the unevenness of the entire surface to be collated obtained from the object in advance, and the control circuit 8 stores the template data stored in the storage means. Among these, it corresponds to a control means for reading a part of the data as a collation data from an arbitrary position and outputting it to the comparison means, and performing authentication judgment of the object based on the comparison result from the comparison means.

In the present embodiment, as the sensor element 1, a capacitive sensor that detects unevenness of the surface by using the displacement of the capacitance due to contact with the surface to be collated of the object is used.
Needless to say, other methods such as a resistance type may be used as long as the method can detect the unevenness of the surface to be verified.
For example, when recognizing a human fingerprint, the surface area (detection area) of the sensor 2 is about 10 mm square or less.
The signal processing circuit 3 for comparing and collating the detection data detected by the sensor element 1 and the collation data is formed with a size of 50 to 100 μm square.
A RAM (random access memory) is used as the holding circuit 5.

On the other hand, a non-volatile memory is used as the storage circuit 9, and for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a rewritable EEPROM or a flash memory may be used.
It goes without saying that the memory circuit 9 does not need to be non-volatile depending on the system power supply method and is selected according to the system.
In this storage circuit 9, data previously obtained from all of the surfaces to be collated of the object are stored as template data. For example, in the case of a fingerprint, all fingerprint data occupying about 20 mm square is secured. .

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic recognition operation of the present embodiment, where (a) shows a schematic operation and (b) shows a flowchart.
Generally, when recognizing an object, detection data obtained from the object is compared with template data serving as a collation reference, and recognition is determined according to the result.
Conventionally, the detection data indicating all the verification target surfaces of the object are verified.
Here, paying attention to the fact that there is no need to collate the entire surface to be collated in view of the complex uneven pattern on the surface to be collated of the object, the present invention obtains it from a part of the surface to be collated of the object. The detected data 15 is used to search the entire template data 21 for a pattern that matches the detected data 15.

That is, the collation data 12 for collation is sequentially cut out from different positions of the template data 21, and the cut out collation data 13 (12) and the detection data 15 are compared and collated.
At this time, with respect to the region to be cut out as the collation data 13 (12) from the template data 21, it is necessary to cut out a region corresponding to the collation target surface of the object detected by the surface shape detection circuit 7.
In this case, a means for positioning the object may be provided, and the collation data 13 (12) may be cut out from the corresponding region of the template data 21.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B, first, a drive signal 14 is output from the control circuit 8 to each signal processing circuit 3 to instruct the detection of the verification target surface of the object (step). 100).

In the signal processing circuit 3, the detection signal from the corresponding sensor element 1 is processed by the sensor circuit 4 based on the drive signal 14 and the detection data 15 is output.
Subsequently, the control circuit 8 cuts out the matching data 12 from an arbitrary position in the template data 21 stored in the storage circuit 9 by the control signal 11 (step 101), and the surface shape detection circuit 7 is used as the matching data 13. One pixel corresponding to each sensor element 1 is distributed to each signal processing circuit 3 (step 102).
In the signal processing circuit 3, the distributed verification data 13 is taken into the holding circuit 5 and held.
The detection data 15 from the sensor circuit 4 and the collation data 13 from the holding circuit 5 are compared and collated by the comparison circuit 6, and a comparison result 16 in units of one pixel is output (step 103).
Thereafter, the control circuit 8 tabulates the comparison results 16 from the respective signal processing circuits 3 and performs authentication judgment of the object using a similarity degree including a predetermined statistic such as the overall verification rate (step 104). .

Here, when the authorization determination indicates a match between the two (step 104: YES), it is determined that the object and the template data 21 are “matched” (step 105), and the series of collation processes is terminated.
If the authorization determination indicates a mismatch between the two (step 104: NO), it is determined whether the collation data 13 has been cut out from all the positions of the template data 21 (step 106). Step 106: NO), the collation data cut-out position is shifted to the next position (step 107), and the process returns to step 102 to compare the collation data 13 cut out from the next position with the detection data 15.

In step 106, when the cut-out from all positions is completed (step 106: YES), it is determined that the object and the template data 21 are “mismatched”, and the series of collation processing ends.
As described above, according to this embodiment, the surface area occupied by the entire sensor element 1 can be reduced, the yield in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor integrated circuit device can be improved, and the cost can be reduced. The reliability can be ensured as compared with the conventional large area.
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to recognize the surface shape of minute irregularities such as human fingerprints and animal noseprints with a relatively small surface area, and it is possible to ensure cost reduction and reliability.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the first embodiment (see FIG. 1), the configuration in which each circuit unit is mounted on a one-chip semiconductor integrated circuit device has been described. However, each circuit unit is configured by an independent chip on the same mounting substrate. You may make it arrange | position to.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the surface shape recognition device is composed of three chips, that is, a surface shape detection circuit device 7A, a control circuit device 8A, and a memory circuit device 9A. Arranged integrally on the substrate 10A (multi-chip configuration).
Note that the surface shape detection circuit device 7A, the control circuit device 8A, and the memory circuit device 9A correspond to the surface shape detection circuit 7, the control circuit 8, and the memory circuit 9 of FIG. Omitted.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.
In particular, by using the memory circuit 9 that has a relatively high integration rate and is likely to cause a decrease in yield as a separate chip from other circuits, the yield can be improved and the cost can be reduced in the manufacturing process of the entire surface shape recognition device. It is.
Further, when the memory circuit 9 is a separate chip, there is an advantage that the memory capacity can be increased because there are no restrictions on the manufacturing process as compared with the one-chip configuration, and the degree of freedom of the recognition method is increased.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a surface shape recognition apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the whole apparatus and (b) shows a signal processing circuit.
In the first embodiment (see FIG. 1), the case where the sensor circuit 4, the holding circuit 5 and the comparison circuit 6 are provided in each signal processing circuit 3 of the surface shape detection circuit 7 has been described as an example. In this embodiment, the holding circuit 5 and the comparison circuit 6 are arranged outside the surface shape detection circuit 7.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, only the sensor circuit 4 is arranged in the signal processing circuit 3A, and the detection signal 1A from the corresponding sensor element 1 is processed based on the drive signal 14 from the control circuit 8. And output as detection data 15.

The detection data 15 from each signal processing circuit 3A is input to the comparison circuit 6, where it is compared with the collation data 13 from the holding circuit 5 for each pixel unit, and the comparison result 16 for each pixel unit is output to the control circuit 8. Is done.
Then, as in the first embodiment, authentication determination is performed by the control circuit based on the comparison result 16.
As described above, since the holding circuit 5 and the comparison circuit 6 are arranged separately from the signal processing circuit 3A, the holding circuit 5 and the comparison circuit 6 are provided in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment. It is possible to reduce the size of the entire surface shape recognition device.
Furthermore, the authentication algorithm in the comparison circuit 6 can be easily changed.
Further, the area occupied by the signal processing circuit 3A is reduced, and accordingly, the mounting density of the sensor elements 1 can be improved, and the surface area of the sensor 2 can be reduced.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the third embodiment (see FIG. 4), the configuration in which each circuit unit is mounted on a one-chip semiconductor integrated circuit device has been described. However, each circuit unit is configured by an independent chip on the same mounting board. You may make it arrange | position to.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a surface shape recognition device is composed of five chips: a surface shape detection circuit device 7A, a holding circuit device 5A, a comparison circuit device 6A, a control circuit device 8A, and a memory circuit device 9A. These chips are integrally arranged on the same mounting substrate 10A (multi-chip configuration).
The surface shape detection circuit device 7A, the holding circuit device 5A, the comparison circuit device 6A, the control circuit device 8A, and the memory circuit device 9A are the same as the surface shape detection circuit 7, the holding circuit 5, the comparison circuit 6, and the control circuit 8 shown in FIG. This corresponds to the memory circuit 9, and detailed description of the operation is omitted here.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the third embodiment can be obtained.
In particular, by using a separate circuit for the memory circuit 9 that has a relatively high integration rate and is likely to cause a decrease in yield, the yield can be improved and the cost can be reduced in the manufacturing process of the entire surface shape recognition device.
Further, when the memory circuit 9 is a separate chip, there is an advantage that the memory capacity can be increased because there are no restrictions on the manufacturing process as compared with the one-chip configuration, and the degree of freedom of the recognition method is increased.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the third embodiment, the case where the holding circuit 5 and the comparison circuit 6 are arranged separately from the surface shape detection circuit 7 has been described as an example. Of these, the processing operation in the comparison circuit 6 is performed inside the control circuit 8. You may make it perform.
Each signal processing circuit 3A of the surface shape detection circuit 7 has the same configuration as that in FIG.
That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the detection data 15A from each signal processing circuit 3A of the surface shape detection circuit 7 is input to the control circuit device 8, where the collation data 13 read from the storage circuit 9 and each The comparison is performed for each pixel unit, and the authentication determination is performed based on the comparison result.
Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the holding circuit 5, and the entire surface shape recognition device can be downsized in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the fifth embodiment (see FIG. 6), the configuration in which each circuit unit is mounted on a one-chip semiconductor integrated circuit device has been described. However, each circuit unit is configured by an independent chip on the same mounting board. You may make it arrange | position to.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the surface shape recognition device is composed of three chips, that is, a surface shape detection circuit device 7A, a control circuit device 8A, and a memory circuit device 9A. Arranged integrally on the substrate 10A (multi-chip configuration).
The surface shape detection circuit device 7A, the control circuit device 8A, and the memory circuit device 9A correspond to the surface shape detection circuit 7, the holding circuit 5, the comparison circuit 6, the control circuit 8, and the memory circuit 9 in FIG. A detailed description of the operation is omitted here.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the fifth embodiment can be obtained.
In particular, by using a separate circuit for the memory circuit 9 that has a relatively high integration rate and is likely to cause a decrease in yield, the yield can be improved and the cost can be reduced in the manufacturing process of the entire surface shape recognition device.
Further, when the memory circuit 9 is a separate chip, there is an advantage that the memory capacity can be increased because there are no restrictions on the manufacturing process as compared with the one-chip configuration, and the degree of freedom of the recognition method is increased.

In the above description, it is necessary to use data including all of the surfaces to be verified of the object as template data.
Therefore, template data may be generated in advance using a sensor such as a large semiconductor sensor or an optical sensor that can detect the entire surface of the object to be verified.
In addition, a small sensor is used to divide and detect the surface to be collated of the object, and a plurality of obtained data are combined to generate template data including all of the surface to be collated of the object. May be.

Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic recognition operation of the present embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation.
In the first to sixth embodiments described above, the case where one template data is compared with the object has been described.
Below, the case where the some template data 21A-21N are hold | maintained at the memory | storage circuit 9, and the authentication determination of a target object is performed using these is demonstrated.
9, the same or equivalent parts as in FIG. 2 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and in this embodiment, steps 110 and 111 are provided between step 106 and step 108.
The circuit configuration is the same as that shown in FIG.

When it is determined that the detection data detected from the object does not match the verification data cut out from the template data (step 104: NO), and the verification data is cut out from all positions for the currently selected template data ( Step 106: YES), it is determined whether or not collation with all templators has been completed (Step 110).
If there is template data that has not been collated yet (step 110: NO), the next template data is switched and selected (step 111), the process returns to step 101, and collation with the selected template data is started. .

In step 110, when collation with all template data is completed (step 110: YES), the process proceeds to step 108, and it is determined that all template data and the object are “mismatched”. Then, a series of collation processing is completed.
In step 110, it may be determined whether collation with a predetermined number of template data has been completed instead of all template data.

As described above, since the authentication determination is performed using a plurality of template data, it can be widely applied to the authentication determination.
The object detection data 15 obtained by the surface shape detection circuit 7 changes slightly depending on whether or not the object is pressed against the surface shape detection circuit 7, and the same detection data is always obtained even for the same object. 15 is not obtained.
Therefore, by performing authentication determination using a plurality of different template data obtained from the same object, the authentication rate can be improved and high reliability can be obtained as compared with the case where one template data is used.
Further, authentication determination may be performed using template data obtained from a plurality of different objects, and authentication determination with a plurality of objects can be processed in a short time.

Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the surface shape recognition apparatus of the present embodiment.
In the present embodiment, in addition to the circuit configuration of FIG. 1 described above, the contact sensor circuit 30 is arranged on the periphery of the surface shape detection circuit 7 and the detection output is input to the control circuit 8 as the timing signal 31. .
Here, the contact sensor circuit 30 corresponds to timing generation means (timing generation circuit).
When performing the authentication processing of the object, the object is first pressed against the surface shape detection circuit 7.
This contact is detected by the contact sensor circuit 30, and the timing signal 31 is input to the control circuit 8.
In response to this, a drive signal 14 is output from the control circuit 8 to each signal processing circuit 3 to instruct detection of the surface to be verified of the object, and the authentication processing shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 is started.

  As described above, in response to the timing signal 31 from the contact sensor circuit 30, the surface shape detection circuit 7 is instructed to acquire detection data, and the object is authenticated using the obtained detection data. Therefore, the capture is performed at the time when the surface shape detection circuit 7 and the object are in an optimal positional relationship, and clear detection data is obtained and the authentication rate is improved.

Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic recognition operation of the present embodiment, where (a) is a layout diagram of a contact sensor circuit, (b) is an example of contact with an object, and (c) is a cutout region of verification data. Show.
In the above-described eighth embodiment, the case where one contact sensor circuit 30 is arranged has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 11A, a plurality of contact sensor circuits 30 </ b> A to 30 </ b> A to around the surface shape detection circuit 7. 30D may be arranged.
By using the detection outputs from these contact sensor circuits 30 </ b> A to 30 </ b> D, the positional relationship between the object and the surface shape detection circuit 7 can be grasped, and the region where the collation data 12 is cut out from the template data 21 can be limited.
Here, the contact sensor circuits 30A to 30D correspond to position detection circuits.

As shown in FIG. 2B, for example, a detection output indicating that there is contact is input to the control circuit 8 from the contact sensor circuits 30A, 30B, and 30D, and a detection output indicating that there is no contact is input from the contact sensor circuit 30C. It can be seen that the object (finger) 70 is pressed against the lower left side with respect to the surface shape detection circuit 7.
Therefore, the control circuit 8 can define the area 22 that can be detected by the surface shape detection circuit 7 on the template data 21 based on the sizes of the surface shape detection circuit 7 and the template data 21. It is only necessary to cut out from each position within the range of the region 22.

  As described above, the position detection circuit, for example, a plurality of contact sensor circuits is provided around the surface shape detection circuit 7 to detect the positional relationship between the surface shape detection circuit 7 and the object. Based on the relationship, the area 22 for reading the collation data 12 from the template data 21 can be limited, and the time required for collation can be greatly reduced.

Next, a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic recognition operation of the present embodiment, and FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation.
In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where one detection data detected from the same object is collated with the template data has been described.
Below, the case where the authentication determination of a target object is performed using the some detection data detected from the same target object is demonstrated.
Here, a similarity indicating the degree of similarity between the object and the template data is introduced as a scale for authentication determination.
The circuit configuration is the same as in FIG.

First, the control circuit 8 initializes the values of the coincidence counter and the disagreement counter provided therein in order to obtain the similarity (step 120).
And it waits until the detection output which shows that a target object has contacted is input from the contact sensor circuit 30 (step 121).
When the detection output changes to contact, a drive signal 14 is output from the control circuit 8 to each signal processing circuit 3 to instruct detection of the surface to be verified of the object (step 122).
In the signal processing circuit 3, the detection signal from the corresponding sensor element 1 is processed by the sensor circuit 4 based on the drive signal 14 and the detection data 15 is output.

Subsequently, the control circuit 8 cuts out the matching data 12 from an arbitrary position in the template data 21 stored in the storage circuit 9 by the control signal 11 (step 123), and the surface shape detection circuit 7 as the matching data 13. Each pixel is distributed to each signal processing circuit 3 in correspondence with each sensor element 1 (step 124).
In the signal processing circuit 3, the distributed verification data 13 is taken into the holding circuit 5 and held.
Then, the detection data 15 from the sensor circuit 4 and the collation data 13 from the holding circuit 5 are compared and collated by the comparison circuit 6, and a comparison result 16 in units of one pixel is output (step 125).

Thereafter, the control circuit 8 tabulates the comparison results 16 from the signal processing circuits 3 and performs the object collation determination using the similarity including a predetermined statistic such as the overall collation rate (step 126). .
When the collation determination indicates a match between the two (step 126: YES), the value of the match counter is incremented by one (step 127), and the value of the match counter is compared with the set value (step 128).
Here, when the value of the coincidence counter exceeds the set value (step 128: YES), it is determined that the object and the template data 21 are “matched” (step 129), and a series of collation processes is terminated. To do.
When the value of the coincidence counter is equal to or smaller than the set value (step 128: NO), the process returns to step 121, and new collation data is detected in response to the next contact detection and the collation process is repeated.

  If the authorization determination indicates a mismatch between the two (step 126: NO), it is determined whether the collation data 13 has been cut out from all the positions of the template data 21 (step 130). Step 130: NO), the collation data cut-out position is shifted to the next position (step 131), and the process returns to step 123 to compare the collation data 13 cut out from the next position with the detection data 15.

In step 130, when extraction from all positions is completed (step 130: YES), the value of the mismatch counter is incremented by one (step 132), and the value of the mismatch counter is compared with the set value (step 133). .
Here, if the value of the mismatch counter exceeds the set value (step 133: YES), it is determined that the object and the template data 21 are “mismatch” (step 134), and a series of matching processes is performed. finish.
If the value of the mismatch counter is equal to or smaller than the set value (step 133: NO), the process returns to step 121, and new collation data is detected in response to the next contact detection and the collation process is repeated.

As described above, since the authentication determination of the object is performed using the plurality of detection data detected from the same object, the authentication determination is performed using the detection data obtained from any one area of the object. Compared to the case, the shape information obtained from the object is increased, the authentication accuracy is increased, and as a result, the authentication rate can be improved.
When the surface shape detection circuit 7 detects the surface of the object to be collated, if the detected location is scratched or sweat or dust is attached, these scratches, sweat or dust are included in the detection data as noise. .
Therefore, by applying this embodiment, even when such noise is included in the detection data and authentication determination cannot be performed accurately, authentication determination can be performed with other detection data, and authentication determination is performed with high accuracy. be able to.

In addition, since the authentication determination is performed by comparing the values of the coincidence counter and the non-coincidence counter with the set value, the authentication determination degree can be controlled by adjusting the set value.
For example, when performing fingerprint authentication, by adjusting this setting value, it is possible to set how much the person is recognized and how much other person is rejected, that is, the security level.
Specifically, lowering the setting value makes it easier to recognize the person, but on the other hand, it makes it easier for others to accept and lowers the security level.
In addition, if the set value is increased, it becomes difficult to recognize the person, but on the other hand, it is possible to exclude other people more and raise the security level.
As for the set value, a match counter and a mismatch counter may be provided separately.

Next, an eleventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the surface shape recognition apparatus of the present embodiment, and FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing its basic recognition operation.
Here, in addition to the circuit configuration of FIG. 1 described above, a timer circuit 32 is provided.
The timer circuit 32 is a circuit that outputs a timing signal 33 to the control circuit 8 every predetermined period.
As the timer circuit 32, one provided in the control circuit 8 (such as an internal timer of the CPU) may be used.
Here, the timer circuit 32 corresponds to a timing generation means (timing generation circuit).

The operation is the same as that of the tenth embodiment described above (see FIG. 13). In step 121, each signal processing from the control circuit 8 according to the timing signal 33 from the timer circuit 32, that is, every predetermined period. A drive signal 14 is output to the circuit 3 to instruct detection of the surface to be verified of the object, and authentication processing with the template data 21 is performed for each detection data 15 obtained.
Accordingly, by moving the position of the object on the surface shape detection circuit 7, detection data can be obtained sequentially from different positions, so that the authentication accuracy can be further improved.
As shown in FIG. 12, even if the position where the object is brought into contact with the surface shape detection circuit 7 is changed, detection data at different positions can be obtained.

A method for detecting the surface shape of an object by moving the object while contacting the object with the surface shape detection circuit 7 has been conventionally proposed (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 4).
In such a system, the object is moved while being in contact with the surface shape detection circuit 7, the partial shape of the object is detected, and the object is detected by image processing or the like based on the plurality of detected detection data. The entire shape of the object is re-synthesized, and processing such as authentication is performed using the re-synthesized data, which is fundamentally different from the present embodiment in which authentication processing is performed with partial detection data.

Next, a twelfth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the surface shape recognition apparatus of the present embodiment.
Here, in addition to the circuit configuration of FIG. 1 described above, a movement sensor circuit 34 is provided.
The movement sensor circuit 34 is a circuit that detects the amount of movement of the object and outputs a timing signal 35 to the control circuit 8 for each predetermined amount of movement. An electrically counting circuit or the like is used.
Here, the movement sensor circuit 34 corresponds to a timing generation means (timing generation circuit).

The operation is the same as that of the tenth embodiment described above (see FIG. 13). In step 121, each signal is sent from the control circuit 8 according to the timing signal 35 from the movement sensor circuit 34, that is, every predetermined period. A drive signal 14 is output to the processing circuit 3 to instruct detection of the surface to be verified of the object, and authentication processing with the template data 21 is performed for each obtained detection data 15.
Therefore, similarly to the eleventh embodiment, by moving the position of the object on the surface shape detection circuit 7, detection data can be obtained sequentially from different positions, so that the authentication accuracy can be further improved. .

In the above, in order to explain the contents of the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, each embodiment has been described individually. However, the embodiments may be combined as necessary, and the above-described effects can be obtained.
In each of the above embodiments, the case where the detection data 15 obtained by the sensor element 1 and the collation data 12 (13) stored in the storage circuit 9 are composed of two-dimensional data has been described as an example. These data are not limited to two dimensions. For example, even if the data is composed of three-dimensional data to which information on the depth direction of unevenness is added, each embodiment is the same as described above. The same effect can be obtained.

It is a block diagram of the surface shape recognition apparatus by 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing and flowchart which show the basic recognition operation | movement of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the surface shape recognition apparatus by 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the surface shape recognition apparatus by 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the surface shape recognition apparatus by 4th Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the surface shape recognition apparatus by 5th Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the surface shape recognition apparatus by 6th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the basic recognition operation | movement of 7th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the basic recognition operation | movement of 7th Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the surface shape recognition apparatus by 8th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the basic recognition operation | movement of 9th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the basic recognition operation | movement of 10th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the basic recognition operation | movement of 10th Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the surface shape recognition apparatus by 11th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the basic recognition operation | movement of 11th Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the surface shape recognition apparatus by 12th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the conventional surface shape recognition apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other structural example of the conventional surface shape recognition apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sensor element, 2 ... Sensor, 3, 3A ... Signal processing circuit, 4 ... Sensor circuit, 5 ... Holding circuit, 6 ... Comparison circuit, 7 ... Surface shape recognition circuit, 8 ... Control circuit, 9 ... Memory circuit, 10 ... Semiconductor integrated circuit device, 5A ... Holding circuit device, 6A ... Comparison circuit device, 7A ... Surface shape recognition circuit device, 8A ... Control circuit device, 9A ... Memory circuit device, 10A ... Mounting substrate, 11 ... Control signal, 12, 13, 13A to 13F ... collation data, 14 ... drive signal, 15, 15A-15F ... detection data, 16 ... comparison result, 17 ... determination result, 21, 21A-21N ... template data, 22 ... area, 30, 30A- 30D: contact sensor circuit, 31, 33, 35 ... timing signal, 32 ... timer circuit, 34 ... movement sensor circuit.

Claims (24)

In the surface shape recognition device that performs authentication of the object by detecting the shape of the object to be collated of the object having fine irregularities and comparing the object with predetermined data,
A surface shape detection circuit that electrically detects unevenness of a partial region of the surface of the object to be verified, compares the detection data indicating the unevenness with predetermined matching data, and outputs the comparison result;
A storage circuit for storing template data indicating the unevenness of the entire surface to be collated obtained in advance from the object;
A part of the template data stored in the storage circuit is read out from any position as collation data and output to the surface shape detection circuit, and the object is authenticated based on the comparison result from the surface shape detection circuit. A control circuit for performing the determination;
A position detection circuit consisting of a plurality of contact sensor circuits arranged on the periphery of the surface shape detection circuit,
The surface shape detection circuit includes:
A plurality of sensor elements that are provided corresponding to a partial area of the surface of the object to be verified, and that electrically detect irregularities in the partial area and output as detection signals;
A plurality of signal processing circuits that are provided for each of these sensor elements and compare the detection data obtained from the detection signals of the corresponding sensor elements with the corresponding collation data and output the comparison results,
The position detection circuit detects the position of the object with respect to the surface shape detection circuit, and the control circuit reads out a limited area for extracting the verification data from the template data according to the detected position of the object. A surface shape recognition apparatus that compares the detection data obtained from a part of the surface of the object to be collated with the collation data read out in a limited manner.
In the surface shape recognition device that performs authentication of the object by detecting the shape of the object to be collated of the object having fine irregularities and comparing the object with predetermined data,
A surface shape detection circuit that electrically detects irregularities in a partial area of the surface of the object to be verified and outputs detection data indicating the irregularities;
A holding circuit for holding collation data to be compared with the detection data;
A comparison circuit for comparing the detection data from the surface shape detection circuit and the verification data of the holding circuit;
A storage circuit for storing template data indicating the unevenness of the entire surface to be collated obtained in advance from the object;
Control of reading out a part of the template data stored in the storage circuit from any position as collation data, outputting it to the holding circuit, and performing authentication judgment of the object based on the comparison result from the comparison circuit Circuit,
A position detection circuit consisting of a plurality of contact sensor circuits arranged on the periphery of the surface shape detection circuit,
The surface shape detection circuit includes:
A plurality of sensor elements that are provided corresponding to a partial area of the surface of the object to be verified, and that electrically detect irregularities in the partial area and output as detection signals;
A plurality of signal processing circuits that are provided for each of these sensor elements and that output detection data obtained from the detection signals of the corresponding sensor elements;
The position detection circuit detects the position of the object with respect to the surface shape detection circuit, and the control circuit reads out a limited area for extracting the verification data from the template data according to the detected position of the object. The surface shape recognition apparatus, wherein the comparison circuit compares the detection data obtained from a part of the surface to be verified of the object with the verification data read out in a limited manner.
In the surface shape recognition device that performs authentication of the object by detecting the shape of the object to be collated of the object having fine irregularities and comparing the object with predetermined data,
A surface shape detection circuit that electrically detects irregularities in a partial area of the surface of the object to be verified and outputs detection data indicating the irregularities;
A storage circuit for storing template data indicating the unevenness of the entire surface to be collated obtained in advance from the object;
A part of the template data stored in the storage circuit is read out as a collation data from an arbitrary position, the collation data is compared with the detection data from the surface shape detection circuit, and the target is based on the comparison result. A control circuit that performs authentication judgment of an object;
A position detection circuit consisting of a plurality of contact sensor circuits arranged on the periphery of the surface shape detection circuit,
The surface shape detection circuit includes:
A plurality of sensor elements that are provided corresponding to a partial area of the surface of the object to be verified, and that electrically detect irregularities in the partial area and output as detection signals;
A plurality of signal processing circuits that are provided for each of these sensor elements and that output detection data obtained from the detection signals of the corresponding sensor elements;
The position detection circuit detects the position of the object with respect to the surface shape detection circuit, and the control circuit reads out a limited area for extracting the verification data from the template data according to the detected position of the object. A surface shape recognition apparatus that compares the detection data obtained from a part of the surface of the object to be collated with the collation data read out in a limited manner.
In the surface shape recognition apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
The control circuit sequentially reads out a part of each of the template data from each position as collation data, and makes a surface object determination based on a comparison result between the collation data and the detection data. Recognition device. The surface shape recognition apparatus according to claim 4.
The storage circuit stores a plurality of template data obtained from an object,
The said control circuit performs the authentication determination with these template data and a target object, The surface shape recognition apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the surface shape recognition apparatus in any one of Claims 1-5,
A timing generation circuit for outputting a predetermined timing signal;
The control circuit instructs the surface shape detection circuit to acquire detection data in accordance with a timing signal from the timing generation circuit, and performs authentication determination of the object using a comparison result of the obtained detection data. Surface shape recognition device characterized by the above. In the surface shape recognition apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
The surface shape detection circuit detects and outputs a plurality of detection data from the object,
The surface shape recognition apparatus, wherein the control circuit performs a collation determination with the template data for each of the plurality of detection data, and performs an authentication determination of the object based on each collation determination result. The surface shape recognition apparatus according to claim 7.
The surface shape detection circuit according to claim 1, wherein the surface shape detection circuit individually detects and outputs detection data from different positions of the object. The surface shape recognition method according to claim 8.
The control circuit performs authentication determination of the object based on a result of comparing the number of matches and the number of mismatches among the matching determination results of each detection data and the template data with the corresponding adjustable set values. The surface shape recognition apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The surface shape recognition apparatus according to claim 5,
The surface shape recognition apparatus, wherein the storage circuit stores a plurality of template data obtained from different objects. The surface shape recognition apparatus according to claim 6.
2. The surface shape recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing generation circuit includes a contact sensor circuit that detects that an object has contacted the surface shape detection circuit and outputs a timing signal in response to the detection. The surface shape recognition apparatus according to claim 6.
2. The surface shape recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing generation circuit includes a timer circuit that outputs a timing signal every predetermined period. The surface shape recognition apparatus according to claim 6.
The surface generation circuit includes a movement sensor circuit that detects a movement amount of the object moved while contacting the surface shape detection circuit and outputs a timing signal in accordance with the movement amount. Recognition device. In the surface shape recognition apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
Each of the circuits is formed on one chip as the same semiconductor integrated circuit device. In the surface shape recognition apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
Each of the circuits is formed by being divided into a plurality of chips, and each chip is mounted on the same substrate. In the surface shape recognition apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
Of the circuits, at least the memory circuit is formed on a chip different from other circuits, and the chip of the memory circuit and the chip of the other circuit are mounted on the same substrate. apparatus. In the surface shape recognition apparatus according to claim 2,
A surface shape recognition apparatus using a random access memory (RAM) as the holding circuit. In the surface shape recognition apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
A non-volatile memory is used as the memory circuit. In the surface shape recognition apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
A surface shape recognition apparatus characterized in that a total detection area by all sensor elements is smaller than a total verification target surface of an object. The surface shape recognition device according to claim 19,
Each of the signal processing circuits is disposed in proximity to the corresponding sensor element, and the area occupied by all the signal processing circuits is substantially equal to or less than the total detection area of all the sensor elements. . In the surface shape recognition apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
As the template data, a surface shape recognition device using data detected by a large sensor having a detection area equal to or larger than the surface of all objects to be collated is used. The surface shape recognition apparatus according to claim 21, wherein
A surface shape recognition apparatus using data detected by an optical sensor or a semiconductor sensor having a relatively large contact area as the template data. In the surface shape recognition apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
As the template data, data obtained by dividing the surface to be collated by a sensor having a detection area smaller than the entire surface to be collated of the object and detecting a plurality of divided data and combining the divided data is used. The surface shape recognition apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the surface shape recognition method for authenticating the object by detecting the shape of the object to be collated of the object having fine irregularities and comparing with the predetermined data,
A step of electrically detecting, as detection data, irregularities in a partial region of the surface of the object to be collated by a surface shape detection means comprising a plurality of sensor elements;
A step of detecting a position of the object relative to the surface shape detection circuit by the position detection circuit;
A step of reading out the limited region for extracting the matching data from the template data indicating the unevenness of the entire matching target surface obtained from the target in advance according to the position of the detected target;
Comparing the detection data obtained from a part of the verification target surface of the object with the verification data read out in a limited manner;
A surface shape recognition method characterized by comprising:

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