Accuracy
A computed indicator of the system's ability to place the correct mate within a specified position on the candidate list as a result of the matching process.
Acquisition (BioID)
Part of the biometric system that controls audio and video recording. Acquisition runs in the background and provides audio and video data.
Authentication
Alternative term for verification.
Behavioral biometric
A biometric, which is characterized by a behavioral trait that is learned and acquired over time as opposed to a physical characteristic.
Biometric data
The extracted information taken from the biometric sample and used to build a reference template.
Biometric sample
Raw data representing a biometric characteristic of an applicant as captured by a biometric system.
Biometric system
An automated system capable of
Unimodal biometric system
A biometric system which uses a single biometric.
Multimodal biometric system
A biometric system which uses multiple biometrics.
Biometrics
A category of measurable, physical characteristic or personal behavioral trait of a human being used to authenticate the claimed identity of an applicant.
Candidate
Reference template and template identifier selected by the matcher as a possible match for the template issued from the submitted biometric sample.
Capture
The method of taking a biometric sample from an applicant.
Live capture
The process of capturing a biometric sample by an interaction between an applicant and a biometric system.
Dead capture
Capture of a biometric sample from a biometric evidence
Classification result (BioID)
Contains the result of a single verification/classification. Consists of fusion results and (optionally) the results for the single traits. A rating for every trained class is given, as well as set of classification parameters (weights, thresholds) and the final result (acceptance/rejection).
Classification
Process of checking a person's identity. Could be either verification or identification.
Classifier (BioID)
Module that matches features of a recording against the prototypes of one or more learned persons. Also calculates the prototypes from training data.
Comparison
The process of comparing biometric data with a previously stored reference template or templates.
Decision threshold
The acceptance or rejection of a candidate is dependent on the match score falling above or below the threshold. The threshold may be adjustable so that the biometric system can be more or less strict, depending on the requirements of any given biometric application.
Duplicate search
Computer generated search performed to detect any duplicated templates stored in a permanent database.
EER - Equal Error Rate
This rate is computed at the point where the FRR Curve and the FAR Curve meet. The EER is then the common value of the two curves at that point. In practice, the two curves are not continuous and a crossover point might not exist. In this case, the interpolated middle of the Equal Error Rate Interval can be reported.
EERI - Equal Error Rate Interval
Interval defined when a crossover point between the FRR Curve and FAR Curve does not exist.
Enrollee
A person who has a biometric stored reference template.
Enrollment
The process of collecting biometric samples from an applicant and the subsequent preparation, and storage of biometric reference templates representing that person's identity.
Failure to enroll (FE)
Failure of the biometric system to capture and extract biometric data for an applicant or biometric evidence. The failure may be due to capture the biometric sample or to extract data (of sufficient quality).
Failure to enroll rate (FER)
The proportion of the population of applicants failing to complete enrolment.
False Acceptance
Result of a biometric request in the case of an Impostor Attempt provided by a biometric system which consists in a positive verification or a wrong identification of the applicant. Used in the context of Positive Claim of Identity. in the case of a candidate list, each candidate of the list before the correctly identified candidate is in a "False Acceptance" situation
False Rejection
Result of a Biometric Request in the case of a Genuine Attempt provided by a Biometric System which consists in a negative Verification or a wrong Identification of the Applicant. Used in the context of Positive Claim of Identity.
FAR - False Acceptance Rate
Over a designated number of Impostor Attempts, the proportion of positive answers given by the biometric system. It is stated as follows:
FAR = NFA/NIIA or FAR=NFA/NIVA
Where FAR is the false acceptance rate
Where NFA (Number of False Acceptances) is the number of positive answers of the system in the case of Impostor Attempts.
Where NIIA (Number of Impostor Identification Attempts) is the number of Attempts corresponding to a Impostor Implicit Claim of Identity.
Where NIVA (Number of Impostor Verification Attempts) is the number of Attempts corresponding to a Impostor Explicit Claim of Identity.
FAR Curve
Curve where FAR is plotted as a function of the Decision Threshold.
Feature (BioID)
Result of the preprocessing and feature extraction process. Features contain classification relevant information in a compact representation. If a video channel is present, a feature set also contains a thumbnail image.
Feature Extraction (BioID)
Calculation of the features that are going to be classified from recorded and/or preprocessed data.
FMR - False Match Rate
Alternative term for False Acceptance Rate. Used in the context of Negative Claim of Identity.
FNMR - False Non Match Rate
Alternative term for False Rejection Rate. Used in the context of Negative Claim of Identity.
FRR - False Rejection Rate
Over a designated number of Genuine Attempts, the proportion of negative answers given by the Biometric System. It is stated as follows:
FRR=NFR/NEIA or FRR=NFR/NEVA
Where FRR is the false rejection rate
Where NFR (Number of False Rejection): number of negative answers of the Biometric System in the case of Genuine Attempts.
Where NEIA (Number of Enrollee Identification Attempts) is the number of Attempts corresponding to a Genuine Implicit Claim of Identity.
Where NEVA (Number of Enrollee Verification Attempts) is the number of Attempts corresponding to a Genuine Explicit Claim of Identity.
FRR Curve
Curve where FRR is plotted as a function of the Decision Threshold.
Identification
The "one-to-many" process of comparing a submitted biometric sample against all of the stored biometric reference templates to determine whether it matches any of the templates and, if so, the identity of the enrollee or attached to the biometric evidence whose template was matched. The biometric system using the one-to-many approach is seeking to find an identity amongst a database rather than authenticate a claimed identity. Contrast with Authentication.
Impostor
A person, unknown in the collection of reference templates, who submits his/her own biometric sample in either an intentional or inadvertent attempt to pass him/herself as a legitimate enrollee. Contrast with Usurpator.
Live frames (BioID)
Audio or Video single frames that may contain eye positions and a detection quality rating. (rate 0-100)
Match result
The template and template identifier of an enrollee as a result of the comparison performed by a biometric system of the submitted biometric data with the collection of stored reference templates. The match result is associated to a match score.
Match Score
A numeric value associated to a candidate derived from the comparison by the biometric system of a biometric data with the template of the candidate. It is used for ordering the different results of the matches done by the biometric system for identification. The higher the score, the closer the candidate and the biometric data.
One to many process
Alternative term for identification.
One to one process
Alternative term for verification.
Physical Biometric
A biometric, which is characterized by a physical characteristic rather than a behavioral trait.
Preprocessing
Separation of biometric relevant information from unnecessary data of recording. Strongly related to Feature extraction.
Prototype (BioID)
Generally the Biometric template of a trained user. In BioID, a prototype contains all necessary data to enable a classifier to classify a specific person. Result of a training process.
Raw Data (BioID)
A set of audio and/or video raw data from acquisition. Video sequence may contain eye position information for individual frames.
ROC (Receiving Operating Curve)
A curve allowing a direct interpretation of system performances where the FAR is plotted as a function of FRR.
Speaker Identification
The technology of comparing the vocal characteristics of an unknown speaker against a database of known speakers.
Speaker Verification
A Biometric Type that compares the vocal characteristics of the user.
Text Dependent
A speaker verification system that requires the user to speak only a preregistered word, number or phrase.
Text Independent
A speaker verification system that can cope with a full vocabulary.
Speech Pattern
The wave pattern that is produced from the timbre of the spoken phrase.
Speech processing
Term used to refer to any mechanical or electronic system that processes speech. These include call processing and automatic fax sending.
Speech recognition
Systems that can recognize either specific spoken words and phrases or a whole vocabulary and react to what is being said.
Template Dormant Time
The elapsed time between the creation, or last update, of a template and its current use.
Template identifier
The item used to tie the enrollee to their own template to make sure the correct template is called up when required; this can be a PIN, password or card number.
Template maturity
The number of biometric samples, including the original sample, contributing to the template currently on file.
Template or Biometric template
Data structured set containing the biometric data of an enrollee used for data processing by a biometric system. The template is maintained on file or in a templates database.
Token
A possession that shows the identity of its owner such as a smart card, a 2D bar-code on a physical support or a contactless card.
Trait (BioID)
One of the modalities BioID uses to identify persons. At the moment there exist three of them: face, mimic and voice.
Trigger (BioID)
Time when a recording is started. Determined by analyzing audio and video channel (if both of them are present).
Usurpator
A person who submits a replication of a biometric sample of a legitimate enrollee in either an intentional or inadvertent attempt to pass him/herself as this legitimate enrollee. Contrast with Impostor.
Verification
The "one-to-one" process of comparing a submitted biometric sample against the biometric reference template of a single enrollee whose identity is being claimed, to determine whether it matches the enrollee's template. Contrast with Biometric identification.
Zero-effort attempts
An impostor attempt is classed as "zero-effort" if the individual submits their own biometric feature as if they were attempting successful verification against their own template.