Biometrics Glossary - S
Welcome to the Biometrics Glossary - S - for terms beginning with S
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Scenario Evaluation
One of the three types of performance evaluations. The primary goal of a scenario evaluation is to measure performance of a biometric system operating in a specific application. See also technology evaluation, operational evaluation.
Segmentation
The process of parsing the biometric signal of interest from the entire acquired data system. For example, finding individual finger images from a slap impression.
Sensor
Hardware found on a biometric device that converts biometric input into a digital signal and conveys this information to the processing device.
Sensor Aging
The gradual degradation in performance of a sensor over time.
Signature Dynamics
A behavioural biometric modality that analyses dynamic characteristics of an individual’s signature, such as shape of signature, speed of signing, pen pressure when signing, and pen- in-air movements, for recognition.
Similarity Score A value returned by a biometric algorithm that indicates the degree of similarity or correlation between a biometric sample and a reference. See also difference score, hamming distance
Skimming
The act of obtaining data from an unknowing end user who is not willingly submitting the sample at that time. An example could be secretly reading data while in close proximity to a user on a bus. See also eavesdropping.
Slap Fingerprint
Fingerprints taken by simultaneously pressing the four fingers of one hand onto a scanner or a fingerprint card, as illustrated below. Slaps are known as four finger simultaneous plain impressions.
Smart Card
A card-shaped portable data carrier that contains one or more integrated circuits for data storage and processing. A typical smart card chip includes a microprocessor or CPU, ROM (for storing operating instructions), RAM (for storing data during processing) and EPROM (or EEPROM) memory for nonvolatile storage of information.
Software Developer's Kit (SDK)
A programming package that enables a programmer to develop applications for a specific platform. Typically an SDK includes one or more APIs, programming tools, and documentation.
Speaker Recognition
A biometric modality that uses an individual’s speech, a feature influenced by both the physical structure of an individual’s vocal tract and the behavioural characteristics of the individual, for recognition purposes. Sometimes referred to as “voice recognition.” “Speech recognition” recognises the words being said, and is not a biometric technology. See also speech recognition, voice recognition.
Speaker Recognition Evaluations
An ongoing series of evaluations of speaker recognition systems. For more information, visit http://www.nist.gov/itl/iad/mig/spkr-lang.cfm. Speech Recognition A technology that enables a machine to recognise spoken words. Speech recognition is not a biometric technology. See also speaker recognition, voice recognition.
Spoofing
The ability to fool a biometric sensor into recognising an illegitimate user as a legitimate user (verification) or into missing an identification of someone that is in the database. See also liveness detection, mimic.
Submission
The process whereby an end user provides a biometric sample to a biometric system. See also capture.
