Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control will leverage the H4E series' enhanced outdoor performance to offer it to door lock manufacturers and home appliance manufacturers, and will expand sales to a range of sectors, including safe manufacturers, time and attendance service providers, and air conditioning equipment manufacturers.
In recent years, biometric authentication has become a well-known technology that provides high levels of security and convenience for applications such as PC login, enterprise time and attendance management, and access control systems, not to mention its integration into smartphones. Among these technologies, fingerprint vein authentication is unique in that the device is compact and uses patterns that indicate distinct biometric characteristics within the body, making it difficult to spoof or forge and achieving high authentication accuracy. Furthermore, traditionally, controlling biometric authentication features embedded in equipment or devices has required combined installation with high-performance control units such as PCs. However, since 2008, Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control have been providing standalone compact modules that can perform all processes from capturing and verifying finger vein images to issuing authentication results without the need for a separate control unit.
Nevertheless, with conventional embedded compact fingerprint authentication modules, discrepancies can arise between the timing of data entry and authentication, depending on finger placement and temperature variations. When this results in rejections or authentication errors, the authentication process may need to be repeated from the beginning, creating operational and management challenges. Additionally, despite strong demand for outdoor installations of these modules, authentication accuracy is limited by sensor contamination and environmental factors (applicable temperatures, dust, and water resistance). Furthermore, specifications that support alcohol sterilization are needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections.
In response, Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control developed the H4E series, which offers significantly improved authentication accuracy and ease of use, as well as enhanced outdoor performance to address these challenges.
The main improvements introduced in the H4E series are as follows
1. Improved Authentication Accuracy:
Thanks to the expanded scanning area and improved authentication algorithms, authentication accuracy has increased approximately tenfold compared to conventional models, providing greater security.
A machine learning feature for biological drift addresses differences in finger vein patterns during registration and authentication due to finger placement and temperature changes, reducing authentication errors.
2. Greater Ease of Use
・ When an authentication error occurs due to misaligned scanning positioning, the continuous authentication function allows for continuous authentication through small, real-time adjustments to finger placement, reducing re-authentication time.
・ A three-color LED indicator (green: operating guide, red: error, yellow: warning) and a beep sound have been added as status notifications to verify that the finger is correctly positioned.
・ The shape of the finger guide has also been improved to naturally promote correct finger placement.
3. Improved outdoor performance and other specifications that allow integration into various equipment and devices
• With the addition of an automatic dirt detection function in the sensor, an improved IP rating (4), and an extended temperature range (from -20°C to 50°C), the new specifications are suitable for outdoor use. An outdoor light mode (5) can also be selected to facilitate authentication in environments with external light, such as outdoors.
• Thanks to a more compact optical component, the module is 64% smaller compared to conventional models, allowing it to be integrated into a wider variety of equipment and devices than before.
4. Support for the "new normal"
To adapt to the new normal, the module has an antibacterial coating(7) that allows for periodic sterilization with alcohol.
In the future, Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control will continue to develop antiviral coatings and new contactless authentication units that respond to the increasingly diverse requirements of customers and the "New Normal," while providing solutions that connect with various systems in the areas of IT, finance, and building management to help build a safe and convenient society.
