PICTURE STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM FOR VARIOUS LIMITED STORAGE MEDIUMS

A system for storing an image of an object to be identified and for retrieving the stored image of the object for displaying the same on a display screen. The system includes electronic scanner for scanning the object on a line-to-line basis to provide an analog signal for each line indicative of the information content of said object. The analog information is converted by a digitizer into pixels which define a matrix which matrix determines the information content for each line. A window area is generated which area encompasses a predetermined area within a larger display area. The window area is used to generate and to respond to a first set of digital information which information is derived from the matrix pixels. This first set of digital information is such that the window area contains a limited number of pixels plus a limited number of lines, each of which is generated when the window area is scanned. A critical identification area is defined by the apparatus which critical identification area is determined by the common characteristics areas associated with the object to be scanned. In an image of a person's face, the area consists of a "T" zone which encompasses the eyes, nose and mouth area. In this critical identification area, information is generated or employed which employs pixels that were skipped during the scanning of the window area. In this manner the critical identification area contains more detailed information to enable one to thereby authenticate the regenerated image from the first and second sets of digital data to thereby enable one to positively identify one person as compared to another person. The technique provides a video compression of such data whereby the resultant digital information is capable of being stored on a very limited medium such as a magnetic stripe associated with a credit card.