FINGERPRINT READING METHOD FOR A SWEEP-TYPE FINGERPRINT SENSOR, FINGERPRINT READING SYSTEM AND PROGRAM

A vast buffer memory space capable of storing all of partial fingerprint images read by a sweep type fingerprint sensor is made unnecessary in generating feature information of a fingerprint. A fingerprint reading system includes a sweep type fingerprint sensor, a memory which stores partial fingerprint images read by the sensor, and a processor connected to the sensor. The processor includes an image acquisition unit which successively acquires partial fingerprint images read by the sweep type fingerprint sensor and preserves them in the memory, a position calculation unit which calculates position information of a partial fingerprint image, an image division unit which cuts out a unique unit image corresponding to an image region having a predetermined area from the partial fingerprint image on the basis of the position information, and a feature extraction unit which extracts feature information of the unit image.