An approach for enhancing fingerprint images using adaptive Gabor filter parameters

This work proposes a technique to enhance fingerprint images through the Gabor filter with adaptive parameters. Firstly, the average ridge and valley of each region as well as their direction are evaluated by a specific directional field algorithm. Secondly, since the filter orientation and the frequency parameters vary according to the fingerprint area, the fingerprint topological structure is enhanced by the Gabor filter with adaptive parameters. Finally, experimental tests show accurate final results for the matching step of an on-line recognition process.