CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT

While not prehistoric, biometrics have been around for thousands of years. Biometrics have progressed
from crude means of categorization to being authenticators of identification employing a variety of
modalities throughout the previous few millennia. So, let us take a look back in time to see where
biometrics has been and how far we've gone. (El-Abed, 2012). While the oldest descriptions of
biometrics may be traced back to 500BC in the Babylonian kingdom, the first record of a biometric
identifying system was in the 1800s in Paris, France.

Alphonse Bertillon devised a technique of unique body measures for the categorization and comparison
of convicts. While this technique was far from flawless, it was the first to use unique biological traits to
authenticate. (Admin, 2021)
Fingerprinting followed suit in the 1880s, not only as a method of identifying criminals but also as a type
of signature on contracts. It was realized that a fingerprint was a marker of a person's identity and that it
might be used to hold someone accountable. While there are disagreements about who first used
fingerprints for identification, Edward Henry is known for developing a fingerprinting standard known as
the Henry Classification System. (Admin, 2021)

This was the first fingerprint-based identification system. The methodology was soon embraced by law
enforcement, replacing Bertillon's methods as the norm for criminal identification. This sparked a
century of research into what additional distinct physiological traits may be exploited for identification.
(Admin, 2021).

Biometrics evolved tremendously as a subject of study throughout the next century. There were so
many breakthroughs in the 1900s that it would be impossible to mention them all, so here are the
highlights from the second half of the century.
Semi-automated facial recognition technologies were created in the 1960s, needing

administrators to examine facial characteristics inside an image and extract useful feature points. Much
more manual than the ones we may use to access our phones. By 1969, fingerprint and face recognition
had become so common in law enforcement that the FBI allocated funds to the development of
automated methods. This sparked the development of increasingly advanced sensors for biometric
capture and data extraction.

In the 1980s, the National Institute of Standards and Technology established a Voice group to explore
and advance speech recognition technology processes. These experiments served as the foundation for
today's voice command and recognition systems. In 1985, the idea that irises, like fingerprints, were
unique to each individual was postulated, and by 1994, the first iris identification algorithm had been
copyrighted. Furthermore, it was revealed that blood vessel patterns in the eyes were unique to each
individual and could be utilized for authentication.

In 1991, facial detection technology was invented, allowing for real-time recognition. While these
techniques had numerous flaws, they sparked a surge of interest in facial recognition research.

Hundreds of biometric authentication recognition algorithms were functioning and patented in the
United States by the 2000s. Biometrics were no longer being used just in huge corporations or the
government. They were marketed commercially and used at large-scale events such as the 2001 Super
Bowl. Biometric technology research has advanced at a remarkable pace in the last ten years alone.
Biometrics has progressed from a revolutionary technology to an integral element of daily life. In 2013,
Apple added fingerprint recognition to the iPhone, ushering in widespread acceptance of biometric
identification. Most smartphones now have biometric capabilities, and many applications employ
biometrics as an authenticator for common activities.
Even with all of the progress, the development possibilities of biometric authentication and identity are
far from exhausted. As biometrics research advances, we may expect it to be combined with artificial
intelligence. The goal is to create biometric devices and systems that can learn and adapt to their users.
Creating a smooth authenticating experience. As biometrics become increasingly ubiquitous,

the usage of identity proxies may become obsolete. You no longer need to carry

along keys, cards, or fobs when you can use yourself as proof of your identification.

A future with a clearly defined society with frictionless transactions, interactions,

and access control might be on the horizon. Don’t fall behind on the times! Stay

ahead of the curve and ensure your access control systems are up to date with

biometric identity authentication (Admin, 2021).

1.2

Statement of Problem

As the student population grows, so does the number of names on the

attendance list. Keeping these attendance papers becomes a difficulty, and no

suitable backup is made. Most colleges still employ the conventional method, mostly

in lecture halls and laboratories. The teacher or lecturer will hand out a sheet of

paper with a list of students' names to sign, or in certain situations, the students must

fill it out with their name, student ID, and matriculation number to demonstrate their

attendance in a specific class. In this manner, fabrication of the student attendance

list is prevalent. Assume a student is absent, but another student can sign in their

place. To avoid this problem, it is required to create a fingerprint authentication

system for pupils. Biometric recognition will be utilized to track and maintain track

of every student's attendance in a certain class.

1.3

Aims and objectives

The objective is to implement fingerprint recognition algorithm. The Region

of Interest (ROI) for each fingerprint image is extracted after enhancing its quality.

The Specific Objectives are to

i.

identify existing relevant literatures on fingerprint recognition algorithm.

ii.

identify the user and system requirements.

iii.

design the system based on (ii)

iv.

implement the system

v.

test the system

1.4
Methodology of the Study

To fully accomplish the aforementioned objectives, the following methods

were adopted.

a. Fingerprint Systems based on Attendance were compressively reviewed and

observed

b. Users of the system and the system requirements were meticulously gathered

c. The user requirements for the proposed system involved the use of users

biometric information. While the System requirements for the proposed system

involves a device for capturing biometrics.

d. The design of the proposed system was based on the user and system

requirements with comprehensive system architecture and relevant UML

diagrams such as Sequence diagram and use case diagram.

e. The Implementation of the proposed system was done based on all the

aforementioned processes.

1.5

Significance of the project

The range of pupils who use fingerprints Biometrics will completely

eliminate the use of paper and pen to sign in and out of classes, exam halls,

programs, and all other academic-related activities where attendance is required,

which means we will no longer be at risk of losing data due to misplacing the

attendance sheet or any other type of damage to the written records. Tracking and

monitoring attendance time is time-consuming, and this project will automate that

process and make the information available at all times and easy to access. Most

importantly, it eliminates errors in attendance data and minimizes forgeries and fraud

to a bare minimum.

This approach not only assists students but also management in detecting

trends and swiftly correcting the problem, as well as exposing and apprehending

imposters, so eliminating all of the disadvantages.

1.6

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The goal of this project is to create or create a Fingerprint Based Student

Attendance Monitoring System that will enhance attendance by utilizing fingerprint

as a means of verification for evidence of attendance in a class.

The limitations of the system are as follows:

i.

The system will be a Windows-based application

ii.

Microsoft Visual Basic.net will be the chosen programming language for

creating the user interface

iii.

Microsoft SQL Server for database architecture.

iv.

It does not include other areas of biometrics.

1.7

Definition of terms

These refers to the terms that will be encountered in this report

a.

Fingerprints (Biological): It is open to feature upgrades and is also

incredibly versatile and reasonably priced. Fingerprints provide an ironclad way of

personal identification since the ridge arrangement on each human finger is unique

and does not change with growth or age. Fingerprints can disclose an individual's

genuine identity despite personal denial, changed identities, or changes in physical

appearance caused by age, sickness, plastic surgery, or accident. The method of

using fingerprints to identify people, known as dactyloscopy, is a vital tool for

modern law enforcement. (Edgar)

b.

Fingerprints (Technological): Fingerprinting is a kind of biometrics,

which is the science of identifying persons based on their physical or biological

traits. Even identical twins do not have the same fingerprints. Unless the deep or

'basal' layer is lost or purposely altered by plastic surgery, fingerprints do not change

as we age. Fingerprint patterns are classified into three types: arches, loops, and

whorls. Each fingerprint is unique because of the form, size, quantity, and

arrangement of minute minutiae in these patterns. (INTERPOL)

c.
Biometrics: Biometrics is the measuring and statistical analysis of

people's unique physical and behavioral features. The technology is primarily used

for identification and access control, as well as identifying persons who are under

observation. The underlying idea of biometric authentication is that every individual

may be reliably recognized by intrinsic physical or behavioral attributes. The

term biometrics is derived from the Greek word’s bio, meaning life, and metric,

meaning to measure.

d.

Attendance system: Is a system that can keep track of the people that are

present in an organization, school, or workplace, and it may be applied in a variety

of ways. (INTERPOL)
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1

System overview

This proposed system incorporates fingerprint authentication into the

attendance management process for both employees and students. It consists of two

steps: enrollment and authentication. During enrollment, the user's biometrics are

collected, and the minutiae data are extracted and saved in a database as a template

for the topic, along with the user's ID. The enrollment module's goal is to accept a

user into a database using his or her ID and fingerprints following feature extraction.

These characteristics constitute a template that is utilized to identify the user's

identity, hence forming the authentication process. An administrator of the

attendance management system performs the enrolling procedure. During

authentication, the user's biometrics are taken once more, and the extracted
characteristics are compared to those already in the database to determine if there is

a match. Following a successful match, attendance is recorded against the user id

that was used to match the templates.

The study made use of a fingerprint reader as an input to gather photos, and it

created a program with a fingerprint recognition and identification system, as well as

a database to store user information. The database contains users' fingerprint

templates and other bio-data, as well as attendance records. The database comprises

the fingerprint templates and other bio-data of the users together with the attendance

records made by the users. Figure 2.1 shows the architecture of the proposed

attendance management system.

2.2

System architecture

The architecture can be broken down the designs and the way in which we
want to implement and develop the fingerprint-based attendance management system

in the following stages/modules:

a.

Enrolment Stage

b.

Authentication Stage

c.

System Database

At the enrolment stage in the project, the primary role is to register users and

their fingerprints in our system's database. The fingerprints and other bio-data of

users are captured, and the unique features are retrieved and saved in our database as

a template for the topic, including the user's ID. Matriculation Number, Surname,

Other Names, Sex, Level and Course of Study, Department, College (Faculty),

Phone Number, email, Department, and Passport Photograph are the bio-data to be

captured for students, while those for staff may include: Employee Number,

Surname, Other Names, Sex, Position, Staff Type, Phone Number, email,
Department, and Passport Photograph. Two picture samples per fingerprint are taken

to increase the quality of the kind of image obtained during registration and

enrollment.

When fingerprint photos and the user's name of a person to be registered are

supplied into the enrollment module, a minutiae extraction method is used to the

fingerprint images and the minutiae patterns (features) are retrieved. These

characteristics combine to build a template that is utilized to identify the user's

identity, so forming the authentication process. An administrator of the attendance

management system handles the enrollment process. The enrollment and registration

phases are administrative in nature. For the first time, the user's fingerprint and other

bio-data are saved into the database for registration. Courses, practical’s, tests,

lecturers, and examinations are all registered at this stage. This module contains all

of the data and information necessary for accurate attendance tracking.

2.2.1

Fingerprint recognition

Fingerprint recognition is the ability to differentiate between two human

fingers. Several print pattern elements, such as ridges and minutiae points, are

necessary to match two fingerprints. Ridges have three main patterns: arch, loop, and

whorl. Fingerprint recognition has been one of the most essential and popular

identifying techniques in recent years due to its high accuracy, and the present

fingerprint recognition system is enough for identification and verification systems

involving hundreds of users. (Anil K. Jain, 2004). There are three sub-domains in a

fingerprint recognition system: enrollment, verification, and identification.

Enrolment is the procedure by which a user's fingerprint data is captured using

certain sensors and saved in a prepared database after some processing. The

collected fingerprint will be compared to the template saved in the database during

the verification process to authenticate a person's identification. This procedure is

also known as a one-to-one comparison. The goal of confirming these data is to

prevent several people from using the same identity.

In identification mode, the system will use a one-to-many comparison to

determine the identity of a person. The collected fingerprint will be compared to

everything in the system's database, and the only one that fits its record will be
chosen.

2.2.2

Patterns of fingerprints

Biometric identification is a groundbreaking technique that identifies persons

based on a variety of unique biometric data. Fingerprint recognition is one of these

biometric identifying systems, and it is also the most popular in the world.

(Williams, 2019). The following are types of fingerprints

Figure 2:The Arch

i. The Arch

This is the most unusual sort of fingerprint. In reality, around 5% of the

world's population has this fingerprint pattern. It is distinct due to the lack of cores,

lines, or deltas. Within this pattern, two more sub-categories develop:

a. Plain Arch – This pattern is distinguished by raised ridges that run from one side
of the finger to the other in a continuous line. This pattern accounts for only 5%

of the total population, making it the rarest.

b. Tented Arch – The tented arch features elevated ridges that flow in the same

direction as the plain arch. The pitch of the increased ridge makes a noticeable

difference. When contrasted to the plain arch, the tented arch has a sharper edge

and generates a tent-like shape.

ii. The Whorl

This fingerprint pattern accounts for around 25 to 35 percent of the overall

population. Whorls, unlike the arch pattern, feature a core and two deltas. It is only

comparable to the arch in terms of sub-categories; it has two:

a.

Plain Whorl – A plain whorl will produce a circular pattern

resembling a swirl or spiral. This circular pattern is continuous, and the revolution

created in the middle is the result of at least one ridge.

b.

Central Pocket Whorl – In this design, the center ridges will bend
many times to produce a smaller inner whorl.

iii.

The Loop

The most common fingerprint pattern. Indeed, this trend is shared by 60 to

70% of the whole population. A single core and delta must exist in the loop pattern.

Unlike the rest of the patterns, the loop has three sub-categories:

a. Ulnar Loop – The ridges turn backward in this design, but not completely.

You'll see the loops traveling toward the tiny finger to identify an ulnar loop.

These turns will be shown only if you view them on the hand rather than a card.

b. Radial Loop – This pattern is similar to the ulnar loop, but the difference is the

turns point toward the thumb instead of the small finger.

c. Central Pocket Loop –The ridges in this pattern re-curve to surround the central

whorl.

Apart from the three main fingerprint types, two more exist:

i. Double Loop Whorl – Close inspection reveals two distinct loops that encircle
each other from opposing directions.

ii. Accidental – This category includes any pattern that does not match any of the

other types listed here. These patterns contain two tented arch features: loop or

whorl patterns.

2.3

Overview of attendance management

This solution we propose will offer a new automatic attendance management

system that will integrate fingerprint authentication into attendance operations and

will aid in the management of both staff and student attendance. It has two key

processes: enrollment and authentication.

When enrolment is continuing, the biometrics of the user are acquired, and

the minutiae data are collected and saved in a database as a template for the subject,

along with the user's ID. The primary goal of the objective module is to be able to

admit a user into a database using their ID and fingerprints after extracting different

attributes. These aspects contribute to the creation of a template that we will use to

identify the identity of each user, forming the authentication process.

An administrator of the attendance management system handles the enrolling

process. During authentication, the user's biometrics are recorded again, and the

previous characteristics retrieved and saved in the database are compared to/against

the one that was just captured. The database contains the user's fingerprint templates

and other bio-data, as well as attendance records created by the users.

2.4

Review of related work

(Shoewu O., 2011) For attendance management, an embedded computerbased system is proposed. This
system will have a single-chip computer-based

subsystem (an electronic makeshift card reader), which will be serially connected to

the digital computer's port. The electronic card is a form of smart card that carries

the students identify, such as their name as the ID, their matriculation number, and a

five-digit pin encrypted code. The card reader verifies the student ID. The card

reader delivers data to the backend software system, which is interfaced with the

card reader. The software then analyzes the data that has been received and matches

the pin code that the card holder enters or inputs into the system with the code that
was encrypted into the card. If it matches, the student is permitted entrance to the

hall or venue; however, if the authentication fails, the card holder's access is refused.

(Akinduyite C.O, 2017).

(V. & A, 2010) The development of real-time computer vision algorithms to

be applied into an automatic attendance management system employing Computer

Vision and Facial Recognition algorithms, both of which will be integrated into

computer-based attendance management systems, is being offered. The systems will

eliminate the need to use native methods of taking attendance, such as checking

students' Identity Cards and calling their names one at a time from person to person,

but the system still falls short of the ability to identify students who are present in

class, and facial recognition images are subject to change between the time of

enrolment and time of verification, and it later becomes a financial burden during

installation and does not offer a financial guarantee.

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1

Introduction

A requirement is a statement that describes the intended behavior. It is

concerned with system objects or entities, the states that the objects can be in, and

the functions that are used to modify the states or features of the objects. The

requirements collection and analysis phase's purpose are to comprehend a user's

issues and demands, which will serve as the foundation for their expectations of the

proposed new system. It entails a thorough examination of the project problem

statement, the elicitation of requirements from intended users and other stakeholders

in order to create a requirements definition document, and the analysis of the

requirements gathered in order to determine the specifications of the proposed new

system.

3.2

Analysis of the existing IUO attendance system

Igbinedion university's current attendance system is still controlled

manually (paper and pen method). The analysis of the manual system was looked into

and the following benefits and demerits was identified.

3.3

Benefits of the Existing System

The benefits of the existing system are:

i. Students must be physically present.

ii. Familiarity of faces aids students’ identification.

3.4

Limitations of the Existing System

Despite the claims of openness and system stability, the existing voting

process is not without flaws. The findings listed below urge for changes in the way

this entire procedure is carried out.

i.

Low percentage of taking attendance.

ii.

It is time and costly to produce report.

iii. It require more material (A4 paper).

iv. Lack of security.

3.5

Analysis of the proposed system

The new system authenticates users by using a biometric characteristic

(fingerprint). Because fingerprint identification hardware is connected with the

system, the manual system must be solved. The new system operates in an

identification mode and performs the following:

i. Captures fingerprints, extracts the features and stores it in the database.

ii. Verifies the identification of users (students) upon registration by matching the

fingerprint saved in the database with the fingerprint submitted when collecting

attendance.

iii. It provides a user interface for registering and monitoring individual attendance

rates.

iv. Allows administrators to view attendance for each service via an interface.

3.6

Design Goals for the Proposed System

i. Student authentication: Students should be who they are.

ii. Verifiability of attendance: Safe tracking of attendance system to ensure that

students are registered and their information’s are stored.

iii. Safe transfer of user’s attendance from the fingerprint scanner to the server.

iv. Uniqueness of casting - Data cannot be tampered with.

3.7 Functional Requirements of the Proposed System

Functional requirements are the capabilities of the system and domain

specific. The fingerprint biometric attendance system has the following functional
requirement:

i. The system must provide the accurate data.

ii. The system must supply standard reports for decision making.

iii. The system should allow admins to make updates to student information in the

database.

iv. The system must provide data integrity checks to ensure that data remains

consistent and updated.

v. Audit trails of who made changes to the database must be maintained.

3.8

Non – Functional Requirements of the Proposed System

The non-functional requirements of the system include:

i.

During the registration or attendance procedure, the system must operate

at peak efficiency.

ii.

Backup data restore capabilities should be granted.

iii.

The system must conform to the requirements of the university authorities.

3.9

Security Requirements

The fingerprint biometric attendance system would be required to enforce the

following security rules or requirements in order to fully satisfy and build the trust of

the attendance populace in the system. The security requirements are listed below:

i.

The system should have zero-tolerant with regard to compromising.

ii.

The system should provide accurate time and date setting.

iii. The system should not allow unauthorized users to interfere with the system

database.

iv. The system should provide means for protecting and securing recounts of

students.

v.
The system should not allow improper actions by students or admins.

3.10

Waterfall Development Method

3.10.1

Steps for Waterfall Model

From figure 6 above, the steps for waterfall model can be briefly explained as:

i.

Requirement Gathering and analysis - This phase captures and

documents all conceivable system needs. The specifications of the input and output

or end product are analyzed and marked here

ii.

System Design - This phase studies the need specifications from the

previous phase and prepares the system design. This system design aids in the

specification of hardware and system requirements, as well as the definition of

overall system architecture.

iii.
Implementation - With input from the system design, the system is first

built-in tiny programs called units, which are then combined in the following step.

Unit Testing is the process through which each unit is designed and tested for

functioning.

iv.

Integration and Testing - After testing each unit, all of the units built

during the implementation phase are merged into a system. Following integration,

the complete system is tested for defects and failures.

v.

Deployment of system - The product is deployed in the client

environment or delivered to the market once functional and non-functional testing is

completed.

vi.

Maintenance - Some difficulties arise in the client environment. Patches

are provided to address such concerns. Additionally, improved versions of the

product are published in order to improve it. Maintenance is performed to ensure that
these modifications are implemented in the client environment.

3.11

Design of the proposed system

After defining the needs of the proposed system, I will describe the system's

architecture, which will include the use of software modeling tools to structure

requirements. We may gain a complete understanding of needs by structuring them.

It is critical to use standard notations when modeling, documenting, and conveying

choices.

In this project work, use case models, data flow diagrams, entity -

relationship models, and hierarchy chart, as well as input, process, and output

(HIPO) diagrams, would be used to specify the functionality and non-functionality

of the proposed attendance system with biometrics fingerprint authentication.

3.11.1

Entity Relationship (E-R) Diagram

An entity-relationship diagram is a data modeling approach that generates a

graphical representation of the entities and their connections inside an information

system. It provides a visual depiction of various data utilizing conventions that

specify how these variables are connected to one another. It contains three notations:

entity, relationship, and cardinality.

3.11.2

Data Flow Diagrams (DFDS)

A data-flow diagram is a model that depicts the graphical movement of data

through an information system, the links between the data flows, and how data ends

up in certain areas. Data-flow diagrams may depict the processes that modify or

transform data. The data flow diagram focuses on the transit of data between

processes, which are referred to as process models.

3.11.3

Context data flow diagram

The Context (Level 0) Data Flow Diagram provides an overall perspective of

the system's core entities, processes, and data flow. It does not display a data storage.

The Offline (Desktop) module of the attendance system comprises of two

major activities, which are the user Registration and Enrollment Process as well as
the user Verification Process.

Their respective Data Flow Diagrams are shown below

3.12

PROCESS FLOW – CHARTS

3.13

Use Case Diagram

The use case diagram is a graphical representation of the fundamental parts

and operations that comprise a system. The fundamental pieces are referred to as

"actors," and the procedures are referred to as "use cases." It demonstrates how

actors interact with each use case. Figure 11 shows the Use case diagram below

Following below are the breakdown of the individual Use Cases. Each

showing the Actors, Input and Output respectively

Actors and their use cases

Actor: student

1. Register: This is a critical functional need of the system. The student's

information as well as the fingerprint template are entered into the system and saved

in the database.

2. Fingerprint: Students must register their fingerprints, which will then be used to

track attendance.

3. Authenticate and validate: Fingerprints are confirmed and checked for

correctness.

4. Scan Fingerprint: Fingerprints would be checked during lectures

5. View past attendance: Students can view their past attendance and keep check

too.

Actor: Admin

The is an administrator who manages the operation of the Offline (or Desktop)

module of the University classroom attendance system.

USE CASES:

Manage students’ registration: Admin can edit and register students.

Manage student attendance report: Admin can be able to view the report of each

attendance for each lecture.

Delete past attendance: Admin can delete the past attendance which has been taken

and it’s not really valid.