Security Industry Technologies
We have expertise and experience in the development, manufacturing process engineering, and commercialization of security products and technologies. Our strong background represents printing technology, intelligence encoding, and embedded systems.
Optical Card Systems
SRI has been developing memory systems using Drexler Technology's patented optical recording material. The development work has concentrated on recording material in a card format rather than a disk format. Our collaboration with Drexler has resulted in four systems: a microbar reader, microspot reader, debit machine, and microspot reader/writer. Several patents have been submitted as part of this development, including one for "quad density recording," which allows for higher-density recording on optical media than previously possible.
Magnetic Card Security System
For a major financial services company, SRI evaluated the security of a jitter-based magnetic stripe protection system. This system precisely measures the recording jitter in a conventional magnetic stripe on a credit card, calculates a set of features from this jitter, and writes them on the magnetic stripe. The jitter is a random function of the encoding process. SRI evaluated and provided design improvements to this system. 
Hankos Verification
SRI designed and built prototype equipment for reading complex ink stamp patterns (hankos) on Japanese bank documents. A color-sensitive scanner was constructed; the scanner color sensitivity was adjusted so that background designs on the documents were suppressed in favor of the stamp patterns. The algorithms used connectivity analysis on binary images of the stamp patterns to match sample patterns obtained from documents to reference patterns stored in a database. Comparisons were made to detect forged stamp patterns. The system successfully detected forgeries and accepted valid patterns despite poor inking, varying paper quality, and subtle variations in the stamps when forgeries were attempted. SRI developed a novel scheme for matching complex patterns of geometrical descriptors.
Holographic Card Security System
For a major financial services company, SRI evaluated the security of a holographic card authentication system. This system uses a machine-readable hologram that overlays the conventional magnetic stripe. A number is encoded into the hologram, an algorithm is applied to the number, and a number is encoded into the magnetic stripe. The magnetic stripe is protected by the difficulty of duplicating the hologram. SRI evaluated and provided design improvements
Magnetic Stripe Read Rates
SRI performed a study for Visa U.S.A. to determine the level and causes of transactions that must be entered by key instead of entered electronically with the magnetic stripe. SRI identified the primary causes of card read failures and recommended potential actions that could be taken by card issuers, acquirers, merchants, or hardware vendors to achieve higher levels of card-read rates. To accomplish these goals, SRI performed a set of field tests at four locations of a major retail chain. Visa, Mastercard, and Discover cards were included in the survey. SRI tested all the cards whose magnetic stripe failed to read at the merchant's POS (point of sale) terminals to determine the cause of read failure. These data, along with card manufacturing data and store transaction volume data were collected and analyzed statistically to determine the probable level and causes of failure and to recommend corrective action.
Signature Capture Pen
SRI has invented several low-cost, novel signature capture pens that record an image of the signature as it was originally signed. One system was based on an optical approach, one on a magnetic approach, and one on an inertial approach. These systems were intended for later verification in disputes over who was the true signer, and as a lower- cost alternative to a full-blown signature verification system.
Analysis of Bar Code Interference for the USPS
SRI performed an analysis of the bar code writing and reading system in use for letter sorting at the U.S. Postal Service. We analyzed the letter mail flow, the machinery used for printing and reading the codes, and the inks involved in printing the codes. The analysis included visits to postal facilities to observe and test the sorting and printing machinery as well as to observe the mail flow and mail handling procedures. SRI made recommendations for areas of improvement in the bar coding system and performed work to implement some of the improvements. One area of improvement involved reformulating the ink used for printing the bar code to improve drying time and print quality.
Palmprint Verification
SRI invented and developed a system for identifying individuals by measuring geometrical features of the hand. An optical system and a camera were used to obtain the silhouette image of a hand extended in free space. Rotation and translation invariant algorithms were developed to extract about 40 geometrical features from the hand contour. Subsequent testing on a population of 100 subjects showed that the verification performance was very good; the overall error rate was less than 1% when the decision algorithm was set to make approximately equal numbers of false rejection and false acceptance errors. The system has since been developed for introduction as an access-control product in high-security installations.
 Signature Verification Pen
SRI has invented a novel signature verification pen and related system that measures the forces used to sign one's name and uses the information to authenticate the signer. The system uses a feature set that characterizes the signature and compares the features of each new signature to the existing stored feature set to determine whether the signature is genuine. This algorithm had strict limitations on the size of the stored data, and it had a fairly random distribution of signing characteristics and a set of factors that introduced "noise" into the data stream. We were able to develop an algorithm that produced a 1.5% error crossover point.
 Fingerprint Capture Sensor
SRI assembled an engineering team to design and prototype an innovative optical fingerprint imaging system to provide high-contrast and high-resolution video imaging of fingerprints for biometric access applications. SRI designed a device that was physically smaller and demonstrated better performance than competing devices. The sensor was engineered for low-cost fabrication and was designed to be intuitive in operation.
Speech Recognition
SRI invented technology to create highly accurate natural speech recognition applications. The applications allow customers to use sentences and phrases as they would in everyday conversations. Nuance Communications, Inc. has acquired licensing rights to SRI's speech recognition technology. Nuance is the market leader in providing highly accurate language recognition applications.
For more information, contact:
SRI International
333 Ravenswood Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
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R&D Divisions