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# Terms and Definitions

For the purpose of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.

Algorithm

  A sequence of instructions that tell a biometric system how to solve a particular problem. An algorithm will have a finite number of steps and is typically used by the biometric engine (i.e. the biometric system software) to compute whether a biometric sample and template match.

Biometric data

  Data encoding a feature or features used in biometric verification.

Comparison

  The process of comparing a biometric sample with a previously stored reference template or templates.

Comparison score

  Numerical value resulting from a comparison.

Enrollment

  The process of collecting biometric samples from a person and the subsequent preparation and storage of biometric reference templates representing that person’s identity.

Extraction

  The process of converting a captured biometric sample into biometric data so that it can be compared to a reference template; sometimes called ‘characterization’.

False match

  Comparison decision of ‘match’ for a biometric probe and a biometric reference that are from different biometric capture subjects.

False match rate

  Expected probability that a captured biometric sample will be falsely declared to match to a single, randomly-selected, non-self biometric reference.

False non-match

  Comparison decision of ‘non-match’ for a biometric probe and a biometric reference that are from the same biometric capture subject and of the same biometric characteristic.

False non-match rate

  Proportion of the completed biometric mated comparison trials that result in a false non-match.

Match / Matching

  The process of comparing a biometric sample against a previously stored template and scoring the level of similarity.

One-to-many search

  Process in which a biometric probe of one biometric data subject is searched against the biometric references of more than one biometric data subject to return a candidate list or a comparison decision.

One-to-one comparison

  Process in which a biometric probe from one biometric data subject is compared to a biometric reference from one biometric data subject to produce a comparison score.

Template / Reference template

  Data, which represents the biometric measurement of an enrollee, used by a biometric system for comparison against subsequently submitted biometric samples.

  NOTE - this term is not restricted to mean only data used in any particular recognition method, such as template matching.

## Abbreviated Terms

For the purpose of this document, the following abbreviations apply.

API | Application Programming Interface
ANSI | American National Standards Institute
GPU | Graphical Processing Unit
ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization
IOD | Interocular distance
ISO | International Organization for Standardization
NIST | National Institute of Standards And Technology
ONVIF | Open Network Video Interface Forum
PAD | Presentation attack detection
SDK | Software Development Kit