1. A fingerprint authentication server device comprising:
a database in which user IDs and the registered fingerprint data of plural users are stored; and
a hash value table including user hash values of the user IDs and the registered fingerprint data of the users;
wherein the fingerprint authentication server device is configured to receive a hash value of a user ID of a user to be authenticated and a hash value of the registered fingerprint data associated with the user ID from a client computer; perform a search in the hash value table to determine whether there are hash values corresponding to the received hash values in the hash value table; and transmit a determination result to the client computer, thereby to cause the client computer to perform a fingerprint authentication process for a user for which correspondence of the hash values has been confirmed.
2. The fingerprint authentication server device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
an index table which is used to perform a search in the hash value table.
3. The fingerprint authentication server device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the fingerprint authentication server device is further configured to receive a user ID of a user to be authenticated and fingerprint data to be checked from the client computer, wherein the fingerprint data is generated from a fingerprint image acquired from the user; check the user ID and the fingerprint data against data in the database; and transmit a check result to the client computer.
4. The fingerprint authentication server device as claimed in claim 3, wherein
the fingerprint authentication server device is further configured to transmit the registered fingerprint data against which the fingerprint data transmitted from the client computer is checked as well as the check result if the check result represents correspondence, thereby to cause the client computer to store the registered fingerprint data such that it is associated with the user ID.
5. The fingerprint authentication server device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the registered fingerprint data in the database includes registered fingerprint minutiae data to be checked based on a minutiae feature and registered fingerprint pattern data to be checked based on a pattern feature.
6. A client computer comprising:
a storage in which a user ID and registered fingerprint data are stored; wherein
the client computer is configured to calculate a hash value of a user ID input from a user to be authenticated and a hash value of the registered fingerprint data associated with the input user ID in the storage; transmit the hash values to a fingerprint authentication server;
and perform a fingerprint authentication based on the registered fingerprint data stored in the storage and a fingerprint data generated from a fingerprint image acquired from the user if the client computer receives from the fingerprint authentication server a check result which represents that correspondence of the hash values has been confirmed.
7. The client computer as claimed in claim 6, wherein
the client computer is further configured to transmit a user ID of a user to be authenticated and fingerprint data to be checked to the fingerprint authentication server if there is no corresponding user ID stored in the storage, wherein the fingerprint data to be checked is generated from a fingerprint image acquired from the user; and request the fingerprint authentication server to perform the fingerprint authentication based on the fingerprint data to be checked.
8. The client computer as claimed in claim 7, wherein
the client computer is further configured to store registered fingerprint data, which is transmitted together with a result of the fingerprint authentication from the fingerprint authentication server, in the storage such that it is associated with the user ID related to the request.
9. The client computer as claimed in claim 6, wherein
the client computer is further configured to transmit a user ID of a user to be authenticated and fingerprint data to be checked to the fingerprint authentication server if the check result from the fingerprint authentication server represents that there is correspondence of the hash value of the user ID but no correspondence of the hash value of the registered fingerprint data, wherein the fingerprint data to be checked is generated from a fingerprint image acquired from the user; and request the fingerprint authentication server to perform the fingerprint authentication based on the fingerprint data to be checked.
10. The client computer as claimed in claim 9, wherein
the client computer is further configured to overwrite the current registered fingerprint data with registered fingerprint data, which is transmitted together with a result of the fingerprint authentication from the fingerprint authentication server, in the storage such that it is associated with the user ID related to the request.
11. The client computer as claimed in claim 6, wherein
the registered fingerprint data stored in the storage is registered fingerprint minutiae data to be checked based on a minutiae feature.
12. A fingerprint authentication method in a fingerprint authentication server comprising:
providing a database in which user IDs and the registered fingerprint data of plural users are stored, and a hash value table including user hash values of the user IDs and the registered fingerprint data of the users;
receiving a hash value of a user ID of a user to be authenticated and a hash value of registered fingerprint data associated with the user ID from a client computer;
determining whether there are hash values corresponding to the received hash values in the hash value table; and
transmitting a determination result to the client computer, thereby to cause the client computer to perform a fingerprint authentication process for a user for which correspondence of the hash values has been confirmed.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A polypeptide selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1;
(b) a polypeptide comprising a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
(c) a polypeptide having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
(d) the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 and
(e) fragments and variants of such polypeptides in (a) to (d).
2. The polypeptide of claim 1 comprising the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID No:2:
3. The polypeptide of claim 1 which is the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.
4. A polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1;
(b) a polynucleotide having at least 95% identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1;
(c) a polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
(d) a polynucleotide having a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
(e) a polynucleotide with a nucleotide sequence of at least 100 nucleotides obtained by screening a library under stringent hybridization conditions with a labeled probe having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment thereof having at least 15 nucleotides;
(f) a polynucleotide which is the RNA equivalent of a polynucleotide of (a) to (e);
(g) a polynucleotide sequence complementary to said polynucleotide of any one of (a) to (f), and
(h) polynucleotides that are variants or fragments of the polynucleotides of any one of (a) to (g) or that are complementary to above mentioned polynucleotides, over the entire length thereof.
5. A polynucleotide of claim 4 selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a polynucleotide comprising the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1;
(b) the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1;
(c) a polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2; and
(d) a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2.
6. An expression system comprising a polynucleotide capable of producing a polypeptide of any one of claim 1-3 when said expression vector is present in a compatible host cell.
7. A recombinant host cell comprising the expression vector of claim 6 or a membrane thereof expressing the polypeptide of any one of claim 1-3.
8. A process for producing a polypeptide of any one of claim 1-3 comprising the step of culturing a host cell as defined in claim 7 under conditions sufficient for the production of said polypeptide and recovering the polypeptide from the culture medium.
9. A fusion protein consisting of the Immunoglobulin Fc-region and a polypeptide any one one of claims 1-3.
10. An antibody immunospecific for the polypeptide of any one of claims 1 to 3.
11. A method for screening to identify compounds that stimulate or inhibit the function or level of the polypeptide of any one of claim 1-3 comprising a method selected from the group consisting of:
(a) measuring or, detecting, quantitatively or qualitatively, the binding of a candidate compound to the polypeptide (or to the cells or membranes expressing the polypeptide) or a fusion protein thereof by means of a label directly or indirectly associated with the candidate compound;
(b) measuring the competition of binding of a candidate compound to the polypeptide (or to the cells or membranes expressing the polypeptide) or a fusion protein thereof in the presence of a labeled competitor;
(c) testing whether the candidate compound results in a signal generated by activation or inhibition of the polypeptide, using detection systems appropriate to the cells or cell membranes expressing the polypeptide;
(d) mixing a candidate compound with a solution containing a polypeptide of any one of claims 1-3, to form a mixture, measuring activity of the polypeptide in the mixture, and comparing the activity of the mixture to a control mixture which contains no candidate compound; or
(e) detecting the effect of a candidate compound on the production of mRNA encoding said polypeptide or said polypeptide in cells, using for instance, an ELISA assay, and
(f) producing said compound according to biotechnological or chemical standard techniques.