Applies to versions: 1.6

Biometric Validation

TimeIPS can validate employee identification using biometric authentication. Employees clock in and out of TimeIPS and are asked to present their hand or finger/thumb for validation. You can deny the clock event or send an email warning if the validation fails.

Security Level Required: Employee Administrator or Payroll Administrator

TimeIPS offers multiple types of Biometric validation including Optical fingerprint, Capacitance fingerprint  and hand geometry.   Although no longer offered for new systems, we also support Swipe Radio Frequency (RF) based technologies. For more information or instruction with the Swipe RF Reader, please refer to the instructionals at:

• www.timeips.com/videos/swipe
• http://support.timeips.com/downloads/SwipeTraining.pdf

Using the left pane Main Menu, click on: Administration » Clocking » Biometric Validation

The first step in setting up Biometric Validation is to identify the Global Fingerprint Settings Default. These settings allows you to quickly set up Biometric Validation for all employees. If necessary, you can adjust settings for individual employees (step 2), such as not requiring validation for some employees or changing the system's reaction when authentication is not successful. In step 3, TimeIPS enrolls each employee's fingerprint for authentication and validation during clock in's and out's.

Global Biometrics Settings Screen

 

1. Set the Global Fingerprint Settings:
   1. Choose a system default threshold, Upon authentication failure when required, Allowable Identification Attempts, Enrollment Biometrics Capture Method, Number of Captured Templates on Enrollment, Number of Templates for Progressive Enrollment, and (if applicable) Relay Triggers Require Biometric Authentication options from the pull-down.
   2. Enter the number of seconds the system will wait to receive a valid read for the Biometric Read Timeout
   3. Click on the Update Global Fingerprint Settings button to apply the settings.

    

   
   
   
   Biometric Authentication Screen

    

2. (Optional) If you have individual employees that should have different thresholds or failure actions:
   
   
   Individual Settings
   
   

    

   1. Select the employee's Individual Fingerprint Threshold and On Failure options from the pull-downs.
   2. Repeat step a. for employees as necessary.
   3. Click on the Adjust Employee Settings button to apply the settings.
3. Have employees Enroll their Fingerprints(s).
   NOTE: Employees will be prompted to enroll their fingerprints the next time they attempt to clock in or out once the Biometric device has been installed and the global and individual Fingerprint Settings have been applied, .
   1. Clock in or out as usual (swipe badge or enter ID on keypad and press ENTER).
   2. Follow the visual and audio directions to enroll then authenticate.
      NOTE: The TimeIPS Fingerprint Reader is a reading device, not a button. Press just firmly enough that the finger makes good contact with the read area.
      
      NOTE: Once the enrollment is complete, TimeIPS will load the enrolled fingerprint(s) so your clock in or out from step 3a can be authenticated. It will then prompt you to present your thumb.

If an employee has consistent authentication failures:

There are two types of error you may see when an employee attempts to authenticate using biometrics: "Could not read finger print" indicates that the reader is unable to take a good scan of the print. If you received this message:

The second message of "No match found" would indicate that it a read was taken but the read wasn't a clear match to the data on file. This is not all together unusual especially for employees new to the biometric reader, in a situation like this please try the following steps:

 

• Raise the number of attempts to five thus giving the employee five tries to obtain a match
• Delete the employee's Fingerprint data using the Clear Fingerprint Data link on the Fingerprint Settings page. The employee will be prompted to enroll on their next clock in/out.
• Lower the employee's fingerprint threshold.

If an employee injures the finger they use for clock in/out:

• Delete the employee's Fingerprint data using the Clear Fingerprint Data link on the Fingerprint Settings page. The employee will be prompted to enroll on their next clock in/out.

Recommended Enrollment Method

 

1. Set "Enrollment Fingerprint Capture Method" to Quick.
2. Set "Number of Captured Fingerprint on Enrollment" to 2.
3. Set "Number of Number of Fingerprints for Progressive Enrollment" to 10.
4. When employees enroll, have them:
   • present their right index finger straight on for the first capture,
   • present their left index finger straight on for the second capture

•  
  1. Set "Enrollment Fingerprint Capture Method" to Quick.
  2. Set "Number of Captured Fingerprint on Enrollment" to 5.
  3. When employees enroll, have them:
     • present their thumb/finger straight on for the first capture,
     • roll the thumb/finger to the left for the second capture,
     • to the right for the third capture,
     • the top of the thumb/finger for the fourth capture,
     • and a different finger straight on for the fifth capture.

Alternative Enrollment Method

(For those not wanting to use Progressive Enrollment)

This procedure captures a large surface area for one finger and the main surface for another digit (in case of injury to the first finger).

Progressive Enrollment

The TimeIPS system has the ability to “learn” each time a user provides a fingerprint. If the fingerprint is a match to a stored fingerprint, the TimeIPS system generates and stores a new template based on the current template for future matching. For each new template that is stored, an old template that has not been used for matching is discarded.

This method allows users to provide fewer enrollment prints (saving time), reduces false-negatives over time as the system can more easily recognize the employee, and accommodates fingers or swipe methods that change over time.

• Set the Number of Captured Fingerprints on Enrollment to desired number. (Remembering that if it is multiple a supervisor should be present during enrollment)
• Set the Number of Fingerprints for Progressive Enrollment to 10.

This will allow the maximum amount of stored fingerprints and when 10 has been reached the 11th good match will be stored and will automatically remove the least used fingerprint in the system thereby always maintaining the best 10 matches for that employee.

Fingerprint Storage

TimeIPS uses capacitance and RF based readers to capture fingerprint data for each employee. Unless specifically requested, TimeIPS does not store an image of the employee's fingerprint. The TimeIPS reader looks for and "maps" the pattern on the finger or thumb, and then creates an mathematical profile of the print using an algorithm.

The profile data is stored as binary data to be used for later comparisons. It allows future prints to be analyzed and rated as to the degree of similarity to the original print(s). For convenience, the system is capable of storing up to ten print profiles per employee.

When an employee enters a PIN code or presents a badge, TimeIPS will prompt for a finger or thumb to be presented to the reader for validation. TimeIPS will, at that time, compare the data it is reading currently against the profile(s) it has stored on file for that specific employee number.

The data stored within the system uses formatting and encoding that is proprietary to the TimeIPS system, and can not be used to re-create a fingerprint or for any purpose outside of TimeIPS.