Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.
December 14, 2020
Designed for doors, safes, attendance management, FA equipment and more across a wide range of industries, with ease of use in various environments and support for the "New Normal" through antibacterial coating
H4E series compact finger vein authentication module exterior (left) and example of the usage (right)
Tokyo, December 14, 2020 - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501; "Hitachi") and Hitachi Industry & Control Solutions, Ltd. ("Hitachi Industry & Control")today announced that they have developed the H4E series(1) of device-embedded-type compact finger vein authentication modules featuring vastly improved authentication accuracy and usability compared with conventional models(2) and enhance support for outdoor use. The H4E series will go on sale in Japan, the People's Republic of China and Europe starting today. Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control will take advantage of its improved outdoor performance to provide the H4E series to door lock manufacturers and home equipment manufacturers, and expand sales to a range of industries including safe manufacturers, attendance management service providers and FA equipment manufacturers.
In recent years, biometric authentication has become a familiar technology providing high levels of security and convenience for applications such as PC logins, corporate attendance management and access control system, not to mention its inclusion in smartphones. Among these technologies, finger vein authentication is unique in that the device is compact, and makes use of patterns indicating distinct biometric characteristics inside the body that make impersonation or forgery difficult and achieve high authentication accuracy. In addition, conventionally the control of biometric authentication features embedded in equipment or devices has required combined installation with high-performance control units such as PCs, but since 2008 Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control have been providing compact standalone module products that can perform all processes from capturing and verifying finger vein images to issuing authentication results without the need for a separate control unit.
However, with conventional embedded compact finger vein authentication modules, differences can arise between when the information is registered and authentication is performed depending on the way a finger is placed and temperature changes. When this results in authentication rejections or errors, it may be necessary to repeat the authentication process from the beginning, posing issues for operation and management. What's more, despite the strong demand for outdoor installation of such modules, there are limits on the authentication accuracy due to dirt on the sensor and environmental resilience (applicable temperatures, dust and water-proofing). In addition to that, specifications that can stand up to alcohol sterilization to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections are needed.
In response, Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control developed the H4E series, offering vastly improved authentication accuracy and usability combined with improved outdoor performance to address these issues.
The key improvements made to the H4E series are as follows.
To conform to the new normal, the module features an antibacterial coating(7) that allows regular sterilization with alcohol.
Going forward, Hitachi and Hitachi Industry & Control will continue to pursue the development of anti-viral coatings and new contactless authentication units that cater to customers' increasingly diverse requirements and the "New Normal" while providing solutions that interface with various systems in the areas of IT, finance and building management to contribute to build a safe, secure and convenient society.
Product Name | Price | Release |
---|---|---|
H4E series compact finger vein authentication module for device embedding | Open | December 14, 2020 |
For more details, please refer to the link below.
When exporting this product, please follow the necessary procedures after confirming the regulations of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, and other export-related laws and regulations of the United States and other countries.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is focused on its Social Innovation Business that combines information technology (IT), operational technology (OT) and products. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2019 (ended March 31, 2020) totaled 8,767.2 billion yen ($80.4 billion), and it employed approximately 301,000 people worldwide. Hitachi drives digital innovation across five sectors - Mobility, Smart Life, Industry, Energy and IT - through Lumada, Hitachi's advanced digital solutions, services, and technologies for turning data into insights to drive digital innovation. Its purpose is to deliver solutions that increase social, environmental and economic value for its customers. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com/.
Hitachi Industry & Control Solutions is a key company supporting the Industry & Distribution Business of the Hitachi Group. Hitachi Industry & Control provides various solutions for industry, social infrastructure, embedded devices and video applications that support the businesses of manufacturers and other customers in the industrial and social infrastructure fields. Through consulting services based on IT and control expertise honed over many years, Hitachi Industry & Control works with customers to identify their issues and addresses them with solutions that combine products and technologies.
To learn more, please visit the website of Hitachi Industry & Control Solutions at
https://www.hitachi-ics.co.jp/ (Japanese)
https://info.hitachi-ics.co.jp/eng/ (English)