bioCOLLECT™ User Guide

Mobile biometric collection application for Android and iOS

Table of Contents

1.    Introduction. 1

2.    Supported Fingerprint Scanners. 2

3.    Installing the App. 2

4.    The Home Screen. 2

5.    Configuring the App. 3

6.    Purchasing a Subscription. 5

7.    Adding a new record. 6

8.    Storing you record. 10

9.    Technical Support. 11

1. Introduction  

FbF® bioCOLLECT™ (hereafter bioCOLLECT) is a simple mobile App for Android and iOS that allows users to capture and save biometric and demographic information for their own personal or business use purposes.  This App is primarily intended for those who need to capture and save fingerprint images and is intended to be subscribed to through in App purchases on an annual basis.  Those who wish to use the App without collecting fingerprints may do so for free and they will be able to collect basic demographic data as well as hand-drawn signatures.  Only subscribers will be able to unlock the fingerprint capture functionality and only those who have purchased a supported wireless or wired (USB) fingerprint scanner will be able to capture and save fingerprints.  This App is not intended for nor can it be used for identification purposes.  No matching functions are provided.  It is expected that all use cases for bioCOLLECT follow the local privacy laws including the collection of informed written consent as mandated by various State privacy laws such as the Ilinnois Biometrics Information Privacy Act or the California Consumer Protection Act as examples.  Fulcrum Biometrics will not be liable for improperly collected biometric or demographic data.

2. Supported Fingerprint Scanners

The various versions of this App support several commercially available fingerprint scanners.

The Android version supports:

Futronic FS80H (May require USB OTG adapter between scanner and your device).

Huifan HF7000 Bluetooth

Secugen Unity20 BLE version only

The iOS version supports:

Huifan HF7000 Bluetooth

Secugen Unity20 BLE version only

3. Installing the App

Please install the bioCOLLECT App through your Google Play Store or through the Apple App Store.   Android and iOS versions of bioCOLLECT can be installed just like any other App.  Please remember, using the Fingerprint scanner is not supported without the in-App subscription to that functionality.  Without one of the supported fingerprint scanners you should not install the App.  Please buy the fingerprint scanner first before you subscribe to the feature in the App.

4. The Home Screen

The bioCOLLECT home screen is the control center for using the App.  From here you can configure your settings, start a new record collection, or find out more about the App and Fulcrum’s policies and contact information.

5. Configuring the App

The Application has a number of configuration settings that you will want to pay attention to. Also, in this section you will be able to initiate the in-App subscription to use fingerprint scanners at the top left of the screen.  You will find, depending on which OS version you have installed the App on, the list of supported fingerprint scanners at the top.  Here is where you will want to select the model of fingerprint scanner that you have purchased.  You cannot select more than one model at a time, however, you may switch between devices if you so choose by toggling the switches for the scanner you want to use at any given time.

If you want to collect a hand drawn signature, you may toggle the switch ON by Require Signature.   Only one signature can be collected during any given session regardless of how many fingerprints are collected during that session (if any).

Demographic data including information about the subjects living or deceased status may be collected by toggling the switch ON by Collect Demographic Info.  If you do switch this option ON, some minimal data is required to be collected such as Male or Female, Living or Deceased, First Name and Last Name.

If you have selected the HF7000 fingerprint scanner, there are a few size options you can select from.   These are controlled under the Image Dimensions section.  You may select Standard or Large size.  The resulting images sizes will be 256 pixels wide by 288 pixels tall for Standard size and 256 pixels wide by 360 pixels tall for Large size.  The SecuGen Unity20 and the FS80H both return larger images.   Image size will affect transfer time between the HF7000 and the mobile device.  The smaller image will transfer faster than the larger image.

Under the Image Dimension section you will find one of the most important sections regarding File Saving Options.  There are four ways you can choose to save the images and data you collect through the bioCOLLECT App.  You may select one or more of these options. Whatever toggle switches you turn ON will be show to you as options during record collection at the end.  

FTP Upload requires you to have access to an FTP or SFTP server.  You must enter the credentials appropriately if you enable this option.   Your technical support team will be able to help you with this if you have an FTP or SFTP server capability.

Email upload requires you to have an email client configured on your mobile device and set as default.   Then you must enter the email address where you want to send the data.  The same email will be used every time, however, you may edit the email address once the email has been created in your default email application if desired.

In order to use Cloud Storage you must have a valid Google Drive or OneDrive account that you have credentials for. The system will require you to enter them and navigate to the folder where you want to upload the record data.

If you want to save the information you collected to Photos, you can toggle Photos ON.  This will save all the fingerprints with the demographic data embedded into the image at the bottom as well as save a signature if you selected that configuration option.

6. Purchasing a Subscription

As mentioned, you will need to purchase an annual subscription to use the supported fingerprint scanners. You may purchase the subscription from the Configuration page by clicking on the blue Purchase Subscription text at the top right corner of the screen.  You may also purchase the subscription while navigating the Add Record section when you get to the fingerprint collection stage.  These two options are pictured below.

7. Adding a new record.

Depending on your configuration options you will have a different experience adding a new record.   Assuming that you have subscribed to the fingerprint scanner function, enabled collection of Dempgraphic data, and set the system to collect a signature, you will see a flow that looks like this:

We start with collection of Demographic data as seen below.  When you have filled out the required fields and optional fields you can click the NEXT button.

After demograpic data collection we move on to Fingerprint selection.  Here you may scan one or more prints (up to all 10).  Each finger is represented by a numbered circle.   Selecting one of these circles will immediately take you to the capture screen where you will be asked to place your finger on the scanner.  Note that the circle selected will indicate which finger to place.  Example. If you select number 7, the system will prompt you to place your right index finger on the scanner.

Once a fingerprint is scanned properly you will see the system transferring the image data to the mobile device.  This is represented by a fingerprint icon that is filling up (Light grays to dark grays) and a percentage progress indicated on the bottom of the screen.  A successful capture will show you a preview of the captured fingerprint and you may accept it, or select re-scan if it is not of good enough quality for your purposes.   

Once you have selected the Accept button, you will be directly taken back to the screen where you can either select another finger to scan, or, press the button “Finished Scanning Prints” to move on to the next step which, if selected in configuration settings, is signature capture.  For the signature capture portion, you may simply draw a signature with your finger just above the line.  If it is easier, you can rotake the screen horizontally and this will enable you to use the whole width of the screen to draw the signature.  If you do not like the first attempt, you can press the blue “Clear” button until you are satisfied.  Then press the Sign and Save button.

8. Storing you record

After you have captured all the fingerprints and signature, you will be presented with a summary screen where you will be able to view the captured data.  If you have captured numerous prints, you will be able to swipe through them to review before you save them.  Saving the prints and signature is the last step in the process.  Depending on which save options you selected in the Configuration page you will see one or more buttons which are labeled with the actions they will take. For example: Save files to: Photos, FTP, Cloud Storage, or Email.

9. Technical Support

If you face difficulties in getting your App to function properly or connecting to your scanner, Fulcrum Biometrics offers Technical Support via our ticketing system.  Simply navigate to Https://support.fucrumbiometrics.com to create a new help ticket and you will be assisted in the order your ticket was received.