Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating an asynchronously clocked signal in a synchronously clocked programmable device is described. A programmable logic device having synchronously clocked or product term clocked registers receives an input signal and an event signal. The input signal and the event signal can be any externally or internally generated signals. The event signal signifies the occurrence of a particular event by transitioning from one signal state to another. The input signal is asynchronously clocked through the synchronously clocked PLD without utilizing the synchronously clocked or product term clocked registers. The input signal is asynchronously clocked in response to an edge transition of the event signal. The edge transition of the event signal being either a failing edge or a rising edge.

Abstract: The invention is an automatic method and related apparatus for identifying fingerprints by means of comparing the minutiae of each fingerprint in a data base of fingerprints with selected ones of precomputed vector images of search minutiae in a search print to be identified, in order to determine the existence or not of a fit between the minutiae of a file print and the preselected search minutiae images, in position and angle, a result of such comparison being a matching score indicating the probability of a match between the search print and one or more file prints, the basis for selection of such precomputed vector images being the identity between the angle of a file print minutiae and the angle of a precomputed vector images of the search minutiae.