Android PHP Web Biometric Integration

One of my most exciting exploits on an Android Device was when I did an Android PHP Web Biometric Integration using a DigitalPersona 4500 Fingerprint Scanner that runs on Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox Web Browsers on an Android OS 9 Powered device.

I had wanted to accomplish this since year 2014.

A Background History

Sometimes back in year 2014 I was doing a Biometric Fingerprint integration on a Hospital Managment Information System (HMIS) that was seeking an efficient, fast and foolproof way of identifying return Outpatients.

The Hospital was struggling to manage records retrieval of existing Outpatients with their current Software System particularly for those Patients who showed up with no form of Identification whatsoever and they happened to be the majority.

The Hospital Administrative Management enlisted for my expertise to Help them implement a Patient Biometric Authentication functionality on their current HMIS.

At the time, the Hospital was tendering for a new HMIS when they brought me on board.

One day, while winding up the Biometric integration operations that I was engaged in for their current HMIS, just when I had finished and was concluding my activities there. while I was training the last batch of System Users, I was informed that I needed to do the same Biometric integration with the new HMIS that they were now introducing into the Hospital to replace the current one that I had just finished integrating Biometrics with.

So I ended up doing two (2) Biometric integrations for the two (2) HMIS at that Hospital. I will tell you how this happened shortly. Hang in there and follow thru!

One evening, the Hospital Superintendent invited me to his office to have a private talk with him.

By the way, a Hospital Superintendent also known as a Medical Superintendent is a senior Doctor overseeing administrative and overall running of a Level 5 Government Hospital in Kenya.

The Doctor told me, that he was seeking an alternative external view about the new HMIS that they were gradually trialing for adoption and ultimate replacement of their current HMIS.

Since I was an outsider, and an IT Professional, the Doctor sought to get my take on the decision that they were about to make to procure a new HMIS for their Hospital to replace the one that they were currently using.

He told me, “I know you will give me unbiased view on whether our Hospital will be moving in the right direction if we decide to procure this new HMIS that we are trialing” to which I responded in agreement because it was not an open ended question.

I seldom meet Doctors who are tech savvy like this Doctor was.

At the time I was offering my Software Development Services there for the Biometric integration, this Doctor had arranged for the Hospital to procure Android Tablets for Doctors to use to write notes when they are doing their rounds in the Hospital wards.

He had envisioned a paperless approach for taking Doctors notes using Android Tablets.

At one point I was asked if my Biometrics integration for Outpatients could work on these Android Devices and since I had not tried out, I asked them to lend me one of the Android Tablets to test with.

Unfortunately, this was not possible on an any Web Browser that ran on these Android Tablets after I was done carrying out my own Tests.

Luckily, this was not part of the requirement for the service I was offering the Hospital at that time because the Android Tablets were intended for InPatients.

I remember telling myself that I must figure out how to do Biometric Integration that runs on Web Browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox which run on Android Devices after this Project that I was currently working on was over.

The Biometric integration that I was working on was for Windows Desktops only and for Outpatient visits only.

So the Doctor and I went on chatting about many other things and how he had a great vision for automating how things are done in this Hospital.

I inquired from him why he had opted to kick out his current HMIS for the new HMIS that was being trialed and he told me that he wanted a Hospital System that could capture all the reports that he and his staff wanted.

There is something that I had not filled you guys in on! Let me tell you about it at this juncture!

Earlier on, I guess that day or maybe the day before, the IT manager, a nice warm hearted lady had provided me some very vital heads up information that helped me navigate some questions that the Doctor was asking me about on this evening.

This lady and I happened to have studied in the same College for our undergraduate degrees in computing though at different years apart. I had cleared 4 or 5 years ahead of her.

After I found out she too was an alumni of my former alma mater, it was easy to get along with her.

So in one of the weekly meetings for the IT Staff, Hospital Administration and the Providers of the new HMIS that was being brought onboard, the manager of this new HMIS Provider had proposed to the Hospital that he could do the Biometric integration in his HMIS and told the Hospital Management that there was no need for me to continue with the Biometric integration that I was doing on the current HMIS because it is going to be replaced with their HMIS.

The new HMIS providers did not have Biometric Authentication for their HMIS Patient Identification at the time they were pitching and trialing their HMIS at the Hospital.

I was not attending these meetings because they had nothing to do with me and they were their own internal meetings that I was not invited to in the first place.

I did not know what had transpired in that day’s meeting when guys returned back to the IT room where I was working from.

Later on, when the providers of the new HMIS had stepped out of the office, the IT Manager filled me in on the series of events that took place in that meeting.

She made me aware that the Biometric integration service that I was offering at that time on their current System may no longer be tenable if the new HMIS Providers can demonstrate that their Software Application can do Biometric Patient Identification.

I already had a Purchase Order (PO) from the Hospital but knowing how organizations in my country can quickly back out of a commitment without batting an eyelid, I knew better than just trust the PO document that I had signed with the Hospital.

I knew this lady got my back and profusely thanked her for providing me this heads up information that she had availed to me to come up with an action plan to secure my bag.

It did not take long before the new HMIS providers began to stealthily inquire about how Biometrics work, where one can buy Biometric Scanners from, which Biometric Scanners are the Best and how to go about the whole process of Biometic Authentication.

They would field these questions to me casually as though mesmerized and impressed with what I was doing just making sure not to show keen interest.

They were gathering as much information as they could about Biometrics from me whenever they could sneak a Question or two to me.

They thought I did not know what they were up to. They even made attempts to take a peek at my code pretending to be curious about what I do as they hanged around my workstation.

People can smile at you while holding a dagger behind your back while waiting for the opportune moment to stab and finish you off.

I played along but made sure to provide them the least resourceful information that would make them have an edge over me before I could complete my Biometric integration and get paid for my work by the hospital.

When I had finished my Biometric integration on their old HMIS, the Hospital asked me to do the same Biometric integration on the new HMIS too.

I think I had managed to derail and hold back information that would have helped the new HMIS providers to implement Biometrics Authentication for Patient Identification on their Hospital Software Application otherwise, I do not see how I would have been requested to integrate the same feature on their HMIS.

I also want to believe that it was at this point that the Hospital had conspired to collude and get me to transfer that knowledge to the new HMIS providers or maybe they were afraid that I would be done and gone when they decide to kick the old system and adopt the new system then realize that this new HMIS providers would give them another new invoice in order to add Biometrics in the new HMIS they were introducing. I still do not know with certainty how this was playing out.

I was feeling skeptical about this other second integration that the Hospital was asking me to do but since I wanted to get my cheque and bounce off, I went ahead and did it so as not to give them reasons not to pay me.

Honestly, when I was traveling form the capital city to this rural town where this hospital is situated, I did not anticipate a scenario where the Hospital would require me to carry out two (2) separate Biometric integrations but here I was having completed what I came to do and now having to do another integration on another HMIS that the Hospital was planning to bring on board.

In that meeting where I was chatting with the Doctor, I want to believe that I managed to convince the Doctor not to do away with the current HMIS that the Hospital was using at the time.

I told him about another Doctor in the capital city who had resident Software Developers at his Hospital develop the HMIS for that Hospital from scratch to meet the Hospital needs and requirements rather than buy a new HMIS. Luckily he happened to know about this other Doctor and was pleased to know that I was telling him about someone that he already knows. Maybe later on they talked and shared notes.

I helped the Doctor see the value of retaining, his current HMIS instead of procuring another HMIS just because he wants an HMIS that does good reports.

I encouraged him to work alongside his internal Hospital Software Developers to tailor and avail the Software features that he found lacking including the particular reports that he wanted to see in his current HMIS.

I also talked to the developers and maintainers of the current Hospital HMIS about the concerns the Doctor had about their current HMIS and made sure the Biometric Integration that I had done in their Software Application worked flawlessly so that the Doctor would not find any reason to have second opinions about it.

A few months later after I had gotten paid and moved back to the capital city, I learnt that the Hospital had decided to retain its former HMIS and that the Hospital developers had addressed the concerns that the Doctor, Hospital Superintendent had issues with.

I also learnt that the new HMIS providers who were pitching to introduce the new HMIS to the Hospital and who had plannned to have me kicked out so that they could do the Biometric Authentication for Patient Identification in their own HMIS, it is them that were actually let go and their Purchase Order dishonored. Actually one of the Hospital Staff in the Procurement and Accounts Department was also relieved off their duties during that time too though I never got to get reliable information regarding her dismissal and whether it was related to these new HMIS providers guys in any way.

That was a sweet revenge for me. I believe the Doctor took every word that I said to him in that meeting and acted on it just as I had recommended it to him even though he believed that I was being unbiased but I knew I had to sideline those new HMIS providers if I had to get my pay cheque and get paid for my work.

Do you think I was biased in the way I advised the Doctor? How would you have handled a similar scenario while knowing that for all intent and purposes the other service provider was trying to cut you off?

Though I am grateful to God that I got paid my dues and the new HMIS providers plan did not materialize, I also got motivated to do an Android PHP Web Biometric Integration using a DigitalPersona 4500 Fingerprint Scanner. I usually tell myself that had I not got paid by the Hospital, this is the only idea that I would have gone to collect to that Hospital for about 3 weeks. Hahaa!

My other take from that Hospital’s 2 HMIS Biometric integrations that I did while there, is to never ever undertake a Project where the client has not committed to a project by paying an agreed deposit percentage of the entire cost because if the Project had gone the other way, I would have been left holding a void PO that would not be honored by the Hospital.

Overall Setup for Android PHP Web Biometric Integration

I will group this into 3 categories namely;

• Front-End
• Server-End
• Database

The Front-End

Mobile Device Operating System

• Android 9

Web Browsers

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox

Fingerprint Scanner

• DigitalPersona 4500 Biometric Scanner

The Server-End

Server Operating System

• Ubuntu Linux

Web Server

• Apache

Scripting Language

• PHP

Database

The Database used on the Server Back-End

• Mariadb for Linux

A Brief Summary of How my Android PHP Web Biometric Integration works

• As you can already see from my setup, I hosted the Android PHP Web Biometric Application on Ubuntu Linux.
• I then served the Android PHP Web Biometric Application on Web via Apache Web Server installed on Ubuntu Linux.
• The Android PHP Web Biometric Application runs on the Android Mobile Device’s Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox Web Browser.
• The DigitalPersona 4500 Fingerprint Scanner is connected to the Android Mobile Device via an OTG USB Cable.
• When a User’s Particulars and Biometrics are Captured and Enrolled from the Android Mobile Device’s Web Browser, they are saved / archived remotely to the Ubuntu Linux’s Mariadb Database.
• During Fingerprint Authentication on Android PHP Web Biometric Application, a Fingerprint is captured on the Android Device’s Web Browser using the DigitalPersona 4500 Fingerprint Scanner then is sent to Ubuntu Linux Server for Biometric Authentication
• Depending on the outcome of Biometric Authentication on the Ubuntu Linux Server, a result is returned for either a Match Found or No Match is returned to the Android Device’s Web Browser for User Feedback and Post Biometric Authentication processes to continue.

Why I used a DigitalPersona 4500 Fingerprint Scanner for Android PHP Web Biometric Integration?

The DigitalPersona 4500 Fingerprint Scanner is a readily available Biometric Device that I can recommend to my clients in the projects I do consulting for them and I can be sure that they will be able to get this device in the nearest electronic shop where they live.

Also, having done a number of Biometric integrations on various diverse Software Projects, I just find myself without putting much thought into it though I can use just about any Biometric Scanner device for any project.

Lastly, the DigtialPersona 4500 is one Biometric Device that has been around for years, I guess over 10 years now. So I am not worried that I will wake up tomorrow and find that it is no longer being supported.

I believe in recommending to my prospective clients and returning clients the Biometric Devices that I believe in because it will be easy and hassle free to implement the solution that they are looking for and provide them timely technical support because I understand this type of Biometric Device very well and how it works and also getting a replacement for a malfunctioned one is simple and straight forward unlike the case for some Biometric Devices which are hampered by export restrictions or whatever red tape bureaucracies fingerprint scanners manufacturing companies nowadays are choosing to impose to prospective clients that do not come from their ideal type of their products consumers.

Alternative Fingerprint Scanners that can work with this Android PHP Web Biometric Integration

Since I did this Android PHP Web Biometric integration using a DigitalPersona 4500 Fingerprint Scanner, there is a myriad of other Fingerprint Scanners that could suffice to work with this particular integration. You could choose to use the following authentic ( noncounterfeit ) Biometric Devices. They are;

• DigitalPersona 4500
• DigitalPersona 5100
• DigitalPersona 5300
• HID EikonTouch TC510 Fingerprint Reader
• HID EikonTouch TC710 Fingerprint Reader

Other PHP Web Biometric Integrations that I have implemented in the Past

• PHP Web Biometric Integration in Linux
• PHP Web Biometric Smart Card Integration
• PHP Web Biometric Integration using a Columbo Fingerprint Scanner
• PHP Web Biometric Iris Recognition using BK2121U Iris Scanner
• 10 Finger Capture in PHP Web using a KOJAK Biometric Scanner

If your Organization, Company, Institution or SME requires the expertise of a Consultant to Help with implementing a similar solution in PHP on Android, please reach out to me for more information on my website www.BiometricsEngineer.com.

Screenshots from Android PHP Web Biometric integration using a DigitalPersona 4500 Fingerprint Scanner

Watch Android PHP Web Biometric integration DEMO Video

Need Help with Android PHP Web Biometric integration that will run on Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome in your Android Devices?

I am a Software Engineer ( I like to think of myself as a Biometrics Engineer ) who Helps Companies, Institutions, Organizations and SMEs like You to Develop, Integrate, Support and Maintain Identity and Access Management (IAM) Software Solutions based on Biometrics that run on Linux, Windows, Android, Web, RaspberryPi and Cloud.

Should your organization need to enlist for Professional Consulting Services of a Software Engineer to Help you with your Android PHP Web Biometric integration on Web, you could tag me along!

I provide Premium based Professional Consulting and Software Development Services!

See more Details on How to contact me for Professional Consulting Services to Help you with similar related Biometric integrations at my website here www.BiometricsEngineer.com

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Some of the Companies, Organizations and Institutions that I have helped to integrate Biometrics in their Software Applications