Fingerprint scanners use automated methods to verify a person's identity by matching their fingerprints. Fingerprints are analyzed by comparing patterns like arches, loops, and whorls, as well as minutia features including ridge endings, bifurcations, and short ridges. Modern fingerprint scanners capture a live scan of a fingerprint digitally and convert it into a biometric template that can be stored and used for matching against other fingerprints to verify identities.