1. A method of generating a fingerprint template of fingerprint minutiae sufficient for identifying a person to whom the fingerprint belongs without first generating a complete image of the fingerprint covering the area of the fingerprint template, the method comprising: (a) obtaining a plurality of images of portions of a fingerprint; (b) distributing the storage of a first image portion and a second image portion while they are being acquired from the finger into at least a first and a second different memory data structures; (c) constructing a first partial composite image from the first image portion and extracting minutiae from the first partial composite image to generate a first partial minutiae template; (d) constructing a second partial composite image from the second image portion and extracting minutiae from the second partial composite image to generate a second partial minutiae template; and (e) combining the first and second partial minutiae templates to generate a complete minutiae template.