System and method for authenticating a broadcast device using facial recognition

• US 10,014,967 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZEPP
• Original Assignee: Huami, Inc.
• Inventors: Xie, Wei, Wang, Fei
• Primary Examiner(s): BEKELE, MEKONEN T
• Application Number:
  US14/948,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20170149517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 382283, 340 104, 340561
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/25 Recognition of walking or running movements, e.g. gait recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information

Abstract

Systems and methods for authenticating a broadcast device using facial recognition are herein disclosed. The disclosure includes receiving, from a wearable device, a broadcast signal comprising an identification code of the wearable device; determining, using a processor, whether the identification code is stored within a database; identifying first facial data stored within the database, the first facial data associated with the identification code; generating second facial data; and determining, using the processor, whether the second facial data matches the first facial data. In an implementation, the broadcast device is a Bluetooth low energy device. In a further implementation, the broadcast device comprises the wearable device. In a still further implementation, the disclosure includes detecting gait data and determining whether the gait data matches gait feature data extracted from stored gait data features.

Claims

1. A method to expedite facial recognition authentication of a user using an authentication device with facial recognition software, the method comprising:

receiving, by the authentication device, a broadcast signal from a wearable device worn by a user, the broadcast signal containing an identification code of the wearable device, the broadcast signal received by the authenticated device as a user wearing the wearable device approaches the authentication device;

subsequent to the authentication device receiving the broadcast signal and prior to the user reaching the authentication device, retrieving, by the authentication device, first facial data from a database by querying the database based on the identification code, the first facial data including a previously generated image of a face of the user, wherein the first facial data and the identification code are associated with a common record stored in the database;

responsive to the user reaching the authentication device, generating second facial data by generating a new image of the face of the user using an image capture component of the authentication device;

determining whether the second facial data matches the first facial data by using the facial recognition software of the authentication device to compare the previously generated image of the face of the user and the new image of the face of the user; and

responsive to determining that the second facial data matches the first facial data, communicating, from the authentication device, an indication of a positive match to a transaction station to cause the user to have access to the transaction station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating the positive match upon determining that the second facial data and the first facial data match using the facial recognition software of the authentication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction station comprises a vending machine, an automatic teller machine, a self-service machine, or a point of sales machine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification code and the first facial data are stored in the database prior to the authentication device receiving the broadcast signal from the wearable device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the second facial data by generating the new image of the face of the user using the image capture component of the authentication device comprises:

taking a new picture of the face of the user using a camera of the image capture component.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting gait data comprising gait measurements based on the movement of the user;

identifying first gait features stored within the database, the first gait data features associated with the first facial data;

extracting second gait data features from the detected gait data; and

determining whether the second gait data features match the first gait data features.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wearable device comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification code is shared with multiple users, and the first facial data comprises previously generated images of faces of at least some of the multiple users.

8. An apparatus for expedited facial recognition authentication of a user wearing a wearable device, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

receive, from the wearable device, a broadcast signal containing an identification code of the wearable device, wherein the identification code is associated with multiple individuals, wherein the user is one of the multiple individuals;

subsequent to the receipt of the broadcast signal from the wearable device, retrieve, from a database, first facial data for the multiple individuals by querying the database based on the identification code, wherein the first facial data includes previously generated images of faces of at least some of the multiple individuals;

generate second facial data by generating a new image of the face of the user using an image capture component;

perform facial recognition against the first facial data and the second facial data to determine, using primarily the first facial data for the multiple individuals, whether the new image of the face of the user matches one of the previously generated images of the faces of the at least some of the multiple individuals; and

responsive to a positive match from performance of the facial recognition against the first facial data and the second facial data, communicate an indication of the positive match to a transaction station to cause the user to have access to the transaction station.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions include instructions to:

indicate a positive match responsive to a determination that the new image of the face of the user matches the one of the previously generated images of the faces of the at least some of the multiple individuals.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transaction station comprises one of an entry gate, an exit gate, a computing device, a mobile device, a vending machine, an automatic teller machine, a self-service machine, a point of sales machine, or a security device.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the identification code and the first facial data are stored in the database prior to the receipt of the broadcast signal from the wearable device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions to generate the second facial data by generating the new image of the face of the user using the image capture component include instructions to:

take a new picture of the face of the user using a camera of the image capture component.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions include instructions to:

detect, using an image capture component of the apparatus, gait data comprising gait measurements based on movement of the user;

identify first gait feature data for the multiple individuals associated with the identification code;

extract second gait feature data from the detected gait data; and

determine whether the second gait feature data matches one of the first gait feature data.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the broadcast signal is received from the wearable device responsive to a determination that a signal strength of the wearable device meets a threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wearable device comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device, and the BLE device constantly broadcasts the broadcast signal containing the identification code.

21. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first facial data is retrieved before the generation of the second facial data.

16. A wearable device, comprising:

a body configured to be worn by a user, the body comprising a memory, a broadcast component comprising a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) component, a processor, and a display,

wherein the memory is configured to store an identification code, the broadcast component is configured to constantly broadcast a Bluetooth signal comprising the identification code, the processor is coupled to the memory and the broadcast component, and the display is configured to indicate a successful transmission of the Bluetooth signal to an authentication device in wireless communication with the wearable device as a user wearing the wearable device approaches the authentication device,

wherein the Bluetooth signal is used by the authentication device to query a database based on the identification code for first facial data including a previously generated image of a face of the user,

wherein the Bluetooth signal is further used by the authentication device to determine that the user has reached the authentication device and responsively generate second facial data as a new image of the face of the user using an image capture component of the authentication device,

wherein the authentication device is configured to cause the user to have access to a transaction station in communication with the authentication device responsive to determining, using facial recognition software, that the second facial data matches the first facial data.

17. The wearable device of claim 16, wherein the body comprises at least one of a band, a bracelet, a ring, a watch, a phone, or a mobile device.

18. The wearable device of claim 16, wherein the identification code comprises at least one of a username, a passphrase, a hash code, a hexadecimal code, a character array, or a MAC address.

19. The wearable device of claim 16, further comprising a securing mechanism for securing the body to the user.