SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING IMAGES

• US 20010026631A1
• Filed: 06/20/1997
• Published: 10/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L-1 Identity Solutions Operating Co. (Advent International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LAU Technologies
• Inventors: WEIDER, YONA, SLOCUM, LEE G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,430,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1176 Recognition of faces
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that employ facial recognition to create, maintain and use databases that store data records of individuals. In particular, systems and methods are disclosed that employ facial recognition to control the production of identification cards that include an image of a person'"'"'s face and demographic data. Preferrably, the systems and methods include lensing modules adapted for efficiently identifying within a picture image the location of a person'"'"'s face.

Claims

1. Apparatus for manufacturing an identification card, comprising

an image acquisition element for generating a picture signal that includes an image that is representative of a person'"'"'s face,

a vector memory having storage for plural eigenvector signals each one of which represents an eigenvector of a multi-dimensional image space,

means for generating a projection signal representative of a portion of said picture signal encoded as a weighted function of said plural eigenvector signals,

an image database memory having storage for projection signals each composition signal being representative of a weighted set of said eigenvector signals and each being associated with an image of a specific person'"'"'s face,

a demographic database memory having storage for one or more data records wherein each said data record is associated with a respective one of said projection signals and includes an identification signal for identifying said data record,

recognition means for determining whether said projection signal is substantially representative of one or more of said stored projection signals and for generating a match signal responsive to a detected match between said projection signal and one of said stored projection signals,

enforcement means responsive to said match signal, for selecting one or more of said data records, and

a printer element arranged for recording information representative of said picture signal and said selected identification signal onto a blank data card to generate said identification card.

2. Apparatus according to

claim 1

wherein said means for generating a projection signal includes a locator module having

prefilter means adapted to identify portions of said picture signal possibly representing said image of a person'"'"'s face,

means for encoding each identified picture portion as a weighted function of said plural eigenvector signals, and

selector means for selecting one of said identified picture portions as a function of said projection signals.

3. Apparatus according to

claim 1

wherein said enforcement means comprises

an image server element adapted for storing picture signals associated with respective ones of said data records, and

a monitor element coupled to said image server element and said recognition means and being adapted to display picture signals as a function of said match signal.

4. Apparatus according to

claim 1

wherein said enforcement means couples to said printer element for selectively and controllably recording information in response to said match signal.

5. Apparatus according to

claim 3

wherein said monitor element includes a printer element for generating a recorded signal representative of one or more picture signals.

6. Apparatus according to

claim 1

further including a network job builder element adapted for generating, in response to said match signal, a batch signal representative of information to be recorded on to one or more identification cards.

7. Apparatus according to

claim 1

further including registration means for generating a data record associated with said picture signal and for generating one of said identification signals for identifying said data record.

8. Apparatus according to

claim 1

further including selection means for selecting a portion of said picture signal representative of select characteristics of a person'"'"'s face.

9. Apparatus according to

claim 8

wherein said selection means includes means for selecting a portion of a picture signal representative of an eye.

10. Apparatus according to

claim 1

further including means for normalizing said picture signal according to preselected user criterion.

11. Apparatus according to

claim 10

wherein said means for normalizing includes means for selectively adjusting a grey-scale parameter of said picture signal.

12. Apparatus according to

claim 10

wherein said means for normalizing includes means for selectively adjusting an inclination parameter of said picture signal.

13. Apparatus according to

claim 10

wherein said means for normalizing includes means for scaling said picture signal.

14. Apparatus according to

claim 1

wherein said image acquisition element includes a video camera element.

15. Apparatus according to

claim 1

wherein said image acquisition element includes a photographic camera element and a scanner element.

16. Apparatus according to

claim 1

wherein said recognition means includes text query means coupled to said demographic database memory element for comparing signals representative of textual information with said identification signals stored in said data records.

17. Apparatus for sorting a database of picture signals, comprising

a picture memory adapted for storing picture signals,

a reference memory having storage for plural eigenvector signals each one of which represents an eigenvector of a multi-dimensional image space and having storage for a subspace signal representative of a subspace defined by said plural eigenvector signals,

means for selecting a picture signal from said picture memory and for generating a projection signal representative of a portion of said picture signal encoded as a weighted function of said plural eigenvector signals,

means for computing a distance signal that represents the distance between a point defined by said projection signal and said space defined by said subspace signal,

classification means for determining as a function of said distance signal whether a picture signal is representative of an image of a person, and

sorting means for sorting picture signals according to whether said picture signal is representative of a person.

18. Apparatus according to

claim 17

wherein said means for generating a projection signal includes

prefilter means adapted to identify portions of said picture signal possibly representing an image of a person'"'"'s face,

means for encoding each identified picture portion as a weighted function of said plural eigenvector signals, and

selector means for selecting one of said identified picture portions as a function of said projection signals.

19. Apparatus according to

claim 17

further including

means for deleting a picture signal from said picture memory as a function of said distance signal.

20. Apparatus according to

claim 17

further including

a demographic database memory having storage for one or more data records wherein each said data record is associated with a respective one of said picture signals and includes an identification signal for identifying said data record, and

means for deleting a data record as a function of said distance signal.

21. Apparatus according to

claim 17

further including

list means for generating as a function of said distance signal a list signal representative of one or more picture signals.

22. Apparatus according to

claim 17

wherein said means for computing said distance signal includes

a threshold memory for storing a threshold signal representative of a preselected threshold, and

comparison means for comparing said distance signal with said threshold signal.

23. Apparatus according to

claim 17

wherein said means for computing said distance signal includes

selection means for selecting a portion of a picture signal representative of a select characteristic of a person'"'"'s face.

24. Apparatus according to

claim 17

wherein

said selection means includes means for selecting a portion of a picture signal representative of a person'"'"'s eye.

25. Apparatus for searching a picture signal to locate an image representative of a face, comprising

a picture memory for storing said picture signal,

a vector memory having storage for plural eigenvector signals each one of which represents an eigenvector of a multi-dimensional image space,

a locator module that includes

prefilter means, coupled to said picture memory and adapted to identify portions of said picture signal possibly representing an image of a face,

projection means for generating a projection signal by encoding each identified picture portion as a weighted function of said plural eigenvector signals, and

selector means for selecting one of said identified picture portions as a function of said projection signals.

26. Apparatus according to

claim 25

wherein said prefilter means includes means for measuring a grey-scale characteristic of a picture portion and means for comparing said measured grey-scale value with a user-determined grey-scale value that indicates the absence of an image of a face.

27. Apparatus according to

claim 25

wherein said prefilter means selects portions of said picture signal wherein each portion is spaced apart from the next portion and wherein the distance between portions is selected as a function of said measured grey-scale characteristics.

28. Apparatus according to

claim 25

wherein said locator module further includes

scaling means for adjusting the relative dimensions of said picture signal as a function of said projection signal.

29. Apparatus for normalizing images representative of a person'"'"'s face, comprising

a picture memory adapted for storing one or more picture signals each having an image representative of a person'"'"'s face,

a vector memory having storage for plural eigenvector signals each one of which represents an eigenvector of a multi-dimensional image space,

means for selecting one of said picture signals and for generating a projection signal representative of a portion of said selected picture signal encoded as a weighted function of said plural eigenvector signals,

means for generating a distance signal representative of a distance between a point defined by said projection signal and a subspace of said multi-dimensional image space, and

normalizing means for adjusting a characteristic of said selected picture signal as a function of said distance signal.