Image input apparatus and person authentication system using an image input apparatus

• US 20060177107A1
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Takayuki
• Application Number:
  US11/338,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20060177107A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1335 Combining adjacent partial images (e.g. slices) to create a composite input or reference pattern; Tracking a sweeping finger movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/14 Vascular patterns

Abstract

A blood vessel image input apparatus is provided which is capable of acquiring a high-precision image of blood vessels of a body part, such as a finger, even if the finger is swept at a non-constant speed. The apparatus includes a solid-state line image sensor, a light source for illuminating the inside of the finger with light, an imaging optical system adapted to focus the light, emitted from the light source and passed through the inside of the finger, on the solid-state line image sensor such that a blood vessel image representing a network structure of veins in the finger is formed on the solid-state line image sensor, and a blood vessel image forming unit adapted to form a complete image of blood vessels by connecting a plurality of partial blood vessel images captured by the solid-state line image sensor while sweeping the finger.

Claims

1. An image input apparatus comprising:

an imaging device including at least one line of image sensing elements, and a light source adapted to illuminate a body part to be examined with light, whereby an image of blood vessels within the body part is acquired by passing the light through the inside of the body part to be examined, and the image is captured by the imaging device,

wherein a plurality of image signals of respective partial images of blood vessels captured by the imaging device are sequentially read while sweeping the body part to be examined, and a complete image of blood vessels is formed by connecting the partial images of blood vessels represented by the respective read image signals.

2. The image input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sweeping amount detection unit configured to detect the sweeping amount of the body part to be examined.

3. The image input apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a blood vessel image forming unit configured to form a complete blood vessel image by connecting the plurality of partial blood vessel images, depending on the sweeping amount of the body part to be examined detected by the sweeping amount detection unit.

4. The image input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit detects the sweeping amount in a state in which the sweeping amount detection unit is in contact with the body part to be examined.

5. The image input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit is at least one of a contacting and rotating roller.

6. The image input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit is a contact-type optical position sensor.

7. The image input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit is a contact-type capacitive position sensor.

8. The image input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit detects the sweeping amount in a state in which the sweeping amount detection unit is not in contact with the body part to be examined.

9. The image input apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit illuminates the surface of the body part to be examined with light and detects the sweeping amount based on a change in the image of the surface shape of the body part to be examined.

10. The image input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit also serves as a fingerprint image input apparatus for acquiring an image of a fingerprint in an area of a finger in contact with the sweeping amount detection unit.

11. The image input apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit also serves as a fingerprint image input apparatus for acquiring an image of a fingerprint of a finger.

12. The image input apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit acquires the fingerprint image by illuminating the finger with light and detects the sweeping amount based on a change in the brightness of the fingerprint image.

13. The image input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body part is one of a finger or thumb.

14. The image input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body part is a body limb.

15. An image input apparatus comprising:

an imaging device including at least one line of image sensing elements, a light source adapted to illuminate a body part to be examined with light;

an image forming unit configured to form a blood vessel image obtained by passing the light through the body part to be examined;

at least one reflection unit, configured to be disposed between the body part to be examined and the image forming unit, for reflecting light from the inside of the body part to be examined toward the image forming unit; and

a sweeping amount detection unit configured to detect the sweeping amount of the body part to be examined, by sequentially reading a plurality of image signals of respective partial blood vessel images taken by the imaging device while sweeping the body part to be examined, and detect, as relative position data, the sweeping amount indicating the relative positional relationship among the plurality of image signals, for use in forming a complete blood vessel image from the partial blood vessel images represented by the respective read image signals.

16. The image input apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a blood vessel image forming unit configured to form the complete blood vessel image by connecting the plurality of partial blood vessel images respectively represented by the plurality of image signals taken by the image device in accordance with the sweeping amount of the body part to be examined detected by the sweeping amount detection unit.

17. A person authentication system comprising:

an image input apparatus including an imaging device including at least one line of image sensing elements, and a light source adapted to illuminate a body part to be examined with light, whereby an image of blood vessels within the body part is acquired by passing the light through the inside of the body part to be examined, and the image is captured by the image device, wherein a plurality of image signals of respective partial images of blood vessels captured by the imaging device are sequentially read while sweeping the body part to be examined, and a complete image of blood vessels is formed by connecting the partial images of blood vessels represented by the respective read image signals;

a blood vessel image registration unit configured to register a blood vessel image read by the image input apparatus as identification information that identifies the body part to be examined; and

a blood vessel image checking unit configured to check whether the blood vessel image of the object to be examined read by the image input apparatus is identical to an image registered in the blood vessel image registration unit, and output the result of the check as a person authentication signal.

18. A person authentication system comprising:

an image input apparatus comprising,

an imaging device including at least one line of image sensing elements, and a light source adapted to illuminate a body part to be examined with light, whereby an image of blood vessels within the body part is acquired by passing the light through the inside of the body part to be examined, and the image is captured by the image device, wherein a plurality of image signals of respective partial images of blood vessels captured by the imaging device are sequentially read while sweeping the body part to be examined, and a complete image of blood vessels is formed by connecting the partial images of blood vessels represented by the respective read image signals;

a sweeping amount detection unit configured to detect the sweeping amount of the body part to be examined, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit detects the sweeping amount in a state in which the sweeping amount detection unit is in contact with the body part to be examined, wherein the sweeping amount detection unit also serves as a fingerprint image input apparatus for acquiring an image of a fingerprint in an area of a finger in contact with the sweeping amount detection unit; and

a blood vessel image forming unit configured to form a complete blood vessel image by connecting the plurality of partial blood vessel images, depending on the sweeping amount of the body part .to be examined detected by the sweeping amount detection unit;

a blood vessel image registration unit configured to register in advance a blood vessel image of the body part to be examined by the image input apparatus as identification information of the body part;

a blood vessel image checking unit configured to check whether the blood vessel image of the body part to be examined read by the image input apparatus is identical to an image registered in the blood vessel image registration unit, and output the result of the check as a person authentication signal;

a fingerprint image registration unit configured to register a fingerprint image read by the fingerprint image input apparatus as identification information that identifies the body part to be examined;

a fingerprint image checking unit configured to check whether the fingerprint image of the body part to be examined read by the fingerprint image input apparatus is identical to an image registered in the fingerprint image registration unit, and outputting the result of the check as a person authentication signal; and

a checking device adapted to evaluate the person authentication signal based on the blood vessel image and the person authentication signal based on the fingerprint image and produce a new person authentication signal according to an evaluation result.