PERSONAL AUTHENTICATION METHOD AND PERSONAL AUTHENTICATION DEVICE

• US 20090207251A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Tsukasa, Ichihara, Shunsuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 by interactive indications to the user

Abstract

A personal authentication method and device capable of creating iris information enabling personal authentication even if the iris image shows light reflection. The personal authentication device comprises an imaging section for imaging an eye of the user, an iris code generating section for generating an iris code from the captured image, a determining section for comparing the iris code with a registered iris code and determining whether or not the iris code agrees with the registered code, a control section for giving an instruction to retry imaging when there is no match, a guiding section for guiding the user so that the position where there is light reflection in the iris in retry-imaging changes, an average calculation image creating section for extracting an iris image from images, if the iris code generated from the image captured by retry-imaging disagrees with the registered iris code and creating an average calculation image produced by averaging the pixel values of the iris image, and an iris code generation instruction section for instructing the iris code generating section to generate an iris code from the average calculation image.

Claims

1. A personal authentication device comprising:

an imaging section for imaging a user'"'"'s eye including the iris thereof;

an iris code generating section for generating an iris code from the captured image;

a determining section for comparing the generated iris code with a registered iris code stored in advance in a storage section and determining whether the iris code matches or does not match the registered code;

a control section for giving an instruction to the imaging section to retry imaging when it is determined there is no match;

a guiding section for guiding the user to a position where light reflection in the iris is different during retry-imaging;

an average calculation image creating section for extracting an iris image representing the iris from a plurality of captured images if the iris code generated from the image captured by retry-imaging does not match the registered iris code, computing average values for the respective pixels of each of the iris images and creating an average calculation image of the computed average pixel values; and

an iris code generation instruction section for instructing the iris code generating section to generate an iris code from the created average calculation image.

2. The personal authentication device of claim 1, wherein the control section instructs the imaging section to undertake retry-imaging a set number of times set in advance.

3. The personal authentication device of claim 1, wherein the control section, when in receipt of an instruction to register an iris code from a user, instructs the imaging section to carry out imaging a plurality of times, the device further comprising:

an average calculation image creation instruction section for instructing the average calculation image creating section to create an average calculation image from the plurality of captured images; and

a storage section for, when an iris code is generated from the average calculation image, storing the generated iris code in the storage section.

4. The personal authentication device of claim 1, wherein the control section instructs the imaging section to undertake imaging a set number of times set in advance.

5. A personal authentication method comprising:

imaging a user'"'"'s eye including the iris thereof with an imaging section;

generating an iris code from the captured image;

comparing the generated iris code with a registered iris code;

determining whether the iris code matches or does not match the registered code;

instructing the imaging section to carry out retry-imaging when it is determined there is no match;

guiding the user to a position where light reflection in the iris is different during retry-imaging;

extracting an iris image representing the iris from a plurality of captured images if the iris code generated from the image captured by retry-imaging does not match the registered iris code;

computing the average pixel value for the respective pixels of each of the iris images;

creating an average calculation image of the average calculated pixel values; and

instructing generation of an iris code from the created average calculation image.

6. The personal authentication method of claim 5, wherein instruction is made to the imaging section to undertake retry-imaging a set number of times set in advance.

7. The personal authentication method of claim 5, wherein instruction is made to the imaging section to carry out imaging a plurality of times when in receipt of an instruction to register an iris code from a user;

instructing to create an average calculation image from the plurality of captured images; and

storing the generated iris code in the storage section when an iris code is generated from the average calculation image.

8. The personal authentication method of claim 5, wherein instruction is made to the imaging section to undertake imaging a set number of times set in advance.