EYE COLOR PATERNITY TEST

• US 20130070982A1
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DNA Diagnostics Center Incorporated (Eurofins Scientific SE)
• Original Assignee: Identigene, L.L.C. (Eurofins Scientific SE)
• Inventors: Fogg, Douglas R., Smith, Steven J., Miller, Katrina R., Mansfield, Adam R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,111,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30041 Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/197 Matching; Classification

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus for determining paternity based on eye color. Determining paternity may include accessing a color digital image of at least one of a male parental candidate, a female parental candidate, and a child candidate. An eye color of each of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate may be determined, wherein the eye color of at least one of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate is determined based on the accessed color digital image. A paternity likelihood of the male parental candidate with regard to the child candidate may be determined based on the determined eye color of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate.

Claims

1. A method of determining paternity based on eye color, the method comprising:

accessing a color digital image of at least one of a male parental candidate, a female parental candidate, and a child candidate;

determining an eye color of each of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate, wherein the eye color of at least one of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate is determined based on the accessed color digital image; and

determining a paternity likelihood of the male parental candidate and the female parental candidate with regard to the child candidate based on the determined eye color of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a color digital image of each of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the eye color of each of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate based on the accessed color digital image of each of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate respectively.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a set of potential eye colors of the child candidate based on the determined eye colors of the male parental candidate and the female parental candidate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the eye color of the at least one of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate is determined by comparing the digital image to a set of predefined human eye colors.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the eye color of the at least one of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate is selected by a user from the set of predefined human eye colors.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising prompting the user with a proposed color from the set of predefined human eye colors in response to selection of a portion of the color digital image with an input device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the eye color of the at least one of a male parental candidate, a female parental candidate, and a child candidate is determined automatically.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the eye color of the at least one of a male parental candidate, a female parental candidate, and a child candidate is determined automatically based on a comparison of a color of one or more pixels of the color digital image with the set of human eye colors.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the eye color of the at least one of a male parental candidate, a female parental candidate, and a child candidate is determined automatically based on a comparison of a color of a plurality of pixels of the color digital image with the set of human eye colors.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the eye color of the at least one of a male parental candidate, a female parental candidate, and a child candidate is determined by averaging a plurality of colors of the color digital image to determine an average eye color based on the color digital image.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the eye color of at least one of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate based on the accessed color digital image comprises:

displaying the captured digital image of the eye of the at least one parental candidate on an electronic display;

receiving input from a user to select a portion of the digital image that represents the eye color of the eye of the at least one of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate; and

selecting a color that best matches the color of the selected portion of the digital image.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an advertisement for additional paternity testing.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location nearest to a user where additional paternity testing may be obtained.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the digital image of at least one of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate with a digital imaging device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an eye color of one or more candidate grandparents wherein determining a paternity likelihood is at least partially based on the determined eye color of the one or more candidate grandparents.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an eye color of one or more candidate siblings wherein determining a paternity likelihood is at least partially based on the determined eye color of the one or more candidate siblings.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon to determine paternity based on eye color, the computer readable medium comprising:

a digital imaging module configured to access a color digital image of at least one of a male parental candidate, a female parental candidate, and a child candidate;

an eye color module configured to determine an eye color of each of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate, wherein the eye color of at least one of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate is determined based on the accessed color digital image; and

a paternity module configured to determine a paternity likelihood of the male parental candidate with regard to the child candidate based on the determined eye color of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate.

19. An electronic device for determining paternity based on eye color, the electronic device comprising:

a processor and a memory;

a display; and

a digital imaging module configured to access a color digital image of at least one of a male parental candidate, a female parental candidate, and a child candidate;

an eye color module configured to determine an eye color of each of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate, wherein the eye color of at least one of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate is determined based on the accessed color digital image; and

a paternity module configured to determine a paternity likelihood of the male parental candidate with regard to the child candidate based on the determined eye color of the male parental candidate, the female parental candidate, and the child candidate.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising a digital imaging device in electronic communication with the electronic device.