Access Control System by Face Recognition in An Automobile

• US 20130250108A1
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Inventors: Du, Sterling Shyundii, Zuo, Jingjing, He, Chengxia, Zhu, Qi
• Application Number:
  US13/757,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250108A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/251 of input or preprocessed data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/803 of input or preprocessed data
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions

Abstract

An access control system in an automobile is provided. The access control system includes a grayscale camera, an infrared camera and a processing device. The grayscale camera is configured to capture a grayscale image of the face of a driver. The infrared camera is configured to capture an infrared image of the face of the driver simultaneously with the grayscale camera. The processing device includes a processor and a controller. The processor is configured to receive the grayscale image and the infrared image, convert the grayscale image and the infrared image to a grayscale matrix and an infrared matrix respectively, extract a feature matrix from the grayscale matrix and the infrared matrix, and compute a similarity value by comparing the feature matrix with multiple feature matrices. The controller is configured to receive a result of face recognition and control a startup device and a warning device of the automobile.

Claims

1. An access control system in an automobile, comprising:

a grayscale camera, configured to capture a grayscale image of the face of a driver;

an infrared camera, configured to capture an infrared image of the face of said driver simultaneously with said grayscale camera; and

a processing device, coupled to said grayscale camera and said infrared camera, comprising;

a processor, configured to receive the grayscale image captured by the grayscale camera and the infrared image captured by the infrared camera, convert the grayscale image and the infrared image to a grayscale matrix and an infrared matrix respectively, extract a feature matrix from the grayscale matrix and the infrared matrix, and compute a similarity value by comparing the feature matrix with a plurality of feature matrices representing facial information of authorized drivers to derive a result of face recognition; and

a controller, configured to receive the result of face recognition and control a startup device and a warning device of the automobile according to the result of face recognition.

2. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of feature matrices representing facial information of authorized drivers are pre-stored in a feature database unit.

3. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the driver is unauthorized if the similarity value is less than a predetermined threshold.

4. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the driver is authorized if the similarity value is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

5. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the startup device is enabled by the controller and the automobile is started by the startup device if the driver is authorized according to the similarity value.

6. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the controller disables the startup device and generates a warning signal if the driver is unauthorized according to the similarity value.

7. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the grayscale camera captures the grayscale image at a frequency of 2 to 3 frames per second.

8. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the infrared camera captures the infrared image at a frequency of 2 to 3 frames per second.

9. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the grayscale camera and the infrared camera are installed on a steering wheel of the automobile.

10. A face recognition system, comprising:

a grayscale camera, configured to capture a grayscale image of a face;

an infrared camera, configured to capture an infrared image of the face simultaneously with the grayscale camera; and

a processor, configured to receive the grayscale image captured by the grayscale camera and the infrared image captured by said infrared camera, convert the grayscale image and the infrared image to a grayscale matrix and an infrared matrix respectively, extract a feature matrix from the grayscale matrix and the infrared matrix, and compute a similarity value by comparing the feature matrix with a plurality of feature matrices of predetermined facial information to derive the result of face recognition.

11. The face recognition system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of feature matrices of predetermined facial information are pre-stored in a feature database unit.

12. The face recognition system of claim 10, wherein a person with the face is unauthorized if the similarity value is less than a predetermined threshold.

13. The face recognition system of claim 10, wherein a person with the face is authorized if the similarity value is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

14. The face recognition system of claim 10, wherein the grayscale camera captures the grayscale image at a frequency of 2 to 3 frames per second.

15. The face recognition system of claim 10, wherein the infrared camera captures the infrared image at a frequency of 2 to 3 frames per second.

16. A method of face recognition, comprising the steps of:

capturing a grayscale image of a face by a grayscale camera and an infrared image of the face by an infrared camera simultaneously;

sending the grayscale image and the infrared image to a processor;

converting, by the processor, the grayscale image to a grayscale matrix and the infrared image to an infrared matrix;

extracting a feature matrix from the grayscale matrix and the infrared matrix;

computing, by the processor, a similarity value by comparing the feature matrix with a plurality of feature matrices; and

outputting a result of face recognition according to the similarity value.

17. The method of face recognition of claim 16, wherein a person with the face is unauthorized if the similarity value is less than a predetermined threshold.

18. The method of face recognition of claim 16, wherein a person with the face is authorized if the similarity value is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of face recognition of claim 16, wherein the grayscale camera captures the grayscale image at a frequency of 2 to 3 frames per second.

20. The method of face recognition of claim 16, wherein the infrared camera captures the infrared image at a frequency of 2 to 3 frames per second.