AUTHENTICATION APPARATUS AND AUTHENTICATION METHOD

• US 20140023249A1
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Higuchi, Teruyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,886,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/127
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1324 by using geometrical optics, e.g. using prisms G06V40/1312 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is an authentication apparatus comprising: a prism of an approximately quadrangle-frustum shape, the prism of the approximately quadrangle-frustum shape is arranged so that a bottom side, out of two parallel surfaces of the prism of approximately quadrangle-frustum shape, is a placing surface side for a finger; a first imaging means is arranged below a top surface parallel to the bottom surface, the first imaging means that images an image of the finger transmitted through the top surface; a light source that radiates light to at least one side surface of a first set of side surfaces, out of two sets of side surfaces of the approximately quadrangle-frustum shape that face each other; and a second imaging means that images the image of the finger transmitted through a second set of side surfaces, out of the two sets of side surfaces.

Claims

1. An authentication apparatus comprising:

a prism of an approximately quadrangle-frustum shape, said prism of the approximately quadrangle-frustum shape is arranged so that a bottom side, out of two parallel surfaces of said prism of approximately quadrangle-frustum shape, is a placing surface side for a finger;

a first imaging unit is arranged below a top surface parallel to said bottom surface, said first imaging unit that images an image of the finger transmitted through said top surface;

a light source that radiates light to at least one side surface of a first set of side surfaces, out of two sets of side surfaces of said approximately quadrangle-frustum shape that face each other; and

a second imaging unit that images the image of the finger transmitted through a second set of side surfaces, out of said two sets of side surfaces.

2. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said prism is a regular quadrangle-frustum.

3. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a black plate is installed in the side surface facing the side surface to be arranged in said second imaging unit, out of said second sets of side surfaces of said prism, or an color of an outer surface of said side surface is black.

4. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

an infrared light source that radiates infrared ray light to a cushion portion of the finger;

an infrared ray cut-off filter that cuts off the infrared ray light incident on said first imaging unit; and

a visible light cut-off filter that cuts off visible light incident on said second imaging unit.

9. The authentication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a black plate is installed in the side surface facing the side surface to be arranged in said second imaging unit, out of said second sets of side surfaces of said prism, or an color of an outer surface of said side surface is black.

10. The authentication apparatus according to claim 2, comprising:

an infrared light source that radiates infrared ray light to a cushion portion of the finger;

an infrared ray cut-off filter that cuts off the infrared ray light incident on said first imaging unit; and

a visible light cut-off filter that cuts off visible light incident on said second imaging unit.

11. The authentication apparatus according to claim 3, comprising:

an infrared light source that radiates infrared ray light to a cushion portion of the finger;

an infrared ray cut-off filter that cuts off the infrared ray light incident on said first imaging unit; and

a visible light cut-off filter that cuts off visible light incident on said second imaging unit.

5. An authentication method of an authentication apparatus having a prism of an approximately quadrangle-frustum shape, said prism of the approximately quadrangle-frustum shape is arranged so that a bottom side, out of two parallel surfaces of said prism of approximately quadrangle-frustum shape, is a placing surface side for a finger;

comprising;

radiating light from at least one side surface of a first set of side surfaces, out of two sets of side surfaces of said approximately quadrangle-frustum shape that face each other; and

from a lower part of a top surface parallel to said bottom surface, imaging an image of the finger transmitted through said top surface;

imaging the image of the finger transmitted through a second set of side surfaces, out of said two sets of side surfaces; and

simultaneously imaging a natural image of the finger and the image of a fingerprint portion.

6. The authentication method according to claim 5, wherein said prism is regular quadrangle-frustum.

7. The authentication method according to claim 5, comprising enhancing a contrast of the image of the fingerprint portion by installing a black plate in the surface of the side facing the surface side in which the image is imaged, out of said second sets of side surfaces of said prism, or making an color of an outer surface of said side surface black.

8. The authentication method according to claim 5, comprising:

radiating visible light from at least one side surface of the first set of side surfaces, out of two sets of side surfaces of said approximately quadrangle-frustum shape that face each other,

radiating infrared ray light to a cushion portion of the finger;

cutting off the infrared ray light, out of transmitted lights that are transmitted through an top surface parallel to said bottom surface, and imaging the natural image of the finger by the visible light; and

cutting off the visible light, out of transmitted lights that are transmitted through the second set of side surfaces, out of said two sets of side surfaces, and imaging the image of the fingerprint portion of the finger by the infrared ray light.

15. The authentication method according to claim 6, comprising enhancing a contrast of the image of the fingerprint portion by installing a black plate in the surface of the side facing the surface side in which the image is imaged, out of said second sets of side surfaces of said prism, or making an color of an outer surface of said side surface black.

16. The authentication method according to claim 6, comprising:

radiating visible light from at least one side surface of the first set of side surfaces, out of two sets of side surfaces of said approximately quadrangle-frustum shape that face each other,

radiating infrared ray light to a cushion portion of the finger;

cutting off the infrared ray light, out of transmitted lights that are transmitted through an top surface parallel to said bottom surface, and imaging the natural image of the finger by the visible light; and

cutting off the visible light, out of transmitted lights that are transmitted through the second set of side surfaces, out of said two sets of side surfaces, and imaging the image of the fingerprint portion of the finger by the infrared ray light.

17. The authentication method according to claim 7, comprising:

radiating visible light from at least one side surface of the first set of side surfaces, out of two sets of side surfaces of said approximately quadrangle-frustum shape that face each other,

radiating infrared ray light to a cushion portion of the finger;

cutting off the infrared ray light, out of transmitted lights that are transmitted through an top surface parallel to said bottom surface, and imaging the natural image of the finger by the visible light; and

cutting off the visible light, out of transmitted lights that are transmitted through the second set of side surfaces, out of said two sets of side surfaces, and imaging the image of the fingerprint portion of the finger by the infrared ray light.

12. An authentication apparatus comprising:

a prism of an approximately quadrangle-frustum shape, said prism of the approximately quadrangle-frustum shape is arranged so that a bottom side, out of two parallel surfaces of said prism of approximately quadrangle-frustum shape, is a placing surface side for a finger;

a first imaging unit is arranged below a top surface parallel to said bottom surface, said first imaging unit that images an image of the finger transmitted through said top surface;

a light source that radiates light to at least one side surface of a first set of side surfaces, out of two sets of side surfaces of said approximately quadrangle-frustum shape that face each other;

a second imaging unit that images the image of the finger transmitted through a second set of side surfaces, out of said two sets of side surfaces.

an infrared light source that radiates infrared ray light to a cushion portion of the finger;

an infrared ray cut-off filter that cuts off the infrared ray light incident on said first imaging unit; and

a visible light cut-off filter that cuts off visible light incident on said second imaging unit.

13. The authentication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said prism is a regular quadrangle-frustum.

14. The authentication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a black plate is installed in the side surface facing the side surface to be arranged in said second imaging unit, out of said second sets of side surfaces of said prism, or an color of an outer surface of said side surface is black.