DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS BIOMETRIC RECOGNITION BASED ON ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC SIGNALS

• US 20140361871A1
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Instituto de Telecomunicaes, Instituto Superior De Engenharia De Lisboa, Instituto Superior Tã‰Cnico
• Original Assignee: Instituto de Telecomunicaes, Instituto Superior De Engenharia De Lisboa, Instituto Superior Tã‰Cnico
• Inventors: Silva, Hugo Humberto Plcido da, Loureno, Andr Ribeiro, Fred, Ana Lusa Nobre
• Granted Patent: US 9,603,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6895 Sport equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/041 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

Signal measurement for biometric recognition purpose includes a computational unit and a sensory unit designed to measure electrocardiographic (ECG) signals in a continuous fashion, guaranteeing that the biometric recognition is performed in an uninterrupted way whenever the device is used, with the purpose of enabling the automated recognition or validation of the identity of its wearer. The sensory unit has an electronic module through which the ECG is acquired. Its operating principle can be based in the electrical conductivity, in which case it requires contact with the skin of the user, or in any kind of capacitive or mechanical element, in which case it does not require any direct contact with the user. The device can be used in alternative or as a complement to existing systems that only perform a momentary identity check. It can be applied to vehicles, tablet computers or analogous contexts.

Claims

1. Device for continuous biometric recognition based in electrocardiographic signals comprising a sensory unit (205) that includes an electronic module of measurement terminals (201), an electronic module of transduction and signal conditioning with virtual ground (202), an electronic module for analog-to-digital conversion (203), an electronic module for signal transmission (204), a computational unit (206) comprising any type of electronic device, characterized in that:

a) the electronic module of measurement terminals (201), comprises capacitive sensors for the measurement of the electromagnetic field or non-metallic conductive elements for the measurement of the electrical potential differential, or mechanical elements;

b) it includes a virtual reference in the electronic module of transduction and signal conditioning (202);

c) the electronic module of transduction and signal conditioning with virtual ground (202), includes an electromagnetic noise filter;

d) the computational unit (206) includes a method for customization of its settings according to the result of the biometric recognition of the user.

2. Device for continuous biometric recognition inside the cabin of a car using electrocardiographic signals, according to claim 1, characterized in that:

a) the sensory unit (205) is integrated in the steering wheel of the car;

b) the sensory unit (205) is integrated in the seat of the car;

c) the computational unit (206) is the central processing unit of the central console of the car (301) and the screen of the central console of the car (302);

d) the electronic module of measurement terminals (201) integrated in the steering wheel of the car is embodied by non-metallic conductive elements (303);

e) the electronic module of measurement terminals (201) integrated in the seat of the car is embodied by contactless capacitive sensors (304) or (305);

f) the electronic module for signal transmission (204) includes a method for communication with the CAN bus of the car.

3. Device for continuous biometric recognition on a motorcycle using electrocardiographic signals, according to claim 1, characterized in that:

a) the sensory unit (205) is integrated in the handlebars of the motorcycle;

b) the sensory unit (205) is integrated in the seat of the motorcycle;

c) the computational unit (206) is the central processing unit on the central console of the motorcycle (501) and the graphical representation screen on the central console of the motorcycle (502);

d) the electronic module of measurement terminals (201) integrated in the handlebars of the motorcycle is embodied by non-metallic conductive elements (503);

e) the electronic module of measurement terminals (201) integrated in the seat of the motorcycle is embodied by contactless capacitive sensors (504);

f) the electronic module for signal transmission (204) includes a method for communication with the CAN bus of the motorcycle.

4. Device for continuous biometric recognition on a gym machine using electrocardiographic signals, according to claim 1, characterized in that:

a) the sensory unit (205) is integrated in the structure of the gym machine;

b) the computational unit (206) is the central processing unit of the central console of the gym machine (601) and the screen of the central console of the gym machine (602);

c) the electronic module of measurement terminals (201) integrated in the structure of the machine is embodied by contactless capacitive sensors (603).

5. Device for continuous biometric recognition on a tablet computer using electrocardiographic signals, according to claim 1, characterized in that:

a) the sensory unit (205) is integrated in the shell of a tablet computer;

b) the computational unit (206) is the central processing unit of a tablet computer (401) and the graphical representation screen of the tablet computer (402);

c) the electronic module of measurement terminals (201) integrated in the shell of the tablet computer is embodied by contactless capacitive sensors (403);

d) the sensory unit (205) is integrated in the mother board of the tablet computer.

6. Device for continuous biometric recognition according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic module of measurement terminals (201) with non-metallic elements is conductive coatings, films or adhesives.

7. Device for continuous biometric recognition according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic module of measurement terminals (201) is other non-metallic materials, capacitive sensors or piezoelectric sensors.

8. Device for continuous biometric recognition according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic module of measurement terminals (201) from the sensory unit (205) is integrated in the referred sensory unit (205).

9. Device for continuous biometric recognition according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic module of measurement terminals (201) from the sensory unit (205) is connected to the remaining modules of the referred sensory unit (205).

10. Device for continuous biometric recognition according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensory unit (205) is integrated in the computational unit (206).

11. Device for continuous biometric recognition according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensory unit (205) is separated from the computational unit (206).

12. Method for continuous biometric recognition from electrocardiographic signals, using the device defined in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

a) acquisition of the ECG signal through the electronic module of measurement terminals (201);

b) transduction and signal conditioning with virtual ground that measures the signal using one or more measurement terminals, filters and amplifies the resulting signal through the electronic module of transduction and signal conditioning with virtual ground (202);

c) signal conversion through the use of the electronic module of analog-to-digital signal conversion (203) that integrates a quantization element and a analog-to-digital converter, that transforms the physical quantities corresponding to the electrocardiographic signal into a digital representation;

d) transmission of the signals through the electronic module of signal transmission (204) that sends the electrocardiographic signals acquired by the sensory unit (205) to the computational unit (206);

e) computational unit (206) that uses the electrocardiographic signals generated by the sensory unit (205), processes those signals and extracts representative information related with the identity of the user;

f) recording of the representative information of the user in a database that is integrated or not in the computational unit (206);

g) classification of the representative information of the user;

h) decision on the biometric recognition of the user in the computational unit (206).