Iris identification system and iris identification method

• US 5,901,238 A
• Filed: 02/07/1997
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsushita, Mitsuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Werner, Brian P.
• Application Number:
  US08/797,311
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 382/117, 382/115, 382/118, 382/119, 382/124-127, 382/217, 382/218, 382/222, 382/278, 348/78
• US Class Current: 382/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

The iris identification system, which uses an iris pattern to identify a customer, extracts the matching bits between previously-registered iris data and obtained iris data and, compares the extracted bits with the registered iris data to increase the accuracy of customer identification.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a person based on an iris pattern of the person, the method comprising:

performing a comparison process, including

sensing the iris pattern of the person to be identified,

generating iris data corresponding to the sensed iris pattern,

comparing the generated iris data with selected registered iris data so as to identify portions of the generated iris data and the selected registered iris data which match each other,

accumulating the identified matching portions of iris data, and

comparing the accumulated matching portions of iris data with the selected registered iris data, and based upon the comparison, judging whether the person to be identified corresponds to the selected registered iris data; and

repeating the comparison process until either the person to be identified is judged to correspond to the selected registered iris data or a determination is made to discontinue the process according to a defined criterion, wherein the accumulation of matching portions of iris data includes the accumulation of matching portions of iris data from the most recently performed comparison process as well as all previous performances of the comparison process.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving from a plurality of registered iris data, registered iris data corresponding to particular personal identification indicia;

wherein the selected registered iris data is the retrieved registered iris data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an identifying characteristic; and

selecting the registered iris data corresponding to the identifying characteristic from among a plurality of registered iris data each of which corresponds to a different identifying characteristic, to determine the selected registered iris data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the received identifying characteristic is an identification number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said sensing includes photographing the iris pattern of the person to be identified.

6. A method of identifying a person based on an iris pattern of the person, the method comprising:

performing a similarity test, including

sensing the iris pattern of the person to be identified,

generating iris data corresponding to the sensed iris pattern,

comparing the generated iris data with selected registered iris data so as to identify portions of the generated iris data and the selected registered iris data which match each other,

accumulating the identified matching portions of iris data, and

determining whether the accumulated matching portions of iris data satisfies the test, satisfaction of the test being defined by the accumulated matching portions of iris data having at least a preset degree of similarity to the selected registered iris data, wherein the degree of similarity is based on a first criterion;

repeating the similarity test until either the similarity test is satisfied or a determination is made to discontinue the test according to a second defined criterion, wherein the accumulations of matching portions of iris data includes the accumulations of matching portions of iris data from the most recently performed similarity test as well as all previous performances of the similarity test; and

when the similarity test is satisfied, comparing the accumulated matching portions of iris data with the selected registered iris data, and based upon the comparison, judging according to a third defined criterion different from the first defined criterion whether the person to be identified corresponds to the selected registered iris data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising retrieving from a plurality of registered iris data, registered iris data corresponding to particular personal identification indicia;

wherein the selected registered iris data is the retrieved registered iris data.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an identifying characteristic; and

selecting the registered iris data corresponding to the identifying characteristic from among a plurality of registered iris data each of which corresponds to a different identifying characteristic, to determine the selected registered iris data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the received identifying characteristic is an identification number.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said sensing includes photographing the iris pattern of the person to be identified.

11. A device for identifying a person based on an iris pattern of the person, the device comprising

an accumulation buffer;

means for in succession obtaining images of the iris pattern of the person to be identified;

means for generating, from each of the successive images obtained by the image obtaining means, iris data corresponding to the iris pattern; and

means for

identifying in succession, from the successive images, portions of the iris data generated by said generating means which match selected registered iris data,

accumulating in succession, in the accumulation buffer, the successively identified matching portions of iris data from the successive images as well as all other images from which matching portions have been identified,

after each successive accumulation of matching portions of iris data in the accumulation buffer, comparing the accumulated matching portions of iris data with the selected registered iris data, and based upon the comparison judging whether the person to be identified corresponds to the selected registered iris data, and

discontinuing the comparing and judging when either the person to be identified is judged to correspond to the selected registered iris data or a determination is made to discontinue according to a defined criteria.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising

a storage unit;

and

means for retrieving from the storage unit, registered iris data corresponding to received personal identification indicia;

wherein the selected registered iris data is the retrieved registered iris data.

13. An automatic teller machine comprising the device of claim 12.

14. The automatic teller machine of claim 13, wherein if the iris pattern of the person to be identified corresponds to the retrieved iris pattern corresponding to the personal identification indicia, the automatic teller machine allows the person to execute an automatic teller machine transaction.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the means for in succession obtaining images of the iris pattern of the person to be identified is a camera.

16. A device for identifying a person based on an iris pattern of the person, the device comprising

an accumulation buffer;

means for in succession obtaining images of the iris pattern of the person to be identified;

means for generating, from each of the successive images obtained by the image obtaining means, iris data corresponding to the iris pattern; and

means for

identifying in succession, from the successive images, portions of the iris data generated by said generating means which match selected registered iris data,

accumulating in succession, in the accumulation buffers, the successively identified matching portions of iris data from the successive images as well as all other images from which matching portions have been identified,

after each successive accumulation of matching portions of iris data in the accumulation buffer, determining whether the accumulated matching portions of iris data is similar to the selected registered iris data, where similarity is based on a first criterion,

after a determination is made that the accumulated matching portions of iris data and registered iris data are similar, comparing the accumulated matching portions of iris data with the selected registered iris data, and based upon the comparison judging, according to a second defined criterion different from the first criterion, whether the person to be identified corresponds to the selected registered iris data, and

discontinuing the determination, when a determination is made to discontinue according to a third defined criterion.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising

a storage unit;

and

means for retrieving from the storage unit, registered iris data corresponding to received personal identification indicia;

wherein the selected registered iris data is the retrieved registered iris data.

18. An automatic teller machine comprising the device of claim 17.

19. The automatic teller machine of claim 18, wherein if the iris pattern of the person to be identified corresponds to the retrieved iris pattern corresponding to the personal identification indicia, the automatic teller machine allows the person to execute an automatic teller machine transaction.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the means for in succession obtaining images of the iris pattern of the person to be identified is a camera.