Personal identification

• US 6,309,069 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1998
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Seal, Christopher H, Gifford, Maurice M, McCartney, David J
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/194,319
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 600/318, 600/319, 396/51, 351/208, 351/209, 351/210, 351/211, 351/212, 351/221
• US Class Current: 351/221
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1216 for diagnostics of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

An optical apparatus records light reflected from one or more of a user'"'"'s facial features. While the image is captured, visible light from a display or other scene to be viewed by the user passes to the user'"'"'s eye. A portable iris pattern capture device is used. Near-infrared light is directed towards the user'"'"'s eye from where it is reflected back into the apparatus. Visible light from an LCD display mounted at the rear of the apparatus travels out to the user'"'"'s eye from the apparatus. A hot mirror inside the apparatus directs the near-infrared light reflected from the user'"'"'s eye to a camera unit, and does not significantly attenuate the visible light emanating from the display.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing an information signal characteristic of an eye, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having an entrance window;

an illumination source mounted on the housing, and operable to illuminate the eye over an area outside the pupil; and

an image capture device mounted within the housing, in optical communication with said entrance window, and operable to provide an image signal representing one or more features of the anterior of the eye responsive to the incidence of light from the illumination source reflected from the eye;

an optical device;

wherein, in use, visible light travels along a first optical path via the optical device to the eye to provide a visible image to be viewed by the eye and light from the illumination source and reflected from the eye travels along a second optical path via the optical device to said image capture apparatus;

wherein said optical device is arranged to interact with at least one of said illumination light and said visible light such that substantially all illumination light of a predetermined type travels further along said second optical path towards said image capture apparatus, and a significant proportion of said visible light travels further along said first optical path towards the eye.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said visible light travels substantially unattenuated along said first optical path towards the eye.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a display means operable to provide at least part of said visible image.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said display means is operable, in use, to display the image captured by the image capture apparatus.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined type of light differs in spectrum from said visible light.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said optical device comprises a wavelength selective reflector effective to reflect either said visible light or said light of a different spectrum, and to allow the passage of the other.

7. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said predetermined type of light substantially consists of non-visible light.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said type of light substantially consists of near infra-red light.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said optical device comprises a hot mirror.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said one or more facial features comprise an iris pattern of the user.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said apparatus is arranged to be carried into an operative position by a user;

said apparatus further comprises a transmission device operable to transmit said information signal derived from said image signal to a remote apparatus.

12. An optical apparatus comprising:

a user image capture apparatus operable to capture a user image of one or more facial features of a user responsive to the incidence of light reflected from the user; and

an optical device;

wherein, in use, visible light travels along a first optical path via the optical device to the user'"'"'s eye to provide a visible image to be viewed by the user and user light reflected from the user travels along a second optical path via the optical device to said image capture apparatus;

wherein said optical device is arranged to interact with at least one of said user light and said visible light such that substantially all user light of a predetermined type travels further along said second optical path towards said image capture apparatus, and a significant proportion of said visible light travels further along said first optical path towards the user; and

wherein said one or more facial features comprise an iris pattern of the user.

13. An identification apparatus for providing an information signal distinctive of the iris of an individual'"'"'s eye, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having an entrance window;

an illumination source mounted on the housing, and operable to illuminate the eye over an area outside the pupil; and

an image capture device mounted within the housing, in optical communication with said entrance window, and operable to provide an image signal representing one or more features of the front of the eye responsive to the incidence of light from the illumination source reflected from the eye;

a wavelength selective reflector;

wherein, in use, visible light travels along a first optical path via the wavelength selective reflector to the eye to provide a visible image to be viewed by the eye and light from the illumination source and reflected from the eye travels along a second optical path via the wavelength selective reflector to said image capture apparatus;

wherein said wavelength selective reflector is arranged to reflect one of said illumination light and said visible light such that substantially all illumination light of a predetermined spectrum travels further along said second optical path towards said image capture apparatus, and a significant proportion of said visible light of a different spectrum travels further along said first optical path towards the eye.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said visible light travels substantially unattenuated along said first optical path towards the eye.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising a display means operable to provide at least part of said visible image.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said display means is operable, in use, to display the image captured by the image capture apparatus.

17. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said predetermined type of light substantially consists of non-visible light.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said type of light substantially consists of near infra-red light.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said optical device comprises a hot mirror.

20. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein:

said apparatus is arranged to be carried into an operative position by a user;

said apparatus further comprises a transmission device operable to transmit said information signal derived from said image signal to a remote apparatus.

21. An optical apparatus comprising:

a user image capture apparatus operable to capture a user image of one or more facial features of a user responsive to the incidence of light reflected from the user; and

an optical device;

wherein, in use, visible light travels along a first optical path via the optical device to the user'"'"'s eye to provide a visible image to be viewed by the user and user light reflected from the user travels along a second optical path via the optical device to said image capture apparatus;

wherein said optical device is arranged to interact with at least one of said user light and said visible light such that substantially all user light of a predetermined type travels further along said second optical path towards said image capture apparatus, and a significant proportion of said visible light travels further along said first optical path towards the user; and

wherein;

said predetermined type of light differs in spectrum from said visible light;

said optical device comprises a wavelength selective reflector effective to reflect either said visible light or said light of a different spectrum, and to allow the passage of the other; and

said one or more facial features comprise an iris pattern of the user.