Iris code generating device and iris identifying system

• US 6,542,624 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1999
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Oda, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WERNER, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US09/354,169
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/116, 382/117, 382/118, 382/312, 356/71, 340/5.53, 340/5.83, 348/78, 348/161, 706/6, 713/186, 713/200, 902/3, 902/6
• US Class Current: 382/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide an iris code generating device and iris identifying system capable of sensing when a third party is pretending to be another person and capable of preventing crimes before they happen.

In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the present invention photographs an eye of a subject while causing biogenic reactions to occur in the eye of the subject an determines whether or not the biogenic responses happen as intended from the photographed image of an eye. In this way the present invention determines whether or not the image of an eye is a living thing and determines whether or not the structural components of the system such as photographing means and image processing means etc. are genuine.

Claims

1. An iris code generating device for generating an iris code from an image of an eye, comprising:

a camera for photographing an image of an eye;

an iris image processor for generating an iris code from the image of the eye photographed by the camera;

a stimulation unit for causing a biogenic response in an eye of a subject;

a processing section for extracting characteristics of the biogenic response caused by the stimulation unit from images of the eye photographed by the camera; and

a life check controller randomly generating a first code for controlling operation of the stimulation unit using a predecided pattern, wherein the processing section calculates a second code from the characteristics of the biogenic response and compares the second code to the first code.

2. The iris code generating device of claim 1, further comprising means for encrypting the first code.

3. An iris code generating device for generating an iris code from an image of an eye, comprising:

a camera for photographing an image of an eye;

an iris image processor for generating an iris code from the image of the eye photographed by the camera;

a stimulation unit for causing a biogenic response in an eye of a subject;

a processing section for extracting characteristics of the biogenic response caused by the stimulation unit from images of the eye photographed by the camera; and

a life check controller for generating at least one first code for controlling operation of the stimulation unit using a predecided pattern, the life check controller supplying the at least one first code to the stimulation unit for operating the stimulation unit and supplying the at least one first code to the processing section, the processing section calculating at least one second code based on the characteristics of the biogenic response caused by the stimulation unit and extracted from the images of the eye photographed by the camera, the processing station comparing the at least one second code and the at least one first code.

4. The iris code generating device of claim 3, wherein the at least one first code supplied by the life check controller is a plurality of first codes, each of the plurality of first codes being different from one another, the stimulation unit operating based on the plurality of the first codes, and

wherein the at least one second code calculated by the processing section is a plurality of second codes, the processing section calculating the plurality of second codes based on the characteristics of the biogenic response caused by the stimulation unit and extracted from the images of the eye photographed by the camera, the processing section comparing the plurality of second codes with the plurality of first codes.

5. The iris code generating device of claim 3, wherein the stimulation unit comprises a light source for generating visible light, with an amount of visible light generated by the light source being controlled by the life check controller.

6. The iris code generating device of claim 5, wherein the processing section measures the diameter of the pupil from the image of the eye photographed by the camera and calculates an amount of light for the light source generating visible light depending upon the diameter of the pupil.

7. The iris code generating device of claim 3, wherein the stimulation unit comprises one or more light sources for generating near infrared light, with illumination of the one or more light sources for generating near infrared light being selectively controlled by the life check controller.

8. The iris code generating device of claim 7, wherein reflected light is detected from the image of the eye photographed by the camera and states of illumination of the one or more light sources generating near infrared light is identified by the position of the reflected light.

9. The iris code generating device of claim 3, wherein the stimulation unit comprises a light source for generating visible light and one or more light sources for generating near infrared light, with an amount of light from the light source for generating visible light controlled by the life check controller and illumination of the one or more light sources for generating the near infrared light being selectively controlled by the life check controller.

10. The iris code generating device of claim 9, wherein the processing section measures the diameter of the pupil from the image of the eye photographed by the camera 4 and calculates an amount of light coming from the light source for generating the visible light depending on the size of the diameter of the pupil, detects reflected light from the image of the eye photographed by the camera 4, and identifies illumination conditions of the one or more light sources generating the near infrared light depending on the position of the reflected light.