Iris recognition system

• US 6,594,377 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iris Id
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Bum Chul, Chae, Jang Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): AHMED, SAMIR ANWAR
• Application Number:
  US09/479,885
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/117, 382/118, 382/291, 351/206, 351/207, 351/208, 351/210, 351/221, 359/210, 359/225, 359/226, 348/77, 348/78, 348/143, 348/156, 340/5.52, 340/5.53, 340/5.82, 340/5.83
• US Class Current: 382/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris

Abstract

The present invention relates to an iris recognition system which can extract an iris image of the user, by upwardly and downwardly rotating around a hinge bracket in order to be exactly rapidly controlled to a position of the user'"'"'s eyes. The conventional iris recognition system has disadvantages in that the system size is huge, the time for obtaining the iris image is quite long, and the system is difficult to handle. Accordingly, the iris recognition system includes: an optical imager for obtaining an iris image of the user at an optimal state, an inner casing at which the optical imager is disposed, an outer casing for supporting the inner casing, and surrounding surfaces of the inner casing, except for the front surface thereof, a control unit for receiving iris images outputted from the optical imager, and controlling the optical imager and a hinge bracket disposed at both side portions of the outer casing, for supporting the inner casing, and enabling the inner casing to upwardly and downwardly rotate. As a result, the system size is small, and the iris image can be easily rapidly precisely obtained.

Claims

1. An iris recognition system comprising:

an optical imager for obtaining an iris image of the user at an optimal state;

an inner case surrounding the optical imager;

an outer casing for supporting the inner case, and surrounding all surfaces of the inner case, except for the front surface thereof;

a control unit for receiving iris images outputted from the optical imager and controlling the optical imager; and

a hinge bracket disposed at both side portions of the outer case, for supporting the inner case, and enabling the inner case to upwardly and downwardly rotate within the outer case.

2. The iris recognition system according to claim 1, wherein the optical imager comprises:

a camera disposed at a predetermined position of the inner case, for photographing the iris of the user under the control of the control unit;

a plurality of light source units provided separately from the camera by a predetermined distance, for emitting the light in order to photograph the iris of the user by the camera;

a distance measurement detector for detecting a distance between the iris of the user and the camera; and

an optical imager driving unit for receiving a distance signal from the distance measurement detector, outputting it to the control unit, and controlling the plurality of light source units under the control of the control unit.

3. The iris recognition system according to claim 1, wherein the inner case further comprises a front outer case for covering the front surface thereof.

4. The iris recognition system according to claim 3, wherein a middle portion of the front outer casing is concave toward the inner case.

5. The iris recognition system according to claim 3, wherein the front outer case comprises a push unit region, the inner case being rotated centering around the hinge bracket when the user pushes the push unit region.

6. The iris recognition system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit receives a distance measurement value from a distance measurement detector, judges whether the user is positioned at an operational range, and automatically enables the optical imager when the user is positioned at the operational range.

7. The iris recognition system according to claim 1, wherein the optical imager further comprises an optical window and a cold mirror for positioning the eyes of the user, the optical window, the cold mirror and the camera lens being provided in parallel.

8. The iris recognition system according to claim 7, wherein the cold mirror reflects the visible light, and passes only the infrared light over a predetermined wavelength.

9. The iris recognition system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light source units comprise:

a first light source unit disposed at a upper side of the camera; and

second and third light source units disposed at the right and left bottom sides of the camera, respectively.

10. The iris recognition system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit receives a measured distance signal from the optical imager driving unit, and controls the current flowing into the light source unit through the optical imager.

11. The iris recognition system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit alternately operates the light sources of the light source unit, and controls the optical imager driving unit to select the light source generating the iris image having the smallest specular reflection.

12. The iris recognition system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises a frame grabber for receiving and processing the iris image photographed by the camera.

13. The iris recognition system according to claim 1, wherein the optical imager further comprises an outside indicator for informing the user of the result by a predetermined sound or light, when the user has a previously-registered iris.

14. The iris recognition system according to claim 13, wherein the outside indicator is a speaker and an LED indicator.

15. An iris recognition system comprising:

an optical imager that determines an iris image;

an inner case having a first prescribed shape containing the optical imager; and

an outer case having a second prescribed shape, the inner case being rotatable within the outer case such that the optical imager rotates with the rotation of the inner case within the outer case.

16. The iris recognition system of claim 15, wherein the outer case includes a hinge supporting the inner case.

17. The iris recognition system of claim 15 wherein a front end of the inner case protrudes outwardly from front surface of the outer case.

18. The iris recognition system of claim 17, wherein the front end of the inner case has a substantially concave shape.

19. The iris recognition system of claim 15, further comprising;

a controller for receiving an iris image outputted from the optical imager and controlling the optical imager.