Iris imaging apparatus

• US 6,832,044 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Doi, Makoto, Ooi, Kouji, Wada, Jouji, Ikoma, Ken, Aikawa, Toshiharu, Nakaigawa, Tomoyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US10/425,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20030219247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 396/18, 396/427, 348/48, 348/78, 348/143, 348/373
• US Class Current: 396/18
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B

Abstract

The present invention provides an iris imaging apparatus is configured of a platform; a wide angle camera for imaging an image of a person to be authenticated; wide angle camera lighting devices controlled to emit light when the wide angle camera shoots; a telephoto camera for imaging the enlarged image of the eye of the person to be authenticated; iris lighting devices controlled to emit light when the telephoto camera shoots; first motors for rotating the iris lighting devices and directing the luminous light in the direction of the person to be authenticated; a turning stage mounted with the wide angle camera, the wide angle camera lighting devices, the telephoto camera, the iris lighting devices and the first motors, the turning stage rotatablly mounted on the platform; and a second motor for turning the turning stage. All the components required for the turning operation are mounted on the turning stage.

Claims

1. An iris imaging apparatus comprising:

a telephoto camera for imaging an enlarged image of an eye of a person to be authenticated;

a first iris lighting device controlled to emit light when the telephoto camera images the enlarged image;

a iris lighting motor for rotating the first iris lighting device to set direction of light emitted from the first iris lighting device to a position of the eye of the person to be authenticated;

a platform;

a turning stage rotatably mounted on the platform, with which the telephoto camera, the first iris lighting device and the iris lighting motor are mounted;

a rotating mirror for reflecting an incident light from the eye of the person to be authenticated to the telephoto camera;

a rotating mirror motor for rotating the rotating mirror; and

a range sensor for measuring distance to the person to be authenticated being provided to a position below the rotating mirror,

wherein the rotating mirror and the rotating mirror motor are mounted with the turning stage, and the telephoto camera is disposed transversely so that the rotation axis of the turning stage is coaxial with an optical axis of the telephoto camera.

2. The iris imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wide angle camera for imaging an image to determine the position of the eye of the person to be authenticated; and

a wide angle camera lighting device controlled to emit light when the wide angle camera images,

wherein the wide angle camera and the wide angle camera lighting device are mounted with the turning stage.

3. The iris imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a controller for controlling the wide angle camera lighting device to emit light and controlling the telephoto camera to image the iris image of the person to be authenticated when an image of the first iris lighting device is reflected in an iris image of the person to be authenticated imaged by the telephoto camera.

4. The iris imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a rotation axis of a turn motor for turning the turning stage is set to the turning stage.

5. The iris imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the range sensor is provided so as to rotate in one piece with the rotating mirror.

6. The iris imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a substrate having a unit for controlling a subject to be electrically controlled is mounted on the turning stage.

7. The iris imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second iris lighting device controlled to emit light when the telephoto camera images the enlarged image, wherein a first position where the first iris lighting device is provided is left side of the turning stage and a second position where the second iris lighting device is provided is right side of the turning stage, and the first position and the second position are asymmetric with respect to an optical axis of the telephoto camera directed to the person to be authenticated.

8. An iris imaging apparatus comprising:

a platform;

a wide angle camera for imaging an image of a person to be authenticated;

a wide angle camera lighting device controlled to emit light when the wide angle camera images;

a telephoto camera for imaging an enlarged image of an eye of the person to be authenticated;

an iris lighting device controlled to emit light when the telephoto camera images the enlarged image;

a first motor for rotating the iris lighting device to direct luminous light in a direction of the person to be authenticated;

a turning stage rotatably mounted on the platform, with which the wide angle camera, the wide angle camera lighting device, the telephoto camera, the iris lighting device and the first motor are mounted; and

a second motor for turning the turning stage,

wherein the wide angle camera lighting device and the iris lighting device are arranged side by side to be adjusted lighting direction by the first motor.

9. The iris imaging apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a controller for controlling the second motor, and the wide angle camera, the wide angle camera lighting device, the telephoto camera, the iris lighting device and the first motor mounted on the turning stage,

wherein the controller is mounted with the turning stage.