Iris recognition method and system using the same

• US 7,146,027 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2002
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iris Id
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Chae, Jang Jin, Kim, Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIRE, GREGORY M
• Application Number:
  US10/329,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20030123711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 382/106, 382/117, 382/190, 382/209, 382/324, 340/5.8, 340/5.81, 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

Disclosed is a method to improve iris recognition success ratio and speed by registering the iris code on location of illuminator. In the present invention, iris codes for a single iris generated as many as the number of a plurality of illuminators are registered on an iris database every area corresponding to the location of the illuminator. The iris codes generated one by one whenever the plurality of illuminators are turned on one by one for recognition are searched on the corresponding areas of the iris database to determine the recognition.

Claims

1. An iris recognition method, comprising:

(a) capturing an iris image while one of a plurality of illuminators is turned on, each of the plurality of illuminators being arranged at different locations;

(b) registering an iris code generated from the captured iris image in a database corresponding to a location area of an illuminator of the plurality of illuminators which is currently turned on; and

(c) repeating the step (a) and the step (b) until a number of iris codes generated is the same as a number of the plurality of illuminators and each iris code is registered in a database corresponding to a location area of its respective illuminator of the plurality of illuminators.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining a location of the illuminator that is turned on.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the iris code is IrisCode.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of illuminators comprises a first illuminator, a second illuminator, and a third illuminator.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step (c) comprises:

(c1) illuminating the first illuminator, capturing an image of a first portion of the iris, and registering a corresponding first iris code in a first illuminator database;

(c2) illuminating the second illuminator, capturing an image of a second portion of the iris, and registering a corresponding second iris code in a second illuminator database; and

(c3) illuminating the third illuminator, capturing an image of a third portion of the iris, and registering a corresponding third iris code in a third illuminator database.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first illuminator illuminates a left portion of the iris, the second illuminator illuminates an upper portion of the iris, and the third illuminator illuminates a right portion of the iris.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein only one of the plurality of illuminators is turned on at a time.

8. An iris recognition method, comprising:

(a) capturing an iris image while one of a plurality of illuminators is turned on, each of the plurality of illuminators being arranged at different locations;

(b) determining whether or not an iris code generated from the iris image exists in a corresponding illuminator location area of an iris database; and

(c) providing a recognition result if the iris code exists in the corresponding illuminator location area.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

(d) changing a location of the illuminator that is turned on, and repeating the step (a) and the step (b) if the iris code does not exist in the corresponding illuminator location area.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of illuminators comprises a first illuminator, a second illuminator, and a third illuminator.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step (d) comprises:

(d1) illuminating the first illuminator, capturing an image of a first portion of the iris, generating a corresponding first iris code, and determining whether the corresponding first iris code exists in a first illuminator area of the iris database;

(d2) if the first iris code does not exist in the first illuminator area of the iris database, illuminating the second illuminator, capturing an image of a second portion of the iris, generating a corresponding second iris code, and determining whether the second iris code exists in a second illuminator area of the iris database; and

(d3) if the second iris code does not exist in the second illuminator area of the iris database, illuminating the third illuminator, capturing an image of a third portion of the iris, generating a corresponding third iris code, and determining whether the third iris code exists in a third illuminator area of the iris database.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

(d4) reporting a recognition result when one of the first, second or third iris codes is found in the first, second or third illuminator area, respectively, of the iris database.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first illuminator illuminates a left portion of the iris, the second illuminator illuminates an upper portion of the iris, and the third illuminator illuminates a right portion of the iris.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein a number of iris codes registered in the iris database is the same as a number of the plurality of illuminators and the corresponding illuminator location areas.

15. The method according to claim 8, further comprising obtaining a location of the illuminator that is turned on.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein the iris code is IrisCode.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein only one of the plurality of iluminators is turned on at a time.

18. An iris recognition systems comprising:

means for turning on a plurality of illuminators sequentially, the plurality of illuminators being arranged at different locations from each other;

means for capturing a plurality of iris images whenever any one of the plurality of illuminators is turned on sequentially; and

means for respectively registering a plurality of iris codes generated from the plurality of iris images in a database corresponding to the respective locations of the plurality of illuminators.

19. An iris recognition systems, comprising:

means for turning on a plurality of illuminators sequentially, the plurality of illuminators being arranged at different locations from each other;

means for capturing a plurality of iris images whenever any one of the plurality of illuminators is turned on sequentially;

means for determining whether a plurality of iris codes generated from the plurality of iris images exists in corresponding illuminator location areas of an iris database; and

means for providing a recognition result if any one of the plurality of iris codes exists in the corresponding illuminator location areas of the iris database.