Personal authentication method, personal authentication apparatus and image capturing device

• US 7,155,035 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2003
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kondo, Kenji, Azuma, Takeo, Uomori, Kenya, Aoki, Yoshito
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jingge
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTER, AARON W
• Application Number:
  US10/358,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20030152252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 382115-127, 713/186, 902/3, 340/5.52, 340/5.53
• US Class Current: 382/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A plurality of iris images of a person to be authenticated in which the positions of extraneous light reflection are respectively different are captured by using an image capturing device. Iris codes, that is, features for authentication, are respectively extracted from the plural iris images, and the plural iris codes thus extracted are respectively compared with a registered iris code, so as to generate a plurality of comparison results. The plural comparison results are integrated to obtain an ultimate comparison score, which is used for the authentication.

Claims

1. A personal authentication method comprising the steps of:

capturing, by using an image capturing device, a plurality of iris images of a person to be authenticated in which positions of extraneous light reflection are respectively different; and

performing authentication by using said plurality of iris images and registered iris data.

2. The personal authentication method of claim 1,

wherein said image capturing device instructs said person on a facing direction in said capturing step.

3. The personal authentication method of claim 1,

wherein said image capturing device guides a sight line of said person in said capturing step.

4. The personal authentication method of claim 1,

wherein a position of a camera in said image capturing device is changed in said capturing step.

5. The personal authentication method of claim 1,

wherein said image capturing device includes a plurality of cameras, and

said image capturing device captures said plurality of iris images by using said plurality of cameras in said capturing step.

6. The personal authentication method of claim 1,

wherein said image capturing device instructs said person on a direction for moving his or her hand holding said image capturing device in said capturing step.

7. The personal authentication method of claim 1,

wherein said authentication step includes the steps of:

extracting iris data corresponding to features for authentication respectively from said plurality of iris images;

obtaining a plurality of comparison results by respectively comparing said extracted iris data with said registered iris data; and

obtaining an ultimate comparison score by integrating said plurality of comparison results, and

wherein the authentication is performed on the basis of said ultimate comparison score.

8. The personal authentication method of claim 1,

wherein said authentication step includes the steps of:

extracting iris data corresponding to features for authentication respectively from said plurality of iris images;

generating integrated iris data by integrating said extracted iris data; and

obtaining a comparison result by comparing said integrated iris data with said registered iris data, and

wherein the authentication is performed on the basis of said comparison result.

9. The personal authentication method of claim 1,

wherein said authentication step includes the steps of:

generating an integrated iris image by integrating said plurality of iris images;

extracting iris data corresponding to a feature for authentication from said integrated iris image; and

obtaining a comparison result by comparing said iris data with said registered iris data, and

wherein the authentication is performed on the basis of said comparison result.

21. The personal authentication method of claim 1,

wherein the extraneous light is sunlight.

10. A personal authentication method comprising the steps of:

extracting iris data corresponding to features for authentication respectively from a plurality of iris images of a person to be authenticated;

obtaining a plurality of comparison results by respectively comparing said extracted iris data with registered iris data; and

selecting, from said plurality of comparison results, a comparison result with a comparison score not less than a given value or a comparison result with a comparison score not more than a given value,

wherein the authentication is performed on the basis of said selected comparison result.

11. A personal authentication method comprising the steps of

extracting iris data corresponding to features for authentication respectively from a plurality of iris images of a person to be authenticated;

obtaining a plurality of comparison results by respectively comparing said extracted iris data with registered iris data; and

obtaining a synthesized comparison result by dividing each of said plurality of comparison results into a plurality of blocks and synthesizing said plurality of comparison results in each of said plurality of blocks,

wherein the authentication is performed on the basis of said synthesized comparison result.

12. A personal authentication method comprising the steps of:

capturing an iris image of a person to be authenticated;

determining, on the basis of said iris image, whether or not extraneous light reflection is caused in said iris image; and

capturing a plurality of iris images of said person in which positions of the extraneous light reflection are respectively different and performing authentication by using said plurality of iris images, when it is determined that the extraneous light reflection is caused.

13. The personal authentication method of claim 12,

wherein said determining step includes the steps of:

obtaining a comparison result by comparing said iris image with registered iris data;

dividing said comparing result into a plurality of blocks and calculating a comparison score of each of said plurality of blocks; and

determining that the extraneous light reflection is caused when the number of blocks each having the comparison score not less than a first threshold value is not more than a second threshold value.

22. The personal authentication method of claim 12,

wherein the extraneous light is sunlight.

14. A personal authentication method comprising the steps of:

measuring an intensity of near-infrared light in an environment where an iris image is captured; and

capturing a plurality of iris images of a person to be authenticated in which positions of extraneous light reflection are respectively different and performing authentication by using said plurality of iris images, when said intensity is not less than a threshold value.

23. The personal authentication method of claim 14,

wherein the extraneous light is sunlight.

15. A personal authentication apparatus comprising:

an image capturing unit for capturing a plurality of iris images of a person to be authenticated in which positions of extraneous light reflection are respectively different; and

an authentication processing unit for performing authentication by using said plurality of iris images captured by said image capturing unit and registered iris data.

16. The personal authentication apparatus of claim 15,

wherein said image capturing unit includes:

a camera; and

means for instructing said person on a facing direction.

17. The personal authentication apparatus of claim 15,

wherein said image capturing unit includes:

a camera; and

means for guiding a sight line of said person.

18. The personal authentication apparatus of claim 15,

wherein said image capturing unit includes:

a camera; and

means for changing a position of said camera with respect to said personal authentication apparatus.

19. The personal authentication apparatus of claim 15,

wherein said image capturing unit includes a plurality of cameras to be used for capturing said plurality of iris images.

20. The personal authentication apparatus of claim 15,

wherein said image capturing unit includes:

a camera; and

means for instructing a person to be authenticated on a direction for moving his or her hand holding said device.

24. The personal authentication apparatus of claim 15,

wherein the extraneous light is sunlight.