Iris encoding method, individual authentication method, iris code registration device, iris authentication device, and iris authentication program

• US 7,486,806 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kondo, Kenji, Azuma, Takeo, Wakamori, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Samir A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldemariam; Aklilu K
• Application Number:
  US10/495,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20050008200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 382/117
• US Class Current: 382/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris

Abstract

In iris authentication, iris regions are extracted from a plurality of images (2a, 2b). The extracted iris regions are subjected to polar coordinate transformation (3a, 3b) and band limitation (4a, 4b). Thereafter, an iris code is generated from the coordinate-transformed, band-limited iris regions (5a, 5b). The iris code is subjected to rotational compensation (6a, 6b). A plurality of resultant iris codes are synthesized into a single iris code by determining the bit value of each bit based on a majority rule (7a, 7b).

Claims

1. An iris code generation method, comprising

a processor to perform the steps of:

inputting a plurality of images;

detecting iris regions from the plurality of images;

transforming coordinate system from a rectangular coordinate system to a polar coordinate system for an image of each of the detected iris regions;

performing band limitation on each of the coordinate-transformed images;

generating an iris code from each of the band-limited images;

rotationally compensating each of the generated iris codes in a circumferential direction; and

synthesizing the rotationally-compensated iris codes into a single iris code by determining a bit value of each bit based on a majority rule that selects a bit value of the single iris code based on a majority occurrence of bit values in the iris codes.

2. The iris code generation method according to claim 1, wherein the band limitation is realized by Gabor transform.

3. A personal authentication method using an iris image, comprising a registration process and an authentication process,

the registration process performed by a processor including the steps of:

generating an iris code from an iris image; and

registering the generated iris code in a database,

the authentication process performed by a processor including the steps of;

generating an iris code from an iris image; and

comparing the generated iris code with the iris code registered in the database to perform authentication,

wherein, in at least one of the registration process and the authentication process, generation of the iris code is performed using the iris code generation method of claim 1.

6. An iris authentication program stored on a computer-readable medium for instructing a computer to execute:

an iris code generation step of generating an authentication iris code using the iris code generation method of claim 1; and

an authentication step of comparing the authentication iris code with an iris code registered in a database to perform authentication.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the majority rule selects a particular bit value of the single iris code based on a majority of occurrences of bit values at predetermined bit positions in the iris codes, wherein the predetermined bit positions are predetermined for a particular bit position of the particular bit value in the single iris code.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the iris codes have weights, and the majority rule calculates the greatest number of occurrences at least in part by applying the weights to adjust priority of occurrences of bit values of the iris codes.

4. An iris code registration device, comprising:

an image input section;

an iris region extraction section for detecting an iris region from an image input to the image input section;

a polar coordinate transformation section for transforming coordinate system from a rectangular coordinate system to a polar coordinate system for an image of the iris regions obtained by the iris region extraction section;

a band limitation section for performing band limitation on the coordinate-transformed image output from the polar coordinate transformation section;

an iris code generation section for generating an iris code from the band-limited image output from the band limitation section;

a rotational compensation section for rotationally compensating the iris code output from the iris code generation section in a circumferential direction;

an iris code synthesis section for receiving a plurality of rotationally-compensated iris codes output from the rotational compensation section and synthesizing the plurality of iris codes into a single iris code by determining a bit value of each bit based on a majority rule that selects a bit value of the single iris code based on a majority of occurrences of bit values in the iris codes; and

an iris code registration section for registering the iris code output from the iris code synthesis section in a database.

8. The device of claim 4 wherein the majority rule selects a particular bit value of the single iris code based on a majority of occurrences of bit values at predetermined bit positions in the iris codes, wherein the predetermined bit positions are predetermined for a particular bit position of the particular bit value in the single iris code.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein the iris codes have weights, and the majority rule calculates the greatest number of occurrences at least in part by applying the weights to adjust priority of occurrences of bit values of the iris codes.

5. An iris authentication device, comprising:

an image input section;

an iris region extraction section for detecting an iris region from an image input to the image input section;

a polar coordinate transformation section for transforming coordinate system from a rectangular coordinate system to a polar coordinate system for an image of the iris regions obtained by the iris region extraction section;

a band limitation section for performing band limitation on the coordinate-transformed image output from the polar coordinate transformation section;

an iris code generation section for generating an iris code from the band-limited image output from the band limitation section;

a rotational compensation section for rotationally compensating the iris code output from the iris code generation section in a circumferential direction;

an iris code synthesis section for receiving a plurality of rotationally-compensated iris codes output from the rotational compensation section and synthesizing the plurality of iris codes into a single iris code by determining the bit value of each bit based on a majority rule that selects a bit value of the single iris code based on a majority of occurrences of bit values in the iris codes; and

an iris code authentication section for comparing the iris code output from the iris code synthesis section with an iris code registered in a database to perform authentication.

9. The device of claim 5 wherein the majority rule selects a particular bit value of the single iris code based on a majority of occurrences of bit values at predetermined bit positions in the iris codes, wherein the predetermined bit positions are predetermined for a particular bit position of the particular bit value in the single iris code.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein the iris codes have weights, and the majority rule calculates the greatest number of occurrences at least in part by applying the weights to adjust priority of occurrences of bit values of the iris codes.