Active biometric spectroscopy

• US 7,750,299 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xylon LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 35 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Monro, Donald Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Geisel; Kara E
• Application Number:
  US11/470,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20080058619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 356/300, 250/336.1
• US Class Current: 250/336.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/14 by matching peak patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, systems and/or devices for active biometric spectroscopy are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

applying electromagnetic radiation to at least partially penetrate an organism using a source of the electromagnetic radiation spaced from the organism;

measuring radiation proximate to the organism over a range of frequencies to obtain a measured spectrum;

comparing the measured spectrum to a frequency spectra signature to generate a comparison result; and

producing a spectrogram from the measured spectrum.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the measured spectrum to a second frequency spectra signature to generate a second comparison result; and

determining which of the frequency spectra signature and the second frequency spectra signature most closely resembles the measured spectrum.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying radiation further comprises using a human as the organism.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the comparison result to distinguish between the organism and a second organism.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying second radiation to a second organism;

measuring second radiation proximate to the second organism over a second range of frequencies to obtain a second measured spectrum;

comparing the second measured spectrum to a second frequency spectra signature to determine a second comparison result; and

using the comparison result and the second comparison result to distinguish the organism from the second organism.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying radiation further comprises focusing the radiation on the organism.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring radiation further comprises focusing the radiation on a detector.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring radiation further comprises measuring the radiation with a plurality of detectors.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring radiation further comprises using detectors that each measure a different frequency range in the plurality of detectors.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter configured to apply electromagnetic radiation to at least partially penetrate an organism, wherein the transmitter is spaced from the organism;

a detector located proximate to the organism and configured to measure radiation that has interacted with the organism;

an apparatus configured to focus the radiation after it has interacted with the organism onto the detector; and

an analyzer coupled to the detector and the transmitter,

wherein the analyzer is configured to produce a measured spectrum from a detector measurement over a range of frequencies and to compare the measured spectrum to a frequency spectra signature to determine a comparison result, and

wherein the analyzer is configured to produce a spectrogram from the measured spectrum.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the analyzer is configured to implement a fast Fourier transform to produce the spectrogram.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the analyzer is configured to shift the range of frequencies to produce the spectrogram.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the analyzer is further configured to:

compare the measured spectrum to a second frequency spectra signature to determine a second comparison result; and

determine which of the frequency spectra signature and the second frequency spectra signature most closely resembles the measured spectrum.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the organism comprises a human organism.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the analyzer is configured to use the comparison result to distinguish the organism from a second organism.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the transmitter is configured to apply second radiation to a second organism;

the detector is configured to measure second radiation proximate to the second organism over a second range of frequencies to obtain a second measured spectrum; and

the analyzer is configured to;

compare the second measured spectrum to a second frequency spectra signature to determine a second comparison result; and

use the comparison result and the second comparison result to distinguish between the organism and the second organism.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a second detector,

wherein the first detector and the second detector each measure a different frequency range.

18. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, upon execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

applying electromagnetic radiation to at least partially penetrate an organism using a source of the electromagnetic radiation spaced from the organism;

measuring radiation proximate to the organism over a range of frequencies to obtain a measured spectrum;

comparing the measured spectrum to a frequency spectra signature to generate a comparison result; and

producing a spectrogram from the measured spectrum.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein upon execution of the instructions by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising:

comparing the measured spectrum to a second frequency spectra signature to determine a second comparison result; and

determining which of the frequency spectra signature and the second frequency spectra signature most closely resembles the measured spectrum.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein upon execution of the instructions by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising:

applying second radiation to a second organism;

measuring second radiation proximate to the second organism over a second range of frequencies to obtain a second measured spectrum;

comparing the second measured spectrum to a second frequency spectra signature to determine a second comparison result; and

using the comparison result and the second comparison result to distinguish the organism from the second organism.

21. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein upon execution of the instructions by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising:

focusing radiation on the detector.

22. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein upon execution of the instructions by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising:

measuring with a plurality of detectors.

23. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein each detector in the plurality of detectors measures a different frequency range.

24. A method, comprising:

applying radiation to an organism;

measuring radiation proximate to the organism over a range of frequencies between about 10 GHz and about 1 THz to obtain a measured spectrum;

comparing the measured spectrum to a frequency spectra signature to generate a comparison result; and

producing a spectrogram from the measured spectrum.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter configured to apply radiation to an organism;

a detector located proximate to the organism and configured to measure radiation that has interacted with the organism;

an apparatus configured to focus the radiation after it has interacted with the organism onto the detector; and

an analyzer coupled to the detector and the transmitter,

wherein the analyzer is configured to produce a measured spectrum from a detector measurement over a range of frequencies between about 10 GHz and about 1 THz and to compare the measured spectrum to a frequency spectra signature to determine a comparison result, and

wherein the analyzer is configured to produce a spectrogram from the measured spectrum.

26. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, upon execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

applying radiation to an organism;

measuring radiation proximate to the organism over a range of frequencies between about 10 GHz and about 1 THz to obtain a measured spectrum;

comparing the measured spectrum to a frequency spectra signature to generate a comparison result; and

producing a spectrogram from the measured spectrum.