Methods and systems for capturing biometric data

• US 8,085,992 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corporation DAON Technology
• Original Assignee: Daon Holdings Limited
• Inventors: White, Conor Robert, Sahin, Tevfik Burak, Peirce, Michael, Sezille, Nicolas Jacques Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US13/211,676
• Time in Patent Office: 132 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/117, 382/124, 382/126, 382/294, 356/71, 340/5.81, 340/5.82, 340/5.83
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 by interactive indications to the user
• 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: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A method of capturing biometric data is provided that includes activating a security application in a device. The security application is activated by an operator of the device and is configured to cause the device to display an outline image. Moreover, the method includes displaying the outline image in a stationary position on a display of the device, positioning desired biometric data proximate the device such that the desired biometric data appears as a biometric image on the device display, and monitoring the outline and biometric images shown on the device display. Furthermore, the method includes positioning the device and the desired biometric data to better align the outline and biometric images when the outline and biometric images do not align and capturing the desired biometric data from an individual after approximately aligning the outline image with the biometric image.

Claims

1. A method of capturing biometric data for authenticating an individual, said method comprising:

capturing desired biometric data from an individual with a device during enrollment in an authentication system;

determining an enrollment region of interest for the captured biometric data, and generating an outline image from the captured biometric data;

transmitting the captured biometric data and outline image from the device to the authentication system;

transmitting the outline image from the authentication system to the device during authentication of the individual;

displaying the outline image in a stationary position on a screen included in the device;

positioning desired authentication biometric data proximate the device such that the desired authentication biometric data appears as a biometric image on the screen;

positioning the device and the desired authentication biometric data to better align the outline and biometric images when the outline and biometric images do not align;

capturing the desired authentication biometric data from the individual when the biometric image is within an established tolerance of the outline image;

determining an authentication region of interest of the captured authentication biometric data; and

adjusting a scale and an angle of the authentication region of interest such that the authentication region of interest aligns with the enrollment region of interest.

2. A method of capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 1, said adjusting operation comprising:

determining an optimum area within the authentication region of interest and transformation parameters associated with the optimum area;

calculating a transformation; and

applying the transformation against the authentication region of interest.

3. A method of capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 1, said generating an outline image operation comprising:

generating an enrollment palm image from the captured biometric data;

converting the enrollment palm image into a gray scale image;

filtering the gray scale image; and

converting the filtered gray scale image into a binary image.

4. A method of capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 3, said filtering operation comprising:

filtering the gray scale image with a first filter to generate a first image and with a second filter to generate a second image;

determining an average image from the first and second images;

rotating the gray scale image;

filtering the rotated gray scale image with the first filter to generate a first rotated image and with the second filter to generate a second rotated image;

determining a rotated average image from the first and second rotated images;

combining the average image and the rotated average image to generate a combined average image; and

filtering the combined average image.

5. A method of capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 1, further comprising generating the outline image by at least one of conducting statistical color analysis, clustering, and conducting edge detection with filters.

6. A method of capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 1, said generating an outline image operation comprising:

displaying biometric data captured during enrollment and the outline image on the screen;

reviewing the outline image for correctness;

confirming that the outline image is correct by activating a button included in the device; and

storing the outline image in the authentication system when the outline image is correct.

7. A method of capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 1, said positioning the desired authentication biometric data operation comprising rotating and translating the biometric image of the desired authentication biometric data shown on the screen.

8. A method of capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 1, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of outline images to be the outline image.

9. A method of capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 1, further comprising selecting at least one of a plurality of outline images as the outline image when the desired authentication biometric data includes biometric data of different modalities.

10. A system for capturing biometric data comprising:

an authentication system including an authentication database, said authentication system being configured to at least communicate with devices, store biometric data in said authentication data base, determine an enrollment region of interest for desired biometric data captured from an individual while enrolling in said authentication system, and generate an outline image from the captured biometric data; and

a device including at least a display screen, said device being configured to

communicate with at least said authentication system,

capture biometric data,

display the outline image and an image of desired authentication biometric data on said screen during authentication of the individual, and

capture authentication biometric data from the individual when the image of the desired authentication biometric data is within a tolerance of the outline image,

said authentication system being further configured to

determine an authentication region of interest of the captured authentication biometric data, and

adjust a scale and an angle of the authentication region of interest such that the authentication region of interest aligns with the enrollment region of interest.

11. A system for capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 10, the desired biometric data and the desired authentication biometric data being palm biometric data.

12. A system for capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 10, said device being one of a smart phone, a tablet computer, a television, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, and a laptop computer.

13. A system for capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 10, said authentication system being further configured to:

generate an enrollment palm image from the captured biometric data;

convert the enrollment palm image into a gray scale image;

filter the gray scale image; and

convert the filtered gray scale image into a binary image that represents a preliminary outline image.

14. A system for capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 10, said authentication system being further configured to:

determine an optimum area within the authentication region of interest and transformation parameters associated with the optimum area;

calculate a transformation; and

apply the transformation against the authentication region of interest.

15. A system for capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 14, said authentication system being further configured to determine an optimum rotation angle, an optimum scale factor, and center point coordinates of the optimum area as the transformation parameters.

16. A system for capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 10, said authentication system being further configured to:

rotate the authentication region of interest through angles ranging from ten degrees clockwise to ten degrees counterclockwise; and

apply scale factors to the authentication region of interest that increase and decrease the authentication region of interest by up to twenty percent.

17. A system for capturing biometric data in accordance with claim 10, said device being configured to present outline images corresponding to different biometric modalities in succession on the screen.

18. A computer program recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium included in an authentication computer system for enabling authentication of an individual, the computer program being comprised of instructions, which when read and executed by the authentication computer system, cause the authentication computer system to perform at least the following operations:

determine an enrollment region of interest for biometric data captured with a device during enrollment in a biometric authentication system, and generate an outline image from the captured biometric data, the device and the authentication system being included in the authentication computer system;

display the outline image in a stationary position on a screen included in the device;

cause the desired authentication biometric data positioned proximate the device to appear as a biometric image on the screen;

capture the desired authentication biometric data from the individual when the biometric image is within a tolerance of the outline image;

determine an authentication region of interest of the captured authentication biometric data; and

adjust a scale and an angle of the authentication region of interest such that the authentication region of interest aligns with the enrollment region of interest.

19. A computer program in accordance with claim 18 further comprising instructions, which when read and executed by the authentication computer system, cause the authentication computer system to:

determine an optimum area within the authentication region of interest and transformation parameters associated with the optimum area;

calculate a transformation; and

apply the transformation against the authentication region of interest.