Systems and methods for person's verification using portrait photographs taken by a verifier-controlled digital camera

• US 8,379,941 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bladel, James M., Lee, Yong, Plumb, Noah D., Thayer, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US13/018,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/106, 382112-118, 382132-139, 382/155, 382/162, 382/168, 382/181, 382/190, 382/209, 382/219, 382/232, 382/254, 382/274, 382/276, 382/291, 382/305, 382/312, 382/313, 382/220, 455/556.1, 455/414.2, 455/410, 713/186, 705/5
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/96 Management of image or video recognition tasks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention envisions providing requester with a computer program for a remote computer equipped with a digital photo camera. The computer program controls the camera and prevents alterations to an image taken with the camera. The unaltered image of a portrait photograph of the requester is transmitted from the remote computer to the verifier'"'"'s server computer. The image of the portrait photograph of the requester may further be used to verify the requester by comparing the image to the photographs from other sources.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a requester with a computer-readable program for a remote computer equipped with a digital photo camera, wherein said computer-readable program controls said digital photo camera and prevents alterations to an image taken with said digital photo camera on said remote computer,

b) a server computer receiving from said remote computer a portrait photograph of said requester, taken with said digital photo camera on said digital remote computer, wherein said receiving is achieved by a first computer-readable code on said server computer and by a second computer-readable code on said remote computer, and wherein said server computer and said remote computer are communicatively connected via a computer network,

c) obtaining one or more images from one or more computer network information sources, wherein said one or more images are selected from a plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources as a function of said personal information,

d) extracting a first set of facial features from said portrait photograph of said requester and a second set of facial features from said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources, and

e) calculating a statistical rating of a likelihood that said portrait photograph of said requester and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources depict the same person.

2. A method, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a requester with a computer-readable program for a remote computer equipped with a digital photo camera, wherein said computer-readable program controls said digital photo camera and prevents alterations to an image taken with said digital photo camera on said remote computer,

b) collecting a personal information from said requester via said computer-readable program for said remote computer or via a web-based graphical user interface,

c) a server computer receiving from said remote computer a portrait photograph of said requester, taken with said digital photo camera on said remote computer, wherein said receiving is achieved by a first computer-readable code on said server computer and by a second computer-readable code on said remote computer, and wherein said server computer and said remote computer are communicatively connected via a computer network,

d) obtaining one or more images from one or more computer network information sources, wherein said one or more images are selected from a plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources as a function of said personal information,

e) extracting a first set of facial features from said portrait photograph of said requester and a second set of facial features from said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources,

f) comparing said portrait photograph of said requester with said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources using a predetermined algorithm, and

g) calculating a statistical rating of a likelihood that said portrait photograph of said requester and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources depict the same person.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said personal information is selected from the group consisting of a name of said requester, a mailing address of said requester, a home address of said requester, an electronic mail address of said requester, a telephone number of said requester, a date of birth of said requester, a login name of said requester to a social network website, an account number of said requester to a social network website, an account name of said requester to a social network website, and a password of said requester to a social network website.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said computer network contains the Internet.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more computer network information sources is selected from the group consisting of a website, a webpage, an online blog, a social network website, and an image sharing website.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said function for selecting said one or more images from said plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources comprises selecting an image posted onto said one or more computer network information sources from an account of said requester.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said function for selecting said one or more images from said plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources comprises selecting an image tagged with a name of said requester.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said function for selecting said one or more images from said plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources comprises selecting an image appearing in a social network account of said requester.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said predetermined algorithm for comparing said portrait photograph of said requester with said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources comprises comparing a first set of facial features extracted from said portrait photograph of said requester with a second set of facial features extracted from said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said statistical rating is calculated as a real number in a range from 0 to 1, wherein value 0 indicates the lowest likelihood and value 1 indicates the highest likelihood that said portrait photograph of said requester and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources depict the same person.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said statistical rating of value 0.5 and above indicates that said portrait photograph of said requester and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources depict the same person.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein said statistical rating is calculated as an integer number of 0 or 1.

13. A system, comprising:

a) means for providing a requester with a computer-readable program for a remote computer equipped with a digital photo camera, wherein said computer-readable program controls said digital photo camera and prevents alterations to an image taken with said digital photo camera on said remote computer,

b) means for receiving from said remote computer a portrait photograph of said requester, taken with said digital photo camera on said digital remote computer, wherein receiving is achieved by a first computer-readable code on a server computer and by a second computer-readable code on said remote computer, and wherein said server computer and said remote computer are communicatively connected via a computer network,

c) means for obtaining one or more images from one or more computer network information sources, wherein said one or more images are selected from a plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources as a function of said personal information,

d) extracting a first set of facial features from said portrait photograph of said requester and a second set of facial features from said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources, and

e) means for calculating a statistical rating of a likelihood that said portrait photograph of said requester and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources depict the same person.

14. A system, comprising:

a) means for providing a requester with a computer-readable program for a remote computer equipped with a digital photo camera, wherein said computer-readable program controls said digital photo camera and prevents alterations to an image taken with said digital photo camera on said remote computer,

b) means for collecting a personal information from said requester via said computer-readable program for said remote computer or via a web-based graphical user interface,

c) means for receiving from said remote computer a portrait photograph of said requester, taken with said digital photo camera on said remote computer, wherein receiving is achieved by a first computer-readable code on a server computer and by a second computer-readable code on said remote computer, and wherein said server computer and said remote computer are communicatively connected via a computer network,

d) means for obtaining one or more images from one or more computer network information sources, wherein said one or more images are selected from a plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources as a function of said personal information,

e) means for extracting a first set of facial features from said portrait photograph of said requester and a second set of facial features from said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources,

f) means for comparing said portrait photograph of said requester with said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources using a predetermined algorithm, and

g) means for calculating a statistical rating of a likelihood that said portrait photograph of said requester and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources depict the same person.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said personal information is selected from the group consisting of a name of said requester, a mailing address of said requester, a home address of said requester, an electronic mail address of said requester, a telephone number of said requester, a date of birth of said requester, a login name of said requester to a social network website, an account number of said requester to a social network website, an account name of said requester to a social network website, and a password of said requester to a social network website.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said computer network contains the Internet.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said one or more computer network information sources is selected from the group consisting of a website, a webpage, an online blog, a social network website, and an image sharing website.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said function for selecting said one or more images from said plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources comprises selecting an image posted onto said one or more computer network information sources from an account of said requester.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said function for selecting said one or more images from said plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources comprises selecting an image tagged with a name of said requester.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein said function for selecting said one or more images from said plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources comprises selecting an image appearing in a social network account of said requester.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein said predetermined algorithm for comparing said portrait photograph of said requester with said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources comprises comparing a first set of facial features extracted from said portrait photograph of said requester with a second set of facial features extracted from said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein said statistical rating is calculated as a real number in a range from 0 to 1, wherein value 0 indicates the lowest likelihood and value 1 indicates the highest likelihood that said portrait photograph of said requester and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources depict the same person.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said statistical rating of value 0.5 and above indicates that said portrait photograph of said requester and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources depict the same person.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein said statistical rating is calculated as an integer number of 0 or 1.