Personal identification system

• US 8,384,885 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kono, Miyuki, Umemura, Shin-ichiro, Miyatake, Takafumi, Harada, Kunio, Ito, Yoshitoshi, Ueki, Hironori
• Primary Examiner(s): STAFIRA, MICHAEL PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US13/416,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20120165683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 356/71
• US Class Current: 356/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/107 Static hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1341 Sensing with light passing through the finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/14 Vascular patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/145 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

A personal identification system, which uses a vein pattern of a finger, optimizes the amount of light of a light source based on a captured finger image and emphasizes the vein pattern during image processing for identification.

Claims

1. An apparatus for imaging a vein pattern of a finger having been located at a light irradiation area, the apparatus comprising:

a light source including a plurality of light emitting devices for irradiating a finger;

a controlling unit for controlling an amount of light that is irradiated from the plurality of light emitting devices; and

an imaging unit for imaging a pattern including the vein pattern in accordance with the light upon the light being within propagated within the finger;

wherein the plurality of light emitting devices is configured to be arranged along both a longitudinal direction and a latitudinal direction of the finger with a number of light emitting devices arranged along the latitudinal direction being smaller than a number of the light emitting devices arranged along the longitudinal direction,

wherein the controlling unit is further arranged to control a respective amount of light irradiated from each of the plurality of light emitting devices in accordance with an intensity of a respective image corresponding to the light emitting device, and

wherein the imaging unit is further arranged to image at least an image including the vein pattern along the longitudinal direction in accordance with the light for which the amount thereof is controlled by the controlling unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit is further arranged to control an operation of the light source in accordance with information on an image obtained by the imaging unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information obtained by the imaging unit includes information on position of the finger.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image processing unit for processing information obtained by the imaging unit, and for performing personal authentication for a person of the finger.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of positioning members for positioning the finger within the light irradiation area.

6. An apparatus for imaging a vein pattern of a finger having been located at a light irradiation area, the apparatus comprising:

a light source including a plurality of light emitting devices for irradiating a finger;

a controlling unit for controlling an amount of light that is irradiated from the plurality of light emitting devices; and

an imaging unit for imaging a pattern including the vein pattern in accordance with the light upon the light being within propagated within the finger; and

an image processing unit for processing information obtained by the imaging unit, and for performing personal authentication for a person of the finger; and

wherein the controlling unit is further arranged to control a respective amount of light irradiated from each of the plurality of light emitting devices in accordance with an intensity of a respective image corresponding to the light emitting device, and

wherein the imaging unit is further arranged to image at least an image including the vein pattern along the longitudinal direction in accordance with the light for which the amount thereof is controlled by the controlling unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controlling unit is further arranged to control an operation of the light source in accordance with information on an image obtained by the imaging unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the information obtained by the imaging unit includes information on position of the finger.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of positioning members for positioning the finger within the light irradiation area.