System and method for illuminating and identifying a person

• US 8,831,416 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew Philip Govan Date, Jason Chaikin, Michael Braithwaite, Mohamed Nabil Moustafa
• Original Assignee: Andrew Philip Govan Date, Jason Chaikin, Michael Braithwaite, Mohamed Nabil Moustafa
• Inventors: Braithwaite, Michael, Date, Andrew Philip Govan, Moustafa, Mohamed Nabil, Chaikin, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Laballe, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, KEVIN C
• Application Number:
  US13/558,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20130188083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 351/205, 351/221, 382/2, 382/117, 396/18, 348/345
• US Class Current: 396/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/45 Detection of the body part being alive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

A system and method for capturing an image for biometric identification. To obtain the image, a person stands or moves in a target zone. A flash element provides an incoherent flash of light through an aperture. The flash is filtered to produce filtered light. The filtered light has primary wavelengths no longer than that of blue light. The filtered light is not perceived well by the human eye due to its short duration, color and small point of origin. The intensity of the filtered light at the target area surpasses the intensity of all ambient light. In this manner, a person in the target area will always be properly illuminated, even if that person were backlit by full sunlight. An image of the person is taken with a camera. The image is analyzed to obtain any biometric patterns that can be used for identification.

Claims

1. A method of capturing an image of a person for biometric identification, comprising the steps of:

providing a flash element that provides a flash of light when activated;

integrating said flash of light in a reflection chamber, wherein said flash of light exits said reflection chamber through an exit aperture;

filtering said flash of light to produce filtered light having primary wavelengths between 400 nm and 520 nm;

directing said filtered light toward a predetermined target zone;

providing a camera that is directed toward said target zone, wherein said camera is offset from said flash element by at least twelve degrees as measured from said target zone;

activating said flash element when a person is in said target zone, wherein said filtered light illuminates at least part of the person; and

recording an image of said at least some portion of the person'"'"'s biometric features.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of activating said flash element results in a flash of light having a duration of between 40 microseconds and 3 milliseconds.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said exit aperture has an area of between five square millimeters and two square centimeters.

4. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of confining said filtered light into a narrow beam of light that illuminates said target zone.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of confining said filtered light includes shining said filtered light through at least one focusing lens.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of filtering said flash of light includes passing said flash of light through an optical pass filter.

7. The method according to claim 6,

further including the step of providing an optical focusing element that focuses said camera on said target zone.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of providing an illuminated display, wherein said camera and said flash element are mounted proximate said illuminated display.

9. A method of imaging at least portion of a person for biometric identification, comprising the steps of:

providing a flash chamber having an exit aperture;

flashing a flash element within said flash chamber that produces incoherent light, wherein said flash chamber creates phase variations in said incoherent light, and wherein said incoherent light exits said flash chamber through said exit aperture;

filtering said incoherent light to have wavelengths no greater than blue light;

directing said incoherent light toward a predetermined target zone;

providing a camera, wherein said camera is directed toward said target zone and wherein said camera captures light in said primary wavelengths of said incoherent light;

activating said light source when the person is in said target area, wherein said incoherent light illuminates said person; and

recording an image with said camera.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said incoherent light has a flash duration of between 40 microseconds and 3 milliseconds.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of filtering said incoherent light includes directing said incoherent light through a pass filter that primarily passes light having the wavelengths of blue light or shorter.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said exit aperture has an area of between five square millimeters and two square centimeters.

13. In an environment having background ambient light, a method of illuminating a face for face recognition analysis, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a flash element that produces a flash of incoherent light when activated;

generating phase variations in said flash of incoherent light;

passing said flash of incoherent light though an aperture;

filtering said flash of incoherent light to produce a filtered light flash having primary wavelengths no longer than that of blue light; and

directing said filtered light flash toward a face to illuminate said face with an intensity greater than that of said background ambient light.

14. The method according to claim 13, further including the step of focusing said incoherent light on said target area.

15. The method according to claim 13, further including the step of limiting said flash of incoherent light to a flash duration of between 40 microseconds and 3 milliseconds.

16. A method of capturing an image of a person'"'"'s iris, comprising the steps of:

providing a flash element that provides a flash of light when activated;

initiating said flash of light in a refection chamber to generate phase variations in said flash of light, wherein said flash of light exits said reflection chamber through an exit aperture;

filtering said flash of light to produce filtered light having primary wavelengths no longer than that of blue light;

directing said filtered light toward a predetermined target zone;

providing a camera that is directed toward said target zone;

providing an illuminated display, wherein said camera and said flash element are mounted proximate said illuminated display;

activating said flash element when a person is in said target zone proximate said illuminated display, wherein said filtered light illuminates at least one iris; and

recording an image of at least one iris with said camera.