Face authentication system, face authentication method, and face authentication program

• US 9,042,609 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Morpho Incorporated
• Inventors: Todoroki, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Chan
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICE, ELISA M
• Application Number:
  US13/695,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20140169643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/60 relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/98 Detection or correction of errors, e.g. by rescanning the pattern or by human intervention; Evaluation of the quality of the acquired patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 using facial parts and geometric relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification

Abstract

Provided is a face authentication system (100) including a reflectance image generating unit (107) for generating a blurred image of an input image based on the input image including a face of a person and generating an input reflectance image by separating each corresponding pixel value of the blurred image from each pixel value of the input image, and a face authenticating unit (112) for performing face authentication of the face of the person included in the input image by comparing the input reflectance image with a registered reflectance image of a previously registered person.

Claims

1. A face authentication system, comprising:

a reflectance image generating unit for generating a blurred image of an input image based on the input image including a face of a person and generating an input reflectance image by separating each corresponding pixel value of the blurred image from each pixel value of the input image;

a face authenticating unit for performing face authentication of the face of the person included in the input image by comparing the input reflectance image with a registered reflectance image of a previously registered person;

a motion vector calculating unit for calculating a motion vector of the input image or the input reflectance image with respect to a previously registered reference face image; and

a position distortion correcting unit for correcting a position distortion of the face of the person included in the input image or the input reflectance image based on the motion vector,

wherein the face authenticating unit performs face authentication based on the input reflectance image after a position distortion is corrected by the position distortion correcting unit, and

wherein the face authenticating unit moves the input reflectance image, the position distortion of which is corrected by the position distortion correcting unit with respect to the registered reflectance image in unit of a pixel in a two-dimensional direction within a predetermined range, calculates similarity between the input reflectance image and the registered reflectance image in each state of position, and performs face authentication based on the input reflectance image and the registered reflectance image in a state of the highest similarity.

2. The face authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the face authenticating unit determines that the person included in the input image is identical to the person of the registered reflectance image when a correlation coefficient of the pixel values of the input reflectance image and the registered reflectance image is equal to or larger than a predetermined set value.

3. The face authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the blurred image generating unit generates the blurred image by applying a Gaussian filter to the input image.

4. The face authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the reference face image is an image of an average face which is an average of a plurality of persons'"'"' faces.

5. A face authentication method, comprising the following steps of:

generating a blurred image of an input image based on the input image including a face of a person and generating an input reflectance image by separating each corresponding pixel value of the blurred image from each pixel value of the input image;

performing face authentication of the face of the person included in the input image by comparing the input reflectance image with a registered reflectance image of a previously registered person;

calculating a motion vector of the input image or the input reflectance image with respect to a previously registered reference face image; and

correcting a position distortion of the face of the person included in the input image or the input reflectance image based on the motion vector;

wherein the step of performing face authentication is conducted based on the input reflectance image after a position distortion is corrected, and

wherein the step of performing face authentication further comprising steps of;

moving the input reflectance image, the position distortion of which is corrected, with respect to the registered reflectance image in unit of a pixel in a two-dimensional direction within a predetermined range,

calculating similarity between the input reflectance image and the registered reflectance image in each state of position, and

performing face authentication based on the input reflectance image and the registered reflectance image in a state of the highest similarity.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a face authentication program, which allows a computer to conduct:

a reflectance image generating operation for generating a blurred image of an input image based on the input image including a face of a person and generating an input reflectance image by separating each corresponding pixel value of the blurred image from each pixel value of the input image;

a face authenticating operation for performing face authentication of the face of the person included in the input image by comparing the input reflectance image with a registered reflectance image of a previously registered person;

a motion vector calculating operation for calculating a motion vector of the input image or the input reflectance image with respect to a previously registered reference face image; and

a position distortion correcting operation for correcting a position distortion of the face of the person included in the input image or the input reflectance image based on the motion vector,

wherein the face authenticating operation performs face authentication based on the input reflectance image after a position distortion is corrected, and

wherein the face authenticating operation moves the input reflectance image, the position distortion of which is corrected, with respect to the registered reflectance image in unit of a pixel in a two-dimensional direction within a predetermined range, calculates similarity between the input reflectance image and the registered reflectance image in each state of position, and performs face authentication based on the input reflectance image and the registered reflectance image in a state of the highest similarity.