Mobile identity platform

• US 9,117,119 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EyeLock LLC (VOXX International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EyeLock Inc. (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanna, Keith J., Greene, Gary Alan, Hirvonen, David James, Hoyos, Hector T., Riddle, George Herbert Needham
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/440,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20120242820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/117, 382/124
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 by interactive indications to the user

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards a compact, mobile apparatus for iris image acquisition, adapted to address effects of ocular dominance in the subject and to guide positioning of the subject'"'"'s iris for the image acquisition. The apparatus may include a sensor for acquiring an iris image from a subject. A compact mirror may be oriented relative to a dominant eye of the subject, and sized to present an image of a single iris to the subject when the apparatus is positioned at a suitable distance for image acquisition. The mirror may assist the subject in positioning the iris for iris image acquisition. The mirror may be positioned between the sensor and the iris during iris image acquisition, and transmit a portion of light reflected off the iris to the sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for iris image acquisition and positioning of an iris of a subject for iris image acquisition, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to acquire an image of the iris of the subject for biometric matching;

a display configured to display an image of at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s face; and

a processor operably coupled to the display and configured to send a signal to the display so as to cause the display to render a first image of a first eye of the subject relative to a second image of a second eye of the subject such that a relative separation of the first eye and the second eye is modified for the subject and both the first image and the second image are located near or at a physical location of the sensor, the rendered first image of the first eye providing feedback to the subject regarding occlusion and/or foreshortening of the iris of the subject with respect to the sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to reduce foreshortening of the iris of subject in the image of the iris of the subject by acquiring the image of the iris of the subject after a gaze of the subject is drawn towards the sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to electronically shift a first part and a second part of the image of the at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s face towards each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to electronically shift the first part and the second part of the image of the at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s face towards the physical location of the sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the iris of the subject is a first iris of the subject, and

the sensor is configured to acquire an image of a second iris of the subject simultaneously with the image of the first iris.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an illumination source.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the illumination source is positioned at a same horizontal level as the sensor or below the horizontal level of the sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the illumination source is located near one or more edges of the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display includes an embedded illumination source configured to provide at least one of an infra-red illumination or a visible illumination.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display includes an embedded infra-red illumination source configured to illuminate the iris.

11. A method for iris image acquisition and positioning of an iris of a subject for the image acquisition, the method comprising:

displaying, to the subject, a first image of a first eye of the subject relative to a second image of a second eye of the subject such that a relative separation of the first eye and the second eye is modified for the subject and both the first image and the second image are located near or at a location of a sensor, the displayed first image of the first eye of the subject providing feedback to the subject regarding occlusion and/or foreshortening of the iris of the subject with respect to the sensor; and

acquiring, with the sensor, an image of the iris of the subject for biometric matching.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising acquiring the image of the iris of the subject after a gaze of the subject is drawn toward the sensor.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying at least one of a color or marking near or at the physical location of the sensor.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising electronically shifting a first part and a second part of an image of at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s face towards each other.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising electronically shifting the first part and the second part of the image of at least a portion of the subject'"'"'s face towards the location of the sensor.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising illuminating the iris of the subject.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein illuminating the iris includes illuminating the iris from a horizontal level of the sensor or below the horizontal level of the sensor.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein illuminating the iris includes illuminating the iris from a position near at least one edge of the display.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing at least one of an infra-red illumination or a visible illumination.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing an infra-red illumination from a predefined area of the display such that the infrared illumination is concentrated to a portion of the eye.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a sensor to acquire an image of at least a portion of a face of a subject in a field of view of the sensor;

a display, operably coupled to the sensor, to display at least a portion of the image to the subject so as to provide feedback to the subject regarding occlusion and/or foreshortening of the iris of the subject with respect to the sensor; and

a processor, operably coupled to the display, to electronically shift a first portion of the image with respect to a coordinate system of the display so that a rendering in the image of a first eye of the subject on the display is within a predetermined distance to the sensor, and to separately electronically shift a second portion of the image with respect to the coordinate system so that a rendering in the image of a second eye of the subject on the display is within the predetermined distance to the sensor.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the sensor is configured to acquire an image of the iris after the subject has moved with respect to the sensor so as to reduce the occlusion and/or foreshortening of the iris in the image of the iris.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

an illuminator to illuminate at least a portion of the face of the subject within a volume that is smaller than the field of view of the sensor.

24. A method, comprising:

acquiring, by a sensor, an image of an iris of a subject;

displaying, on a display, at least a portion of the image to the subject so as to provide feedback to the subject regarding occlusion and/or foreshortening of the iris of the subject with respect to the sensor;

electronically shifting a first portion of the image with respect to a coordinate system of the display so that a rendering in the image of a first eye of the subject on the display is within a predetermined distance to the sensor; and

separately electronically shifting a second portion of the image with respect to the coordinate system so that a rendering in the image of a second eye of the subject on the display is within the predetermined distance to the sensor.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising

electronically shifting the coordinate system of the display so as to compensate for an offset between the sensor and the display.