Biometric recognition

• US 9,539,500 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Keosababian, Tim, Gunn, Ryan, Ramjee, Ajay, Leyvand, Tommer, Li, Jinyu, Meekhof, Casey, Stachniak, Simon, Stuart, Alan, Glaser, Russ, Mays, Eddie, Huynh, Toan, Irving, Richard, Waletzky, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US14/452,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20140349747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions

Abstract

A method for biometric identification for use with a computing device is provided herein. The method includes capturing a temporal sequence of images of the face of a user at different locations within a three-dimensional interaction space. The method further includes extracting one or more face descriptors from the images and generating a biometric template compiling the face descriptors.

Claims

1. A method for biometric identification for use with a computing device, the method comprising:

capturing via a camera a temporal sequence of images of a face of a user at each of a series of physical locations within a three-dimensional interaction space monitored by the camera associated with the computing device;

extracting one or more face descriptors from the temporal sequence of images;

generating a biometric template compiling the one or more face descriptors;

storing the biometric template of the user in a data store for biometric identification of the user;

instructing the user to perform a requested pose at one of the physical locations by displaying a pose movement icon;

determining that the user has not matched the requested pose to within a matching threshold; and

presenting pose feedback to the user requesting that the user adjust the pose in a determined manner.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising instructing the user to move to the series of locations within the three-dimensional interaction space.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein instructing the user to move to the series of location includes:

displaying a three-dimensional map within the virtual space, the three-dimensional map including a series of virtual locations that correspond to the series of physical locations in the three-dimensional interaction space; and

displaying a visual cue at a target virtual location within the three-dimensional map, to prompt the user to move to a target physical location within the three-dimensional interaction space corresponding to the target virtual location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein instructing the user to move to the series of locations includes displaying a user character figure in the virtual space animated to match a position of the user within the three-dimensional interaction space as the user moves.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting movement of the user to the target physical location in the three-dimensional interaction space by analyzing the temporal sequence of images; and

displaying the user character figure at the target virtual location based on the detected movement.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting movement comprises:

generating a skeletal model of the user based on the temporal sequence of images; and

adjusting a configuration and position of the skeletal model to match the detected movement of the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a location of the face of the user in each of the temporal sequence of images is determined by making reference to the skeletal model.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the user to perform the requested pose further includes displaying the pose movement icon proximate to the user character figure and/or displaying a pose instructor figure performing a requested pose.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the temporal sequence of images of the face of the user for a location of the series of physical locations is captured while the user is performing the pose.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during an identification phase, identifying the user by matching the extracted face descriptors of the user to a stored biometric template associated with a user account, wherein a match is determined within a threshold matching score; and

associating the user account with the user in a current session on the computing device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

on each login of the user, augmenting the biometric template of the user with updated face descriptors, to account for changes in the user'"'"'s face over time.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

filtering the biometric template to remove outlying face descriptors thereby generating a consolidated representation of the user over time.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

controlling access to features of the computing device based upon whether a matched biometric template is for a user account stored on a local computing device or for a user account stored on a remote server, by requesting a second form of user authentication based on a remote profile, wherein the second form of user authentication is customizable by receiving input from the user.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the computing device is a gaming device, and the identification phase is during game play.

15. A method for associating a user with a computing device, the method comprising:

identifying face descriptors of a user from images captured of the user'"'"'s face;

performing a matching operation to match the face descriptors of the user to a stored biometric template;

searching a local data store for the stored biometric template, finding a matching local biometric template stored in the local data store of the computing device, and based on finding the matching local biometric template allowing access to a program using a local user account associated with the matching local biometric template;

identifying face descriptors of another user from images captured of the other user'"'"'s face;

performing a matching operation to match the face descriptors of the other user to another stored biometric template;

searching the local data store for the other stored biometric template and not finding the other stored biometric template; and

based on not finding the other stored biometric template in the local data store, searching a remote data store for the other stored biometric template, finding a matching remote biometric template in the remote data store, determining whether a second user authentication mechanism is satisfied, and if so, then allowing access to the program using a remote user account associated with the matching remote biometric template, else, denying access to the program via a stored user account.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein searching the remote data store for the other stored biometric template further comprises, if a plurality of matching remote biometric templates are found, then filtering the plurality of matching remote biometric templates to one matching remote biometric template based on a determination that the second user authentication mechanism is satisfied, and then allowing access to the program using the remote user account associated with the matching remote biometric template, else, denying access to the program via the stored user account.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second user authentication mechanism is detecting a geographical location of the other user and determining that the detected geographical location matches a known location for the other user.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the second user authentication mechanism is detecting a presence of a wireless signal characteristic of a mobile device known to be associated with the other user, the association based upon receiving input from the other user that identifies the mobile device with the other user.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the stored biometric template associated with the user is updated with each user login by augmenting the stored biometric template of the user with updated face descriptors, to account for changes in the user'"'"'s face over time.

20. A method for associating a user with a computing device, the method comprising:

identifying face descriptors of a user from images captured of the user'"'"'s face;

performing a matching operation to match the face descriptors of the user to a stored biometric template;

searching a local data store for the stored biometric template, finding a matching local biometric template stored in the local data store of the computing device, and based on finding the matching local biometric template allowing access to a program using a local user account associated with the matching local biometric template;

identifying face descriptors of another user from images captured of the other user'"'"'s face;

performing a matching operation to match the face descriptors of the other user to another stored biometric template;

searching the local data store for the other stored biometric template and not finding the other stored biometric template;

based on not finding the other stored biometric template in the local data store, searching a remote data store for the other stored biometric template, finding a matching remote biometric template in the remote data store, determining whether a second user authentication mechanism is satisfied, and if so, then allowing access to the program using a remote user account associated with the matching remote biometric template, else, denying access to the program via a stored user account, or

based on not finding the other stored biometric template in the local data store, searching the remote data store for the other stored biometric template, finding a plurality of matching remote biometric templates in the remote data store, filtering the plurality of matching remote biometric templates to one matching remote biometric template based on a determination that the second user authentication mechanism is satisfied, and then allowing access to the program using the remote user account associated with the matching remote biometric template, else, denying access to the program via the stored user account.