Facilitating aligning a user and camera for user authentication

• US 9,715,619 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2015
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Jennings, William Hunter, Speicher, Stephen C., Fox, Craig A., Hartman, Matthew Anson, Murillo, Oscar Enrique
• Primary Examiner(s): Liew, Alex
• Application Number:
  US14/658,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20160267319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 864 Days
• Field of Search: 382115-118
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 by interactive indications to the user

Abstract

A user is authenticated based on user features that can be captured by a camera, such as facial features or eye features. In order for the user to be authenticated, an image is captured of the user while the user is within an interaction zone, which is an area that is within both a field of view of the camera and a suitable distance range from the camera. If the user is not within the suitable distance range from the camera, then feedback is provided indicating that the user is not within the suitable distance range from the camera. Various feedback can be provided, such as one or a combination of audio, visual, and haptic feedback. The feedback notifies the user that an adjustment is to be made to the location of the user and/or the camera in order for the user to be within the interaction zone.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining an image of a user captured by a camera;

determining whether the user is within an interaction zone, the interaction zone comprising an area bounded by both a field of view of the camera and a distance range suitable for identifying features of the user from an additional image of the user captured by the camera, the distance range comprising a set of distances between an upper threshold distance away from the camera and a lower threshold distance away from the camera, the set of distances for the camera for a type of recognition being used for identifying the features of the user being accessible to a module performing the determining; and

providing feedback indicating whether the user is within the interaction zone, the feedback comprising one or a combination of audio feedback, visual feedback, and haptic feedback.

2. The method of claim 1, the providing feedback further comprising providing, responsive to determining that the user is less than the lower threshold distance away from the camera, feedback indicating that the user is too close to the camera or providing, responsive to determining that the user is more than the upper threshold distance away from the camera, feedback indicating that the user is too far from the camera.

3. The method of claim 1, the method implemented by a device that includes the camera.

4. The method of claim 1, the features of the user including features of the face of the user as well as features of the eye or iris of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, the method implemented by a device, and the providing feedback further comprising providing the feedback while allowing an additional user to use the device.

6. The method of claim 1, the feedback comprising visual feedback that is blurring of a display image, the display image being non-blurred in response to the user being within the distance range suitable for identifying features of the user, and the display image being blurred in response to the user not being within the distance range, an amount blur in the display image being greater the further the user is away from the distance range.

7. The method of claim 1, the feedback comprising audio feedback that is a sound emitted by a speaker, one or both of a volume and a pitch of the sound emitted by the speaker changing as the user moves closer to the upper threshold distance of the distance range suitable for identifying features of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, the method implemented by a device that includes a haptic feedback component, the feedback comprising haptic feedback and a frequency of vibration of the haptic feedback component changing as the user or device are moved so that the user is closer to the distance range suitable for identifying features of the user.

9. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon multiple instructions that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

obtaining one or more images of a user captured by a camera;

determining whether the user is within a suitable distance range for identifying features of the user from at least one of the one or more images of the user, the suitable distance range comprising a set of distances between an upper threshold distance away from the camera and a lower threshold distance away from the camera, the set of distances for the camera for a type of recognition being used for identifying the features of the user being accessible to a module performing the determining; and

providing feedback indicating whether the user is within the suitable distance range, the feedback comprising one or a combination of different types of feedback that can be sensed by the user.

10. The device of claim 9, the providing feedback further comprising providing, responsive to determining that the user is less than the lower threshold distance away from the camera, feedback indicating that the user is too close to the camera or providing, responsive to determining that the user is more than the upper threshold distance away from the camera, feedback indicating that the user is too far from the camera.

11. The device of claim 9, the device including the camera.

12. The device of claim 9, the providing feedback further comprising providing the feedback while allowing an additional user to use the device.

13. The device of claim 9, the feedback comprising visual feedback that is blurring of a display image, the display image being non-blurred in response to the user being within the suitable distance range, and the display image being blurred in response to the user not being within the suitable distance range, an amount of blur in the display image being greater the further the user is away from the suitable distance range.

14. The device of claim 13, the device further comprising a display screen, and the display image being displayed on the display screen.

15. A device comprising a camera, a user alignment system, and one or more feedback components, the camera being configured to capture one or more images of a user, the one or more feedback components being configured to receive an indication of whether the user is within a suitable distance range for identifying features of the user from at least one of the one or more images of the user, the suitable distance range comprising a set of distances between an upper threshold distance away from the camera and a lower threshold distance away from the camera, the set of distances for the camera for a type of recognition being used for identifying the features of the user being accessible to a module determining whether the user is within the suitable distance range and to provide feedback indicating whether the user is within the suitable distance range, the one or more feedback components being also configured to provide one or a combination of audio feedback, visual feedback, and haptic feedback.

16. The device of claim 15, the one or more feedback components being configured to receive, from an additional device, the indication of whether the user is within a suitable distance range.

17. The device of claim 15, the providing feedback further comprising providing, responsive to determining that the user is less than the lower threshold distance away from the camera, feedback indicating that the user is too close to the camera or providing, responsive to determining that the user is more than the upper threshold distance away from the camera, feedback indicating that the user is too far from the camera.

18. The device of claim 15, the one or more feedback components being further configured to provide the feedback while allowing an additional user to use the device.

19. The device of claim 15, the feedback comprising visual feedback that is blurring of a display image, the display image being non-blurred in response to the user being within the suitable distance range, and the display image being blurred in response to the user not being within the suitable distance range, an amount of blur in the display image being greater the further the user is away from the suitable distance range.

20. The device of claim 15, the device further comprising a haptic feedback component, the feedback comprising haptic feedback and a frequency of vibration of the haptic feedback component changing as the user or device are moved so that the user is closer to the suitable distance range.