Facial signature methods, systems and software
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of generating a facial signature for use in identifying a human user or subject, the method comprising:
- capturing images of the face of the user or subject for which the facial signature is to be generated, the capturing comprising utilizing at least one camera having a view of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face;
executing an image rectification function to compensate for optical distortion and alignment of the at least one camera;
executing a feature correspondence function by detecting common features between corresponding images of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face captured by the at least one camera and measuring a relative distance in image space between the common features, to generate disparity values and a feature correspondence data representation representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values; and
utilizing the feature correspondence data representation to generate a facial signature data representation of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, the facial signature data representation comprising data representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values, and depth information for multiple image elements of a given captured image of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, the facial signature data representation being usable to accurately identify the user or subject in a secure, difficult to forge manner.
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Abstract
Methods, systems and computer program products (“software”) enable a virtual three-dimensional visual experience (referred to herein as “V3D”) in videoconferencing and other applications; the capturing, processing and displaying of images and image streams; and generation of a facial signature based on images of a given human user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, or lace and head, for accurate, reliable identification or authentication of a human user or subject, in a secure, difficult to forge manner.
78 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of generating a facial signature for use in identifying a human user or subject, the method comprising:
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capturing images of the face of the user or subject for which the facial signature is to be generated, the capturing comprising utilizing at least one camera having a view of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face; executing an image rectification function to compensate for optical distortion and alignment of the at least one camera; executing a feature correspondence function by detecting common features between corresponding images of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face captured by the at least one camera and measuring a relative distance in image space between the common features, to generate disparity values and a feature correspondence data representation representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values; and utilizing the feature correspondence data representation to generate a facial signature data representation of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, the facial signature data representation comprising data representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values, and depth information for multiple image elements of a given captured image of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, the facial signature data representation being usable to accurately identify the user or subject in a secure, difficult to forge manner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of generating a facial signature for use in identifying a human user or subject, the method comprising:
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capturing images of the user'"'"'s face, the capturing comprising utilizing at least one camera having a view of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face; executing an image rectification function to compensate for optical distortion and alignment of the at least one camera; executing a feature correspondence function by detecting common features between corresponding images captured by the at least one camera and measuring a relative distance in image space between the common features, to generate disparity values and a feature correspondence data representation representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values; and utilizing the feature correspondence data representation to generate a facial signature data representation, the facial signature data representation being usable to accurately identify the user or subject in a secure, difficult to forge manner; wherein the capturing comprises utilizing at least first and second cameras, each having a view of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face;
the cameras being arranged along an axis to configure a stereo camera pair; andwherein executing a feature correspondence function comprises;
detecting common features between corresponding images captured by the respective cameras and measuring a relative distance in image space between the common features, to generate disparity values;generating a disparity solution based on the disparity values; and applying an injective constraint to the disparity solution based on domain and co-domain, wherein the domain comprises pixels for a given image captured by the first camera and the co-domain comprises pixels for a corresponding image captured by the second camera, to enable correction of error in the disparity solution in response to violation of the injective constraint, wherein the injective constraint is that no element in the co-domain is referenced more than once by elements in the domain.
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18. A method of generating a facial signature for use in identifying a human user or subject, the method comprising:
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capturing images of the user'"'"'s face, the capturing comprising utilizing at least one camera having a view of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face; executing an image rectification function to compensate for optical distortion and alignment of the at least one camera; executing a feature correspondence function by detecting common features between corresponding images captured by the at least one camera and measuring a relative distance in image space between the common features, to generate disparity values and a feature correspondence data representation representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values; and utilizing the feature correspondence data representation to generate a facial signature data representation, the facial signature data representation being usable to accurately identify the user or subject in a secure, difficult to forge manner; wherein the capturing comprises utilizing at least three cameras having a view of the scene, wherein a first pair of cameras is disposed along a first axis and second pair of cameras is disposed along a second axis intersecting with, but angularly displaced from, the first axis, and wherein the first and second pairs of cameras represent respective first and second independent stereo axes that share a common camera; executing a feature correspondence function by detecting, common features between corresponding images captured by the at least three cameras and measuring a relative distance in image space between the common features, to generate disparity values; generating a data representation, representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values; and utilizing an unrectified, undistorted (URUD) image space to integrate disparity data for pixels between the first and second stereo axes, thereby to combine disparity data from the first and second axes, wherein the URUD space is an image space in which polynomial lens distortion has been removed from the image data but the captured image remains unrectified.
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19. A digital processing system for generating a facial signature for use in identifying a human user or subject, the digital processing system comprising at least one camera having a view of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, and a digital processing resource comprising at least one digital processor, the digital processing resource being operable to;
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capture images of the face of the user or subject for which the facial signature is to be generated, utilizing the at least one camera; execute an image rectification function to compensate for optical distortion and alignment of the at least one camera; execute a feature correspondence function by detecting common features between corresponding images of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face captured by the at least one camera and measuring a relative distance in image space between the common features, to generate disparity values and a feature correspondence data representation representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values; and utilize the feature correspondence data representation to generate a facial signature data representation of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, the facial signature data representation comprising data representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values and, depth information for multiple image elements of a given captured image of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, the facial signature data representation being usable to accurately identify the user or subject in a secure, difficult to forge manner.
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20. A non transitory digital processor-readable medium for use with a digital processing system, for generating a facial signature for use in identifying a human user or subject, the digital processing system comprising at least one camera having a view of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, and a digital processing resource comprising at least one digital processor, the non-transitory digital processor-readable medium comprising digital processor-executable program instructions stared on the non-transitory processor-readable medium, which when executed in the digital processing resource cause the digital processing resource to:
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capture images of the face of the user or subject for which the facial signature is to be generated, utilizing the at least one camera; execute an image rectification function to compensate for optical distortion and alignment of the at least one camera; execute a feature correspondence function by detecting common features between corresponding images of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face captured by the at least one camera and measuring a relative distance in image space between the common features, to generate disparity values and a feature correspondence data representation representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values; and utilize the feature correspondence data representation to generate a facial signature data representation of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, the facial signature data representation comprising data representative of the captured images and the corresponding disparity values, and depth information for multiple image elements of a given captured image of the user'"'"'s or subject'"'"'s face, the facial signature data representation being usable to accurately identify the user or subject in a secure, difficult to forge manner.
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Specification