System and method for identifying a person

• US 20050084138A1
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tactex Controls Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactex Controls Inc.
• Inventors: Reimer, Ernest M, Inkster, D Robert, Lokhorst, David M
• Application Number:
  US10/503,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20050084138A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/11 Hand-related biometrics; Hand pose recognition

Abstract

A method for verifying the identity of a person comprises providing a plurality of pressure transducers and deriving a key from pressures measured by the pressure transducers when a person presses a hand (or other body part) against the pressure transducers. The key can be compared to a previously stored reference key. Apparatus for verifying the identity of a person may have an array of pressure transducers coupled to a controller. The controller produces the key and compares it to a reference key.

Claims

1. A device for measuring the pressure profile applied by a person'"'"'s hand, comprising a plurality of sensors, each of which measures the pressure at known position, such that the pressure profile is characteristic to an individual.

2. A device as in claim 1 that is used for measuring the pressure distribution applied by a person'"'"'s finger, thumb, multiple fingers, palm, or any combination of these.

3. A device as in claim 1 comprising pressure sensors made of Kinotex™

.

4. A device as in claim 1 comprising pressure sensors made of force sensitive resistive material.

5. A device as in claim 1 comprising means for measuring and recording a time-history of the pressure signals.

6. A device as in claim 1 so arranged that a person may grasp it, and in which the pressure sensors are arranged so that the biometric pressure distribution of the grasp may be detected.

7. A device as in claim 6 that includes embedded processes that identify a time-varying grasp signature.

8. A device as in claim 1 that is mounted on a computer mouse.

9. A device as in claim 1 that is mounted on a computer keyboard.

10. A device as in claim 1 that is mounted on a handle on or nearby a door.

11. A device as in claim 1 that is affixed to the grip of a firearm.

12. A method for verifying the identity of a person, the method comprising:

recording signals from an array comprising a plurality of pressure sensors while the person presses a part of the person'"'"'s body against the array;

generating a key characteristic of the person from the recorded signals; and

,

comparing the key to a previously stored reference key.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the part of the person'"'"'s body is a hand.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein generating a key comprises decomposing a pressure profile comprising values of the recorded signals into components corresponding to a plurality of eigenvectors.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the eigenvectors are eigenvectors of a covariance matrix derived from a matrix of pressure profiles for a large number of people.

16. Apparatus for use in verifying the identification of a person, the apparatus comprising:

a surface;

a plurality of pressure transducers located to generate output signals in response to pressure being applied to the surface;

a controller connected to generate a key characteristic of a person from the output signals of the pressure transducers and to compare the key to a previously stored reference key.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 comprising an input device connected to the controller, the controller adapted to receive by way of the input device information identifying a person and to compare the key to one of a plurality of previously stored reference keys corresponding to the person.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)