Long distance multimodal biometric system and method

• US 20080069411A1
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morphotrust USA Incorporated (Advent International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Morphotrust USA Incorporated (Advent International Corporation)
• Inventors: Casaverde, Pablo, Muller, David, Tosa, Yasunari, McNerney, Tim, Usher, David, Friedman, Marc D., Hitchcock, David J., Bashir, Faisal
• Granted Patent: US 8,433,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

A system for multimodal biometric identification has a first imaging system that detects one or more subjects in a first field of view, including a targeted subject having a first biometric characteristic and a second biometric characteristic; a second imaging system that captures a first image of the first biometric characteristic according to first photons, where the first biometric characteristic is positioned in a second field of view smaller than the first field of view, and the first image includes first data for biometric identification; a third imaging system that captures a second image of the second biometric characteristic according to second photons, where the second biometric characteristic is positioned in a third field of view which is smaller than the first and second fields of view, and the second image includes second data for biometric identification. At least one active illumination source emits the second photons.

Claims

1. A system for multimodal biometric identification, the system comprising:

a first imaging system that detects one or more subjects in a first field of view, the one or more subjects including a targeted subject having a first biometric characteristic and a second biometric characteristic;

a second imaging system that captures a first image of the first biometric characteristic according to first photons reflecting from the first biometric characteristic, the first biometric characteristic being positioned in a second field of view which is smaller than the first field of view, and the first image including first data for biometric identification;

a third imaging system that captures a second image of the second biometric characteristic according to second photons reflecting from the second biometric characteristic, the second biometric characteristic being positioned in a third field of view which is smaller than the first and second fields of view, and the second image including second data for biometric identification;

at least one active illumination source that emits the second photons to be reflected from the second biometric characteristic; and

a controller that operates the first imaging system, the second imaging system, the third imaging system, and the at least one illumination source according to programmed instructions, the controller comprising at least one of;

one or more independent sub-controllers and one or more interdependent sub-controllers.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first biometric characteristic includes a face and the second biometric characteristic includes at least one iris corresponding to an eye of the targeted subject.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the controller determines a face position for the face according to the second field of view, the controller determines the third field of view according to the position of the face, and the controller determines an iris position for the at least one iris according to the third field of view.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second photons have at least one of a near-infrared wavelength and a visible wavelength.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one active illumination source further emits the first photons to be reflected from the first biometric characteristic, and the first photons have at least one of a visible wavelength, a near-infrared wavelength, and an infrared wavelength.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first imaging system receives passive illumination photons reflected from the one or more subjects, the passive illumination photons being generated by an external illumination source and having at least one of a visible wavelength, a near-infrared wavelength, and an infrared wavelength.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first photons to be reflected from the first biometric characteristic are passive illumination photons generated by an external illumination source and have at least one of a visible wavelength, a near-infrared wavelength, and an infrared wavelength.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller tracks, with the first imaging system, the one or more subjects in the first field of view.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first field of view provides a 360-degree view, and the first imaging system comprises a plurality of cameras configured to provide the 360-degress view.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines a position of the second field of view according to image data corresponding to the one or more subjects detected by the first imaging system.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a pan-tilt unit that aligns at least one of the first imaging system, the second imaging system, the third imaging system, and the at least one illumination system with the targeted subject.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more subjects are positioned between approximately one meter and approximately fifty meters from at least one of the first imaging system, the second imaging system and the third imaging system.

13. A method for multimodal biometric identification, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying one or more subjects in a first field of view;

selecting a targeted subject from the one or more subjects, the targeted subject having a first biometric characteristic and a second biometric characteristic;

aligning a second field of view to the first biometric characteristic, the second field of view being smaller than the first field of view;

aligning a third field of view to the second biometric characteristic, the third field of view being smaller than the first field of view and the second field of view;

actively illuminating with second photons the second biometric characteristic;

capturing a first image of the first biometric characteristic according to first photons, the first image including first data for biometric identification; and

capturing a second image of the second biometric characteristic according to the second photons, the second image including second data for biometric identification.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first biometric characteristic includes a face and the second biometric characteristic includes at least one iris corresponding to an eye of the targeted subject.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising determining a position for the face according to the second field of view, and determining an iris position for the at least one iris according to the third field of view.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the second photons have at least one of a near-infrared wavelength and a visible wavelength.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising actively illuminating with the first photons the first biometric characteristic, wherein the first photons have at least one of a visible wavelength, a near-infrared wavelength, and an infrared wavelength.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of identifying one or more subjects in a first field of view comprises receiving passive illumination photons reflected from the one or more subjects, the passive illumination photons being generated by an external illumination source and having at least one of a visible wavelength, a near-infrared wavelength, and an infrared wavelength.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first photons are passive illumination photons generated by an external illumination source and have at least one of a visible wavelength, a near-infrared wavelength, and an infrared wavelength.

20. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of tracking the one or more subjects in the first field of view.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of identifying one or more subjects in a first field of view comprises identifying one or more subjects in a 360-degree view.

22. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of determining a position of the second field of view according to image data corresponding to the one or more subjects.

23. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of processing the second image and realigning the third field of view according to the processed second image.

24. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of capturing a first image comprises receiving the first photons from a distance of approximately one meter to approximately fifty meters, or capturing a second image comprises the step of receiving the second photons from a distance of approximately one meter to approximately fifty meters.

25. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of enrolling the targeted subject or authenticating the targeted subject by matching the first data and the second data.