Contactless multispectral biometric capture

• US 8,831,297 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HID Global Corporation (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Lumidigm Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Rowe, Robert K., Ennis, Matthew, Corcoran, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): STREGE, JOHN B
• Application Number:
  US13/034,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20110235872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 382/124
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1312 direct reading, e.g. contactless acquisition

Abstract

A number of biometric systems and methods are disclosed. A system according to one embodiment includes an illumination subsystem, an imaging subsystem, and an analyzer. The illumination subsystem is disposed to illuminate a target space. The imaging subsystem is configured to image the target space under distinct optical conditions. The analyzer is provided in communication with the illumination subsystem, the imaging subsystem, and the three-dimensional subsystem. The analyzer also has instructions to operate the subsystems to collect substantially simultaneously a plurality of images of the object disposed at the predetermined spatial location under multispectral conditions.

Claims

1. A contactless biometric system comprising:

one or more illumination sources configured to illuminate a purported skin site located within a target space;

a plurality of imagers configured to receive light from the target space under multispectral conditions, wherein each imager is configured to receive light from a different subspace of the target space; and

an analyzer communicatively coupled with the one or more illumination sources and the plurality of imagers, the analyzer configured to control the operation of the one or more illumination sources and the plurality of imagers in order to produce a multispectral image of an object placed within the target space from the light received at any or all the imagers.

2. The contactless biometric system according to claim 1, wherein the analyzer is further configured to control the imagers such that the imagers simultaneously receive light from the target space under multispectral conditions.

3. The contactless biometric system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of imagers are arranged substantially coplanar.

4. The contactless biometric system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of imagers include at least one wafer-level camera.

5. The contactless biometric system according to claim 1, wherein the analyzer further comprises a plurality of processors, wherein each of the plurality of imagers are coupled with at least one processor.

6. The contactless biometric system according to claim 1, wherein the target space is adapted to receive a human hand.

7. The contactless biometric system according to claim 1, wherein a first subset of the plurality of imagers is focused on a first focal plane and a second subset of the plurality of imagers is focused on a second focal plane.

8. The contactless biometric system according to claim 1, wherein the target space is not defined by a platen.

9. A method for collecting a biometric image comprising:

illuminating a target space with one or more illumination sources;

receiving light scattered from a portion of a purported skin site of an individual located within a first subspace of said target space with a first imager;

receiving light scattered from a portion of the skin site located within a second subspace of said target space with a second imager, wherein the second imager is separate from the first imager;

deriving a multispectral image of at least a portion of an object within said target space from the light received at either or both of the first imager and the second imager; and

determining the identity of the individual from the multispectral image.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising performing a liveliness function with the multispectral image.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising performing a spoof-detection function with the multispectral image.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising deriving spatially distributed multispectral characteristics from the multispectral image.

13. A contactless biometric system comprising:

an illumination subsystem disposed to illuminate a predetermined spatial location in free space;

an imaging subsystem disposed to collect light scattered by a purported skin site located within the predetermined spatial location, wherein the imaging subsystem includes two separate imagers;

sensing means for sensing when the purported skin site is placed substantially within the predetermined spatial location; and

an analyzer in communication with the illumination subsystem, the imaging subsystem, and the sensing subsystem, wherein the analyzer comprises instructions to operate the illumination subsystem, the imaging subsystem, and the sensing subsystem to derive a multispectral image of an object placed within the target space and imaged by the one or more imagers.

14. The contactless biometric system according to claim 13, wherein the sensing means and the imaging subsystem comprise a single subsystem.

15. The contactless biometric system according to claim 13, wherein the sensing means includes stereoscopic imagers.

16. The contactless biometric system according to claim 13, wherein the sensing means includes stereoscopic illuminators.

17. The contactless biometric system according to claim 13, wherein the imaging subsystem comprises at least a first imager and a second imager configured to image light from the predetermined spatial location substantially simultaneously.

18. The contactless biometric system according to claim 13, wherein the sensing means includes at least one imager and a color filter array with a plurality of color mosaics, wherein each pixel of the imager corresponds to one of the plurality of color mosaics such that each pixel detects light associated with the corresponding color, and wherein the analyzer includes instructions to monitor the levels of blue light received at the imager through the color filter array and compute a mathematical function on the levels of blue light in proportion with levels of other light.

19. The contactless biometric system according to claim 18, wherein the color filter array is a Bayer filter array.

20. A contactless biometric system comprising:

an illumination subsystem disposed to illuminate a predetermined spatial location in free space;

an imager configured to receive light scattered from an object located within the predetermined spatial location, the imager comprising a plurality of pixels;

a color filter array comprising a plurality of color mosaics, wherein each pixel of the imager corresponds to one of the plurality of color mosaics such that each pixel detects light associated only with the corresponding color mosaic, and an analyzer in communication with the illumination subsystem and the imager, wherein the analyzer comprises instructions to operate the illumination subsystem and the imager, and wherein the analyzer includes instructions to monitor the levels of blue light received at the imager through the color filter array and compute a mathematical function on the levels of blue light in proportion with levels of other light received at the imager.

21. A system as defined in claim 20, further including a second imager together with the imager, the two imagers configured to image light from the predetermined spatial location substantially simultaneously.

22. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the imagers are arranged substantially coplanar.

23. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the imagers include at least one wafer-level camera.

24. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the first imager is focused on a first focal plane and the second imager is focused on a second focal plane.

25. A system as defined in claim 20, further comprising performing a liveliness function with the light received at the imager.

26. A system as defined in claim 20, further comprising performing a spoof-detection function with the light received at the imager.