WO2004100052A1

WO2004100052A1 - Iris identification camera

Info

Publication number: WO2004100052A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/000910
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kyeong-Yong Choi; Jin-Soo Lee
Original assignee: Qritek Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2003-05-07
Filing date: 2004-04-21
Publication date: 2004-11-18
Also published as: KR200321670Y1

Abstract

Disclosed is an iris identification camera apparatus for obtaining an iris image having a good quality at a low cost by means of a simple structured camera. The iris identification camera includes a fixed focus camera for obtaining an accurate iris image in a short period of time and easily adjusting a focal distance for obtaining the iris image without the use of a mechanical driving unit, thereby having high endurance and reduced production cost. The iris identification camera apparatus includes a cold mirror (10), formed in a concave shape, serving as a mirror for adjusting a regular position of the iris, a plurality of infrared lamps (20) installed in the rear of the cold mirror for supplying light which passes through the cold mirror, and a camera (30) installed in the rear of the cold mirror for photographing the iris.

Description

IRIS IDENTIFICATION CAMERA

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an iris identification camera apparatus, and more particularly to an iris identification camera apparatus having a simple structure and a low price, which obtains an iris image having an excellent quality.

Background Art

[2] As well known to those skilled in the art, security systems employ an authentication method using an iris frill of an individual.

[3] Differing from an authentication method using a fingerprint, such an authentication method using the iris frill is advantageous in that it is completed by photographing an iris with a camera in a non-contact manner.

[4] Irises of people have characteristic patterns according to individuals, thereby allowing the individuals to be identified.

[5] The photographing of the iris requires the quality of the obtained iris image to be in a designated range in order to secure the identification and is carried out in the non- contact manner, thus having various methods for obtaining the image having a uniform quality.

[6] Conventionally, various iris identification camera apparatus for obtaining an iris image having a good quality were proposed.

[7] For example, there is disclosed an iris identification camera apparatus having a wide-angle camera and a narrow-angle camera. First, the wide-angle camera recognizes a facial shape of a person by means of pattern matching, and calculates a position of a right or left eye from the facial shape. Then, the narrow-angle camera serving as a long-focus camera is directed to the side of an iris of the eye, and is focused onto the iris in a high density by means of an automatic focusing technique.

[8] In order to shorten time taken to focus the iris by means of the narrow-angle camera, a focus lens of the narrow-angle camera is transferred at a high speed to a preset position close to a focal point, and the search of a focal position is started from the preset position.

[9] Accordingly, a conventional iris photographing apparatus comprises one narrow- angle camera and two wide-angle cameras respectively arranged on right and left sides of the narrow-angle camera, thereby calculating a distance therefrom to a subject in a stereo-camera manner. [10] Since the conventional iris photographing apparatus comprises multiple cameras, the apparatus is disadvantageous in that it has a high production cost. Further, since the narrow-angle camera of the conventional iris photographing apparatus is operated to automatically focus, in case that the subject moves and the focus is deviated from an original position within a period of time taken to move the lens to search the focus, the adjustment of the focus must be repeated, thus increasing the time required.

[11] Consequently, the iris photographing apparatus comprising an automatic focusing camera using a zooming in/out and tilting procedure has a high cost and several disadvantages.

[12] On the other hand, Korean Patent Laidopen ). 2001-70904 discloses a fixed focusing camera being economic compared to the above -described automatic focusing- type iris photographing apparatus. Here, a PC camera is used as the fixed focusing camera. E wever, since a user moves the fixed focusing camera so as to adjust a focal distance suitable for photographing his/her iris, it is difficult to obtain an iris image having a good quality. Thus, the above fixed focusing camera has lot's of problems to be suitable for the iris identification.

[13] With iris photographing apparatuses using the above fixed focusing apparatus, it is difficult to accurately locate an iris of a user at a designated focal position. In order to solve the above problem, an additional lamp for inducing a focal distance observed by the user is installed in the iris photographing apparatuses. Ebwever, since the user observes light of the induction lamp incident onto all sides and moves the lamp for focusing the iris, it is difficult to obtain an accurate iris image and the iris photographing apparatus provided with the induction lamp has a complicated structure.

[14] The conventional iris photographing apparatuses for obtaining an iris image by pursuing the position of the iris using a fan tilt and a zoom camera has a high price and requires a complicated operation for processing the iris image, thus increasing manufacturing and operating costs thereof and being incapable of being widely used. Further, the conventional iris photographing apparatuses using the fixed focusing camera have a low price, but since the apparatuses set an optimum position for photographing the iris by user's feel or to a random position, the apparatuses are disadvantageous in that the quality of the obtained iris image is deteriorated. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Solution

[15] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an iris identification camera apparatus, which employs a fixed focus camera for obtaining an accurate iris image in a short period of time and easily adjusting a focal distance for obtaining the iris image without the use of a mechanical driving unit, thereby having high endurance and reduced production cost.

[16] In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of an iris identification camera apparatus comprising: a cold mirror, formed in a concave shape, serving as a minor for adjusting a regular position of the iris; a plurality of infrared lamps installed in the rear of the cold minor for supplying light which passes through the cold minor; and a camera installed in the rear of the cold minor for photographing the iris.

Description of Drawings

[17] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[18] Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an iris identification camera apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

[19] Fig. 2 is a front view of the iris identification camera apparatus in accordance with the present invention; and

[20] Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the concave cold minor showing the reflection of a user's iris in accordance with the present invention.

Best Mode

[21] N)w, a prefened embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to annexed drawings.

[22] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in an iris identification camera apparatus in accordance with the present invention, provided with a single focus camera for obtaining an iris image and a cold minor for placing an iris of a user near the single focus camera to set a focal distance, a cold minor 10 formed in a concave shape serves as a minor for adjusting a regular position of the iris, a plurality of infrared lamps 20 for supplying light which passes through the cold minor 10 and is used for photographing the iris are installed in the rear of the cold minor 10, and a camera 30 for photographing the iris is installed in the rear of the cold minor 10.

[23] A guide circle 12 in Fig. 3, in which the iris of the user is positioned, may be marked on a spherical surface of the cold minor 10.

[24] Here, non-described reference numeral 32 represents a lens of the camera 30.

[25] Hereinafter, function of the iris identification camera apparatus in accordance with the present invention will be described in detail.

[26] In case that a user approaches the iris identification camera apparatus of the present invention, the user applies his/her eye close to the concaved cold minor 10, and then, infrared light outputted from the infrared lamps 20 and passing through the cold minor 10 is illuminated onto an iris of the user's eye. The user observes the image of his/her own iris, and adjusts his/her own iris so that the iris is positioned within the guide circle 12 of the cold minor 10. Then, the image of the iris of the user's eye is photographed by the camera 30 under the condition that the iris is positioned within the guide circle 12 of the cold minor 10.

[27] Here, the user observes his/her own iris by means of the reflection of the cold minor 10, thereby inducing the iris to be positioned in a focal distance of the camera 30. The camera 30 is designed such that the camera 30 is focused on the iris at a distance where the iris fills the guide circle 12. The user can easily locate his/her eye at the exact position because the focal distance of the concave cold minor is just designed and fitted for the focal distance of the camera.

[28] Since the above-described single focus camera is inexpensive, the iris identification camera apparatus using the single focus camera is low-priced. Further, since the single focus camera does not require tilting, zooming in/out and automatic focusing operations, it is possible to prevent the single focus camera from being mechanically worn out and thus to lengthen the life span of the single focus camera. Moreover, since the focal distance of the iris identification camera apparatus is maintained by adjusting the position of the user's iris to the cold minor, it is possible to photograph the user's iris in a long period of time without the deviation of the focal distance due to the shake or change of the position of the user's eye or the deviation of the user's eye.

Industrial Applicability

[29] As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides an iris identification camera apparatus for obtaining an iris image by allowing a user to approach to a certain system, equipment, apparatus, etc. using iris information, thereby having increased endurance and high reliability in photographing a user's iris and being manufactured at a low price. Further, the iris identification camera apparatus of the present invention allows the user to easily obtain a focal position for photographing the user's iris, thus obtaining a clear iris image and having a simple photographing process so as to provide convenience to the user.

[30] Although the prefened embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modi- fications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

[1] An iris identification camera apparatus provided with a single focus camera for obtaining an iris image and a cold mirror for placing an iris of a user near the single focus camera to set a focal position, comprising: a cold minor, formed in a concave shape, serving as the minor for adjusting a regular position of the iris; a plurality of infrared lamps installed in the rear of the cold mirror for supplying light which passes through the cold minor; and a camera installed in the rear of the cold minor for photographing the iris. [2] The iris identification camera apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a guide circle, in which the user's iris is positioned, is marked on a spherical surface of the cold minor.