Real-time facial recognition and verification system
View Patent ↗A system and method for acquiring, processing, and comparing an image with a stored image to determine if a match exists. In particular, the system refines the image data associated with an object based on pre-stored color values, such as flesh tone color. The system includes a storage element for storing flesh tone colors of a plurality of people, and a defining stage for localizing a region of interest in the image. A combination stage combines the unrefined region of interest with one or more pre-stored flesh tone colors to refine the region of interest based on color. This flesh tone color matching ensures that at least a portion of the image corresponding to the unrefined-region of interest having flesh tone color is incorporated into the refined region of interest. Hence, the system can localize the head, based on the flesh tone color of the skin of the face in a rapid manner. According to one practice, the refined region of interest is smaller than or about equal to the unrefined region of interest. This method and apparatus are particularly adapted to consumer devices such as hand-held devices and cars.
1. In a portable consumer apparatus having a processor capable of generating a representation corresponding to a facial image in a face space defined as a set of features that together characterize a variation between face images within a reference set of facial images, a method for authenticating a user of the portable consumer apparatus so that an authenticated user can access the portable consumer apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
capturing an image of the user attempting to use the portable consumer apparatus with an imaging means associated with the portable consumer apparatus;
generating a representation of the captured image in the face space, wherein generating a representation of the captured image in the face space comprises the steps of:
defining an unrefined region of interest corresponding to at least part of the user in the image, the unrefined region including flesh tone colors, and
combining the unrefined regions of interest with one or more flesh tone colors stored in a storage element to refine the region of interest to ensure that at least a portion of the image corresponding to the unrefined region of interest having flesh tone color is incorporated into the refined region of interest;
comparing the representation of the captured image with representations of facial images stored in a portable memory device accessible to the portable consumer device;
determining if the user whose facial image was captured is an authorized user of the portable consumer device by determining if the comparison of the captured image and a selected stored image is within one or more selected values; and
granting or denying access to the portable consumer apparatus based on the determination of whether the user is an authorized user.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable consumer apparatus is associated with a network and the portable consumer apparatus authenticates the user to access the network.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of granting limited access to the portable consumer apparatus based on a predetermined level of access associated with the authorized user.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable memory device comprises one or more memory cells internal to the portable consumer apparatus.
5. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of, comparing the representation of the captured image with representations of facial images stored in a remote memory device, wherein the remote memory device comprises a storage device associated with the network, the portable consumer apparatus communicating with the storage device via the network to at least authenticate the user.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable memory device is selected from a group consisting of a smart card, a passport, a credit card, a debit card, or a module having an interface for interfacing with the portable consumer apparatus and a housing that houses one or more memory cells.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of,
accessing a user profile for the authorized user held in the portable memory device upon granting access to the portable consumer apparatus; and
limiting the authorized user to a level of access based on the user profile.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of, determining the level of access to the portable consumer apparatus for the authorized user based on the user profile for the authorized user.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, storing the captured image in the portable memory device if access is denied to the portable consumer apparatus so as to provide an indication of an unauthorized user.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of processing the image of the consumer acquired by the imaging device to generate a representation that corresponds to a facial image in a facial space.
11. In a portable consumer apparatus having a processor capable of generating a representation corresponding to a facial image in a face space defined as a set of features that together characterize a variation between face images within a reference set of facial images, a method for authenticating a user of the portable consumer apparatus so that an authenticated user can access the portable consumer apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
capturing an image of the user attempting to use the portable consumer apparatus with an imaging means associated with the portable consumer apparatus;
generating a representation of the captured image in the face space;
comparing the representation of the captured image with representations of facial images stored in a portable memory device accessible to the portable consumer device;
determining if the user whose facial image was captured is an authorized user of the portable consumer device by determining if the comparison of the captured image and a selected stored image is within one or more selected values;
granting or denying access to the portable consumer apparatus based on the determination of whether the user is an authorized user;
accessing a user profile for the authorized user held in the portable memory device upon granting access to the portable consumer apparatus; and
limiting the authorized user to a level of access based on the user profile.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein generating a representation of the captured image in the face space comprises the steps of:
defining an unrefined region of interest corresponding to at least part of the user in the image, the unrefined region including flesh tone colors, and
combining the unrefined regions of interest with one or more flesh tone colors stored in a storage element to refine the region of interest to ensure that at least a portion of the image corresponding to the unrefined region of interest having flesh tone color is incorporated into the refined region of interest.