Imaging method and device using biometric information for operator authentication
View Patent ↗Essentially coincident with the capture of an image by the imaging device, biometric information indicating the identity of the operator of the device is obtained from at least one biometric sensor. The biometric information and captured image are then stored in a manner reliably associating each with the other. At a later time, biometric information is obtained from a supposed operator of the imaging device. By comparing this candidate biometric information with the stored biometric information, the supposed operator may be authenticated as the operator of the imaging device at the time of capture of the stored image.
1. An imaging device, comprising:
at least one biometric sensor for capturing biometric information indicative of an operator's identity;
a recording device, separate from said biometric sensor, for capturing an image, wherein said image is captured at approximately a same time as said biometric information is captured;
a storage medium for storing said biometric information in conjunction with said image.
2. The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a module for subsequent authentication of said operator's identity based on said stored biometric information.
3. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein said at least one biometric sensor is selected from the group consisting of fingerprint sensors, finger sensors, palm sensors, iris sensors, and face sensors.
4. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein said at least one biometric sensor is selected from the group consisting of capacitance measurement based sensors, resistance measurement based sensors, optical measurement based sensors, and ultrasonic measurement based sensors.
5. The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a module for analyzing said biometric information to create at least one biometric signature from said biometric information.
6. The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a module for generating a reduced representation of said biometric information.
7. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein said imaging device is any of a digital imaging device and a recording film based imaging device.
8. The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a processor for processing said biometric information and said captured image, prior to storing said biometric information and prior to storing said captured image.
9. The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein said processor subsequently verifies that said stored biometric information and said image have not been altered and/or falsified.
10. The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein said processor computes a digital signature.
11. The imaging device of claim 10 , wherein said digital signature is generated using a message digest.
12. The imaging device of claim 11 , wherein said message digest is created using a hashing algorithm applied to said captured image and said biometric information.
13. The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein said processor encrypts said captured image to produce an encrypted image.
14. An apparatus for authenticating the identity of an operator of an imaging device, comprising:
means for capturing biometric information indicative of an operator's identity;
means for capturing, separate from said means for capturing said biometric information, an image, wherein said image is captured at approximately a same time as said biometric information is captured;
means for storing said biometric information in conjunction with said image;
means for obtaining candidate biometric information indicating the identity of a supposed operator of said imaging device; and
a module for comparing said candidate biometric information and said stored biometric information to authenticate said supposed operator as said operator of said imaging device at a time of capture of said image.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said candidate biometric information is obtained directly from said supposed operator using a least one biometric sensor.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said candidate biometric information is obtained from a database of biometric information.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a module for verifying said stored biometric information and said stored image, after retrieving said stored biometric information, after retrieving said stored image, and prior to comparing said candidate biometric information and said stored biometric information to ensure that said stored biometric information and said stored image have not been altered and/or falsified.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said image is captured at approximately a same time as said biometric information is captured.
19. A method for storing an imaging device operator's identity, comprising the steps of:
capturing, with a biometric sensor, biometric information indicative of an operator's identity;
capturing, separate from said biometric sensor, an image with a recording device, wherein said image is captured at approximately a same time as said biometric information is captured; and
storing said biometric information in conjunction with said captured image.