Skin-Based User Recognition
Techniques are described for recognizing users based on optical or visual characteristics of their hands. When a user's hand is detected within an area, an image of the hand is captured and analyzed to detect or evaluate skin properties. Such skin properties are recorded and associated with a particular user for future recognition of that user. Recognition such as this may be used for user identification, for distinguishing between multiple users of a system, and/or for authenticating users.
1 . A system comprising:
one or more processors;
an imaging sensor;
a projector;
one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
projecting content onto a display area with the projector;
capturing one or more images of the display area with the imaging sensor;
analyzing the one or more images to determine skin properties of a hand of a user within the display area based at least in part on the one or more captured images, the skin properties including one or more visible characteristics of the skin; and
recognizing a user based on the determined skin properties.
2 . The system of claim 1 , the acts further comprising controlling the content in response to recognizing the user.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the one or more images includes applying a feature detection algorithm to the one or more images to determine a location of one or more of the skin properties on the hand of the user.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein recognizing the user comprises one or more of the following:
identifying the user;
distinguishing the user from among multiple users; or
authenticating the user.
5 . The system of claim 1 , the acts further comprising projecting non-visible light onto the display area in conjunction with the content, wherein the non-visible light reflects from the hand, and wherein the one or more captured images comprise images of the reflected non-visible light.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the skin properties comprise one or more of the following:
tone and/or color;
texture;
scars;
natural marks;
applied markings;
wrinkles;
hair;
hair density;
hair color;
lines; or
patterns.
7 . A method of user recognition, comprising:
capturing an image of a hand of a user;
determining skin properties of the hand based at least in part on the image;
recognizing the user based at least in part on the determined skin properties of the hand; and
controlling presentation of content in response to recognizing the user.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the controlling comprises selecting the content based at least in part on recognizing the user.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein recognizing the user comprises comparing the determined skin properties with previously determined skin properties of multiple users.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the image is of the back of the hand.
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the image comprises a two-dimensional image of the hand.
12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein recognizing the user comprises one or more of the following:
identifying the user;
distinguishing the user from among multiple users; or
authenticating the user.
13 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising illuminating the hand with non-visible light to produce a non-visible light image, wherein the image shows the non-visible light image.
14 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the skin properties comprise one or more color markings.
15 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the skin properties comprise one or more of the following:
tone and/or color;
texture;
scars;
natural marks;
applied markings;
wrinkles;
hair;
hair density;
hair color;
lines; or
patterns.
16 . One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
detecting a hand within an area;
analyzing the hand to determine one or more skin properties of the hand;
recognizing a user based on the one or more skin properties of the hand; and
controlling presentation of content in response to recognizing the user.
17 . The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the controlling comprises selecting the content based at least in part on recognizing the user.
18 . The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein recognizing the user comprises comparing the determined skin properties with previously determined skin properties of multiple users.
19 . The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein recognizing the user comprises one or more of the following:
identifying the user;
distinguishing the user from among multiple users; or
authenticating the user.
20 . The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16 , the acts further comprising capturing an image of the area, wherein the detecting comprises detecting the hand within the image.
21 . The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the analyzing includes applying a feature detection algorithm to the one or more images to determine a location of one or more of the skin properties on the hand of the user.
22 . The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16 , the acts further comprising:
illuminating the hand with non-visible light to produce a non-visible light image of the area;
capturing the non-visible light image of the area;
wherein the detecting comprises detecting the hand within the non-visible light image.
23 . The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the skin properties comprise one or more color markings.
24 . The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the skin properties comprise one or more of the following:
tone and/or color;
texture;
scars;
natural marks;
applied markings;
wrinkles;
hair;
hair density;
hair color;
lines; or
patterns.