Image processing method and apparatus

1. An image processing device comprising:

an image sensor for acquiring an image depicting one or more face regions; and

a processing module configured to:

select, from said one or more face regions, a particular face region that includes one or more eye-iris regions;

analyze the one or more eye-iris regions to select a particular eye-iris region that comprises a particular eye-iris pattern, which allows to biometrically identify a person depicted in said image;

submit one or more eye-iris patterns, from the one or more eye-iris regions, to a biometric authentication unit (BAU);

for the particular eye-iris pattern, from the one or more eye-iris patterns:

receive, from the BAU, a BAU generated eye-iris code confirming that the particular eye-iris pattern is of a quality insufficient to biometrically identify an individual;

adjust a contrast of the particular eye-iris pattern; and

in response to adjusting the contrast of the particular eye-iris pattern, re-submit the adjusted particular eye-iris pattern to the BAU for confirming that the adjusted particular eye-iris pattern is of a quality sufficient to biometrically identify the individual;

generate a substitute eye-iris region comprising a substitute eye-iris pattern that is distinct from the particular eye-iris pattern included in the particular eye-iris region;

wherein the substitute eye-iris pattern does not allow to biometrically identify said person;

replace, in the particular face region, the particular eye-iris region with the substitute eye-iris region; and

store, in a storage device, said image, which includes the substitute eye-iris region in the particular face region.

2. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

detect an eye region within said one or more face regions;

determine, for the eye region, one or more details including one or more of: an eye size, focus, local contrast or sharpness; and

based on the one or more details, determine that the particular eye-iris pattern from the eye region has a quality insufficient to biometrically identify an individual.

3. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

determine a size or an area of the particular eye-iris region; and

based on the size or the area, determine that the particular eye-iris region has a quality sufficient to biometrically identify an individual.

4. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

determine a shape of the particular eye-iris region; and

based on the shape, determine that the particular eye-iris region has a quality sufficient to biometrically identify an individual.

5. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

determine a local contrast of the particular eye-iris region between a pupil and a sclera; and

based on the local contrast, determine that the particular eye-iris region has a quality sufficient to biometrically identify an individual.

6. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

store, in the storage device, the particular eye-iris region as a possible substitute eye-iris region for other persons.

7. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

retrieve two or more eye-iris patterns from the storage device;

segment the two or more eye-iris patterns to generate a plurality of eye-iris segments; and

generate the substitute eye-iris region from two or more eye-iris segments of the plurality of eye-iris segments that have a similar angle of segmentation with each other.

8. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

synthesize a new eye-iris pattern by patch sampling one or more eye-iris patterns; and

generate the substitute eye-iris region from the new eye-iris pattern.

9. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

compare the substitute eye-iris pattern with the particular eye-iris pattern; and

based on the comparison, determine a distinction metric between the substitute eye-iris region and the particular eye-iris region.

10. The image processing device of claim 9 , wherein:

the distinction metric is a Hamming Distance;

wherein the processing module is further configured to:

extract a new eye-iris code from the substitute eye-iris pattern;

calculate the Hamming Distance based on the BAU generated eye-iris code and the new eye-iris code; and

compare the Hamming Distance with a threshold to determine if the substitute eye-iris region is sufficiently distinct from the particular eye-iris region.

11. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to: blend the substitute eye-iris region into the particular eye-iris region within said image.

12. The image processing device of claim 11 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

match a luminance distribution of the substitute eye-iris region with a luminance distribution of the particular eye-iris region.

13. The image processing device of claim 1 , wherein the processing module is further configured to:

determine an eye-iris code for the particular eye-iris pattern;

wherein the eye-iris code is a numerical representation derived from the particular eye-iris pattern based on an analysis of the particular eye-iris pattern;

scramble at least a portion of the eye-iris code to generate a scrambled eye-iris code that is different from the eye-iris code;

based on the scrambled eye-iris code, generate the substitute eye-iris pattern corresponding to the scrambled eye-iris code; and

based on the substitute eye-iris pattern, generate the substitute eye-iris region comprising the substitute eye-iris pattern.

14. A method comprising:

acquiring an image including one or more face regions;

selecting, from said one or more face regions, a particular face region that includes one or more eye-iris regions;

analyzing the one or more eye-iris regions to select a particular eye-iris region that comprises a particular eye-iris pattern, which allows to biometrically identify a person depicted in said image;

wherein said analyzing further comprises:

submitting one or more eye-iris patterns, from the one or more eye-iris regions, to a biometric authentication unit (BAU);

for the particular eye-iris pattern, from the one or more eye-iris patterns:

receiving, from the BAU, a BAU generated eye-iris code confirming that the particular eye-iris pattern is of a quality insufficient to biometrically identify an individual;

adjusting a contrast of the particular eye-iris pattern; and

in response to adjusting the contrast of the particular eye-iris pattern, re-submitting the adjusted particular eye-iris pattern to the BAU for confirming that the adjusted particular eye-iris pattern is of a quality sufficient to biometrically identify the individual;

generating a substitute eye-iris region comprising a substitute eye-iris pattern that is distinct from the particular eye-iris pattern included in the particular eye-iris region;

wherein the substitute eye-iris pattern does not allow to biometrically identify said person;

replacing, in the particular face region, the particular eye-iris region with the substitute eye-iris region;

storing, in a storage device, said image, which includes the substitute eye-iris region in the particular face region; and

wherein said method is performed by one or more computing devices.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said analyzing further comprises:

determining a local contrast of the particular eye-iris region between a pupil and a sclera; and

based on the local contrast, determining that the particular eye-iris region has a quality sufficient to biometrically identify an individual.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said generating the substitute eye-iris region further comprises:

retrieving two or more eye-iris patterns from the storage device;

segmenting the two or more eye-iris patterns to generate a plurality of eye-iris segments; and

generating the substitute eye-iris region from two or more eye-iris segments of the plurality of eye-iris segments that have a similar angle of segmentation with each other.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

comparing the substitute eye-iris pattern with the particular eye-iris pattern; and

based on the comparing, determining a distinction metric between the substitute eye-iris region and the particular eye-iris region.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein said generating the substitute eye-iris region further comprises:

determining an eye-iris code for the particular eye-iris pattern;

wherein the eye-iris code is a numerical representation derived from the particular eye-iris pattern based on an analysis of the particular eye-iris pattern;

scrambling at least a portion of the eye-iris code to generate a scrambled eye-iris code that is different from the eye-iris code;

based on the scrambled eye-iris code, generating the substitute eye-iris pattern corresponding to the scrambled eye-iris code; and

based on the substitute eye-iris pattern, generating the substitute eye-iris region comprising the substitute eye-iris pattern.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of:

acquiring an image including one or more face regions;

selecting, from said one or more face regions, a particular face region that includes one or more eye-iris regions;

analyzing the one or more eye-iris regions to select a particular eye-iris region that comprises a particular eye-iris pattern, which allows to biometrically identify a person depicted in said image;

submitting one or more eye-iris patterns, from the one or more eye-iris regions, to a biometric authentication unit (BAU);

for the particular eye-iris pattern, from the one or more eye-iris patterns:

receiving, from the BAU, a BAU generated eye-iris code confirming that the particular eye-iris pattern is of a quality insufficient to biometrically identify an individual;

adjusting a contrast of the particular eye-iris pattern;

in response to adjusting the contrast of the particular eye-iris pattern, re-submitting the adjusted particular eye-iris pattern to the BAU for confirming that the adjusted particular eye-iris pattern is of a quality sufficient to biometrically identify the individual;

generating a substitute eye-iris region comprising a substitute eye-iris pattern that is distinct from the particular eye-iris pattern included in the particular eye-iris region;

wherein the substitute eye-iris pattern does not allow to biometrically identify said person;

replacing, in the particular face region, the particular eye-iris region with the substitute eye-iris region; and

storing, in a storage device, said image, which includes the substitute eye-iris region in the particular face region.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed, cause:

determining a local contrast of the particular eye-iris region between a pupil and a sclera; and

based on the local contrast, determining that the particular eye-iris region has a quality sufficient to biometrically identify an individual.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed, cause:

retrieving two or more eye-iris patterns from the storage device;

segmenting the two or more eye-iris patterns to generate a plurality of eye-iris segments; and

generating the substitute eye-iris region from two or more eye-iris segments of the plurality of eye-iris segments that have a similar angle of segmentation with each other.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed, cause:

comparing the substitute eye-iris pattern with the particular eye-iris pattern; and

based on the comparing, determining a distinction metric between the substitute eye-iris region and the particular eye-iris region.

23. The image processing device of claim 13 , wherein the eye-iris code is a binary sequence and the scrambled eye-iris code is derived by flipping one or more bits in the eye-iris code.

24. The image processing device of claim 23 , wherein the one or more bits in the eye-iris code are selected randomly.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause:

determining an eye-iris code for the particular eye-iris pattern;

wherein the eye-iris code is a numerical representation derived from the particular eye-iris pattern based on an analysis of the particular eye-iris pattern;

scrambling at least a portion of the eye-iris code to generate a scrambled eye-iris code that is different from the eye-iris code;

based on the scrambled eye-iris code, generating the substitute eye-iris pattern corresponding to the scrambled eye-iris code; and

based on the substitute eye-iris pattern, generating the substitute eye-iris region comprising the substitute eye-iris pattern.