Automatic exposure module for an image acquisition system

1. A method for automatically determining exposure settings for an image acquisition system, the image acquisition system comprising an infra-red (IR) illumination source and an image sensor responsive to selected IR wavelengths, the method comprising:

acquiring an image of a subject from a camera module while the subject is illuminated by the IR illumination source;

determining a light condition from among an indoor light condition, an outdoor overcast light condition, and an outdoor sunny light condition present during the acquisition based on the acquired image of the subject, including detecting at least one feature of the subject in the acquired image and determining the lighting condition based on a region of the acquired image corresponding to the detected at least one feature;

determining a distance between the subject and the camera module during the acquisition based on the acquired image of the subject;

determining whether to make a correction of the image exposure settings for the camera module based on the determined distance and the determined light condition; and

responsive to determining to make the correction of the image exposure settings for the camera module:

determining image exposure settings corresponding to the determined distance and to the determined light condition; and

acquiring a new image of the subject using the determined image exposure settings.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

wherein the image exposure settings comprise an exposure time value and a gain value for the image sensor; and

determining the image exposure settings corresponding to the determined distance and to the determined light condition includes determining the image exposure settings corresponding to the determined distance from a look-up table for the determined light condition.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein in the look-up table for the determined light condition:

the exposure time values increase with the corresponding distance values until reaching a maximum value; and

after reaching the maximum value, the gain values increase with the corresponding distance values.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein until the exposure time values reach the maximum value the gain values increase with the corresponding distance values at a first rate, and after reaching of the maximum value the gain values increase with the corresponding distance values at a second rate higher than the first rate.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein until the exposure time values reach the maximum value the gain values are constant, and after the reaching of the maximum value the gain values start to increase with the corresponding distance values.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the look-up table is one of a plurality of look-up tables comprising a first look-up table, a second look-up table, and a third look-up table associated with an indoor condition, an outdoor overcast condition and an outdoor sunny condition, respectively.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein in the look-up table, a product of the exposure time and gain values increases with corresponding distance values.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to make a correction of the image exposure settings for the camera module comprises determining whether at least one of the determined light condition and the determined distance is different than a predetermined light condition and a predetermined distance.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the predetermined light condition is an indoor condition, and wherein the predetermined distance is about 30 cm.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one feature includes an anthropometric feature of the subject.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one feature is at least one eye portion within the acquired image.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the light condition occurring during the acquisition of the image comprises:

determining a value representative of a selected iris region of the at least one eye portion; and

determining the light condition based at least in part on the determined value.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the light condition based at least in part on the determined value includes:

comparing the determined value with a threshold to determine whether an outdoor sunny condition occurred; and

responsive to the determined value not exceeding the threshold:

determining at least one region of interest in the acquired image other than the selected iris region, wherein the at least one region of interest in the acquired image other than the selected iris region is the detected at least one feature of the subject in the acquired image; and

using a value representative of the at least one region of interest in a threshold comparison to discriminate between an indoor condition and an outdoor overcast condition.

14. An acquisition system comprising:

an infra-red (IR) illumination source;

an image sensor responsive to selected IR wavelengths; and

image processor arranged for executing the operations of claim 1 .

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium on which instructions are stored which, when executed on an image acquisition system, are configured for performing the operations of claim 1 .

16. A system for automatically determining exposure settings for an image acquisition system, wherein the image acquisition system comprises an infra-red (IR) illumination source and an image sensor responsive to selected IR wavelengths, the system comprising a processor executing instructions to:

acquire an image of a subject from a camera module while the subject is illuminated by the IR illumination source;

determine a light condition from among an indoor light condition, an outdoor overcast light condition, and an outdoor sunny light condition present during the acquisition based on the acquired image of the subject, including detecting at least one feature of the subject in the acquired image and determining the lighting condition based on a region of the acquired image corresponding to the detected at least one feature;

determine a distance between the subject and the camera module during the acquisition based on the acquired image of the subject;

determine whether to make a correction of the image exposure settings for the camera module based on the determined distance and the determined light condition;

responsive to determining to make the correction of the image exposure settings for the camera module:

determining image exposure settings corresponding to the determined distance and to the determined light condition; and

acquiring a new image of the subject using the determined image exposure settings.

17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one feature includes an anthropometric feature of the subject.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one feature is at least one eye portion within the acquired image.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein determining the light condition occurring during the acquisition of the image comprises:

determining a value representative of a selected iris region of the at least one eye portion; and

determining the light condition based at least in part on the determined value.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein determining the light condition based at least in part on the determined value includes:

comparing the determined value with a threshold to determine whether an outdoor sunny condition occurred; and

responsive to the determined value not exceeding the threshold:

determining at least one region of interest in the acquired image other than the selected iris region, wherein the at least one region of interest in the acquired image other than the selected iris region is the detected at least one feature of the subject in the acquired image; and

using a value representative of the at least one region of interest in a threshold comparison to discriminate between an indoor condition and an outdoor overcast condition.