SYNTHETIC MASKED BIOMETRIC SIGNATURES

1 . A method, comprising:

receiving a first face image;

combining a mask image with the first face image to obtain a second face image;

generating a first biometric signature of the second face image;

storing the first biometric signature in association with identification information; and

using the first biometric signature to identify a person in an image.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask image is an image of a respiration mask or an image of a respirator.

3 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:

determining a defined region of the first face image; and

superimposing the mask image over the first face image within the defined region.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the defined region is between a bridge of a nose of the first face image and a chin of the first face image.

5 . The method of claim 3 , comprising:

determining a first edge of the defined region along a line between a nose bridge in the first face image and a nose tip in the first image;

determining a second edge of the defined region relative to a chin of the first face image; and

determining a third edge and a fourth edge of the defined region relative to edges of cheeks in the first face image.

6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:

receiving a third face image;

generating a second biometric signature of the third face image;

calculating a difference between the first biometric signature and the second biometric signature;

comparing the difference to a first set of criteria for authentication; and

as a result of the difference satisfying a defined threshold, determining that the third face image corresponds to the identity.

7 . The method of claim 6 , comprising:

assessing whether one or more characteristics of the first face image satisfy a second set of criteria, wherein determining that the third face image corresponds to the identity is as a result of confirming that the one or more characteristics of the first face image satisfy the second set of criteria.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the second set of criteria include criteria involving one or more characteristics of a size of the first face image, a pose of a face in the first face image, a sharpness of the first face image, and a contrast quality of the first face image.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein superimposing the mask image includes providing the first face image to a neural network trained to generate a new image by superimposing an object image on a target image.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the neural network is a generative adversarial network or a variational autoencoder.

11 . A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, as a result of execution by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

receive a first face image;

obtain a mask image from data storage;

combine the mask image with the first face image to obtain a second face image;

generate a first biometric signature of the second face image;

store the first biometric signature in association with identification information; and

authenticate an identity of a person in an image using the first biometric signature.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the system to:

determine a defined region of the first face image; and

superimpose the mask image over the first face image within the defined region.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the system to:

determine a first edge of the defined region along a line between a nose bridge in the first face image and a nose tip in the first image;

determine a second edge of the defined region relative to a chin of the first face image; and

determine a third edge and a fourth edge of the defined region relative to edges of cheeks in the first face image.

14 . The system of claim 11 , comprising:

a neural network trained to combine the mask image with the first face image to obtain the second face image.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the system to:

receive a third face image;

generate a second biometric signature of the third face image;

calculate a difference between the first biometric signature and the second biometric signature;

compare the difference to a first set of criteria for authentication; and

as a result of the difference satisfying a defined threshold, determine that the third face image corresponds to the identity.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the mask image is an image of personal protective equipment.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, as a result of execution by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a first face image;

obtain a mask image from data storage;

superimpose the mask image on a defined region of the first face image to obtain a second face image;

generate a first biometric signature of the second face image;

store the first biometric signature in association with identification information; and

authenticate an identity of a person in an image using the first biometric signature.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the one or more processors to:

receive a third face image captured by a camera, the third face image not including an image of protective equipment;

generate a second biometric signature of the third face image;

calculate a difference between the first biometric signature and the second biometric signature;

compare the difference to a first set of criteria for authentication; and

as a result of the difference satisfying a defined threshold, determine that the third face image corresponds to the identity.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the one or more processors to:

assess whether one or more characteristics of the first face image satisfy a set of criteria, wherein the first biometric signature is stored as a result of confirmation that the one or more characteristics of the first face image satisfy the set of criteria.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the one or more processors to:

determine a defined region of the first face image, wherein the mask image is superimposed over the first face image within the defined region.