Method for user authentication, and video communication apparatus and display apparatus thereof

1. A method for user authentication in a video communication apparatus, the video communication apparatus including a user authentication unit, the method comprising:

receiving image data of a plurality of users;

detecting a face region of each of the plurality of users by using the received image data;

performing, by the user authentication unit, a user authentication by comparing face feature information corresponding to each of the detected face regions with pre-registered face feature information;

dividing the detected face regions into face regions for authenticated users and face regions for unauthenticated users in accordance with the user authentication result;

permitting, by the user authentication unit, an access to a video communication service by a user corresponding to at least one of the detected face regions using the user authentication result; and

displaying the face regions for the authenticated users and the face regions for the unauthenticated users differently on a screen associated with the video communication apparatus.

2. The user authentication method according to claim 1 , wherein the permitting step automatically allows the access to the video communication service by the user corresponding to at least one of the detected face regions, if the face feature information of said user correlates with the pre-registered face feature information.

3. The user authentication method according to claim 1 , wherein the performing step includes:

extracting the face feature information from each of the detected face regions;

comparing the extracted face feature information from each of the detected face regions with the pre-registered face feature information; and

authenticating a user corresponding to one of the detected face regions when the extracted face feature information for said one of the detected regions substantially coincides with the pre-registered face feature information according to the comparison result.

4. The user authentication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

automatically logging off, for the video communication service, a user corresponding to one of the detected face regions when a face region of said user is no longer detected by an image capturing unit of the video communication apparatus.

5. The user authentication method according to claim 1 , wherein the permitting step includes:

automatically logging in, for the video communication service, the user corresponding to at least one of the detected face regions.

6. The user authentication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying, on the screen, the user authentication result for each of the detected face regions.

7. The user authentication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a selection of any one of the face regions for the authenticated users displayed on the screen, wherein the permitting step permits the user corresponding to the selected face region to access the video communication service using the video communication apparatus.

8. The user authentication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a selection of one of the face regions for the unauthenticated users displayed on the screen; and

registering face feature information of the selected face region for the video communication service.

9. The user authentication method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting the user authentication result to an external apparatus, wherein the user authentication result is displayed on an external display associated with the external apparatus.

10. A video communication apparatus, comprising:

a face detection unit configured to detect a face region of each of a plurality of users based on received image data of the plurality of users;

a user authentication unit configured to perform a user authentication by comparing face feature information corresponding to each of the detected face regions with pre-registered face feature information, to permit an access to a video communication service by a user corresponding to at least one of the detected face regions using the user authentication result, and to divide the detected face regions into face regions for authenticated users and face regions for unauthenticated users in accordance with the user authentication result; and

a display unit including a screen and configured to display the face regions for the authenticated users and the face regions for the unauthenticated users differently on the screen.

11. The video communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the user authentication unit automatically allows the access to the video communication service by the user corresponding to at least one of the detected face regions, if the face feature information of said user correlates with the pre-registered face feature information.

12. The video communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the user authentication unit performs the user authentication by:

extracting the face feature information from each of the detected face regions;

comparing the extracted face feature information from each of the detected face regions with the pre-registered face feature information; and

authenticating a user corresponding to one of the detected face regions when the extracted face feature information for said one of the detected regions substantially coincides with the pre-registered face feature information according to the comparison result.

13. The video communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the user authentication unit is further configured to:

automatically log off, for the video communication service, a user corresponding to one of the detected face regions when a face region of said user is no longer detected by an image capturing unit of the video communication apparatus.

14. The video communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the user authentication unit permits the access to the video communication service by automatically logging in, for the video communication service, the user corresponding to at least one of the detected face regions.

15. The video communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the display unit is further configured to display, on the screen, the user authentication result for each of the detected face regions.

16. The video communication apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:

an input unit configured to receive a selection of any one of the face regions for the authenticated users displayed on the screen, wherein the user authentication unit permits the user corresponding to the selected face region to access the video communication service using the video communication apparatus.

17. The video communication apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:

an input unit configured to receive a selection of one of the face regions for the unauthenticated users displayed on the screen, for registering face feature information of the selected face region for the video communication service.