JP2009289287A - Finger authentication device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To image an object under the same condition in each authentication at a low cost, in an operation system without imposing a burden on a user. <P>SOLUTION: This authentication device is provided with: a guide means such as a pattern or a figure reminding a user of a portion to place or position his or her finger, the guide means being provided with a contact means such as a button switch at a position to place a fingertip in the guide means, and an optical opening part at a position to place a portion to be imaged for the authentication; a light source irradiating the portion to be imaged with near infrared light ; and an imaging means for imaging an image formed by the near infrared light transmitted through the portion to be imaged through the opening part. The authentication device is also provided with: a start-up means starting the authentication when a contact is connected by the contact means; and a shielding means shielding external light entering the imaging means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an authentication device for identifying an individual using biometric information, and more particularly to a finger authentication device based on a blood vessel pattern of a finger.

  Expectations for personal authentication technology are increasing for the purpose of safe management of property and information. In particular, biometric authentication technology that uses a part of the human body as a key has attracted attention because it is less likely to be illegally exercised due to loss or theft, compared to the conventional management using a personal identification number or key. As biometric authentication technology, various methods using a fingerprint, a face and an iris, a blood vessel pattern of a hand and a finger, and the like have been studied. Among them, the authentication method using the blood vessel pattern of the finger has little psychological resistance because it does not associate a crime like a fingerprint or irradiates light directly on the eye like an iris. Since the internal features are read instead of the surface, there is an advantage that counterfeiting is difficult. Specifically, authentication by a blood vessel pattern of a finger is realized as follows. First, a light source that emits near-infrared light is prepared, and a camera is set up so that the light is photographed. The camera is equipped with an optical filter that passes only wavelengths in the near infrared region. At the time of authentication, a finger is inserted between the camera and the light source, and an image of the finger at that time is taken. Since components in blood absorb near-infrared light well, the blood vessel part appears dark without transmitting light. Collation is performed between the image of the blood vessel pattern photographed in this way and the image of the registered blood vessel pattern to perform personal authentication.

In order to correctly detect the matching of the blood vessel pattern, it is necessary to acquire an image under the same imaging conditions at the time of registration and at the time of authentication. For example, if the finger rotates, the blood vessel pattern obtained varies greatly. Movement and rotation that does not change the surface of the finger to be photographed can be corrected by simple image processing, but rotation that causes the finger surface to reverse the back and back is unknown, so correction by image processing is not possible. Can not. In this regard, for example, as an authentication device using a blood vessel pattern on the back of the hand, it is essential to hold the guide bar with four fingers, so that the position of the back of the hand to be imaged is corrected for each individual. An attempt has been made. However, in the case of a finger blood vessel, if a tension such as grasping is applied, the blood vessel is compressed as described above, and the blood vessel pattern may be lost. In addition, it is possible to provide a guide rail and place the finger at a specific position. However, it is necessary to learn how to place it correctly, and it cannot be used easily by anyone. The obtained blood vessel pattern also changes depending on the posture of the finger when inserted into the authentication apparatus. For example, in a finger that is excessively stretched with force, a blood vessel pattern may be partially lost due to the blood vessel being compressed by the tension of the epidermis. Furthermore, even if the external light that illuminates the entire authentication apparatus changes, the brightness and contrast of the obtained image change, which affects the authentication accuracy. This is because normal sunlight or illumination light also includes near-infrared light, and the light wraps around and affects the blood vessel pattern.
An object of the present invention is to uniformize photographing conditions for each authentication, which cannot be guaranteed by the conventional technology, at a low cost in an operation system that does not burden the user.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the finger authentication device of the present invention, a guide part for determining the position of the finger, a switch part that is turned on / off by the tip part of the finger, and a place where the finger is placed are sandwiched. Provided is a finger authentication device that includes a light source that irradiates transmitted light that passes through a finger, an imaging unit, and an authentication unit that performs an authentication operation of an image captured by the imaging unit when the switch unit is turned on. . In addition, a guide unit for positioning the finger in a bent posture, a light source that radiates transmitted light that is provided so as to sandwich the place where the finger is placed, an imaging unit, and an image captured by the imaging unit There is provided a finger authentication device having an authentication unit for performing the authentication operation. As a result, the finger position can be naturally guided to a specific position, and the blood vessel is not compressed, so that the captured image can be stably collated, and as a result, authentication can be performed. The accuracy can be remarkably improved.

  According to the present invention, the position of a finger is naturally guided to a specific position, and it is possible to perform stable matching on a captured image without the need for alignment and rotation correction, and finger compression, etc. Therefore, the accuracy of authentication can be improved.

An example of the apparatus form which implement | achieves this invention. An example of the apparatus system configuration which implements the present invention. An example of the software flow which implement | achieves this invention. An example of sectional drawing of the finger insertion part in an apparatus. An example of the shape of a button switch. An example of the shape of a finger rest. Another example of the apparatus form which implement | achieves this invention. 1 is an example of an optical system configuration for realizing the present invention. An example of the software flow which performs light quantity control of this invention. An example of the structure which measures the thickness of the finger | toe of this invention. The 3rd page figure of the finger | toe authentication apparatus which implement | achieves this invention. The assembly perspective view of the finger authentication device which realizes the present invention. The 2nd Example of sectional drawing of the finger insertion part in an apparatus. An example of the finger | toe authentication apparatus provided with the numeric keypad part.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an authentication device 100 that implements the present invention. The main body is roughly divided into two parts, a light source unit 102 and an imaging unit 104. A space is provided between the light source unit and the imaging unit, and a finger is inserted into the space during authentication. The light source unit covers the upper part of the space where the finger is inserted like a roof, and plays a role of shielding light so that illumination from the ceiling or the like does not directly enter the imaging unit. Here, an example in which there is no side wall in the space is shown, but a side wall may be provided to prevent intrusion of external light from the side. In this case, in order to improve the authentication accuracy, it is desirable to apply a coating such as an antireflection agent for preventing irregular reflection of near infrared rays on the side wall, or to configure the side wall with an antireflection material. In the light source unit, a light source 106 that emits near-infrared light having a wavelength of about 810 nanometers is installed so as to emit light toward the camera 114 side of the imaging unit. By inserting a finger between the light source and the camera, near-infrared light is transmitted through the finger, and a blood vessel pattern image of the finger is obtained by photographing it with the camera. The guide groove 112 presents the correct insertion position and orientation of the finger in an easily understandable manner. When the finger is placed in accordance with the guide groove, the button switch 108 is provided at the part corresponding to the fingertip, and the opening 110 is located at the part before and after the first and second joints of the finger. The opening 110 is covered with a transparent glass or acrylic plate, and prevents foreign matter from entering the authentication device while allowing light to pass through. Since the camera 114 requires an optical filter that transmits only light in the near-infrared wavelength region, the two functions are combined into one plate by using an optical filter plate instead of the glass or acrylic plate. You can also.

  Authentication starts when the user presses the button switch 108. The operation of pressing the button itself is an action that many people frequently perform in daily life, and can be blended naturally even in a series of operation systems for authentication. When you press a button, the position of your fingertip when you place your finger very naturally is almost constant depending on the person, or at least can be reproduced without difficulty. If the position of the fingertip is determined, the finger is guided to the guide groove 112, and the orientation of the finger as a whole is inevitably determined. Therefore, the finger part positioned on the opening 110 is almost uniquely determined and photographed finger image The range is determined in the same way. Further, when the button is pressed, the direction in which the joint bends is determined, so that the finger belly is naturally oriented so as to be a vertical plane with respect to the direction in which the button is recessed. Therefore, the surface of the finger to be imaged does not change due to the rotation of the finger circumference, such as taking the back side of the finger or taking the abdomen side. Further, when the button is pressed, the finger is naturally bent, and the epidermis is not unnecessarily tensioned except for the fingertip. Therefore, a pattern is not easily lost due to blood vessel compression. Further, in a naturally bent state, the finger does not touch the glass surface of the opening 110, and the blood vessel is not pressed by the contact with the glass surface, or dirt is attached.

  In addition, if the finger position can be made almost constant, the area of the opening can be made small enough to be covered with the finger to avoid the incidence of external light, thereby preventing changes in brightness and contrast due to external light. it can. Conventionally, since the finger position cannot be made constant, it has been necessary to search for a portion having the same pattern as that at the time of registration from the image of a finger captured over a wide range with a large opening. For this reason, there is a problem that high-cost calculation hardware is required for searching for a pattern, and since the opening is large, there is a problem that external light is likely to enter and it is susceptible to noise.

  In addition, in the conventional finger blood vessel pattern authentication technology, there is no user-initiated authentication start request means using a switch or the like, so when the authentication process starts is determined by the authentication device, which causes confusion to the user There was also danger. Thus, the installation of the button switch is very effective as a means for improving operability by itself. The guide groove 112 is not limited to the illustrated shape. Further, it is not always necessary for the finger to contact the guide groove. For example, it may be a wire-shaped guide or a simple finger placement-shaped guide. In short, it is sufficient that the finger can be guided uniquely.

  FIG. 11 shows a three-view drawing which is another embodiment of the invention of FIG. 1 is different from the configuration shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, in the lower part of the space including the opening, the distance in the height direction of the upper part of the space is different between the front side and the back side where the finger is inserted. Further, the light source 106 corresponding to the upper part of the space and the surface of the opening 110 corresponding to the lower part of the space are formed so as to draw an arc. Here, in the arc at the upper part of the space and the arc at the lower part of the space, the former arc has a larger curvature. With this configuration, when inserting a finger, for example, even if the finger's belly is in a direction facing sideways or obliquely, the arc is formed narrower toward the back of the space. As you go, it will be corrected so that the belly of your fingers will face down. Furthermore, near-infrared light from the light source 106 is evenly irradiated, and the distance from the camera 114 to the opening 110 becomes uniform, so that more accurate authentication can be performed.

  FIG. 2 is an example of a schematic block diagram of a system configuration for realizing the present invention. Reference numeral 200 denotes a hand. A finger is inserted between the light source 106 and the camera 114, and an image signal of a blood vessel pattern is acquired in accordance with the depression of the switch 108. The image signal of the camera 114 is converted into digital data by the image input unit 202 and stored in the memory 210 via the input / output interface 206 of the computer 204. Similarly, the switch 108 is also connected via the input / output interface, and the on / off state is stored in the memory 210, or an interrupt signal is generated to the CPU 208 at the same time when the switch 108 is turned on. When the CPU 208 confirms that the switch 108 is turned on or detects an interrupt signal that is turned on, the CPU 208 activates and executes a software program for authentication. Then, based on the processing result of the program, various kinds of control are performed such as displaying the result on the display 212 or sending and receiving an appropriate signal to the control target 216 to open and close the door. The keyboard 214 is used, for example, for inputting auxiliary information related to authentication such as a password.

FIG. 12 shows an assembled perspective view of the finger authentication device shown in FIGS. 11 and 2. FIG. 3 shows an example of the software flow executed by the hardware, particularly the CPU 208. In process 300, initial values are substituted into temporary variables required for initialization of the entire hardware and program execution. When the transition to the initial state is completed, the program enters an idling state and waits for the switch 108 to turn on (302). When the switch is turned on, the image of the finger taken by the camera 114 is taken into the memory 210 (304). The captured image data is subjected to image processing, the blood vessel pattern features are extracted (306), and a collation search is performed to see if there is a match with the already registered pattern (308). If a matching pattern exists (310), a signal indicating that the right access right has been authenticated for the control target such as a device or software program that requires authentication, or for identification of the authenticated individual Data is transmitted (312). Then, it waits again until the switch is turned on next time. It should be noted that turning on / off the power of this hardware can also be used as the button switch 108. The power is turned on by the button switch 108, and the above software flow is sequentially executed up to processing 310 except for processing 302, and up to 312 if authentication is successful, and then the power is turned off again. As a result, power consumption during standby can be reduced. Similarly, a mode in which only on / off of the light source is controlled is also conceivable. The light source is turned on simultaneously with the button switch 108 being turned on, and turned off simultaneously with the end of the authentication process. Depending on the configuration, the entire system may be powered on and off, so that it may take time to start up. Therefore, when convenience is important, only the power saving of the light source is limited. The on / off of the light source may be physically linked to the switch 108, or a switch circuit such as a relay or a transistor may be connected to the input / output interface 206 of the computer 204 to electronically control the switch of the light source. . In such a method using an electronic control circuit, the circuit can be diverted to a power control method by switching on and off at high speed, so-called PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control, and the brightness of the light source is controlled step by step. It becomes possible to do. Because the thickness of the finger varies from person to person, some people may or may not show a blood vessel pattern well with a uniform light quantity, but continuous imaging while controlling the light quantity until the blood vessel pattern appears best Thus, the accuracy of authentication can be improved. Further, if a sensor for measuring the thickness of the finger is added, the optimal blood vessel pattern can be obtained with a smaller number of images by calculating and storing the relationship between the thickness of the finger and the optimum light amount in advance.

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of processing for performing light amount control according to the thickness of the finger. In process 900, initial values are substituted into temporary variables necessary for initialization of the entire hardware and program execution. When the transition to the initial state is completed, the program enters an idling state and waits for the switch 108 to be turned on (step 902). When the switch is turned on, the thickness of the finger is first measured by a sensor or the like, and the initial light amount of the light source 106 is set using a reference table in which a set of the thickness and the initial light amount value is registered in advance. Subsequently, an image of a finger is taken by the camera 114 and is taken into the memory 210 (step 906). The captured image data is subjected to a blood vessel pattern feature extraction process 908 to check whether or not a blood vessel pattern has appeared (step 912). If not, the amount of light is changed (step 910), and an image is captured again from the camera. The direction in which the amount of light is changed is that if the image area of the finger part is bright overall, the light amount is strong and a tendency of saturation is predicted. It is predicted that the S / N ratio of transmitted light will decrease because it is weak, so operate in the direction to increase the amount of light. The overall brightness of the finger area can be easily measured from the average value of the constituent pixels. Then, a collation search is performed to see if there is a pattern that matches the already registered pattern (step 914). If there is a matching pattern (step 916), the control target such as a device or software program that requires authentication is used. On the other hand, a signal indicating that the legitimate access right has been authenticated, or data for identifying the authenticated individual is transmitted (step 918). Then, it waits again until the switch is turned on next time.

  FIG. 10 is an example of a method performed without using a sensor when measuring the thickness of a finger. FIG. 10-A shows the surface of the light source that the camera facing it projects. A center 106 is a light source, and a surface 1000 coated with a coating that suppresses or absorbs near-infrared rays is surrounded by the light source. On the other hand, a bar-shaped marking 1002 made of a material that easily reflects near infrared rays is applied to the surface. When the light source shines, there is a clear contrast between 1000 and 1002. When shooting with a camera, the brightness difference between the two becomes very large. As shown in FIG. 10B, when the finger 200 is held over the light source, the area where the marking is hidden changes according to the thickness of the finger. In the image area of the finger portion, the luminance difference between the blood vessel and the non-blood portion does not become extremely large. Therefore, when the finger covers the marking portion, the luminance difference existing in the marking portion disappears. That is, the position coordinates where the portion where the luminance difference is large has been given give the outline position of the finger, and this can be obtained by a very simple difference process. In order to calculate the thickness of the finger, it is sufficient to have at least two markings, but the thickness of the finger is not uniform because there are nodes etc., so if you use four markings as shown in the figure, A more accurate thickness can be determined. If 4 points are used, even if the finger is inserted with a slight tilt, the tilt angle can be obtained.

  FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part into which a finger is inserted as seen from the side in one embodiment of the authentication device. There is a near infrared light source 106 at the top, an optical aperture 110 at the bottom, and a camera 114 below it. Reference numeral 400 denotes a touch part of the button switch. When the finger is directly touched and pressed, the contact switch 108 is turned on. Reference numeral 108 denotes a spring-loaded push switch that is in a conductive state only while being pressed, and when released, is automatically returned to the initial position by the spring and is in an insulated state. As shown in the figure, between the opening 110 and the button 400, if the finger is bent so that the finger naturally bends, the finger is surely bent. Furthermore, it becomes difficult to happen. In addition, the glass plate forming the opening 110 is installed below or a finger rest 402 is provided so that the base of the finger is lifted with respect to the opening 110, so that the opening 110 and the finger are Vascular pressure due to contact can be prevented more reliably.

  FIG. 13 shows another example of an enlarged view of a part where a finger is inserted as seen from the side. Compared with FIG. 4, the position of the button switch 1301 is different. In the button switch 1301 in FIG. 13, unlike the button switch 400 in FIG. 4, the operation of the contact switch 108 is performed by an operation of pushing a finger deeply. In this case, pressing the button switch 1301 is more unnatural operation than the button switch 400 of FIG. 4, but for example, the button switch 1301 is more comfortable by being a switch means that does not involve a click operation such as a touch sensor. A feeling of operation can be obtained. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the button 400. The surface touched by the finger is shaped such as a dent so that the finger just fits, so that the position of the fingertip is more sure to be at the same position every time, and the position of the finger itself is displaced. I can not. Also, as shown in Fig. 4, the height of the button is limited so that the belly part of the fingertip can be accommodated. Even those who do can press the button without inconvenience. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the finger rest 402 provided at the base of the finger. Although it may be a simple plate-like protrusion, as shown in the figure, by processing it into a semicircular shape slightly larger than the thickness of the finger, it is possible to naturally prevent lateral displacement when the finger is placed. In this case, the finger rest 402 is a variation of the above-described guide groove 112 rather than an independent means, and also serves as a guide on where to place the finger.

FIG. 7 is an example of another variation of the authentication device 100. In the example of FIG. 1, the light source unit 102 is provided in the shape of a roof for shielding light from ceiling lighting or the like, but for the user, conversely, psychological anxiety that a finger is inserted into the shielded space. May be beaten. Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, by disposing the light source obliquely above the finger, it is possible to eliminate a cover that completely hides the finger from the user's field of view. In the example shown in the figure, oblique roof-type light source portions are provided on both sides of the opening, and the light sources 106 are respectively disposed. The reason why the light sources are provided at two locations on both sides is that if one location is used, the transmitted light from the finger is biased and becomes uneven, and a correct blood vessel pattern may not be obtained.

  FIG. 8 is an example of another optical system arrangement of the authentication apparatus 100. The light source 800 provides a reflected light source for the transmissive light source 106. These two light sources can be turned on and off in any combination under the control of the computer 204. For example, visible light may be generated in the reflected light source 800 and the surface of the finger may be imaged by the camera 114. In the above embodiment, the optical filter transmits only the near-infrared region. However, instead of this, by providing a variable or switchable optical filter 802, it can be switched to allow visible light to pass as necessary. And As a result, it is possible to image biometric features such as a fingerprint pattern on the finger surface, and it is possible to improve authentication accuracy by simultaneously performing biometric features on the finger surface and a blood vessel pattern.

  In the above, the advantage brought about by the use of the button switch in the authentication device has been described. However, the operation of pressing the button means contact with the device, and it is not without the possibility of causing a sense of hygiene resistance. This can be mitigated by using an antibacterial material that has been generally used recently for the device casing and buttons. In particular, the psychological effect is great even if the characters “antibacterial” can be printed on the housing. In the apparatus configuration of the present invention, the sensor unit for acquiring the blood vessel pattern does not need to appear on the surface of the casing, and the antibacterial processing of the apparatus surface is very easy. In a biometric authentication method in which a sensor needs to touch a living body directly such as a fingerprint, there are many cases where it is difficult to make the sensor antibacterial, but there is no problem in the present invention.

  In the above-described embodiment, a mechanical push switch is used as an example of the button switch. However, for example, an electrostatic type switch that conducts electricity only by touching may be used instead of 400 and 108. Alternatively, a combination of a light source and an optical sensor may be used so that the fingertip comes to a predetermined position and is switched on when the light is blocked. In this case, various sensors such as a human sensor can also be used.

  FIG. 14 shows a finger authentication device having a numeric keypad. With the numeric keypad 1401, even if authentication with a finger fails, authentication can be performed using a pre-registered personal identification number or the like. In addition, more reliable authentication is possible by combining authentication with a finger and authentication with a password. Furthermore, it is possible to apply applications such as changing the operation after authentication depending on the case where authentication is performed with a finger and the case where authentication is performed using a personal identification number.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Authentication apparatus housing | casing, 102 ... Authentication apparatus light source part, 104 ... Authentication apparatus imaging part, 106 ... Near-infrared light source, 108 ... Button switch, 110 ... Optical opening part, 112 ... Guide groove, 114 ... Camera, 200 ... Hand 202 202 Image input device 204 Computer 206 Input / output interface 208 Central processing unit 210 Memory 212 Display 214 Keyboard 216 Control object

Claims (11)

A light source that illuminates the finger;
An opening that allows the light applied to the finger to pass through;
An imaging unit that images the light that has passed through the opening,
The blood vessel pattern extraction device, wherein the opening has a shape covered with a finger irradiated with the light. A finger installation unit for guiding the finger to a predetermined position, and a light source for irradiating the finger with light;
Passing the light irradiated to the finger, an opening formed in the finger installation portion;
An imaging unit that images the light that has passed through the opening,
The blood vessel pattern extraction device, wherein the opening is smaller than a size of a finger irradiated with the light. The blood vessel pattern extraction device according to claim 1 or 2,
A blood vessel pattern extraction apparatus comprising: an authentication unit that extracts a blood vessel pattern from an image photographed by the imaging unit and collates the extracted blood vessel pattern with a registered pattern registered in advance. The blood vessel pattern extraction device according to claim 1 or 2,
A blood vessel pattern extraction device comprising a detection means for detecting that a finger is placed at a predetermined position. The blood vessel pattern extraction device according to claim 4,
The blood vessel pattern extraction device according to claim 1, wherein the detection means is an electrostatic type sensor. The blood vessel pattern extraction device according to claim 1 or 2,
2. A blood vessel pattern extraction apparatus, wherein the finger is configured to block the opening. A light source that illuminates the finger;
An opening that allows the light applied to the finger to pass through;
An imaging unit for imaging light that has passed through the opening;
An authentication unit that extracts a blood vessel pattern from the image captured by the imaging unit, and compares the extracted blood vessel pattern with a registered pattern registered in advance;
The opening has a shape covered with a finger irradiated with the light. A finger installation unit for guiding the finger to a predetermined position, and a light source for irradiating the finger with light;
Passing the light irradiated to the finger, an opening formed in the finger installation portion;
An imaging unit for imaging light that has passed through the opening;
An authentication unit that extracts a blood vessel pattern from the image captured by the imaging unit, and compares the extracted blood vessel pattern with a registered pattern registered in advance;
The personal authentication device, wherein the opening is smaller than a size of a finger irradiated with the light. The personal authentication device according to claim 7 or 8,
A personal authentication device comprising a detecting means for detecting that a finger is placed at a predetermined position. The personal authentication device according to claim 9,
The personal authentication apparatus, wherein the detecting means is an electrostatic type sensor. The personal authentication device according to claim 7 or 8,
The personal authentication device is characterized in that the finger is configured to block the opening.

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