JP2010152902A - Finger vein authentication device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a well-balanced finger vein authentication device and method, which are minimized in deterioration of authentication accurately while reducing the size and thickness. <P>SOLUTION: The device includes a light source for emitting light to one of both side surfaces of a fingertip and an imaging sensor for imaging the other surface thereof, which are located on both sides of the fingertip across the nail; and a tool for supporting the fingertip and the root side of the finger, which is provided between the light source and the imaging sensor. A light shielding means for shielding light is provided on the light source side to prevent the emitted light from turning around to the ball side of the finger. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a personal authentication device using a living body, and more particularly to a biometric personal authentication device based on a finger vein pattern.

  Biometric authentication using a part of an individual's body as a key, such as fingerprints, irises, and vein patterns, has attracted attention as a security method that does not require the use of a key, etc. Yes. Among them, the authentication method using the finger vein pattern has less psychological resistance because it does not associate criminal investigations like fingerprints or irradiates light directly on the eye like irises. Because it is not a biological surface that can be easily observed but internal features, it has the advantage of no persistence and forgery.

As a conventional example of this type of finger vein authentication, for example, an authentication device described in Patent Document 1 is known. Not only this apparatus but also finger vein authentication is known in which a finger is irradiated with near-infrared light and a watermark is seen by light transmitted through the finger to capture a vein pattern. Since hemoglobin in the blood flowing through the vein absorbs infrared rays, light is weakened during transmission in the vein portion, and the other portion exits as it is, so the contrast of the light forms a vein pattern. In particular, in Patent Document 1, in order to photograph a vein pattern on the ventral side of a finger, infrared rays are incident on the finger from a part on the ventral side of the finger and travel while scattering in the finger. A method is shown in which light emitted from another part is transmitted through a vein in that part. As a result, the light source and the vein imaging camera can be combined only on the ventral side of the finger, and there is no need for an extra structure around the part where the finger should be placed in the authentication device. A simple authentication device.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228561 discloses a reduction in the size of a part related to a user for authentication, such as an open-type device in which light sources are located on both sides of a finger.

JP 2007-206991 A JP 2004-265269 A

Finger vein authentication can be used as a key replacement in various situations where keys and locks have been used so far, for the purpose of improving security and improving convenience by simply holding the finger. Is worth using. However, depending on the products to be incorporated, there are many cases where it is difficult to secure a sufficient installation location, and downsizing of the authentication device is important. In the authentication device described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to eliminate protrusions on the dorsal side of the finger by collecting the light source and the vein imaging camera on the abdominal side of the finger. Sufficient consideration has not been given to reducing the overall thickness of the apparatus by the collected light source and parts such as a camera.
In addition, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, although there is a consideration about miniaturization of a part related to a user at the time of authentication, such as an open type device in which a light source is located on both sides of a finger, Not considered.

  Furthermore, the above method discloses a configuration that prioritizes compactness and convenience, and does not necessarily adopt the optimal light source arrangement for clear vein pattern imaging, and consideration for imaging image quality is sufficient. I couldn't.

  For example, in the structure described in Patent Document 1 in which the imaging target portion of the finger and the portion where the light is incident are on the same surface, in order to deliver enough light to reflect the veins on the imaging surface, It is necessary to increase the strength. Therefore, the strong light leaks from the finger until it reaches the imaging surface, and the light becomes external light that illuminates the surface of the imaging surface, reducing the image quality of vein photography. It was a factor to make. In addition to this, when priority is given to further downsizing and the imaging target range of the finger is reduced, the amount of information of the vein pattern used for authentication is reduced, and there is a concern that the accuracy of authentication may be adversely affected.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a well-balanced finger vein authentication device that is small in size and thin but has little deterioration in authentication accuracy. A second object of the present invention is to realize an applied function that is highly convenient and useful for enhancing security by using the above-described small authentication device.

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a light source for irradiating light on one side of both sides of a fingertip, which is located on both sides with a fingernail between them, and imaging for imaging the other side. A light-shielding means for shielding light so that the irradiated light does not wrap around the abdomen of the finger between the light source and the imaging sensor. In addition, a gap is provided in the lower half of the abdomen half surface of the photographing side finger.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a highly convenient authentication device that opens the back of a finger while realizing a clear vein imaging by light irradiation from the opposite side of the imaging target surface while being thin. In addition, the gap on the imaging surface side lower half surface of the finger can prevent the vein pattern from being crushed due to the pressure on the imaging surface when the finger touches the structure, and can suppress the wraparound of light from the light source side. it can.

It is an example of the apparatus form which implement | achieves this invention. It is an example of the apparatus system configuration | structure which implement | achieves this invention. It is an example of the image image | photographed with the apparatus form of this invention. It is an example of the 2nd apparatus form which implement | achieves this invention. It is an example of the finger placing jig of the 2nd apparatus form which implement | achieves this invention. It is an example of sectional drawing of the apparatus form of FIG. It is an example of arrangement | positioning of the opening part in the apparatus form of FIG. It is an example of the instrument panel of a motor vehicle. It is an example of the steering equipped with the one apparatus form of this invention. It is an example of the state which looked at FIG. 9 from the back side. It is a 2nd example of the steering equipped with one apparatus form of this invention. It is an example of the transmission lever equipped with one device form of the present invention.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an authentication apparatus according to a first embodiment of this invention. The main body 100 has a groove-like shape on the upper surface, which presents the place where the finger 102 is placed in an easily understandable manner. Are arranged opposite to each other. This groove serves as a three-dimensional guide mechanism for allowing the user to confirm the position where the finger should be placed by groping when the authentication apparatus is installed in a place where it is difficult for the user to visually check. It also functions as a light-shielding side wall that hides the lower half of the screen when you place your finger on it, and can physically block external light that enters from a low position. The light source 114 is inside the apparatus, has an upper surface covered, and is irradiated toward a finger placed on the groove through the light source opening 108. The cover on the upper surface of the light source unit also serves to suppress the light diffused outside the desired irradiation direction from being reflected by a finger or palm other than the authentication finger and affecting the imaging as disturbance light. If you place your finger so that the ventral side of the finger faces the bottom side of the groove and the dorsal side faces the open side of the groove, the half of the fingertip fits the shape of the ventral side of the fingertip. There is a circular depression 104, which serves to guide the fingertip position so that it does not deviate significantly from trial to trial. This is because when the deviation increases, the range of the veins to be imaged also shifts in conjunction with the change in vein pattern, which makes it difficult to determine that the same finger is the same. On the other hand, on the side close to the base side of the finger, a semicircular finger placing base 106 is provided, and when the finger is placed, the finger is easily determined at the lowest position of the semicircle, Similar to 104, it has a function of guiding the position and inclination of the finger to be stabilized for each trial. Further, the depression 104 can be provided with a button switch 118, which can be used by the user to instruct the authentication itself or the timing for performing some control together with the authentication. In addition, the imaging opening 110 is positioned so as to face a portion centered on the region from the tip of the finger to the first joint, and the finger can be imaged from the camera 112 positioned in the back thereof. This camera may be a general camera in which an imaging element such as a CCD and a lens are integrated, or a thin flat sensor. When a flat sensor is used, the top cover that covers the camera 112 may be thin enough to accommodate the flat sensor, and only the photographing opening 110 stands like a wall with the thickness of the flat sensor. A form close to being present can be realized. Similarly, if a thin light source such as an LED is adopted as the light source, the groove as a finger placement guide is formed just as if sandwiched between thin walls. In this case, especially when using the fingertip of the middle finger for authentication, the fingertips of the index finger, the middle finger, and the ring finger can be naturally aligned without placing them forcibly, and the finger rotates about the major axis direction. To prevent this and enable stable authentication. However, in the present invention in which only the tip part up to the first joint of the finger is used for authentication as described above, it is easy to line up three covers with the cover even if the cover covering the camera and the light source is slightly larger. In the conventional method, where the finger base is the authentication target part, the fingers move closer to each other, so that the adjacent fingers are closer to each other as they are closer to the root. It becomes an obstacle and it becomes very difficult to put your fingers side by side.

  Here, the imaging opening 110 is described as being opened from a position closer to the root side than the fingertip placing jig 104 in this figure, but the position and width are not particularly limited. On the other hand, in the direction of the long axis of the finger, it is advantageous to capture a wide range as much as possible because a vein pattern can be obtained over a wide range. In particular, if the image can be reliably obtained up to the fingertip, it is easy to uniquely determine the imaging target region using the relative position information from the position of the tip of the finger, which can contribute to improvement in authentication accuracy. However, in this case, the depression of the finger placement jig on the fingertip side may cause a problem in photographing. This is because when a fingertip is photographed from the camera side, a part of the finger contained in the depression becomes invisible behind the outer periphery surrounding the depression 104. Therefore, on the camera side, although the depth of the dent is shallow, there is a side effect that the effect of guiding the fingertip to a fixed position is reduced, but the outer peripheral part is lowered to reduce the missing fingertip area even a little You may make a trick. On the other hand, the camera 112 is equipped with a filter that passes only wavelengths in the near-infrared region, suppresses the influence on the captured image by light in the visible light region, and captures a vascular vein pattern clearly. In order to prevent light from the light source 114 from leaking to the camera 112, a light shielding partition 116 is provided. The photographing aperture 110, together with the light source aperture 108, is covered with a glass or acrylic plate that is transparent to the wavelength region of the light source, and prevents foreign matter from entering the authentication device while allowing light to pass through. By using an optical filter plate that allows only light in the near-infrared region to pass instead of the glass or acrylic plate, the two functions of device protection and visible light removal can be combined into a single plate. As a result, visible light is cut, and aesthetic considerations that make it difficult to see internal components such as the light source are also achieved. Further, the housing including the light source opening and the photographing opening may be integrally made of an optical filter material.

  FIG. 1 is described as a cross-sectional view as follows. The photographing opening 110 is set to be larger than the light source opening 108 so as to photograph the imaging target surface of the finger or the entire finger including the photographing opening as wide as possible. In addition, a space is provided below the imaging surface of the finger to prevent the vein from being compressed by touching a part of the device casing with the lower part of the finger and the vein pattern from being deformed or difficult to project. Yes. On the other hand, the bottom surface 116 of the housing is located on the surface opposite to the imaging surface of the finger, that is, the surface on the light source side so as to be close to the lower portion of the finger. The light source opening 108 is small at a high position near the back side of the finger, and is particularly short so as to be short in the height direction. It also serves as a light shielding means for controlling the light so that it does not travel to the abdominal surface side. A part of the light emitted from the light source opening 108 is reflected on the surface of the finger, and further reflected on the wall surface of the housing, and goes around to the abdominal surface. This incoming light is suppressed by the bottom surface 116. It is more effective if the casing components from 108 to 116 are subjected to a light absorbing paint, a light absorbing material, a light absorbing process or the like to prevent light from proceeding to the ventral surface side by reflection. Also, if 116 is aligned with the curved surface of the finger cross section and shaped to rise from the center of the finger resting groove toward the light source opening, the sneak around light travels linearly and remains as strong light on the camera side. It can be suppressed from reaching. By giving the light absorption effect to 116, it can be expected that the light is attenuated while the sneak light travels while repeating reflection many times. At this time, the finger itself is guided to float from the bottom surface 116 by the finger rests 104 and 106 in FIG. 1, minimizing the contact area between the finger and the housing, and the hygiene aspect of the user It is possible to deal with anxiety about In addition, a display device such as a liquid crystal panel can be disposed on the bottom surface portion between the light source opening 108 and the photographing opening 110 including 116. As a result, it is possible to display a message, an illustration, an image, or the like that tells how to place or place a finger. Information that is not related to authentication, such as time, can usually be displayed on the display device, and the display content changes during the authentication, which serves as a guide for guiding a finger. An illustration or image that directly represents the direction and direction of the finger is advantageous in terms of operability because it can be authenticated at the correct position by simply overlapping the finger. Since there is no need for display after the finger is placed correctly, if there is a display light source such as the liquid crystal itself or its backlight, the light is turned off and consideration is given so as not to hinder authentication. Alternatively, light in the near-infrared wavelength region may be used for the backlight so that it can be used for authentication.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the camera 112 can be arranged obliquely, and the apparatus can be made thin by capturing an image of a range from the side of the finger toward the abdomen. When the camera is simply placed horizontally and only the side of the finger is photographed, the camera is lined up next to the finger, so that the high protruding component on the side of the finger determines the size of the camera and the optical path length for shooting. It exists with a width of only minutes. The use of a small camera or flat sensor will alleviate the width problem, but the height will not change, so this high protrusion will create a sense of pressure for the user and height during installation. It becomes difficult to fit in a narrow space. As shown in FIG. 1, by arranging the camera 112 at an angle, a camera installation space is required below the finger as compared with the case where the camera is placed directly beside, but the camera 112 protrudes to the side of the finger. The height of the camera is greatly reduced. Since the part below the finger does not necessarily have to be exposed for authentication, the installation space itself of the exposed part can be suppressed by embedding it inside the mounting location. Further, because of the oblique arrangement, the thickness of the embedded portion can be kept small compared to the case where the entire camera is arranged below the finger as in the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-265269. In this way, the camera's oblique arrangement shares the installation space little by little with the exposed part and the embedded part, so there is no burden on only one of them, and there is a limited and well-balanced space Can be used. This arrangement method can be applied to the light source 114 in the same manner, and the entire apparatus is preferably arranged so that a line connecting the camera, the finger, and the light source forms a “∧” character.

  However, in this case, there is a problem that the camera, the finger, and the light source are not aligned. When imaging a vein pattern, the clearest image quality can be obtained when the camera and the light source are directly facing each other with a finger in between. This is because, when light comes from the back of the imaging target surface, the transmitted light that reflects the vein pattern can be sufficiently strong while the direct light that is too strong from the light source is best hidden by the finger itself. When the light source position is deviated, the finger cross-section is close to an ellipse, so that the thickness of the finger becomes thinner toward the side surface, and the light intensity when the light source can be seen from there becomes very strong. Further, as the position of the light source is closer to the end, the light wraps around the closer side becomes larger. Therefore, it is preferable that the light from the light source is collected by a lens or the like and adjusted so that the light strikes the extended line between the camera and the finger most strongly. In addition, as described above, it is particularly important that the shape of the bottom surface 116 is devised so that the strong light from the light source can be shielded so as not to enter.

  FIG. 2 is an example of a schematic block diagram of a system configuration for realizing the present invention. When authentication is required, the system is turned on, and a vein pattern image signal is acquired as the finger 102 is inserted between the light source 114 and the camera 112. The image signal of the camera 112 is converted into digital data by the image input device 200 and stored in the memory 208 via the input / output interface 204 of the computer 202. Similarly, the switch 118 is connected via the input / output interface, and the CPU 206 is notified of the on / off state. The CPU 206 periodically processes the image from the camera to detect the finger, and after detection, determines the sensitivity of the camera 112 and the optimal light amount of the light source 114 so that the image quality of the finger portion is optimal, and controls the light amount. When the optimal image quality is obtained by controlling the unit 216, a vein pattern is extracted, similarly extracted in advance and collated with a registered vein pattern. And based on the collation result, various controls are performed such as displaying the result on the display 210 or sending and receiving an appropriate signal to the control object 214 to open and close the door. In addition to these, it is also possible to perform various processes according to the collation result between the vein imaging pattern imaged by the imaging unit and the registered pattern. The keyboard 212 can be used, for example, to input auxiliary information related to authentication such as a password. Of course, it is possible to connect and use an external information device such as an IC card as required.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a finger vein image captured by the camera 112. In the present invention, it is preferable that the imaging target portion of the finger is in a range of about 2 centimeters to 3 centimeters in length from the tip of the finger to the first joint. Conventional finger vein authentication often uses almost the entire finger, but there is a limit to downsizing the device size. In addition, simply narrowing the target range to only a part of the finger can obscure the difference in vein patterns for each individual, and can also reduce accuracy. As a security technology, it is desirable to realize downsizing without reducing accuracy. Here, the fingertip is a site where blood vessels and nerves are densely packed, and therefore humans can perform detailed work using the fingertip. For this reason, the closer the fingertip is, the more complicated the pattern woven by the dense veins is. In particular, the side surface of the fingertip is not covered with nails like the dorsal side, and the skin is thinner than that on the abdominal side, so that the veins can be seen well, and a clear vein pattern is easily obtained. The vein pattern obtained by enlarging only the side portion close to the fingertip so as to have an image size comparable to the method of photographing the entire finger has sufficient characteristics to distinguish individuals as in the conventional method. Conceivable. However, there are many very thin veins in dense fingertips, and such thin veins often fluctuate due to changes in temperature and physical condition. Therefore, when shooting a finger, if you shoot with a definition or sharpness that only shows a vein with sufficient thickness without fear of such fluctuations, Only a stable vein is selectively used by performing a smoothing filter or the like on the acquired image to remove thin veins.

  When the side surface of the fingertip is used as an authentication target part, the curved side surface of the nail 150 is displayed in the captured image as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. Or, even if the angle of view of the camera is set so that the side surface of the nail is projected, there is no problem in authentication. At this time, as in the present invention, in the method of photographing by transmitting light from the side of the finger, the nail portion is easier to transmit light than the biological tissue of the other portion of the finger, so the vein pattern is When light is applied with such an intensity that it can be seen, the nail is projected particularly brightly, and the presence of the nail can be easily detected. The relationship between the position of the nail and the vein pattern can be information that further characterizes the individual. Therefore, not only the matching of vein patterns, but also by matching on the condition that the vein pattern matches the relative positional relationship between the position and shape of the nail, the shape of the finger outline, etc. Increased accuracy. In addition, since the nail is relatively hard and less deformed in the living tissue, how the nail is projected is a suitable judgment material for estimating the direction and rotation of the finger. For example, if the nail is not reflected, it can be inferred that the finger is placed so that the nail faces the light source side. Conversely, if the area where the nail is reflected is large, the finger that the nail faces the camera side. It can be predicted that it is placed. At this time, since the obtained vein patterns are greatly different from each other in the two placement methods, it is not possible to determine matching even with the same finger. Therefore, by determining how to place the finger based on how the nail is reflected, it is instructed to place the finger correctly, or if correction can be made by deformation / transformation of the acquired image, etc., the correction is made and collated . Thereby, the accuracy of authentication can be improved.

  As a method for determining the nail, for example, the following procedure is used. First, the contour of the finger is obtained. As a method for obtaining the contour, various known image processing methods such as edges and a method of tracking them and connecting them with lines can be used. With regard to the obtained contour, paying attention to the contour line tracing the back side of the finger, it is examined whether or not there is a bright region on the fingertip side that continuously spreads with a luminance of a certain value or more. If there is, the area of the region is obtained, and if it is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, it can be determined that there is a nail.

  Subsequently, in order to determine the finger placement state from the nail area obtained above, for example, the following is performed. One method is that if the area of the nail or the area ratio of the nail in the tip of the finger is within a certain range, it is normal, if it is small, it rotates to the light source side, and if it is large, it rotates to the camera side. Judgment. The other is to record the obtained nail area together with the vein pattern at the time of registration of the vein pattern, and the nail area detected in the same way during the authentication process is within the predetermined range with the nail area at the time of registration. If there is an error, it is determined that the finger is correctly placed. Regarding the latter, not only the area, but also a feature point derived from a part of the contour of the nail region or the entire characteristic shape, specifically, for example, a portion where the contour is sharply bent or a protrusion May be used. If the position of this feature point coincides with the relative position with the vein pattern at the time of registration, it can be understood that the vein pattern obtained by correct finger placement is correctly matched. On the other hand, when there is a big difference, there is a possibility that the pattern obtained in the wrong way is coincident with the registered pattern by chance, and it is not regarded as a coincidence because it leads to an authentication error. The feature point may be similarly derived from the characteristic interface shape between the nail region and the region adjacent thereto.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the finger vein authentication device of the present invention. A major difference from the authentication apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is that two pairs of jigs for supporting the finger and for the fingertip / finger root side are prepared in opposite directions. Specifically, two jigs as shown in FIG. Support the fingers so that these two jigs bridge both ends. More specifically, when one of these jigs is used for a fingertip, the fingertip is recessed by 104 and the root side is the other jig. 106. As a result, both the placement method in which the upper side in the figure is the fingertip and the lower side is the root side and the placement method in which the lower side is the fingertip and the upper side is the root side are both guided to a stable fixed position. Since the finger 106 on the root side is at a high position, the finger falls down diagonally over the fingertip. At this time, since the support of the fingertip has a hollow shape, even if the height of 106 is slightly lowered, the same jig 104 is depressed and the height is suppressed. There is no increase in the number of places where the fingers touch the part. On the other hand, the height of the jig 106 is set so as not to be too high so that the person with a long nail can use the nail to pass over the jig 106.

  The authentication device of the present embodiment is particularly suitable when used by being attached to a door that is opened and closed by the handle 300, and by this, even if the hand is applied to the handle from above or from below, A finger can be guided to each home position. This means that the user can respond flexibly even if he / she changes his / her way of holding depending on his / her mood. In particular, when the authentication device of this embodiment is mounted in the gap between the handle 300 and the door, the authentication device is difficult to see from the user, so that the finger can be guided to a predetermined position by searching with a jig. Important in stable authentication. Note that the orientation of the handle 300 is not limited to the horizontal orientation, and may be arranged vertically. In this case, it is a further advantage that the finger can be guided to a fixed position in the same manner with either the left hand or the right hand.

  The schematic diagram shown in FIG. 4 shows an example in which the light source and the camera are arranged on both sides. When the vein pattern on the side surface of the finger is used, if the camera is arranged only on one side, the imaged surface differs depending on whether the finger is placed from above or from below. Therefore, two pairs of cameras and light sources are prepared so that any side can be photographed. At this time, if both light sources are turned on at the same time, the light emitted from one light source and transmitted through the finger is canceled by the light emitted from the other light source and reflected by the finger, so that the vein pattern can be photographed well. Disappear. Therefore, when photographing one surface of a finger, a vein pattern is acquired by combining a camera arranged on the surface side and a light source on the opposite surface side of the finger. At the time of authentication, the above two sets of light source / camera are alternately switched and used, and when one set of light sources is turned on, the other set of light sources is turned off. This is repeated continuously, and when a finger is placed, vein patterns on both sides of the finger are acquired. The vein patterns for these two surfaces are collated with the vein patterns registered in advance. The number of registered patterns may be one side or two sides per finger. Even in the case of one side, if it matches one of the two vein patterns for both sides acquired at the time of authentication, it can be determined that the finger is registered. As a result, authentication can be performed from above or from below. If the number of registrations is two, if any of the two patterns of the two patterns obtained at the time of authentication should match, the shooting conditions change or the finger Even if there is some variation such as injury on one side, it can be correctly determined as the person's finger. On the other hand, one of the two patterns at the time of authentication matches one of the two patterns at the time of registration, and the other pattern at the time of authentication matches the above pattern among the patterns at the time of registration. If the matching with the other pattern is true at the same time, the possibility of matching with the vein pattern on both sides with a different finger is significantly reduced probabilistically. The probability of accepting can be reduced. As described above, regardless of which one of the two cameras is the vein pattern captured by the camera, it is guided by the finger placement jig so that the pattern can be collated in exactly the same way. The fixed position and the imaging angle of view of the camera are adjusted so that the site to be imaged of the vein is the same in both ways. Further, when the shape of the bottom surface 116 located below the ventral side when the finger is placed is biased to only one as shown in FIG. 1, the pair of the light source and the camera does not have symmetry with each other. Since the vein pattern to be used becomes incompatible, it is assumed that it is symmetrical as it stands like a wall for light shielding only at the center as shown in FIG. Further, if the imaging opening 110 is large and the light source opening 108 is small, the image quality of the vein pattern is improved. Therefore, as shown in FIG. An opening for the light source is arranged on the upper side so that only the side surface is easily irradiated. At the same time, the imaging opening 110 is widened to the upper part of the part close to the center of the camera so that the range of the finger photographed by the camera can be firmly set to the back side. As a result, there is a possibility that the light source is not located in a certain part of the camera, and the corresponding finger part is projected darkly. Therefore, for the light source, in order to spread the light to reach a certain position of the camera so that the light reaches a wide angle, by configuring the light source spread angle or a plurality of light sources, by adjusting the direction of each light source, Try to illuminate your fingers without spots.

  In the above description, the method of preparing two sets of the light source and the camera has been described, but it is also possible to use only one set of the light source and the camera as in the authentication apparatus shown in FIG. In this case, at the time of registration, two types of patterns, a case where the finger is held from above and a case where the finger is held from below, are acquired and registered as a set. If one of the two types of registered patterns matches the acquired pattern at the time of authentication, it is determined that the finger is registered. Alternatively, it is possible to deploy a device having two pairs of light sources and cameras only for an apparatus used for registration, and use only one device for authentication. This reduces the user's burden of re-fingering and registering two pages, while reducing the overall cost of the system, including registration and authentication, compared to preparing two sets for all. Is possible.

  The idea of making the device at the time of registration different from the device at the time of authentication can be applied to other aspects. For example, the device at the time of registration captures a vein pattern in a wider range than the range captured at the time of authentication and uses it as a registration pattern, so that even if there is a slight misalignment at the time of authentication, authentication can be performed correctly. When a small authentication device is to be realized as in the present invention, the photographing range tends to be narrowed, and in this case, a slight misalignment of the finger appears significantly as a difference in vein pattern. This is apparent from the relative ratio of the deviation when the finger is moved by the same amount when comparing the captured image with the entire finger as the target range and the captured image with only the fingertip as the target range. The shift that occurs when the user places his / her finger has little relationship with the difference in the shooting range, so the narrower the shooting range, the more prominent the problem of displacement. In addition, when trying to shoot a wide range, the device will also be relatively large, but by limiting to only one used for registration, only that is placed in a place with a relatively high degree of freedom in space, It is possible to effectively use a comprehensive space such as using a small device for normal operation. A wide range of patterns at the time of registration may be used as a single large registration pattern, or may be divided into a plurality of smaller registration patterns for each part and unified and managed as a set. In the latter case, if the pattern can be obtained in the same size as the pattern that can be obtained by the small device for authentication, the small device can be registered, and at the same time, compatibility with the registration pattern in the dedicated registration device can be obtained. Accordingly, it is possible to perform a hierarchical registration operation in which a small device can be easily registered and a dedicated device can perform registration with higher accuracy.

  The form of the above-described finger placement jig can also be applied to an optical arrangement in a conventional finger vein authentication device. In the conventional method, in order to photograph the abdominal surface of a finger, a camera is disposed directly below the finger. In the case of this imaging mode, the acquired vein pattern differs only in the direction of 180 degrees between the case where the finger is placed from above and the case where the finger is placed from below. Therefore, it is only necessary to have one type of registered pattern. At the time of authentication, the acquired pattern and the registered pattern are checked once, and if they do not match, the pattern is checked again with the rotated pattern. And if it matches in either of these two collations, it can be considered that the identity has been confirmed.

  The authentication device described in FIG. 1 or FIG. 4 described above, in particular, a device using a vein pattern on the side surface of a finger by obliquely arranging a camera and a light source, respectively, in an exposed portion and an embedded portion, Since the installation space is shared little by little, the space can be used in a well-balanced manner, and the components necessary for authentication are integrated, which is suitable for incorporation into some larger device or system. For example, when an authentication device is mounted on a door, by incorporating the authentication device into the door handle, authentication can be incorporated into the operation of grasping the handle, which is naturally performed in the operation of opening the door, thereby simplifying the operation. There is an effect. However, the thickness of the door handle is limited so that a person can easily grip it. In the system of the present invention, since the portion to be embedded does not become too large, it is easy to incorporate. And, for example, it can be provided as a single unit without having to force the light source and the camera to be separately placed on the handle and door side so as to fit in a small object, which is advantageous in terms of manufacturing and maintenance. It is.

  FIG. 8 shows an example in which the authentication device of the present invention is applied to an automobile. This figure is a schematic view showing the periphery of an instrument panel of an automobile, in which a steering wheel 500, instruments 502 such as a speedometer, a car navigation device 504, and the like are arranged. Here, if it can be incorporated into an authentication device for the steering wheel 500 that is surely gripped during driving, the operability can be greatly improved. Specifically, just grasping the steering wheel automatically determines who is sitting in the driver's seat, allows the engine to start, and sets the seat position, air conditioning temperature, audio, car navigation, etc. , Can be done optimally for that person.

  9 and 10 are diagrams schematically showing the state of the hand when the steering wheel 500 is gripped and authentication is performed. FIG. 9 is a surface viewed toward the instrument panel side of FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a diagram of the state at that time viewed from the back surface of the steering wheel. The authentication device is arranged in the spoke part on the back side of the steering wheel. Here, the arrangement of the spoke portion, not the ring portion, is a safety consideration such that if there is a protrusion on the ring portion, there is a risk that the fingers may get caught during operation and the operation cannot be performed as expected. As long as the shape and size of the protrusions are within the range where there is no safety problem, they may be arranged on the ring. In addition, since the spoke portion tends to be structurally thick recently such as mounting an airbag, there is an advantage that it is easy to secure a space for housing the device and wiring.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when gripping the steering wheel, the user holds only one finger registered for authentication over the authentication device 100. The finger may be an index finger as shown, or another finger may be used. If it is confirmed that the authentication device is the registered person's finger, the immobilizer is released and the engine can be started. Alternatively, the seat position set by the registered person at the time of the last boarding, the air conditioner setting, and the like are stored, and even if another person gets on and changes the setting, the setting is changed to the person's setting.

  These personal settings can be made in the same way because if the authentication device of the present invention is installed on the door handle of the automobile, the person who opened the door can be known when the door of the automobile is opened. In this case, from the unlocking stage of the door, it is possible to get into the car without having any key at all, and also to save time by changing the settings for registered persons while opening the door Is also possible. Since the device of the present invention is miniaturized by looking only at the fingertip portion, the same device can be mounted on the door handle and the steering wheel. This makes it possible to perform the same authentication for both the door and the steering wheel with a single registration, with a common registration pattern. It is also possible to share a processing apparatus that performs authentication, and in this case, it is useful for reducing the cost of the entire system. In the case of automobiles, it is convenient that the door lock can be unlocked even by a minor or a person without a driver's license, but it is preferable in terms of safety that operations related to driving can be performed only by qualified persons. In this way, by providing authentication devices at two locations, people who do not have driving qualifications can only open the car, and then enter the driver's seat without authenticating again at the door, and the steering wheel authentication device It is possible to perform authentication in order to shift the engine to a state where it can start or run. In this case, personal settings such as movement of the seat position may be better after authentication with the steering wheel. In addition, by providing authentication devices at two locations, for example, opening the door can ease the criteria for authentication, and can be operated in such a manner that the conditions for the steering authentication related to engine starting are made stricter. This is because the door handle is in the external environment and may be difficult to authenticate due to various fluctuation factors. Or, conversely, if the pattern once registered by the person who can be authenticated by the door handle is close enough even if it does not satisfy the matching condition with the pattern that has been requested by the steering, the determination criterion is set because the authentication has been performed once. By loosening it, it is also possible to operate it so that it can handle rough placement.

  In addition, the installation on the steering wheel is suitable when it is necessary to perform authentication again during driving. For example, ETC systems for highway toll collection are often not available for security purposes, but it is often better not to use them. Can be disabled immediately. Similarly, when shopping by drive-through, etc., or using as an accurate identity verification means for payment when purchasing products such as music data or car navigation map update data from car-mounted information devices such as car navigation systems. Can do.

  Furthermore, the authentication device of the present invention can be used not only for personal authentication but also as a button switch for calling various functions. Normally, when a button switch is arranged on the back side of a handle, since it is impossible to visually confirm what function the button has, only one single function button can be arranged at the same place. In finger vein authentication, since the pattern is completely different for each finger even in the same person, the authentication apparatus detects a registered finger, not a registered person. The authentication device can place a finger at a predetermined position by groping even if it is not visible with the above-described finger placement jig, and the same is true for any finger. Therefore, after authentication, for example, the index finger can be set to a function that can be freely called according to the individual's needs, such as releasing the immobilizer, middle finger approving payment, and ring finger playing music. You can easily call various functions. As a result, when multiple buttons are arranged in a place where they cannot be seen, it is easy to press the buttons and the steering wheel that could not be used is used. The arrangement used for can be made. In addition, forgetting the assignment by displaying a hand picture 600 and an icon 602 that simply and symbolically indicates which function is assigned to which finger on the instrument portion shown in FIG. You can also be able to remember instantly. In addition to authenticating with different fingers, the same finger can be authenticated multiple times in a short time, enabling operations corresponding to double-clicks used in the graphic interface of personal computers. In that case, another function can be newly allocated. Alternatively, it is also possible to assign another function in the same manner even in the case of continuous authentication of a plurality of fingers in a short period of time. This makes it possible to call even more functions with just a finger.

  When used as a button switch, the accuracy of authentication may be relaxed. For example, it is determined that the registered pattern matches the pattern determined to be the closest and corresponds to that pattern. It is also possible to call the function assigned to the finger.

  In the above description, the convenience of attaching the authentication device of the present invention to a steering wheel, a shift knob or the like has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, for example, a lever for operating a winker or a wiper. Needless to say, it can be installed anywhere, such as the armrest inside the door.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the authentication device 100 may be mounted on the front side of the steering wheel. In this case, the operability is best when the device is arranged obliquely on the front side of the spoke close to the coupling portion with the ring so that the thumb can be easily placed when the steering wheel is gripped. At this time, the authentication device can be sufficiently confirmed visually, and it is possible to arrange a plurality of normal buttons at that position, and there are actually such examples, but the movement of the line of sight during driving should be as small as possible Because it is good, the replacement of this function with a multi-function call button that can be operated by groping is sufficiently effective as a safety consideration. On the other hand, in FIG. 11, fingers of the same hand other than the finger used for authentication firmly grip the ring portion of the steering wheel. As a result, the finger position and the rotation angle during authentication are uniquely determined, and the authentication is stabilized. Furthermore, it is possible to further stabilize the position of the finger by continuously providing the ring portion with depressions that align with the finger. Such a gripping method of the finger can be similarly applied to the examples of FIGS. 9 and 10 described above, and is also an advantage of providing the authentication device at the above position.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 12, you may mount | wear to the grip part of the shift lever of a transmission. At this time, it is better to attach the authentication device to the position where the fingertip naturally reaches when grasped, so when the lever grip is large, on the instrument panel side of the grip, when it is small, If the finger rotated from the passenger side turns around and reaches the driver side, the operability is good.

  In the above example, the case of a right-hand drive vehicle has been described as an example, but the present invention can be similarly applied to a left-hand drive vehicle. In this case, it is good also as arrangement | positioning which becomes symmetrical suitably.

  The present invention is expected to be applied to all fields where keys and passwords are conventionally used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Authentication apparatus housing | casing, 102 ... Finger, 104 ... Finger tip support jig, 106 ... Finger base side support jig, 108 ... Light source opening part, 110 ... Imaging | photography opening part, 112 ... Camera, 114 ... Near-infrared light source , 116: light shielding plate, 118 ... button switch, 150 ... nail, 152 ... vein, 200 ... image input device, 202 ... computer, 204 ... input / output interface, 206 ... central processing unit, 208 ... memory, 210 ... display, 212 ... Keyboard, 214 ... Control target, 216 ... Light intensity control unit, 300 ... Door handle, 400 ... Light-shielding partition, 500 ... Steering wheel, 502 ... Instrument panel, 504 ... Car navigation, 506 ... Transmission lever grip, 600 ... Function support Display icon, 602 ... finger image illustration.

Claims (7)

A finger vein authentication device for identifying an individual using a finger vein pattern,
An installation section for installing a finger;
A light source that illuminates one side of both sides of the fingertip, located on both sides with the finger in between,
It has an image sensor that photographs the other side,
The light source and the imaging unit are arranged at a position lower than the installation unit,
A finger vein authentication device comprising: a light shielding unit that blocks light so that irradiated light does not enter an imaging side at a position where the finger is installed; and a gap is provided on an imaging side. The finger vein authentication device according to claim 1,
The finger vein authentication device, wherein the light source, the imaging unit, and a finger to be installed are arranged so as to form a U-shape.   3. The finger vein authentication device according to claim 1, wherein the side surface of the finger to be photographed is a range from the fingertip to the first joint. A finger vein authentication device for identifying an individual using a finger vein pattern,
An installation section for installing a finger;
A light source that illuminates one side of both sides of the fingertip, located on both sides with the finger in between,
It has an image sensor that photographs the other side,
A finger vein authentication device comprising: a light shielding unit that blocks light so that irradiated light does not enter an imaging side at a position where the finger is installed; and a gap is provided on an imaging side.   5. The finger vein authentication device according to claim 1, wherein the finger vein authentication device is attached to a steering wheel of an automobile.   5. The finger vein authentication device according to claim 1, wherein the finger vein authentication device is attached to a transmission lever of an automobile.   7. The finger vein authentication device according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of finger patterns are registered for each person, and a function to be activated after authentication is changed for each finger.

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