EyeLock Granted Patent for Single Camera Biometrics

EyeLock, an iris-based identity authentication solutions provider, has announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued U.S. Patent No. 9,646,217 that enables a single camera to acquire iris biometrics as well as a face image by providing suitable illumination adjustments between the two acquisitions.

“Our latest patent continues to strengthen EyeLock's position in the mobile and broader Internet of Things (IoT) sectors,” said Jim Demitrieus, CEO, EyeLock. “The compact design of this solution leverages a single camera component to perform multiple functions, resulting in a lower total cost to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and increased capabilities for end-users.”

The technology has several key features:

• uses a single image sensor to acquire a face image and an iris image suitable for iris recognition;
• determines the distance of the subject from the image sensor, so that suitable illumination levels can be provided even when the two types of images are being captured in quick succession;
• links the face image to the iris image, which allows the face image to be used for liveness confirmation of the iris biometrics; and
• allows the acquisition of the face image to serve as biometric deterrence and the face image to be optionally stored for future dispute resolution.

This patent is the most recent example of how EyeLock works to achieve significant technological breakthroughs and solve integration challenges that have historically been a barrier to mass-market adoption of iris authentication technology. In addition, the company has said its approach is designed to provide maximum flexibility for customers by offering designs that have on-board or host-based processing and illumination. Algorithm performance capabilities for speed and accuracy have been validated by Novetta, a leader in advanced analytics technology and independent biometric testing. The EyeLock reference designs have working distances of up to 60 cm with a false accept rate of 1 in 1.5 million for single eye authentication and a false reject rate of less than 1 percent.