Apparatus, method and computer program for identifying biometric features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10311316-B2
Application number	US-201515526929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program, wherein the method comprises: illuminating a portion of skin of a user; detecting light scattered by the illuminated portion of skin and using the detected light to identify locations of biometric features within the illuminated portion of skin; and configuring a light source to selectively illuminate identified locations of biometric features.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method implemented by an apparatus, the method comprising:
illuminating, by the apparatus, a portion of skin of a user;
detecting, by the apparatus, light scattered by the illuminated portion of skin and using the detected light to identify locations of biometric features within the illuminated portion of skin; and
configuring, by the apparatus, a light source to selectively illuminate identified locations of biometric features;
wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the skin of the user and is also configured to illuminate a display.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the biometric features comprise features which enable a user to be uniquely identified.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the biometric features comprise blood vessels.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 , comprising identifying portions of regions illuminated by the light source overlying regions of high blood flow, and controlling the light source so that these regions are illuminated.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selective illumination of biometric features is used to identify a user.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein information obtained from the biometric features is used to create cryptographic key information which enables a user to be identified.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selective illumination of blood vessels is used to monitor biometric parameters of the user.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising tuning an intensity of the illumination based on the intensity of the detected scattered light.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a light source is configured to be provided adjacent to the skin of the user.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a plurality of organic light emitting diodes.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the scattered light is detected by a quantum dot detector.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the areas of the user's skin which are selectively illuminated have a concentration of biometric features above a threshold.

13. An apparatus comprising:
processing circuitry; and
memory circuitry including computer program code;
the memory circuitry and the computer program code configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus at least to perform;
illuminating a portion of skin of a user;
detecting light scattered by the illuminated portion of skin and using the detected light to identify locations of biometric features within the illuminated portion of skin; and
configuring a light source to selectively illuminate identified locations of biometric features;
wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the skin of the user and is also configured to illuminate a display.

14. A apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the biometric features comprise blood vessels.

15. A an apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the light source comprises a plurality of organic light emitting diodes.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 comprising a quantum dot detector configured to detect the scattered light.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a computer program comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, enable controlling an apparatus to:
illuminate a portion of skin of a user;
detect light scattered by the illuminated portion of skin and using the detected light to identify locations of biometric features within the illuminated portion of skin; and
configure a light source to selectively illuminate identified locations of biometric features;
wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the skin of the user and is also configured to illuminate a display.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the biometric features comprise features which enable a user to be uniquely identified.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Matthews Andrew
• Bower Christopher
• Ronnow Troels

Classifications

• A61B5/024 Primary

  Measuring pulse rate or heart rate · CPC title

• G06V10/141

  Control of illumination · CPC title

• G06K2009/00953

  Physics · mapped topic

• A61B5/0037

  Performing a preliminary scan, e.g. a prescan for identifying a region of interest · CPC title

• A61B5/489

  Blood vessels · CPC title