Image capturing apparatus and biometric authentication apparatus to output guidance related to distance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10990788-B2
Application number	US-201715785979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2017
Priority date	Oct 20, 2016
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A camera captures an image of a subject, and a light source illuminates with light a plane intersecting an optical axis of the camera at a prescribed angle. The processor generates guidance information related to a distance between the subject and the light source on the basis of a pixel value distribution of the image of the subject which is illuminated with the light, and outputs the generated guidance information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:
a camera that captures an image of a subject;
a light source that illuminates with light a plane intersecting an optical axis of the camera at a prescribed angle; and
a processor that is coupled to the camera, that sets as a region of interest a partial region, in which a portion at a position that is closer to the light source than a position corresponding to the optical axis on the subject, is captured in the image of the subject which is illuminated with the light, that performs a calculation by using a plurality of pixel values in the partial region, that determines whether the subject and the light source are in a proximate state based on a result of the calculation, that generates guidance information indicating that the subject and the light source are in the proximate state when the subject and the light source are in the proximate state, and that outputs the guidance information.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor determines that the subject and the light source are in the proximate state when the partial region is saturated.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the portion is a first portion of the subject,
the partial region is a first partial region in which the first portion of the subject is captured in the image, and
the processor detects that the subject and the light source are in the proximate state by using the plurality of pixel values in the first partial region and a plurality of pixel values in a second partial region, in which a second portion of the subject at a position that is more distant from the light source than the position of the first portion is captured in the image.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor determines that the subject and the light source are in the proximate state when the first partial region is not saturated, a statistical value of the plurality of pixel values in the first partial region is greater than a first threshold and a statistical value of the plurality of pixel values in the second partial region is greater than a second threshold, which is smaller than the first threshold.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light source includes a first light source and a second light source that are respectively provided on both sides of the camera in a direction intersecting the optical axis at the prescribed angle,
the portion is a first portion at a position that is closer to the first light source than the position corresponding to the optical axis on the subject,
the partial region is a first partial region in which the first portion of the subject is captured in the image, and
the processor detects that the subject and the light source including the first light source and the second light source are in the proximate state by using the plurality of pixel values in the first partial region and a plurality of pixel values in a second partial region, in which a second portion at a position that is closer to the second light source than the position corresponding to the optical axis on the subject is captured in the image.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the processor determines that the subject and the light source including the first light source and the second light source are in the proximate state when the first partial region or the second partial region is saturated.

7. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light source includes a first light source and a second light source that are respectively provided on both sides of the camera in a direction intersecting the optical axis at the prescribed angle,
the portion is a first portion at a position that is closer to the first light source than the position corresponding to the optical axis on the subject,
the partial region is a first partial region in which the first portion of the subject is captured in the image, and
the processor detects that the subject and the light source including the first light source and the second light source are in the proximate state by using the plurality of pixel values in the first partial region a plurality of pixel values in a second partial region, in which a second portion at a position that is closer to the second light source than the position corresponding to the optical axis on the subject is captured in the image, and a plurality of pixel values in a third partial region, in which a third portion at the position corresponding to the optical axis on the subject is captured in the image.

8. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor determines that the subject and the light source including the first light source and the second light source are in the proximate state when a statistical value of the plurality of pixel values in the first partial region is smaller than a first threshold, a statistical value of the plurality of pixel values in the second partial region is smaller than a second threshold and a statistical value of the plurality of pixel values in the third partial region is greater than a third threshold.

9. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light source includes a first light source and a second light source that are respectively provided on both sides of the camera in a direction intersecting the optical axis at the prescribed angle,
the first light source emits a near infrared ray,
the second light source emits visible light,
the image includes a first image of the subject captured via a first filter, which has a higher transmissivity for light of a first wavelength than a transmissivity for light of a second wavelength that is shorter than the first wavelength, and a second image of the subject captured via a second filter, which has a higher transmissivity for light of the second wavelength than a transmissivity for light of the first wavelength,
the portion is a first portion at a position that is closer to the first light source than the position corresponding to the optical axis on the subject,
the partial region is a first partial region in which the first portion of the subject is captured in the first image, and
the processor detects that the subject and the light source including the first light source and the second light source are in the proximate state by using the plurality of pixel values in the first partial region and a plurality of pixel values in a second partial region, in which a second portion at a position that is closer to the second light source than the position corresponding to the optical axis on the subject is captured in the second image.

10. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the processor determines that the subject and the light source including the first light source and the second light source are in the proximate state when the first partial region or the second partial region is saturated.

11. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light source includes a first light source and a second light source that are respectively provided on both sides of the camera in a direction intersecting the optical axis at the prescribed angle,
the first light source emits a near infrared ray,
the second light source emits visible light,
the image includes a first image of the subject captured via a first filter, which has a higher transmissivity for light of a first wavelength than a transmissivity for light of a second wavelength that is shorter than the first wavelength, and a second image of the subject captured via a seco

Assignees

• Fujitsu Ltd

Inventors

• Abiko Yukihiro
• Maeda Satoshi
• Hama Soichi
• Semba Satoshi
• Nada Hajime

Classifications

• G06V10/147

  Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19) · CPC title

• G06V10/145

  Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings · CPC title

• G06V40/67

  by interactive indications to the user · CPC title

• G06V40/1312 Primary

  direct reading, e.g. contactless acquisition · CPC title

• G06V40/14

  Vascular patterns · CPC title