WO2011023323A1 - Method and device for controlling access or authorising an action - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling access of a person to a mobile or stationary device or for authorising an action by optically detecting and evaluating biometric features, wherein a camera unit records a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of an ear, or part of an ear of the person and produces an object data record from the acquired image data, and said data record is compared to an object data record stored in a database. The person gains access to the mobile or stationary device, or an action is authorised, only when the topographical information recorded from the ear or the part of an ear of the person is consistent within a tolerance range with the topographical information stored in the object database. The invention is characterised in that the topographical information comprises the three-dimensional ear structure, ear shape or ear position with or without the area surrounding the ear.

Description

 Description:

Method and device for access control or authorization of an action Technical field:

The present invention relates to a method for access control of a person to a mobile or stationary device or authorization of an action by optical detection and evaluation of two-dimensional or three-dimensional biometric features. The present invention further relates to a mobile and stationary device with integrated access control based on one or more biometric features of a person. In a first aspect, the biometric feature to be subjected to an analysis is the ear or an ear component of a living being, in particular of a human being.

State of the art:

Many mobile devices, such as cell phones, handheld computers, organizers, laptops, or personal digital assistants (PDAs) use a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to allow access by the person entering a personal combination of numbers on the device. Often, however, such PINs are forgotten, especially when several private mobile devices or those of the employer are in use. The same problem also arises with stationary devices, such as expensive devices, building entrance barriers, computers, machines or medical devices. Frequently, the use of such systems or devices is user-specific

Authorization cards or ID cards issued, on which the access data of the user are deposited. However, such cards or ID cards are not forgery-proof and, in the event of loss, still give access to an unauthorized user who has come into possession of the card / ID card.

WO 99/24938 A1 therefore proposes a method and a system in which user authenticity is checked on the basis of biometric features of the user by storing these features on SIM cards and comparing them with the currently acquired biometric features. Be as biometric features Facial features, eye patterns, fingerprints or Sprechstimmmerkmale consulted.

The face of a person has characteristic traits, which was a motive, it was the first to biometric feature analysis in mobile or stationary

Use devices. For example, DE 10 2006 036 573 B3 describes a method for authorizing a user for a mobile device with a camera, wherein an object is detected in at least two dimensions by means of the camera and a detection result representing the object in at least two dimensions is generated. From the detection result, at least one biometric feature is determined, the determined biometric feature compared with a stored biometric feature and a corresponding

Generates comparison result. The mobile device is at least partially enabled or disabled for use by a user in response to this comparison result. Unfortunately, it has turned out that the face alone, as a biometric feature, is not a reliable object and results in a series of false positive or false negative results.

In DE 102004 039 937 A1, it has therefore been considered to refer to living beings on the basis of features of their dentures or teeth in relation to the surrounding face and body structures for identification or verification. For example, laser, camera and sensor systems are used to record these personal characteristics. Such "dental fingerprints" should be used, for example, for access or access authorization, control authority in authorities or companies or in telecommunications. In addition, approaches are known in which a biometric identification using unique energy features of an individual organism takes place, as described for example in DE 600 20606 T2. The biometric recognition of an entity is due to a biometric signature of the individual, by perceiving particular electrical and / or magnetic and / or acoustic properties of the individual

Sensors with special properties are detected. The recognition of the individual in this way allows the individual to perform an action.

In addition, there are classic methods for verifying or authenticating a person, such as the fingerprint or the analysis of the iris on the eye. In the DE 10 2006 021 002 A1, DE 600 36 347 T2 and DE 102 55 208 A1 describe various systems and methods for verification and identification of persons or animals by means of an iris recognition. Unfortunately, these are classic

Method not reliable because they are based on a two-dimensional analysis. The iris recognition is also strong on the pupil condition and the prevailing

Dependent on lighting conditions.

WO2006 / 027743 A1 describes a method for access control of a person to a mobile or stationary device or authorization of an action by optical detection and evaluation of geometric features. In which

described method is a detection of an ear by locating an invariant point in a representation of the ear geometry. Here, the overall shape of the ear is considered. The recognition method is based on the known Innarelli algorithm. In the process, a template is first created on the basis of a representation (eg a photo) of an ear geometry and an invariant point is localized in the representation of the ear geometry. Thereafter, a polar representation of the ear is created by placing different axes in a plane on the representation of the Ohrabbildes. In order to obtain the desired data, inter alia, a Fourier-Mellin transformation is performed. The described method uses information from a

two-dimensional image and in this case in particular on the two-dimensional overall shape of the ear from. A topographic survey does not take place.

WO2006 / 074082 A1 describes a system and a method for determining an acoustic response in an ear in order to confirm the identity of a user. An evaluation of optical data is not done here.

Presentation of the invention:

Against this background, it is an object of the present invention to improve methods for the detection and evaluation of safety-related information concerning the ear.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1, wherein the topographic information comprises the three-dimensional ear structure, ear shape or ear position with or without an ear environment. Preferred embodiments can be found in the subclaims again.

Ways to carry out the invention and commercial usability:

The present invention is based in a first aspect on the optical detection of an ear, an ear component and possibly the ear environment of a

Individual to create from the thus obtained image data, an object data set, which is compared with an object database stored in a database. This allows a clear assignment. The person only gets access to the mobile or stationary device, or an action is only authorized if that of the ear or Ohrbestandtei! the person recorded topographical (s)

Information (s) within a tolerance range coincide / match the topographic information (s) stored in the object database.

So far, one is on the peculiarities of the human ear or individual

Ear components for access control of a person on a mobile or stationary device by optical detection and evaluation of topographic information in the prior art not discussed. Just the ear, however, offers many possibilities of a biometric feature analysis and subsequent evaluation for access control on an object or identification of a person. In contrast to an iris, the ear does not have a smooth or even surface, but a characteristic three-dimensional topographical structure. This will be a much higher level

Counterfeit security and reliability ensured, as is the case with many of the

conventional methods is the case. The ear is also excellent as an additional biometric feature in previously known methods. A further advantage is that the ear does not necessarily change during an analysis process, which can be a problem especially in test methods on the iris. Here are the known disadvantages, such as pupil dilation or -Verengung under different lighting conditions. A reliable analysis is made difficult or even impossible. Preferably, the topographic information comes from the auricle. The outer ear of the ear is called the auricle (Latin Auricula auris). The auricles of humans are individually shaped and are particularly suitable because of their individual expression as a biometric feature. The auricle has

characteristic depressions and elevations, which can be analyzed either two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. Therefore, the elevations or depressions characteristic of the auricles in addition to the two-dimensional or three-dimensional ear structure, ear shape or ear position are used in the biometric feature analysis used here. In addition, others can

Ear components provide important topographical information that makes it possible to distinguish one person from another. This includes, for example, the ear cavity or earlobe. Finally, the ear environment can be used as an additional two-dimensional or three-dimensional security feature. Under ear environment is understood in this application, the area of the head that surrounds the ear immediately. For example, certain skin colorations, scars, hairiness, etc. of the wearer may be characteristic in the context of the particular ear. Areas of the ear environment can be used either alone or together with the ear or ear component for image acquisition. The deceptive security or the degree of reliability of the invention

Method can be increased if in addition to the three-dimensional ear structure, ear shape or ear position also pollution characteristics, skin discoloration, blemishes, skin tears, scars, hair or ear wax (cerumen) are used for analysis. Since such features are characteristic of individuals, a high degree of attribution can be ensured so that a person gains access to the mobile or stationary device or is authorized to take action if he or she so prefers security features (see below)

Access control or authorization fulfilled. It is preferably done at each

Image data acquisition by the camera unit also at the same time an update of the respective object database with the newly recorded image data. As another

Security feature can be used the fact that itself

Image sections rarely have a 100% degree of match compared to previous images, so that such matching images would be noticed in the analysis and a potential deceiver would be exposed. In order to avoid false negative or false positive errors, it is expedient to specify a tolerance range in which the degree of agreement to be satisfied is predetermined beforehand. For example, if a 99.9% match was required, even minor deviations would be enough to deny the person's access to the mobile or stationary device. But are larger tolerance ranges

(Thresholds), this error rate is significantly reduced. Such tolerance ranges can be determined relatively quickly depending on the field of application and topographical information. They represent a compromise between a low error rate on the one hand and a high degree of forgery (or high degree of assignment) on the other hand. Higher tolerance ranges can be used if not only topographical information (for example the auricle) but also several topographical information is collected and evaluated. These can be different image sections, image sequences, image angles or "secondary features". For example, as secondary features, skin lesions, scars along with the structural features of the pinna or hair in the ear cavity may be used as multiple security features for acquisition and analysis of access control. It is beneficial that the person not authorized to access does not know which section or which type of topographic information is currently being recorded and evaluated for the respective access control.

In a preferred embodiment it is therefore provided that several

different topographic information of the ear, ear component or ear environment (excluding the face or head shape) is detected and compared, the access of the person to the mobile or stationary device or authorization of an action being released when the degree of assignment of the individual topographic information within a predetermined one

Tolerance range is.

If the camera unit is integrated, for example, in a mobile phone, by applying the mobile phone to the ear can already take place an optical detection of the pinna, ear components or secondary features. It can be used for this purpose the many already existing in mobile phones camera ("Fotohandy"). As the lighting conditions of many mobile or stationary devices

are different and difficult to predict, an illumination source for illuminating the object is preferably additionally provided for the camera unit, which already exists in many mobile phones. This ensures that there is sufficient light to capture the image data at any time of the day or night. The illumination source is, for example, an LED. The comparison of the object data sets obtained from the ear or ear component takes place in the mobile or stationary device itself or via an external database, wherein the detected object data sets are transmitted via a data line or wirelessly via a transceiver to the receiver database. The control of the mobile phone can additionally be done by telephone instructions to the (current) carrier of the mobile phone. An internal storage, for example, in the mobile device is possible via a SIM card. The comparison with an external database can for example be done via Bluetooth, Internet or within a network (Wlan, Lan). In order to additionally increase the access security, the hearing of the ear can be used for certain frequencies and / or volumes as a further biometric feature. The person only gains access to the mobile or stationary device when the appropriate frequency and / or volume is reached and the person confirms this by an input action. Since each person perceives frequencies of the sound spectrum to different degrees or can not hear certain frequencies at all or only poorly, by using this property an additional

Identification created. About a sound reproduction device, the mobile or stationary device tones of different frequencies and / or

Create volume. Qualitative differences in tone recognition allow the accessing person to perform an input action (for example, by pressing a confirmation button on a mobile phone)

Of course, a language chosen by the owner or a particular dialect may be used for access control or authorization, so that the circle of eligible persons is based on the required language skills

is restricted. For speech acquisition, the device is preferably equipped with a microphone.

In preferred embodiments, the topographic information to be collected and evaluated may be predetermined beforehand or other mechanisms to be selected. Preferably, it is provided that only predetermined

Topographical information for access control for comparison with the stored in an object database object data set are used, wherein the selection of the used for comparison topographic information is either predetermined, random or based on a specific algorithm. Just the selection of the algorithm, which is unknown to the unauthorized person, can create another safety criterion. The unauthorized person is not aware of the criteria or algorithms used to select the topographic information. For example, it is possible that only sections of the auricle or certain skin features on the ear are used for analysis and evaluation. If "wrong" topographic information is collected and evaluated, the system can be locked and the person's access to the mobile or stationary device denied. A direct or indirect connection of the system with an alarm device is possible.

In the analysis of different topographic information and a specific selection, the degrees of assignment of the individual topographical information obtained may vary during reconciliation or be weighted differently.

For example, moles or freckles on the pinna can be assigned a different degree of assignment because they can change.

 Structural features of the inveterate auricle, however, can be assigned a higher degree of assignment. Therefore, the degree of assignment depends on the type of topographical information or the one to be recorded

Object feature.

Preferably, it is provided that before, during or after the comparison of the topographic information obtained from the ear or the ear component with or without the ear environment with the object data set stored in an object database

Updating the topographic information in the object database, in which the stored image data is supplemented and / or replaced by the newly acquired image data. In this way, the database is always up to date. Unauthorized persons thus find it even more difficult to obtain unauthorized access to the mobile or stationary device. The mobile device according to the invention is any device for private or business use, for example a mobile telephone, a pocket computer, an organizer, a laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA). However, the invention is not limited to this exemplary list of mobile devices.

The stationary device according to the invention is preferably a test device connected to an access-controlled device, a device, a computer, a machine or a medical device. An access controlled

Device may, for example, the door of a building / room or the

lockable cover of a keyboard (for example, numeric keypad for opening a door, computer). Also in this exemplary list of stationary devices, the present invention is not limited.

As a further biometric feature, it is preferably provided that a facial expression or sequence of movements of the face or individual body parts of the person are recorded as a sequence of images and evaluated as additional information for access control.

For example, a grimace or the sequence normal face grimace normal face may represent an access feature. Individual movement functions, which may be individual for a person, can also be used as a biometric feature (for example, movement of the ear with or without inclusion of the surroundings of the ear, frowning). Even movement sequences of body parts (for example, the opening and closing of a fist) can serve as a biometric feature. Not

The authorized person does not know which features or sequences of movements are required as access features and in what order certain actions are to be taken (e.g., typical wrinkles on the move, overall shape and its typical change, etc.).

It is preferably provided that an image sequence or video sequence is created, wherein the selection of the individual images used for comparison with the object database is either predetermined, random or based on a specific algorithm.

For example, of an image sequence with ten individual images, only the images 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 can be used for an evaluation. However, the unauthorized person does not know which pictures they are. It is also preferably provided that several

Evaluations with a different selection of images are made to the

To check access authorization. In this way, you can have several different ones Evaluations are used with different frames of a sequence of images for access control.

As a further security feature, it is provided in one embodiment that the camera unit records the topographical information (s) from different recording angles and uses them for comparison with the object database. Depending on the shooting angle, different topographical images of the respective object are created. These can be evaluated as two-dimensional or as three-dimensional images individually or together. If at the same time also a

Updating the object database, image data will be different

 Recording angle or more of a movement corresponding recording angle at the time of update in the object database be present. In the case of a renewed access control, therefore, the ear or ear component must be detected at the respectively previously determined receiving angle in order to gain access to the mobile or stationary device. Additional security is provided because such sequences can not be replaced by static photos. A video sequence held by a fake person against a surveillance camera would not have the necessary resolution, nor could the deceiver mimic movements or respond immediately to telephone instructions.

Furthermore, it is possible for the camera unit or the object itself during the recording to shift the position at random or according to a predetermined algorithm or even according to a telephone instruction, thereby obtaining image sequences with different recording angles and positions for evaluation and comparison with the object database. Depending on the camera work and

Positional shift thus creates different image sequences.

With the method according to the invention it is possible to identify a living being, in particular a human or an animal.

The invention further relates to a mobile device with integrated access control based on one or more biometric features of a person, comprising at least one camera unit, which is designed for the optical detection of topographic information of an ear or an ear component of the person, a conversion system for converting the image data obtained to a person object record and an alignment system for comparing the obtained data set with the data set stored in a database.

It is preferably provided that the camera unit in a mobile phone, a

Pocket computer, an organizer, a laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA) is integrated.

It is further provided that the device additionally comprises an illumination source for illuminating the object for the camera unit.

For sound and / or volume detection, a sound reproduction device is also provided. Optional microphone recording is provided for optional voice recording (e.g., speech recognition or dial recognition). The camera unit is preferably designed so that individual image sequences and

Movements are recordable.

The same equipment features also apply to the stationary device. The stationary device is preferably a larger device, a machine or a test device, which can not or only with great difficulty be carried portable with a person. In order to gain access to a building, room, appliance or machine, the person will have to go through the access control procedure according to the invention. For this purpose, a camera unit will detect and evaluate an optical detection of the ear or ear components and possibly the immediate surroundings of the ear as well as other biometric features of the person. The camera unit may preferably be integrated in a separate test device.

The invention will be explained in more detail in the following application example.

A mobile phone is equipped with an internal camera unit and an additional LED as a lighting source. The camera unit is designed so that a macro range between 1 and 10 cm can be operated with high resolution and sharpness. The mobile phone is led to the ear to complete the ear (complete

Auricle) with or without ear environment or in detail (ear cavity). By matching the image data thus obtained with the image data stored in the memory card or SIM card of the mobile phone or with an external central

Database is an authentication of the user possible. If the recorded topographic information matches the deposited topographical information within a tolerance range, the person gains access to the device. Otherwise, another recording is made according to an instruction made by telephone. If these too fail, access may be denied, for example, further features may be queried (e.g., voice, codes, etc.) and the attempt repeated if necessary.

One way to capture motion sequences to use as

Security feature is explained in more detail in the following figure 1.

In Fig. 1A, a positional shift of the camera unit or the object from a first position 1 to a second position 2 during the detection of the image data is shown. Depending on the shooting position will be different topographic

Captured image information in a sequence. In FIG. 1B, a rotation of the camera unit or the object takes place during the recording and then a displacement of the camera unit, whereby a change of the recording angle takes place.

Claims

claims: 1. Procedure for access control of a person to a mobile or stationary  Device or authorization of an action by optical detection and  Evaluation of biometric features, in which a camera unit, a two-dimensional or three-dimensional recording of an ear, or a  Ear component of the person makes, from the thus obtained image data  An object record is created and this record is compared to an object record stored in a database, whereby the person only has access to the mobile or stationary device or authorization of an action, if the recorded from the ear, or the ear component of the person (s)  topographic information (s) within a tolerance range with the topographical information (s) stored in the object database  coincide / coincide, characterized in that the topographic information the three-dimensional ear structure, ear shape or ear position with or without Ear environment includes. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the topographical  Information comes from the auricle or the ear cavity. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ear environment is used as additional topographic information. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the  topographic information comprising three-dimensional ear structure, ear shape or ear position with or without ear environment. 4. The method according to claim 43, characterized in that the topographical  Information next to the three-dimensional ear structure, ear shape, ear position or Ear environment also includes soiling, skin discoloration, blemishes, skin tears, scars, hair or earwax (cerumen). 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 45, characterized in that several different topographic information of the ear, or the Ear component with or without Ohrumgebuπg be detected and compared, the access of the person to the mobile or stationary device or the  Authorization of the action is then freed when the degree of assignment of each topographic information within a predetermined  Tolerance range is. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 65, characterized in that the mobile or stationary device additionally an illumination source for  Illumination of the object for the camera unit includes. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 76, characterized in that the adjustment of the obtained from the ear or the ear component with or without ear environment object data sets in the mobile or stationary device itself or via an external database, wherein the detected object records via a Data line or wireless via a transmitting / receiving device for  Recipient database. 8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 87, characterized in that is used as a further biometric feature, the hearing of the ear for certain frequencies and / or volumes, the person only gets access to the mobile or stationary device, if the corresponding Frequency and / or volume is reached and the person confirms this by an input action. 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 98, characterized in that for the access control or authorization of the act additionally  Speech recognition test takes place. 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 109, characterized in that only predetermined topographic information for access control for comparison with the stored in an object database object data set are used, the selection of the topographic information used for comparison is either predetermined, random or based on a specific Algorithm is done. 11. The method according to claim 1110, characterized in that the assignment grades in the individual topographical information obtained during the adjustment vary or are weighted differently. 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 1211, characterized in that prior to, during or after the comparison of the topographic information obtained from the ear, or the ear component with or without Ohrumgebung with the deposited in an object database object data set updating the topographic information in the object database takes place, in which the stored data is supplemented and / or adapted by the newly acquired data. 13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 1312, characterized in that it is the mobile device to a mobile phone, a pocket computer, an organizer, a laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA). 14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 1312, characterized in that it is the stationary device is a connected to an access-controlled device testing device, a device, a computer, a machine, a medical device. 15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 1514, characterized in that as an additional biometric feature a mimic or sequence of movements of the  Face or individual body parts of the person recorded as a sequence of images and evaluated as additional information for access control. 16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 1615, characterized in that an image sequence or video sequence is created, wherein the selection of the frames used for comparison with the object database is either predetermined, random or based on a specific algorithm. 17. The method according to claim 1716, characterized in that a plurality Evaluations with a different selection of images take place in order to check the access authorization. 18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 1817, characterized in that the camera unit, the topographic (s) information (s) from different  Captured angles and used for comparison with the object database. 19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the camera unit or the object during the recording randomly or according to a predetermined algorithm shifts the position and thereby image sequences with different recording angles for evaluation and comparison with the  Object database can be obtained. 20. Mobile device with integrated access control based on one or more  biometric features of a person comprising at least one camera unit designed to optically capture topographical information of an ear or an ear component with or without an ear environment of the person, a conversion system for converting the obtained image data into one  Object data set and an adjustment system for comparing the obtained data set with the data set stored in a database, characterized in that the topographic information comprises the three-dimensional ear structure, ear shape or ear position with or without an ear environment. 21. Mobile device according to claim 2120, characterized in that the  Camera unit is integrated into a mobile phone, a pocket computer, an organizer, a laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA). 22. Mobile device according to claim 2021 or 2221, characterized in that the device additionally comprises an illumination source for illuminating the object for the camera unit. 23. Mobile device according to one of claims 21 20 to 2322, characterized  characterized in that the device additionally comprises a sound reproduction device. 24. Mobile device according to claim 2423, characterized in that the Device additionally includes a microphone. 25. Mobile device according to one of claims 21 20 to 2524, characterized  in that the camera unit can record individual image sequences and motion sequences. 26. Stationary device with integrated access control based on biometric  Characteristics of a person, comprising at least one camera unit, which is designed for the optical detection of topographic information of an ear or an ear component with or without an ear environment of the person of the person, a conversion system for converting the obtained image data into one  Object data set and an adjustment system for comparing the obtained data set with the data set stored in a database, characterized in that the topographic information comprises the three-dimensional ear structure, ear shape or ear position with or without ear environment. 27. Stationary device according to claim 2726, characterized in that the stationary device is a test device connected to an access-controlled device, a device, a computer, a machine, a medical device. 28. Stationary device according to claim 2726 or 2827, characterized in that the device additionally comprises an illumination source for illuminating the object for the camera unit. 29. Stationary device according to one of claims 2726 to 2928, characterized  characterized in that the device additionally comprises a sound reproduction device. 30. Stationary device according to one of claims 2726 to 3029, characterized  characterized in that the device additionally comprises a microphone. 31. Stationary device according to one of claims 2627 to 3031, characterized in that the camera unit can record individual image sequences and motion sequences. 32. A method for identifying a living being, in particular a human or animal, characterized by the method steps of one of claims 1 to 2019.