Facial Landmark Sparse Code Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current user authentication methods, particularly for secure locations, face challenges in providing robust and efficient verification processes that can accurately identify users based on facial recognition, especially in environments where security is stringent and traditional methods may fail due to variations in image quality or distortion.

Innovation Solution

A user authentication method that extracts facial landmarks from input images, generates sparse codes using feature vectors based on learning data, and determines user authentication by calculating similarity between these sparse codes, employing techniques like cosine or chi-square distance measurements to ensure accurate identification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional facial recognition methods are used, then the authentication process is simple, but the accuracy decreases due to variations in image quality or distortion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication accuracyVSAvoidauthentication process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the face into multiple local regions (eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, chin) and extracts features from each region separately. This segmentation allows the system to focus on distinctive local characteristics rather than relying on the entire face image, thereby improving authentication accuracy while managing complexity through modular processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the authentication approach from direct image comparison to sparse code representation in a different mathematical dimension. By converting facial features into sparse codes through dictionary learning, the system operates in a transformed feature space that is more robust to image quality variations and distortions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Measurement precision

If sparse codes are generated using feature vectors based on learning data, then the authentication accuracy improves, but the processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefacial feature matching precisionVSAvoidauthentication processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs dictionary learning and feature extraction in advance during an enrollment phase. By pre-processing and storing reference sparse codes for each user, the system reduces the computational burden during actual authentication, thereby decreasing processing time while maintaining high accuracy through pre-computed feature representations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates sparse code representations as compressed copies of facial features. Instead of storing or processing entire high-resolution images, the system uses compact sparse codes that capture essential facial characteristics, significantly reducing processing time and computational resources while preserving authentication accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If multiple facial landmarks are extracted and processed, then the robustness of authentication improves, but the computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication robustnessVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the most discriminative facial landmarks (key points of eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, chin) rather than processing the entire face image. This selective extraction of critical features maintains authentication robustness by focusing on distinctive characteristics while reducing computational complexity through targeted processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different processing strategies to different facial regions based on their local characteristics. By treating each facial landmark region with appropriate feature extraction methods tailored to its specific properties, the system achieves robust authentication while optimizing computational resources for each local area rather than applying uniform complex processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS9524420B2User authentication method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2016.12.20 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • US9524420B2 patent drawing
  • US9524420B2 patent drawing
  • US9524420B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A user authentication method includes extracting a facial landmark from each of a first input image and a second input image; generating a first sparse code of the facial landmark extracted from the first input image and a second sparse code of the facial landmark extracted from the second input image; and determining whether a user is to be authenticated based on the first sparse code of the first input image and the second sparse code of the second input image.