Monocular Coded Aperture Face Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing face authentication techniques that utilize depth direction information require additional devices such as stereo cameras, infrared-laser irradiation devices, and light-receiving devices, making them bulky and difficult to miniaturize.
Innovation Solution
A face authentication device equipped with a monocular camera featuring a coded aperture, which captures images and estimates depth using coded-aperture imaging techniques, thereby generating depth feature information for authentication without the need for additional devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional devices such as stereo camera, infrared-laser irradiation device, and light-receiving device are used for face authentication using depth direction information, then authentication reliability is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the depth measurement function with the standard monocular camera by integrating a coded aperture into the camera lens. This merging of functions allows the single camera to perform both regular imaging and depth estimation, eliminating the need for separate depth-sensing devices like stereo cameras or infrared lasers, thereby reducing device size while maintaining authentication reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The monocular camera with coded aperture serves multiple functions: it captures regular two-dimensional facial images for standard authentication and simultaneously estimates depth information for three-dimensional authentication. This multi-functionality allows a single device to replace multiple specialized devices, achieving reliable depth-based authentication without increasing device volume
2Measurement precision
If multiple devices are used for depth-based face authentication, then depth measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the depth measurement capability from complex multi-device systems and integrates it into the standard monocular camera through the coded aperture. This extraction allows depth estimation to be performed using the existing camera infrastructure, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision through computational algorithms that process the coded aperture image data
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables miniaturization of face authentication devices by eliminating the need for additional hardware, while also allowing for efficient two-dimensional and depth-based face authentication from a single captured image.
Implementation Method 1
a monocular camera that includes a coded aperture and captures a face of a user through the coded aperture to acquire a captured image of the face of the user
Data Source
AI summary
A face authentication device includes a monocular camera that includes a coded aperture and captures a face of a user through the coded aperture to acquire a captured image of the face of the user, a depth estimation unit that estimates a depth in at least a part of the captured image by an operation corresponding to the coded aperture, a depth feature information generating unit that generates depth feature information indicating a feature of the face of the user in a depth direction based on the depth, and a depth face authentication unit that authenticates the user based on the depth feature information.