Patent US6920237B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6920237B2
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Digital image processing method and computer program product for detecting human irises in an image
Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures LLC
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Filing: 2000-12-19
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Granted: 2005-07-19
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Expires: 2020-12-19
Abstract
Abstract A digital image processing method is taught for detecting human irises in a digital image. The method comprises the steps measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the image, determining the probability that each pixel is an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel, determining the probability that each pixel is not an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; and determining whether the pixel is an iris by analyzing the relationship between the probability that the pixel is an iris and the probability that the pixel is not an iris. In one embodiment of the present invention, the determination as to whether a pixel is an iris pixel is then made based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in the identified region and probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the identified region. In another embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of finding an oval shaped skin color region, detecting iris color pixels in the oval shaped skin color region, detecting iris color pixels in the oval shaped region using a Bayes model and locating eye positions based upon the detected iris color pixels. A computer program product for performing these methods is also taught.
Inventors
- 👤 Shoupu Chen
- 👤 Lawrence A. Ray
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 03:16
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06V; G06V40/00; G06V40/10; G06V40/16; G06V40/161; G06V40/18; G06V40/19
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
A digital image processing method for detecting human irises in a digital image, comprising the steps of: measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the image; determining the probability that each pixel is an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; determining the probability that each pixel is not an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; and determining whether each pixel is an iris by analyzing the relationship between the probability that the pixel is an iris and probability that the pixel is not an iris.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
92 words
A digital image processing method for detecting human irises in a digital image, comprising the steps of: measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the image; determining the probability that each pixel is an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; determining the probability that each pixel is not an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; and determining whether each pixel is an iris by analyzing the relationship between the probability that the pixel is an iris and probability that the pixel is not an iris.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining whether each pixel is an iris is based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is an iris, the probability that a pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the image and the probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of detecting skin color regions in the image and wherein the step of measuring the red intensity comprises measuring the red intensity of only the pixels in the skin color region.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of performing color equalization on the image prior to the step of detecting skin color regions in the image.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of determining whether each pixel is an iris is based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is an iris, the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in a skin color region, and the probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in a skin color region.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of finding oval shaped skin colored regions in the image and wherein the step of measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the skin color region comprises measuring only those pixel within an oval shaped skin color region.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of determining whether each pixel is an iris is based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is an iris, the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in a skin color region, and the probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in a skin color region.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of finding oval shaped skin colored regions in the image and wherein the step of measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the image comprises measuring only those pixels within an oval shaped skin colored region.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of determining whether each pixel is an iris is based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is an iris, the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in a skin color region, and the probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in a skin color region.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
121 words
A method for detecting human irises and eyes in a digital image comprising the steps of: finding a skin color region; detecting iris color pixels in the skin colored region using a Bayes model; and locating eve positions based upon the detected iris color pixels, wherein the step of locating eye positions based upon the detected iris color pixels comprises the steps of: clustering iris color pixels; finding the center of each cluster; dividing the skin colored region into a left-half and a right-half; locating the most likely left eye position in the left-half region using the summation of squared difference method; and locating the most likely right eye position in the right-half region using the summation of squared difference method.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
121 words
A method for detecting human irises and eyes in a digital image comprising the steps of: finding a skin color region; detecting iris color pixels in the skin colored region using a Bayes model; and locating eve positions based upon the detected iris color pixels, wherein the step of locating eye positions based upon the detected iris color pixels comprises the steps of: clustering iris color pixels; finding the center of each cluster; dividing the skin colored region into a left-half and a right-half; locating the most likely left eye position in the left-half region using the summation of squared difference method; and locating the most likely right eye position in the right-half region using the summation of squared difference method.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
98 words
The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of locating the most likely left eye position using the summation of squared difference method comprises the steps of: defining a window of pixels surrounding the center of each of the clusters in the image; dividing the iris pixel clusters into left-half pixel clusters and right-half pixel clusters; and locating the most likely left eye position based on the summation of squared difference between an average eye and patch of the image centered at each of the pixels in each of the windows surrounding a left-half iris pixel cluster.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
99 words
The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of locating the most likely right eye position using the summation of squared difference method comprises the steps of: defining a window of pixels surrounding the center of each of the clusters in the image; dividing the iris, pixel clusters into left-half iris pixel clusters and right-half pixel clusters; and locating the most likely right eye position based on the summation of squared difference between an average eye and patches of the image centered at each of the pixels in each of the windows surrounding a right-half iris pixel cluster.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
155 words
A method for detecting human irises and eyes in a digital image comprising the steps of: finding a skin color region; detecting iris color pixels in the skin colored region using a Bayes model; and locating eye positions based upon the detected iris color pixels; wherein the step of detecting iris color pixels using a Bayes model comprises measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the skin color region; determining the probability that each pixel is an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; determining the probability that each pixel is not an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; and applying a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is an iris, the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in the skin colored region and probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the skin colored region.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
155 words
A method for detecting human irises and eyes in a digital image comprising the steps of: finding a skin color region; detecting iris color pixels in the skin colored region using a Bayes model; and locating eye positions based upon the detected iris color pixels; wherein the step of detecting iris color pixels using a Bayes model comprises measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the skin color region; determining the probability that each pixel is an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; determining the probability that each pixel is not an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; and applying a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is an iris, the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in the skin colored region and probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the skin colored region.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
108 words
A computer program product for detecting human irises in a digital image, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of: measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the image; determining the probability that each pixel is an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; determining the probability that each pixel is not an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; and determining whether each pixel is an iris by analyzing the relationship between the probability that the pixel is an iris and probability that the pixel is not an iris.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
108 words
A computer program product for detecting human irises in a digital image, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of: measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the image; determining the probability that each pixel is an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; determining the probability that each pixel is not an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; and determining whether each pixel is an iris by analyzing the relationship between the probability that the pixel is an iris and probability that the pixel is not an iris.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
62 words
The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the step of determining whether each pixel is an iris is based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in the image, and the probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the image.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
The computer program product of claim 14 , further comprising the step of detecting skin color regions in the image and wherein the step of measuring the red intensity comprises measuring the red intensity of only the pixels in the skin color region.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The computer program product of claim 14 , further comprising the step of performing color histogram equalization on the image prior to performing the step of detecting skin color regions in the image.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
78 words
The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein said computer program product performs the step of determining whether the pixel is an iris is based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is an iris, the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in the skin color region and probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the skin color region.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
49 words
The computer program product of claim 17 , further comprising the step of finding oval shaped skin colored regions in the image and wherein the step of measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the image comprises measuring only those pixels within an oval shaped skin colored region.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
74 words
The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the step of determining whether the pixel is an iris is based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is an iris, the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in a skin color region, and the probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in a skin colored region.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
49 words
The computer program product of claim 14 , further comprising the step of finding oval shaped skin colored regions in the image and wherein the step of measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the image comprises measuring only those pixels within an oval shaped skin colored region.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
78 words
The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein said computer program product performs the step of determining whether the pixel is an iris is based upon the application of a Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is an iris, the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in the skin color region and probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the skin color region.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
140 words
A computer program product for detecting human irises and eyes in a digital image, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of: finding a skin colored region; detecting iris color pixels in the skin colored region using a Bayes model; and locating eye positions based upon the detected iris color pixels; wherein the step of locating eye positions based upon the detected iris color pixels comprises the steps of: clustering iris color pixels; finding the center of each cluster; dividing the skin colored region into a left-half and a right-half; locating the most likely left eye position in the left-half region using the summation of squared difference method; and locating the most likely right eye position in the right-half region using the summation of squared difference method.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
140 words
A computer program product for detecting human irises and eyes in a digital image, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for performing the steps of: finding a skin colored region; detecting iris color pixels in the skin colored region using a Bayes model; and locating eye positions based upon the detected iris color pixels; wherein the step of locating eye positions based upon the detected iris color pixels comprises the steps of: clustering iris color pixels; finding the center of each cluster; dividing the skin colored region into a left-half and a right-half; locating the most likely left eye position in the left-half region using the summation of squared difference method; and locating the most likely right eye position in the right-half region using the summation of squared difference method.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
103 words
The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the step of locating the most likely left eye position is performed using the summation of squared difference method comprises the steps of: defining a window of pixels surrounding the center of each of the clusters in the image; dividing the iris pixel clusters into left-half iris pixel clusters and right-half pixel clusters; and locating the most likely left eye position based on the summation of squared difference between an average eye and patch of the image centered at each of the pixels in each of the windows surrounding a left-half iris pixel cluster.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
105 words
The computer program product of claim 24 , wherein the step of locating the most likely right eye position is performed using the summation of squared difference method comprises the steps of: defining a window of pixels surrounding the center of each of the iris pixel clusters in the image; dividing the iris pixel clusters into left-half iris pixel clusters and right-half pixel clusters; and locating the most likely right eye position based on the summation of squared difference between an average eye and patches of the image centered at each of the pixels in each of the windows surrounding a right-half iris pixel cluster.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
117 words
The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the step of detecting iris color pixels using a Bayes model comprises measuring the red intensity of the pixels in the skin color region; determining the probability that each pixel is an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; determining the probability that each pixel is not an iris based upon the red intensity of the pixel; and applying the Bayes model to the probability that the pixel is an iris, the probability that the pixel is not an iris, the probability of the occurrence of an iris in the skin colored region and probability of the occurrence of a non-iris pixel in the skin colored region.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2008-07-18 | 2009-01-17 | 2009-07-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-07-18 | 2013-01-17 | 2013-07-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-07-18 | 2017-01-17 | 2017-07-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |