Individual verification apparatus, individual verification method and computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

Certain embodiments provide an individual verification apparatus, comprising: a database configured to associate a face image having the brightness and the light reception direction of an image region with the personal information of an individual; a correction section configured to carry out a correction operation using a correction amount pre-stored for image data for verification having another brightness and another light reception direction; and a verification section configured to verify the individual using the face part in the image data for verification which is corrected in at least one of brightness and light reception direction and the face image in the database.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An individual verification apparatus, comprising:
 a camera configured to take an individual and output an image in an image region observed from a fixed line-of-sight direction, the individual being irradiated in different brightness of light and having different directions of receiving irradiation thereto;   a database configured to associate a the face image of the individual in an image for registration from the camera with unique information of the individual; and   a processing unit coupled to the camera and the database, the processing unit facilitating execution of instructions to perform operations comprising:
 generating respective reference values for matching a brightness value and a light reception direction of an image for verification from the camera with a brightness value and a light reception of the face image of the individual, 
 correcting the brightness value and the light reception direction of the image for verification using thus generated reference values, and 
 verifying the individual using a face part in thus corrected image for verification and the face image stored in the database. 
   
     
     
         2 . The individual verification apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the operations by the processing unit further include:
 generating a reference brightness value and a reference light reception direction, respectively for a brightness value and alight reception direction of a background image in the image from the camera, 
 correcting a brightness value and a light reception direction of the face image for registration from the camera using the reference brightness value and the reference light reception direction of the background image, 
 registering the face image of the individual in thus corrected face image for registration in the database, and 
 correcting the image for verification from the camera using the reference brightness value and the reference light reception direction. 
   
     
     
         3 . The individual verification apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the operations further include:
 generating the reference values based on a plurality of persons within the same period of time.   
     
     
         4 . The individual verification apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an interface connected with an information server, wherein the operations further include:   calculating magnitudes of the changes in the brightness value and the light reception direction of the image from the camera according to a plurality of sample images at fixed moments of a plurality of days, and   calculating a value of the line-of-sight direction according to the magnitudes of the changes and sun position information for each day and hour from the information server.   
     
     
         5 . The individual verification apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an interface connected with an information server, wherein the operations further include:   calculating the reference value for the brightness value according to illuminance information, provided from the information server, of an illuminator in a room in which the camera is fixed, and   calculating the reference value for the light reception direction according to pre-stored illuminator information in the room.   
     
     
         6 . The individual verification apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an interface connected with an information server, wherein the operations further include:   calculating the reference values for the brightness value and the light reception direction of the face image according to weather information indicating a sunny day or a rainy day provided from the information server.   
     
     
         7 . The individual verification apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stationary printer configured to permit the individual to carry out a user-based operation thereto through the verifying.   
     
     
         8 . An individual verification method, comprising:
 generating, at a first timing, a reference brightness value and a reference light reception direction, respectively for a brightness value and a light reception direction of a background image in an image region in which an individual is observed from a fixed line-of-sight direction;   correcting, at a second timing, a brightness value and a light reception direction of an image for registration in which the individual is observed from the fixed line-of-sight direction, respectively using the reference brightness value and the reference light reception direction, and registering a face image of the individual in thus corrected image for registration in a database, the face image being associated with unique information of the individual;   correcting, at a third timing, a brightness value and a light reception direction of an image for verification in which the individual is observed from the fixed line-of-sight direction, respectively using the reference brightness value and the reference light reception direction; and   verifying the individual using a face part in thus corrected the image data for verification and the face image in the database.   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer readable recording medium, the medium storing a program causing a processor to execute the following processing:
 generating, at a first timing, a reference brightness value and a reference light reception direction, respectively for a brightness value and a light reception direction of a background image in an image region in which an individual is observed from a fixed line-of-sight direction;   correcting, at a second timing, a brightness value and a light reception direction of an image for registration in which the individual is observed from the fixed line-of-sight direction, respectively using the reference brightness value and the reference light reception direction, and registering a face image of the individual in thus corrected face image for registration in the database, the face image being associated with unique information of the individual;   correcting, at a third timing, a brightness value and a light reception direction of an image for verification in which the individual is observed from the fixed line-of-sight direction, respectively using the reference brightness value and the reference light reception direction; and   verifying the individual using a face part in thus corrected the image data for verification and the face image in the database.