Validation of the right to access an object

Abstract

An iris biometric recognition module includes technology for capturing images of an iris of an eye of a person, whether the person is moving or stationary. The iris biometric recognition technology can perform an iris matching procedure for, e.g., authentication or identity purposes, by comparing a digital iris image to a reference iris image and, if the digital and reference iris images match, transition an object from a locked to an unlocked state to allow access to the object.

The claimed invention is: 
     
         1 . A biometric access control device comprising:
 a camera having a field of view;   an illuminator device comprising one or more illuminators that emit light into the field of view;   an access control mechanism coupled to an object and having a locked state that prevents access to the object and an unlocked state that allows access to the object;   an input device;   memory storing program instructions; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the illuminator device, the camera, the access control mechanism, the input device, and the memory, and further communicatively coupled to a database storing a reference iris image for a user validated to access the object, the processor executing the program instructions to:
 receive an input signal from the input device; 
 determine that the input signal comprises a permission to scan an iris of a person in proximity to the object; 
 align the camera with the iris of the person; 
 send a first control signal to the illuminator device, the first control signal activating a synchronous emission of light by the one or more illuminators at a pulse frequency above continuous wave eye safe limits; 
 send a second control signal to the camera, the second control signal activating a capture of a plurality of digital images by the camera, the capture being synchronous with the synchronous emission of light; 
 receive the plurality of digital images from the camera; 
 access the database and retrieve the reference iris image; 
 determine that a first digital image of the plurality of digital images matches the reference iris image; and 
 transition the access control mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state. 
   
     
     
         2 . The biometric access control device of  claim 1 , wherein the access control mechanism comprises a motor transitioning an electro-mechanical locking system from the locked state to the unlocked state and from the unlocked state to the locked state. 
     
     
         3 . The biometric access control device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor executing the program instructions to.
 determine that the first digital image of the plurality of digital images does not match the reference iris image, deny the user access to the object by:
 transitioning the object from the locked state to the unlocked state; or 
 maintaining the object in the locked state. 
   
     
     
         4 . The biometric access control device of  claim 1 , wherein the camera, the illuminator device, the access control mechanism, the input device, the memory and the processor are incorporated into the object. 
     
     
         5 . The biometric access control device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the illuminator device comprises at least one infrared illuminator; and   the program instructions operate the illuminator device to illuminate the iris with a pulsing or strobe illumination operation above continuous wave eye safe limits.   
     
     
         6 . The biometric access control device of  claim 1 , wherein the camera, the illuminator device, the access control mechanism, the input device the memory and the processor are communicatively coupled, via wired or wireless internet connectivity, to a local, remote or cloud database. 
     
     
         7 . An iris biometric access control system comprising:
 an iris biometric recognition module that authenticates a person to access an object, the iris biometric recognition module comprising:
 an iris imager device comprising a lens; 
 an illuminator device; 
 an access control mechanism coupled to the object and having a locked state that prevents access to the object and an unlocked state that allows access to the object; 
 memory storing program instructions; and 
 one or more processors communicatively coupled to the iris imager device, the illuminator device, the access control mechanism, and the memory, the one or more processors executing the program instructions to:
 align the lens of the iris imager device with an iris of the person; 
 operate the illuminator device to illuminate the iris; 
 operate the iris imager device to produce a digital image of the iris; 
 compare the digital image to a reference iris image; and 
 responsive to a determination that the digital image matches the reference iris image, transition the access control mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state. 
 
   
     
     
         8 . The iris biometric access control system of  claim 7 , wherein the iris imager device, the illuminator device and the iris biometric recognition module are incorporated into the object. 
     
     
         9 . The iris biometric access control system of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the illuminator device comprises at least one infrared illuminator; and   the one or more processors executing the program instructions operates the illuminator device to illuminate the iris with a pulsing or strobe illumination operation above continuous wave eye safe limits.   
     
     
         10 . The iris biometric access control system of  claim 7 , wherein the iris imager device, the illuminator device and the iris biometric recognition module are incorporated into a mobile device. 
     
     
         11 . The iris biometric access control system of  claim 7 , wherein the iris biometric recognition module is communicatively coupled, via wired or wireless internet connectivity, to a local, remote or cloud database. 
     
     
         12 . The iris biometric access control system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors execute the program instructions to transition the access control mechanism from the unlocked state to the locked state after a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         13 . The iris biometric access control system of  claim 7 , wherein the object is a computer or mobile device and the access control mechanism is a login screen for the computer or mobile device. 
     
     
         14 . The iris biometric access control system of  claim 7 , wherein access control mechanism includes a lock that is unlocked responsive to a determination that the digital image matches the reference iris image. 
     
     
         15 . A method of authenticating a person to access an object via an iris biometric recognition module comprising program instructions stored in memory and causing one or more processors to execute the steps of:
 aligning a lens of an iris imager device with the iris of the person;   operating an illuminator device to illuminate the iris;   operating the iris imager device to produce a digital image of the iris;   comparing the digital image to a reference iris image; and   responsive to a determination that the digital image matches the reference iris image, transitioning an access control mechanism coupled to the object from the locked state, in which the access control assembly prevents the person from accessing an object, to the unlocked state in which the access control assembly allows the person to access the object   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein authenticating the person to access the object via the iris biometric recognition module is executed via the object incorporating the iris imager device, the illuminator device and the one or more processors. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 operating the illuminator device comprises operating an infrared illuminator; and   operating the infrared illuminator comprises illuminating the iris with a pulsing or strobe illumination operation above continuous wave eye safe limits.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein authenticating the person to access the object via the iris biometric recognition module is executed via a mobile device incorporating the iris imager device, the illuminator device and the one or more processors. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising accessing the reference iris image via wired or wireless internet connectivity, from a local, remote or cloud database. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising transitioning the access control mechanism from the unlocked state to the locked state after a predetermined time period.