Biometric authentication using the eye

Abstract

An apparatus and method for authenticating a subject using the eye as an identifying biometric, in particular the shape of the cornea. An image projection device generates and projects an image of a pattern, of plural discrete points, onto at least a part of the cornea of the eye. An image capture device captures an image of the pattern of plural discrete points, after reflection from the cornea of the eye. A computer processor extracts data defining the locations of the discrete points in the captured image. The method steps are capturing an image of a pattern, made up of plural discrete points, after reflection from of the cornea of a subject; comparing the locations of the discrete points in the captured image against the locations of discrete points in a pattern of a reference image; and, authenticating the identity of the subject depending on the similarity of the comparison.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.