Apparatus and method of biometric identification or verification of individuals using optical spectroscopy

A system for identifying a target individual comprising:

• an enrollment database including sub-epidermal tissue optical spectral data collected from one or more enrolled persons, said enrolled persons' sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra having a plurality of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying a spectral band of optical wavelengths to said sub-epidermal tissue;
• means for obtaining at least one sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra from said target individual, wherein said means for obtaining said target individual sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra includes means for measuring optical radiation reflected from sub-epidermal tissue of said target individual, said target individual's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra having a plurality of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying said spectral band of optical wavelengths to sub-epidermal tissue of said target individual;
• means for comparing said target individual sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra and said all enrolled persons' sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra by selecting for comparison a combination of individual wavelengths of said band emanating from said sub-epidermal tissue that are unique to each said person and insensitive to environmental and instrumental effects, said comparison providing a measure of the degree of similarity between said target individual's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra and each said enrolled person's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra;
• and
• means for indicating identity as at least one of the said enrolled persons if the corresponding measure of degree of similarity is at least as similar as an established threshold value.

A system for verifying the purported identity of a target individual comprising:

• a computer including an input device and an output device;
• an enrollment database including sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra for at least one enrolled person, said enrolled person's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra having a plurality of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying a band of optical wavelengths to said sub-epidermal tissue;
• means for obtaining at least one sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum from said target individual, including an optical radiation source, an optical sampler for projecting optical radiation into the sub-epidermal tissue and for collecting radiation that substantially passed through sub-epidermal sub-epidermal tissue, an optical spectrometer for measuring the sub-epidermal optical intensity over a plurality of wavelengths, wherein said target individual's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum has a plurality of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying said spectral band of optical wavelengths to sub-epidermal tissue of said target individual;
• means for obtaining said target individual's purported identity;
• and
• a program running in said computer for comparing said target individual sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum and said enrolled person's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra corresponding to said target individual's purported identity by selecting for comparison a combination of individual wavelengths of said band emanating from said sub-epidermal tissue that are unique to said person and insensitive to environmental and instrumental effects.

A system for identifying a target individual comprising:

• a computer including an input device and an output device;
• an enrollment database including sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra for at least one enrolled person, said enrolled persons' sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra having a plurality of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying a spectral band of optical wavelengths to said sub-epidermal tissue;
• means for obtaining at least one sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum from said target individual, including an optical radiation source, an optical sampler for projecting optical radiation into the sub-epidermal tissue and for collecting radiation that substantially passed through sub-epidermal sub-epidermal tissue, an optical spectrometer for measuring the sub-epidermal optical intensity over a plurality of wavelengths, wherein said target individual's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum has a plurality of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying said spectral band of optical wavelengths to sub-epidermal tissue of said target individual;
• and
• a program running in said computer for comparing said target individual sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum and all said enrolled persons' sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra by selecting for comparison a combination of individual wavelengths of said band emanating from said sub-epidermal tissue that are unique to each said person and insensitive to environmental and instrumental effects.

A method for verifying the purported identity of a target individual utilizing an enrollment database including sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra collected from a number of enrolled individuals having known identities, said sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra having a plurality of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying a spectral band of optical wavelengths to said sub-epidermal tissue, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining optical target sub-epidermal tissue spectral data from said target individual, said optical target sub-epidermal tissue spectral data having a number of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying said spectral band of optical wavelengths to sub-epidermal tissue of said target individual;
• obtaining said purported identity from said target individual;
• comparing said optical target sub-epidermal tissue spectra and an enrolled individual's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra by selecting for comparison a combination of individual wavelengths of said band emanating from said sub-epidermal tissue that are unique to said enrolled individual and insensitive to environmental and instrumental effects, said enrolled individual's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra corresponding to the purported identity of the target individual, said comparison providing a measure of the degree of similarity between said optical target sub-epidermal tissue spectra and said enrolled individual's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra;
• and
• positively verifying said target individual's identity by confirming that said target individual's measure of spectral similarity is at least as similar as an established threshold value.

A method for identifying a target individual utilizing an enrollment database including sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra collected from a number of enrolled persons, said sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra having a plurality of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying a spectral band of optical wavelengths to said sub-epidermal tissue, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining optical target sub-epidermal tissue spectral data from said target individual, said optical target sub-epidermal tissue spectral data having a number of measurement wavelengths and including a substantial spectral contribution from sub-epidermal tissue, wherein said measurement wavelengths are obtained by applying said spectral band of optical wavelengths to sub-epidermal tissue of said target individual;
• comparing said optical target sub-epidermal tissue spectral data and said enrolled persons' sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra by selecting for comparison a combination of individual wavelengths of said band emanating from said sub-epidermal tissue that are unique to each said person and insensitive to environmental and instrumental effects, said comparison providing a measure of the degree of similarity between said optical target sub-epidermal tissue spectral data and each of said enrolled person's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra;
• and
• positively establishing said target individual's identity by confirming that said target individual's measure of spectral similarity is at least as similar to one of the enrolled person's optical spectral data as an established threshold value.

A system for identifying a target individual comprising:

• an enrollment database including sub-epidermal tissue optical spectra collected from at least one enrolled person, each of said enrolled person's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum having a plurality of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying a spectral band of optical wavelengths to said sub-epidermal tissue;
• a spectrometer adapted to obtain at least one sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum from said target individual by measuring optical radiation reflected from sub-epidermal tissue of said target individual, said target individual's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum having a plurality of measurement wavelengths obtained by applying said spectral band of optical wavelengths to sub-epidermal tissue of said target individual;
• a comparator adapted to compare said target individual sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum and each said enrolled person's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum by selecting for comparison a combination of individual wavelengths of said band emanating from said sub-epidermal tissue that are unique to each said person and insensitive to environmental and instrumental effects and provide a measure of a degree of similarity between said target individual's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum and said enrolled person's sub-epidermal tissue optical spectrum;
• and
• an indicator adapted to identify at least one of said enrolled persons if the corresponding measure of the degree of similarity meets an established threshold value.