# US 7,612,875 B2 · Personal identification system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,612,875 B2 - Document ID: US7612875B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/073,153 - Filed: 2008-02-29 - Published: 2008-07-03 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2000-09-20 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Inventors: Miyuki Kono; Shin-ichiro Umemura; Takafumi Miyatake; Kunio Harada; Yoshitoshi Ito; Hironori Ueki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612875B2 ## CPC - G06V 40/14: Vascular patterns - G06V 10/10: Image acquisition (document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60) - G06V 40/145: Sensors therefor - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A personal identification system, which uses a vein pattern of a finger, optimizes the amount of light of a light source based on a captured finger image and emphasizes the vein pattern during image processing for identification. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A personal identification apparatus comprising: a light source stored in said personal identification apparatus; a window, provided on a surface of said personal identification apparatus, for transmitting light from the light source; an imaging unit which captures the light transmitted through a finger, which is to be captured, and irradiated on the finger through said window; and an image processing unit which extracts a vessel pattern of the finger for personal identification from an image which is captured by said imaging unit and which includes joint parts of the finger, wherein an amount of irradiated light of the light source is controlled in accordance with transmittance for each part of the finger based on position information on the joint parts of the finger extracted from information on the transmittance of the image captured by said imaging unit, and said image processing unit extracts the vessel pattern of the finger for personal identification from the image captured in accordance with the amount of the controlled irradiated light. ### Claim 2 A personal identification apparatus comprising: a light source which irradiates light on a finger to be captured; an imaging unit which captures the light transmitted through the finger to be captured; and an image extracting unit which extracts a pattern of the finger, which is to be captured, from an image which is captured by said imaging unit and which includes joint parts of the finger wherein an amount of irradiated light of the light source is controlled in accordance with transmittance based on position information on the joint parts of the finger extracted from information on the transmittance of the image captured by said imaging unit, and said image extracting unit extracts a vessel pattern of the finger for personal identification from the image captured in accordance with the amount of the controlled irradiated light. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The personal identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein said image processing unit extracts a brightness of the image captured by said imaging unit and controls the amount of irradiated light of the light source by comparing the brightness with a reference value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The personal identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein said light source comprises a plurality of light emitting elements and the amount of irradiated light is controlled by deciding elements of said plurality of light emitting elements which will emit light. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The personal identification apparatus of claim 4, wherein said plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the finger to be captured. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The personal identification apparatus of claim 4, wherein said light emitting elements are rectangular. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The personal identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein said window is provided to prevent the light from the light source from being leaked on said imaging unit without being transmitted through the finger. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The personal identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a near infrared rays LED. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The personal identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source radiates laser in a near infrared rays range. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The personal identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source irradiates the light on a back of the finger. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The personal identification apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit in which vessel patterns of fingers of users are stored wherein said image processing unit compares the extracted vessel pattern with a vessel pattern registered in advance in said storage unit to identify if a user is an authentic user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The personal identification apparatus of claim 1, wherein said image processing unit compares the extracted vessel pattern with a vessel pattern saved in a fixed medium connected to an identification server, in a medium in which a semiconductor memory is built, or in a portable medium for identifying an individual. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The personal identification apparatus of claim 11, wherein said image processing unit receives personal information, selects a registered vessel pattern based on the personal information, and compares the extracted vessel pattern with the selected vessel pattern. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The personal identification apparatus of claim 13, further comprising personal information input means for selecting the registered vessel pattern. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The personal identification apparatus of claim 14, wherein said personal information input means is a voice, an IC card, or a keyboard. ### Claim 16 A vessel pattern extraction method comprising the steps of: irradiating a finger, which is to be captured, with light from a light source stored in a personal identification apparatus; capturing, by an imaging unit, light which is transmitted through a finger, which is to be captured, via a window provided on a surface of said personal identification apparatus; and extracting a vessel pattern of the finger for personal identification from an image which is captured by said imaging unit and which includes joint parts of the finger, wherein an amount of irradiated light of the light source is controlled in accordance with transmittance for each part of the finger based on position information on the joint parts of the finger extracted from information on the transmittance of the image captured by said imaging unit, and the vessel pattern of the finger for personal identification is extracted from the image captured in accordance with the amount of the controlled irradiated light.