Patent Description:
Biometric authentication using an iris(es) has been known. In such biometric authentication, iris(es) of a subject is photographed by using an image pick-up apparatus, and feature values are extracted from the pattern of the photographed iris. In order to authenticate a subject, extracted feature values are compared with those registered in advance in a database, and a pass/fail is determined based on a score of matching therebetween. Further, in order to register a subject to be authenticated, extracted feature values are added in the database. Document <CIT> discloses a face detection by identifying areas in which faces and/or facial features are located and/or positioned within image data, storing pixel data to memory and reading pixel data from memory for image processing. Document <CIT> discloses calculating an appropriate frame interval based on relative speed. Document <CIT> discloses an iris authentication device including a plurality of iris cameras arranged side by side the longitudinal direction. Document <CIT> discloses a biometric authentication using face and iris imaging systems.

As described in Non-patent Literature <NUM>, an iris, which is a donut-shaped tissue surrounding a pupil, has a very complex pattern, and is unique to each person. Further, in the photographing of an iris, near-infrared light is applied to eyes of a subject.

As described in Non-patent Literature <NUM>, in the photographing of an iris(es), an image of the iris is taken with a resolution in which the radius of the iris is expressed by <NUM> to <NUM> pixels. Further, the wavelength of the near-infrared light applied to the eyes of the subject is in a range between <NUM> and <NUM>.

The diameter of an iris is about <NUM>. Therefore, when the radius of an iris is expressed by <NUM> pixels, the granularity becomes <NUM>. Since the pattern of an iris is microscopic as described above, it is difficult to photograph an iris pattern at a level of quality sufficient for authentication and verification under conditions that distance between the subject and the image pick-up means is large, a field of view to be photographed is wide, and the subject moves.

In light of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an image processing apparatus, method, system, and computer-readable medium capable of photographing an iris pattern at a level of quality sufficient for authentication and verification.

In order to achieve the above-described object, in a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an image processing system including:.

In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an image processing apparatus including:.

In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides an image processing method including:
performing, using an image from overall image pick-up means for performing image pick-up over a wider field of view than a field of view of a plurality of iris image pick-up means disposed at mutually different positions in the same field of view, at least one of reading out an image from the plurality of iris image pick-up means, presenting at least one of an image and a sound through guiding means for guiding a subject, or providing illumination with light from illumination means for illuminating the subject with light.

In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides an image processing method including:.

In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process including:
performing, using an image from overall image pick-up means for performing image pick-up over a wider field of view than a field of view of a plurality of iris image pick-up means disposed at mutually different positions in the same field of view, at least one of reading out an image from the plurality of iris image pick-up means, presenting at least one of an image and a sound through guiding means for guiding a subject, or providing illumination with light from illumination means for illuminating the subject with light.

In a sixth aspect, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process including:.

An image processing apparatus, a method, a system, and a computer readable medium according to the present disclosure is capable of photographing an iris pattern at a level of quality sufficient for authentication and verification.

Prior to giving the description of an example embodiment according to the present disclosure, a problem thereof is quantitively described. As an example, the below-shown conditions, which are assumed as operational conditions for Automated Border Control systems (ABC systems) and the like, will be described hereinafter. It is assumed that a distance between a subject and image pick-up means (the distance between a subject and a gate) is <NUM>, and a horizontal field of view, i.e., a range in the horizontal direction in which both eyes of one subject can be covered, is <NUM>. Further, a vertical field of view, i.e., a range in the vertical direction in which the eyes of a wide range of subjects from a tall subject, typically a male person, to a short subject, typically a female person, can be covered, is <NUM>. Further, it is assumed that the walking speed (the moving speed) of the subject relative to the gate is equal to the average of slow walking speeds of adult people, e.g., is <NUM>/s.

Under the above operating conditions, assuming that an image sensor with a pixel pitch of <NUM> and a lens with an aperture stop of F2 and a focal length of <NUM> are used, both a high resolution of <NUM> pixels and a high frame rate of <NUM> frames per second (fps) are demanded from the image pick-up means, as described later.

With regard to resolution, to secure a <NUM> horizontal field of view at a position <NUM> away from the image pick-up apparatus, the image pick-up apparatus needs <NUM> pixels (<NUM> [m] ÷ <NUM> [µm] = <NUM>) in the horizontal direction. Further, to secure a <NUM> vertical field of view at a position <NUM> away from the image pick-up apparatus, the image pick-up apparatus needs <NUM> pixels (<NUM> [m] + <NUM> [µm] = <NUM>) in the vertical direction. As a result, a resolution of <NUM> pixels is demanded from the image pick-up apparatus.

On the other hand, in the case where the above lens is used, if the allowable circle of confusion diameter is <NUM>, the depth of field that can be secured <NUM> away is approximately <NUM>. In the case where the subject has a walking speed of <NUM>/s, the time it takes for the subject to pass through the <NUM> subject depth is <NUM> [cm] ÷ <NUM> [cm/s] = <NUM>. In this case, to capture the <NUM> instant when the iris of the walking subject is in focus, a performance of <NUM> fps (<NUM> [s] ÷ <NUM> [fps] = <NUM> time resolution) is demanded from the image pick-up apparatus.

Image pick-up equipment capable of satisfying a high resolution of <NUM> pixels and a high frame rate of <NUM> fps with a single device does not exist as a popular product. Consequently, photographing an iris pattern at a level of quality sufficient for authentication and verification under the operating conditions described above is difficult. This concludes the quantitative description of the problem.

Example embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings. <FIG> shows an image pick-up system according to a first example embodiment of the present disclosure. The image processing system includes an overall imaging device <NUM>, a guiding device <NUM>, an illumination device <NUM>, iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM>, and a controller <NUM>. Note that although the number of iris image pick-up devices is four in <FIG>, the number of iris image pick-up devices is not limited to any particular number. The number of iris image pick-up devices can be set as appropriate according to the field of view to be covered and the resolutions of available iris image pick-up devices.

The overall imaging device (overall image pick-up means) <NUM> photographs a subject with a wide field of view that is wide enough to cover a whole range of subjects from a tall subject to a short subject. The overall imaging device <NUM> may have a resolution in which a subject can be authenticated by his/her face.

The controller (control means) <NUM> monitors an overall image supplied from the overall imaging device <NUM>, and controls the guiding device (guiding means) <NUM>, the illumination device (illumination means) <NUM>, and the plurality of iris image pick-up devices (iris image pick-up means) <NUM> to <NUM>. The functions of the controller <NUM> can be implemented by hardware or by a computer program(s). The controller <NUM> determines a start of biometric authentication for the subject based on his/her overall image supplied from the overall imaging device <NUM>, or based on an external input.

The control performed by the controller <NUM> includes guiding control, illumination control, and iris image pick-up control. In the guiding control, the controller <NUM> supplies guiding control information for guiding the subject to the guiding device <NUM>. The guiding device <NUM> guides the subject based on the guiding control information. The guiding device <NUM> includes, for example, a display and/or a speaker(s). For example, the guiding device <NUM> presents an image(s) and a sound(s) for indicating the start of biometric authentication through the display and/or the speaker, respectively. Further, the guiding device <NUM> presents images and sounds for inducing the subject to turn his/her eyes to the iris image pick-up devices through the display and/or the speaker, respectively.

In the illumination control, the controller <NUM> supplies, to the illumination device <NUM>, illumination control information for applying illumination light to the subject. The illumination device <NUM> applies light (e.g., near-infrared light) to the subject based on the illumination control information. The illumination device <NUM> includes LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) as a light source, and a synchronization signal generator. The amount of light applied from the illumination device <NUM> to the subject is determined by the value of the current supplied to the LEDs, the lighting time of the LEDs, and the lighting cycle thereof, and the illumination control information includes the numerical values thereof. When the LEDs are not continuously kept in the on-state, the lighting cycle of the LEDs is synchronized with the frame rates of the plurality of iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM>.

In the iris image pick-up control, the controller <NUM> determines, based on the overall image supplied from the overall imaging device <NUM>, one of the plurality of iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> that can suitably photograph an area of the subject's eyes. Further, the controller <NUM> determines the vertical position of a region of interest that is read out at a high speed in the determined iris image pick-up device.

<FIG> shows a state of the iris image pick-up control. Details of the iris image pick-up control will be described with reference to <FIG>. In this example, it is assumed that a general-purpose camera having <NUM> pixels (<NUM>,<NUM> horizontal pixels and <NUM>,<NUM> vertical pixels) and a frame rate of <NUM> fps is used for each of the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM>. Such cameras have been becoming widespread as industrial cameras. In the case where the photographing is performed with a granularity of <NUM>, with which a subject can be authenticated by his/her iris, the horizontal and vertical fields of view of each of the iris image pick-up devices are <NUM> (<NUM>,<NUM>×<NUM> [µm] = <NUM> [m]) and <NUM> (<NUM>,<NUM>×<NUM> [µm] = <NUM> [m]), respectively.

The plurality of iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> are arranged so that they are stacked on top of each other in the vertical direction. Note that the plurality of iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> are arranged so that the image areas of iris image pick-up devices adjacent to each other partially overlap each other. For example, the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> are arranged so that the image areas of iris image pick-up devices adjacent to each other overlap each other by <NUM>. In such a case, at the focusing point <NUM> away from the four iris image pick-up devices, they can secure a field of view of <NUM> in the horizontal direction and <NUM> ((<NUM>-<NUM>)+(<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>)+(<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>)+(<NUM>-<NUM>) m) in the vertical direction. That is, it is possible to secure the required field of view of <NUM> in the horizontal direction and <NUM> in the vertical direction. Note that it can be understood, by the drawings and the above description, that the iris image pick-up devices have the same fields of view as each other and are placed in positions different from each other.

In the case where the frame rate of each of the iris image pick-up devices is <NUM> fps, they cannot meet the required frame rate of <NUM> fps when they are used as they are. Note that an industrial camera or the like has a region-of-interest mode. In the region-of-interest mode, only a partial area that is defined as a region of interest is read out instead of reading out the entire area of the screen. It is possible to increase the frame rate by using such a region-of-interest mode.

The controller <NUM> sets a region of interest in any given iris image pick-up device and reads out the image in the region of interest from that iris image pick-up device. In the example shown in <FIG>, a partial area of <NUM>,<NUM> pixels in the horizontal direction and <NUM>,<NUM> pixels in the vertical direction, which corresponds to a half of the entire area of the screen, is defined as the region of interest. In this case, since the number of pixels in each frame is a half of the number of pixels in the entire area, it is possible to increase the frame rate to <NUM> fps, which is twice the frame rate of <NUM> fps in the case where the entire area of the screen is read out. However, the horizontal and vertical fields of view of the partial area become <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. Note that both eyes of a human being are aligned in the horizontal direction. Therefore, in the region-of-interest, it is preferred to reduce the number of pixels in the vertical direction, instead of reducing that in the horizontal direction, so that both eyes can be photographed.

Under the condition that the area of eyes is not photographed in the above-described range where the image areas of iris image pick-up devices adjacent to each other overlap each other, the iris image pick-up device that photographs the area of eyes is only one of the four iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM>. Further, the condition under which the image can be read out at the frame rate of <NUM> fps is a partial area in that iris image pick-up device. The controller <NUM> infers one of the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> that can suitably photograph the area of eyes, and estimates the vertical position of the region of interest in which the image is read out at a high speed in that iris image pick-up device.

The above-described inference/estimation can be carried out by a method described below. The overall imaging device <NUM> has a resolution in which a subject can be authenticated by his/her face, and the controller <NUM> derives the positions of the eyes of the subject in the overall image taken by the overall imaging device <NUM>. The controller <NUM> derives the iris image pick-up device corresponding to the positions of the eyes of the subject in the overall image and the positions of the eyes present in that imaging device by using camera parameters and the positional relation of the overall imaging device <NUM> and each of the iris image pick-up devices. By using the region-of-interest mode, it is possible, by using a general-purpose camera, to achieve a field of view wider than <NUM> in the horizontal direction and <NUM> in the vertical direction, and a temporal resolution higher than <NUM> fps.

Note that when the vertical position is changed in the above-described region-of-interest mode, a delay occurs before the start of the photographing. Therefore, in the above-described inference/estimation, an image that is obtained by photographing the subject at a position that is more distant than the position <NUM> meters away, i.e., more distant than the focusing point of the iris image pick-up device, e.g., by photographing the subject at a position <NUM> meters away may be used. The resolution in which a subject present at a position <NUM> meters away can be authenticated by his/her face can be achieved by a camera having about <NUM> pixels, so that cameras having specifications lower than those of the iris image pick-up cameras can be used for the overall imaging device <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> supplies iris image pick-up information to each of the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> based on the above-described iris image pick-up control. The controller <NUM> supplies iris image pick-up information including the vertical position of the region of interest to the iris image pick-up device that photographs the area of the eyes of the subject. The controller <NUM> may supply optional iris image pick-up information to the other iris image pick-up devices. The controller <NUM> may supply iris image pick-up information including information about the stop of the supply of the iris image to the other iris image pick-up devices, for example, in order to reduce the total amount of the data of the iris image.

Each of the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> supplies the iris image to the controller <NUM> based on the iris image pick-up information supplied from the controller <NUM>. Note that each of the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> outputs the image in the region of interest that is set by the controller <NUM> by using the iris image pick-up information (i.e., the iris image) to the controller <NUM>. Each of the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> may lossy-compress the iris image in the region of interest and output the compressed iris image to the controller <NUM>. For example, each of the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> compresses the iris image in the region of interest by using quantization (pixel-by-pixel compression), predictive coding and quantization (compression on a basis of a plurality of pairs of pixels), or a combination of transform coding and quantization (compression on a basis of a plurality of pairs of pixels). The controller <NUM> performs the authentication and the registration described in the background section by using the iris images supplied from the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM>. The controller <NUM> returns to the next process when there is a next subject or when the authentication or the registration has failed.

Next, an operational procedure will be described. <FIG> shows an operational procedure in the image pick-up system. The controller <NUM> performs guiding control and thereby guides a subject by using the guiding device <NUM> (step S1001). The controller <NUM> performs the illumination control and thereby applies infrared light to the subject by using the illumination device <NUM> (step S1002). The controller <NUM> performs the above-described iris image pick-up control and thereby acquires an image(s) of an iris(es) (an iris image(s)) by using the plurality of iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> (step S1003). The iris image(s) acquired in the step S1003 is used for the authentication or registration of the iris. In the step S1003, the controller <NUM> does not need to obtain the iris image from each of the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> for a given subject as described above. The controller <NUM> obtains the iris image from the iris image pick-up device that has photographed the area of the eyes of the subject.

The controller <NUM> performs iris-based authentication by using the iris image acquired in the step S1003, or registers the iris image (step S1004). The controller <NUM> determines whether or not there is a next subject, or whether or not re-authentication or re-registration should be performed (step S1005). When it is determined that there is a next subject, or re-authentication or re-registration should be performed, the process returns to the step S1001 and the process is performed starting from the guiding control.

Note that when the overall imaging device <NUM> according to this example embodiment has a resolution in which a subject can be authenticated by his/her face, and holds feature values for authenticating the subject by his/her face in a database but does not hold feature values for authenticating the subject by his/her iris in the database, the apparatus according to the present disclosure can also be used for a use in which the apparatus identifies a subject based on face-based authentication and registers extracted feature values of the iris(es) of the subject in the database. Further, the apparatus according to the present disclosure can also be used for a use in which the apparatus estimates information about the height of a subject based on information about the positions of the eyes obtained by the iris image pick-up control, or information about the positions of the eyes that is obtained when an iris image obtained by the iris image pick-up device is authenticated or registered, and registers the estimated information in the database. Further, the apparatus according to the present disclosure can be used, by using the estimated information about height, to determine or calibrate the vertical position of one of iris image pick-up devices that can suitably photograph the area of eyes and the region of interest in which the image is read out at a high speed in that iris image pick-up device.

In this example embodiment, a high resolution supporting the demanded <NUM> × <NUM> field of view and a high frame rate performance corresponding to a time resolution of <NUM> can be achieved with a combination of general-purpose cameras. As a result, it is easy to photograph an iris pattern at a level of quality sufficient for authentication and verification under conditions such as when there is a long distance between the subject and the image pick-up means, a wide field of view to be photographed, and the subject moves.

Next, a second example embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The configuration of an overall image processing system according to this example embodiment may be similar to the configuration of the image processing system according to the first example embodiment illustrated in <FIG>. In this example embodiment, the controller <NUM> also functions as an image processing apparatus that performs an image processing method. In this example embodiment, boards supporting direct memory access (DMA) transfer are used to connect the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> and the controller <NUM> through a high-speed interface.

<FIG> illustrates the controller <NUM> used for investigation. The controller <NUM> includes boards <NUM> to <NUM> supporting DMA transfer, and an image processing unit <NUM>. The boards <NUM> to <NUM> transfer images (iris images) read out from the iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM> to storage areas <NUM> to <NUM> designated for transfer (hereinafter also referred to as DMA transfer areas) in the memory <NUM> of the controller <NUM>. With DMA transfers, iris images can be transferred to the DMA transfer areas <NUM> to <NUM> at high speeds, but there is limit to the capacity of the DMA transfer areas. The image processing unit <NUM> reads out iris images from the DMA transfer areas <NUM> to <NUM> in the memory <NUM>, and performs various types of image processing and the like.

At this point, if attention is focused on fluctuations in the walking speed of the subject, the following problem occurs due to the capacity constraint on the DMA transfer areas described above. In the case of causing each iris image pick-up device to operate at a frame rate corresponding to the fastest walking speed, the number of images per unit time increases, thereby shortening the time of the iris images that can be recorded to the DMA transfer areas <NUM> to <NUM>. In this case, there is a possibility that recording may end before a subject walking at the slowest walking speed passes through the focusing point of the iris image pick-up devices. Conversely, in the case of causing each iris image pick-up device to operate at a frame rate corresponding to the slowest walking speed, the time of the iris images that can be recorded to the DMA transfer areas <NUM> to <NUM> can be lengthened. However, in this case, there is a possibility that the iris image pick-up devices may be unable to capture the instant when the subject walking at the fastest walking speed passes through the focusing point. In either case, authentication and registration will fail.

<FIG> illustrates the controller <NUM> used in this example embodiment. The controller <NUM> includes a readout device <NUM> in addition to the components of the controller <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. Also, in the memory <NUM>, a storage area <NUM> for image processing is provided in addition to the DMA transfer areas <NUM> to <NUM> corresponding to each board, independently of the DMA transfer areas. The readout device <NUM> reads out and transfers an iris image from one of the DMA transfer areas <NUM> to <NUM> to the storage area <NUM> for image processing. At this time, the readout device <NUM> reads out an iris image from one of the DMA transfer areas <NUM> to <NUM> at a frame interval according to the walking speed of the subject. The image processing unit <NUM> reads out an iris image from the storage area <NUM> for image processing, and performs various types of image processing and the like.

For example, by using an overall image pick-up device <NUM> including a distance measurement function such as time of flight (ToF), the controller <NUM> may analyze information about the distance to the subject as a time series and acquire information about the walking speed v [m/s]. The method of acquiring the walking speed of the subject is not particularly limited. For example, the controller <NUM> may also acquire information about the walking speed v [m/s] by analyzing the distance measured using a range sensor or the like in a time series.

In this example embodiment, the controller <NUM> causes each iris image pick-up device to operate at a frame rate maxfps [fps] with which it is possible to capture the instant when a subject walking at the fastest walking speed maxv [m/s] passes through the focusing point. Note that "frame rate" herein refers to the frame rate in the region-of-interest mode.

The controller <NUM> determines a frame interval of the DMA transfer areas at which to read out data to the memory area for image processing on the basis of the relationship between maxv and the acquired walking speed v. For example, it is conceivable simply to derive maxv ÷ v as the frame interval and cause the readout device <NUM> to perform a readout process according to this value. For example, in the case where the walking speed v is half the speed of maxv, the frame interval is determined to be "<NUM>". In this case, the frame interval at which to read out data to the storage area <NUM> for image processing is lengthened, and therefore the recording time can be lengthened even with a limited memory area. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the recording from ending before a subject walking at a slow walking speed passes through the focusing point. At this time, the instant when the subject passes through the focusing point can also be picked up even though the time resolution has been reduced by an amount corresponding to the slowness of the walking speed.

Note that, as described in the first example embodiment, under conditions in which the eye region is not picked up in the range where the image pick-up regions of adjacent iris image pick-up devices overlap, the iris image pick-up device that picks up the eye region is only one of the four iris image pick-up devices <NUM> to <NUM>. Consequently, it is sufficient if the storage area <NUM> for image processing used by the readout device <NUM> as a write destination has a capacity corresponding to a single camera. Even in the case where the eye region is picked up in the range where the image pick-up regions of adjacent iris image pick-up devices overlap, if the iris image picked up by one of the iris image pick-up devices is used, it is similarly sufficient if the storage area <NUM> for image processing has a capacity corresponding to a single camera.

In this example embodiment, if the time of the instant when the subject passes through the focusing point is known in addition to the walking speed of the subject, the controller <NUM> may also control the image pick-up start time in accordance with the time of the instant when the subject passes through the focusing point, instead of controlling the frame interval of the readout device <NUM>. For example, the controller <NUM> may delay the start time of the readout from an iris image pick-up device such that the instant when a subject walking at a slow walking speed passes through the focusing point can be recorded.

In this example embodiment, the readout device <NUM> transfers iris images recorded to the DMA transfer areas <NUM> to <NUM> to the storage area <NUM> for image processing at a frame interval corresponding to the walking speed of the subject. This arrangement makes it possible to satisfy both the time resolution and the recording time for capturing the instant when the subject passes through the focusing point under the constraint of a limited storage area, even in the case where there are fluctuations in the walking speed of the subject.

Note that although an example in which a partial area of <NUM>,<NUM> pixels in the horizontal direction and <NUM>,<NUM> pixels in the vertical direction is defined as the region of interest in <FIG>, the present disclosure is not limited to this example. The shape of the region of interest is not limited to the rectangle, and the number of region of interest s is not limited to one. The controller <NUM> may, for example, derive the positions of the right eye and left eye of the subject from the overall image (the overlooked image) taken by the overall imaging device <NUM>, and set a region of interest corresponding to the position of the right eye and a region of interest corresponding to the position of the left eye in the iris image pick-up device. In such a case, the iris image pick-up device supplies iris images of the right and left eyes to the controller <NUM>. The shape of the region of interest may be rectangular or may be elliptic. The controller <NUM> may derive the positions of the right and left eyes of the subject based on the iris image taken by the iris image pick-up device instead of based on the overlooked image. For example, the controller <NUM> may temporarily define the partial area shown in <FIG> as the region of interest, and derive the positions of the right and left eyes from the images in the region of interest. In such a case, the controller <NUM> may set, based on the derived positions of the right and left eyes, each of a partial area corresponding to the position of the right eye and a partial area corresponding to the position of the left eye as a region of interest in the iris image pick-up device.

In each of above-described example embodiments, the controller <NUM> can be formed as a computer apparatus. <FIG> shows an example of a configuration of an information processing apparatus (a computer apparatus) that can be used for the controller <NUM>. An information processing apparatus <NUM> includes a control unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) <NUM>, a storage unit <NUM>, a ROM (Read Only Memory) <NUM>, a RAM (Random Access Memory) <NUM>, a communication interface (IF: Interface) <NUM>, and a user interface <NUM>.

The communication interface <NUM> is an interface for connecting the information processing apparatus <NUM> to a communication network through wired communication means, wireless communication means, or the like. The user interface <NUM> includes, for example, a display unit such as a display. Further, the user interface <NUM> includes an input unit such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel.

The storage unit <NUM> is an auxiliary storage device that can hold various types of data. The storage unit <NUM> does not necessarily have to be a part of the information processing unit <NUM>, and may be an external storage device or a cloud storage connected to the information processing unit <NUM> through a network. The ROM <NUM> is a non-volatile storage device. For example, a semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory having relatively small capacity is used for the ROM <NUM>. Programs executed by the CPU <NUM> can be stored in the storage unit <NUM> or the ROM <NUM>.

The aforementioned program can be stored and provided to the information processing apparatus <NUM> by using any type of non-transitory computer readable media. Non-transitory computer readable media include any type of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer readable media include magnetic storage media such as floppy disks, magnetic tapes, and hard disk drives, optical magnetic storage media such as magneto-optical disks, optical disk media such as CD (Compact Disc) and DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), and semiconductor memories such as mask ROM, PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), flash ROM, and RAM. Further, the program may be provided to a computer using any type of transitory computer readable media. Examples of transitory computer readable media include electric signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Transitory computer readable media can provide the program to a computer via a wired communication line such as electric wires and optical fibers or a radio communication line.

The RAM <NUM> is a volatile storage device. As the RAM <NUM>, various types of semiconductor memory apparatuses such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) can be used. The RAM <NUM> can be used as an internal buffer for temporarily storing data and the like. The CPU <NUM> expands (i.e., loads) a program stored in the storage unit <NUM> or the ROM <NUM> in the RAM <NUM>, and executes the expanded (i.e., loaded) program. By executing the program, the CPU <NUM> performs various types of control including, for example, guiding control, illumination control, and iris image pick-up control. Further, by the CPU <NUM> executing the program, various functions including, for example, at least one of the functions of the image processing unit <NUM> (refer to <FIG>) or readout device <NUM> can be implemented.

Although example embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described above in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described example embodiments, and the present disclosure also includes those that are obtained by making changes or modifications to the above-described example embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claim 1:
An image processing apparatus comprising:
control means (<NUM>) configured to:
write, to a first storage area (<NUM> to <NUM>) for transfer, images transferred from iris image pick-up means (<NUM> to <NUM>) for performing image pick-up of an iris of a moving subject;
read out the images from the first storage area (<NUM> to <NUM>) at a frame interval corresponding to a movement speed of the moving subject;
write the read out images to a second storage area (<NUM>) for image processing; and
execute processing using the images written to the second storage area (<NUM>).