Patent ID: 8649568

Claim:
A vein authentication apparatus, comprising: an area image sensor including a first imaging section performing imaging in a first time period and a second imaging section performing imaging in a second time period, the first and the second imaging sections imaging light reflected from a vein plexus inside a finger and light transmitted through the vein plexus; an illumination source located on the same side of the vein plexus as the area image sensor, the illumination source including light sources configured to emit near-infrared light; and a controller, which: activates a first portion of the light sources such that the near-infrared light emitted from the first portion is: permitted to enter a gap between the second imaging section and the vein plexus; and scattered behind a first vein section corresponding to the first imaging section during the first time period; activates a second portion of the light sources such that the near-infrared light emitted from the second portion is: permitted to enter a gap between the first imaging section and the vein plexus; and scattered behind a second vein section corresponding to the second imaging section during the second time period; and performs authentication on the basis of an image obtained by the area image sensor and stored vein information.