Deep neural network for iris identification

Abstract

Systems and methods for iris authentication are disclosed. In one aspect, a deep neural network (DNN) with a triplet network architecture can be trained to learn an embedding (e.g., another DNN) that maps from the higher dimensional eye image space to a lower dimensional embedding space. The DNN can be trained with segmented iris images or images of the periocular region of the eye (including the eye and portions around the eye such as eyelids, eyebrows, eyelashes, and skin surrounding the eye). With the triplet network architecture, an embedding space representation (ESR) of a person's eye image can be closer to the ESRs of the person's other eye images than it is to the ESR of another person's eye image. In another aspect, to authenticate a user as an authorized user, an ESR of the user's eye image can be sufficiently close to an ESR of the authorized user's eye image.