Abstract: A method of capturing image data for iris code based identification of vertebrates, including humans, comprises the steps of: recording a digital image of an eye with a camera equipped with at least two light sources that have a fixed spatial relationship to an object lens of the camera; locating the eye in the digital image by detecting a specularity pattern that is created by reflection of light from said at least two light sources at a cornea of the eye; and calculating information on the position of the camera relative to the eye on the basis of said fixed spatial relationship between the light sources and the object lens and on the basis of said specularity pattern.

Abstract: A method of normalizing a digital image of an iris of an eye for the purpose of creating an iris code for identification of vertebrates, including humans, the method comprising the steps of: determining a pupil region in the image as a convex region having a boundary that can only be described by more than five independent parameters; determining, in the image, an outer boundary of the iris; and transforming an image of a ring shaped iris region that surrounds the pupil region into a coordinate system in which each point of the iris region is described by a first coordinate that indicates the position of the point along the boundary of the pupil and a second coordinate that indicates the distance of the point from said boundary, said second coordinate having a constant value when the point is located on the outer boundary of the iris.

Abstract: A system for animal identification includes: an image capture apparatus for obtaining an image of an eye of an animal including a pupil region and an iris region; and a template generation apparatus. The template generation apparatus is for: extracting a set of pixel data from the image, the set of pixel data representing an upper region of interest of the iris region above the pupil region and a lower region of interest of the iris region below the pupil region, the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest have parallel side boundaries that are spaced apart a distance that is substantially independent of a degree of dilation of the pupil region; and transforming the set of pixel data representing the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest into a template of the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest.

Abstract: A system for animal identification includes: an image capture apparatus for obtaining an image of an eye of an animal including a pupil region and an iris region; and a template generation apparatus. The template generation apparatus is for: extracting a set of pixel data from the image, the set of pixel data representing an upper region of interest of the iris region above the pupil region and a lower region of interest of the iris region below the pupil region, the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest have parallel side boundaries that are spaced apart a distance that is substantially independent of a degree of dilation of the pupil region; and transforming the set of pixel data representing the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest into a template of the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest.

Abstract: A system for animal identification includes: an image capture apparatus for obtaining an image of an eye of an animal including a pupil region and an iris region; and a template generation apparatus. The template generation apparatus is for: extracting a set of pixel data from the image, the set of pixel data representing an upper region of interest of the iris region above the pupil region and a lower region of interest of the iris region below the pupil region, the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest have parallel side boundaries that are spaced apart a distance that is substantially independent of a degree of dilation of the pupil region; and transforming the set of pixel data representing the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest into a template of the upper region of interest and the lower region of interest.