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Iris Recognition To Take Off

Posted by timothy on from the not-the-cute-iris-I-know dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Looks like iris recognition is about to explode. Turns out, a major patent held by iris recognition leader Iridian is expiring, and that's leading a stampede of start-ups and VCs into this space."

26 of 229 comments (clear)

  1. You've gotta admit... by PornMaster · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's not often that you read about a company's patent expiring being likely to benefit it financially. Quite interesting.

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    1. Re:You've gotta admit... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It just proves that patents stifle creativity.

    2. Re:You've gotta admit... by Ismilar · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "Companies will not invest in the necessary R&D without some guarantee of exclusivity for some period of time."

      Umm... did you even read article, or even the Slashdot blurb? The entire thing is /about/ companies being set to invest money in iris scanning technology and research due to the patent being removed. These companies would have done so long ago had there been no patent.

      The article even suggests that the reason that iris scanners aren't as common as fingerprint or other scanners could be because of the patents that the single company holds.

    3. Re:You've gotta admit... by (negative+video) · · Score: 4, Insightful
      The entire thing is /about/ companies being set to invest money in iris scanning technology and research due to the patent being removed. These companies would have done so long ago had there been no patent.
      They're wrong. This is about the new opportunities for feeding at the Homeland Security trough, which by pure coincidence happens to be at about the time the patent expires.
    4. Re:You've gotta admit... by NickFortune · · Score: 3, Informative
      This is about the new opportunities for feeding at the Homeland Security trough, which by pure coincidence happens to be at about the time the patent expires.

      That's one opinion. Business Week, that hotbed of anti-patent activism and communist propaganda, doesn't seem to agree.

      While Iridian still holds some two dozen active patents on everything from ways to digitize an iris scan to camera design, expiration of the Flom patent will finally allow a stream of competitors to enter the iris-recognition market.
      That's from TFA in case it wasn't obvious. The emphasis is mine.
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    5. Re:You've gotta admit... by iminplaya · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You neglect to recognize the fact that the technology would never have been developed without the patent.

      That's a load of bull. If somebody needs an iris scanner, they will make one...with or without the damn patent. That's something that the IP drones won't ever admit....That something just might arise from necessity...not always exclusivity. It has been proven once again that IP law promotes speculation.

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  2. Patents and innovation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    A patent exipry causing a boom in company startups and innovation - say it ain't so. Are there any legislators out there paying attention to stories like this?

    1. Re:Patents and innovation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If patents lasted as long as copyright, we wouldn't be discussing this.

    2. Re:Patents and innovation by Have+Blue · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You don't know anything about the patent in question. How much did Iridian sink into developing it? How much have they made back from it? How much would they have made back if this flood of copycats came immediately after they announced their discovery?

    3. Re:Patents and innovation by ThreeE · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You are not clear on cause and effect here. If Xerox didn't expect to get the patents they did, the tech would never have been developed, implemented, and/or marketed. And yes, marketed. Often, that's the most expensive and difficult part.

      "Tear shedders" like you are simply nuts wanting a free ride on other's hard work. You probably are a heavy user of P2P networks to illegally copy copyrighted work and live in some pirate haven in Asia. Someday you'll actually have to learn how to create value -- like Xerox and Microsoft did.

      To say Bill Gates doesn't deserve all the money he as gotten bespoils the name of a great entrepreneur. But hey, this is slashdot and reality doesn't count. I'm sure it's Bush's fault too.

    4. Re:Patents and innovation by sonamchauhan · · Score: 4, Interesting

      You're welcome and your civitility is appreciate. My answers/added comments are:

      1) Because it is unfair. And because it deals with "handheld scanners -- the type security patrolmen might use at a stadium or airport."

      2) A monopolist (not evil in itself) convicted of unfair trade practises

      3) No, you support the USPTO granting unfair patents, and gave Bush a bad name by dragging his name into the conversation.

      4)
      4.1) Granting a patent on current and future embodiments of automating an existing manual process is ridiculous.

      4.2) Their first patent does not restrict itself and has absurdly limitless boundaries - it says their "invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims" - claims like claim 10 below, which are so broad as to cover all current and future embodiments:

      This is CLAIM 10:
      "10. The method of claim 1 in which comparing the obtained image with stored image information comprises deriving a set of descriptors of at least the iris portion of the obtained image and comparing the derived descriptors with stored reference descriptors derived from a previous image for identifying the person."
      This is CLAIM 1:
      "1. A method of identification of a person, comprising:
      storing image information of at least a portion of the iris and pupil of the person's eye;
      illuminating an eye, of an unidentified person having an iris and a pupil;
      obtaining at least one image of at least the same portion of the iris and pupil of the eye of the unidentified person; and
      comparing at least the iris portion of the obtained image with the stored image information to identify the unidentified person."

      4.3) I don't know which ellipsis you speak of

  3. Iris Recognition by Jeet81 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I believe iris recognition takes some time to verfiy the identity of the person as the person has to stand close to a certain point and then the scanner would scan the eye. So this will take more time than pulling your card out and swipping it and walking through the doors. Therefore this tech will only be used in high security area and most of them I guess are already using it.

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  4. Really? by Infinityis · · Score: 5, Funny

    I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes...

    Of course, I'll need some of this new technology to make sure they really are my own eyes.

  5. Wait A Minute... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I thought SGI was going bankrupt. Don't tell me they're come out of bankruptcy with a new version of IRIS. Some companies just never learn how to die properly.

  6. One question by ScrewMaster · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just who is this "Iris" person anyway, and why is she so hard to recognize?

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    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  7. For those concerned about privacy... by Infinityis · · Score: 5, Funny

    This points to the obvious "next big thing":

    Tinfoil Contact Lenses(TM)

  8. Don't forget... by MarkByers · · Score: 4, Insightful

    1. You can change your password but you can't change your iris.

    2. If you are threatened with violence, you can tell the attacker your password, but would you want to give them your eye?

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    1. Re:Don't forget... by PWatson · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, the same concerns could be raised for any sort of biometric security. Hopefully, technologies will become widespread that make stealing somebody's eyes , fingers, DNA, etc useless. For example, some fingerprint readers can tell if the finger is alive or not.

      Of course, in some situations, the very issue you mentioned is a boon to the system. For example, let's say that the CDC's Smallpox virus is protected by either a iris scanner or a password. If a scientist is faced with giving up a password or an eye, he'll probably be more likely to give up the password. Thus, if everything else is equal, the eye-based security is better.

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    2. Re:Don't forget... by timeOday · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Exactly. Why go to all this trouble of reading irises and fingerprints? You could accomplish the same thing by tatooing users' passwords to their foreheads. Biometrics are just like normal passwords, but easier to steal and harder to change.

    3. Re:Don't forget... by forkazoo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      What I want is a fingerprint scanner, where you have to scan all your fingers, but the order you put your fingers on the pads would be a sort of 'pin code,' which you could change. Make all fingerprint scanners be sold with a protective hood, so nobody can see what order you use. If some criminal ever chops off your hand, just use the other one to phone in (or use voice dial), to change the pin before then can buy a TV.

      You have the security of revocability, but the convenience of never accidentally losing your "card" (except in extreme cases of accident.)

  9. exploding iris by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny
    Looks like iris recognition is about to explode
    Please don't mention iris - or anything to do with eyes - in the same sentence as "explode". Some of us are squeamish.
  10. Iris vs Retina by vossman77 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Are we talking Iris or Retina here?

    Because I've never heard of using the Iris and don't know anything about its uniqueness. Where the retina is easily scanned and heavily researched.

    Anybody know more? or is this a typo?

    1. Re:Iris vs Retina by kaiser423 · · Score: 4, Informative

      The iris is much more unique (I believe it has the highest amount of uniqueness in any biometric system), and I believe they've come up with some very compact and efficient schemes for its use. I remember when I looked back at various biometric technology about 3 years ago, iris scanning was the clear winner barring this patent nonsense.

    2. Re:Iris vs Retina by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'm sure they meant to type retina - the keys are right next to each other.

  11. Re:Iris no thanks by PWatson · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Here you go: Malaysia car thieves steal finger
    With better scanners that can tell the difference between live and dead fingers, this might have been prevented. Of course, that would depend on the bad guys knowing that it wouldn't work...

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    Does your application handle + characters in e-mail addresses? (RFC2822)
  12. Reminds me of a joke... by MacDork · · Score: 4, Funny
    This points to the obvious "next big thing":

    The "next big thing" eh? That reminds me of a joke =)

    An anatomy professor is quizzing his students one session when he calls on Suzy with question, "Suzy, what part of the body has the ability to expand to six times its normal size and under what conditions?" Suzy indignantly replies, "Professor! How dare you ask me such a thing, and in front of the entire class no less! I assure you my parents will be hearing about this incident, and you will no doubt have to answer to someone for it!" The professors tells her she may sit down and then asks Emily the same question. Emily replies "The iris. In the dark." The professor continues, "That is correct Emily, you may be seated. Suzy, your answer tells me three things. 1) You have not studied your lessons, 2) You have a dirty mind, and 3) You will be very disappointed one day."

    ;-)