Low-power iris scan initialization

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and systems are presented for sensing scene-based occurrences. Such an apparatus may comprise a vision sensor system comprising a first processing unit and dedicated computer vision (CV) computation hardware configured to receive sensor data from at least one sensor array comprising a plurality of sensor pixels and capable of computing one or more CV features using readings from neighboring sensor pixels. The vision sensor system may be configured to send an event to be received by a second processing unit in response to processing of the one or more computed CV features by the first processing unit. The event may indicate possible presence of one or more irises within a scene.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for sensing scene-based occurrences, the apparatus comprising:
 a vision sensor system comprising dedicated computer vision (CV) computation hardware configured to receive sensor data from at least one sensor array comprising a plurality of sensor pixels and capable of computing one or more CV features using readings from neighboring sensor pixels within the at least one sensor array, the vision sensor system further comprising a first processing unit communicatively coupled with the dedicated CV computation hardware;   wherein the vision sensor system is configured to send an event to be received by a second processing unit in response to processing of the one or more computed CV features by the first processing unit, the event to indicate to the second processing unit possible presence of one or more irises within a scene.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the event comprises a face-detection event, from which possible presence of one or more irises can be inferred. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the event provides an indication to the second processing unit to perform one or more iris-related tasks. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the received sensor data represents an unlit IR image of the scene captured when no infrared (IR) light source is lit. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising the second processing unit, and wherein the vision sensor system or the second processing unit is configured to, responsive to the event, send an indication for an IR light source to be lit. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the second processing unit is configured to obtain one or more lit IR images captured while the IR light source is lit and perform one or more iris-related tasks on the one or more lit IR images. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one sensor array comprises an IR sensor array configured to capture the unlit IR image of the scene and the one or more lit IR images. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the IR sensor array is configured to capture the unlit IR image at a first resolution and the one or more lit IR images at a second resolution higher than the first resolution. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one sensor array comprises a visual sensor array and an IR sensor array,   wherein the received sensor data represents a visual image of the scene captured when no infrared (IR) light source is lit,   wherein the apparatus further comprises the second processing unit, and the vision sensor system or the second processing unit is configured to, responsive to the event, send an indication for an IR light source to be lit, and   wherein the second processing unit is configured to obtain one or more IR images while the IR light source is lit and perform one or more iris-related tasks on the one or more IR images.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second processing unit is configured to transition from a first power state to a second power state, the second power state being associated with a higher power level than the first power state, upon receiving the event from the vision sensor system. 
     
     
         11 . A method for sensing scene-based occurrences, the method comprising:
 receiving, at dedicated computer vision (CV) computation hardware, sensor data from at least one sensor array comprising a plurality of sensor pixels;   computing, at the dedicated CV computation hardware, one or more CV features using readings from neighboring sensor pixels within the at least one sensor array,   wherein the dedicated CV computation hardware is part of a vision sensor system, and the vision sensor system further comprises a first processing unit communicatively coupled with the dedicated CV computation hardware;   processing, at the first processing unit, the one or more computed CV features; and   sending, from the vision sensor system, an event to be received by a second processing unit in response to the processing of the one or more computed CV features by the first processing unit, the event indicating to the second processing unit possible presence of one or more irises within a scene.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the event comprises a face-detection event, from which possible presence of one or more irises can be inferred. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the event provides an indication to the second processing unit to perform one or more iris-related tasks. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the received sensor data represents an unlit IR image of the scene captured when no infrared (IR) light source is lit. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the vision sensor system or the second processing unit, responsive to the event, sends an indication for an IR light source to be lit. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second processing unit obtains one or more lit IR images captured while the IR light source is lit and performs one or more iris-related tasks on the one or more lit IR images. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one sensor array comprises an IR sensor array configured to capture the unlit IR image of the scene and the one or more lit IR images. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the IR sensor array is configured to capture the unlit IR image at a first resolution and the one or more lit IR images at a second resolution higher than the first resolution. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the at least one sensor array comprises a visual sensor array and an IR sensor array,   wherein the received sensor data represents a visual image of the scene captured when no infrared (IR) light source is lit,   wherein the vision sensor system or the second processing unit, responsive to the event, sends an indication for an IR light source to be lit, and   wherein the second processing unit obtains one or more IR images while the IR light source is lit and performs one or more iris-related tasks on the one or more IR images.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second processing unit transitions from a first power state to a second power state, the second power state being associated with a higher power level than the first power state, upon receiving the event from the vision sensor system. 
     
     
         21 . A system for sensing scene-based occurrences, the system comprising:
 means for receiving, at dedicated computer vision (CV) computation hardware, sensor data from at least one sensor array comprising a plurality of sensor pixels;   means for computing, at the dedicated CV computation hardware, one or more CV features using readings from neighboring sensor pixels within the at least one sensor array,   wherein the dedicated CV computation hardware is part of a vision sensor system, and the vision sensor system further comprises a first processing unit communicatively coupled with the dedicated CV computation hardware;   means for processing, at the first processing unit, the one or more computed CV features; and   means for sending, from the vision sensor system, an event to be received by a second processing unit in response to the processing of the one or more computed CV features by the first processing unit, the event indicating to the second processing unit possible presence of one or more irises within a scene.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the event comprises a face-detection event, from which possible presence of one or more irises can be inferred. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the event provides an indication to the second processing unit to perform one or more iris-related tasks. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the received sensor data represents an unlit IR image of the scene captured when no infrared (IR) light source is lit. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the vision sensor system or the second processing unit, responsive to the event, is configured to send an indication for an IR light source to be lit. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the second processing unit is configured to obtain one or more lit IR images captured while the IR light source is lit and perform one or more iris-related tasks on the one or more lit IR images. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one sensor array comprises an IR sensor array configured to capture the unlit IR image of the scene and the one or more lit IR images. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the IR sensor array is configured to capture the unlit IR image at a first resolution and the one or more lit IR images at a second resolution higher than the first resolution. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21 ,
 wherein the at least one sensor array comprises a visual sensor array and an IR sensor array,   wherein the received sensor data represents a visual image of the scene captured when no infrared (IR) light source is lit,   wherein the vision sensor system or the second processing unit is configured to, responsive to the event, send an indication for an IR light source to be lit, and   wherein the second processing unit is configured to obtain one or more IR images while the IR light source is lit and perform one or more iris-related tasks on the one or more IR images.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the second processing unit is configured to transition from a first power state to a second power state, the second power state being associated with a higher power level than the first power state, upon receiving the event from the vision sensor system.