24 February 2017

Osram launches more evenly illuminating Oslux IR LED for iris scanners

At the 2017 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain (27 February – 2 March), Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH of Regensburg, Germany is presenting a new infrared LED (IRED) for iris scanners. The firm says that the SFH 4787S illuminates the eyes so evenly that the software identifying the iris pattern now hardly needs to correct artefacts. Like its predecessor, its direction of emission is slightly angled rather than vertical.

Iris recognition is among the most reliable biometric identification methods. Iris scanners illuminate the eyes with infrared light and a camera takes a photograph. Special software then uses this to detect the iris pattern, which is unique to each individual.

Two years ago, Osram Opto was first to market an infrared LED that brought this technology to smartphones and other mobile devices. This was followed by a version where the direction of emission is slightly angled rather than vertical, to align with the camera's field of view. This eliminates the usual mechanical aids needed to tilt the entire LED, simplifying the design process.

Even illumination simplifies processing

This third-generation Osram IRED for iris recognition meets another need in this application: the brightness differences in the camera images should ideally only originate from the iris pattern and not be additionally caused by a gradient in the illumination, so that the software needs to correct fewer artefacts when determining the iris pattern. With the SFH 4787S, Osram has thus developed an emitter with a flat light, optimizing the reflector and lens to ensure virtually constant intensity across the emitted light beam.  

Apart from this, the SFH 4787S is almost identical to the predecessor SFH 4786S. Both are based on the compact 3.5mm x 3.5mm x 1.6mm large Oslux package. A wavelength of 810nm delivers high-contrast images for all eye colors. The emission direction is tilted by 8°, while the emission angle is ±18°. The optical output of this highly efficient emitter is 720mW at a current of 1A, with a radiant intensity of 1000mW/sr.

Industrial applications gaining ground

The impetus to develop more compact and reliable iris scanners was driven by the need for dependable solutions to safeguard mobile devices from unauthorized access. The technology is now gradually making its way into other sectors. "Access control as a whole is becoming increasingly important, and iris recognition remains one of the most reliable methods here," says marketing manager Bianka Schnabel. "Following in the footsteps of consumer markets, we are now also seeing an upswing in interest from various industries."

See related items:

Osram launches lower-profile infrared LEDs with tilted emission for mobile iris scanning

Osram launches its first 810nm IR LED, targeting iris-based biometric unlocking

Tags: Osram IR LED

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