Iris image classification based on color information

Iris recognition systems using iris images captured in visible light have several advantages compared to using near infrared (NIR) images, and draw attention from biometrics researchers. The acquisition of color iris image does not ask for special cameras, and reserves the color information of iris. The color information can be used as an important clue for iris classification which improves performance of iris recognition on non-ideal iris images. In this paper, we propose a novel color feature for iris classification, named as iris color Texton using RGB, HSI and lαβ color spaces. Extensive experiments are performed on three databases. The proposed iris color Texton shows advantages in iris image classification based on color information.