Infrared LED protects mobile computers from unauthorized access

New Oslux IRED yields high-quality images for facial recognition

Osram Opto Semiconductors is expanding its Oslux product family for biometric security solutions with a specially designed variant for facial recognition. This compact infrared LED (IRED) ensures uniform illumination of facial features for high image quality. Osram is set to present the SFH 4796S at the upcoming Mobile World Congress.

Facial recognition is considered a highly secure form of biometric identification. The system records the user’s face and detects typical features independent of facial expressions. However, to identify these features accurately and reliably, the software requires high-quality images. This means illuminating the face brightly and evenly, without shadows – and for this method to safeguard laptops and tablets, it also has to work in a wide variety of lighting conditions. The solution lies in additional illumination of the face with infrared light.

Boosting system efficiency with Oslux

Osram Opto Semiconductors has thus developed a new IRED based on its proven Oslux family. The particular strength of this package lies in the fact that the low-profile design nonetheless enables a narrow emission angle. This angle ensures the light generated hits exactly the point where illumination is required, so the overall system operates extremely efficiently. On the technical front, Oslux IREDs are based on an internal reflector and a specially adapted, integrated lens. The flat component surface is a particular advantage here.

Outstanding facial illumination for reliable recognition

With the SFH 4796S, Osram has created an Oslux variant with an emission angle (±40°) that is a perfect fit for the field of view required by facial recognition systems. Thanks to specially adjusted internal reflectors and lenses, the IRED achieves extremely even illumination of the face. “We can build on our in-depth knowledge around the interplay between chip, package, reflector and optical elements,” explains Bianka Schnabel, Marketing Manager at Osram Opto Semiconductors. “Adding this new device to the family allows us to offer a broad portfolio specifically for the Oslux package, now also encompassing dedicated solutions for facial recognition.”

The SFH 4796S is based on a highly efficient chip featuring nanostack technology. At 1 amp current, the IRED generates optical power of 800 milliwatts (mW), ensuring ample illumination for its identification applications. It features a radiant intensity of 550 milliwatts per steradian (mW/sr). The component is just 1.4 millimeters high, with a footprint measuring 3.5 mm by 3.5 mm. At a wavelength of 850 nanometers (nm), the light emitted by the SFH 4796S does not dazzle users and is simply perceived as a weak red glow, giving an indication that the facial recognition function is currently active. The sensitivity of camera sensors in this spectral range remains good.