ISO/IEC 19794-5:2011

Information technology — Biometric data interchange formats — Part 5: Face image data

ISO/IEC 19794-5:2011 specifies a record format for storing, recording, and transmitting information from one or more facial images or a short video stream of facial images, specifies scene constraints of the facial images, specifies photographic properties of the facial images, specifies digital image attributes of the facial images, and provides best practices for the photography of faces.

Technologies de l'information — Formats d'échange de données biométriques — Partie 5: Données d'image de la face

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 02-Nov-2011
• ICS: 35.040 - Information coding
• ICS: 35.240.15 - Identification cards. Chip cards. Biometrics
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 37 - Biometrics
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 37 - Biometrics
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Completion Date: 06-Sep-2024

Relations

• Amended By: ISO/IEC 19794-5:2011/Amd 1:2014 - Information technology — Biometric data interchange formats — Part 5: Face image data — Amendment 1: Conformance testing methodology and clarification of defects
• Effective Date: 17-Jul-2021
• Amended By: ISO/IEC 19794-5:2011/Amd 2:2015 - Information technology — Biometric data interchange formats — Part 5: Face image data — Amendment 2: XML encoding and clarification of defects
• Effective Date: 14-Oct-2020
• Revises: ISO/IEC 19794-5:2005/Amd 2:2009 - Information technology — Biometric data interchange formats — Part 5: Face image data — Amendment 2: Three-dimensional face image data interchange format
• Effective Date: 12-Nov-2011
• Revises: ISO/IEC 19794-5:2005 - Information technology — Biometric data interchange formats — Part 5: Face image data
• Effective Date: 15-Apr-2008
• Revises: ISO/IEC 19794-5:2005/Amd 1:2007 - Information technology — Biometric data interchange formats — Part 5: Face image data — Amendment 1: Conditions for taking photographs for face image data
• Effective Date: 15-Apr-2008

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 19794-5
Second edition
2011-11-01
Information technology — Biometric data
interchange formats —
Part 5:
Face image data
Technologies de l'information — Formats d'échange de données
biométriques —
Partie 5: Données d'image de la face

Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2011
©  ISO/IEC 2011
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
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ii © ISO/IEC 2011 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword . v
Introduction . vi
1  Scope . 1
2  Conformance . 1
3  Normative references . 2
4  Terms and definitions . 2
5  The Face Image Data Record Format . 4
5.1  Overview . 4
5.2  Data Conventions . 7
5.3  The General Header . 8
5.4  The Representation Header . 9
5.5  The Facial Information Block . 11
5.6  The Landmark Point Block . 16
5.7  The Image Information Block . 22
5.8  The Representation Data block . 25
5.9  The Image Data Block . 25
5.10  The 3D Information Block . 25
5.11  The 3D Data Block . 32
6  The Basic Face Image Type . 35
6.1  Inheritance requirements for the Basic Face Image Type . 35
6.2  Image data encoding requirements for the Basic Face Image Type . 35
6.3  Image data compression requirements for the Basic Face Image Type . 35
6.4  Format requirements for the Basic Face Image Type . 35
7  The Frontal Face Image Type . 35
7.1  Inheritance requirements for the Frontal Face Image Type . 35
7.2  Scene requirements for the Frontal Image Type . 36
7.3  Photographic Requirements for the Frontal Image Type . 37
7.4  Digital requirements for the Frontal Image Type . 38
7.5  Format requirements for the Frontal Image Type . 39
8  The Full Frontal Image Type . 39
8.1  Inheritance requirements for the Full Frontal Face Image Type . 39
8.2  Scene requirements for the Full Frontal Face Image Type . 39
8.3  Photographic requirements for the Full Frontal Face Image Type . 40
8.4  Digital requirements for the Full Frontal Face Image Type . 42
8.5  Format requirements for the Full Frontal Image Type . 42
9  The Token Face Image Type . 42
9.1  Inheritance requirements for Token Face Image Type . 42
9.2  Digital requirements for the Token Face Image Type . 42
9.3  Format requirements for the Token Face Image Type . 44
10  The Post-processed Frontal Face Image Type . 44
10.1  Introduction . 44
10.2  Inheritance requirements for the Post-processed Frontal Face Image Type . 44
10.3  Format requirements for the Post-processed Frontal Face Image Type . 44
11  The Basic 3D Image Type . 45
11.1  Inheritance Requirements for the Basic 3D Image Type . 45
11.2  The Basic 3D Image Type using the 3D Point Map representation . 45
© ISO/IEC 2011 – All rights reserved iii

11.3  The Basic 3D Image Type using the 3D Vertex representation .45
12  The Full Frontal 3D Image Type .45
12.1  Inheritance requirements .45
12.2  Coordinate System Type .46
12.3  Pose of the 3D representation .46
12.4  Calibration Texture Projection Accuracy .46
12.5  Requirements on Full Frontal 3D Image Types using the Range Image Representation .46
12.6  Requirements on Full Frontal 3D Image Types using the 3D Point Map Representation .47
12.7  Requirements on Full Frontal 3D Image Types using the 3D Vertex Representation .47
13  The Token Frontal 3D Image Type .47
13.1  Inheritance requirements .47
13.2  Requirements on Token Frontal 3D Image Types using the Range Image Representation .48
13.3  Requirements on Token Frontal 3D Image Types using the 3D Point Map Representation.48
13.4  Requirements on Token Frontal 3D Image Types using the Vertex Representation .48
14  Registered Format Type Identifier .48
Annex A (normative)  Conformance test methodology .49
Annex B (informative) Best practices for Face Images .50
Annex C (informative) Conditions for Taking Photographs .70
Annex D (informative) Experimental studies . 100
Annex E (informative) The Frankfurt Horizon . 110
Bibliography . 111

iv © ISO/IEC 2011 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 19794-5 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 37, Biometrics.
This second edition constitutes a technical revision of the first edition (ISO/IEC 19794-5:2005), which is
provisionally retained. It also incorporates the Amendments ISO/IEC 19794-5:2005/Amd.1:2007 and
ISO/IEC 19794-5:2005/Amd.2:2009, and the Technical Corrigenda ISO/IEC 19794-5:2005/Cor.1:2008 and
ISO/IEC 19794-5:2005/Cor.2:2008. This edition reflects the harmonization across the second generation of
ISO/IEC 19794. Clause 5 contains descriptions of the harmonized general and representation headers; and
Clauses 5 to 13 have been technically revised. Annexes C, D, and E have been added.
ISO/IEC 19794 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information technology — Biometric data
interchange formats:
 Part 1: Framework
 Part 2: Finger minutiae data
 Part 3: Finger pattern spectral data
 Part 4: Finger image data
 Part 5: Face image data
 Part 6: Iris image data
 Part 7: Signature/sign time series data
 Part 8: Finger pattern skeletal data
 Part 9: Vascular image data
 Part 10: Hand geometry silhouette data
 Part 11: Signature/sign processed dynamic data
 Part 13: Voice data
 Part 14: DNA data
© ISO/IEC 2011 – All rights reserved v

Introduction
Face images, also commonly referred to as displayed portraits, have been used for many decades to verify
the identity of persons. In recent years, digital face images are used in many applications including human
examination as well as computer automated face recognition. Although photographic formats have been
standardized in some cases such as for passports and driver licenses, there is a need to define a standard
data format of digital face images to allow interoperability among vendors.
This part of ISO/IEC 19794 is intended to provide a face image format for face recognition applications
requiring exchange of face image data. The typical applications are
1) human examination of facial images with sufficient resolution to allow a human examiner to ascertain
small features such as moles and scars that might be used to verify identity,
2) human verification of identity by comparison of persons against facial images,
3) computer automated face biometric identification (one-to-many searching), and
4) computer automated face biometric verification (one-to-one comparison).
To enable many applications on a variety of devices, including devices that have limited resources available
for data storage, and to improve face recognition accuracy, this part of ISO/IEC 19794 specifies not only a
data format, but also scene constraints (lighting, pose, expression, etc.), photographic properties (positioning,
camera focus, etc.) and digital image attributes (image resolution, image size, etc.).
Several face image types are introduced to define categories that satisfy requirements of some
...