JP7579231B2 - Authentication system and authentication method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention generally relates to technology for smoothly carrying out authentication at the time of entry.

When entering a facility such as a building, a facility management system is known in which an authentication device and an unlocking device that operates based on the authentication results from the authentication device are installed at the entrance to the facility from the perspective of security and entrance/exit management. When authentication is used as the authentication device, the facility management system registers an image of the entrant in advance in the authentication device as a comparison source image. When entering, the facility management system captures an image using an on-site camera and compares whether the features obtained from the captured image match the features of the comparison source image registered in advance. If the match rate is high, the facility management system determines that the person is permitted to enter and activates the unlocking device to allow entry.

In recent years, a facility management system has been disclosed that instructs users to turn their face towards the camera, remove sunglasses or masks, etc., if an image that can be used for user authentication cannot be obtained (see Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2021/005886

The technology described in Patent Document 1 can ensure that the image acquired at the time of entry is an appropriate image, but if the image registered in advance for comparison is not appropriate, authentication will not be performed correctly and entry will be denied.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose an authentication system that smoothly performs authentication at the time of entry.

To solve this problem, the present invention provides an authentication system that uses images to manage entry and exit, and includes a camera that takes images to be registered in an authentication device, a determination unit that determines whether the captured image can be authenticated by the authentication device, a terminal that has a transmission unit that transmits the determined image when the determination unit determines that authentication is possible, a management terminal that receives the transmitted image, and an authentication device that compares the image received from the management terminal with the image taken by the camera and determines whether entry is allowed.

According to the above configuration, for example, an image that can be authenticated by the authentication device is used for authentication at the time of entry, so that authentication at the time of entry can be performed smoothly.

The present invention makes it possible to realize a highly convenient authentication system. Problems, configurations, and advantages other than those described above will become clear from the description of the embodiment below.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an authentication system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of authentication information according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of personal information according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of entrance destination information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of image registration information according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a program list according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an attendee information registration processing flow according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image registration processing flow according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an authentication processing flow according to the first embodiment.

(I) First Embodiment Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

The authentication system of this embodiment is a system in which the visitor himself/herself registers authentication information to be used for authentication at the place where he/she plans to enter. The place where he/she plans to enter may be a building such as a building or an apartment, a facility such as a floor or a room, or a passageway, and may be referred to as a "private area" below. The authentication information may include an image for authentication, or may include features for authentication extracted from an image. The features include the positions of reference points (feature points) such as the eyes, nose, and mouth on the face, the shape of the reference points, the size of the reference points, the ratio of the reference points, the positional relationship of the reference points, the position of the face area, the size of the face area, the ratio of the face area, the positional relationship of the face area, etc. The authentication system reduces the occurrence of problems such as authentication not working properly at the site by determining in advance whether the authentication information to be registered can be used for authentication at the site using an authentication method similar to that used at the site (hereinafter referred to as "pre-authentication").

More specifically, when an image for authentication (e.g., a facial image) is registered in advance in the authentication device, the authentication system performs a judgment based on the authentication program used for authentication in the private area to which the user is scheduled to enter, and registers the image as the image for authentication if it is determined that the image can be used successfully for authentication. If authentication cannot be performed successfully, the authentication system may notify the user to obtain a correct image based on the content of the error. With the above configuration, an image that matches the authentication program can be registered, making it possible to avoid problems such as not being properly authenticated on-site.

For example, in this authentication system, an equipment system that manages entry to the private area, an input terminal for inputting information related to entry to the private area, a management terminal that manages information related to authentication in the private area, and a personal terminal on which application software (hereinafter referred to as the "image registration application") that enables visitors to register images for authentication is installed are connected via or without a network.

In this authentication system, the input terminal inputs, as information related to entry to the private area, personal information entered during user registration in the image registration app, and destination information related to the private area (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "destination") to which entry is sought. The management terminal links the personal information with the destination information, generates visitor information by adding facility information related to the destination, and stores the generated visitor information in a database (DB). It is assumed that user registration in the image registration app has been performed in advance. The management terminal also stores facility information in advance. The facility information includes, for each private area, information capable of identifying an electric lock installed on a gate (e.g., a door) installed in the private area, information capable of identifying an authentication device that controls the electric lock, information capable of identifying an authentication program used in the authentication device, etc.

After storing the visitor information in the DB, the management terminal transmits the destination information and an authentication program used by the authentication device that manages the destination to the image registration app on the personal terminal. The image registration app stores the transmitted information in a storage device within the personal terminal.

When a visitor starts the image registration app before arriving, information indicating the planned destination is displayed. The visitor selects the destination to register an image from among multiple destinations. An authentication program used by the authentication device that manages the destinations is installed on the personal terminal. In response to the visitor's operation of the image registration app, the image registration app takes a new image to be registered in the authentication device, or reads a prepared image and checks basic format such as resolution. Next, the image registration app starts the front camera of the personal terminal and acquires an image of the visitor. The image registration app authenticates the authentication image to be registered in the authentication device and the image of the visitor taken by the front camera using the authentication program used in the authentication device. If the characteristics match as a result of authentication, the image registration app determines that the authentication image can be used normally with the authentication program of the authentication device, and sends the authentication image and information indicating the destination to the management terminal.

The management terminal identifies the IP address of the authentication device that manages the destination from the information indicating the destination sent from the personal terminal, and sends the destination information related to the destination and an image for authentication to the IP address of the authentication device. When the authentication device receives the destination information and the image for authentication, it stores them in the DB as authentication information.

In the authentication system, when a visitor enters a destination, an image is captured by a camera connected to an authentication device that manages the destination. The authentication device inputs the captured image and an authentication image stored in the authentication device into an authentication program to perform authentication. If the characteristics match, the authentication device determines that the person is permitted to enter and unlocks the door (electronic lock).

In the above configuration, when an attendee registers an image for authentication in the authentication device, authentication can be performed using the same authentication program as the authentication device. This configuration makes it possible to reduce problems such as a visitor being denied entry due to a mismatch in the authentication results caused by a defect such as an image for authentication not being suitable for the authentication program of the authentication device.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description and drawings are examples for explaining the present invention, and some parts have been omitted or simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

In the following explanation, the same elements in the drawings will be given the same numbers and explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

The designations "first," "second," "third," and the like in this specification are used to identify components and do not necessarily limit the number or order. Furthermore, numbers for identifying components are used in different contexts, and a number used in one context does not necessarily indicate the same configuration in another context. Furthermore, this does not prevent a component identified by a certain number from also serving the function of a component identified by another number.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an authentication system 100. In the authentication system 100, an equipment system 101, an input terminal 102, a management terminal 103, and a personal terminal 104 are connected via the Internet 105 that forms a wide area network.

The facility system 101 is a system that manages entry to the private area 111. The facility system 101 is equipped with an authentication device 112 that performs authentication in the private area 111, and a camera 113 and an electronic lock 114 that are installed at the entrance to the private area 111. Note that there may be multiple private areas 111 installed within the facility system 101, such as two on the first floor of Building A and six on the second floor of Building A, and the number of authentication devices 112 may vary depending on the system configuration, facility configuration, etc.

The authentication device 112 inputs the image captured by the camera 113 into an authentication program to perform authentication, controls the electric lock 114 based on the result of the authentication, and manages entry to the private section 111. More specifically, the authentication device 112 includes a communication device 115, a control device 116, and a storage device 117.

The communication device 115 is a communication interface that communicates with other devices via a communication medium. The communication device 115 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card), a wireless communication module, a USB (Universal Serial Interface) module, a serial communication module, etc. The communication device 115 can also function as an input device that receives information from other devices that are communicatively connected. The communication device 115 can also function as an output device that transmits information to other devices that are communicatively connected. For example, the communication device 115 connects to the Internet 105. Each piece of equipment in the equipment system 101 is connected to the management terminal 103 via the communication device 115 and the Internet 105.

The control device 116 is a device that performs calculations. The control device 116 is, for example, a processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an AI (Artificial Intelligence) chip. For example, the control device 116 unlocks the electric lock 114 when authentication is successful based on the image of the visitor captured by the camera 113 and the authentication image.

The storage device 117 is a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device that store various types of information. The main storage device is a device that stores programs, data, etc. The main storage device is, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM is, for example, a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a NVRAM (Non Volatile RAM), a Mask ROM (Mask Read Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable ROM), etc. The RAM is, for example, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The auxiliary storage device is, for example, a hard disk drive, a flash memory, a SSD (Solid State Drive), an optical storage device, etc. The optical storage device is, for example, a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), etc. The programs, data, etc. stored in the auxiliary storage device are loaded into the main storage device as needed.

The functions of the authentication device 112 (authentication unit 118, management terminal communication unit 119, authentication DB 120, etc.) may be realized, for example, by the control device 116 reading and executing a program stored in the storage device 117 (software), or may be realized by hardware such as a dedicated circuit, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. Note that one function of the authentication device 112 may be divided into multiple functions, or multiple functions may be combined into one function. Also, some of the functions of the authentication device 112 may be provided as separate functions, or may be included in other functions. Also, some of the functions of the authentication device 112 may be realized by another computer that can communicate with the authentication device 112.

The authentication unit 118 uses an authentication program to compare the image of the visitor captured by the camera 113 with the authentication image stored in the authentication DB 120, and if the matching rate is above a certain level, it determines that the images match and performs a process to unlock the electric lock 114 of the door to be entered. If authentication is not successful, the authentication unit 118 may display the details of the error and assist the visitor with how to respond. For example, when the authentication program uses an image of the mouth for authentication, if the mouth cannot be recognized, the authentication unit 118 notifies the visitor that the mouth needs to be visible.

When an attendee is performing the task of registering an image for authentication (image registration task), if registration of an image for authentication is permitted on the personal terminal 104, the management terminal communication unit 119 acquires the image for authentication via the management terminal 103 and stores it in the authentication DB 120 as authentication information 121. The authentication information 121 will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

Here, the facility system 101 may be provided for each floor of the building as described above, or may be provided for each building, or may be provided for each exclusive section 111. When the facility system 101 is provided for each floor, the authentication device 112 may be different for each floor, may be the same for all floors, or may be the same for some floors. Also, when the facility system 101 is provided for each exclusive section 111, the authentication device 112 may be different for each exclusive section 111, may be the same for all exclusive sections 111, or may be the same for some exclusive sections 111.

The input terminal 102 is an information processing device such as a laptop computer or tablet terminal. The input terminal 102 is connected to the management terminal 103 via the Internet 105. The input terminal 102 inputs information in response to operations by a person who manages the private section 111 (private section manager), and transmits the input information to the management terminal 103. For example, when the input terminal 102 receives personal information (e.g., the name of the visitor, the visitor's email address) and information on the entry destination (e.g., the name indicating one or more private sections 111) from the personal terminal 104 as information requesting entry of a visitor to the private section 111, if the input terminal 102 permits entry of the visitor to the entry destination, it transmits the personal information and the information on the entry destination to the management terminal 103.

The management terminal 103 is an information processing device such as a notebook computer or a server device. The management terminal 103 is equipped with a communication device 141, a control device 142, and a storage device 143. The management terminal 103 is connected to the facility system 101, the input terminal 102, and the personal terminal 104 via the communication device 141 so as to be able to communicate with them.

The communication device 141 is a communication interface that connects to the Internet 105. The communication device 141 may have the same hardware configuration as the communication device 115, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The control device 142 is a device that performs arithmetic processing. The control device 142 may have the same hardware configuration as the control device 116, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The storage device 143 is a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device that store various types of information. The storage device 143 may have the same hardware as the storage device 117, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

The functions of the management terminal 103 (attendee information generation unit 144, personal terminal communication unit 145, authentication device communication unit 146, attendee DB 147, etc.) may be realized, for example, by the control device 142 reading and executing a program stored in the storage device 143 (software), or may be realized by hardware such as a dedicated circuit, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. Note that one function of the management terminal 103 may be divided into multiple functions, or multiple functions may be combined into one function. Also, some of the functions of the management terminal 103 may be provided as separate functions, or may be included in other functions. Also, some of the functions of the management terminal 103 may be realized by another computer that can communicate with the management terminal 103.

The visitor information generation unit 144 generates a unique random number within the authentication system 100 for the visitor's personal information sent from the input terminal 102 in order to uniquely search for the visitor's personal information. The visitor information generation unit 144 generates personal information 148 by including the personal ID, which is the issued random number, in the personal information, and stores the generated information in the visitor DB 147. The personal information 148 includes information such as the visitor's name, personal ID, the visitor's email address, and the ID of the personal terminal 104 (personal terminal ID). The personal information 148 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

In addition, the visitor information generating unit 144 issues a unique random number in the authentication system 100 to uniquely search for the information on the entrance destination transmitted from the input terminal 102. The visitor information generating unit 144 generates the entrance destination information 149 by linking the permission ID, which is the issued random number, with the personal ID and the facility information related to the entrance destination, and stores the generated entrance destination information 149 in the visitor DB 147. The facility information includes the IP address of the authentication device 112, the electric lock 114 (entry permission door) controlled by the authentication device 112, and the authentication program ID, which is information that can identify the authentication program used in the authentication device 112. In other words, the entrance destination information 149 includes the permission ID, information indicating the entrance destination, the IP address, the personal ID, the entrance permission door, and the authentication program ID. The entrance destination information 149 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4. In addition, the visitor information generation unit 144 generates visitor information that links personal information 148 and destination information 149 by a personal ID.

The personal terminal communication unit 145 generates a one-time password, transmits the generated one-time password to the personal terminal 104, and stores it in the personal information 148. The personal terminal communication unit 145 also compares the one-time password transmitted from the personal terminal 104 with the one-time password stored in the personal information 148. If the personal terminal communication unit 145 determines that the one-time passwords match, it transmits to the personal terminal 104 an authentication program used in the authentication device 112 that manages the private section 111 to which entry has been permitted.

During the image registration process, when an authentication image and permission ID are sent from the personal terminal 104, the authentication device communication unit 146 identifies the IP address of the authentication device 112 that manages the entrance destination, the personal ID, and the entrance permission door from the entrance destination information 149 that corresponds to the permission ID. The authentication device communication unit 146 then transmits the personal ID, the authentication image, and information on the entrance permission door to the authentication device 112 with the identified IP address.

The management terminal 103 may be equipped with an input device and/or an output device. The input device is a user interface that accepts information from a user. Examples of the input device include a keyboard, a mouse, a card reader, and a touch panel. The output device is a user interface that outputs various types of information (display output, audio output, print output, etc.). Examples of the output device include a display device that visualizes various types of information, an audio output device (speaker), and a printer. Examples of the display device include an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a graphics card, etc.

The personal terminal 104 is an information processing device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The personal terminal 104 includes a communication device 161, a control device 162, a camera 163, and a storage device 164.

The communication device 161 is a communication interface that connects to the Internet 105. The communication device 161 may have the same hardware configuration as the communication device 115, so its description will be omitted. The control device 162 is a device that performs arithmetic processing. The control device 162 may have the same hardware configuration as the control device 116, so its description will be omitted. The camera 163 is equipped with an imaging device. The imaging device is equipped with an imaging lens, an imaging element, etc., and is a device that converts an optical image formed by the imaging lens into an electrical signal using the imaging element. The imaging device is composed of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, etc. The storage device 164 is a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device that store various information. The storage device 164 may have the same hardware as the storage device 117, so its description will be omitted.

The functions of the personal terminal 104 (image registration application 165, personal authentication unit 166, image registration unit 167, personal terminal DB 168, etc.) may be realized, for example, by the control device 162 reading and executing a program stored in the storage device 164 (software), or may be realized by hardware such as a dedicated circuit, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. Note that one function of the personal terminal 104 may be divided into multiple functions, or multiple functions may be combined into one function. Also, some of the functions of the personal terminal 104 may be provided as a separate function, or may be included in another function. Also, some of the functions of the personal terminal 104 may be realized by another computer that can communicate with the personal terminal 104. For example, the determination unit of the image registration application 165 may be provided in the equipment system 101, the input terminal 102, or the management terminal 103.

The image registration application 165 includes a personal authentication unit 166 and an image registration unit 167. The personal authentication unit 166 transmits the one-time password and personal terminal ID entered by the visitor to the management terminal 103. It also stores the entrance destination information 149 transmitted from the management terminal 103 in the personal terminal DB 168 as image registration information 169, and stores the authentication program transmitted from the management terminal 103 in the personal terminal DB 168 as a program list 170.

During the image registration operation, the image registration unit 167 allows the user to select whether to take a new image for authentication or to input an existing image. In the case of taking a new image, the image registration unit 167 activates the camera 163 and takes a new image of the face, etc. If the acquired image is in a format that can be used by the authentication device 112 that manages the entrance, the image registration unit 167 stores the authentication image in the image registration information 169. In addition, in order to check whether authentication can be performed normally using the authentication program used in the authentication device 112, the image registration unit 167 activates the camera 163 to acquire an image of the visitor and compares it with the authentication image stored in the image registration information 169. If the authentication program determines that the images are of the same person, the image registration unit 167 transmits the authentication image and the permission ID to the management terminal 103. At this time, if the authentication program determines that the images are not of the same person, the image registration unit 167 may display the result of the determination on the personal terminal 104 and assist with the image capture.

The personal terminal DB 168 stores image registration information 169 and a program list 170. The image registration information 169 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5. The program list 170 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

The personal terminal 104 is assumed to satisfy the requirements for installing (introducing) the image registration app 165, and is not limited to a particular manufacturer or model. Furthermore, pre-authentication using the image registration app 165 is not limited to being performed on the personal terminal 104, but may also be performed on the management terminal 103, authentication device 112, etc.

In this way, in the authentication system 100, authentication images of visitors using the private section 111 managed by the equipment system 101 are registered, and authentication can be performed when a visitor authorized by the private section manager is photographed by the camera 113. The authentication system 100 allows the visitor to directly upload the authentication image to be registered in the authentication device 112 from their personal terminal 104, and registers the authentication image after performing authentication in advance using the same authentication program as the authentication unit 118 used in the authentication device 112 to reduce the chance of authentication failing on-site.

Figure 2 shows an example of authentication information 121 (authentication table 200).

The authentication table 200 stores information related to the authentication performed by the authentication device 112. More specifically, the authentication table 200 stores information (records) in which a record number 201, a personal ID 202, an image 203, and an entry permission door 204 are associated with each other.

The record number 201 is information that can identify a record. The personal ID 202 is information that can identify an entrance (individual). The image 203 is an image of the individual. The entry permission door 204 is information that can identify the electric lock 114 of the door installed in the private section 111 through which the individual is permitted to enter.

Figure 3 shows an example of personal information 148 (personal table 300).

The personal table 300 stores information related to visitors (individuals). More specifically, the personal table 300 stores information (records) in which a record number 301, a name 302, a personal ID 303, an email address 304, a one-time password 305, and a personal terminal ID 306 are associated with each other. Note that part of the information in the records is generated based on the personal information of the visitor entered when the user registered in the image registration application 165.

The record number 301 is information that can identify the record. The name 302 is information that indicates the name of an individual. The personal ID 303 is information that can identify the individual. The personal ID 303 is determined by the management terminal 103 when the record is generated so that it is a unique value within the authentication system 100. The email address 304 is information that indicates the email address used by the individual. The one-time password 305 is information that indicates a password stored during the image registration work. The personal terminal ID 306 is information that can identify the personal terminal 104 used by the individual. The information that can identify the personal terminal 104 is, for example, a MAC (Media Access Control) address.

Figure 4 shows an example of the entrance destination information 149 (entrance destination table 400).

The entrance destination table 400 stores information related to the entrance destinations to which the private section manager has permission to enter. More specifically, the entrance destination table 400 stores information (records) in which a record number 401, a permission ID 402, an entrance destination 403, an IP address 404, a personal ID 405, an entrance permission door 406, and an authentication program ID 407 are associated. Note that part of the information in the records is generated based on the equipment information linked to the entrance destination information input by the private section manager via the input terminal 102.

The record number 401 is information that can identify a record. The permission ID 402 is information that can identify permission to enter the destination. The destination 403 is information that indicates the destination. The IP address 404 is information that indicates the IP address assigned to the authentication device 112 that manages the destination. The personal ID 405 is information that can identify the visitor (individual) who requests entry to the destination. The entry permission door 406 is information that can identify the electric lock 114 of the door installed at the destination. The authentication program ID 407 is information that can identify the authentication program used in the authentication device 112. The authentication program itself is stored as a file in the storage device 143 of the management terminal 103, and an ID that can uniquely identify the file (for example, a file name) is stored in the authentication program ID 407.

Figure 5 shows an example of image registration information 169 (image registration table 500).

The image registration table 500 stores information related to the registration of images for authentication. More specifically, the image registration table 500 stores information (records) in which a record number 501, a permission ID 502, an entrance 503, an entrance permission door 504, an authentication image 505, and an authentication program ID 506 are associated with each other. Note that part of the information in the records is generated based on the entrance information 149.

The record number 501 is information that can identify a record. The permission ID 502 is information that can identify permission for entry to the destination. The permission ID of the destination information 149 is stored in the permission ID 502. The destination 503 is information that indicates the destination. The destination in the destination information 149 is stored in the destination 503. The permission door 504 is information that can identify the electric lock 114 of the door installed at the destination. The permission door in the destination information 149 is stored in the entry door 504. The authentication image 505 is an image that has passed pre-authentication (an image for authentication). The authentication program ID 506 is information that can identify an authentication program used in the authentication device 112 that manages the destination. The authentication program ID in the destination information 149 is stored in the authentication program ID 506. The authentication program itself is stored as a file in the program list 170, and an ID that can uniquely identify the file (e.g., a file name) is stored in the authentication program ID 506.

Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of the program list 170 (authentication program storage folder 600).

In the authentication program storage folder 600, an authentication program is stored as a file 601. The file 601 is given a file name (the name of the destination, the authentication program ID, etc.), and the authentication program is identified by the file name.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of an attendee information registration processing flow. Each process in the attendee information registration processing flow is executed by the attendee information generation unit 144 of the management terminal 103, the personal terminal communication unit 145 of the management terminal 103, and the personal authentication unit 166 of the personal terminal 104. The attendee information registration processing flow is started when the private section manager inputs the attendee's personal information (such as name) and destination information (such as name of destination) via the input terminal 102.

In S701, the visitor information generation unit 144 receives the visitor's personal information and destination information sent from the input terminal 102 in response to an operation by the private section manager. For example, when the input terminal 102 receives application information for applying for permission to enter from the personal terminal 104, it displays the personal information and destination information included in the application information, and if the private section manager permits entry, he sends the personal information and destination information to the management terminal 103. Note that the visitor's personal information is information that has already been entered during user registration in the image registration app 165 of the personal terminal 104, and is included in the application information.

In S702, the visitor information generating unit 144 generates visitor information (personal information 148 and entrance destination information 149). The visitor information generating unit 144 generates the received personal information as personal information 148, and based on the received entrance destination information, generates facility information related to the entrance destination (IP address, entrance permission door, authentication program ID) as entrance destination information 149.

In S703, the attendee information generation unit 144 checks whether the attendee information is complete. More specifically, the attendee information generation unit 144 checks whether the attendee's name, the attendee's email address, the entrance destination, the IP address, the entrance permission door, and the authentication program ID are all present. If the attendee information generation unit 144 determines that the attendee information is complete, it proceeds to S704, and if it determines that the attendee information is complete, it proceeds to S706.

In S704, the attendee information generation unit 144 issues a personal ID, which is a unique random number for each attendee, and a permission ID, which is a unique random number for each permission.

In S705, the visitor information generation unit 144 stores the visitor information in the visitor DB 147. More specifically, the visitor information generation unit 144 sets the personal ID issued in S704 to each of the personal information 148 and the entrance destination information 149 generated in S702, sets an authorization ID to the entrance destination information 149, and stores them in the visitor DB 147. Note that the authorization ID is a unique value within the authentication system 100, and the management terminal 103 can uniquely identify who is authorized to enter which building and through which door.

In S706, the attendee information generation unit 144 notifies the input terminal 102 of a predefined error and ends the process without performing any further processing.

In S711, the personal terminal communication unit 145 of the management terminal 103 transmits the one-time password to the personal terminal 104. For example, the personal terminal communication unit 145 generates a one-time password and transmits an e-mail including the one-time password to the e-mail address included in the personal information 148 registered in S705. The personal terminal communication unit 145 stores the one-time password in the personal information 148.

In S721, the personal authentication unit 166 of the personal terminal 104 receives the one-time password. For example, the personal authentication unit 166 receives an email containing the one-time password sent from the management terminal 103.

In S722, the personal authentication unit 166 inputs the one-time password in response to an input operation by the visitor who viewed the one-time password.

In S723, the personal authentication unit 166 transmits the one-time password to the management terminal 103. For example, the personal authentication unit 166 transmits the one-time password input in S722 to the management terminal 103 (personal terminal communication unit 145).

In S712, the personal terminal communication unit 145 compares the one-time password sent from the personal terminal 104 with the one-time password stored in the personal information 148 in S711, and determines whether the one-time passwords match. If the personal terminal communication unit 145 determines that the one-time passwords match, it transfers processing to S713, and if it determines that the one-time passwords do not match, it transfers processing to S714. The personal terminal communication unit 145 identifies the personal information 148 stored in S711 based on, for example, the MAC address or personal ID of the personal terminal 104.

In S713, the personal terminal communication unit 145 transmits the entrance destination information 149 stored in S705 and the authentication program used in the authentication device 112 that manages the entrance destination to the personal terminal 104. For example, the personal terminal communication unit 145 identifies the entrance destination information 149 stored in S705 based on the personal ID included in the personal information 148 identified in S712. Also, for example, the personal terminal communication unit 145 identifies the authentication program used in the authentication device 112 that manages the entrance destination based on the authentication program ID included in the identified entrance destination information 149.

In S714, the personal device communication unit 145 notifies the personal device 104 of a predetermined error and ends the process without performing any further processing.

In S724, the personal authentication unit 166 receives the entrance destination information 149 and the authentication program from the management terminal 103. The personal authentication unit 166 stores the received entrance destination information 149 as image registration information 169 in the personal terminal DB 168, and stores the received authentication program in the program list 170.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of an image registration processing flow. Each step in the image registration processing flow is executed by the image registration unit 167 of the personal terminal 104, the authentication device communication unit 146 of the management terminal 103, and the management terminal communication unit 119 of the authentication device 112. The image registration processing flow is started when a visitor starts the image registration app 165.

In S801, the image registration unit 167 refers to the personal terminal DB 168, displays the destination of the image registration information 169 on the display device of the personal terminal 104, and selects an entrance destination from the entrance destinations displayed on the display device in response to an operation by the visitor. At this time, the image registration unit 167 identifies the permission ID of the image registration information 169 that corresponds to the selected entrance destination.

In S802, the image registration unit 167 determines whether or not to take a new image (image for authentication) to be registered in the authentication device 112. If the image registration unit 167 determines that a new image for authentication is to be taken, the process proceeds to S803, and if it determines that a new image for authentication is not to be taken, the process proceeds to S804.

In S803, the image registration unit 167 acquires an image of the visitor by photographing the visitor with the camera 163 that has been activated for the purpose of taking a new photograph.

In S804, the image registration unit 167 reads the image specified by the visitor (uploads an existing image to the image registration application 165). The existing image is stored in the storage device of the personal terminal 104, a storage medium connected to the personal terminal 104, a cloud system connected to the personal terminal 104 so as to be able to communicate with the personal terminal 104, etc.

In S805, the image registration unit 167 determines whether the image newly acquired in S803 or the existing image read in S804 satisfies the conditions of a format that can be used in the authentication device 112 that manages the entrance selected in S801. If the image registration unit 167 determines that the format conditions are met, it moves the process to S806, and if it determines that the format conditions are not met (for example, the resolution is below a specified value), it moves the process to S802 to start over from selecting an image to register. The format conditions include an upper and/or lower limit for the image resolution, an upper and/or lower limit for the image size, an upper and/or lower limit for the image capacity, a specified file format (typically JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group), etc.

In S806, the image registration unit 167 stores the image determined in S805 to satisfy the format conditions as an image for authentication in the image registration information 169 for the permission ID identified in S801.

In S807, the image registration unit 167 acquires an image of the visitor by photographing the visitor with the camera 163 that has been activated for the purpose of performing pre-authentication.

In S808, the image registration unit 167 determines whether or not the pre-authentication was successful. If the image registration unit 167 determines that the pre-authentication was successful, it moves the process to S809, and if it determines that the pre-authentication was not successful (failed), it moves the process to S802. More specifically, the image registration unit 167 identifies the authentication program used in the authentication device 112 that manages the entrance selected in S801 from the authentication program ID in the image registration information 169 of the permission ID identified in S801, and selects the authentication program from the program list 170. The image registration unit 167 compares the image stored in S806 and the image acquired in S807 using the selected authentication program, and determines whether they are images of the same person.

Here, the authentication program may be a program that performs authentication based on reference points on the face. In this case, the authentication program can make it less susceptible to the influence of the shooting direction of the camera 113 installed at the entrance to the exclusive area 111, for example. In other words, this authentication program does not require preparation of images taken from multiple angles, and can reduce the effort required for image registration. The reference points are the distance between the eyes, the relationship between facial features and shoulder width, etc. Additionally, body information other than the face, such as shoulder width, may be used in authentication.

In S809, the image registration unit 167 transmits the authentication image stored in S806 and the permission ID identified in S801 to the management terminal 103. In this way, the image registration unit 167 determines whether the image can be authenticated for each permission ID, thereby eliminating the need to register an image for each entry permission door associated with the permission ID.

In S811, the authentication device communication unit 146 of the management terminal 103 searches the visitor DB 147 for an authentication device 112 that registers an image for authentication based on the permission ID transmitted from the personal terminal 104. For example, the authentication device communication unit 146 identifies the entrance information 149 that matches the permission ID.

In S812, the authentication device communication unit 146 transmits the personal ID, the authentication image, and the entry permission door information to the authentication device 112 at the IP address of the entry destination information 149 identified in S811.

In S821, the management terminal communication unit 119 of the authentication device 112 receives the personal ID, the authentication image, and the entry permission door information from the management terminal 103. The management terminal communication unit 119 stores the received personal ID, authentication image, and entry permission door information in the authentication DB 120 as authentication information 121.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of an authentication processing flow. Each step in the authentication processing flow is executed by the authentication unit 118 of the authentication device 112. The authentication processing flow is started when a person is photographed by the camera 113.

In S901, the authentication unit 118 inputs the image acquired by the camera 113.

In S902, the authentication unit 118 determines whether the authentication was successful. If the authentication unit 118 determines that the authentication was successful, it proceeds to S903, and if it determines that the authentication was not successful, it proceeds to S904. For example, the authentication unit 118 authenticates the image acquired by the camera 113 and each image registered in the authentication DB 120 using an authentication program, and if there is a matching image in the authentication DB 120, it determines that the authentication was successful.

In S903, the authentication unit 118 unlocks the electric lock 114 of the door for which entry is permitted. For example, the authentication unit 118 identifies authentication information 121 that includes the image determined to match in S902, and unlocks the electric lock 114 based on the information of the door for which entry is permitted that is included in the identified authentication information 121.

In S904, the authentication unit 118 displays the default authentication NG (information indicating that authentication has failed) and ends the process.

One use case is described below.

For example, suppose there is a visitor "Person A" who wishes to enter the private section 111 of the facility system 101. It is assumed that Person A has completed the user registration process (entering name and email address) in the image registration application 165 of the personal terminal 104. It is also assumed that the facility information of the facility system 101 (entrance destination, IP address, entrance permission door, authentication program ID information, etc.) has been registered in advance.

When the private section manager registers information related to the entry to the private section 111 from the input terminal 102 in order to allow person A to enter the private section 111, the visitor information generating unit 144 issues a personal ID (in this example, "123123123") to the personal information of person A, and issues an authorization ID (in this example, "987654321") to the information on the entry destination of the private section 111. In this example, the personal information of person A is the name "Person A" and the email address "xxxxxxxxx123@xxx.co.jp". The entry destination information of the private section 111 is the entry destination "Building facility 1", the IP address "111.111.111.111", the entry permission door "Electric lock 1", and the authentication program ID "001001001".

Next, the personal terminal communication unit 145 issues a one-time password (in this example, "HbdfskbHJKbfd") to the email address of the personal information 148 (in this example, "xxxxxxxxx123@xxx.co.jp") and sends an email containing the one-time password. Next, the visitor of the personal terminal 104 who receives the email containing the one-time password starts the image registration application 165 and enters "HbdfskbHJKbfd". At this time, the personal authentication unit 166 sends the entered "HbdfskbHJKbfd" to the management terminal 103.

Next, the personal terminal communication unit 145 compares whether "HbdfskbHJKbfd" sent from the personal terminal 104 matches the one-time password in the personal information 148. Because the one-time password in the personal information 148 is "HbdfskbHJKbfd," the personal terminal communication unit 145 determines that they match, and transmits to the personal terminal 104 the entry destination "Building facility 1," the entry permission door "Electric lock 1," the authentication program ID "001001001," the authentication program corresponding to the authentication program ID, and the personal ID "123123123."

Next, the personal authentication unit 166 stores the information sent from the management terminal 103 (entrance destination "Building facility 1", entrance permission door "Electric lock 1", authentication program ID "001001001", and personal ID "123123123") in the image registration information 169. The personal authentication unit 166 also stores the authentication program corresponding to the authentication program "001001001" in the program list 170.

Next, assume that person A launches image registration application 165 to register an image for authentication. Assume that person A selects "Building facility 1" as the destination and takes a new image for authentication. At this time, image registration unit 167 launches camera 163, so person A takes a picture of his or her own face. Assume that this image of person A passes the format check. In this case, image registration unit 167 stores the image of person A in image registration information 169. Next, camera 163 is launched for pre-authentication, person A's face is photographed, and an image of person A is obtained.

The image registration unit 167 uses the authentication program with the authentication program ID "001001001" to compare the image of person A stored in the image registration information 169 with the image of person A captured for pre-authentication. At this time, if the authentication program performs authentication normally and it is determined that the images are of the same person, the image of person A stored in the image registration information 169 and the authorization ID are sent to the management terminal 103.

The authentication program has an algorithm that does not allow masks, since the mouth is used for authentication. If pre-authentication is performed while person A is wearing a mask, it is determined that the image is not of the same person, and the procedure begins with registering an image for authentication. Similarly, if a mask is worn in the authentication image, the face cannot be identified, so it is determined that the image is not of the same person, and the procedure begins with registering an image for authentication. At this time, the image registration unit 167 can also notify person A of the reason why pre-authentication was not successful.

Next, the authentication device communication unit 146 identifies the IP address "111.111.111.111" from the permission ID "987654321" sent from the personal terminal 104, and sends the personal ID "123123123", the authentication image, and the entry permission door "electric lock 1" to the authentication device 112 at "111.111.111.111". Next, the management terminal communication unit 119 stores the personal ID "123123123", the authentication image, and the entry permission door "electric lock 1" sent from the management terminal 103 as authentication information 121.

Next, suppose that person A visits in front of camera 113 of "Building Facility 1". The authentication unit 118 authenticates the image of person A acquired by camera 113 and the image of authentication information 121 using the authentication program with authentication program ID "001001001". If it is determined that the person is permitted to enter, the authentication unit 118 unlocks the entrance permission door "Electric Lock 1" linked to the image of authentication information 121 determined to be of a person permitted to enter. On the other hand, if it is determined that the person is not permitted to enter, the authentication unit 118 displays authentication NG and does not unlock the electric lock 114.

According to this embodiment, when a visitor registers an image for authentication, authentication is performed using the authentication program that is actually used on the authentication device, making it possible to perform authentication at the time of entry smoothly and appropriately.

(II) Supplementary Notes The above-described embodiment includes, for example, the following contents.

In the above embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to an authentication system, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be widely applied to a variety of other systems, devices, methods, and programs.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the image registration application 165 executes steps S805 and S808, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the image registration application 165 may execute step S808 without executing step S805.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, some or all of the programs may be installed from a program source into a device such as a computer that realizes the personal terminal 104. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server connected via a network or a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., a non-transitory recording medium). In the above description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, and one program may be realized as two or more programs.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration of each table is an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be one table.

In the above embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the information related to the authentication system is described using a table, but the data structure is not limited to a table. The information related to the authentication system may be expressed using a data structure other than a table, such as XML (Extensible Markup Language), YAML (YAML Ain't a Markup Language), a hash table, a tree structure, etc.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the output of information is not limited to display on a display. The output of information may be audio output from a speaker, output to a file, printing on paper media using a printing device, projection on a screen using a projector, or other forms.

In addition, in the above description, information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, a hard disk, or an SSD (SolID State Drive), or in a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

The above-described embodiment has the following characteristic configurations:

(1)
An authentication system (e.g., authentication system 100) that manages entry and exit using images includes a camera (e.g., camera 113, camera 163) that takes images to be registered in an authentication device (e.g., authentication device 112), a judgment unit (e.g., image registration application 165, image registration unit 167, judgment unit, circuit) that judges whether the captured image can be authenticated by the authentication device, a terminal (e.g., personal terminal 104) equipped with a transmission unit (e.g., image registration application 165, image registration unit 167, transmission unit, circuit) that transmits the determined image when the judgment unit judges that authentication is possible, a management terminal (e.g., management terminal 103) that receives the transmitted image, and an authentication device (e.g., authentication device 112) that compares the image received from the management terminal with the image taken by the camera and judges whether entry is allowed or not.

According to the above configuration, for example, an image that can be authenticated by the authentication device is used for authentication at the time of entry, so that authentication at the time of entry can be performed smoothly.

(2)
The determination unit includes an authentication program (for example, an authentication program) used to determine whether authentication is possible, and uses the authentication program to determine whether authentication is possible based on an image captured by the camera of the terminal.

In the above configuration, an authentication program installed in the terminal is used to determine whether authentication is possible, so for example, visitors can easily prepare an image for authentication.

(3)
The management terminal transmits a one-time password to the terminal, the transmitting unit of the terminal transmits the one-time password to the management terminal, and when the received one-time password matches the transmitted one-time password, the management terminal transmits the authentication program to the terminal (see, for example, FIG. 7).

In the above configuration, if the one-time passwords match, the management terminal sends an authentication program to the terminal, preventing the authentication program from being installed on the terminal by mistake.

(4)
When the management terminal sends a one-time password to the terminal, it also sends an authorization ID associated with information about the gate that allows entry, and the judgment unit judges whether the image can be authenticated for each received authorization ID (see, for example, Figure 8).

In the above configuration, an authenticable image is registered for each permission ID. For example, if there are multiple gates on one floor where entry is managed and the same permission ID is associated with the multiple gates, even if authentication is performed at each of the multiple gates, it is only necessary to register one image, reducing the registration effort.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations may be modified, rearranged, combined, or omitted as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

100: Authentication system, 112: Authentication device, 117: Storage device, 165: Image registration application (determination unit, transmission unit).

Claims (5)

An authentication system for managing entry and exit using images,
A camera for taking an image to be registered in the authentication device;
a determination unit that determines whether the captured image can be authenticated by the authentication device;
a terminal including a transmission unit that transmits an image determined by the determination unit when the determination unit determines that authentication is possible;
a management terminal for receiving the transmitted image;
and an authentication device that compares the image received from the management terminal with an image taken by a camera to determine whether or not entry is permitted. The authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit includes an authentication program used to determine whether authentication is possible, and determines whether authentication is possible using an image captured by the camera of the terminal using the authentication program. The management terminal transmits a one-time password to the terminal;
The transmission unit of the terminal transmits the one-time password to the management terminal;
3. The authentication system according to claim 2, wherein said management terminal transmits said authentication program to said terminal when the received one-time password matches the transmitted one-time password. The authentication system according to claim 3, wherein the management terminal transmits an authorization ID associated with information on a gate that permits entry when transmitting a one-time password to the terminal, and the determination unit determines whether an image can be authenticated for each received authorization ID. An authentication method for an authentication system that manages entrance and exit using images, comprising:
the authentication system includes a camera that captures an image to be registered in an authentication device;
a determination unit determining whether the captured image can be authenticated by the authentication device;
When the determination unit determines that authentication is possible, the terminal transmits an image determined by the determination unit;
A management terminal receives the transmitted image; and
an authentication device comparing the image received from the management terminal with an image captured by a camera to determine whether or not entry is permitted.

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