JP7762037B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

As a measure to prevent the distribution of counterfeit goods, systems are known that attach two-dimensional codes or RF (Radio Frequency Identification) tags to products and determine whether the product is genuine. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing device that reads the identification information of an object using a mobile terminal, and uses that information to determine whether the object is genuine and also to confirm the distribution information of the object. Furthermore, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a determination device that determines the authenticity of a hologram image formed using a diffraction pattern.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-123108 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-307172

However, in order to read the IC chip information on the RF tags mentioned above and use it as an anti-counterfeiting measure, a dedicated data read/write device is required to read the IC chip information on RF tags, and it is not realistic for end customers, especially general consumers, to purchase expensive dedicated data read/write devices.

Furthermore, two-dimensional codes and holographic images can be easily copied, and information on RF tags can also be easily read and rewritten, making spoofing and copying possible. As such, conventional measures to prevent the distribution of counterfeit goods still pose security issues. Meanwhile, while there are high-performance RF tags equipped with authentication and encryption functions, they are not suited to the distribution market, where there is a strong demand for cost reduction.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an information processing method that can determine the authenticity of an object to be read using a method that is difficult to copy and easy to read, as well as an information processing device used in said method.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
[1]
an irradiation device that irradiates the fine line pattern with light;
a Fourier transform lens through which diffracted light reflected from the fine line pattern passes and forms an optical image;
an imaging device for acquiring the formed optical image;
a matching unit that matches correct answer information regarding the correct label of the optical image with optical image information regarding the optical image to generate a matching result;
Information processing device.
[2]
The thin line pattern is formed on a transparent substrate.
The information processing device according to [1].
[3]
The thin line pattern is a transmission diffraction grating including thin lines having a line width of 5 μm or less.
The information processing device according to [1] or [2].
[4]
the aperture ratio of the fine line pattern is 80 to 99.9 area %;
[1] - [3] The information processing device according to any one of [1] to [3].
[5]
the optical image is a reflection diffraction image formed by the thin line pattern;
[4] The information processing device according to any one of [1] to [4].
[6]
The correct answer information is received from another information processing device.
[5] The information processing device according to any one of [1] to [5].
[7]
a product information reading device that acquires product identification information that can identify the product to be verified from a serial code attached to the product to be verified that has the thin line pattern attached thereto or from image information of the product to be verified;
[1] - [6] The information processing device according to any one of [1] to [6].
[8]
The information processing device
an irradiation step of irradiating the thin line pattern with light;
an imaging step of forming an optical image by passing diffracted light reflected from the thin line pattern through a Fourier transform lens and acquiring the optical image;
a matching step of matching correct answer information regarding the correct label of the optical image with optical image information regarding the optical image to generate a matching result;
Information processing methods.
[9]
The thin line pattern is formed on a transparent substrate.
The information processing method according to [8].
[10]
The thin line pattern is a transmission diffraction grating including thin lines having a line width of 5 μm or less.
The information processing method according to [8] or [9].
[11]
the aperture ratio of the fine line pattern is 80 to 99.9 area %;
[8] The information processing method according to any one of [10] to [11].
[12]
the optical image is a reflection diffraction image formed by the thin line pattern;
[8] - [11] The information processing method according to any one of [8] to [11].
[13]
In the information processing device,
an irradiation step of irradiating the thin line pattern with light;
an imaging step of forming an optical image by passing diffracted light reflected from the thin line pattern through a Fourier transform lens and acquiring the optical image;
a matching step of matching correct answer information regarding the correct label of the optical image with optical image information regarding the optical image to generate a matching result;
program.

The present invention provides an information processing method that can determine the authenticity of an object using a method that is difficult to copy and easy to read, as well as an information processing device used in the method.

1 is a plan view showing one aspect of an RF tag according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one aspect of the configuration of a gate terminal in the present embodiment. 10 is a schematic diagram showing one mode in which the gate terminal in this embodiment acquires optical image information. FIG. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing another mode in which the gate terminal in the present embodiment acquires optical image information. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one aspect of the configuration of a server according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing one aspect of correct answer data in the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another aspect of the supervised data in the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another aspect of the supervised data in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing one aspect of ledger data in this embodiment. 10 is a processing sequence of an information processing method according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a processing sequence of an information processing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail, with reference to the drawings as necessary. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Note that identical elements throughout the drawings will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right will be based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of the drawings are not limited to those shown.

In the system of this embodiment, an information processing device (hereinafter also referred to as a "gate terminal") acquires optical image information (hereinafter also simply referred to as "optical image information") relating to an optical image obtained by focusing diffracted light reflected from a fine line pattern using a Fourier transform lens, and performs a matching process using this optical image information and correct answer information (hereinafter also simply referred to as "correct answer information") relating to the correct label of the optical image.

Below, we will explain the terms used in this embodiment, and then explain the configuration of the gate terminal 100.

1. Fine Line Pattern First, we will explain the fine line pattern from which the gate terminal 100 of this embodiment acquires optical image information. FIG. 1 shows a plan view of one embodiment of the fine line pattern, namely, an RF tag 300 having a fine line pattern as an antenna portion. While FIG. 1 shows the fine line pattern 330 functioning as an antenna for the RF tag 300, the fine line pattern 330 does not need to perform this function and does not have to be an RF tag. In other words, the fine line pattern 330 may simply be a pattern composed of fine lines 320 on a transparent substrate 310.

In this embodiment, RF tag is an abbreviation for "Radio Frequency tag" and may also be called by other names such as electronic tag, IC tag, wireless tag, or RF tag. RF tags are used in conjunction with a corresponding RF reader device and can send or receive data between the reader and the tag without contact. The RF reader device may also function as a writer (for writing).

In the following, this embodiment will be described using as an example a passive RF tag that does not have a built-in battery and operates using radio waves received from a reader/writer as its energy source. However, the RF tag of this embodiment may also be an active tag that has a built-in battery, or a semi-passive tag that has a built-in sensor or a battery that serves as a power source for the sensor.

The RF tag 300 has a transparent substrate 310, an antenna (thin line pattern 330) formed on the transparent substrate 310, and a semiconductor element 340 electrically connected to the antenna (thin line pattern 330). The antenna (thin line pattern 330) and semiconductor element 340 are electrically connected.

The antenna (thin line pattern 330) of the RF tag 300 may be formed in a desired pattern using thin metal wires 320. Figure 1 shows an antenna (thin line pattern 330) consisting of a grid pattern made up of thin metal wires 320.

The thin line pattern 330 is any pattern composed of thin lines 320 as shown in FIG. 1, and may be a grid pattern (mesh pattern) such as a triangle, square, or hexagon, or a line pattern. Furthermore, the thin lines 320 are not limited to straight lines, but may also be curved or wavy lines.

When a predetermined light is irradiated onto such a thin line pattern 330 from the irradiation device 131, the thin line pattern 330 reflects a predetermined diffracted light, which passes through the Fourier transform lens 132, thereby obtaining a predetermined optical image when viewed from the imaging device 133 side.

For example, if the thin line pattern 330 contains multiple thin lines with a line width of 5 μm or less, arranged at equal intervals with a periodic pitch of several hundred μm, a diffraction image will be observed in the reflected light, and the optical image will include such a diffraction image. In this case, the diffraction image that is generated may include diffraction spot images and diffraction stripe patterns, as well as letters, numbers, symbols, and other marks and figures obtained by combining different diffraction images.

Furthermore, if the antenna (thin line pattern 330) is composed of multiple thin metal wires with a line width of 5 μm or less and arranged at equal intervals with a pitch of several hundred μm, the individual thin metal wires will be invisible and the antenna (thin line pattern 330) will be transparent. Therefore, even if the thin line pattern 330 is attached to the product to be verified or its packaging, its design and posted information will not be impaired. On the other hand, as mentioned above, even with such a transparent thin line pattern 330, it is possible to obtain a diffraction image caused by diffracted light that occurs only when light is irradiated at a certain angle.

The thin wire 320 is preferably a thin wire containing a metal. Examples of metals include, but are not limited to, gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. Of these, silver or copper is preferred, with copper being more preferred.

From the above perspective, it is preferable that the thin wire 320 be difficult to see with the naked eye. For example, the line width W of the thin wire 320 is preferably 5.0 μm or less, more preferably 0.1 to 5.0 μm, and even more preferably 0.3 to 5.0 μm. A line width W of 5.0 μm or less reduces the visibility of the thin wire 320. This allows the thin line pattern to be applied without compromising the design of the product being compared. Furthermore, such thin lines with low visibility are difficult to manufacture, which also helps ensure that they are difficult to replicate. Here, the line width W1 in this embodiment refers to the line width of the conductive thin wire when the thin wire 320 is projected onto the surface of the transparent substrate 310 from the side of the transparent substrate 310 on which the thin wire 320 is arranged.

Furthermore, the aperture ratio OR, which is the ratio of the area of the portion of the fine line pattern 330 where the fine lines 320 are not formed, is preferably 80 to 99.9 area%, more preferably 85 to 99.8 area%, even more preferably 90 to 99.6 area%, and even more preferably 95 to 99.5 area%. The aperture ratio OR can also be referred to as transmittance. This makes it possible to avoid compromising the design or display information of the product being compared or its packaging, even if the fine line pattern is applied.

(Thickness H1)
The thickness H1 of the conductive thin wires constituting the thin wires 320 is preferably 10 nm or more and 1000 nm or less, more preferably 50 nm or more, and even more preferably 75 nm or more. When the thickness H1 of the conductive thin wires is 10 nm or more, the conductivity tends to be further improved. On the other hand, when the thickness H1 of the conductive thin wires is 1000 nm or less, the visibility at a wide viewing angle decreases.

(aspect ratio)
The aspect ratio (H1/W1), which is the ratio of the thickness H1 of the thin wire 320 to the line width W1 of the thin wire 320, is preferably 0.05 or more and 1.00 or less. The lower limit of the aspect ratio is more preferably 0.08 or more, and even more preferably 0.10 or more. An aspect ratio of 0.05 or more tends to further improve conductivity without reducing transmittance.

(Pitch P1)
The pitch P1 of the thin wires 320 is preferably 5 μm or more, more preferably 50 μm or more, and even more preferably 100 μm or more. A pitch P1 of the thin wires 320 of 5 μm or more can achieve good transmittance. Furthermore, the pitch P1 of the thin wires 320 is preferably 1000 μm or less, more preferably 500 μm or less, and even more preferably 250 μm or less. A pitch P1 of the thin wires 320 of 1000 μm or less tends to further improve conductivity. In the case of a square grid pattern of the thin wires 320, an aperture ratio of 99% can be achieved by setting the pitch P1 of the thin wires 320 with a line width of 1 μm to 200 μm. Furthermore, a pitch P1 within the above range is preferable because it increases the invisibility of the thin wires 320 and also results in a clear diffraction image due to the thin line pattern 330. The pitch P1 refers to the sum of the line width W1 and the distance between the conductive thin wires.

(Occupied area ratio A1)
The occupation area ratio A1 is preferably 0.5% or more, more preferably 1.0% or more, and even more preferably 2% or more. By setting the occupation area ratio A1 to this value or more, the conductivity of the thin line pattern 330 tends to be further improved. Furthermore, the occupation area ratio A1 is preferably 10% or less, and more preferably 7% or less. By setting the occupation area ratio A1 to this value or less, the visible light transmittance of the thin line pattern 330 tends to be further improved.
The "occupancy area ratio" of the pattern can be calculated using the following formula for the area on the transparent substrate 310 where the thin line pattern 330 is formed.
Occupied area ratio (%)=(area occupied by thin line pattern/area of region of transparent substrate where thin line pattern is formed)×100

The opening width W2 of the opening is preferably 40 μm or more, more preferably 50 μm or more, and even more preferably 60 μm or more. Setting it within this range tends to further reduce the visibility of the thin line pattern 330. The opening width W2 of the opening is preferably 500 μm or less, more preferably 300 μm or less, and even more preferably 100 μm or less. Setting it within this range reduces the electrical resistance of the thin line pattern 330, improving antenna function.

"Opening width" refers to the width of the opening in the short direction. If the opening is square, it refers to the width of one of its sides.

(Visible light transmittance T1 of thin line pattern)
The visible light transmittance T1 of the thin line pattern 330 is preferably 75% or more and 99.0% or less, and more preferably 80% or more and 99.0% or less. The visible light transmittance can be measured by calculating the transmittance in the visible light range (360 to 830 nm) in accordance with JIS K 7361-1:1997, which specifies the total light transmittance.

In a preferred aspect of this embodiment, the fine line pattern 330 is formed on the transparent substrate 310. With this configuration, the optical image is less likely to be affected by the underlying surface when it is acquired. The mechanism behind this is unclear, but it is thought to be because the optical image can be acquired using Fresnel reflection on the back surface of the transparent substrate 310. Therefore, even if the product to be verified or its packaging has any printing on it, it is possible to acquire only the optical image information derived from the transparent fine line pattern applied thereon.

Fine line pattern 330 is preferably a pattern of periodic fine lines 320 formed on transparent substrate 310. With this configuration, a transmission type diffraction grating can be formed. Because fine line pattern 330 is a highly transmittance transmission type diffraction grating, the RF tag 300 does not impair the design or displayed information even when attached to a product package.

2. Optical Image Information Optical image information is information about an optical image that can be obtained from the above-described thin line pattern, and more specifically, information about a diffraction image that occurs when light is irradiated onto the thin line pattern at a predetermined angle. A diffraction image is an image observed in the reflected light when light is irradiated at a predetermined angle onto a thin line pattern in which thin lines are arranged at equal intervals with a predetermined period, and includes diffraction spot images and diffraction fringe patterns.

Furthermore, the optical image information may be image data of these optical images, non-image data, or both. Here, "image data" refers to the data of the image itself, and "non-image data" refers to information that indicates the characteristics of the image data and can be used in the same way as image data in the matching process.

Non-image data is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, parameter information for more specifically specifying the arrangement of the diffraction grating. Furthermore, non-image data may include information about the conditions used to generate the optical image. Such condition information may include, for example, information about illumination conditions such as the illumination angle of the light.

Specific examples of such optical image information include image data of diffraction point images of the reflected diffraction image obtained by irradiating laser light onto an RF tag 300 having the aforementioned transmission diffraction grating and transmitting the reflected light through a Fourier transform lens, as well as non-image data such as the distance of each diffraction point from the center of the reflected zeroth-order light, the distance from the center of the reflected zeroth-order light to the attenuated diffraction point of the order, and the intersection angle of the diffraction image. This image data and non-image data are uniquely determined by the pitch and line width of the fine line pattern, the opening shape (e.g., square or rectangular), and the material that constitutes the RF tag 300. Because this optical image information is a unique value formed from a microstructure that is difficult to forge, it is possible to determine whether the fine line pattern that constitutes the RF tag 300 is authentic by using the optical image information.

Furthermore, the optical image information may represent letters, numbers, symbols, other marks, or figures by combining multiple diffraction images such as those described above. Specifically, this applies to cases where a diffraction image in the shape of the letter "A" is formed, and either no diffraction image is formed around the "A," or a different diffraction image is formed, resulting in an optical image in which the shape of the letter "A" can be recognized. In this case, the non-image data may include information such as letters, numbers, symbols, other marks, or figures that are observed when the optical image is viewed as a whole.

The optical image is preferably a reflection diffraction image. While the exact mechanism by which a reflection diffraction image is obtained is unknown, it is believed that incident light from the surface of the RF tag 300 undergoes Fresnel reflection on the back side of the transparent substrate 310, and that this reflected light generates a transmission diffraction pattern as it passes through the fine line pattern 330, resulting in an apparent reflection diffraction image. Alternatively, it is believed that incident light from the surface of the RF tag 300 generates a transmission diffraction pattern as it passes through the fine line pattern 330, and is then reflected by Fresnel reflection on the back side of the transparent substrate 310, resulting in an observed reflection diffraction image. In either case, Fresnel reflection on the back side of the transparent substrate 310 is believed to be the result, and the light intensity of the reflection diffraction image is weak. Therefore, under normal natural light, the RF tag 300 is recognized as a transparent tag, and as described above, does not impair the design or displayed information of the product package to which it is attached.

3. Correct Answer Information As will be described later, for example, the matching unit 155 of the gate terminal 100 can determine that the thin line pattern is authentic by matching the correct answer information regarding the correct label with the optical image information. Here, the correct answer information is information corresponding to the optical image information obtained from the thin line pattern, and includes information regarding the correct label of the optical image.

Examples of correct labels include information that matches the optical image information, or information that matches the optical image information after undergoing a specified conversion process. From this perspective, correct labels, like optical image information, may be image data, non-image data, or both. Note that "matching" here also includes similarity, which will be described later.

Furthermore, the correct answer information may be information in which a common correct answer label is set for two or more pieces of product identification information out of a plurality of pieces of product identification information. In other words, different products to be matched may be assigned thin line patterns associated with the same correct answer label. In this way, the same correct answer label is associated with two or more different pieces of product identification information.

The manner in which the same correct label is assigned to different products to be matched is not particularly limited, but examples include when the same correct label is assigned to a group of identical products sold under the product name S, when the same correct label is assigned to a small group of identical products with a common feature within a group of identical products with the product name S, when the same correct label is assigned to products from a certain manufacturer, and when the same correct label is assigned to products manufactured around the same time.

Furthermore, non-image data may include information about the conditions used to generate the optical image. For example, if the optical image is a diffraction image, such information about the illumination conditions, such as the angle of illumination of the light, may be included.

The correct label can include a variety of data about the optical image obtained from the thin line pattern. For example, the correct label can be at least one parameter, such as the position of a diffraction spot, that indicates an optical image such as a diffraction image, or a combination of multiple parameters. The correct label can also include image data or non-image data of optical images obtained under different conditions. The type and number of parameters in the correct label that are matched with the optical image information can be determined appropriately depending on the accuracy of the matching process, the difficulty of imitating the thin line pattern, the speed of the matching process, etc.

Furthermore, even if a certain correct answer label has multiple parameters, such as the positions of multiple diffraction spots, in the matching process described below, only some of those parameters, for example the position of one diffraction spot, may be used for matching. In the matching process, the accuracy of authenticity determination can be improved by using more parameters contained in the correct answer label, or the processing speed of the determination can be improved by using fewer parameters.

In addition to or instead of the correct label, the correct answer information may include information about the correct label, for example, information that allows the correct label to be identified by referencing other data.

4. Product Identification Information Product identification information is information that can identify the product to be verified, and can be obtained from the serial code attached to the product to be verified or image information of the product to be verified. The product identification information may be information for uniquely identifying the product to be verified, information indicating a group of identical products, or information indicating a small group of identical products that share any common feature.

For example, if there are sneakers sold under the product name S, "information indicating a group of identical products" refers to information equivalent to the product name S, and refers to all products sold under the product name S. In a similar example, "information indicating a small group of identical products with any common denominator" refers to information to which information regarding any category has been added among sneakers sold as the same product, such as a group of sneakers with the product name S that belong to a specific production lot or a group of products sold in a specific region. In a similar example, "information for unique identification" refers to information indicating one specific product among sneakers with the product name S.

Furthermore, the product identification information may be information indicating the product manufacturer. For example, the product identification information may be information that can identify footwear manufacturer A, footwear manufacturer B, footwear manufacturer C, or other manufacturers. In this case, the product to be matched indicated by certain product identification information can be understood to have been manufactured by the product manufacturer corresponding to that product identification information. As an example, such product identification information indicating the product manufacturer may be a serial code or a trademark that is understood as image information.

The term "serial code" is not limited to, but may refer to, for example, information recorded on an IC chip such as an RF tag attached to the product being verified, or information that can be read from a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), or a barcode. Product-specific information that can be obtained from such serial codes is not limited to, but may include, for example, the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) or other information attached by product manufacturers, distribution centers, distributors, or retailers for product classification or identification. In addition to the serial code itself, the product-specific information may also include information about the product that is associated with the serial code and recorded in a database that manages such serial codes.

The product to be verified may have a serial code and a thin-line pattern attached together, or they may be attached separately. A combination of a serial code and a thin-line pattern is also called a "tag." Examples of such tags include, but are not limited to, RF tags (Radio Frequency tags) in which a serial code is recorded on an IC chip and the antenna portion is made up of a metal thin-line pattern. Other examples of tags include tags in which a two-dimensional code or barcode and a thin-line pattern are arranged side by side on one surface, or tags in which a two-dimensional code or barcode and a highly transparent thin-line pattern are arranged on top of each other and integrated together.

In addition, product identification information that can be obtained from image information of a product to be compared includes information obtained by searching for the product shown in the image from the product image information. As with serial codes, product identification information that can be obtained from image information of a product to be compared may include information about the product identified from the image information in addition to the image information itself. Note that conventionally known means can be used to identify a product from image information.

5. Hardware Configuration 5.1 Gate Terminal The gate terminal 100 includes an irradiation device 131 that irradiates a thin line pattern with light, a Fourier transform lens 132 through which diffracted light reflected from the thin line pattern passes to form an optical image, an imaging device 133 that acquires the formed optical image, and a matching unit 155 that matches correct answer information related to the correct answer label of the optical image with optical image information related to the optical image to generate a matching result.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the gate terminal 100. The gate terminal 100 typically includes one or more processors 110, a communication interface 120, an input/output interface 130, memory 140, storage 150, and one or more communication buses 160 for interconnecting these components.

One or more processors 110 execute processes, functions, or methods implemented by code or instructions contained in a program stored in memory 140. Processors 110 may include, by way of example and not limitation, one or more CPUs or GPUs.

The communication interface 120 transmits and receives various data to and from other information processing devices via the network N. This communication may be performed either wired or wirelessly, and any communication protocol may be used as long as mutual communication is possible. For example, the communication interface 120 may be implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, various types of communication software, or a combination of these.

In addition to the illumination device 131, Fourier transform lens 132, and imaging device 133, the input/output interface 130 may also include output devices such as a screen 134, a product information reader 135, an input device for inputting various operations to the gate terminal 100, and a display device 136 for outputting the processing results processed by the gate terminal 100, as necessary.

Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of when the gate terminal 100 acquires an optical image. In Figure 3, the irradiation device 131 irradiates the thin line pattern 330 with light at a predetermined irradiation angle θ, and the diffracted light reflected from the thin line pattern 330 passes through the Fourier transform lens 132, and the formed optical image is acquired by the imaging device 133.

The irradiation device 131 is not particularly limited as long as it can irradiate the fine line pattern 330 with a predetermined light at a predetermined angle. The light source in the irradiation device 131 may be one that emits light having an emission wavelength intensity distribution that includes the required wavelength band. Examples of light sources include a halogen lamp, LED, and semiconductor laser, and the irradiation device 131 may include a light guide path or optical fiber that guides the light emitted from these light sources. Among these, the use of an LED as the irradiation device 131 is preferable in terms of compactness, heat generation characteristics, lifespan, and cost.

The irradiation device 131 may also include a slit (not shown) to suppress diffusion of light in directions other than a specific direction and to achieve a predetermined optical purity, and may also include a collimator lens (not shown) to focus light onto the thin line pattern 330. In this case, the collimator lens does not necessarily need to be focused on the surface of the thin line pattern 330, and is not particularly limited as long as it can increase the light intensity from the light source and improve the signal intensity of the diffracted light reflected from the thin line pattern 330.

The Fourier transform lens 132 is not particularly limited as long as it can receive diffracted light reflected from the fine line pattern 330 and guide the optical image to the imaging device 133. The Fourier transform lens 132 has a focal length F and forms an optical image on the imaging device 133 using the diffracted light that has been Fourier transformed. In addition, slits, mirrors, and filters (not shown) may be provided before and after the optical path of the Fourier transform lens 132, and multiple Fourier transform lenses may be combined to form the Fourier transform lens 132. Combining multiple Fourier transform lenses is preferable as it increases the resolution of the optical image formed on the imaging device 133.

By using the Fourier transform lens 132, it is possible to form the same image on the imaging device 133 even if the distance between the irradiation device 131, the thin line pattern 330, and the Fourier transform lens 132 changes. In particular, if the thin line pattern 330 is composed of multiple thin lines 320 with a line width of 5 μm or less, arranged at equal intervals with a pitch of several hundred μm, and is transparent, the intensity of the diffracted light generated when light is irradiated at a specified angle will be very weak. However, by using the Fourier transform lens 132, the light can be focused on the imaging device 133, allowing for stable acquisition of an optical image.

The imaging device 133 is not particularly limited as long as it can convert the optical image formed by the Fourier transform lens 132 into an electrical signal and output it, and examples of such devices include a CMOS sensor, a CCD sensor, and a line sensor.

In addition, the imaging device 133 may be a mechanism that captures the optical image formed on a predetermined projection surface, rather than a mechanism that directly converts the optical image into an electrical signal. Figure 4 shows another schematic diagram of the gate terminal 100 capturing an optical image. In Figure 3, the imaging device 133 directly captures the optical image formed by the Fourier transform lens 132, whereas in Figure 4, diffracted light that passes through the Fourier transform lens 132 is focused on the screen 134, and the optical image formed on the screen 134 is captured by the imaging device 133.

In this case, a CCD camera or an image pickup tube can be used as the imaging device 133 that captures the optical image formed on the screen 134. In FIG. 4, light emitted from the irradiation device 131 is reflected from the thin line pattern 330 and formed on the screen 134 by the Fourier transform lens 132. The formed optical image is then captured by the imaging device 133 (CCD camera).

The imaging device 133 may be located off-axis or on-axis with the Fourier transform lens 132, as shown in Figure 4. A position off-axis with the Fourier transform lens 132 is preferable because it allows for the gate terminal 100 to be made smaller, while a position on-axis with the Fourier transform lens 132 is preferable because the reflected diffraction image formed on the screen 134 is not distorted, making it easier to compare with the correct information.

Optical image information relating to the optical image acquired by the imaging device 133 is compared with the correct answer information by the comparison unit 155 of the gate terminal 100, and the comparison result is transmitted to the server 400 via the network N by the transmission/reception unit 152. Note that the gate terminal 100 may receive correct answer information in advance from another information processing device such as the server 400 and store it in the comparison data 154.

The imaging device 133 may be configured to be able to move the positions of the imaging device 133 and the thin line pattern 330 relative to one another so that a specific area of the thin line pattern 330 can be photographed. The imaging device 133 may also be configured to be able to perform image processing such as identifying and acquiring an optical image from a specific area of the acquired captured image.

The product information reading device 135 acquires product identification information that can identify the product to be verified from the serial code attached to the product to be verified, which has a thin line pattern, or from image information of the product to be verified. Such a product information reading device 135 can be selected appropriately depending on the object to be read. A product information reading device 135 that acquires product identification information from a serial code is, for example, an RF tag reader when reading a serial code from an RF tag, an imaging device when reading a serial code from a QR code (registered trademark), or a barcode reader when reading a serial code from a barcode. Furthermore, a product information reading device 135 that acquires product identification information from image information of the product to be verified is, for example, an imaging device for acquiring image information.

Note that if the product information reading device 135 is an imaging device, the product information reading device 135 and the imaging device 133 for acquiring an optical image can be the same device. In this specification, even if the product information reading device 135 and the imaging device 133 are the same imaging device, they will be referred to separately.

Memory 140 temporarily stores programs loaded from storage 150 and provides a working area for processor 110. Memory 140 also temporarily stores various data generated while processor 110 is executing programs. Memory 140 may be, for example and without limitation, high-speed random access memory such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid-state storage devices, or a combination of these.

Storage 150 stores programs, various functional units, and various data. Storage 150 may be, for example and without limitation, a magnetic disk storage device, an optical disk storage device, a flash memory device, or non-volatile memory such as other non-volatile solid-state storage devices, or a combination of these. Other examples of storage 150 include one or more storage devices located remotely from processor 110.

Storage 150 stores programs and data structures, or a subset thereof. Processor 110 is configured to function as a transmitter/receiver 152, an information acquisition unit 153, and a matching unit 155, as shown in FIG. 4, by reading and executing each program stored in storage 150.

Here, the program stored in storage 150 is not particularly limited as long as it causes gate terminal 100 to execute the following steps: an irradiation step of irradiating a thin line pattern with light; an imaging step of forming an optical image by passing diffracted light reflected from the thin line pattern through a Fourier transform lens and acquiring the optical image; and a matching step of matching correct answer information regarding the correct answer label of the optical image with optical image information regarding the optical image to generate a matching result.

Operating system 151, for example, handles various basic system services and includes procedures for performing tasks using hardware.

The transceiver unit 152 is used, for example, to connect the gate terminal 100 to other computers, such as the server 400, via the communication interface 120 and one or more communication networks, such as the Internet, other wide area networks, local area networks, or metropolitan area networks.

The information acquisition unit 153 performs processing to acquire optical image information via the irradiation device 131, Fourier transform lens 132, imaging device 133, and, if necessary, the screen 134, etc.

For example, the information acquisition unit 153 may control the irradiation device 131 to change the angle or intensity of the light irradiated from the irradiation device 131 onto the thin line pattern 330, or the position at which the light is applied to the thin line pattern 330.

The information acquisition unit 153 may also control the positional relationship between each device, such as changing the positions of the Fourier transform lens 132 and the imaging device 133, or the positions of the Fourier transform lens 132 and the screen 134.

Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 153 may execute a process to acquire product identification information capable of identifying the product to be matched from the serial code attached to the product to be matched or image information of the product to be matched via the product information reading device 135.

Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 153 may include a non-image data generation unit that acquires non-image information from the optical image described above.

Here, "image data" refers to the data of the image itself, and "non-image data" refers to information that indicates the characteristics of the image data and can be used in the same way as image data in the matching process.

Specific examples of non-image data include, for example, the distance of each diffraction order point from the center of the reflected zeroth order light, the distance from the center of the reflected zeroth order light to the attenuated diffraction order point, and the intersection angle of the diffraction images in the optical image obtained by irradiating laser light onto the RF tag 300 having the above-mentioned transmission diffraction grating.

The above-mentioned non-image data can be generated, for example, by a non-image data generation unit (not shown) from image analysis of the above-mentioned optical image information.

The matching data 154 can store product identification information and optical image information acquired by the information acquisition unit 153 at the instruction of the information acquisition unit 153, or can store correct answer information at the instruction of the matching unit 155. The matching data 154 can also store the matching results at the instruction of the matching unit 155.

The correct answer information stored in the matching data 154 may include multiple pieces of product identification information and information regarding the correct labels of the optical images corresponding to the multiple pieces of product identification information. Note that in this specification, "information regarding the multiple pieces of product identification information and the correct labels of the optical images corresponding to the multiple pieces of product identification information" may also be expressed as "correct answer information corresponding to the multiple pieces of product identification information." In this case, the matching unit 155 can match the correct answer information corresponding to the product identification information in the matching data 154 with optical image information regarding the optical images to generate a matching result.

In this way, by having the matching data 154 pre-store correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information, the matching unit 155 does not need to query the server 400 for correct answer information for each matching process. This reduces the amount and frequency of data exchanged between the gate terminal 100 and the server 400, and also speeds up the matching process. Furthermore, even if the server 400 stops due to a communication failure between the gate terminal 100 and the server 400, a power outage, a natural disaster, or other reasons, the gate terminal 100 can still perform authentication, ensuring authenticity of products without causing a disruption in product distribution due to the suspension of authentication testing.

The correct answer information stored in the matching data 154 may also be information in which a common correct answer label is set for two or more pieces of product identification information out of multiple pieces of product identification information. In other words, different products to be matched may be assigned thin line patterns associated with the same correct answer label. This allows the same correct answer label to be associated with two or more different pieces of product identification information.

Even if the matching data 154 pre-stores correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information as described above, the number of products in circulation is enormous, so it is possible that the storage capacity of the gate terminal 100 will be limited, and the matching process performed by the matching unit 155 will take time. In this regard, by setting a common correct answer label for two or more pieces of product identification information, the amount of correct answer information stored in the matching data 154 can be reduced, and the matching process can be sped up. Furthermore, reducing the amount of correct answer information data can also reduce the amount and frequency of data exchanged between the gate terminal 100 and the server 400.

The manner in which the same correct label is assigned to different products to be matched is not particularly limited, but examples include when the same correct label is assigned to a group of identical products sold under the product name S, when the same correct label is assigned to a small group of identical products with a common feature within a group of identical products with the product name S, when the same correct label is assigned to products from a certain manufacturer, and when the same correct label is assigned to products manufactured around the same time.

The correct answer information stored in the matching data 154 may be received via the transmission/reception unit 152 from the server 400 that manages the product identification information. The timing of receiving the correct answer information is not particularly limited. For example, the matching unit 155 may receive correct answer information corresponding to the acquired product identification information for each matching process and store it in the matching data 154. Furthermore, when the matching unit 155 receives correct answer information corresponding to the product identification information acquired in a certain matching process, rather than for every matching process, it may also receive correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information unrelated to that matching process and store it in the matching data 154. Note that the above-mentioned mode of not receiving correct answer information for every matching process is hereinafter also referred to as "for each partial matching process." Furthermore, the matching unit 155 may receive correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information periodically or irregularly, unrelated to the matching process, and store it in the matching data 154.

In particular, it is preferable that the matching unit 155 receives correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information for each matching process and stores it in the matching data 154, or that the matching unit 155 receives correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information periodically or irregularly, unrelated to the matching process, and stores it in the matching data 154. This allows the matching data 154 of the gate terminal 100 to have some correct answer information stored, making it possible to eliminate or reduce the need for processing to receive correct answer information corresponding to product identification information obtained for each inquiry process. This reduces the amount and frequency of data exchanged between the gate terminal 100 and the server 400, and also speeds up the matching process.

A mode in which the gate terminal 100 has correct answer information in which a common correct answer label is set for two or more pieces of product identification information in the matching data 154, and does not receive correct answer information corresponding to the product identification information from the server 400 for each matching process, will be further described using Figure 1. In this mode, the gate terminal 100 periodically or irregularly receives correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information and stores it in the matching data 154.

Note that "receiving correct answer information periodically" means receiving correct answer information at predetermined times, such as at regular intervals.

Furthermore, "receiving correct answer information irregularly" refers to receiving correct answer information depending on the situation. Examples of such situations include, but are not limited to, when gate terminal 100 sends a request to server 400 to send correct answer information, and when receiving correct answer information corresponding to product identification information acquired in a certain matching process, multiple pieces of product identification information unrelated to the matching process and correct answer information corresponding to those multiple pieces of product identification information are also received, or when gate terminal 100 receives correct answer information when the correct answer information is registered in correct answer data 453 of server 400.

The matching unit 155 performs a process of matching the correct answer information with the optical image information to generate a matching result. In this process, the matching unit 155 may match the image data in the optical image information with the image data in the correct answer information, or may match the non-image data in the optical image information with the non-image data in the correct answer information.

Furthermore, the matching unit 155 may transmit product identification information to the server 400 for each matching process, receive correct answer information corresponding to that product identification information from the server 400, and perform the matching process; alternatively, for each partial matching process, receive correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information and store it in the matching data 154, and perform the matching process by referring to the matching data 154 during the matching process. Further, the matching unit 155 may periodically or irregularly receive correct answer information from the server 400, regardless of the matching process, store it in the matching data 154, and perform the matching process by referring to the matching data 154 during the matching process.

Furthermore, when the matching unit 155 receives correct answer information from the server 400 for each matching process or independently of the matching process, stores it in the matching data 154, and uses it for the matching process, if the matching data 154 does not contain correct answer information corresponding to the product identification information of a product to be matched that passes through the gate terminal 100, the matching unit 155 may transmit the product identification information to the server 400, receive correct answer information corresponding to the product identification information from the server 400, and perform the matching process.

Furthermore, the matching unit 155 may calculate the similarity between the optical image information and the correct answer information based on the optical image information and the correct answer information, and generate a matching result based on the similarity. Note that the matching unit 155 may generate a result indicating that the optical image information and the correct answer information match or do not match when the similarity is above or below a certain threshold, or falls within a certain value range. The threshold or value range of similarity used for such matching may be included as part of the correct answer information stored in the matching data 154.

For example, the matching unit 155 may calculate the similarity by referencing the optical image information and the correct answer information and comparing the feature amounts of the optical image information with the feature amounts of the correct answer information. For example, when image data is used as the optical image information or the correct answer information, the matching unit 155 may calculate the feature amounts through image processing and then calculate the similarity. Specifically, the similarity may be calculated using, for example, the sum of squares of the pixel value differences between the optical image information and the image data in the correct answer information, the sum of absolute values of the pixel value differences, normalized cross-correlation, image uniformity ratio, mutual information, or Kullback-Leibler information. Furthermore, when non-image data such as parameters representing diffraction spot images or diffraction fringe patterns are used as the optical image information and the correct answer information, this non-image data may be used as the feature amounts to calculate the similarity. Specifically, the similarity may be calculated using, for example, the difference or ratio of the feature amounts between the optical image information and the correct answer information, or a function using these as variables.

Depending on the shooting conditions, fluctuations may occur in the acquired optical image information. Therefore, if a matching result indicating that the thin line pattern is genuine is generated only in the case of a perfect match, there is a possibility that a matching result indicating that the optical image information and the correct information do not match, even though they actually do match, may be output. In contrast, by using similarity as described above, it is possible to appropriately determine the match between the optical image information and the correct information, even in cases where fluctuations occur in the optical image information. In this case, the matching result may include information regarding whether the optical image information and the correct information match, or the degree of similarity. In addition, it may also include information regarding the date and time when the product identification information was acquired, and information regarding the gate terminal 100 from which the product identification information was acquired.

Note that the process of matching the optical image information with the correct answer information by the matching unit 155 means determining the authenticity of the thin line pattern, and determining the authenticity of the thin line pattern means determining the authenticity of the product to be matched that has that thin line pattern attached. The generated matching result also means the authenticity determination result of the product to be matched.

With the gate terminal 100 configured as described above, it is possible to determine the authenticity of a product to be verified using product identification information and optical image information. Furthermore, even if the serial code attached to a product to be verified, such as an RF tag or two-dimensional code, is duplicated, it is still possible to determine the authenticity of the product to be verified by verifying the authenticity of the thin line pattern.

The matching unit 155 may also control the display of the matching results on the display device 136, transmit them to the server 400, or store them in the matching data 154.

The matching unit 155 sends the matching results to the server 400, and the ledger management unit 456 of the server 400 stores the matching results in the ledger data 455. This makes it possible to track the products being matched from the point at which they are shipped by the manufacturer based on the matching results collected from the gate terminals 100 at each distribution center, thereby ensuring the authenticity of the products being matched throughout the entire distribution process.

Furthermore, by having the matching unit 155 store the matching results in the matching data 154, it is no longer necessary to send the authenticity determination results to the server 400 for each matching process. This means that even if the server 400 is stopped due to a communication failure, power outage, natural disaster, etc., the authenticity determination can be carried out, and the authenticity of the product can be guaranteed without causing a stagnation in product distribution due to the suspension of authenticity determination.

5.2 Server The server 400 is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, a matching unit that transmits correct answer information about the correct answer label of the optical image to another information processing device (gate terminal 100) that acquires optical image information about the optical image obtained from the fine line pattern attached to the product to be matched, and a ledger management unit that receives, from the other information processing device (gate terminal 100), the matching result of matching the correct answer information with the optical image information.

Figure 5 shows a block diagram illustrating the configuration of server 400. Server 400 typically includes one or more processors 410, a communication interface 420, memory 440, storage 450, and one or more communication buses 460 for interconnecting these components. An example of the processor 410, communication interface 420, memory 440, storage 450, and communication bus 460 is similar in configuration to the processor 110, communication interface 120, memory 140, storage 150, and communication bus 160 described above.

The server 400 may also include an input/output interface 430. The input/output interface 430 may include a keyboard, mouse, and display device. Alternatively, the input/output interface 430 may be connected to an external input/output interface to accept and output specific inputs.

Storage 450 stores programs and data structures, or a subset thereof. Processor 410 is configured to function as a transmitter/receiver 452, a collation unit 454, and a ledger management unit 456, as shown in FIG. 5, by reading and executing each program stored in storage 450.

Here, the program stored in storage 450 is not particularly limited, but may, for example, cause server 400 to execute a correct answer information sending step of sending correct answer information regarding the correct answer label of the optical image to gate terminal 100, and a matching result receiving step of receiving from gate terminal 100 the matching result obtained by matching the correct answer information with the optical image information.

Operating system 451, for example, handles various basic system services and includes procedures for performing tasks using the hardware.

The transceiver unit 452 is used, for example, to connect the server 400 to other computers, such as the gate terminal 100, via the communication interface 420 and one or more communication networks, such as the Internet, other wide area networks, local area networks, or metropolitan area networks.

For example, the correct answer data 453 stores product identification information for a certain product to be matched and the correct answer label of the optical image that can be obtained from the thin line pattern attached to the product to be matched, in association with each other. Here, as mentioned above, the correct answer label stored in the correct answer data 453 may be image data, non-image data, or both.

Figure 6 shows an example of correct answer data 453. As shown in Figure 6(a), the correct answer data 453 may store, for example, "product identification information," "type of optical image," and "pattern parameters" in association with each other. Note that the correct answer data 453 may store image data of the correct image instead of the "type of optical image," etc. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(b), the correct answer data 453 may store, in association with each other, "product identification information" and "correct label ID."

In the correct answer data 453, the product identification information and correct answer labels may correspond one-to-one, or, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), a common correct answer label (Type A) may be set for two or more of the multiple pieces of product identification information. In other words, different products to be matched may be assigned thin line patterns associated with the same correct answer label. This allows the same correct answer label to be associated with two or more different pieces of product identification information.

Even if the matching data 154 pre-stores correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information as described above, the sheer number of products in circulation may limit the storage capacity of the gate terminal 100, or the matching process performed by the matching unit 155 may take a long time. In this regard, by setting a common correct answer label for two or more pieces of product identification information, the amount of correct answer information stored in the matching data 154 can be reduced, and the time required for searching for the correct answer label, etc., can be shortened, speeding up the matching process. Furthermore, reducing the amount of correct answer information data can also reduce the amount and frequency of data exchange between the gate terminal 100 and the server 400.

Furthermore, for example, the product identification information and the thin line pattern issuance period may be stored in association with each other as correct answer data 453, as shown in FIG. 7(a). In this case, for example, the thin line pattern issuance period may be stored in association with the pattern type and pattern parameters separately, as shown in FIG. 7(b), and the pattern parameters corresponding to the thin line pattern issuance period may be used as the correct answer label to perform the matching process.

As a result, thin line patterns issued within a specified period can be processed as having the specified correct answer information. This means that there is no need to send correct answer information from the server 400 to the gate terminal 100 for each matching process, reducing the frequency of this. In addition, the time required for searching for correct labels, etc. is shortened, allowing for faster matching processes.

Furthermore, in the data shown in Figure 8, the correct answer data 453 is, for example, assigned a product manufacturer ID (MakerID00001...) as product identification information. As a result, when a group of products from a certain manufacturer are allowed to pass through the gate terminal 100, there is no need to send correct answer information from the server 400 to the gate terminal 100 for each matching process, and this frequency can be reduced. Furthermore, the time required for searching for correct answer labels, etc. is shortened, allowing for faster matching processes.

The matching unit 454 performs a process of transmitting correct answer information regarding the correct answer label of the optical image to the gate terminal 100, which acquires optical image information regarding the optical image obtained from the fine line pattern attached to the product to be matched.

The timing of transmitting the correct answer information is not particularly limited. For example, the matching unit 454 may receive product identification information from the gate terminal 100 for each matching process, extract correct answer information corresponding to the received product identification information from the correct answer data 453, and transmit the extracted correct answer information to the gate terminal 100. Furthermore, the matching unit 454 may receive certain product identification information from the gate terminal 100, not for every matching process, and when transmitting correct answer information corresponding to that product identification information to the gate terminal 100, also transmit correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information unrelated to that product identification information to the gate terminal 100. Note that the above-mentioned mode of not performing every matching process is hereinafter also referred to as "for each partial matching process." Furthermore, the matching unit 454 may periodically or irregularly extract correct answer information corresponding to multiple pieces of product identification information from the correct answer data 453, regardless of the matching process, and transmit the extracted correct answer information to the gate terminal 100.

As described above, the correct answer information sent by the matching unit 454 to the gate terminal 100 may include multiple pieces of product identification information and information regarding the correct answer labels of the optical images corresponding to the multiple pieces of product identification information. Furthermore, a common correct answer label may be set for two or more pieces of product identification information.

Ledger data 455 is data in which product identification information and matching results are associated, and may include any information for each piece of product identification information, such as a flag attached to that product identification information.

Figure 10 shows an example of the specified product identification information contained in ledger data 455 and the updates of information associated with that product identification information when the product being compared passes through each gate terminal. "Gate terminal ID" is identification information that allows the system to uniquely identify the gate terminal 100. "Date and time" is the date and time when the gate terminal 100 performed the authenticity determination, and "Matching result" is the result of the authenticity determination performed by the gate terminal 100.

As shown in FIG. 10, before shipment, only the product identification information is recorded. When the product to be verified is transported from the manufacturer and passes through gate terminal 100, the terminal ID of that gate terminal 100, the verification result, and information related to the time are recorded in association with the product identification information. Then, when the product passes through gate terminal 100 installed at a distributor's base, the terminal ID of that gate terminal 100, the verification result, and information related to the time are recorded in association with the product identification information. Also, when the product passes through gate terminal 100 installed at a distributor's base and is transported out, the terminal ID of that gate terminal 100, the verification result, and information related to the time are recorded in association with the product identification information.

In this way, a set of information about the gate terminal ID, time, and matching result is added to the product identification information included in the ledger data 455 each time the product passes through a gate terminal 100. Therefore, by referencing the information associated with the product identification information, it is possible to obtain the installation location of the gate terminal 100 through which the product to be matched passed, the date and time of passage, and the judgment result.

Note that Figure 10 shows a data format in which gate terminal IDs and the like are sequentially associated with product identification information, but the data managing product identification information is not limited to this and may be managed in any data format, such as a table format.

In the above description, the correct answer data 453 and ledger data 455 are distinguished from each other, but the correct answer data 453 may be part of the ledger data 455. In this case, for example, non-image data such as a correct label ID, such as "PRODUCT00001 (product identification information) - Type A (correct label ID) -", may be associated and recorded with the product identification information of the ledger data 455. This makes it possible to store in ledger data 455 the product identification information of a certain product to be matched and the correct label of the optical image that can be obtained from the thin line pattern attached to the product to be matched, in association with each other.

The ledger management unit 456 executes a process of receiving the matching results of matching the correct answer information with the optical image information from the gate terminal 100. The ledger management unit 456 may also execute a process of updating the ledger data 455 that manages product identification information based on the matching results received from the gate terminal 100.

In addition, the ledger management unit 456 has the function of transmitting information recorded in the ledger data 455 and updating the ledger data 455. For example, in response to a request from the gate terminal 100, a client terminal, etc., the ledger management unit 456 may refer to the ledger data 455, output a report of the requested distribution information, and transmit it to another information processing terminal.

The term "other information processing devices" as used here includes, for example, any information processing devices (hereinafter also referred to as "client terminals") owned by the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in Figure 1. Here, a client terminal is a terminal owned by a business involved in the distribution of the products to be verified, and refers to a terminal other than a gate terminal that can access this system.

In this embodiment, the server 400 may provide the above service independently, or multiple servers 400 may provide the above service jointly.

In this embodiment, the gate terminal 100 and the server 400 may function as an information processing device that constitutes a distributed ledger (hereinafter also referred to as a "blockchain") that stores ledger data. Furthermore, the information processing device that constitutes the distributed ledger may also include the above-mentioned client terminal.

In this embodiment, the distributed ledger (blockchain) that stores the ledger data may be public, private, or consortium. Furthermore, even in the case of a consortium ledger managed by businesses involved in the distribution of the products being compared, the gate terminal 100, server 400, and client terminal may all have the same authority to manage the ledger data, or the server 400 may have authority to manage the ledger data, and the gate terminal 100 and client terminal may have authority to access the ledger data. Note that "management" here includes updating and authenticating the distributed ledger, and updating and authentication may be performed by separate information processing devices (server 400).

The following describes an embodiment in which only the server 400 has the authority to manage a distributed ledger that stores ledger data, but the system of this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, an information processing device other than the server 400 (such as a client terminal) may have the function of managing a distributed ledger. Furthermore, the ledger data is not limited to a distributed ledger, and may be in the form of a database stored in the memory unit of one or more servers 400.

6. Operational Processing The gate terminal 100 of this embodiment executes an irradiation step of irradiating a thin line pattern with light, an imaging step of forming an optical image by causing diffracted light reflected from the thin line pattern to pass through a Fourier transform lens and acquiring the optical image, and a matching step of matching correct answer information related to a correct answer label of the optical image with optical image information related to the optical image to generate a matching result.

In addition, the server 400 of this embodiment may execute a correct answer information sending step of sending correct answer information regarding the correct answer label of the optical image to another information processing device (gate terminal 100) that acquires optical image information regarding the optical image obtained from the fine line pattern attached to the product to be matched, and a matching result receiving step of receiving from the other information processing device (gate terminal 100) the matching result obtained by matching the correct answer information with the optical image information.

The operational processing of the system configured in this embodiment will be explained below.

Example 1
FIG. 10 shows the processing sequence of an information processing method in which, for each matching process, the server 400 receives product identification information from the gate terminal 100, extracts correct answer information corresponding to the received product identification information from the correct answer data 453, transmits the extracted correct answer information to the gate terminal 100, and the gate terminal 100 executes the matching process (Example 1).

In step S1001, the information acquisition unit 153 of the gate terminal 100 acquires optical image information from the fine line pattern attached to the product to be verified via the irradiation device 131, Fourier transform lens 132, and imaging device 133 (optical image acquisition step), and acquires product identification information attached to the product to be verified via the product information reading device 135 (product information acquisition step). At this time, the information acquisition unit 153 may simultaneously acquire the terminal ID of the gate terminal 100 that acquired the optical image information and the date and time of acquisition.

In step S1002, the information acquisition unit 153 of the gate terminal 100 instructs the transmission/reception unit 152 to transmit the product identification information to the server 400. At this time, the information acquisition unit 153 may simultaneously transmit to the server 400 the terminal ID of the gate terminal 100 that acquired the product identification information and the date and time of acquisition.

In steps S1003 and S1004, the collation unit 454 of the server 400 references the correct answer data 453 and acquires correct answer information based on the product identification information received from the gate terminal 100. The collation unit 454 then instructs the transceiver unit 452 to transmit the identified correct answer information to the gate terminal 100 (correct answer information transmission step).

In this case, the matching unit 454 may send non-image data instead of image data as the correct answer information, or may send both image data and non-image data. By sending non-image data, it is possible to reduce the amount of data received by the gate terminal 100 from the server 400. This makes it possible to avoid delays in the matching process that occur when large amounts of data are sent and received.

In step S1005, the matching unit 155 of the gate terminal 100 matches the optical image information with the correct answer information to generate a matching result (matching step). At this time, if the correct answer information received by the gate terminal 100 is non-image data, the matching unit 155 of the gate terminal 100 may convert the correct answer information into image data, or convert the optical image information into non-image data, before performing the above matching process.

In step S1006, the matching unit 155 of the gate terminal 100 instructs the transmission/reception unit 152 to transmit the matching result to the server 400 (matching result transmission step, matching result reception step). At this time, the matching unit 155 may simultaneously transmit to the server 400 the terminal ID of the gate terminal 100 that generated the matching result and the date and time of generation of the result.

Furthermore, in step S1006, if the matching result indicates that the correct answer information and the optical image information do not match, the matching unit 155 of the gate terminal 100 may control the matching result to be displayed on the display device of the gate terminal 100 (result display step).

In step S1007, the ledger management unit 456 of the server 400 updates the ledger data 455 based on the matching result received from the gate terminal 100 (ledger update step). More specifically, the ledger management unit 456 records, for example, "G0011 (gate terminal ID) - T1001 (date and time) - True (matching result)" in the ledger data 455 based on the matching result.

As described above, the system according to this embodiment can determine the authenticity of products to be verified, and can guarantee that products to be verified in circulation are genuine. Furthermore, this system also makes it possible to accumulate information regarding the authenticity of target products that have passed through each gate terminal 100, as well as logistics information regarding the location and time of passage.

Example 2
FIG. 11 also shows a processing sequence of an information processing method in which the server 400 transmits product identification information and correct answer information corresponding to the product identification information to the gate terminal 100, either after each matching process or irrespective of the matching process, on a regular or irregular basis, and the gate terminal 100 executes the matching process based on the correct answer information received in advance (Example 2).

In steps S1101 and S1102, the matching unit 454 of the server 400 transmits correct answer information to the gate terminal 100 after each matching process, or periodically or irregularly, regardless of the matching process, and the matching unit 155 of the gate terminal 100 stores the received correct answer information in the matching data 154.

In this case, the correct answer information sent by the matching unit 454 to the gate terminal 100 may include multiple pieces of product identification information and correct answer labels for the optical images corresponding to the multiple pieces of product identification information. Also, a common correct answer label may be set for two or more pieces of product identification information.

The matching unit 454 may also send non-image data instead of image data as the correct label, or may send both image data and non-image data. Sending non-image data makes it possible to reduce the amount of data received by the gate terminal 100 from the server 400. This makes it possible to avoid delays in the matching process that occur due to large amounts of data being sent and received.

After that, steps S1103, S1104, S1105, and S1106 can perform the same processing as steps S1001, S1005, S1006, and S1007, respectively.

As described above, by separating the steps for obtaining correct information (S1101-S1102) from the steps for verifying (S1103-S1106) and obtaining correct information in advance, the verification process can be performed more quickly. Authenticity verification can also be performed even if communication between the gate terminal 100 and the server 400 is temporarily disrupted due to a server communication failure, power outage, or server shutdown caused by a natural disaster. This ensures that products are authentic without causing disruptions to product distribution due to the suspension of authenticity verification.

100...Gate terminal, 110...Processor, 120...Communication interface, 130...Input/output interface, 131...Illumination device, 132...Fourier transform lens, 133...Imaging device, 134...Screen, 135...Product information reading device, 136...Display device, 140...Memory, 150...Storage, 151...Operating system, 152...Transmitting/receiving unit, 153...Information acquisition unit, 154...Matching data, 155...Matching unit, 160 ...Communication bus, 300...RF tag, 310...Transparent substrate, 320...Fine wire, 330...Fine wire pattern, 340...Semiconductor element, 400...Server, 410...Processor, 420...Communication interface, 430...Input/output interface, 440...Memory, 450...Storage, 451...Operating system, 452...Transmitter/receiver, 453...Correct answer data, 454...Verification unit, 455...Ledger data, 456...Ledger management unit, 460...Communication bus

Claims (11)

an irradiation device that irradiates the fine line pattern with light;
a Fourier transform lens through which diffracted light reflected from the fine line pattern passes and forms an optical image;
an imaging device for acquiring the formed optical image;
a matching unit that matches correct answer information related to the correct label of the optical image with optical image information related to the optical image to generate a matching result,
The thin line pattern is a transmission diffraction grating including thin lines having a line width of 5 μm or less.
Information processing device. The thin line pattern is formed on a transparent substrate.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . the aperture ratio of the fine line pattern is 80 to 99.9 area %;
3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2 . the optical image is a reflection diffraction image formed by the thin line pattern;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The correct answer information is received from another information processing device.
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . a product information reading device that acquires product identification information that can identify the product to be verified from a serial code attached to the product to be verified that has the thin line pattern attached thereto or from image information of the product to be verified;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The information processing device
an irradiation step of irradiating the thin line pattern with light;
an imaging step of forming an optical image by passing diffracted light reflected from the thin line pattern through a Fourier transform lens and acquiring the optical image;
a matching step of matching correct answer information regarding the correct answer label of the optical image with optical image information regarding the optical image to generate a matching result ;
The thin line pattern is a transmission diffraction grating including thin lines having a line width of 5 μm or less.
Information processing methods. The thin line pattern is formed on a transparent substrate.
The information processing method according to claim 7. the aperture ratio of the fine line pattern is 80 to 99.9 area %;
9. The information processing method according to claim 7 or 8 . the optical image is a reflection diffraction image formed by the thin line pattern;
The information processing method according to any one of claims 7 to 9 . In the information processing device,
an irradiation step of irradiating the thin line pattern with light;
an imaging step of forming an optical image by passing diffracted light reflected from the thin line pattern through a Fourier transform lens and acquiring the optical image;
a matching step of matching correct answer information regarding the correct label of the optical image with optical image information regarding the optical image to generate a matching result ;
The thin line pattern is a transmission diffraction grating including thin lines having a line width of 5 μm or less.
program.