JP2020142055A - Game system and game support device - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce a player's burden when identifying a player in a computer game.SOLUTION: A game support device 102 associatively manages a player ID, player data of a game, and a master image as a player's face image. A game device 110 acquires the player ID. The game device 110 also acquires a player's face image. When the game device 110 acquires a player's face image, the game support device 102 executes face authentication. When the face authentication is successful, a game system 100 executes a game on the basis of player data concerned even if the player ID is not input. When the face authentication fails, the game system 100 identifies player data on the basis of the player ID and then executes a game. When the face authentication fails, a newly acquired face image may be registered as a master image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for identifying a player in a game device or the like.

Arcade game machines (commercial game machines) have a history of more than 40 years. Some arcade games are completed in one play, while others are played continuously by saving (saving) game data (hereinafter, also referred to as "data saving type games").

In a data storage type game, it is necessary to manage game data for each player. Normally, the player brings a game card and loads the game card into an arcade game machine. The arcade game machine reads the player ID from the game card, downloads the game data associated with the player ID from a server or the like, and then starts the game (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-171432

In the case of the above method, the player must always remove the game card from his pocket, wallet, etc. at the start of the game. In addition, the higher the frequency of use of the game card, the higher the risk of losing the game card.

The present invention is an invention completed based on the above-mentioned problem recognition, and a main object thereof is to provide a technique for reducing a burden on a player when identifying a player in a computer game.

The game system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a player management unit that manages a player ID, a game player data, and a master information that is a player's biometric information in association with each other, an ID acquisition unit that acquires the player ID, and a player's biometric information. A biometric information acquisition unit that acquires information, a biometric authentication unit that executes biometric authentication, which is a process of collating the acquired biometric information with a plurality of master information and identifying master information that matches the acquired biometric information. It includes a game control unit that controls the progress of the game.
If the biometric authentication is successful, the game control unit executes the game based on the player data associated with the specified master information even if the player ID is not input.
When the biometric authentication fails, the game control unit executes the game based on the player data associated with the player ID input from the player, and the player management unit further inputs the acquired biometric information as master information. Corresponds to the player ID.

The game system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a player management unit that manages a player ID, a game player data, and a master information that is a player's biometric information in association with each other, an ID acquisition unit that acquires the player ID, and a player's biometric information. A biometric information acquisition unit that acquires information, a biometric authentication unit that executes biometric authentication, which is a process of collating the acquired biometric information with a plurality of master information and identifying master information that matches the acquired biometric information. It includes a game control unit that controls the progress of the game.
If the biometric authentication is successful, the game control unit executes the game even if the player ID is not input, and updates the player data associated with the specified master information.
When the biometric authentication fails, the game control unit executes the game and updates the player data associated with the player ID input from the player, and the player management unit further uses the acquired biometric information as master information. Corresponds to the player ID input as.

The game support device according to an aspect of the present invention is connected to both a first game device that executes a first game and a second game device that executes a second game via a communication line.
This device includes a player management unit that manages the player ID, the player data of the first game, the player data of the second game, and the master information which is the biometric information of the player in association with each other, and the first from the first game device. An ID acquisition unit that acquires the player ID of the player, and a game control unit that executes the first game on the first game device based on the player data of the first game corresponding to the acquired player ID. It includes a biometric authentication unit that executes biometric authentication.
The player management unit registers the biometric information of the first player acquired in the first game device as master information. When the biometric information of the first player is acquired from the second game device, the biometric authentication unit identifies the player ID of the first player by collating the biometric information with the master information and executing biometric authentication. .. Even if the player ID is not acquired from the second game device, the game control unit may use the second game device in the second game device based on the player data of the second game corresponding to the specified player ID. To execute.

According to the present invention, it becomes easy to reduce the burden on the player in the process of identifying the player in the computer game.

It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the outline of a game system. It is a hardware block diagram of a game system. It is a functional block diagram of a game device. It is a functional block diagram of a game support device. It is a data structure diagram of the 1st player information. It is a data structure diagram of the 2nd player information. It is a flowchart which shows the process of identifying a player before the game starts. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the face recognition in S12 and S14 of FIG. It is a flowchart of the confirmation process in S26 and S28 of FIG. It is a flowchart of the exchange process of a master image. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which one player holds a plurality of setting information. It is a screen view of a setting selection screen.

In the game device of the present embodiment, "player data" is managed for each player.
The player data includes "game data" related to the game and "attribute information" as personal information of the player. Further, the game data includes both "setting information" related to the game setting and "play history" not directly related to the game setting.
If you save the progress of the game as setting information, the next game will start from the continuation of the previous one. Further, in the case of a crane game device, a player is specified, and the play history (eg, the number of plays, the success rate, etc.) associated with the player is updated every time the game is played. In the latter case, the game content does not change depending on the play history, but it can be said that the game is managed based on the individual play history (game data).
As described above, in the present embodiment, the player is specified, and the player data (data to be saved) of the specified player is premised, in other words, the data executed based on the data saved for each player. The explanation will be made assuming a storage type game.
In the following, the setting information, which is a kind of game data, will be mainly described among the player data.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an outline of the game system 100.
The game device 110a executes the game G1. Game G1 is a data storage type game. The player saves the play result of the game G1 as "setting information". The setting information in this embodiment is a kind of game data (also referred to as save data) indicating game settings prepared for each player, such as character equipment and type, battle record, level, and key configuration for operation. Suppose there is. In the following, setting information will be described as a representative of game data.

The game device 110b executes the game G2. The game G2 may be the same as the game G1, or may be a data storage type game different from the game G1. Setting information is also managed for each player in the game G2.

The game system 100 in this embodiment has a face recognition (biometric recognition) function. Here, it is assumed that the face image of a certain player is not registered. The camera 302 acquires the face image R1 of the player, and the game device 110a transmits the face image R1 to the game support device 102. When the master image (described later) corresponding to the face image R1 does not exist, the game support device 102 notifies the game device 110a that the player is an unregistered person. At this time, the game device 110a instructs the player (unregistered person) to hold the game card 304 over.

It is assumed that the player (unregistered person) has played the game G1 on the game device 110a. The player (unregistered person) holds the game card 304 over the card reader 300 (S1). The game device 110a acquires a player ID (hereinafter, also referred to as “PID”) from the game card 304. The camera 302 reacquires the face image R1 (biological information) of the player P (S2). The game device 110a transmits a pair of the player ID and the face image R1 to the game support device 102 (server) (S3).

The game support device 102 transmits the setting information H1 of the game G1 associated with the player ID to the game device 110a (S4). The game device 110a executes the game G1 based on the setting information H1. On the other hand, the game support device 102 registers the face image R1 acquired in S3 as the master image (master information) of this player. At this time, the player changes from an unregistered person to a registrant.

It is assumed that the player (registrant) has played the game G2 on the game device 110b after playing the game G1 (S5). The camera 302 of the game device 110b acquires the player's face image R2 (S6). The game device 110b transmits the face image R2 to the game support device 102 (S7). By collating the face image R2 with the master image (face image R1), the game support device 102 can identify the player corresponding to the face image R2 even if the game card 304 has not been read. The game support device 102 transmits the setting information H2 of the game G2 corresponding to the player to the game device 110b (S8). The game device 110b executes the game G2 based on the setting information H2.

According to the above control method, this player uses the game card 304 in the first game device 110a as before, but is appropriate even if the second and subsequent game devices do not use the game card 304. The game G2 can be played based on the setting information H2.
Hereinafter, details of the configuration and control of the game system 100 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the game system 100.
In the game system 100, a plurality of stores 108a, 108b ... 108n (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "store 108" when collectively referred to or not particularly distinguished) are connected to the game support device 102 (server) on the Internet 106. Connected via.

The store 108 is assumed to be an amusement park, a game center, or the like. In the store 108, a plurality of game devices 110a to 110f (hereinafter collectively referred to as "game devices 110" when collectively referred to or not particularly distinguished) and a relay device 112 are connected by a dedicated line. The game device 110 is a commercial game device called a "satellite", a so-called arcade game machine. The relay device 112 is called a "terminal" and is a device for supporting / assisting the game play of one or more game devices 110. The relay device 112 and the Internet 106 are connected by wire, but may be connected wirelessly.
The relay device 112 may be used in common with other types of game devices via a router or the like, and may function as a store server device that communicates with the outside of the store.

The relay device 112 replays (plays a moving image) the game play result of the game device 110, creates a ranking from the results of a plurality of game plays, provides items such as cards that can be used in the game, and allows the player to play a character or a deck. It has a known support function such as changing settings such as. In general, the relay device 112 executes a support process as a process for further enhancing the interest of the game play in the game device 110 such as the production and analysis of the game.

The player holds the game card 304. A player ID is recorded on the game card 304. A card ID (access code) may be assigned to the game card 304, and the card ID and the player ID may be associated with each other. In this case, the card ID substantially functions as a player ID.

The game device 110 reads the player ID from the game card. The game device 110 transmits a player ID together with a game ID (hereinafter, also referred to as “GID”) which is an ID for identifying the game to the game support device 102 via the relay device 112. The game device 110 further acquires a face image of the player and transmits it to the game support device 102 via the relay device 112.

The game device 110 in the present embodiment will be described as prepaying the play fee before playing the game by cash, a prepaid card, or the like.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the game device 110.
Each component of the game device 110 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a computing unit such as various coprocessors, a storage device such as memory and storage, hardware including a wired or wireless communication line connecting them, and a storage device. It is realized by software that is stored and supplies processing instructions to the arithmetic unit. A computer program may be composed of a device driver, an operating system, various application programs located in the upper layers thereof, and a library that provides common functions to these programs. Each block described below shows a block for each function, not a configuration for each hardware.
The same applies to the functional block of the game support device 102 shown in FIG.

The game device 110 includes a user interface processing unit 120, a data processing unit 122, a communication unit 124, and a data storage unit 126.
The user interface processing unit 120 accepts operations from the player via the joystick (control stick) and buttons, and is in charge of processing related to the user interface such as image display and voice output. The communication unit 124 is in charge of communication processing with the game support device 102 and the like via the Internet 106. The data storage unit 126 stores various data. The data processing unit 122 executes various processes based on the data acquired by the user interface processing unit 120 and the communication unit 124 and the data stored in the data storage unit 126. The data processing unit 122 also functions as an interface for the user interface processing unit 120, the communication unit 124, and the data storage unit 126.

The data processing unit 122 includes a payment processing unit 138 and a game execution unit 140.
The payment processing unit 138 confirms the payment of the play fee. The game execution unit 140 controls the execution of the game on condition that the play fee is paid.

The user interface processing unit 120 includes an input unit 128 that receives input from the player and an output unit 130 that outputs various information such as images and sounds to the player.
The input unit 128 includes an ID acquisition unit 152, a deposit detection unit 136, an authentication information detection unit 132, and an imaging unit 134. The ID acquisition unit 152 reads the player ID from the game card 304 by the card reader 300. The ID acquisition unit 152 may accept the player ID by manual input. The deposit detection unit 136 detects the deposit of the play fee by the prepaid card or the coin. The authentication information detection unit 132 detects the input of the passcode (authentication information) described later. The imaging unit 134 (biological information acquisition unit) acquires the player's face image (biological information) by the camera 302.
In conjunction with the fact that the player ID can be specified by the ID acquisition unit 152, the payment detection unit 136 makes a post-pay type payment such as a credit card stored in advance in association with the player ID to the payment processing unit 138. The game execution unit 140 may execute the game.

The communication unit 124 includes a transmission unit 142 for transmitting data and a reception unit 144 for receiving data.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the game support device 102.
The game support device 102 includes a communication unit 160, a data processing unit 162, and a data storage unit 164.
The communication unit 160 is in charge of communication processing with the game device 110 via the Internet 106 or a dedicated line. The data storage unit 164 stores various data. The data processing unit 162 executes various processes based on the data acquired by the communication unit 160 and the data stored in the data storage unit 164. The data processing unit 162 also functions as an interface between the communication unit 160 and the data storage unit 164.

The data processing unit 162 includes a game control unit 192, a face recognition unit 194, and a player management unit 196.
The game control unit 192 controls the progress of the game in the game device 110, such as preparing setting information and matching a plurality of players. The face recognition unit 194 (biometric recognition unit) executes face recognition. The player management unit 196 manages player information. The player information is information for managing setting information and the like for each player. The player information includes the first player information 150 and the second player information 170, but the details will be described later in relation to FIGS. 5 and 6.

The communication unit 160 includes a transmission unit 166 for transmitting data and a reception unit 168 for receiving data.

The data storage unit 164 includes a player information storage unit 146 that stores player information and a setting information storage unit 148 that stores setting information.

FIG. 5 is a data structure diagram of the first player information 150.
The first player information 150 is stored in the player information storage unit 146 as a part of the player information. The first player information 150 associates the player with the setting information.
A player with PID = P01 (hereinafter referred to as "player (P01)") has experience of playing a plurality of games such as a game (G01) and a game (G02). The setting information is identified by a setting ID (hereinafter, also referred to as "HID"). For example, setting information (H01) is associated with the player (P01) and the game (G01). The setting information (data) itself is stored in the setting information storage unit 148 together with the setting ID.

Further, each player may register a passcode, although it is not essential. The method of using the passcode (authentication information) will be described later.

FIG. 6 is a data structure diagram of the second player information 170.
The second player information 170 is also stored in the player information storage unit 146 as a part of the player information. The second player information 170 associates the player, the master image (master information), and the precision rate. The master image is a player's face image to be collated at the time of face recognition. The master image referred to here may be a face image itself, or may be a data set representing various features on the player's face. The face recognition unit 194 authenticates the player by calculating the similarity between the face image (hereinafter, also referred to as “certified image”) acquired by the imaging unit 134 and the master image.

A plurality of master images are associated with the player. In the second player information 170 of FIG. 6, five master images (M01) to master images (M05) are associated with the player (P01). In the present embodiment, the face recognition unit 194 determines that the authenticated image of a certain player X has a similarity T1 or more with respect to any of the master images (M01) to the master image (M05). , It is determined that the player X is the "player (P01)". The similarity is indexed between 0 and 100 (%). For the calculation of the similarity between the authenticated image and the master image, the existing image recognition technology may be applied. In this embodiment, the similarity T1 will be described as 95 (%). Further, the player may be specified when the similarity T1 or more is obtained with respect to two or more predetermined number of master images among the plurality of master images.

The face recognition unit 194 further calculates the precision rate for each master image. The precision of the master image is based on the number of times the master image was used to identify the player during face recognition. For example, suppose that the authenticated image of the player X is collated with the five master images of the player (P01), and the player X is found to be the player (P01). At this time, the master image having the similarity T1 or more with respect to the authenticated image is regarded as "conforming", and the master image having the similarity less than T1 is regarded as "nonconforming". For example, suppose that the face recognition of the player (P01) is executed 100 times and the player (P01) is specified 100 times. When the number of matchings of the master image (M01) is 99 in 100 face recognitions, the matching rate of the master image (M01) is 99 (%) (= 99/100).

According to the second player information 170 shown in FIG. 6, when the face of the player (P01) is authenticated, the master image (M01) matches the authenticated image with a high probability (matching rate). Therefore, the master image (M01) is considered to be a useful master image for identifying the player (P01).

On the other hand, the precision rate of the master image (M05) is only 37 (%). It is presumed that the master image (M05) is not a useful master image because it deviates from the current face image of the player (P01) or the image is not clear.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process of identifying a player before the start of the game.
Note that this flowchart shows the processing of both the game device 110 and the game support device 102, in other words, the processing of the game system 100.
When the player is seated in front of the game device 110, the imaging unit 134 acquires a face image (S10). The imaging unit 134 acquires a plurality of face images and selects the best-looking face image from them as the authenticated image. For example, the imaging unit 134 may select the image to be authenticated according to arbitrary selection conditions such as the orientation and size of the face and the opening degree of the eyes.

The transmission unit 142 of the game device 110 transmits one image to be authenticated to the game support device 102, and the face recognition unit 194 of the game support device 102 executes face recognition (S12). The details of face recognition will be described in detail in relation to FIG. 8 below.

When the face recognition is successful (Y in S14), the game support device 102 transmits the corresponding setting information (game data (player data)) to the game device 110. The game execution unit 140 of the game device 110 makes initial settings for the game based on the setting information (game data) (S16). Next, the player deposits the play fee (S18). The payment detection unit 136 detects the payment, and the payment processing unit 138 confirms whether the play fee has been paid. After depositing, the game execution unit 140 starts the game (S20).

On the other hand, when the face recognition fails (N in S14), the game support device 102 transmits an instruction to the game device 110 to hold the game card 304 over the player, and the game device 110 sends the game card 304 held by the player. The player ID is read from and transmitted to the game support device 102 (S22). The case where the face authentication fails can be considered as a case of an unregistered player who does not register the face image as a master image and a case of a registered player who fails the face authentication even though the master image is registered.

The player management unit 196 refers to the second player information 170 and determines whether or not the master image is associated with the input player ID (S24). If the master image is associated, in other words, if the face authentication fails despite being a registered player (Y in S24), the face authentication unit 194 executes the confirmation process (S26). .. The confirmation process is a process for determining whether the player who has failed in face recognition is trying to access the game device 110 using another person's game card 304, in other words, the authenticity of the game card 304 (PID). is there. Details of the confirmation process will be described later in relation to FIG.

If it is a genuine registered player (Y in S28), the game is prepared based on the setting information (game data) corresponding to the player ID input in S22 (S16). On the other hand, if the player is not a genuine player (N in S28), the output unit 130 of the game device 110 warns the game (S30). In this case, the game does not start.

On the other hand, if the master image is not associated with the input player ID, in other words, in the case of an unregistered player (N in S24), the face image (authenticated image) obtained in S10 is used as the master image. , A player is newly registered by associating with the player ID obtained in S22 (S32). After new registration, the process shifts to S18.
After new registration, the process may shift to S16. In this case, game data for new registrants may be initialized.

In the case of a player who wants to play only once, such as a trial play, it may be troublesome to acquire a player ID and newly register it. Therefore, either omitting the input of the player ID of S22 or depositing without newly registering. (S18) may be performed to start the game, and registration processing may or may not be performed selectively.

It is considered that the player does not want to wait for face recognition before play. Therefore, in face image acquisition (S10) and face recognition (S12), it is considered preferable to emphasize speed rather than accuracy. When the face authentication fails due to reasons such as the inability to obtain a suitable face image, the player inputs the player ID by using the game card 304 as in the conventional method. It is desirable that the face image (authenticated image) is casually acquired when the player approaches the game device 110, and the face recognition (S12) is executed without noticing that the player is performing face recognition.

In S22, the player may manually input the player ID from a touch panel or the like (not shown). At this time, the player may input a passcode in addition to the player ID. The transmission unit 142 of the game device 110 transmits the combination of the player ID and the passcode to the game support device 102. The player management unit 196 refers to the first player information 150 and authenticates the player when the combination of the player ID and the passcode is correctly registered. According to such a control method, even if a player who does not bring the game card 304 fails in face recognition, he / she can play the game appropriately as long as he / she remembers the player ID and the passcode.
Note that the player management unit 196 may authenticate the player using only one of the player ID and the passcode instead of the combination of the player ID and the passcode.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process of face recognition in S12 and S14 of FIG.
The face recognition unit 194 collates the face image (authenticated image) acquired in S10 with the master image of the registered player. When there is an unchecked registered player (Y in S40), one data of the registered player is selected (S42). The face recognition unit 194 collates a plurality of master images of the selected registered player with the authenticated image, and calculates the degree of similarity between them (S44). If there is no master image having a similarity of T1 or more (N in S46), the process returns to S40, and the matching process is performed in the same manner for the next registered player. If there is a similar master image (Y in S46), the player management unit 196 updates the precision rate based on the collation result (S48). At this time, the face recognition unit 194 determines that the face recognition has been successful, and identifies the player ID (S50). When all the registered players are checked without succeeding in face recognition (N in S40), the face recognition unit 194 determines that face recognition has failed (S52).

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the confirmation process in S26 and S28 of FIG.
As described above, the confirmation process is a process for determining the authenticity of the game card 304 when the registered player fails in face authentication. Here, it is assumed that the player X inputs the player ID using the game card 304 with PID = P01. However, the player X has failed in face recognition. Therefore, the player X may not be the legitimate owner of the game card 304 (P01).

The face recognition unit 194 rematches the master image (M01) to the master image (M05) corresponding to PID = P01 input in S22 with the face image (authenticated image) of the player X acquired in S10 ( S60). In S60, if the similarity is equal to or higher than the threshold value T2 (<T1), it is determined to be suitable. The threshold value T2 in this embodiment is 60 (%). When three or more of the five master images are non-conforming (Y in S62), the face recognition unit 194 determines that they are fraudulent (S64). If the similarity between the authenticated image of player X and the master image of player (P01) is less than the relatively loose threshold value T2 (60 (%)), it is highly possible that player X and player (P01) are different persons. This is because it is considered.
On the other hand, when the number of non-conforming master images is less than 3 (N in S62), the face recognition unit 194 determines that the image is genuine (S66).

The confirmation process can prevent one player from playing a game using another player's game card 304.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the master image replacement process.
The imaging unit 134 acquires the face image not only before the start of the game but also during the game and after the end of the game. Before the game starts, we do not want to spend time acquiring face images for the above reasons, but after the game starts, we have a relatively large amount of time, so it becomes easier to acquire a large number of face images. The player management unit 196 can also register a suitable face image to be appropriately acquired as a master image.

In the present embodiment, three face images are acquired before the start of the game, and the face images are periodically acquired even during the game. When a new face image is acquired, the shunting process shown in FIG. 10 is executed as appropriate. The shunting process may be executed as a background process during the game, or may be executed as a batch process after the game is finished.

First, the face recognition unit 194 determines whether or not the newly acquired face image satisfies the registration condition (S70). The registration conditions may be arbitrarily defined as conditions for determining the goodness of the facial appearance. For example, the registration condition may be defined as a condition for determining the opening degree of the eyes, the orientation and size of the face, and the sharpness and brightness of the image.

When the face image satisfies the registration condition (Y in S70) and there is a master image whose conformance rate is less than the threshold value V (Y in S72), the player management unit 196 replaces the face image with the master image and newly replaces the face image. It is registered as a master image (S74).

For example, when the threshold value V = 50 (%), the precision ratio of the master image (M05) among the master image (M01) to the master image (M05) of the player (P01) is less than the threshold value V (see FIG. 6). .. When the newly obtained face image R3 for the player (P01) satisfies the registration condition, the player management unit 196 registers the face image R3 as a new master image instead of the master image (M05).

When the face image does not satisfy the registration condition (N in S70) or when there is no master image whose precision ratio is less than the threshold value V (N in S72), the replacement of the master image is not executed.

The face changes with age. Therefore, it is considered that the conformity rate of the master images registered in the past gradually decreases. By replacing the latest face image that meets the registration conditions with the existing master image with a low matching rate, it becomes easier to maintain the quality of the master image. In other words, the accuracy of face recognition is maintained by registering a face image that is more suitable for the current situation and has a good image as a master image. By shooting this when the player is positioned in front of the game device 110, such as during game play, the player can be processed without feeling stress.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which one player holds a plurality of setting information.
In general, one player may use a plurality of game cards 304 properly. For example, the player (P01) may want to use the "warrior" as the avatar (character) of the game (G01), or may want to play as the "mage". At this time, the player (P01) has a game card 304 for playing as a warrior and a game card 304 for playing as a mage.

Also in the present embodiment, in order to enable such a play style, a plurality of card IDs (hereinafter, also referred to as “CID”) may be associated with one player ID. In FIG. 11, the player (P01) holds a game card 304 (C01) and a game card 304 (C02). CID = C01 and C02 are associated with PID = P01.

The game card 304 (C01) is associated with the setting information (H01: warrior) of the game (G01). The game card 304 (C02) is associated with the setting information (H14: magician) of the game (G01). Further, a plurality of master images of the player (P01) are associated with PID = P01. The PID, CID, HID and master image are associated with each other in the player information storage unit 146.

The player (P01) identifies PID = P01 by the face image, and identifies CID = C01 and C02 associated with PID. Further, when the player (P01) holds the game card 304 (C01) over, the player management unit 196 identifies PID = P01 associated with CID = C01 and a master image associated with PID = P01. In this way, even if the card ID and the player ID are not the same, the player ID can be specified from the card ID.

FIG. 12 is a screen view of the setting selection screen 200.
When the player (P01) having the game card 304 (C01) and the game card 304 (C02) succeeds in face recognition of S12, the player management unit 196 sets PID = P01 and the setting information associated with PID = P01 (PID = P01). H01: Warrior) and setting information (H14: Mage) are specified, and the setting selection screen 200 is displayed on the game device 110. The setting selection screen 200 includes a setting button 202 corresponding to each setting.

The player (P01) selects the setting button 202 corresponding to the setting information (game data) to be used. For example, when the player selects the setting button 202a, the game is started based on the setting information (H01: warrior). The player can easily select a plurality of setting information corresponding to the game (G01) simply by performing face recognition without bringing / selecting a plurality of game cards 304.

The game system 100 has been described above based on the embodiment.
According to the present embodiment, when the player uses the game card 304, the game system 100 casually associates the player ID with the face image. Once the association is possible, the player can be identified by face recognition without using the game card 304. Since the frequency of use of the game card 304 is reduced, not only the convenience of the player is improved, but also the risk of losing the game card 304 can be reduced. Since it is common sense to use the game card 304 in the data storage type game, it is expected to give a fresh surprise to the player when the player is identified without using the game card 304.

Since the player does not face the camera 302, a suitable face image (authenticated image) cannot be obtained, and the possibility that the face recognition fails even for the player is not zero. On the other hand, since the player wants to play the game immediately when sitting in front of the game device 110, he does not want to put a burden on the player in face recognition before the start of the game. For example, if the player is instructed to face the camera 302, the convenience of the player may be impaired. In the present embodiment, the face image of the player is casually acquired before the start of the game, and when the face authentication fails, the game can be played by inputting the game card 304 as before, so that the player is hardly burdened. The game system 100 assumes the combined use of face recognition and the game card 304, but it is considered that the frequency of use of the game card 304 will decrease with the progress of the face recognition technology.

The game device 110 acquires a face image not only before the start of the game but also after the start of the game. When a suitable face image satisfying the registration conditions is obtained, the quality of the master image can be maintained by adding this as a master image. Even if it is difficult to shoot a large number of face images before the game starts, a relatively large number of shooting opportunities can be secured after the game starts, so it is possible to obtain a suitable face image suitable for the master image by the end of the game play. The possibility can be increased.

Further, in the game system 100 of the present embodiment, even if one player tries to obtain and play the game card 304 of another player, the authenticity of the game card 304 can be confirmed by the confirmation process and the play can be refused. Therefore, the security can be enhanced as compared with the conventional system using only the game card 304.

Usually, one type of setting information is associated with one game card 304. The player needs to use a plurality of game cards 304 properly in order to properly use a plurality of types of setting information. According to the present embodiment, if the face recognition is successful, the player can select the setting information that can be used on the setting selection screen 200. Since the chances of selecting a large number of game cards 304 are reduced or eliminated, the player can easily use a plurality of types of setting information.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment or modification, and the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist. Various inventions may be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments and modifications. In addition, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the above embodiments and modifications.

Although the game system 100 has been described as being composed of the arcade game device 110 and the game support device 102, some of the functions of the arcade game device 110 may be realized by the game support device 102, or the functions of the game support device 102 may be realized. May be assigned to the game device 110. Further, a third device other than the game support device 102 and the arcade game device 110 may play a part of the functions of these devices.

The game support device 102 may be formed as an aggregate of a plurality of devices. How to allocate the plurality of functions required for realizing the present invention to one or more hardware is determined in consideration of the processing capacity of each hardware, the specifications required for the game system 100, and the like. It should be decided.

[Modification example]
In the present embodiment, the description has been made on the premise of face authentication (biometric authentication) based on a face image (biometric information). As a modification, biometric authentication may be performed using biometric information other than the face image. Specifically, the biological information may be information indicating physical characteristics such as fingerprints, palm prints, veins, irises, palm shapes, retinas, and voice prints. In addition, registration conditions may be arbitrarily set according to the type of biometric information. For example, in the case of fingerprint authentication, a fingerprint detection sensor may be provided on the operation stick of the game device 110, and the registration condition may be satisfied when the fingerprint image can be detected with a predetermined size or more and with high accuracy. In any case, the registration condition may be defined as a condition for determining whether or not the biological information can be appropriately acquired.

In the present embodiment, the face authentication has been described as being executed by the game support device 102, but the face authentication may be executed by the game device 110. In this case, the face recognition unit 194 of the game support device 102 may be realized as a function of the game device 110. The game device 110 may store the master image in the data storage unit 126, or may download the master image from the game support device 102.

The setting information of the present embodiment has been described as game data indicating a game play result, progress status, and setting. As described above, the setting information is a kind of game data, and the game data includes the play history in addition to the setting information. Further, the game data is a kind of player data, and the player data includes game data and attribute information. The attribute information may be information indicating gender, age, years of game experience, and user attributes. Further, the attribute information (player data) may be information related to payment such as a credit card number. When the player plays the game, the player may be able to pay the play fee by credit card. In this case, the game support device 102 may include a payment processing unit (not shown) for postpay and may be connected to a payment device (not shown) of a credit card company. If the player ID and the credit card number are associated with each other, the payment processing unit of the game support device 102 may deduct the play fee from the credit card number associated with the player ID.

In the present embodiment, it has been described that the deposit process (S18) is executed after the face authentication (S12), but the face authentication may be executed after the deposit process. By executing face recognition after depositing, it is possible to prevent the face image of a player who does not intend to play the game from being accidentally acquired and the face recognition being executed.

The game device 110 may be provided with a start button (not shown) for confirming the intention of play by the player. Face recognition or acceptance processing of the game card 304 may be executed on condition that the player presses the start button. Alternatively, the face recognition (S12) may be executed first, and then the post-processing such as S16 may not be executed unless the player presses the start button within a predetermined time.

The imaging unit 134 may image the player when a predetermined imaging condition is satisfied. For example, arbitrary shooting conditions may be set for the quality of the face image, such as when the player and the game device 110 are sufficiently close to each other or when a sufficiently bright face image can be obtained. Further, when the camera 302 obtains a captured image including the faces of a plurality of players, the face recognition unit 194 may execute face recognition for the player having the largest face region in the captured image. The face recognition unit 194 may execute face recognition on a player who is continuously reflected in the captured image for a predetermined time or longer.

The passcode in this embodiment has been described as text information. The passcode is not limited to text information, but may be other biometric information. For example, when face recognition fails, the fingerprint may be entered as a passcode.

In the present embodiment, it has been described that the player ID or the card ID is registered in the game card 304. In addition, the player ID may be registered in a mobile terminal such as a smartphone.

In the present embodiment, it has been described that the face image satisfying the registration condition and the master image having a conformance rate of less than V are exchanged (see FIG. 10). Not limited to the replacement, a face image satisfying the registration condition may be additionally associated with PID as a new master image.

As described in relation to FIG. 9, in the present embodiment, fraudulent acquisition of the game card 304 can be detected by face recognition. As the setting information, the contact information of the player such as an e-mail address or a telephone number may be associated with the player ID. For example, when the player X illegally uses the player (P01) game card 304, the face authentication is not successful and the player ID = P01 is input from the game card 304, but the fraud can be detected by the confirmation process (S26). .. At this time, the transmission unit 166 of the game support device 102 may notify the e-mail address of the player (P01) that unauthorized use has been performed. According to such a control method, even if the player (P01) drops the game card 304, the player X can notice the theft at the stage when the game card 304 is illegally used. The notification destination is not limited to the player (P01), and may be the operator of the game system 100.

When the player approaches the game device 110, the game device 110 may detect this with a camera 302, a distance measuring sensor, or the like. At this time, the output unit 130 of the game device 110 may display the character on the game screen. Since the player directs his / her gaze toward the game screen with the character, it becomes easy to acquire a suitable face image (authenticated image). Such characters may be displayed for the same purpose even during game play.

In the present embodiment, it has been described that the face image is acquired by the game device 110 and registered as a master image. As a modification, the player may register the master image by inputting the player ID and the face image by the smartphone or the personal computer and transmitting the player ID and the face image to the game support device 102.

In the present embodiment, it has been described that the game system 100 is formed by connecting the game support device 102 and the arcade game device 110 via the Internet 106. As a modification, the game system 100 may be formed as a single device.

In this embodiment, an arcade game has been described. Not only in arcade games, but also in network games using smartphones and home-use game machines, player identification may be performed by both player ID and biometric authentication.

Further, the present invention may be applied to other than games. For example, in entertainment facilities such as amusement parks and swimming pools, it is assumed that attractions and restaurants will be used after payment. The user may be asked to record the usage history by showing the user ID (player ID) on the membership card, or may be asked to record the usage history without using the membership card by face authentication. Ultimately, you can make a credit card payment based on your usage history.
In addition, setting information related to preference such as "no sugar is required for coffee" may be associated with the user ID. In this case, when ordering coffee by face recognition with a vending machine, the user can order coffee without sugar without explicitly instructing "no sugar required" with a button or the like.

100 game system, 102 game support device, 106 internet, 108 stores, 110 game device, 112 relay device, 120 user interface processing unit, 122 data processing unit, 124 communication unit, 126 data storage unit, 128 input unit, 130 output unit , 132 Authentication information detection unit, 134 Imaging unit, 136 Deposit detection unit, 138 Payment processing unit, 140 Game execution unit, 142 Transmission unit, 144 Reception unit, 146 Player information storage unit, 148 Setting information storage unit, 150 First player Information, 152 ID acquisition unit, 160 communication unit, 162 data processing unit, 164 data storage unit, 166 transmitter unit, 168 receiver unit, 170 second player information, 192 game control unit, 194 face authentication unit, 196 player management unit, 200 setting selection screen, 202 setting button, 300 card reader, 302 camera, 304 game card

Claims (10)

A player management unit that manages player IDs, player data, and master information, which is player biometric information, in association with each other.
The ID acquisition unit that acquires the player ID and
The biometric information acquisition unit that acquires the biometric information of the player,
A biometric authentication unit that executes biometric authentication, which is a process of collating the acquired biometric information with a plurality of master information and identifying master information that matches the acquired biometric information.
Equipped with a game control unit that controls the progress of the game
If biometric authentication is successful,
The game control unit executes the game based on the player data associated with the specified master information even if the player ID is not input.
If biometric authentication fails
The game control unit executes the game based on the player data associated with the player ID input from the player, and further
The player management unit is a game system characterized in that the acquired biometric information is associated with the input player ID as master information. The ID acquisition unit acquires the player ID by reading the game card in which the player ID is registered.
The game system according to claim 1, wherein the biometric authentication unit executes biometric authentication when the player's biometric information is acquired even when the game card is not read. The claim is characterized in that the player management unit registers the acquired biometric information as new master information when the acquired biometric information satisfies a predetermined registration condition when the biometric authentication is successful. The game system according to 1. The biometric information acquisition unit reacquires the biometric information of the player even after the start of the game.
The game system according to claim 1, wherein the player management unit registers the re-acquired biometric information as new master information when the reacquired biometric information satisfies a predetermined registration condition. .. The first and second master information is associated with the first player ID.
When the acquired biometric information matches one or more of the first and second master information, the biometric authentication unit determines that the biometric authentication is successful, and then identifies the first player ID.
When the acquired biometric information satisfies a predetermined registration condition and the conformity rate of the first master information is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the player management unit replaces the first master information with the player management unit. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the acquired biometric information is registered as master information corresponding to the first player ID. When the biometric authentication fails, the biometric authentication unit further determines the similarity between the master information associated with the input player ID and the acquired biometric information, and the similarity becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the input player ID is determined to be an invalid player ID. The first and second player data are associated with the second player ID, and the second player ID is associated with the first and second player data.
When the second player ID is specified by biometric authentication, the game control unit controls the progress of the game based on the player data selected by the player among the first and second player data. The game system according to claim 1. A player management unit that manages player IDs, player data, and master information, which is player biometric information, in association with each other.
The ID acquisition unit that acquires the player ID and
The biometric information acquisition unit that acquires the biometric information of the player,
A biometric authentication unit that executes biometric authentication, which is a process of collating the acquired biometric information with a plurality of master information and identifying master information that matches the acquired biometric information.
Equipped with a game control unit that controls the progress of the game
If biometric authentication is successful,
The game control unit executes the game even if the player ID is not input, updates the player data associated with the specified master information, and updates the player data.
If biometric authentication fails
The game control unit executes the game, updates the player data associated with the player ID input from the player, and further.
The player management unit is a game system characterized in that the acquired biometric information is associated with the input player ID as master information. It is connected to both the first game device that executes the first game and the second game device that executes the second game via a communication line.
A player management unit that manages the player ID, the player data of the first game, the player data of the second game, and the master information which is the biometric information of the player in association with each other.
An ID acquisition unit that acquires the player ID of the first player from the first game device, and
A game control unit that executes the first game on the first game device based on the player data of the first game corresponding to the acquired player ID.
Equipped with a biometric authentication unit that executes biometric authentication,
The player management unit registers the biometric information of the first player acquired in the first game device as the master information of the acquired player ID.
When the biometric information of the first player is acquired from the second game device, the biometric authentication unit collates the acquired biometric information with the master information and executes biometric authentication. Identify the player ID of one player and
Even if the player ID is not acquired from the second game device, the game control unit may use the second game device based on the player data of the second game corresponding to the specified player ID. A game support device characterized by executing the second game. A function to associate and manage player IDs, game player data, and master information, which is player biometric information,
The function to acquire the player ID and
The function to acquire the biometric information of the player and
A function of collating a plurality of master information with the acquired biometric information and executing biometric authentication, which is a process of identifying master information matching the acquired biometric information.
If the biometric authentication is successful, the function to execute the game based on the player data associated with the specified master information even if the player ID is not input, and
When biometric authentication fails, the function of executing the game based on the player data associated with the player ID input from the player and associating the acquired biometric information with the input player ID as master information. A game program that features the use of and on a computer.

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