WO2021255821A1

WO2021255821A1 - Authentication server, facial image update recommendation method and storage medium

Info

Publication number: WO2021255821A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/023557
Authority: WO
Inventors: 美樹大谷
Original assignee: 日本電気株式会社
Priority date: 2020-06-16
Filing date: 2020-06-16
Publication date: 2021-12-23
Also published as: JPWO2021255821A1

Abstract

Provided is an authentication server that maintains authentication accuracy. The authentication server comprises a first database, an authentication unit, and a recommendation unit. The first database stores biological information related to the face of each of a plurality of users. The authentication unit refers to the first database to authenticate a person subject to authentication. If authentication of the person subject to authentication fails, the recommendation unit makes a recommendation to a user, out of the plurality of users, who is estimated to be the person subject to authentication, and recommends an update of the biological information stored in the first database.

Description

Authentication server, face image update recommendation method and storage medium

The present invention relates to an authentication server, a face image update recommendation method, and a storage medium.

In recent years, various services using biometric information have begun to spread. For example, face recognition is used for various procedures (check-in, baggage check-in, etc.) performed at the airport and hotel check-in.

In the service using face recognition, the processing is performed in the following flow. First, a terminal (a terminal installed at an airport or a hotel) acquires a face image of a user and generates a feature amount (feature vector) that characterizes the face image. The generated features are sent to a server on the network.

The server is equipped with a database that stores the biometric information and personal information (name, address, etc.) of the user who receives the service by face recognition. When the server acquires the collation request from the terminal, the server searches (collates) the database and identifies the biometric information and personal information corresponding to the collation request from the terminal. The server sends the specified personal information to the terminal, and the terminal installed at the airport or the like performs business based on the acquired personal information.

Technological development related to authentication using biometric information is in progress.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes that a portable information terminal device capable of improving the authentication success rate is provided. In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the authentication is successful, the characteristic information (failure characteristic) when the authentication fails in the authentication process performed before the authentication process on the premise that certain conditions are satisfied. Information) is added to the feature information storage unit as new registered feature information. In the subsequent authentication process, the authentication process is performed using the failed feature information in addition to the registered feature information already stored in the feature information storage unit.

Patent Document 2 describes that the habit of reading the biometric information of the user or the authentication error caused by the aging of the biometric information of the user is reduced. The authentication device of Patent Document 2 includes a user table, a fingerprint image receiving unit, an authentication unit, a temporary storage unit, a comparison unit, and a replacement unit. The user table stores the fingerprint image as an authentication image. The fingerprint image receiving unit receives the fingerprint image. The authentication unit compares the fingerprint image with the authentication image and authenticates the image. The temporary storage unit temporarily stores the fingerprint image received until the authentication is successful as a temporary storage image. When the authentication is successful, the comparison unit compares the temporary storage image with the failed image associated with the authentication image, and when it is determined that they match, the comparison unit counts up the number of matches corresponding to the failed image. When it is determined that they do not match, the comparison unit stores the temporary storage image as a failure image in association with the authentication image. The replacement unit replaces the authentication image with a failed image whose corresponding number of matches is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-047931 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-21742

As described above, face authentication is performed based on the degree of similarity between the face image acquired by the terminal and the face image registered in the server. That is, the face authentication fails unless it is determined that the face image transmitted by the terminal to the server and the face image registered in the server substantially match (the same person). Here, when a long time has passed since the face image was registered, the matching of the two face images is weakened due to a change in appearance or the like, and authentication often fails. It should be noted that

Patent Documents

1 and 2 do not disclose a technique for preventing deterioration of authentication accuracy due to a change in appearance.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an authentication server, a face image update recommendation method, and a storage medium that contribute to maintaining the authentication accuracy.

According to the first viewpoint of the present invention, the authentication unit that authenticates the authenticated person by referring to the first database that stores the biometric information about the faces of each of the plurality of users and the first database. When the authentication of the person to be authenticated fails, it is recommended to the user who is presumed to be the person to be authenticated among the plurality of users to update the biometric information stored in the first database. , An authentication unit, and an authentication server are provided.

According to the second viewpoint of the present invention, in the authentication server provided with the first database that stores the biometric information about the faces of each of the plurality of users, the authenticated person is authenticated by referring to the first database. When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, it is recommended to the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person among the plurality of users to update the biometric information stored in the first database. A method for recommending face image update is provided.

According to the third viewpoint of the present invention, the computer mounted on the authentication server provided with the first database, which stores the biometric information about the faces of each of the plurality of users, is referred to the first database. When the process of authenticating the person to be authenticated and the authentication of the person to be authenticated fail, the user who is presumed to be the person to be authenticated is stored in the first database among the plurality of users. A computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a process for recommending an update of biometric information and a program for executing the process.

According to each viewpoint of the present invention, an authentication server, a face image update recommendation method, and a storage medium that contribute to maintaining the authentication accuracy are provided. The effect of the present invention is not limited to the above. According to the present invention, other effects may be produced in place of or in combination with the effect.

It is a figure for demonstrating the outline of one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the schematic structure of the authentication system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation in the user registration phase of the authentication system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation in the service registration phase of the authentication system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation in the service provision phase of the authentication system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the processing configuration of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation about the face image update of the user management part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the user management part of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the authentication information database which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the authentication information database which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the authentication information database which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the authentication part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the authentication failure database which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the terminal which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the terminal which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the face image update recommendation part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the processing configuration of the management server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the personal information acquisition part of the management server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the user information database which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the processing configuration of the authentication terminal which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the operation about the service registration phase of the authentication system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the operation about the service provision phase of the authentication system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the authentication failure database which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the authentication part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware configuration of an authentication server.

First, the outline of one embodiment will be explained. It should be noted that the drawing reference reference numerals added to this outline are added to each element for convenience as an example for assisting understanding, and the description of this outline is not intended to limit anything. Further, unless otherwise specified, the blocks described in each drawing represent not the configuration of hardware units but the configuration of functional units. Connection lines between blocks in each figure include both bidirectional and unidirectional. The one-way arrow schematically shows the flow of the main signal (data), and does not exclude bidirectionality. In the present specification and the drawings, the same reference numerals may be given to elements that can be similarly described, so that duplicate description may be omitted.

The authentication server 100 according to the embodiment includes a first database 101, an authentication unit 102, and a recommendation unit 103 (see FIG. 1). The first database 101 stores biometric information about the faces of each of the plurality of users. The authentication unit 102 authenticates the person to be authenticated with reference to the first database 101. When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the recommendation unit 103 recommends the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person among the plurality of users to update the biometric information stored in the first database 101. ..

When it is determined that the authentication has failed due to, for example, a change in the appearance of the person to be authenticated, the authentication server 100 prompts a user presumed to be the person to be authenticated to update the face image. As a result, the user can update the face image registered in the authentication server 100 at an appropriate time, and the possibility that the authentication fails is reduced. That is, the authentication accuracy can be maintained for a long period of time.

The specific embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
The first embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[System configuration]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the authentication system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the authentication system includes an authentication center and a plurality of service providers.

Each service provider participating in the authentication system provides services using biometric authentication. Examples of services provided by service providers include payment services at retail stores and accommodation services at hotels and the like. Alternatively, the service provided by the service provider may be immigration at an airport or port. The service provider disclosed in the present application may be able to provide any service that can be provided by using biometric authentication.

The authentication server 10 is installed in the authentication center. The authentication server 10 is an information processing device that operates as a certificate authority for authentication using biometric information. The authentication server 10 may be a server installed on the site of the authentication center or a server installed on the cloud.

In addition, the biometric information of the user exemplifies data (feature amount) calculated from physical characteristics peculiar to an individual such as a face, a fingerprint, a voice print, a vein, a retina, and an iris pattern (pattern) of the pupil. To. Alternatively, the biometric information of the user may be image data such as a face image and a fingerprint image. The biometric information of the user may be any information that includes the physical characteristics of the user.

The authentication server 10 is a server device for realizing a service by biometric authentication. The authentication server 10 processes the "authentication request" transmitted from each service provider, and transmits the result of the authentication process to the service provider.

Each service provider has a management server and an authentication terminal.

For example, the service provider S1 is provided with a management server 20 and a plurality of authentication terminals 30. The service provider S2 is provided with a management server 20 and a plurality of authentication terminals 31.

In the following explanation, when it is necessary to distinguish each component, the code on the right side of the hyphen is used. Since the operation and the like of each device included in the service provider S1 and the service provider S2 can be the same, the following description will be centered on the service provider S1.

The devices shown in FIG. 2 are connected to each other. For example, the authentication server 10 and the management server 20 are connected by a wired or wireless communication means and are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

The management server 20 is a server that controls and manages the entire business of the service provider. For example, when the service provider is a retail store, the management server 20 manages inventory of products. Alternatively, if the service provider is a hotel operator, the management server 20 manages the reservation information of the guest.

The management server 20 has a control function and a management function related to biometric authentication of the user, in addition to the functions related to the above service provision.

The authentication terminal 30 is a device that serves as an interface for users (users) who visit the service provider. The user receives various services via the authentication terminal 30. For example, when the service provider is a retail store, the user pays the price using the authentication terminal 30. Alternatively, if the service provider is a hotel operator, the user performs a check-in procedure using the authentication terminal 30.

FIG. 2 is an example, and does not mean to limit the configuration of the authentication system disclosed in the present application. For example, the authentication center may include two or more authentication servers 10. Alternatively, the service provider may include at least one authentication terminal 30. Alternatively, the functions of the management server 20 and the authentication terminal 30 may be integrated, and the integrated device may provide a service using biometric authentication. Alternatively, in each service provider, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of authentication terminals 30 may be connected to one management server 20, or one authentication terminal 30 may be connected to one management server 20. It may have been done.

[Overview of system operation]
Subsequently, the schematic operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment will be described.

The operation of the authentication system includes three phases.

The first phase is the phase for registering the user's system (user registration phase).

The second phase is the service registration phase (service registration phase).

The third phase is a phase (service provision phase) in which a service using biometric authentication is provided to a user.

[User registration phase]
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation in the user registration phase of the authentication system according to the first embodiment.

Users who wish to provide services using biometric authentication should register as users in advance. The user determines the information (user ID (Identifier), password (PW; PassWord)) for identifying the user himself / herself in the authentication system, and registers the information in the system. In the drawings including FIG. 3, the user ID is referred to as "uID".

In addition, the user registers his / her own biometric information (for example, face image), identity verification document (for example, passport, etc.), and contact information (for example, e-mail address, etc.) in the system. The user registers the above five pieces of information (user ID, password, biometric information, identity verification document, contact information) in the system by any means.

For example, the user may input his / her own face image captured by operating the terminal 40 owned by the user, a user ID, a password, an identification document, and contact information into the authentication server 10. Examples of the terminal 40 include mobile terminal devices such as smartphones, mobile phones, game machines, and tablets, computers (personal computers, notebook computers), and the like.

The authentication server 10 confirms the identity of the user using the acquired face image and identity verification document. Specifically, the authentication server 10 determines that the system registration application is made by the user himself / herself when the acquired face image and the face image described in the identification document are face images of the same person.

After that, the authentication server 10 generates a feature amount (feature vector consisting of a plurality of feature amounts) from the acquired face image, and associates the feature amount, the face image, a user ID, a password, and a contact information in the authentication information database. Remember. The identity verification document acquired by the authentication server 10 may be destroyed after the completion of the identity verification, or may be stored in association with the user ID or the like.

The system user can update the face image registered in the system. When a long time has passed since the start of using the system, the user may have a desire to register the current face (face image) in the system. In this case, the authentication server determines whether or not the face image can be updated, and changes the registered face image according to the result.

Further, when the authentication server 10 determines that it is better to update the registered face image from the result of biometric authentication, the authentication server 10 notifies the user (terminal 40) to that effect. The authentication server 10 prompts the user to update the registered face image.

The recommendation for updating the face image and the detailed explanation regarding whether or not the face image can be updated will be described later.

In the first embodiment, an example in which a user ID and a password are used as an identifier uniquely defining a system user will be described. However, if there is no duplication of user IDs among users, the user ID is used as the identifier. Is also possible.

[Service registration phase]
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment in the service registration phase.

The user who has completed user registration selects the service provider who wants to receive the service by biometric authentication, and registers the selected service provider in the system.

The user registers the personal information (for example, name, etc.) necessary for receiving the service from the selected service provider in the system. Examples of the personal information include name, age, and gender. In addition to the above personal information, the user registers the user ID and password determined in the user registration phase in the system.

In the disclosure of the present application, personal information is defined as information that does not include the biometric information of the user (certified person). That is, the biometric information and the feature amount generated from the biometric information are excluded from the "personal information" disclosed in the present application.

The user inputs the above three pieces of information (personal information, user ID, password) to the service provider by any means. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the user may operate the terminal 40 to input the above three pieces of information into the management server 20.

When the management server 20 acquires the above three pieces of information (personal information, user ID, password), it sends a "service registration request" to the authentication server 10. Specifically, the management server 20 transmits a service registration request including a service provider ID, a user ID, and a password to the authentication server 10.

The service provider ID is identification information for uniquely identifying the service provider included in the authentication system (retail stores participating in the authentication platform using biometric authentication, etc.). In the example of FIG. 2, different service provider IDs are assigned to each of the service providers S1 and S2.

The service provider ID is an ID assigned to each service provider, not an ID assigned to each service. For example, in FIG. 2, even if service providers S1 and S2 are businesses that provide the same type of service (for example, accommodation service), different IDs are assigned to these service providers if the management entity is different. ..

The authentication server 10 and the management server 20 share the service provider ID by any method. For example, when the service provider participates in the authentication infrastructure, the authentication server 10 may generate a service provider ID and distribute (notify) the generated service provider ID to the service provider. In the drawings including FIG. 4, the service provider ID is referred to as "spID".

Upon receiving the service registration request, the authentication server 10 searches the authentication information database using the user ID and password included in the request as keys, and identifies the corresponding user. After that, the authentication server 10 generates a "service user ID".

The service user ID is identification information that uniquely defines the correspondence (combination) between the user and the service provider. In the example of FIG. 2, different values are set for the service user ID determined from the combination of the user U1 and the service provider S1 and the service user ID determined from the combination of the user U1 and the service provider S2.

The authentication server 10 stores the user ID, password, feature amount, face image, contact information, service provider ID, and the generated service user ID in association with each other. In the drawings including FIG. 4, the service user ID is referred to as "suID".

The authentication server 10 transmits the service user ID generated above to the sender of the service registration request.

The management server 20 stores the service user ID acquired from the authentication server 10 in association with the personal information of the user. The management server 20 adds a new entry to the user information database and stores the above information (personal information, service user ID).

The user repeats the above registration operation for each service provider who wants to receive the service using biometric authentication.

[Service provision phase]
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment in the service provision phase.

A user who has completed the service registration (service registration phase) visits the service provider. The user moves in front of the authentication terminal 30.

The authentication terminal 30 acquires biometric information from the user in front of it. Specifically, the authentication terminal 30 takes an image of the user and acquires a face image. The authentication terminal 30 transmits the acquired face image to the management server 20.

The management server 20 generates a feature amount from the acquired face image. The management server 20 transmits an authentication request including the generated feature amount and the service provider ID to the authentication server 10.

The authentication server 10 extracts a feature amount from the authentication request and executes a collation process (1 to N collation; N is a positive integer, the same applies hereinafter) using the extracted feature amount and the feature amount registered in the authentication information database. do.

The authentication server 10 identifies a user by collation processing, and identifies a service user ID corresponding to a service provider ID included in an authentication request among a plurality of service user IDs associated with the specified user. ..

The authentication server 10 transmits the specified service user ID to the sender of the authentication request. The authentication server 10 transmits a response (response to the authentication request) including the specified service user ID to the management server 20.

The management server 20 searches the user information database using the acquired service user ID as a key, and identifies personal information corresponding to the service user ID. The service provider (management server 20, authentication terminal 30) provides the service (for example, payment settlement, check-in procedure, etc.) to the user based on the specified personal information.

Subsequently, the details of each device included in the authentication system according to the first embodiment will be described.

[Authentication server]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the authentication server 10 according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 6, the authentication server 10 includes a communication control unit 201, a user management unit 202, a database management unit 203, a service registration unit 204, an authentication unit 205, a face image update recommendation unit 206, and storage. A unit 207 is provided.

The communication control unit 201 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 201 receives data (packets) from the management server 20. Further, the communication control unit 201 transmits data to the management server 20. The communication control unit 201 passes the data received from the other device to the other processing module. The communication control unit 201 transmits the data acquired from the other processing module to the other device. In this way, the other processing module transmits / receives data to / from the other device via the communication control unit 201.

The user management unit 202 is a means for realizing the above-mentioned user registration and face image update. The user management unit 202 has a function as a registration unit for registering a user and a function as an update unit for updating the registered face image.

When the terminal 40 accesses the authentication server 10, the user management unit 202 displays a menu as shown in FIG. 7.

When the user wishes to make a new registration, the user management unit 202 will send the user ID, password, and biometric information (face) of the user (user who wishes to provide services using biometric authentication; system user). Image), identity verification documents, and contact information.

The user management unit 202 acquires the above five pieces of information (user ID, password, biometric information, identity verification documents, contact information) by any means. For example, the user management unit 202 displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for determining a user ID and password and an input form on the terminal 40. For example, the user management unit 202 displays a GUI as shown in FIG. 8 on the terminal 40.

The user management unit 202 verifies that the user ID and password acquired by the GUI or the like do not overlap with the already registered user ID and password. If the duplication does not occur, the user management unit 202 displays a GUI for acquiring the user's biometric information, identification documents, and contact information on the terminal 40.

For example, the user management unit 202 displays a GUI as shown in FIG. 9 on the terminal 40. For example, the user presses the "file selection" button shown in FIG. 9 and specifies the image data of the face image to be registered in the system. The designated face image is displayed in the preview area (displayed as a selected face image in FIG. 9). When registering the previewed face image, the user presses the "OK" button. Regarding inputting the face image into the system, the user may operate the terminal 40 to attach the face image to an e-mail or the like. Alternatively, the user management unit 202 may transmit information including the destination of the face image to the terminal 40, and the terminal 40 may transmit the face image to the destination of the face image. Alternatively, the user management unit 202 and the terminal 40 may send and receive facial images using a communication tool such as chat. The user management unit 202 may acquire (receive) the face image by any means.

When the face image is acquired, the user management unit 202 acquires the identification document. For example, the user management unit 202 displays a GUI as shown in FIG. 10 on the terminal 40. For example, the user uses the camera of the terminal 40 to take an image of the identification document. The user presses the "File selection" button and specifies the image of the identity verification document taken. After that, the user presses the "OK" button and registers the identification document.

The identity verification documents that can be registered in the system include documents with facial images such as passports and driver's licenses (documents issued by public institutions that contribute to identity verification). In addition, the identification documents include not only paper documents but also electronic documents.

When the identity verification document is obtained, the user management department 202 obtains the contact information. For example, the user management unit 202 displays a GUI as shown in FIG. 11 on the terminal 40. The user inputs the contact information (for example, the e-mail address of the account that can be received by the terminal 40), and presses the "OK" button.

The user management unit 202 confirms the identity of the user when, for example, the user ID, password, biometric information (face image), identity verification document, and contact information are acquired by the GUI as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11. Specifically, the user management unit 202 acquires a face image for identity verification (hereinafter referred to as a verification face image) from the identity confirmation document. The user management unit 202 extracts a verification face image from a predetermined area of the identification document by using a technique such as template matching.

At the time of identity verification, the user management unit 202 generates a feature amount (feature vector consisting of a plurality of feature amounts) from each of the acquired face image and the verified face image. Since existing techniques can be used for the feature point extraction process, detailed description thereof will be omitted. For example, the user management unit 202 extracts eyes, nose, mouth, and the like as feature points from the face image. After that, the user management unit 202 calculates the position of each feature point and the distance between each feature point as a feature amount, and generates a feature vector (vector information that characterizes the face image) composed of a plurality of feature amounts.

Next, the user management unit 202 calculates the similarity between the two images. For the similarity, a chi-square distance, an Euclidean distance, or the like can be used. The farther the distance is, the lower the similarity is, and the closer the distance is, the higher the similarity is. The user management unit 202 executes a threshold value process for the similarity, and determines the success or failure of the identity verification according to the result.

If the degree of similarity is higher than the threshold value TH1, the user management unit 202 determines that the identity verification is successful. On the other hand, if the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold value TH1, the user management unit 202 determines that the identity verification has failed. In this case, the user management unit 202 takes measures such as encouraging the user to register a high-quality face image. As described above, when the identity verification is completed, the user management unit 202 may destroy the identity verification document.

If the identity verification is successful, the user management unit 202 hands over the user ID, password, face image, feature amount generated from the face image, and contact information to the database management unit 203. In the following description, the face image registered in the authentication information database will be referred to as "registered face image".

Next, the operation of the user management unit 202 when updating the face image (registered face image) will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation related to the face image update of the user management unit 202 according to the first embodiment.

A user who wishes to update the face image accesses the authentication server 10 using the terminal 40. The user management unit 202 displays a menu screen as shown in FIG. 7 on the terminal 40. The user who wants to update the face image presses the "update face image" button.

When the face image update button is pressed, the user management unit 202 displays a GUI for the user to log in to the system. For example, the user management unit 202 performs the display as shown in FIG. 13 and acquires the user ID and password.

The user management unit 202 searches the authentication information database using the acquired user ID and password as keys, and if the corresponding entry exists, determines that the user is registered in the system and proceeds with the update process of the face image. In this case, the user management unit 202 reads the registered face image from the corresponding entry. On the other hand, if the above entry does not exist, the user management unit 202 determines that the user has failed to log in to the system. In this case, the user management unit 202 notifies the user to that effect. The user management unit 202 may display the read face image (registered face image) so that the user can confirm it at the timing when the face image is read from the authentication information database.

After logging in to the user registered in the system, the user management unit 202 acquires an updated face image (hereinafter referred to as an updated face image) (step S101 in FIG. 12). For example, the user management unit 202 performs the display as shown in FIG. 14 in order to acquire the updated face image. The user selects the updated face image and presses the "OK" button.

The user management unit 202 determines whether or not the registered face image may be updated using the acquired updated face image.

The user management unit 202 calculates the similarity between the registered face image and the updated face image (step S102). The user management unit 202 performs threshold processing on the calculated similarity, and determines whether or not the registered face image can be updated according to the result.

If the degree of similarity is larger than the threshold value TH2 (step S103, Yes branch), the user management unit 202 permits the update of the registered face image (step S108). Since it can be determined that the two face images having a high degree of similarity are face images acquired from substantially the same person, the user management unit 202 permits the update of the registered face image. In this case, the user management unit 202 displays as shown in FIG. 15 and notifies the user that the registered face image has been updated.

If the degree of similarity is smaller than the threshold value TH3 (step S104, Yes branch), the user management unit 202 refuses to update the registered face image. Since it can be determined that the two face images having a low degree of similarity are face images of other people, the user management unit 202 refuses to update the registered face images (step S109). In this case, since unauthorized use of the system is suspected, the user management unit 202 displays as shown in FIG.

When the degree of similarity is the threshold value TH3 or more and the threshold value TH2 or less (step S103, No branch; step S104, No branch), the user management unit 202 acquires an identity confirmation document (step S105). For example, the user management unit 202 acquires an identification document using a GUI as shown in FIG. The user management unit 202 extracts the verification face image from the identity confirmation document.

If the identity verification document is not destroyed when the user is registered in the system and is stored in the database, the user management unit 202 skips the execution of step S105 and the identity verification document stored in the above database. May be used.

Alternatively, the user management unit 202 refuses to receive the old identity verification document (identity verification document issued before a predetermined period from the face image update date) based on the expiration date and issuance date of the acquired identity verification document. You may take measures such as. That is, the user management unit 202 may select the identity verification document for extracting the updated face image based on the description of the identity verification document (for example, the date and period described in the document). That is, the user management unit 202 may decide whether or not to extract the verification face image based on the description in the identity confirmation document. By making such selections and decisions, the user management unit 202 may acquire a verified face image that reflects the current appearance of the user.

The user management unit 202 calculates the similarity between the updated face image and the verified face image (step S106). The user management unit 202 executes the threshold value processing for the calculated similarity, and determines whether or not the registered image can be updated according to the result.

If the degree of similarity is higher than the threshold value TH4 (step S107, Yes branch), the user management unit 202 permits the update of the registered face image (step S108). In this case, the user management unit 202 performs the display as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, if the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold value TH4 (step S107, No branch), the user management unit 202 refuses to update the registered face image with the updated face image (step S109). In this case, the user management unit 202 performs the display as shown in FIG.

Alternatively, the user management unit 202 may display as shown in FIG. 18 and prompt re-input of the updated face image or the like. The user management unit 202 may repeat the determination process described above using the re-input face image.

When permitting the update of the registered face image, the user management unit 202 generates a feature amount from the updated face image. The user management unit 202 delivers the user ID, password, generated feature amount, and updated face image to the database management unit 203, and instructs the database management unit 203 to update the biometric information (feature amount, face image).

In this way, the user management unit 202, which functions as an update unit for the face image, has the registered face image according to the degree of similarity between the registered face image (first face image) and the updated face image (second face image). Is determined by the updated face image. The user management unit 202 updates the registered face image when the similarity between the registered face image and the updated face image is larger than the threshold value TH2. The user management unit 202 does not update the registered face image when the similarity between the registered face image and the updated face image is smaller than the threshold value TH3.

Further, the user management unit 202 acquires the user's identity confirmation document when the similarity between the registered face image and the updated face image is the threshold value TH3 or more and the threshold value TH2 or less. The user management unit 202 extracts the verification face image (third face image) from the identity confirmation document, and determines whether or not to update the registered face image according to the similarity between the updated face image and the verified face image. do. The user management unit 202 updates the registered face image when the similarity between the updated face image and the verified face image is larger than the threshold value TH4. The user management unit 202 does not update the registered face image when the similarity between the updated face image and the verified face image is the threshold value TH4 or less.

The database management unit 203 is a means for managing the authentication information database. The authentication information database contains information that identifies the system user (user ID, password), biometric information (feature amount, face image) of the user, service provider ID that identifies the service provider, and users in each service. The service user ID to be specified is associated and stored. Further, the authentication information database also stores the user's contact information in association with the above information. The authentication information database is a database that stores biometric information (registered face image, feature amount generated from the image) about each face of a plurality of users.

When the database management unit 203 acquires the above five information (user ID, password, feature amount, face image, contact information) from the user management unit 202, the database management unit 203 adds a new entry to the authentication information database. For example, when the above five pieces of information regarding the user U1 are acquired, the database management unit 203 adds the entry shown at the bottom of FIG. At the stage of user registration, since the service provider ID and the service user ID are not generated, nothing is set in these fields.

When the database management unit 203 acquires four pieces of information (user ID, password, feature amount, face image) accompanied by an instruction to update the face image from the user management unit 202, the database management unit 203 updates the feature amount and face image of the corresponding entry. (Overwrite.

The service registration unit 204 is a means for realizing individual service registration by system users. The service registration unit 204 processes the service registration request acquired from the management server 20 of the service provider.

The service registration unit 204 searches the authentication information database using the user ID and password included in the acquired service registration request as keys. The service registration unit 204 confirms the service provider ID field of the specified user (user specified from the set of user ID and password).

The service registration unit 204 determines whether or not the service provider ID included in the service registration request acquired from the management server 20 is set in the service provider ID field. If the service provider ID acquired from the management server 20 is already registered in the database, the service registration unit 204 notifies the management server 20 to that effect. In this case, since the service (service provider) that the user is trying to register is already registered in the authentication information database, the service registration unit 204 sends a "negative response" as a response to the service registration request.

On the other hand, if the service provider ID included in the service registration request is not set in the service provider ID field of the specified user, the service registration unit 204 will perform the service corresponding to the user and the service provider. Generate a user ID.

As described above, the service user ID is identification information uniquely determined from the combination of the user and the service provider. For example, the service registration unit 204 calculates a hash value using a user ID, a password, and a service provider ID, and uses the calculated hash value as a service user ID. Specifically, the service registration unit 204 calculates a concatenated value of a user ID, a password, and a service provider ID, and generates a service user ID by calculating a hash value of the calculated concatenated value.

Note that the generation of the service user ID using the above hash value is an example, and does not mean that the method of generating the service user ID is limited. The service user ID may be any information as long as it can uniquely identify the combination of the system user and the service provider. For example, the service registration unit 204 may assign a unique value as a service user ID each time it processes a service registration request.

When the service user ID is generated, the service registration unit 204 hands over the service provider ID and the service user ID to the database management unit 203 together with the user ID and password. The database management unit 203 registers two IDs (service provider ID and service user ID) in the authentication information database. For example, when the user U1 registers the service for the service provider S1, the above two IDs are added to the entry shown at the bottom of FIG. 20.

Since service registration is performed for each service provider, multiple service providers and service user IDs may be set for one user. For example, when the user U1 registers the service for each of the service providers S1 and S2, the entries in the second and third lines of FIG. 21 are generated. When the user U2 registers the service with respect to the service provider S1, the entry at the bottom of FIG. 21 is generated.

When the service provider ID and the service user ID are registered in the authentication information database, the service registration unit 204 notifies the management server 20 that the service registration request has been processed normally. The service registration unit 204 transmits an “acceptance response” as a response to the service registration request. At that time, the service registration unit 204 sends a response including the service user ID to the management server 20.

The authentication unit 205 is a means for performing authentication processing for system users. The authentication unit 205 processes the authentication request received from the management server 20 of the service provider. The authentication unit 205 authenticates the person to be authenticated with reference to the authentication information database.

The authentication unit 205 retrieves the feature amount and the service provider ID included in the authentication request. The authentication unit 205 searches the authentication information database using the extracted feature amount and the service provider ID as keys, and identifies the corresponding service user ID. The authentication unit 205 sets the feature amount extracted from the authentication request as the feature amount on the matching side and the feature amount stored in the database as the feature amount on the registration side, and executes one-to-N matching.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the authentication unit 205 according to the first embodiment.

The authentication unit 205 calculates the degree of similarity between each of the plurality of feature amounts registered in the authentication information database and the feature amount to be collated (feature amount of the person to be authenticated) (step S201).

The authentication unit 205 determines whether or not there is a similarity larger than the threshold value TH5 among the calculated similarity (step S202).

If at least one similarity degree larger than the threshold value TH5 exists (step S202, Yes branch), the authentication unit 205 identifies the user (user ID, password) having the highest similarity degree (step S203).

After that, the authentication unit 205 finds an entry matching the service provider ID included in the authentication request among at least one or more service provider IDs associated with the specified user (user ID, password). It is determined whether or not it exists (step S204).

If the above entry exists (step S204, Yes branch), the authentication unit 205 determines that the user authentication has been successful (step S205). In this case, the authentication unit 205 sends an “acceptance response” to the management server 20 that is the source of the authentication request. At that time, the authentication unit 205 generates a response (response to the authentication request) including the service user ID of the specified entry and sends it to the management server 20.

If the above entry does not exist (step S204, No branch), the authentication unit 205 determines that the user's authentication has failed (step S206). In this case, the authentication unit 205 transmits a "negative response" to the management server 20 that is the source of the authentication request.

Even when there is no similarity larger than the threshold value TH5 (step S202, No branch), the authentication unit 205 determines that the user's authentication has failed (step S207).

After that, the authentication unit 205 determines whether or not there is a similarity larger than the threshold value TH6 (however, TH6 <TH5) among the plurality of similarity calculated in step S201 (step S208). The threshold value TH5 is a threshold value for determining the person to be authenticated as the person himself / herself, and the threshold value TH6 is a threshold value for determining the person to be authenticated as another person.

If at least one similarity degree larger than the threshold value TH6 exists (step S208, Yes branch), the authentication unit 205 identifies the user with the highest similarity degree (step S209).

The authentication unit 205 updates the "authentication failure database" using the information of the specified user (step S210). The operation related to the authentication failure database and the update of the database will be described later.

If there is no similarity larger than the threshold value TH6 (step S208, No branch), the authentication unit 205 does not perform any particular operation and ends the process.

For example, in the example of FIG. 21, when the feature amount of "FV1" and the service provider ID of "S1" are included in the authentication request, the entry (user) in the second line and the third line is specified by the feature amount FV1. Then, the entry in the second line is specified by the service provider ID "S1". As a result, the authentication request is processed normally, and an acknowledgment including the service user ID "U1S1" is transmitted to the management server 20.

Further, when the authentication of the authenticated person fails (step S202, No branch), the authentication unit 205 executes the threshold value processing for the calculated similarity of the user registered in the authentication information database. Among them, the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person is specified (step S209). Specifically, when the calculated similarity is included in the range from the first threshold value (threshold value TH6) to the second threshold value (threshold value TH5), the authentication unit 205 is authenticated by the change in the appearance of the person to be authenticated. Judge that it has failed. The authentication unit 205 estimates that the user corresponding to the highest similarity among the similarity included in the above range is the authenticated person. The authentication unit 205 stores the information of the user presumed to be the authenticated person in the authentication failure database (step S210).

Next, the authentication failure database and the update control of the database will be described.

The authentication failure database is a database that stores information on users who are assumed to have failed authentication due to changes in the appearance of the person being authenticated. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of an authentication failure database. Referring to FIG. 23, the authentication failure database stores the user ID, password, contact information, and the number of failures in association with each other.

Note that the authentication failure database shown in FIG. 23 is an example, and does not mean to limit the items to be stored. For example, the contact can be obtained from the authentication information database based on the user ID and password, so it does not have to be included in the authentication failure database. Alternatively, the face image and the feature amount may be stored in the authentication failure database.

When the authentication request is processed, the authentication unit 205 calculates the similarity between the feature amount included in the authentication request and the plurality of feature amounts stored in the authentication information database. When at least one of the calculated similarities has a similarity larger than the threshold value TH6 and a threshold value TH5 or less (TH6 <similarity ≤ TH5), the authentication unit 205 updates the authentication failure database or adds an entry. ..

That is, when the calculated similarity does not exceed the threshold value TH5 recognized as the person but exceeds the similarity degree TH6 judged to be a completely different person, the authentication unit 205 determines that the person to be authenticated is authenticated due to the change in appearance. Judge that it failed. In this case, the authentication unit 205 registers the information of the user most similar to the authenticated person (the user with the closest similarity) in the authentication failure database. The user who most closely resembles the person to be authenticated is the user who is presumed to be the person to be authenticated.

The authentication unit 205 has a user ID, a password, and a contact from an entry (authentication information database entry) of a feature amount corresponding to the similarity having the largest value among the similarity included in the above range (TH6 <similarity ≤ TH5). Is read. The authentication unit 205 searches the authentication failure database using the read user ID and password as keys. If the corresponding entry does not exist, the authentication unit 205 adds a new entry to the database. At that time, "1" is set for the number of failures.

If the corresponding entry exists as a result of searching the authentication failure database using the user ID and password as keys, the authentication unit 205 increments the value of the failure count field of the specified entry (adds 1).

In this way, the authentication unit 205 stores (registers) the number of times of authentication failure for the user presumed to be authenticated in the authentication failure database.

The face image update recommendation unit 206 is a means for recommending the update of the registered face image to the user. When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the face image update recommendation unit 206 provides biometric information (face image) stored in the authentication information database for the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person among a plurality of users. I recommend updating. More specifically, when it is determined that the appearance of the user has changed and the face authentication has failed, the face image update recommendation unit 206 notifies the terminal 40 possessed by the user to that effect.

The face image update recommendation unit 206 refers to the authentication failure database periodically or at a predetermined timing, and acquires the value of the failure count field of each entry. The face image update recommendation unit 206 determines whether or not to recommend the update of the face image for the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person, based on the number of times of authentication failure. More specifically, the face image update recommendation unit 206 executes the threshold value processing for the acquired number of failures, and sends a "face image update recommendation notification" to the terminal 40 according to the result.

When the number of failures is larger than the threshold value TH7, the face image update recommendation unit 206 sends a "face image update recommendation notification" to the corresponding contact. The terminal 40 that has received the notification displays as shown in FIG. 24 and urges the user to update the registered face image.

In addition, various information can be included in the face image update recommendation notification. For example, the face image update recommendation unit 206 may send a face image update recommendation notification including a face image (a face image registered in the authentication information database) of a user presumed to be the authenticated person to the terminal 40. In this case, the terminal 40 can perform the display as shown in FIG. 25. The user who comes into contact with the display as shown in FIG. 25 is convinced that his / her face is displayed and updates the face image registered in the authentication server 10.

Alternatively, when the user's system is registered, the system registration date, the age at the time of registration, etc. are also stored in the authentication information database, so that the face image update recommendation unit 206 can notify the face image update recommendation including such information. May be transmitted to the terminal 40. Alternatively, the face image update recommendation unit 206 may send a face image update recommendation notification including the system registration period after the face image is registered (or updated) to the terminal 40. In this case, the user can recognize that the face image has not been updated for a long period of time, and may be a motivation for updating the face image.

The operation of the face image update recommendation unit 206 can be summarized as shown in the flowchart shown in FIG. 26.

The face image update recommendation unit 206 compares the number of failures of the authentication failure database with the threshold value TH7 (step S301).

If the number of failures is larger than the threshold value TH7 (step S301, Yes branch), the face image update recommendation unit 206 transmits a face image update recommendation notification to the terminal 40 (step S302).

If the number of failures is the threshold value TH7 or less (step S301, No branch), the face image update recommendation unit 206 does not perform any particular operation.

The storage unit 207 stores information necessary for the operation of the authentication server 10. An authentication information database (first database) and an authentication failure database (second database) are constructed in the storage unit 207.

[Management server]
FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the management server 20 according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 27, the management server 20 includes a communication control unit 301, a personal information acquisition unit 302, a service registration request unit 303, a database management unit 304, an authentication request unit 305, and a storage unit 306. ..

The communication control unit 301 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 301 receives data (packets) from the authentication server 10 and the authentication terminal 30. Further, the communication control unit 301 transmits data to the authentication server 10 and the authentication terminal 30. The communication control unit 301 passes the data received from the other device to the other processing module. The communication control unit 301 transmits the data acquired from the other processing module to the other device. In this way, the other processing module transmits / receives data to / from another device via the communication control unit 301.

The personal information acquisition unit 302 is a means for acquiring personal information required when a service provider provides a service. For example, when the service provider is a "retail store", the personal information acquisition unit 302 provides information related to payment (for example, credit card information, bank account information) in addition to the user's name and the like. get. Alternatively, when the service provider is a "hotel operator", the personal information acquisition unit 302 acquires reservation information (for example, accommodation date, etc.) related to accommodation in addition to the name and the like.

The personal information acquisition unit 302 acquires the user ID and password determined when the user registers the system, in addition to the personal information such as the above name.

The personal information acquisition unit 302 acquires personal information, a user ID, and a password by any means. For example, the personal information acquisition unit 302 displays a GUI or a form for inputting the above information on the terminal 40 (see FIG. 28). Alternatively, the information shown in FIG. 28 may be displayed on the WEB page managed and operated by the service provider. Alternatively, the terminal 40 may download the application provided by the service provider and display as shown in FIG. 28 by the application. In particular, the WEB page may be a WEB page that manages member information of a service provider. That is, the member of each service provider may register the service on the WEB page that manages his / her member information.

The personal information acquisition unit 302 delivers the personal information, user ID, and password acquired using the GUI or the like to the service registration request unit 303.

The service registration request unit 303 is a means for requesting (requesting) the authentication server 10 to register the user regarding the use of the service.

The service registration request unit 303 selects a user ID and password from the above three pieces of information (personal information, user ID, password) acquired from the personal information acquisition unit 302. The service registration request unit 303 transmits a service registration request including the selected user ID, password and service provider ID to the authentication server 10.

The service registration request unit 303 acquires a response to the service registration request from the authentication server 10. If the acquired response is a "negative response", the service registration requesting unit 303 notifies the user to that effect. For example, the service registration request unit 303 notifies the user that the service registration has already been performed.

If the acquired response is an "affirmative response", the service registration requesting unit 303 notifies the user that the service registration has been successful. Further, the service registration request unit 303 passes the service user ID included in the response and the personal information acquired from the personal information acquisition unit 302 to the database management unit 304.

The database management unit 304 is a means for managing the user information database. The user information database is a database that manages information on users (system users) who are the targets of service provision. The user information database stores the personal information (for example, name, etc.) of the user in association with the service user ID acquired from the authentication server 10.

When the database management unit 304 acquires the above information (personal information, service user ID) from the service registration request unit 303, it adds a new entry to the user information database. For example, when the management server 20 of the service provider S1 acquires the above information regarding the user U1, the entry shown at the bottom of FIG. 29 is added.

The authentication request unit 305 is a means for requesting the user's authentication from the authentication server 10.

When the authentication request unit 305 acquires biometric information (face image) from the authentication terminal 30, it generates a feature amount from the face image. The authentication request unit 305 transmits an authentication request including the generated feature amount and the service provider ID to the authentication server 10.

When the response from the authentication server 10 is a "negative response" (in the case of an authentication failure), the authentication request unit 305 notifies the authentication terminal 30 to that effect.

When the response from the authentication server 10 is an "affirmative response" (when the authentication is successful), the authentication request unit 305 retrieves the service user ID included in the response from the authentication server 10. The authentication request unit 305 searches the user information database using the service user ID as a key, and identifies the corresponding entry.

The authentication request unit 305 reads out the personal information set in the personal information field of the specified entry and sends it to the authentication terminal 30. For example, in the example of FIG. 29, if the service user ID is "U1S1", the personal information at the bottom is transmitted to the authentication terminal 30.

The storage unit 306 stores information necessary for the operation of the management server 20. The user information database is built in the storage unit 306.

[Authentication terminal]
The authentication terminal 30 acquires the user's personal information from the management server 20 by transmitting the biometric information acquired from the user to the management server 20. The authentication terminal 30 provides a service to the user by using the acquired personal information.

FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the authentication terminal 30 according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 30, the authentication terminal 30 includes a communication control unit 401, a biometric information acquisition unit 402, a service providing unit 403, a message output unit 404, and a storage unit 405.

The communication control unit 401 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 401 receives data (packets) from the management server 20. Further, the communication control unit 401 transmits data to the management server 20. The communication control unit 401 passes the data received from the other device to the other processing module. The communication control unit 401 transmits the data acquired from the other processing module to the other device. In this way, the other processing module transmits / receives data to / from the other device via the communication control unit 401.

The biometric information acquisition unit 402 is a means for controlling the camera and acquiring the biometric information (face image) of the user. The biological information acquisition unit 402 images the front of the own device at regular intervals or at predetermined timings. The biological information acquisition unit 402 determines whether or not the acquired image includes a human face image, and if the acquired image includes a face image, extracts the face image from the acquired image data.

Since the existing technology can be used for the face image detection process and the face image extraction process by the biological information acquisition unit 402, detailed description thereof will be omitted. For example, the biological information acquisition unit 402 may extract a face image (face region) from the image data by using a learning model learned by CNN (Convolutional Neural Network). Alternatively, the biological information acquisition unit 402 may extract a face image by using a technique such as template matching.

The biometric information acquisition unit 402 delivers the extracted face image to the service provision unit 403.

The service providing unit 403 is a means for providing a predetermined service to the user. The service providing unit 403 transmits the face image acquired from the biometric information acquisition unit 402 to the management server 20. The management server 20 returns personal information (for example, name, etc.) corresponding to the face image. The service providing unit 403 provides the service to the user by using the returned personal information.

The message output unit 404 is a means for outputting various messages to the user. For example, the message output unit 404 outputs a message regarding the user's authentication result and a message regarding service provision. The message output unit 404 may display a message using a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor, or may reproduce a voice message using an audio device such as a speaker.

The storage unit 405 stores information necessary for the operation of the authentication terminal 30.

[System operation]
Subsequently, the operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment will be described. The operation will be described for the service registration phase and the service provision phase, and the description regarding the user registration phase will be omitted.

FIG. 31 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation related to the service registration phase of the authentication system according to the first embodiment.

The management server 20 acquires personal information (information necessary for providing the service), user ID, and password from the user (step S01).

The management server 20 transmits a service registration request including the acquired user ID, password, and service provider ID to the authentication server 10 (step S02).

The authentication server 10 generates a service user ID using the acquired user ID, password, and service provider ID (step S03).

The authentication server 10 stores the service provider ID and the service user ID in the authentication information database (step S04).

The authentication server 10 transmits a response including the service user ID (response to the service registration request) to the management server 20 (step S05).

The management server 20 associates the personal information acquired in step S01 with the service user ID acquired from the authentication server 10 and stores it in the user information database (step S06).

FIG. 32 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation related to the service provision phase of the authentication system according to the first embodiment.

The authentication terminal 30 acquires a user's face image (biological information) and transmits the acquired face image to the management server 20 (step S11).

The management server 20 generates a feature amount from the acquired face image (step S12).

The management server 20 transmits an authentication request including the generated feature amount and the service provider ID to the authentication server 10 (step S13).

The authentication server 10 executes an authentication process using the feature amount included in the authentication request and the service provider ID, and identifies the corresponding service user ID (step S14).

The authentication server 10 transmits a response (response to the authentication request) including the specified service user ID to the management server 20 (step S15).

The management server 20 searches the user information database using the acquired service user ID, and identifies the corresponding personal information (step S16).

The management server 20 transmits the specified personal information to the authentication terminal 30 (step S17).

The authentication terminal 30 provides a service using the acquired personal information (step S18).

As described above, when the authentication system according to the first embodiment fails to authenticate the person to be authenticated, it determines whether or not the authentication has failed due to a change in the appearance of the person to be authenticated or the like. When it is determined that the authentication has failed due to a change in appearance or the like, the authentication server 10 identifies a user presumed to be the authenticated person from the users registered in the authentication information database. The authentication server 10 stores the information of such a person to be authenticated (the person to be authenticated who has failed in authentication but cannot be completely determined to be another person) in the authentication failure database. Then, when the authentication server 10 fails to authenticate the same user (a user presumed to be the authenticated person) a plurality of times, the authentication server 10 prompts the user to update the face image. As a result, the user can update the face image registered in the authentication server 10 at an appropriate time, and the possibility that the authentication fails is reduced. That is, the authentication accuracy of the authentication system is maintained at a high level for a long period of time.

Further, in the authentication system according to the first embodiment, the authentication server 10 determines whether or not the registered face image can be updated based on the similarity between the registered face image and the updated face image. When the similarity between the two face images is extremely high, the authentication server 10 determines that the face image of the user initially registered in the system was used as the face image for updating, and updates the face image. On the other hand, when the similarity between the two face images is extremely low, the authentication server 10 determines that the face image of a person different from the user initially registered in the system was used as the face image for updating, and the face image. Reject the update. For example, when the appearance of the user changes with the passage of time and the two facial images are slightly different, the authentication server 10 requests the user to submit an identification document. The authentication server 10 updates the face image when the identity of the person in the face image used for updating can be confirmed by comparing the verified face image described in the identity confirmation document with the updated face image. That is, when it is unclear whether or not the registered face image and the updated face image match the system-registered user and the face image updater, the authentication server 10 uses the identification document to use the system user. And check the match of the updated face image provider. As a result, the authentication server 10 can prevent unauthorized updating of the registered face image.

[Second Embodiment]
Subsequently, the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the first embodiment, the authentication server 10 identifies a person to be authenticated who has failed in authentication due to a change in appearance or the like among the users registered in the system. Further, the authentication server 10 is urging the face image to be updated via the terminal 40 possessed by the specified user. In the second embodiment, the case where the authentication server 10 prompts the person to be authenticated to update the face image via the authentication terminal 30 will be described.

Since the configuration of the authentication system according to the second embodiment can be the same as that of the first embodiment, the description corresponding to FIG. 2 will be omitted. Further, since the processing configuration of the authentication server 10, the management server 20, and the authentication terminal 30 according to the second embodiment can be the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

Hereinafter, the differences between the first and second embodiments will be mainly described.

In the second embodiment, the user does not need to register the contact information in the authentication server 10 at the time of system registration. That is, in the authentication information database shown in FIG. 19 and the like, the contact field does not have to exist. Further, the system may not include the terminal 40 as a means for receiving the face image update recommendation notification from the authentication server 10.

The authentication failure database according to the second embodiment stores the biometric information (feature amount) of the authenticated person who failed in authentication in association with the number of failures (see FIG. 33).

FIG. 34 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the authentication unit 205 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 34, the operation after the case where the similarity is larger than the threshold value TH5 (step S202, Yes branch) may be the same as the operation of the authentication unit 205 according to the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 22. Since it can be done, the explanation is omitted.

If the authentication of the person to be authenticated fails, the authentication unit 205 determines whether or not the calculated similarity is larger than the threshold value TH6 (step S211). When the degree of similarity is larger than the threshold value TH6 (step S211 and Yes branch), the authentication unit 205 performs a collation process using the authentication failure database (step S212). Specifically, the authentication unit 205 sets the feature amount of the person to be authenticated on the collation side and the feature amount registered in the authentication failure database on the registration side, and executes one-to-N verification.

After that, the authentication unit 205 updates the authentication failure database (step S213).

As a result of the above collation process, if there is no feature amount that substantially matches the feature amount of the person to be authenticated, the authentication unit 205 adds a new entry to the authentication failure database and sets "1" in the failure count field. Set. Further, the authentication unit 205 sets the feature amount of the person to be authenticated in the added entry.

As a result of the above collation process, if there is a feature amount that substantially matches the feature amount of the person to be authenticated, the authentication unit 205 adds "1" to the value of the failure count field of the corresponding entry.

After that, the authentication unit 205 delivers the feature amount of the person to be authenticated to the face image update recommendation unit 206, and instructs the user corresponding to the feature amount to determine whether or not the face image update recommendation is necessary (step S214). ). Similar to the first embodiment, the face image update recommendation unit 206 performs threshold processing on the number of failures of the authenticated person, and determines whether or not a recommendation regarding face image update is necessary based on the result. The face image update recommendation unit 206 responds to the authentication unit 205 with the determination result.

If the recommendation is not necessary (step S215, No branch), the authentication unit 205 notifies the sender of the authentication request of the authentication failure (step S216). Even when the calculated similarity is not larger than the threshold value TH6 (step S211, No branch), the authentication unit 205 notifies the sender of the authentication request of the authentication failure.

If a recommendation is required (step S215, Yes branch), the authentication unit 205 instructs the face image update recommendation unit 206 to send a face image update recommendation notification (step S217).

The face image update recommendation unit 206 that received the instruction sends a face image update recommendation notification to the management server 20 that is the sender of the authentication request. The notification is forwarded to the authentication terminal 30 that has acquired the biometric information of the person to be authenticated. The authentication terminal 30 performs the display as shown in FIG. 24 and urges the person to be authenticated to update the face image.

As described above, the authentication server 10 according to the second embodiment sends a face image update recommendation notification instead of the authentication result when it is necessary to prompt the face image update. Alternatively, the authentication server 10 may include information (flag) in the negative response to the authentication request to the effect that the negative response corresponds to the "face image update recommendation notification". In this case, the authentication terminal 30 can display different messages to the authenticated person who has failed in authentication depending on whether the authentication failure is received or the authentication failure corresponding to the face image update recommendation is received. ..

As described above, the authentication system according to the second embodiment can prompt the authenticated person to update the face image when the authenticated person fails to authenticate a predetermined number of times. That is, in the second embodiment, instead of the user presumed to be the authenticated person, it is recommended to update the face image to the authenticated person whose identity is verified in front of the authentication terminal 30. .. As a result, the authentication accuracy can be maintained as in the first embodiment.

Next, the hardware of each device that constitutes the authentication system will be described. FIG. 35 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the authentication server 10.

The authentication server 10 can be configured by an information processing device (so-called computer), and includes the configuration illustrated in FIG. 35. For example, the authentication server 10 includes a processor 311, a memory 312, an input / output interface 313, a communication interface 314, and the like. The components such as the processor 311 are connected by an internal bus or the like and are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

However, the configuration shown in FIG. 35 does not mean to limit the hardware configuration of the authentication server 10. The authentication server 10 may include hardware (not shown) or may not include an input / output interface 313 if necessary. Further, the number of processors 311 and the like included in the authentication server 10 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 35, and for example, a plurality of processors 311 may be included in the authentication server 10.

The processor 311 is a programmable device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Alternatively, the processor 311 may be a device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The processor 311 executes various programs including an operating system (OS).

The memory 312 is a RAM (RandomAccessMemory), a ROM (ReadOnlyMemory), an HDD (HardDiskDrive), an SSD (SolidStateDrive), or the like. The memory 312 stores an OS program, an application program, and various data.

The input / output interface 313 is an interface of a display device or an input device (not shown). The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display or the like. The input device is, for example, a device that accepts user operations such as a keyboard and a mouse.

The communication interface 314 is a circuit, module, etc. that communicates with other devices. For example, the communication interface 314 includes a NIC (Network Interface Card) and the like.

The function of the authentication server 10 is realized by various processing modules. The processing module is realized, for example, by the processor 311 executing a program stored in the memory 312. The program can also be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium may be a non-transient such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium, or an optical recording medium. That is, the present invention can also be embodied as a computer program product. Further, the above program can be downloaded via a network or updated by using a storage medium in which the program is stored. Further, the processing module may be realized by a semiconductor chip.

The management server 20, the authentication terminal 30, and the terminal 40 can also be configured by an information processing device in the same manner as the authentication server 10, and the basic hardware configuration thereof is not different from that of the authentication server 10, so the description thereof will be omitted. .. For example, the authentication terminal 30 may be provided with a camera for photographing the user.

The authentication server 10 which is an information processing device is equipped with a computer, and the function of the authentication server 10 can be realized by causing the computer to execute a program. Further, the authentication server 10 executes the face image update recommendation method by the program.

[Modification example]
The configuration, operation, and the like of the authentication system described in the above embodiment are examples, and are not intended to limit the system configuration and the like.

In the above embodiment, it has been described that the user determines the user ID and password, and identifies the user (system user) registered in the system by using the user ID and password. However, the authentication system may determine an ID (identifier) that uniquely identifies the system user. For example, in the user registration phase, the authentication server 10 acquires the user's biometric information (face image, feature amount). The authentication server 10 may generate the above ID based on the biometric information. For example, the authentication server 10 may calculate a hash value from the feature amount of the face image and use the calculated hash value as a substitute for the user ID and password. Since the feature amount of the face image differs for each user and the hash value generated from the feature amount also differs for each user, it can be used as an ID of the system user.

In the above embodiment, it has been explained that the user registration phase and the service registration phase are executed at different timings, but these phases may be executed at substantially the same timing. For example, the authentication terminal 30 installed in the service provider that the user wishes to provide the service may be used, and the above two registration phases may be executed. Specifically, the user performs user registration (input of biometric information, user ID, password) using the authentication terminal 30, and then continuously performs service registration (input of personal information, user ID, password). ) May be performed. In this case, the authentication terminal 30 may be provided with a user registration function (user management unit 202) of the authentication server 10 and a personal information acquisition function (personal information acquisition unit 302) of the management server 20.

The plurality of authentication terminals 30 owned by the service provider do not have to be installed on the same site, building, or the like. If the service providers are common, each authentication terminal 30 may be installed in a spatially separated place.

In the above embodiment, one service provider ID is assigned to one service provider, but one service provider ID may be assigned to a plurality of service providers. A plurality of service providers may be grouped together and a service provider ID may be issued for each group. For example, when the service providers S1 and S2 cooperate to provide the same service, a common service provider ID may be issued to the service providers S1 and S2.

In the above embodiment, the case where the biometric information related to the "feature amount generated from the face image" is transmitted from the management server 20 to the authentication server 10 has been described. However, the biometric information related to the "face image" may be transmitted from the management server 20 to the authentication server 10. In this case, the authentication server 10 may generate a feature amount from the acquired face image and execute the authentication process (verification process).

In the above embodiment, the case where the authentication terminal 30 acquires the face image and the management server 20 generates the feature amount from the face image has been described. However, the authentication terminal 30 may generate a feature amount from the face image and transmit the generated feature amount to the management server 20. That is, the management server 20 does not have to generate the feature amount.

In the above embodiment, the case where the authentication server 10 stores the user's biometric information (face image, feature amount) and the management server 20 stores the user's personal information (name, etc.) has been described. However, these two servers may be integrated, and the integrated server may store biometric information and personal information. That is, the authentication terminal 30 may transmit the biometric information to the integrated server, and the server may transmit the corresponding personal information to the authentication terminal 30 as a result of the authentication process.

In the above embodiment, the case where the feature amount generated from the registered face image is stored in the authentication information database has been described, but the feature amount does not have to be stored in the database. The authentication server 10 may generate a feature amount from the registered face image each time the authentication request is processed.

In the above embodiment, it has been explained that the identity verification using the identity verification document is performed at the time of the user's system registration, but the identity verification may be omitted. The identity verification of the system user may be performed individually by the service provider. That is, the management server 20 may confirm the identity by using the biological information (face image) and the identity confirmation document. In this case, the management server 20 may delete the biometric information after the identity verification is completed.

Alternatively, the staff of the authentication center confirms the identity using the face image and the identity verification document obtained from the user, and inputs the user information (user ID, password, face image) whose identity is certain to the authentication server 10. You may.

In the above embodiment, it has been described that the old feature amount and the face image are deleted (overwritten with the new feature amount and the face image) when the face image is updated, but the old feature amount and the face image may also be left in the database. .. Further, when the old feature amount remains, the authentication server 10 may also use the old feature amount for the collation process. For example, the authentication server 10 may use the old feature amount for the collation process when the collation process using the new feature amount (updated feature amount) is not successful. By such measures, it is possible to absorb slight changes in appearance and improve the authentication accuracy.

The form of data transmission / reception between each device (authentication server 10, management server 20, authentication terminal 30) is not particularly limited, but the data transmitted / received between these devices may be encrypted. Biometric information is transmitted and received between these devices, and it is desirable that encrypted data be transmitted and received in order to appropriately protect the biometric information.

In the above embodiment, it has been described that the user's terminal 40 is used for updating the face image. The terminal 40 may be used for purposes other than updating the facial image. For example, the user may update other information registered in the authentication server 10 by using the terminal 40. For example, the user may access the authentication server 10 using the terminal 40 and select a service provider who receives the service by biometric authentication. That is, the user may register the service via the authentication server 10. At that time, if the number of service providers is large, service providers that are infrequently used or service providers that have not been used recently may be displayed with priority. Alternatively, the user may apply for withdrawal from the system or service by using the terminal 40.

In the above embodiment, the case where the face image update recommendation unit 206 transmits the face image update recommendation notification based on the number of authentication failures of the user presumed to be the authenticated person has been described. However, the face image update recommendation unit 206 may determine whether or not to send the face image update recommendation notification instead of the number of failures or based on other information. For example, it may be determined whether or not to send the face image update recommendation notification according to the age of the user. For example, when the user is a minor, the face changes rapidly with the passage of time, so the face image update recommendation unit 206 may send the face image update recommendation notification with a small number of failures. That is, the face image update recommendation unit 206 may change the threshold value TH7 that determines the transmission of the face image update recommendation notification according to the age of the user (user registered in the authentication failure database). Alternatively, the face image update recommendation unit 206 may change the threshold value TH7 according to the elapsed period from the time of system registration. Specifically, when the system registration period is short, the threshold value TH7 is set large, and when the period is long, the threshold value TH7 is set small. With such a response, the longer the system registration period, the higher the possibility that the face image update recommendation notification will be sent.

The authentication server 10 may prompt the authentication terminal 30 to update the face image when the authentication fails a plurality of times for the authentication request from the same authentication terminal 30 (management server 20). For example, when the authentication fails, the authentication server 10 retains the feature amount immediately before the person to be authenticated, and when it is recognized that the authentication fails for the same person, the management server 20 and the authentication terminal 30 are used. You may be prompted to update the face image via.

The authentication server 10 may change the threshold value TH6 for estimating the person to be authenticated who has failed in authentication according to the source of the authentication request (management server 20). For example, consider a case where the environment in which the authentication terminal 30 is installed is bad and there is a high tendency for authentication to fail. The reliability of the face image acquired in such an environment and the authentication result using the face image is low. Therefore, the authentication server 10 sets the threshold value TH6 high. As a result, it is possible to prevent unreliable results obtained in a poor environment from being registered in the authentication failure database.

The authentication server 10 may store the history related to the authentication of the user registered in the authentication failure database. Specifically, the information of the service provider (management server 20) that has succeeded in authenticating the user and the service provider that has failed in authentication may be stored in association with each other. If the authentication server 10 fails to authenticate a large number of specific service providers, the authentication server 10 may notify the service provider to that effect. For example, when the probabilities of successful authentication differ greatly among a plurality of service providers, the authentication server 10 notifies a large number of service providers who have failed in authentication to that effect, and a face image shooting environment or the like. May be encouraged to improve.

In the above embodiment, the authentication server 10 registers a user who is presumed to have failed in authentication due to a change in appearance or the like in the authentication failure database. The authentication server 10 may notify the authentication terminal 30 via the management server 20 at the time of registration of the database. For example, the authentication terminal 30 that received the notification said, "Your authentication failed. The face image registered in the system may be out of date. We recommend updating the face image." May be displayed. In the case of urging (recommending) the update of the face image via the authentication terminal 30 in this way, the user does not need to register the contact information in the authentication server 10.

In the above embodiment, for the authenticated person who has failed in authentication, the information of the user whose similarity is within a predetermined range (TH6 <similarity ≤ TH5) is stored by using the authentication failure database. explained. However, the authentication server 10 may uniformly store information for each authenticated person who has failed in authentication. When the authentication fails, the authentication server 10 may register the user information corresponding to the largest similarity in the authentication failure database.

In the second embodiment described above, the authentication unit 205 registers the feature amount of the person to be authenticated who has failed in authentication in the authentication failure database. However, the authentication unit 205 may register the feature amount corresponding to the similarity having the largest value among the calculated similarities in the authentication failure database instead of the feature amount of the subject to be authenticated. That is, the authentication failure database may store the feature amount of the user presumed to be the authenticated person (the user with the maximum similarity) among a plurality of users in association with the number of authentication failures. Further, when the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the authentication unit 205 performs a collation process using the feature amount stored in the authentication failure database and the feature amount of the authenticated person who failed in the authentication, and the authentication unit 205 fails in the authentication. Identifies the person's entry. The authentication unit 205 updates the value in the failure count field of the identified entry.

In the flow chart (flow chart, sequence diagram) used in the above description, a plurality of processes (processes) are described in order, but the execution order of the processes executed in the embodiment is not limited to the order of description. In the embodiment, the order of the illustrated processes can be changed within a range that does not hinder the contents, for example, each process is executed in parallel.

The above embodiment has been described in detail in order to facilitate understanding of the disclosure of the present application, and is not intended to require all the configurations described above. Moreover, when a plurality of embodiments are described, each embodiment may be used alone or in combination. For example, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of the embodiment. Further, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration.

Although the industrial applicability of the present invention is clear from the above description, the present invention is suitably applicable to an authentication system for certifying customers such as retail stores and hotel operators. However, the application destination of the disclosure of the present application is not limited to the authentication system, and the disclosure of the present application is suitable for a system for updating biometric information (particularly, a registered facial image).

Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described, but not limited to:
[Appendix 1]
A first database that stores biometric information about the faces of multiple users,
With reference to the first database, the authentication unit that authenticates the person to be authenticated and
When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, it is recommended to update the biometric information stored in the first database to the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person among the plurality of users. Department and
An authentication server.
[Appendix 2]
The authentication server according to Appendix 1, wherein the recommendation unit recommends updating the biometric information when it is determined that the authentication has failed due to a change in the appearance of the person to be authenticated.
[Appendix 3]
The first database stores the feature quantities generated from the facial images of each of the plurality of users, and stores the features.
The certification unit
The similarity between each of the plurality of feature quantities stored in the first database and the feature quantity of the subject to be authenticated is calculated.
Based on the result of the threshold processing for the calculated similarity, the user presumed to be the authenticated person is identified.
The authentication server according to

Appendix

1 or 2, which stores the specified user information in a second database.
[Appendix 4]
The authentication unit estimates that the user corresponding to the similarity having the largest value among the calculated similarities larger than the first threshold value and equal to or less than the second threshold value is the authenticated person. The authentication server according to 3.
[Appendix 5]
The authentication server according to Appendix 4, wherein the first threshold value is a threshold value for determining the person to be authenticated as the person himself / herself, and the second threshold value is a threshold value for determining the person to be authenticated as another person.
[Appendix 6]
The authentication unit stores at least the number of times of failure in authentication regarding the user presumed to be authenticated in the second database.
The authentication server according to any one of Supplementary note 3 to 5, wherein the recommendation unit determines whether or not to recommend the update of the biometric information based on the number of times the authentication fails.
[Appendix 7]
The authentication server according to Appendix 6, wherein the recommendation unit recommends updating the biometric information based on the result of the threshold value processing for the number of times the authentication fails.
[Appendix 8]
The authentication server according to any one of Supplementary note 3 to 7, wherein the second database stores the contact information of the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person.
[Appendix 9]
The authentication server according to Appendix 8, wherein the recommendation unit sends a face image update recommendation notification to a contact stored in the second database.
[Appendix 10]
The authentication according to Appendix 9, wherein the recommendation unit is a face image stored in the first database and transmits the face image update recommendation notification including the face image of the user presumed to be the authenticated person. server.
[Appendix 11]
The authentication according to Appendix 9 or 10, wherein the recommendation unit transmits the face image update recommendation notification including at least one of the age, system registration date, and system registration period of the user presumed to be the person to be authenticated. server.
[Appendix 12]
In any one of the appendices 9 to 11, the recommendation unit determines whether or not to send the face image update recommendation notification according to the age of the user presumed to be the authenticated person or the system registration period. The listed authentication server.
[Appendix 13]
The authentication server according to Appendix 1 recommends that the person to be authenticated update the biometric information stored in the first database on behalf of the user who is presumed to be the person to be authenticated. ..
[Appendix 14]
If the authentication of the person to be authenticated fails, a second database for storing the number of times the authentication for the person to be authenticated fails is further provided.
The recommendation unit is the authentication server of Appendix 13 that recommends the person to be authenticated to update the biometric information when the number of times the authentication of the person to be authenticated fails is larger than a predetermined value.
[Appendix 15]
The second database stores the biometric information of the person to be authenticated in association with the number of times the authentication fails.
When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the authentication unit fails in the authentication by a collation process using the biometric information stored in the second database and the biometric information of the authenticated person who failed in the authentication. The authentication server of Appendix 14 that identifies the entry of the authenticated person and updates the number of times that the authentication of the specified entry fails.
[Appendix 16]
The second database stores the biometric information of the user presumed to be the authenticated person among the plurality of users in association with the number of times the authentication fails.
When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the authentication unit fails in the authentication by a collation process using the biometric information stored in the second database and the biometric information of the authenticated person who failed in the authentication. The authentication server of Appendix 14 that identifies the entry of the authenticated person and updates the number of times that the authentication of the specified entry fails.
[Appendix 17]
In an authentication server equipped with a first database that stores biometric information about the faces of multiple users.
With reference to the first database, the person to be authenticated is authenticated.
When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person among the plurality of users is advised to update the biometric information stored in the first database. Image update recommendation method.
[Appendix 18]
A computer installed in an authentication server equipped with a first database that stores biometric information about the faces of multiple users.
The process of authenticating the person to be authenticated with reference to the first database,
When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the process of recommending the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person among the plurality of users to update the biometric information stored in the first database. ,
A computer-readable storage medium that stores programs for executing.

The disclosures of the above-mentioned prior art documents cited shall be incorporated into this document by citation. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are merely exemplary and that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. That is, it goes without saying that the present invention includes all disclosure including claims, various modifications and modifications that can be made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the technical idea.

10, 100 Authentication server 20 Management server 30 Authentication terminal 40 Terminal 101

First database

102, 205 Authentication unit 103

Recommendation unit

201, 301, 401 Communication control unit 202

User management unit

203, 304 Database (DB; Data Base) management Unit 204 Service registration unit 206 Face image

update recommendation unit

207, 306, 405 Storage unit 302 Personal information acquisition unit 303 Service registration request unit 305 Authentication request unit 311 Processor 312 Memory 313 Input / output interface 314 Communication interface 402 Biometric information acquisition unit 403 Service Providing unit 404 Message output unit

Claims

A first database that stores biometric information about the faces of multiple users,
With reference to the first database, the authentication unit that authenticates the person to be authenticated and
When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, it is recommended to update the biometric information stored in the first database to the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person among the plurality of users. Department and
An authentication server.
The authentication server according to claim 1, wherein the recommendation unit recommends updating the biometric information when it is determined that the authentication has failed due to a change in the appearance of the person to be authenticated.
The first database stores the feature quantities generated from the facial images of each of the plurality of users, and stores the features.
The certification unit
The similarity between each of the plurality of feature quantities stored in the first database and the feature quantity of the subject to be authenticated is calculated.
Based on the result of the threshold processing for the calculated similarity, the user presumed to be the authenticated person is identified.
The authentication server according to claim 1 or 2, which stores the specified user information in a second database.
The authentication unit estimates that the user corresponding to the similarity having the largest value among the calculated similarities larger than the first threshold value and equal to or less than the second threshold value is the authenticated person. The authentication server according to item 3.
The authentication server according to claim 4, wherein the first threshold value is a threshold value for determining the person to be authenticated as the person himself / herself, and the second threshold value is a threshold value for determining the person to be authenticated as another person.
The authentication unit stores at least the number of times of failure in authentication regarding the user presumed to be authenticated in the second database.
The authentication server according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the recommendation unit determines whether or not to recommend the update of the biometric information based on the number of times the authentication fails.
The authentication server according to claim 6, wherein the recommendation unit recommends updating the biometric information based on the result of threshold processing for the number of times the authentication fails.
The authentication server according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the second database stores the contact information of the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person.
The authentication server according to claim 8, wherein the recommendation unit sends a face image update recommendation notification to the contact stored in the second database.
The recommendation unit is the face image stored in the first database, and the face image update recommendation notice including the face image of the user presumed to be the authenticated person is transmitted, according to claim 9. Authentication server.
The recommendation unit according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the recommendation unit transmits the face image update recommendation notification including at least one of the age, system registration date, and system registration period of the user presumed to be authenticated. Authentication server.
One of claims 9 to 11, wherein the recommendation unit determines whether or not to send the face image update recommendation notification according to the age of the user presumed to be the authenticated person or the system registration period. The authentication server described in the section.
The authentication according to claim 1, wherein the recommendation unit recommends the person to be authenticated to update the biometric information stored in the first database on behalf of the user who is presumed to be the person to be authenticated. server.
If the authentication of the person to be authenticated fails, a second database for storing the number of times the authentication for the person to be authenticated fails is further provided.
The authentication server according to claim 13, wherein the recommendation unit recommends the person to be authenticated to update the biometric information when the number of times the authentication of the person to be authenticated fails is larger than a predetermined value.
The second database stores the biometric information of the person to be authenticated in association with the number of times the authentication fails.
When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the authentication unit fails in the authentication by a collation process using the biometric information stored in the second database and the biometric information of the authenticated person who failed in the authentication. The authentication server according to claim 14, which identifies the entry of the authenticated person and updates the number of times the authentication of the specified entry fails.
The second database stores the biometric information of the user presumed to be the authenticated person among the plurality of users in association with the number of times the authentication fails.
When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the authentication unit fails in the authentication by a collation process using the biometric information stored in the second database and the biometric information of the authenticated person who failed in the authentication. The authentication server according to claim 14, which identifies the entry of the authenticated person and updates the number of times the authentication of the specified entry fails.
In an authentication server equipped with a first database that stores biometric information about the faces of multiple users.
With reference to the first database, the person to be authenticated is authenticated.
When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person among the plurality of users is advised to update the biometric information stored in the first database. Image update recommendation method.
A computer installed in an authentication server equipped with a first database that stores biometric information about the faces of multiple users.
The process of authenticating the person to be authenticated with reference to the first database,
When the authentication of the authenticated person fails, the process of recommending the user who is presumed to be the authenticated person among the plurality of users to update the biometric information stored in the first database. ,
A computer-readable storage medium that stores programs for executing.