WO2022144147A1

WO2022144147A1 - System and method for identifying and authenticating a user in a videoconferencing system

Info

Publication number: WO2022144147A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/084346
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olivier DUSSUTOUR
Original assignee: Imprimerie Nationale
Priority date: 2020-12-30
Filing date: 2021-12-06
Publication date: 2022-07-07
Also published as: EP4272429A1; FR3118559A1; FR3118559B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for identifying and authenticating a user of a videoconferencing system, characterised in that it comprises at least the following steps: activating a link to access a videoconference (41) and triggering an identity and authentication check (42), acquiring a video stream Fv containing at least one facial image Df of the user and digital data Dn contained in an identity document (43), transmitting one portion of the video stream Fve to a control device (20) configured to: verify the veracity of the acquired facial image using a facial recognition application, verify the content of the digital data Dn of the video stream against the user's digital identity data (45), and, when the compared data are identical, transmit the result to the videoconferencing system to initiate the exchanges between the user and an interlocutor (47).

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING AND AUTHENTICATING A USER IN A VIDEOCONFERENCE SYSTEM

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a system and a method for checking the identification of a user who seeks to connect to a videoconference, a videoconference system or any equivalent system. It also allows to authenticate a user.

The invention is for example used in the field of education for distance learning and taking exams. It can also be used for carrying out remote transactions or for establishing papers, via a videoconference system.

[0003] In the context of remote exchanges of information using, for example, the technique of videoconferencing, many problems have arisen. Among these problems arises in particular that of the validation of the identity and the authentication of the persons having to participate in a videoconference, whatever the nature or the objective of the latter.

[0004] For example, when taking an exam remotely, a student can ask a person with more competence than him in a given subject to take the exam in his place or even to be assisted directly by a person who positions himself so as not to be visible to the camera used.

[0005] In order to minimize the risk of fraud, some universities have implemented various recommendations, including:

- Checking the identity of each student at the start of the videoconference. A student presents his identity card, student card or any other document allowing him to be identified and the professor visually verifies this information by comparing it to the student's identity data indicated on the invitation to the exam. ;

The random identity check under review. The student is invited to renew his "identification", in the same way as at the beginning of the exam, at time intervals defined by the control system. [0006] Such checks are however unreliable and not “automated”.

[0007] US patent 9076028 discloses a system making it possible to acquire a quality image of an individual without worrying about his identity.

[0008] US Patent 9282284 describes a system which makes it possible to associate with a user connecting to a videoconferencing system, an identifier after a voice and facial recognition step. A priori, his teaching does not evoke the problem of identity control of the user.

The idea of the present invention is to propose a system and a method for improving the security of the identification of a user of a videoconferencing system. For this, in the system according to the invention, it is the videoconferencing system which plays the role of master in the execution of the steps allowing the identification and authentication control of a user.

The invention relates to a method for identifying and authenticating a user of a videoconferencing system characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps:

- Activate a link to access a videoconference, trigger identity and authentication checks,

- Acquiring a video stream F _v containing at least one facial image Df of the user and digital data D _n contained in an identity document,

- Transmit part of the video stream F _ve to a control device configured to:

- Check the veracity of the facial image acquired using a facial recognition application,

- Check the content of the digital data D _n of the video stream against the digital identity data of the user,

- When the data compared are identical, transmit the result to the videoconferencing system to initiate exchanges between the user and an interlocutor.

[0011] The identity/authentication check steps can be triggered at random times. To verify the veracity of an image containing a face, the method will use a two-dimensional facial recognition application or else use a three-dimensional facial recognition application.

The digital data D _n contained on the identity document is verified, for example, by character recognition reading.

The digital data D _n contained in the identity document can also be verified by reading the data contained in a chip integrated into the identity document.

The invention also relates to a system for checking the identity and authentication of a user having a terminal and an identity document, characterized in that it comprises at least the following elements:

- Said terminal comprises a data acquisition device configured to acquire image data and digital data of said identity document, means of communication, a videoconferencing application, a processor configured to execute the steps of the method according to the invention ,

- An identity/authentication control device comprising a processor configured to execute an application for controlling the data acquired by the acquisition device of the user's terminal and configured to execute the steps of the method according to the invention,

- A videoconferencing system including a module for accessing the control application.

[0016] The control application comprises, for example, control of an image acquired by the data acquisition device by facial recognition or even control by optical reading of data printed on a digital document or by reading data contained in a chip integrated into the identity document.

Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention will emerge better on reading the description given with reference to the appended drawings given by way of non-limiting example and which represent, respectively:

[0018] Figure 1, an example of a system, Figure 2, an illustration of the sequence of the main steps of the method according to the invention.

[0020] The example is given for illustrative purposes and in no way limiting for the identity check of a student who must take a remote exam.

[0021] Figure 1 shows an example of a videoconferencing system which interacts with a student and a server containing data allowing the identity and authentication of the student to be checked.

The student is equipped with a terminal, mobile or not 10, which includes a camera 11 or a system allowing the acquisition of identity data contained in a document, or even the acquisition of a photo. The terminal 10 is equipped with communication means 12 which will not be detailed because they are known to those skilled in the art, with an application 13, dedicated software configured to provide videoconferencing, and with a processor 14 configured to execute the steps of the process according to the invention. This dedicated application 13 can also take the form of a web page which loads the videoconferencing software. The terminal 10 also includes a man-machine interface, a screen 15 for example, allowing dialogue between the student and the videoconferencing application. Dialog boxes will appear on screen 15 of the terminal, which will allow the student to trigger actions or answer questions transmitted by the identity and authentication control application.

The system includes an identity control device 20, for example a server comprising the elements for identifying the student. The server comprises a processor 21 executing a software application 22 configured to check the identity data transmitted by the student and to transmit the identification/authentication or non-identification/non-authentication result to the videoconferencing system, so that this last starts the videoconference and the exam papers. This control can be run at any time, when the student logs on, during the exam and before the student disconnects from the videoconferencing system.

The videoconferencing system 30 includes a module 31 configured so that it can access the remote service offered by the identity control/authentication device 20. This can be done via simple Internet access. [0025] The remote service will retrieve the image of the identity document as well as a video extract from the videoconference in order to verify the veracity of the identity document and to check that it is the right person. It will also check that the photo of the student acquired by the camera is not a fixed image but corresponds to a living person.

[0026] The system also includes a BD database in which the control results are stored, which will be transmitted to the videoconferencing system.

[0027] The data control may include a quality control of the acquired images and possibly an image processing software allowing the correction of minor errors.

The examiner, or more generally the interlocutor of the user will also be equipped with a terminal 35 comprising a dedicated application 36 for videoconferencing.

The video stream F _v is transmitted to the videoconferencing system and part F _ve of this stream is extracted for transmission to the control server.

[0030] Figure 2 illustrates the steps implemented to check the identity of the student, before initiating the examination. The student has received an invitation to take an exam from an examiner, for example, in the form of a link to be activated and contained in an Ml message or email, 40.

[0031] During a first step 41 , the student initiates the identity check by activating the link he received to start the exam. This step can also be triggered by the videoconference administrator, the teacher can request the identity check of one or more students.

[0032] The identity check request being initiated by one of the parties, during a second step 42, the identity check/authentication application of the videoconferencing system asks the student to present at the from the camera of his terminal a document allowing him to be identified and to leave his own face visible next to this document. This request can take the form of a message sent by the device and displayed in a dialog box on the screen 15 of the terminal 10 of the student. The student having activated the camera of his terminal, during a third step 43, a video stream of a few seconds is recorded. This video stream F _v includes image data, the face of the student and digital data corresponding to the data printed on the identity document.

[0034] The part extracted from the video stream F _ve is transmitted to the identity control and authentication device. The facial image data Df and the digital data D _n are transmitted, fourth step 44, to the identification/authentication control module which will verify the information received, fifth step 45, before displaying the sixth step 46, the result of the identification check and store it in a database.

[0035] The control of the facial image data D _f is, for example, carried out using facial recognition software.

[0036] Several facial recognition methods can be implemented.

It is possible to use a “conventional” method of two-dimensional facial recognition which consists in recognizing the user from his photo. Recognition is then performed by an algorithm which can rely on various elements, such as the shape of facial elements such as the eyes and their spacing, the mouth, the face. A first category of algorithms creates a geometric image of the user according to different parameters (sizes of facial elements, shape and distance between them). The retrieved parameters are then encoded and then compared to a reference. A second category of algorithms digitally encodes the image, using Fourier algorithms, for example. It is possible to use a set of eigenvectors in the field of artificial vision to solve the problem of human face recognition, a technique better known as "eigenfaces" to create weight vectors, or even via calculations of averages on certain areas of the image.

The authentication of the digital data D _n will be done by means of an authentication application known to those skilled in the art. For example, the application executed at the level of the control device 20 will ensure the legitimacy of the access request made by the student. For this, the authentication application will compare the digital data D _n contained in the identity document with the data corresponding to the student invited to take the exam. The invitation sent to the student to take part in an examination contains at least the latter's identity data, surname, first name, date of birth, place, data stored in a format allowing reading by recognition optical or OCR data.

The result of the identity and authentication check is transmitted, seventh step 47, to the videoconferencing system. The latter starts the videoconference when the identification/authentication result is correct and the student can then connect and start taking the exams. When the identity and authentication control returns a result of non-compliance, then the control device can return an error message on the screen of the mobile terminal. The message can also contain an invitation to the user to re-enter the data and an image.

[0040] The identity/authentication control steps described above can be executed, during a first connection of a user to a videoconferencing system, during a videoconference or even before the user disconnects.

[0041] For a continuous identity/authentication check, the method will trigger the steps at random times. For the latter case, the processor comprises a module for triggering the steps at instants triggered randomly.

[0042] The control of the digital data contained in the identity document can be carried out via an optical character recognition reader module when these data are printed on the document, or even by a smart card reader for a document equipped of a chip. In these cases, the control device 20 will be equipped with modules configured to perform these controls.

[0043] The expression identity document designates any document containing information making it possible to verify the identity of a person.

The system and the method according to the present invention offer greater security. The invention can be used for any type of videoconference where it is desired to be sure of the identity of one of the parties, for example, professional meetings when the identity of the interlocutors is not known or when the 'we want to be certain of their professional skills, transactions, etc.

Claims

1. Method for identifying and authenticating a user of a videoconferencing system characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps:

- Activate a link to access a videoconference, (41) and trigger an identity and authentication check (42),

- Acquire a video stream Fv containing at least one facial image Df of the user and digital data Dn contained in an identity document, (43),

- Transmit part of the Fve video stream to a control device (20) configured to:

- Check the veracity of the facial image acquired using a facial recognition application, (45),

- Check the content of the digital data Dn of the video stream against the digital identity data of the user,

- When the compared data are identical, transmit the result to the videoconferencing system to initiate exchanges between the user and an interlocutor (47), in which the identity/authentication check steps are triggered at random instants and in which verifies the digital data Dn contained on the identity document by reading the data contained in a chip integrated in the identity document.

2. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that to verify the veracity of an image containing a face, a two-dimensional facial recognition application is used.

3. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that to verify the veracity of an image containing a face, a three-dimensional facial recognition application is used.

4. Identity control and authentication system for a user having a terminal (10) and an identity document characterized in that it comprises at least the following elements:

- Said terminal (10) comprises a data acquisition device (11) configured to acquire image data and digital data from said identity document, communication means (12), a videoconference (13), a processor (14) configured to execute the steps of the method according to one of claims 1 to 3, a screen (15),

- An identity/authentication control device (20) comprising a processor (21) configured to execute an application (22) for controlling data acquired by the acquisition device of the user's terminal and configured to execute the steps of the method according to one of claims 1 to 3, a database,

- A videoconferencing system (30) comprising a module (31) for accessing the control application (22).