Biometric authentication system and biometric authentication device

Abstract

The biometric authentication system of the present invention comprises a server (2) for storing pre-registered biometric information, i.e., registered biometric information, in correspondence with identification information, and a biometric authentication device (1) for performing biometric authentication. The biometric authentication device (1) comprises a storage unit (15) for storing a plurality of registered biometric information, a sensor (12) for acquiring a user's biometric information as input biometric information, an input device (11) for acquiring the user's identification information, and a checking unit (14) for checking the registered biometric information and the input biometric information. The checking unit (14) determines whether the user's identification information has been acquired. If the user's identification information has not been acquired, the checking unit (14) performs a one-to-many authentication by checking the plurality of registered biometric information stored in the storage unit (15) with the input biometric information. If the user's identification information has been acquired, the checking unit acquires the registered biometric information corresponding to the user's identification information from the server and performs a one-to-one authentication using the acquired registered biometric information. In addition, the checking unit (14) causes a transceiver (16) to receive a plurality of registered biometric information for the one-to-many authentication before the sensor (1) acquires the input biometric information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a biometric authentication system and a biometric authentication device for downloading biometric information from a server to the biometric authentication device. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a biometric authentication system that downloads biometric feature data from a server to a terminal based on an ID (identification) provided by a user during biometric authentication. In this system, a biometric authentication device obtains biometric information of a user to be authenticated using a sensor and extracts biometric features from the information. Then, the terminal performs a one-to-one authentication by comparing the extracted biometric feature data of the user with the downloaded biometric feature data to verify the legitimacy of the user.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-262333 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] The above-mentioned biometric authentication system is useful when the feature data of the biometric to be authenticated is determined to be one using an ID, that is, when one-to-one authentication is performed. However, when the feature data of the biometric to be authenticated is not determined and authentication is performed by comparing the feature data of the biometric of the user to be authenticated with the feature data of all biometrics registered in the server, that is, one-to-many authentication, the biometric authentication system cannot be used. The reason is that the data to be downloaded becomes huge and the authentication cannot be completed within a practical time.

[0008] The present invention is completed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a biometric authentication system in which a biometric authentication device performs both one-to-one authentication and one-to-many authentication, which can perform authentication within a practical time and can shorten the startup time of the biometric authentication device.

[0009] Means used to solve problems

[0010] The biometric authentication system of the present invention comprises: a server, which stores pre-registered biometric information, i.e., registered biometric information, and identification information in correspondence with each other for each of a plurality of subjects; and a biometric authentication device, which comprises: a transceiver, which sends a request for obtaining registered biometric information and receives a plurality of registered biometric information from the server; a sensor, which obtains the biometric information of a user as input biometric information; an input device, which obtains the identification information of the user; a storage unit, which stores the plurality of registered biometric information received by the transceiver; and a checking unit, which performs one-to-many authentication and one-to-one authentication, and in the one-to-many authentication, the checking unit performs one-to-one authentication and one-to-many authentication. In multi-authentication, multiple registered biometric information stored in the storage unit is checked against the input biometric information. In the one-to-one authentication, the registered biometric information corresponding to the user's identification information is checked against the input biometric information. The checking unit determines whether the user's identification information has been obtained through the input device. If the user's identification information has not been obtained, one-to-many authentication is performed. If the user's identification information has been obtained, the registered biometric information corresponding to the user's identification information is obtained from the server, and one-to-one authentication is performed using the obtained registered biometric information. Before the sensor obtains the input biometric information, the checking unit causes the transceiver unit to receive multiple registered biometric information used for the one-to-many authentication.

[0011] In addition, the biometric authentication device of the present invention is a biometric authentication device of a biometric authentication system, and the biometric authentication system comprises: a server, which stores pre-registered biometric information, i.e., registered biometric information, and identification information correspondingly for each of a plurality of subjects; and a biometric authentication device, which communicates with the server, wherein the biometric authentication device comprises: a transceiver, which sends a request for obtaining registered biometric information and receives a plurality of registered biometric information from the server; a sensor, which obtains the biometric information of a user; an input device, which obtains the identification information of the user; a storage unit, which stores the plurality of registered biometric information received by the transceiver; and a checking unit, which performs a pair Multiple authentication and one-to-one authentication, in which multiple registered biometric information stored in the storage unit is checked against the input biometric information, and in which the one-to-one authentication is checked against the registered biometric information corresponding to the user's identification information and the input biometric information, the checking unit determines whether the user's identification information has been obtained through the input device, and performs one-to-multiple authentication if the user's identification information has not been obtained, and obtains the registered biometric information corresponding to the user's identification information from the server if the user has been obtained, and performs one-to-one authentication using the obtained registered biometric information, and the checking unit causes the transceiver unit to receive the biometric information of multiple subjects used for the one-to-multiple authentication before the sensor obtains the input biometric information.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, in a biometric authentication system in which a biometric authentication device performs both one-to-one authentication and one-to-many authentication, authentication can be performed within a practical time, and the startup time can be shortened compared to a biometric authentication system that downloads all biometric feature data at startup. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an entry and exit management system using the biometric authentication system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a configuration diagram of a biometric authentication system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a front view of the biometric authentication device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the data structure of the biological information database in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing control at the time of activation of the biometric authentication device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing control during authentication operation of the biometric authentication device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing control of the server in the biometric authentication system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the biometric authentication system in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Fig. 9 This is a flowchart showing control during authentication operation of the biometric authentication device in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Implementation method 1.

[0024] Hereinafter, a biometric authentication system and a biometric authentication device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or corresponding structures and steps.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an entry and exit management system using the biometric authentication system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 1 Describe the overall system.

[0026] The entry and exit management system is composed of a biometric authentication system including a biometric authentication device 1 , a server 2 , and a signal line 4 , and a door 3 .

[0027] The biometric authentication device 1 is a device that can be used from Figure 2 The biometric sensor 12 described above obtains the fingerprint of the user, i.e., biometric information (hereinafter referred to as input biometric information), and performs biometric authentication by comparing it with the biometric information registered in the server 2 (hereinafter referred to as registered biometric information). In addition, the biometric authentication device 1 outputs authentication success to the server 2 when the biometric authentication succeeds.

[0028] The biometric authentication device 1 has two authentication methods, namely, one-to-one authentication (hereinafter referred to as 1:1 authentication) and one-to-many authentication (hereinafter referred to as 1:N authentication).

[0029] The server 2 is a device that is installed in, for example, a management room of a building or facility, or each floor of a building with multiple floors, and controls the biometric authentication device 1 and the door 3. The server 2 is a device that records the biometric information of the subject of entry and exit management as registered biometric information and manages the subject information in a unified manner by changing, adding, and deleting the subject. The server 2 is connected to the biometric authentication device 1 via a signal line 4. In addition, the server 2 is also a device that controls the unlocking of the door 3. Figure 1 , a system in which one biometric authentication device 1 and one door 3 are connected to the server 2 is illustrated. However, in many cases, a plurality of biometric authentication devices 1 and a plurality of doors 3 are connected to the server 2 .

[0030] Next, use Figure 2 The detailed structure of the biometric authentication system is described below. The biometric authentication device 1 includes an input device 11 for receiving user identification information, a biometric sensor 12 for reading fingerprints, etc., a processor 13 for controlling these and performing authentication processing, and a transceiver 16 for transmitting and receiving data to and from the server 2. As an example of the biometric authentication device 1, Figure 3 Its appearance is shown in FIG.

[0031] The input device 11 is a numeric keypad for acquiring an identification number which is identification information input by a user. The input device 11 is connected to the processor 13 and outputs the identification number input by the user to the processor 13.

[0032] The biometric sensor 12 is a camera that reads the user's input biometric information. The biometric sensor 12 is connected to the processor 13 and outputs the user's input biometric information to the processor 13.

[0033] The processor 13 is a SoC (system on a chip) having a microcontroller and a memory, and is connected to the input device 11, the biosensor 12, the transceiver 16, and the output device 17 to exchange data. The processor 13 includes a checker 14 for performing authentication processing and a storage unit 15 for storing biometric information and software module codes.

[0034] The verification unit 14 includes a control unit 14a that performs download control or authentication method selection processing and performs input / output processing with the input device 11, etc., a first authentication unit 14b that performs 1:N authentication, and a second authentication unit 14c that performs 1:1 authentication.

[0035] The control unit 14a is composed of a software module that controls the input device 11, the biometric sensor 12, the first authentication unit 14b, the second authentication unit 14c, the storage unit 15, and the transceiver unit 16 that constitute the biometric authentication device 1. In addition, the control unit 14a performs a process of determining whether to perform authentication by the first authentication unit 14b or the second authentication unit 14c, depending on whether an identification number is input to the input device 11.

[0036] The first authentication unit 14b is composed of a software module that performs 1:N authentication. In this 1:N authentication, the user's input biometric information obtained by the biometric sensor 12 is compared with a plurality of registered biometric information 21c stored in the storage unit 15. The registered biometric information 21c is a Figure 4 The biometric information stored in the database of the server 2 in the format shown is downloaded from the server 2 and stored in the storage unit 15. In addition, the second authentication unit 14c is composed of a software module that performs 1:1 authentication, in which the input biometric information of the user obtained by the biometric sensor 12 is checked against the specific registered biometric information 21c downloaded from the server 2 and stored in the storage unit 15 based on the identification number 21a obtained by the input device 11.

[0037] The storage unit 15 is a flash memory and is a storage device that stores the registered biometric information 21 c downloaded from the server 2 via the transceiver unit 16 .

[0038] The transceiver unit 16 is an RS-422 transceiver that communicates with the transceiver unit 22 of the server 2 via the signal line 4 .

[0039] The output device 17 is a sound output device having a speaker that outputs sound in accordance with a command from the control unit 14 a.

[0040] The server 2 includes a biometric information database 21, a transceiver 22, a control unit 23, and an unlock signal transmitter 24. Figure 4As shown, the biometric information database 21 stores the identification number 21a, the registration type 21b, and the registered biometric information 21c in correspondence with each other. The identification number 21a is a 7-digit integer, which is the number itself input by the user to the input device 11. The identification number 21a corresponds to the registered biometric information 21c on a one-to-one basis. The registration type 21b is information indicating whether the corresponding registered biometric information 21c is used for 1:N authentication or 1:1 authentication. The registered biometric information 21c is the feature point information of the fingerprint.

[0041] The transceiver unit 22 is an RS-422 transceiver that communicates with the transceiver unit 16 of the biometric authentication device 1 via the signal line 4 .

[0042] The control unit 23 is a control device that extracts the registered biometric information 21c from the biometric information database 21 in response to the acquisition request of the registered biometric information 21c received by the transceiver 22, and transmits the extracted registered biometric information 21c via the transceiver 22. In addition, when the transceiver 22 receives a signal notifying successful authentication, it also controls the transmission of an unlock signal of the electronic lock 31 via the unlock signal transmission unit 24. The control unit 23 is composed of a software module that performs the above control with the processor.

[0043] The unlock signal transmission unit 24 is connected to the electronic lock 31 via the signal line 4 , and transmits an unlock signal to the electronic lock 31 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 23 .

[0044] The door 3 is composed of an electronic lock 31 and a door leaf, and the motor of the electronic lock 31 is driven to be unlocked according to a signal output from the server 2 .

[0045] The signal line 4 is an electrical signal line that complies with the RS-422 standard.

[0046] Next, use Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0047] Figure 5 1 is a flowchart showing control at the time of activation of the biometric authentication device 1 in this embodiment.

[0048] When power is supplied to the biometric authentication device 1 and the startup process of the processor 13 is started, in step S11, the control unit 14a initializes each component of the biometric authentication device 1. For example, the biometric sensor 12 sets parameters for the control, or sends a command to the biometric sensor 12 to instruct the start of the internal process of the biometric sensor 12. Next, in step S12, the control unit 14a determines whether the startup process is the first startup process. Specifically, it determines whether the startup process count stored in the storage unit 15 is 0. If it is not the first startup, the startup process is terminated and the authentication operation is moved to.

[0049] On the other hand, at the time of initial startup, the process proceeds to step S13, and the control unit 14a transmits a request for obtaining the registered biometric information 21c whose registration type 21b is 1:N to the server 2 from the transceiver unit 16. The communication method of the acquisition request is the packet switching method. In the acquisition request, information that can identify that the type of the requested registered biometric information 21c is 1:N is recorded as an instruction, and the address information of the server 2 is recorded as the destination, and the address information of the device is recorded as the request source information. Next, in step S14, the control unit 14a obtains from the transceiver unit 16 a plurality of registered biometric information 21c received by the transceiver unit 16 from the server 2. Next, in step S15, the information is stored in the storage unit 15. At this time, the control unit 14a counts the number of startup processing times stored in the storage unit 15, and stores the number of startup processing times in the storage unit 15. Thereafter, the startup processing is terminated and the authentication operation is moved to.

[0050] Next, use Figure 6 The operation of the biometric authentication device 1 during the authentication operation will be described. First, in step S21, the control unit 14a causes the input device 11 and the biometric sensor 12 to start receiving the identification number 21a and the input biometric information, respectively.

[0051] In step S22, the input device 11 and the biometric sensor 12 wait until the user inputs the identification number 21a and the input biometric information, respectively. When the biometric sensor 12 detects the input of the input biometric information, the process proceeds to step S23, and the control unit 14a obtains the input biometric information from the biometric sensor 12. Specifically, the control unit 14a extracts the minutiae (hereinafter referred to as feature points) of the fingerprint from the image information of the fingerprint obtained by the biometric sensor 12 and stores it in the storage unit 15. The extraction method of the feature points uses the extraction method used in the well-known minutiae matching method. When the user inputs the identification number 21a to the input device 11 in step S22, the control unit 14a also obtains the identification number 21a in step S23. Then, the identification number 21a is stored in the storage unit 15.

[0052] In step S24, the control unit 14a determines the authentication method and whether it is necessary to download the registered biometric information 21c based on whether the identification number 21a is obtained in step S23. Specifically, it is determined whether the identification number 21a is stored in the storage unit 15. If the identification number 21a is not obtained, the registered biometric information 21c is not downloaded, and it is determined to perform 1:N authentication and enter step S25. At this time, the control unit 14a instructs the first authentication unit 14b to perform authentication processing. In step S25, the first authentication unit 14b of the verification unit 14 performs 1:N authentication to verify the input biometric information with a plurality of registered biometric information 21c stored in the storage unit 15. Specifically, according to the detail / matching method, if there is a registered biometric information 21c with a predetermined number or more (for example, 20 or more parts) of the feature points of the input biometric information stored in the storage unit 15, it is determined that the authentication is successful, and if there is no matching registered biometric information 21c, it is determined that the authentication fails.

[0053] On the other hand, when the identification number 21a is obtained in step S23, that is, when the control unit 14a determines that the identification number 21a input by the user is stored in the storage unit 15, the registered biometric information 21c is downloaded from the server 2, and it is determined that 1:1 authentication is performed, and the process proceeds to step S26. In step S26, the control unit 14a determines whether the registered biometric information 21c corresponding to the input identification number 21a is stored in the storage unit 15. When the corresponding registered biometric information 21c is stored, the control unit 14a omits downloading the registered biometric information 21c, and the process proceeds to step S210. Here, the control unit 14a instructs the second authentication unit 14c to perform authentication processing. The second authentication unit 14c of the verification unit 14 performs 1:1 authentication by verifying the input biometric information with the registered biometric information 21c. Specifically, according to the details / matching method, if a predetermined number or more (for example, more than 10 parts) of feature points of the input biometric information stored in the storage unit 15 match the registered biometric information 21c corresponding to the identification number 21a, the authentication is judged to be successful.

[0054] In step S26, when the control unit 14a determines that the registered biometric information 21c corresponding to the input identification number 21a is not stored in the storage unit 15, the process proceeds to step S27. In step S27, the control unit 14a transmits a request for obtaining the registered biometric information 21c including the input identification number 21a from the transceiver 16 to the server 2. In the acquisition request, information that can identify the type of the requested registered biometric information 21c is recorded as a command, and information that can identify the identification number 21a is recorded as a parameter. In addition, in the acquisition request, the address information of the server 2 is recorded as the destination, and the address information of the own device is recorded as the request source information. Next, in step S28, the control unit 14a receives the registered biometric information 21c received by the transceiver 16 from the server 2. Then, in step S29, the control unit 14a stores the received registered biometric information 21c in the storage unit 15 in correspondence with the identification number 21a. Thereafter, 1:1 authentication is performed in step S210.

[0055] When each authentication is successful, the control unit 14a outputs a notification notifying the success of the authentication from the transceiver unit 16. In the notification, information that can identify that the content of the notification is the content notifying the success of the authentication is recorded. In addition, in the notification, the address information of the server 2 is recorded as the destination, and the address information of the device is recorded as the request source information. In addition, regardless of whether the authentication is successful, the control unit 14a deletes the identification number 21a and the input biometric information input by the user from the storage unit 15.

[0056] If each authentication succeeds, the control unit 14a outputs a "beep" sound notifying that the authentication succeeds from the output device 17. If each authentication fails, the control unit 14a outputs a "beep" sound notifying that the authentication fails from the output device 17.

[0057] Next, use Figure 7The operation of the server 2 in the biometric authentication system of the present embodiment will be described. In step S31, the control unit 23 waits until the transceiver unit 22 receives a request for obtaining the registered biometric information 21c. The transceiver unit 22 is configured to always receive requests and notifications from the signal line 4, and when receiving a request, stores the content. The control unit 23 checks whether the transceiver unit 22 has received a request, etc. by accessing the transceiver unit 22 regularly or irregularly. Then, when the transceiver unit 22 receives the acquisition request, the control unit 23 obtains the acquisition request from the transceiver unit 22 and determines the registration type 21b of the requested registered biometric information 21c. Specifically, when it is determined that the registered biometric information 21c requested by the instruction part of the acquisition request is 1:N, the process proceeds to step S32, and when it is determined that the registered biometric information 21c requested by the instruction part of the acquisition request is 1:1, the process proceeds to step S34.

[0058] In step S32, the control unit 23 of the server 2 extracts all the registered biometric information 21c registered in the biometric information database 21 with the registration type 21b being 1:N. At this time, the control unit 23 uses the registration type 21b being 1:N authentication as a search key, and extracts a plurality of registered biometric information 21c from the biometric information database 21. Then, the process proceeds to step S33, and the control unit 23 sends the extracted plurality of registered biometric information 21c from the transceiver 22 to the biometric authentication device 1. On the other hand, in step S34, the control unit 23 extracts the registered biometric information 21c corresponding to the identification number 21a from the biometric information database 21 based on the identification number 21a that can be determined based on the parameters described in the acquisition request. Then, the process proceeds to step S33, and the control unit 23 sends the extracted registered biometric information 21c from the transceiver 22 to the biometric authentication device 1.

[0059] The communication method of the registered biometric information 21c is also a packet exchange method. In the packet, information indicating a response to the acquisition request is recorded as a command, and the number of registered biometric information and the number of registered biometric information are recorded as parameters. Figure 4 The set of identification number 21a, registration type 21b, and registered biometric information 21c shown is recorded as one or more. In addition, the address information of the biometric authentication device 1 is recorded as the destination, and the address information of the server 2 is recorded as the source information. When a lot of registered biometric information 21c needs to be sent and the amount of data is large, the plurality of registered biometric information 21c is divided into a plurality of groups and sent.

[0060] Furthermore, when receiving a notification notifying that authentication has been successful from the biometric authentication device 1 , the control unit 23 outputs an unlock signal from the unlock signal transmission unit 24 .

[0061] As described above, the biometric authentication system of this embodiment downloads the registered biometric information for 1:N authentication during the startup process of the biometric authentication device 1. Therefore, when performing 1:N authentication, the biometric authentication device 1 previously retains the registered biometric information 21c required for verification, so that the authentication can be completed within a practical time. In addition, the biometric authentication device 1 of this embodiment does not download all the registered biometric registration information 21c at startup, but downloads the registered biometric information 21c for 1:N authentication based on the information of the authentication type, and postpones the download of the registered biometric information 21c for 1:1 authentication. For example, the registered biometric information 21c for 1:1 authentication is downloaded during the authentication. Therefore, the biometric authentication device 1 can start accepting the input of biometric information after downloading the registered biometric information 21c for 1:N authentication, which has the effect of terminating the startup process early.

[0062] In this regard, use Figure 8 Provide explanation. Figure 8 This is a sequence diagram describing data exchange between the biometric authentication device 1 and the server 2 .

[0063] When the biometric authentication device 1 is activated for the first time, the control unit 14a, after initializing the components of the biometric authentication device 1 (step S11), downloads the registered biometric information 21c of the registration type 21b of 1:N from the server 2 (steps S13, S32, S33, and S15). After the download is completed, the biometric authentication device 1 starts to accept the input biometric information from the biometric sensor 12 (step S21).

[0064] Thereafter, when the user inputs biometric information, the control unit 14a acquires the input biometric information (step S23), and the first authentication unit 14b performs 1:N authentication using the registered biometric information 21c of 1:N registration type 21b downloaded immediately after activation (step S25).

[0065] On the other hand, when the user inputs the biometric information after inputting the identification number 21a, the control unit 14a obtains the identification number 21a by matching the input biometric information (step S23). In this case, if the registered biometric information 21c corresponding to the identification number 21a input by the user does not exist in the storage unit 15, the control unit 14a downloads the registered biometric information 21c corresponding to the identification number 21a from the server 2 (steps S26, S34, S33, and S29). The second authentication unit 14c performs 1:1 authentication using the downloaded registered biometric information 21c (step S210).

[0066] According to the above, the registered biometric information 21c for 1:1 authentication can be downloaded to the biometric authentication device 1 at the time of authentication in the same manner as in the prior art, and the registered biometric information 21c for 1:N authentication can be downloaded in advance at the time of startup. Therefore, it is not necessary to start downloading a large amount of registered biometric information 21c when performing 1:N authentication, and authentication can be performed within a practical time. In addition, the registered biometric information 21c for 1:1 authentication is downloaded at the timing when the identification number 21a is input, so that the startup time can be shortened compared to a biometric authentication system that downloads all the registered biometric information 21c at the time of startup regardless of the type of the registration type 21b.

[0067] Implementation method 2.

[0068] The biometric authentication system that uses one device to perform two types of authentication can achieve both improved convenience and high security when used for the following purposes, for example, authentication based on 1:N authentication is usually performed, and authentication based on 1:1 authentication is performed when authentication based on 1:N authentication cannot be performed normally. The reason is explained below. In 1:N authentication that does not require input of identification number 21a, the registered biometric information 21c of the person to be authenticated is checked against the input biometric information, and as long as one of them matches, the person is authenticated. Therefore, as long as there is one registered biometric information 21c similar to the input biometric information among a large amount of registered biometric information, it will be misauthenticated. That is, in 1:N authentication, the possibility of being misauthenticated as the person is higher than that in 1:1 authentication even though the input biometric information is the input biometric information of another person. Therefore, in 1:N authentication, the threshold of the consistency of the biometric information used to authenticate the person needs to be set higher. However, such a threshold setting has the disadvantage that sometimes the user who should be authenticated in 1:N authentication cannot be authenticated.

[0069] On the other hand, in 1:1 authentication, authentication is performed after the registered biometric information 21c is determined by the identification number 21a, so even if the threshold for the coincidence judgment of the details / match is set low, the possibility of false authentication is low. Therefore, if a two-stage authentication method is used in which the identification information is input and 1:1 authentication is performed when authentication cannot be performed in 1:N authentication, the above-mentioned disadvantages can be eliminated and the authentication accuracy will not be reduced.

[0070] In view of the above advantages, this embodiment is a biometric authentication system that prompts the user to perform authentication based on 1:1 authentication when the user is not authenticated in 1:N authentication. The following is a description of the differences from the first embodiment. Fig. 9 In, with Figure 6 The same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[0071] use Fig. 9 The operation of this embodiment is described. Fig. 9 The processing before step S25 is not shown in the figure, and the processing before this is the same as Figure 6 In this embodiment, through the same operation as in Embodiment 1, after the first authentication unit 14b performs 1:N authentication in step S25, the control unit 14a determines whether the authentication is successful in step S41. If the authentication is successful, the control unit 14a outputs a notification of the success of the authentication from the transceiver unit 16, as in Embodiment 1.

[0072] On the other hand, if the user is not authenticated in step S41, the process proceeds to step S42. In step S42, the control unit 14a outputs a voice (e.g., "Please enter the identification number") from the output device 17 to prompt the user to input the identification number 21a, and the process proceeds to step S43. In step S43, the input device 11 waits for the input of the identification number 21a for a preset time (e.g., 10 seconds), and if the user inputs the identification number 21a, the control unit 14a obtains the identification number 21a, and the process proceeds to step S27. Thereafter, the registered biometric information 21c corresponding to the identification number 21a is downloaded through the same process as in embodiment 1 (steps S27, S28, and S29), and 1:1 authentication is performed (step S210). On the other hand, if the user does not input the identification information within the preset time in step S43, the authentication process ends.

[0073] In the first embodiment, it is described that the biometric input information is deleted from the storage unit 15 when the authentication fails in the 1:N authentication. However, in the second embodiment, the biometric input information is not deleted in this case but is stored in the storage unit 15 and is used in the 1:1 authentication of step S210. Then, when the authentication fails in the 1:1 authentication, the control unit 14a deletes the identification number 21a and the biometric input information stored in the storage unit 15.

[0074] Here, in the 1:N authentication of step S25 and the 1:1 authentication of step S210, different thresholds are used in the consistency judgment using the consistency of the feature points of the registered biometric information 21c and the input biometric information. In the authentication system, the rejection rate of the person and the acceptance rate of others are set according to the requested security level. For example, the target value is set and the threshold is determined in such a way that the rejection rate of the person is 0.0001% and the acceptance rate of others is 0.005%. The more consistent the features of the comparison objects are, the higher the consistency becomes. In the authentication of the person, when the consistency is above the threshold or exceeds the threshold, the person is authenticated, and in other cases it is judged to be someone else. Therefore, the lower the threshold, the lower the rejection rate of the person, but on the other hand, the acceptance rate of others will become higher. Therefore, in order to make the above-mentioned rejection rate of the person and the acceptance rate of others fall within the target value, the threshold must be set to an appropriate value based on the required rejection rate of the person and the acceptance rate of others. In 1:1 authentication, one registered biometric information 21c is used for verification, so even when the same threshold is used, the acceptance rate of other people becomes lower than that of 1:N authentication using a large amount of registered biometric information 21c. Therefore, the biometric authentication device 1 of this embodiment uses a threshold lower than the threshold of 1:N authentication to perform personal authentication in 1:1 authentication, that is, the personal rejection rate of 1:1 authentication is set lower than that of 1:N authentication. Therefore, in the case where the user refuses authentication in 1:N authentication despite being the user due to the state of the finger or reading problems, further 1:1 authentication can be performed to make the authentication successful, and a highly convenient system can be provided. At the same time, the acceptance rate of other people can be reduced, so high security can be achieved.

[0075] According to the above, the user can perform 1:N authentication without inputting the identification number 21a, so it is not necessary to input the identification number 21a each time. In addition, when 1:1 authentication is required, 1:1 authentication can be quickly performed according to the request from the biometric authentication device 1. Therefore, the authentication system is easy to use for the user.

[0076] Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Modifications of the configuration will be described below.

[0077] In an embodiment, a server 2 is provided on each floor, and the server 2 is connected to a plurality of biometric authentication devices 1 provided for each of a plurality of doors 3 on the floor. However, the server 2 may be a single server connected to the biometric authentication device 1 of the entire building, or may be connected to a biometric authentication device 1 located at a remote location via the Internet.

[0078] The input device 11 only needs to be able to obtain the user's identification information, and may be, for example, an IC card reader that reads an IC (Integrated circuit) card storing the identification number 21a, or a camera that reads other biological information such as face or iris as identification information.

[0079] The biometric sensor 12 may be any sensor as long as it can obtain biometric information input by the user, and may be, for example, a camera that reads the iris, or a vein sensor.

[0080] The input device 11 and the biometric sensor 12 are mounted on the biometric authentication device 1 , but the input device 11 and the biometric sensor 12 may be provided independently of the biometric authentication device 1 as long as they can exchange data with the processor 13 .

[0081] The storage unit 15 may be any memory as long as it can store the registered biometric information 21 c , and may be a nonvolatile memory other than a flash memory, or may be a volatile memory.

[0082] The structural elements of the processor 13 can be in any form as long as they have the functions described in the implementation mode. For example, the storage unit 15 as a flash memory can be installed outside the processor 13, and another processor can be used as a control unit 14a and set outside independently of the biometric authentication device 1.

[0083] The transceiver 16 of the biometric authentication device 1 and the transceiver 22 of the server 2 only need to have the functions of the embodiments. For example, when the signal line 4 is the Internet, the transceiver 16 and the transceiver 22 may be communication devices for the Internet.

[0084] The server 2 only needs to include the components of the embodiment, and may be replaced by a personal computer or the like.

[0085] The biometric information database 21 may store at least the registered biometric information 21c and the identification information of the registered biometric information 21c in correspondence. For example, the identification number 21a may include the information of the registered type 21b. In addition, the information of one or more users or the identification information of the biometric authentication device 1 may be stored in correspondence.

[0086] The identification number 21a only needs to correspond to the information acquired by the input device 11 and the registered biometric information 21c, and may be encrypted, for example, or a plurality of registered biometric information 21c may be stored in correspondence with one identification number 21a.

[0087] The registered biometric information 21c can be any information that can be verified with the input biometric information obtained by the biometric sensor 12, for example, it can be facial feature point information, or it can be contour features, the configuration of multiple elements, the features of the frequency components of the image, or other overall information instead of feature points.

[0088] The interface and the communication method of the unlock signal of the unlock signal transmitting unit 24 may be the same as those of the transceiver 22 , or may be different from those of the transceiver 22 .

[0089] The electronic lock 31 of the door 3 may be unlocked by a signal output from the biometric authentication system or by a signal output from the biometric authentication device 1. Alternatively, the server 2 or the biometric authentication device 1 may supply power to the electronic lock 31 instead of an unlocking signal to unlock the door 31.

[0090] In the embodiment, the signal line 4 is an electric signal line using RS-422 as an interface, but other interfaces such as RS-485 may be used, and may be replaced by wireless communication such as the Internet.

[0091] In the embodiment, the output device 17 is a sound output device, but any device may be used as long as it notifies the user of certain information, and may be replaced by a light that the user can visually confirm, for example.

[0092] Modifications of the operation are shown below.

[0093] In step S12 of the embodiment, the control unit 14a determines whether the activation is the first activation. However, step S12 may be omitted and the acquisition request for the registered biometric information 21c may be transmitted at each activation.

[0094] Step S21 of the embodiment starts automatically after the start-up process is completed, but may also be started by the user operating the input device 11. The request for obtaining the registered biometric information 21c of the registration type 21b of 1:N in step S13 may be made at any time before step S21.

[0095] The communication method of the acquisition request of the registered biometric information 21c in step S13 and step S27 of the embodiment is a packet exchange method, but other communication methods may be used. In addition, in the embodiment, the acquisition request of the registered biometric information 21c for 1:N authentication may include the registration type 21b of the registered biometric information 21c to be requested, and the acquisition request of the registered biometric information 21c for 1:1 authentication may include the identification number 21a acquired by the input device 11. In addition, the acquisition request may include any information as long as it includes information that can identify the above information, and may also include identification information of the biometric authentication device 1, etc.

[0096] In step S25 of the implementation method, the first authentication unit 14b of the verification unit 14 is used to perform 1:N authentication to verify the input biometric information with the multiple registered biometric information 21c stored in the storage unit 15, but the multiple registered biometric information 21c verified here can be all the stored registered biometric information 21c or a part of the registered biometric information 21c.

[0097] In step S26 of the embodiment, the control unit 14a determines whether the registered biometric information 21c corresponding to the input identification number 21a is stored in the storage unit 15, but it is also possible to omit step S26 and send a request to obtain the registered biometric information 21c each time the input biometric information is obtained along with the identification number 21a.

[0098] In step S210 of the implementation method, the second authentication unit 14c of the verification unit 14 uses the registered biometric information 21c stored once in the storage unit 15 to perform 1:1 authentication, but it is also possible that the registered biometric information 21c received from the server 2 is not stored in the storage unit 15, and the second authentication unit 14c verifies the registered biometric information 21c received from the transceiver unit 16 with the input biometric information.

[0099] In addition, the authentication algorithm can be any algorithm that can detect the consistency between the input biometric information and the registered biometric information, and an algorithm other than the detail / matching method can be used. For example, the detail / association method or the pattern matching method can also be used. In addition, when facial authentication or voiceprint is used as the input biometric information, an algorithm such as the pattern matching method corresponding thereto can be used.

[0100] In step S32 of the embodiment, the control unit 23 of the server 2 extracts all the registered biometric information 21c registered in the biometric information database 21 with the registration type 21b being 1:N. However, the registered biometric information 21c extracted here may not be all the registered biometric information with the registration type 21b being 1:N, but a part of it.

[0101] In the second embodiment, in step S43, only the input of the identification number 21a is detected and the waiting is performed until the input is present, but it is also possible to wait until both the identification number 21a and the input biometric information are inputted, as in step S22 of the first embodiment. In addition, it is also possible to apply step S24 and step S26 of the first embodiment to the second embodiment, and perform the same operation as the first embodiment except for requesting the input of the identification information.

[0102] Description of symbols

[0103] 1 Biometric authentication device, 2 server, 3 door, 4 signal line, 11 input device, 12 biometric sensor, 13 processor, 14 verification unit, 14a control unit, 14b first authentication unit, 14c second authentication unit, 15 storage unit, 16 transceiver unit, 17 output device, 21 biometric information database, 21a identification number, 21b registration type, 21c registered biometric information, 22 transceiver unit, 23 control unit, 24 unlocking signal sending unit, 31 electronic lock.

Claims

1. A biometric authentication system, wherein: The biometric authentication system comprises: a server that stores, for each of a plurality of subjects, registered biometric information that is pre-registered biometric information and identification information in association with each other; and Biometric authentication device, The biometric authentication device comprises: a transceiver unit that transmits a request for obtaining the registered biometric information and receives a plurality of the registered biometric information from the server; A sensor that acquires biological information of a user as input biological information; An input device for acquiring identification information of the user; a storage unit for storing the plurality of registered biometric information received by the transceiver unit; as well as Verification Department, The checking unit performs one-to-many authentication and one-to-one authentication, wherein the plurality of registered biometric information stored in the storage unit is checked against the input biometric information, and wherein the registered biometric information corresponding to the identification information of the user is checked against the input biometric information. The checking unit determines whether the identification information of the user has been obtained through the input device, and performs the one-to-many authentication if the identification information of the user has not been obtained. If the identification information of the user has been obtained, the checking unit obtains the registered biometric information corresponding to the identification information of the user from the server, and performs the one-to-one authentication using the obtained registered biometric information. The checking unit causes the transceiver unit to receive the plurality of registered biometric information used for the one-to-many authentication before the sensor acquires the input biometric information. The server stores the plurality of registered biometric information in association with the types of authentication methods, and when the biometric authentication device is started, extracts the registered biometric information whose authentication method type is the one-to-many authentication from the plurality of registered biometric information and sends it to the biometric authentication device.

2. The biometric authentication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the user's identification information is obtained by the input device, if the registered biometric information corresponding to the user's identification information is already stored in the storage unit, the verification unit performs the one-to-one authentication by verifying the registered biometric information already stored in the storage unit with the input biometric information.

3. The biometric authentication system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transceiver receives the registered biometric information used for the one-to-many authentication when the biometric authentication device is activated, and receives the registered biometric information used for the one-to-one authentication after acquiring the identification information of the user through the input device.

4. The biometric authentication system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transceiver receives the registered biometric information used for the one-to-many authentication when the biometric authentication device is activated, and receives the registered biometric information used for the one-to-one authentication after acquiring the identification information of the user through the input device.

5. The biometric authentication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: If the biometric authentication device fails to authenticate in the one-to-many authentication, the biometric authentication device performs authentication based on the one-to-one authentication having a lower identity rejection rate than the one-to-many authentication.

6. A biometric authentication system, wherein: The biometric authentication system comprises: a server that stores, for each of a plurality of subjects, registered biometric information that is pre-registered biometric information and identification information in association with each other; and Biometric authentication device, The biometric authentication device comprises: a transceiver unit that transmits a request for obtaining the registered biometric information and receives a plurality of the registered biometric information from the server; A sensor that acquires biological information of a user as input biological information; An input device for acquiring identification information of the user; a storage unit for storing the plurality of registered biometric information received by the transceiver unit; as well as Verification Department, The checking unit performs one-to-many authentication and one-to-one authentication, wherein the plurality of registered biometric information stored in the storage unit is checked against the input biometric information, and wherein the registered biometric information corresponding to the identification information of the user is checked against the input biometric information. The checking unit determines whether the identification information of the user has been obtained through the input device, and performs the one-to-many authentication if the identification information of the user has not been obtained. If the identification information of the user has been obtained, the checking unit obtains the registered biometric information corresponding to the identification information of the user from the server, and performs the one-to-one authentication using the obtained registered biometric information. The checking unit causes the transceiver unit to receive the plurality of registered biometric information used for the one-to-many authentication before the sensor acquires the input biometric information. The transceiver receives the registered biometric information used for the one-to-many authentication when the biometric authentication device is activated, and receives the registered biometric information used for the one-to-one authentication after acquiring the identification information of the user through the input device.

7. A biometric authentication device, which is a biometric authentication device of a biometric authentication system, the biometric authentication system comprising: a server, which stores pre-registered biometric information, i.e., registered biometric information, and identification information in correspondence with each other for each of a plurality of subjects; and a biometric authentication device, which communicates with the server, wherein: The biometric authentication device comprises: a transceiver unit that transmits a request for obtaining the registered biometric information and receives a plurality of the registered biometric information from the server; A sensor that acquires biological information of a user as input biological information; An input device for acquiring identification information of the user; a storage unit for storing the plurality of registered biometric information received by the transceiver unit; as well as Verification Department, The checking unit performs one-to-many authentication and one-to-one authentication, wherein the plurality of registered biometric information stored in the storage unit is checked against the input biometric information, and wherein the registered biometric information corresponding to the identification information of the user is checked against the input biometric information. The checking unit determines whether the identification information of the user has been obtained through the input device, and performs the one-to-many authentication if the identification information of the user has not been obtained. If the identification information of the user has been obtained, the checking unit obtains the registered biometric information corresponding to the identification information of the user from the server, and performs the one-to-one authentication using the obtained registered biometric information. The checking unit causes the transceiver unit to receive the biometric information of the plurality of subjects used for the one-to-many authentication before the sensor acquires the input biometric information. The transceiver receives the registered biometric information used for the one-to-many authentication when the biometric authentication device is activated, and receives the registered biometric information used for the one-to-one authentication after acquiring the identification information of the user through the input device.

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