Id card issuance system and method of issuing id card

Abstract

To provide a technique for issuing an ID card which enables simple access management.SOLUTION: An ID card issuance system includes a scanner unit, a face image identification unit, an imaging unit, a person determination unit, a recording unit, and a printing unit. The scanner unit reads an image including a face image from a medium. The face image identification unit identifies, as a first face image, a face image from an image including the face image. The imaging unit acquires, as a second face image, a face image obtained by imaging the face of a user. The person identification unit determines whether the first face image is coincident with the second face image. The recording unit records, on the basis of a result determined by the person determination unit, different admission information on a wireless tag included in an ID card. The printing unit prints the second face image on the ID card.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an ID card issuing system and an ID card issuing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, in order to control the entrance and exit of visitors to the premises of controlled areas such as companies, factories, and research facilities, visitors were required to stop by a reception desk or other similar place beforehand and request permission to enter. Usually, at the reception desk, visitors write the company name, name, destination, name of the person in charge, etc. on a reception slip, submit the reception slip, and receive an ID card or other document indicating permission to enter.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art A known system for managing the entrance and exit of visitors is a visitor management system that uses an electronic pen and a security camera in combination to create an admission pass by linking information about the visitor with facial image information of the visitor.

[0004] However, conventional methods require the time-consuming input of visitor information using an electronic pen and the time-consuming process of checking entry. Therefore, there is a demand for technology to issue ID cards that allow for simple entrance management. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-323433 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a technique for issuing ID cards that enable simple entrance management. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In an embodiment, an ID card issuing system includes a scanner unit, a face image identification unit, a photographing unit, a person determination unit, a recording unit, and a printing unit. The scanner unit reads an image including a face image from a medium. The face image identification unit identifies the face image from the image including the face image as a first face image. The photographing unit acquires a face image of a user as a second face image. The person determination unit determines whether the first face image and the second face image match. The recording unit records different entry permission information in a wireless tag included in the ID card based on a determination result by the person determination unit. The printing unit prints the second face image on the ID card. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an ID card issuing system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a table illustrating an example of the configuration of entrance / exit management information according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an ID card according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image including user information according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an image including a face image according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of information processing in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0010] (Configuration example) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an ID card issuing system 100 according to an embodiment. The ID card issuing system 100 includes an image forming apparatus 1, a reader / writer device 2, and a camera 3. For example, the reader / writer device 2 and the camera 3 are connected by wire to the image forming apparatus 1. The ID card issuing system 100 may also refer to a system including at least two elements of the image forming apparatus 1, the reader / writer device 2, and the camera 3.

[0011] The image forming apparatus 1 is an electronic device equipped with an electrophotographic printing function. The image forming apparatus 1 will be described as an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) equipped with a copy function, a print function, a facsimile function, a scanner function, etc. An example of the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described later.

[0012] The reader / writer device 2 is an electronic device capable of wirelessly communicating with a wireless tag through an antenna. The reader / writer device 2 is capable of wirelessly communicating with a wireless tag included in an ID card. For example, the reader / writer device 2 emits a transmission wave through an antenna. The reader / writer device 2 receives a response wave from the wireless tag in response to the transmission wave through the antenna and demodulates it. The reader / writer device 2 acquires data from the wireless tag by demodulating the response wave. The reader / writer device 2 reads information stored in the wireless tag from the wireless tag. The reader / writer device 2 transmits data to the wireless tag. For example, the reader / writer device 2 transmits a signal in which write data or the like is encoded to the wireless tag through an antenna. The wireless tag is an IC tag including an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip and an antenna. The wireless tag is typically an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag. The wireless tag may be another IC tag.

[0013] The camera 3 acquires image data of the imaging range. The camera 3 outputs the acquired image data to the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 may store the acquired image data. The camera 3 is an example of a photographing unit.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of an example of the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is an electronic device having an electrophotographic printing function, and will be described as an MFP having a copy function, a print function, a facsimile function, a scanner function, and the like.

[0015] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a control unit 10, a control panel 20, a scanner unit 30, a communication circuit 40, an input / output interface 50, an audio output device 60, and a printer unit 70.

[0016] The control unit 10 controls the operation of each part of the image forming apparatus 1. The control unit 10 includes a control circuit 11, a main memory 12, and a storage 13.

[0017] The control circuit 11 corresponds to the central part of the image forming apparatus 1. The control circuit 11 is an element that constitutes the computer of the image forming apparatus 1. The control circuit 11 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In addition to or instead of the CPU, the control circuit 11 may include an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The control circuit 11 loads a program that is pre-stored in the main memory 12 or the storage 13 into the main memory 12. The control circuit 11 executes the program loaded into the main memory 12 to perform various processes. The program is a program that causes the control circuit 11 to realize each part described later and causes the control circuit 11 to execute the process of each part.

[0018] The main memory 12 corresponds to the main storage portion of the image forming apparatus 1. The main memory 12 is an element that constitutes the computer of the image forming apparatus 1. The main memory 12 includes a nonvolatile memory area and a volatile memory area. The main memory 12 stores an operating system or a program in the nonvolatile memory area. The main memory 12 uses the volatile memory area as a work area where data is appropriately rewritten by the control circuit 11. For example, the main memory 12 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) as the nonvolatile memory area. For example, the main memory 12 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) as the volatile memory area.

[0019] The storage 13 corresponds to an auxiliary storage portion of the image forming apparatus 1. The storage 13 is an element constituting the computer of the image forming apparatus 1. For example, the storage 13 includes an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage 13 may include a semiconductor storage medium such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) in addition to or instead of the HDD. The storage 13 stores the above-mentioned programs, data used by the control circuit 11 in performing various processes, and data generated by the processing of the control circuit 11. The storage 13 is an example of a storage device.

[0020] The storage 13 stores entrance / exit management information that manages the entrance and exit of visitors. The entrance / exit management information is information that manages information of visitors by linking it to an ID number. The information of visitors is also called user information. The entrance / exit management information includes an ID number, a name, a company name, a department name, a telephone number, a registration date and time, face image data, identification card data, and data on the purpose of entry. The ID number is unique identification information assigned to each ID card. The ID card is a card that indicates that the entry of a visitor is permitted, such as an entrance card or an entrance card. The name is the name of the visitor. The company name indicates information such as the company name indicating the affiliation of the visitor. The department name indicates information such as the name of the department that the visitor visits. The telephone number indicates the contact information of the visitor. The registration date and time indicates the date and time when the entry information of the visitor was registered. The identification card data includes data indicating the presence or absence of the visitor's identification card. The identification card data may include data indicating that the identity of the visitor has been authenticated based on the identification card. The identification card data is an example of entry permission information. The entry purpose data includes data indicating the purpose of the visitor's visit. The entry purpose data is an example of entry permission information. The entrance / exit management information includes data acquired based on user information identified from an image read by the scanner unit 30. The face image data includes face image data identified from an image read by the scanner unit 30. The storage 13 may store the face image data of the visitor acquired by the camera 3.

[0021] The control panel 20 includes a touch panel 21 and input buttons 22 .

[0022] The touch panel 21 is a device capable of displaying images and inputting instructions based on a user operation on the touch panel 21. The touch panel 21 includes a display device capable of displaying images. The display device is, but is not limited to, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (electroluminescence) display. The touch panel 21 includes an input device that is stacked on the display device and capable of inputting instructions based on a user operation on the touch panel 21. A user operation on the touch panel 21 is a user operation that involves contact with the touch panel 21. The touch panel 21 is also called a touch screen.

[0023] The input button 22 is a button that can be pressed, such as a scan start button, a print start button, etc. The input button 22 is an interface that can input instructions based on a user operation on the input button 22.

[0024] The scanner unit 30 is a device that reads images such as characters, figures, and photographs drawn on a sheet placed at a predetermined position. The scanner unit 30 includes a line sensor. The line sensor may be of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type. The line sensor may be of a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) type. The scanner unit 30 generates image data based on an image read using the line sensor. The scanner unit 30 transmits the generated image data to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 stores the received image data in the storage 13 or transmits it to the printer unit 70. The scanner unit 30 reads an image from a medium including a face image. The scanner unit 30 reads an image from a medium including user information. The scanner unit 30 is an example of a scanner section.

[0025] The communication circuit 40 is an interface for communicatively connecting the image forming apparatus 1 to a user terminal or the like via a wired or wireless network. For example, the user terminal is a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, or the like, but is not limited thereto.

[0026] The input / output interface 50 is an interface for connecting the image forming apparatus 1 to an external device. The input / output interface 50 includes a connector for a wired cable. For example, the external device is a reader / writer device 2, a camera 3, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0027] The audio output device 60 is a device capable of outputting audio under the control of the control circuit 11. For example, the audio output device 60 is a speaker.

[0028] The printer unit 70 is a unit that forms an image on a sheet. The image includes an image including text information and an image including a face image. The printer unit 70 uses a print function to form an image on a sheet based on image data transmitted from a user terminal via a network. The printer unit 70 uses a copy function to form an image on a sheet based on image data generated by the scanner unit 30. Here, an example of the printer unit 70 using a tandem type toner image transfer unit will be described. The printer unit 70 includes a storage section 71, a conveying section 72, an image forming section 73, and a fixing unit 74. The printer unit 70 is an example of a printing section.

[0029] The storage unit 71 stores sheets. The storage unit 71 includes a paper feed cassette and a pickup roller. The paper feed cassette stores sheets. The pickup roller takes out sheets one by one from the paper feed cassette. The pickup roller supplies the taken-out sheets to the conveying unit 72. The sheets include ID cards including wireless tags.

[0030] The conveying section 72 conveys a sheet in the printer unit 70. The conveying section 72 includes a plurality of rollers and a registration roller. The plurality of rollers includes a roller that conveys the sheet supplied by the pickup roller to the registration roller. The plurality of rollers includes a roller that is provided downstream of a fixing device 74 described later and discharges the sheet to a paper output tray. The registration roller conveys the sheet to the transfer section in accordance with the timing at which the transfer section of the image forming section 73 described later transfers a toner image to the sheet.

[0031] The image forming unit 73 forms a toner image on a sheet. The image forming unit 73 includes an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of developing units, an exposure unit, a transfer unit, and the like. The intermediate transfer belt is an endless belt. The plurality of developing units correspond to the number of types of toner. The plurality of developing units include a black developing unit, a cyan developing unit, a magenta developing unit, and a yellow developing unit. Each developing unit includes a photoconductor drum. Each developing unit includes a charger, a developing device, a primary transfer roller, a cleaning unit, and a charge remover around the photoconductor drum. The photoconductor drum is a drum having a photoconductor layer on its surface. The charger uniformly charges the photoconductor layer on the surface of the photoconductor drum. The developing device develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor drum with toner. The developing device forms a toner image on the surface of the photoconductor drum. The primary transfer roller faces the photoconductor drum and sandwiches the intermediate transfer belt. The primary transfer roller transfers the toner image on the surface of the photoconductor drum onto the intermediate transfer belt. The cleaning unit removes untransferred toner from the surface of the photosensitive drum. The static eliminator irradiates light onto the surface of the photosensitive drum. The static eliminator eliminates static electricity from the photosensitive layer of the photosensitive drum by irradiating light. The exposure unit irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum of each developing unit with laser light via an optical system such as a polygon mirror. The exposure unit forms a static electricity pattern as an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum. The transfer unit transfers the charged toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt to a sheet. The transfer unit includes a support roller and a secondary transfer roller configured to sandwich the intermediate transfer belt and the sheet from both sides in the thickness direction.

[0032] The fixing device 74 applies heat and pressure to the sheet on which the toner image is formed and which is supplied from the image forming unit 73. The fixing device 74 fixes the toner image formed on the sheet to the sheet by the heat and pressure.

[0033] The hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. The image forming apparatus 1 allows the above-mentioned components to be omitted or changed and new components to be added as appropriate. The image forming apparatus 1 does not need to have the audio output device 60. The audio output device 60 may be connected to the image forming apparatus 1 via the input / output interface 50.

[0034] The various components realized in the above-mentioned control circuit 11 will now be described. The control circuit 11 realizes a character recognition unit 111, a face image identification unit 112, a person determination unit 113, a recording unit 114, and a print processing unit 115. Each unit realized in the control circuit 11 can also be called each function. Each unit realized in the control circuit 11 can also be called a control unit including the control circuit 11 and the main memory 12.

[0035] The character recognition unit 111 extracts character information from an image read by the scanner unit 30. The character recognition unit 111 performs character recognition from the extracted character information. The character recognition can be realized by a known technique.

[0036] The facial image identification unit 112 extracts a facial image from an image read by the scanner unit 30. The facial image extracted from the image read by the scanner unit 30 is an example of a first facial image. The facial image identification unit 112 extracts a facial image from a video captured by the camera 3. The facial image extracted from the video captured by the camera 3 is an example of a second facial image.

[0037] The person determination unit 113 determines whether or not the first face image and the second face image extracted by the face image identification unit 112 match. The person determination unit 113 determines whether or not the first face image and the second face image match by known techniques such as, for example, feature point extraction, AI functions, etc. The person determination unit 113 may compare the face image extracted from the video captured by the camera 3 with multiple face images stored in the storage 13 to perform person determination.

[0038] The recording unit 114 controls the reader / writer device 2 to record information on the visitor in the wireless tag based on the recognition result by the character recognition unit 111. The recording unit 114 controls the reader / writer device 2 to record the entrance / exit management information in the wireless tag. The entrance / exit management information includes entrance permission information. The entrance permission information includes at least one of identification card data and entrance purpose data. The identification card data may be data that indicates a different value depending on the presence or absence of an identification card. The value of the identification card data may indicate an entrance permission level. The entrance permission level may be set according to an area that can be entered. The entrance permission level may indicate whether or not there is a restriction on an area that can be entered. The entrance permission level may indicate a gradual restriction on an area that can be entered. The gradual restriction may include, for example, permission to enter all areas, permission to enter the office, permission to enter other than the office, etc. The entrance permission level may be set by an administrator or the like according to a security level.

[0039] The presence or absence of an ID indicates whether an ID has been read by the scanner unit 30. The fact that an ID has been read by the scanner unit 30 corresponds to the presence of an ID. The fact that an ID has not been read by the scanner unit 30 corresponds to the absence of an ID. For example, when an ID is present, the ID data may be set to "1", and when an ID is not present, the ID data may be set to "0". In this example, the ID data "1" indicates an entry permission level of 1. The ID data "0" indicates an entry permission level of 0. The entry permission level 1 indicates, for example, that there is no restriction on the area that can be entered. The entry permission level 0 indicates, for example, that there is a restriction on the area that can be entered. The entry permission levels are not limited to two levels.

[0040] The identification card data may be data that indicates a different value based on the determination result by the person determination unit 113 when an identification card is present. Based on the determination result by the person determination unit 113, if the first face image and the second face image match, the identification card data may be set to "1", and if the first face image and the second face image do not match, the identification card data may be set to "0". In this case, the recording unit 114 records different admission information in the wireless tag based on the determination result by the person determination unit 113. According to this example, an ID card including a wireless tag can restrict admission based on the success or failure of person authentication based on an official identification card.

[0041] The entry purpose data may be data indicating different values ​​according to the entry purpose. The value of the entry purpose data may indicate an entry permission level. The entry permission level may be a tiered level including an entry permission restriction corresponding to the entry purpose. The entry permission restriction corresponding to the entry purpose may include, for example, permission only to visiting departments, permission only to conference room areas, permission only to cleaning areas, etc. For example, when the entry purpose is "visiting", the entry purpose data may be "A". The entry purpose data "A" may indicate that the entry permission area is limited to an area where visitors are permitted to enter. When the entry purpose is "visiting", the entry purpose data may be "B". The entry purpose data "B" may indicate that the entry permission area is limited to an area where visitors are permitted to enter, such as the department to which the visitor belongs or the venue of the visit. When the entry purpose is "cleaning", the entry purpose data may be "C". The entry purpose data "D" may indicate that the entry permission area is limited to an area where cleaners are permitted to enter. In this case, the recording unit 114 records different entry permission information in the wireless tag according to the entry purpose. According to this example, admission can be restricted based on the purpose of admission using an ID card including a wireless tag.

[0042] The purpose of admission may be input via the touch panel 21 or the like. In this case, the recording unit 114 records different admission permission information in the wireless tag according to the input information. The purpose of admission may be set based on at least one of the information recognized by the character recognition unit 111. For example, the purpose of admission may be "purpose of admission" recognized by the character recognition unit 111. The purpose of admission may be set based on "company name" recognized by the character recognition unit 111. The purpose of admission may be set based on "name" recognized by the character recognition unit 111. In this case, the storage 13 stores data indicating the purpose of admission associated with the company name or name. The recording unit 114 records different admission permission information in the wireless tag according to the character information recognized by the character recognition unit 111. According to this example, admission permission information associated with user information such as a company name set in advance can be recorded in the wireless tag. Therefore, admission can be restricted based on the purpose of admission by an ID card including a wireless tag without the need for a document describing the purpose of admission. The purpose of entry may be input by the visitor via a voice input device (not shown). In this case, a voice recognition unit included in the control circuit 11 may recognize the purpose of entry. The recording unit 114 may record different entry permission information in the wireless tag according to the purpose of entry recognized by the voice recognition unit. The admission permission information may be data assigned according to a combination of the presence or absence of an ID card, the success or failure of person authentication if an ID card is present, and the purpose of admission.

[0043] The print processing unit 115 generates print image data based on the recognition result by the character recognition unit 111. The print processing unit 115 may generate print image data based on a face image extracted from a video captured by the camera 3. The print processing unit 115 controls the printer unit 70 to print the print image data on an ID card.

[0044] An example of the configuration of the entrance / exit management information will be described. FIG. 3 is a table illustrating an example of the configuration of entrance / exit management information according to the embodiment.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the entrance / exit management information stored in the storage 13. The table in FIG. 3 has records in which an ID number is linked to a name, a company name, a department name, a telephone number, a registration date and time, face image data, identification card data, and entry purpose data. For example, a record of ID number "0001" includes the visitor's name, the visitor's company name, the name of the department to be visited, the visitor's telephone number, the registration date and time, face image data, identification card data, and entry purpose data. The entrance / exit management information may include visitor identification information. The visitor identification information is unique identification information assigned to each visitor. For example, a case will be described in which a visitor "XXXX" presents a document such as a business card or employee ID card that includes information such as the visitor's name, address, and contact information, and an official identification card such as a driver's license or My Number card that includes a photograph of the visitor. In the following description, it is assumed that the visitor "XXXX" presents a business card and a driver's license. The image forming device 1 reads images of the business card and the driver's license via the scanner unit 30. The scanner unit 30 reads an image including the visitor's user information from the business card. The character recognition unit 111 extracts character information from the image including the user information. The character recognition unit 111 performs character recognition from the extracted character information. The storage 13 stores data corresponding to the name, company name, and telephone number obtained as a result of the character recognition by the character recognition unit 111, linked to the ID number "0001". The scanner unit 30 reads an image including the visitor's facial image from the identification card. The facial image identification unit 112 extracts a facial image from the image including the facial image. The facial image identification unit 112 acquires the extracted facial image. The storage 13 stores the facial image data obtained as a result of the identification by the facial image identification unit 112, linked to the ID number "0001".

[0046] The image forming apparatus 1 acquires face image data of a visitor captured by the camera 3. The person determination unit 113 compares the face image data included in the visitor identification information with the face image data of the visitor captured by the camera 3, and determines whether the image data match. The storage 13 stores data based on the determination result by the person determination unit 113, linked to the ID number "0001". The storage 13 may store admission information according to the determination result, linked to the ID number "0001". The storage 13 may store the admission information according to the determination result as identification card data.

[0047] The image forming device 1 acquires information on the name of the department to be visited by the visitor and the purpose of entry. In one example, the visitor or the operator of the image forming device 1 inputs the name of the department to be visited and the purpose of entry via the control panel 20. In this case, the image forming device 1 acquires the information input via the touch panel 21 or the like. The storage 13 stores the input information in association with the ID number "0001". In another example, the visitor or the operator writes the name of the department to be visited and the purpose of entry on a document such as an entry application form. In this case, the image forming device 1 reads an image of the document via the scanner unit 30. The character recognition unit 111 extracts character information from the image including the name of the department to be visited and the purpose of entry. The character recognition unit 111 performs character recognition from the extracted character information. The storage 13 stores the data corresponding to the name of the department to be visited and the purpose of entry obtained as a result of the character recognition by the character recognition unit 111 in association with the ID number "0001". The storage 13 may store the admission permission information according to the admission purpose in association with the ID number "0001." The storage 13 may store the admission permission information according to the admission purpose as admission purpose data.

[0048] The image forming apparatus 1 may store registration time information indicating the date and time when the entrance information of the visitor "XXXX" was registered in association with the ID number "0001."

[0049] The entrance / exit management information may store exit time information indicating the date and time when the exit information of visitor "XXXX" was registered, linked to the ID number "0001."

[0050] The image forming apparatus 1 records the entrance / exit management information in a wireless tag included in an ID card. The image forming apparatus 1 may record only the ID number in the wireless tag. In this case, the image forming apparatus 1 may store the entrance / exit management information in a storage medium, a server, or the like.

[0051] An example of an ID card created by the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an ID card according to the embodiment.

[0052] 4 includes an issue date, an expiration date, a visitor's name, a visitor's company name, a visitor's phone number, and a visitor's photograph. The ID card includes a wireless tag Ta. The wireless tag Ta is, for example, an RFID tag.

[0053] The image forming apparatus 1 writes the entrance / exit management information stored in the storage 13 to the wireless tag Ta. Based on the entrance / exit management information, the image forming apparatus 1 prints the issue date, the visitor's name, the visitor's company name, the visitor's phone number, and the visitor's facial photo on the ID card. The image forming apparatus 1 may print a preset expiration date on the ID card. The expiration date may be set, for example, based on registration time information. The expiration date is, for example, one day after the registration date.

[0054] An example of an image including user information read by the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image including user information according to the embodiment.

[0055] The image including user information shown in Fig. 5 is an image of a business card of a visitor. The business card includes user information such as the visitor's name, company name, department, address, and phone number.

[0056] The scanner unit 30 reads an image of a business card. The character recognition unit 111 extracts character information from the image of the business card. The character recognition unit 111 performs character recognition from the extracted character information. The character recognition unit 111 obtains data corresponding to a name, a company name, and a telephone number as a result of the character recognition.

[0057] An example of an image including a face image read by the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an image including a face image according to the embodiment.

[0058] The image including a face image shown in Fig. 6 is an image of a driver's license of a visitor. The driver's license includes a face photo, name, date of birth, address, expiration date, license number, etc. of the visitor.

[0059] The scanner unit 30 reads an image of a driver's license. The face image identification unit 112 extracts a face image from the image of the driver's license. The character recognition unit 111 may extract character information from the image of the driver's license. The character recognition unit 111 may perform character recognition from the extracted character information.

[0060] (Example of operation) FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of information processing in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. The process procedure described below is merely an example, and each process may be changed as much as possible. Each process may be omitted or replaced depending on the embodiment, and new processes may be added.

[0061] In the following process, an example will be described in which a visitor "XXXX" presents a business card and a driver's license. The visitor "XXXX" writes the name of the department to be visited and the purpose of entry on the entry application form. The operator of the image forming device 1 causes the business card, driver's license, and entry application form to be read via the scanner unit 30. The business card and the entry application form are examples of media containing user information. The image of the business card and the image of the entry application form are examples of images containing user information. The driver's license is an example of a medium containing a facial image. The image of the driver's license is an example of an image containing a facial image. The image forming device 1 performs the following process based on the fact that the operator has read the medium via the scanner unit 30.

[0062] The scanner unit 30 reads an image including the visitor's user information from the medium (ACT1). In ACT1, for example, the scanner unit 30 reads an image of a business card based on the operation of the operator. The scanner unit 30 reads an image of an admission application form based on the operation of the operator. The scanner unit 30 may simultaneously read an image of the business card and an image of the admission application form based on the operation of the operator.

[0063] The character recognition unit 111 performs character recognition from an image including user information read by the scanner unit 30 (ACT2). In ACT2, for example, the character recognition unit 111 extracts character information included in a business card from an image of the business card. The character recognition unit 111 extracts character information included in an admission application form from an image of the admission application form. The character recognition unit 111 performs character recognition based on the character information using known technology.

[0064] The character recognition unit 111 acquires user information based on the result of the character recognition (ACT3). In ACT3, for example, the character recognition unit 111 acquires information such as the name, company name, and phone number recognized from the character information included in the business card. The character recognition unit 111 acquires information such as the name of the department to be visited and the purpose of entry recognized from the character information included in the admission application form. The character recognition unit 111 saves the acquired information in the storage 13.

[0065] The control circuit 11 determines whether or not there is a medium containing a facial image (ACT4). In ACT4, for example, the control circuit 11 determines whether or not there is a medium containing a facial image based on a user's operation. The user's operation includes, for example, inputting information indicating the presence of an identification card via the input button 22 or the like based on a notification regarding the presence or absence of an identification card displayed on the touch panel 21. The notification regarding the presence or absence of an identification card includes, for example, text information such as "Do you have an identification card?". The input of information indicating the presence of an identification card includes, for example, selection of a button indicating "Yes." The user's operation includes, for example, reading the identification card via the scanner unit 30.

[0066] If the control circuit 11 determines that there is a medium containing a face image (ACT4: YES), the process transitions from ACT4 to ACT5. If the control circuit 11 determines that there is no medium containing a face image (ACT4: NO), the process transitions from ACT4 to ACT12.

[0067] The scanner unit 30 reads an image including a facial image of the visitor from the medium (ACT5). In ACT5, for example, the scanner unit 30 reads an image of a driver's license based on the operation of the operator. The scanner unit 30 may simultaneously read an image of a business card, an image of an entry application form, and an image of a driver's license based on the operation of the operator. In this case, in ACT1, the scanner unit 30 simultaneously reads an image of a business card, an image of an entry application form, and an image of a driver's license. The processing of ACT4 to ACT7 may be omitted. The control circuit 11 may determine that there is a medium containing a facial image based on the fact that an image containing a facial image of a visitor is read from the medium by the scanner unit 30. In this case, the process of ACT5 may be performed before the process of ACT4.

[0068] The character recognition unit 111 performs character recognition from the image including the face image read by the scanner unit 30 (ACT6). In ACT6, for example, the character recognition unit 111 extracts character information included in the driver's license from the image of the driver's license. The character recognition unit 111 performs character recognition based on the character information using a known technique.

[0069] The character recognition unit 111 acquires user information based on the result of the character recognition (ACT7). In ACT7, for example, the character recognition unit 111 acquires information such as a name and an address recognized from the character information included in the driver's license. The character recognition unit 111 stores the acquired information in the storage 13.

[0070] The facial image identification unit 112 recognizes a facial image from an image including a facial image read by the scanner unit 30 (ACT8). In ACT8, for example, the facial image identification unit 112 extracts a facial image from an image of a driver's license. The facial image identification unit 112 acquires the extracted facial image as a first facial image.

[0071] The camera 3 captures an image of the face of the visitor (ACT9). In ACT9, for example, the camera 3 acquires a facial image of the user's face as a second facial image. The camera 3 may input the captured image to the image forming apparatus 1. The camera 3 may input the second facial image to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0072] The facial image identification unit 112 acquires a second facial image (ACT10). In ACT10, for example, the facial image identification unit 112 acquires a second facial image input by the camera 3. The facial image identification unit 112 may extract a facial image from the video captured by the camera 3, and acquire the extracted facial image as the second facial image.

[0073] The person determination unit 113 determines whether the first face image and the second face image match (ACT11). In ACT11, for example, the person determination unit 113 determines whether the first face image and the second face image match using a known technique. The person determination unit 113 stores the determination result in the storage 13. The person determination unit 113 may store admission permission information based on the determination result in the storage 13. According to this example, admission restriction can be performed based on the success or failure of person authentication based on an official identification card. The person determination unit 113 may compare face image data previously stored in association with the name of the visitor and the like with the data of the second face image, and determine whether the stored face image and the second face image match. In this case, the person determination unit 113 can perform person determination even when there is no medium containing a face image, when the second face image cannot be extracted, and the like.

[0074] The recording unit 114 controls the reader / writer device 2 to record the entrance / exit management information in the wireless tag (ACT12). In ACT12, for example, the recording unit 114 records different entrance permission information in the wireless tag based on the determination result by the person determination unit 113. The recording unit 114 may record different entrance permission information in the wireless tag depending on the purpose of entry. Note that the recording unit 114 may record only the ID number in the wireless tag. In this case, the image forming apparatus 1 may store the entrance / exit management information in a storage medium, a server, or the like.

[0075] The print processing unit 115 controls the printer unit 70 to print the print image data on an ID card including a wireless tag (ACT13). In ACT13, for example, the print processing unit 115 generates print image data based on character information acquired by the character recognition unit 111. The print processing unit 115 prints the print image data generated based on the character information on an ID card. The print processing unit 115 may generate the print image data based on a face image extracted from a video captured by the camera 3. The print processing unit 115 may print the print image data generated based on the face image on an ID card.

[0076] According to this example, an ID card can be easily issued without requiring input operations by the visitor or the operator of the image forming device 1, or visual confirmation of the identification card. Also, by writing the entrance management information to the wireless tag, an ID card that allows for easy entrance management of visitors can be issued. For example, a visitor holds an ID card, and entrance of the visitor can be restricted by reading the wireless tag at a gate equipped with a reader.

[0077] The scanner unit 30 may read a medium containing a facial image of a visitor other than an official identification card such as an employee ID card. A case where an employee ID card is read by the scanner unit 30 will be described. The employee ID card contains user information and a facial image of the visitor. The character recognition unit 111 performs character recognition from the image of the employee ID card read by the scanner unit 30, as in ACT2. The character recognition unit 111 acquires user information based on the result of the character recognition, as in ACT3. The face image identification unit 112 recognizes a face image from the image of the employee ID card read by the scanner unit 30, as in ACT8. The face image identification unit 112 stores the extracted face image in the storage 13. In this example, the person determination unit 113 may perform person determination by comparing the face image extracted from the image of the employee ID card with a second face image acquired from the video captured by the camera 3. In this case, the admission information based on the result of the person determination may be an admission permission level different from the admission information based on the result of the person determination based on the first face image and the second face image acquired from the official identification card.

[0078] The person determination unit 113 may determine whether the names match based on the user information acquired in ACT 3 and the user information acquired in ACT 7. The person determination unit 113 may set an admission level based on the result of the person determination based on the name.

[0079] (Other embodiments) Although the above embodiment has been described by taking an image forming apparatus as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and the embodiment can be applied to an apparatus that can be connected to a scanner and a printer. The printer unit 70 has been described as a printer unit using a tandem type toner image transfer unit, but is not limited to this. The printer unit 70 may be an inkjet type printer unit. The function of the scanner unit 30 may be realized by a camera such as a two-dimensional CCD. The above-described embodiment may be applied not only to the device but also to a method executed by the device. The above-described embodiment may be applied to a program capable of causing a computer of the device to execute each function. The above-described embodiment may be applied to a recording medium for storing the program. The program may be transferred in a state where it is stored in an apparatus, or in a state where it is not stored in an apparatus. In the latter case, the program may be transferred via a network, or in a state where it is recorded on a recording medium. The recording medium is a non-transitory tangible medium. The recording medium is a computer-readable medium. The recording medium may be in any form, such as a CD-ROM or a memory card, as long as it is capable of storing the program and is readable by a computer.

[0080] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

[0081] (Additional Note) The above-described embodiment can be configured as follows. (1) a scanner unit that reads an image including a facial image from a medium; a face image identification unit that identifies a face image as a first face image from an image including the face image; an image capturing unit that captures an image of a user's face and obtains the image as a second face image; a person determination unit that determines whether the first face image and the second face image match; a recording unit that records different admission permission information in a wireless tag included in an ID card based on a result of the determination by the person determination unit; a printing unit that prints the second facial image on the ID card; An ID card issuing system comprising: (2) the scanner unit reads an image including user information from a medium different from the medium; a character recognition unit that recognizes character information from an image including the user information read by the scanner unit, The printing unit prints the character information on the ID card. 1. An ID card issuing system as described in (1). (3) The admission permission information recorded in the wireless tag varies depending on the purpose of admission. 1. An ID card issuing system according to (1) or (2). (4) The admission permission information recorded in the wireless tag varies depending on the character information. (2) An ID card issuing system as described above. (5) Reading an image including a facial image from a medium; and identifying a facial image from an image including the facial image as a first facial image; acquiring a facial image obtained by photographing a face of the user as a second facial image; determining whether the first facial image and the second facial image match; recording different admission information in a wireless tag included in the ID card based on the result of the determination; printing the second facial image on the ID card; An ID card issuing method comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1...image forming apparatus, 2...reader / writer device, 3...camera, 10...control unit, 11...control circuit, 12...main memory, 13...storage, 20...control panel, 21...touch panel, 22...input button, 30...scanner unit, 40...communication circuit, 50...input / output interface, 60...audio output device, 70...printer unit, 71...container section, 72...transport section, 73...image forming section, 74...fixing unit, 100...ID card issuing system, 111...character recognition section, 112...face image identification section, 113...person determination section, 114...recording section, 115...print processing section, Ta...wireless tag.

Claims

1. A scanner unit that reads an image including a facial image from a medium; a face image identification unit that identifies a face image as a first face image from an image including the face image; an image capturing unit that captures a face image of a user as a second face image; a person determination unit that determines whether the first face image and the second face image match; a recording unit that records different admission information in a wireless tag included in an ID card based on a result of the determination by the person determination unit; a printing unit that prints the second facial image on the ID card; An ID card issuing system comprising:

2. The scanner unit reads an image including user information from a medium different from the medium, a character recognition unit that recognizes character information from an image including the user information read by the scanner unit, The printing unit prints the character information on the ID card.

2. The ID card issuing system according to claim 1.

3. The admission permission information recorded in the wireless tag varies depending on the purpose of admission.

2. The ID card issuing system according to claim 1.

4. the admission permission information recorded in the wireless tag varies depending on the character information; 3. The ID card issuing system according to claim 2.

5. Reading an image including a facial image from a medium; identifying a facial image from an image including the facial image as a first facial image; acquiring a facial image obtained by photographing a face of a user as a second facial image; determining whether the first face image and the second face image match; recording different admission information in a wireless tag included in the ID card based on the determination result; printing the second facial image on the ID card; An ID card issuing method comprising:

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