Information processor and information processing method

Abstract

To improve the accuracy of face authentication.SOLUTION: An information processor includes a controller which performs: acquiring user identification information that is identification information of a user of a vehicle and an authentication face image that is an image of the face of the user for authentication; acquiring vehicle identification information that is identification information of the vehicle, the identification information associated with the user identification information; acquiring information on an attribute of the vehicle associated with the vehicle identification information; and generating a processed authentication face image by processing the authentication face image according to the information on the attribute of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that image data of the faces of workers who are permitted to enter a security area is stored in advance as registration information and a face authentication process is performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-137959 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to improve the accuracy of face recognition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is Acquiring user identification information, which is identification information of a user of a vehicle, and an authentication face image, which is an image of the face of the user for authentication; acquiring vehicle identification information, the vehicle identification information being associated with the user identification information; obtaining information regarding an attribute of the vehicle associated with the vehicle identification information; generating a processed authentication face image by processing the authentication face image in accordance with information on an attribute of the vehicle; The information processing device is provided with a control unit that executes the above.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is The computer Acquiring user identification information, which is identification information of a user of a vehicle, and an authentication face image, which is an image of the face of the user for authentication; acquiring vehicle identification information, the vehicle identification information being associated with the user identification information; obtaining information regarding an attribute of the vehicle associated with the vehicle identification information; generating a processed authentication face image by processing the authentication face image in accordance with information on an attribute of the vehicle; It is an information processing method for performing the above.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is acquiring a user face image, the user face image being an image generated by photographing a user riding in a vehicle with a camera disposed outside the vehicle; acquiring vehicle identification information that is identification information of the vehicle; obtaining user identification information, which is identification information of the user associated with the vehicle identification information at the time of authentication; acquiring a processed authentication face image, which is an image of the user's face associated with the user identification information, and which has been processed to reflect attributes of the vehicle identified from the vehicle identification information; authenticating the user by comparing the user face image with the processed authentication face image; If authentication of the user is successful, executing a process associated with the user; The information processing device is provided with a control unit that executes the above.

[0008] Further, other aspects of the present disclosure are an information processing method in which a computer executes information processing in the above-mentioned information processing device, a program for causing a computer to execute information processing in the above-mentioned information processing device, and a storage medium on which the program is non-temporarily stored. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the accuracy of face authentication can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of processing of a system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] A block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of each of the center server, the user server, the association management server, the vehicle ID server, and the payment server that constitute the system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of each of a user terminal and an in-vehicle terminal according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of a center server according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating an example of table configurations of a user information DB, an authentication face image DB, a processed authentication face image DB, and a vehicle attribute DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] A diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of a user server according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of a user terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart of a user registration process in the center server according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart of a process for providing a processed authentication face image in the center server according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 11 is a flowchart of a face authentication process in a user server according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of a processed authentication face image DB according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14]11 is a flowchart of a process for providing a processed authentication face image in the center server according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] According to the face recognition system, even if the subject is far from the system, the subject can be recognized as long as the subject's face can be photographed by a camera. Therefore, the face recognition makes it possible to recognize the subject simply and quickly. However, the conventional face recognition system has the following problems.

[0012] In recent years, with the advancement of machine learning technology, the number of situations where face recognition can be performed is increasing. In addition, it is recommended to authenticate subjects while they are still in their vehicles, for example, at drive-throughs. The number of situations where a vehicle is used is increasing, and the need for face authentication is therefore growing. It is assumed that a subject who is in a vehicle is photographed from outside the vehicle, and the subject is authenticated by the obtained face image. It is assumed that the system is configured to perform face authentication by comparing a face image for authentication obtained in advance with a face image obtained at the time of authentication. In this case, the face image for authentication is basically obtained by photographing the subject at any time when the subject is not in the vehicle (for example, the subject photographs himself / herself with a mobile terminal). On the other hand, the face image obtained at the time of authentication reflects, for example, components constituting the vehicle, such as the windshield and side windows. In one example, by photographing the subject through the windshield, the subject's face may appear in a color different from the actual color in the obtained face image due to the influence of the color of the windshield. As a result, the subject's appearance in the face image obtained at the time of authentication may be significantly different from the subject's appearance in the face image for authentication, and face authentication may not be established correctly. The present disclosure solves such a problem.

[0013] Therefore, an information processing device which is one aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit that executes the following operations: acquiring user identification information which is identification information of a user of a vehicle and an authentication facial image which is an image of the user's face for authentication; acquiring vehicle identification information which is identification information of the vehicle and is associated with the user identification information; acquiring information regarding attributes of the vehicle associated with the vehicle identification information; and generating a processed authentication facial image by processing the authentication facial image in accordance with the information regarding the attributes of the vehicle.

[0014] A user of a vehicle is a user who is linked to the vehicle. The user may be the owner of the vehicle. The user identification information is information that can identify the user, and may be, for example, information about a user ID that is assigned in advance. As another example, the user identification information may be information about a driver's license number. The authentication face image is an image of the user's face that has been photographed in advance. The authentication face image may be, for example, an image of the user's face that has been photographed by the user himself using a camera attached to the user's terminal. The user identification information and the authentication face image may be registered in advance. The vehicle identification information is information that can identify the vehicle, and may be, for example, information about the vehicle number or the number of the vehicle registration plate (license plate). The vehicle identification information may be registered in advance in association with, for example, the user identification information. The vehicle identification information may be associated with information about the vehicle model or the vehicle name.

[0015] The information on the attributes of the vehicle is information associated with the vehicle identification information, and is, for example, information on the height (vehicle height), the size of the vehicle, the color of the windshield, the color of the side windows, the position of the wipers, the position of the sun visors, or the position of the A-pillars (pillars on both sides of the windshield). The attributes of the vehicle here refer to components that may affect the image when a user inside the vehicle is photographed from outside the vehicle. For example, when a user's face inside the vehicle is photographed from outside the vehicle, the image is taken through the windshield or side windows. If these glasses are colored, they will affect the image of the user's face. Depending on the color of this glass, there is a risk that face authentication will not be established correctly. In addition, since the position from the ground to the user's face changes depending on the height (vehicle height) and size of the vehicle, the angle of the user's face may change when the user's face is photographed from outside the vehicle. In addition, it is also possible that the wipers, sun visors, and A-pillars are photographed overlapping the user's face. Therefore, these attributes may also affect the image of the user's face.

[0016] Therefore, the control unit processes the authentication face image according to the information on the attributes of the vehicle. For example, when information on the color of the windshield is acquired as the information on the attributes of the vehicle, the color of the windshield is reflected in the authentication face image to generate an processed authentication face image. By generating the processed authentication face image in this manner, it is possible to prevent a large discrepancy between how the user appears in the processed authentication face image and how the user appears in the image taken from outside the vehicle at the time of authentication. Therefore, the accuracy of face authentication can be improved.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0018] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system 1 according to an embodiment. In the example of Fig. 1, the system 1 includes an in-vehicle device 100 mounted on a vehicle 10, a user terminal 20 carried by a user of the vehicle 10, a center server 30, a usage server 40, a linking management server 50, a vehicle ID server 60, and a payment server 70. A camera 400 that captures images of the inside of the vehicle 10 from outside the vehicle 10 is connected to the usage server 40.

[0019] The in-vehicle device 100, the user terminal 20, the center server 30, the user server 40, the association management server 50, the vehicle ID server 60, and the payment server 70 are connected to each other by a network N1. The network N1 is, for example, a global public communication network such as the Internet, and may be a Wide Area Network (WAN) or other communication network. The network N1 may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Although FIG. 1 shows one vehicle 10 and one user terminal 20 as an example, there may be a plurality of these. The in-vehicle device 100 and the user server 40 or the camera 400 may be capable of short-distance wireless communication.

[0020] The in-vehicle device 100 is a device that provides information about the vehicle 10 to the user side server 40. The user terminal 20 is a terminal that can provide a facial image of the user. The center server 30 is a server that generates a facial image for authentication and provides it to the user side server 40. The user side server 40 is a server that performs facial authentication. The linking management server 50 is a server that manages the linking between the vehicle 10 and the user. The vehicle ID server 60 is a server that manages information about the vehicle 10. The payment server 70 is a server that performs payment.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the processing of the system 1 according to the embodiment. P1 to P5 are processing related to the center server 30, and U1 to U5 are processing related to the user-side server 40. In P1, a user uses the user terminal 20 to perform user registration in the center server 30. The user requests user registration to the center server 30 via the user terminal 20. At this time, a face image linked to the user ID is transmitted to the center server 30. Hereinafter, this face image is also referred to as an authentication face image. The authentication face image is, for example, an image of the user's face photographed by the user terminal 20. However, the authentication face image is not limited to this, and may be an image of the user's face photographed in the past and stored in the user terminal 20 or an external server. The user ID may be, for example, a number assigned by a common number system for identifying individuals in each country (for example, a social security number, or a citizen identification number) or a driver's license number. The user ID is an example of user identification information. Furthermore, at the time of user registration, payment-related information is linked to the user ID and transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the center server 30. The payment-related information is information required when the user uses a payment service, and includes, for example, a credit card number or a bank account number.

[0022] At P2, the center server 30 acquires and stores the user ID, the authentication face image, and information related to payment from the user terminal 20. At P3, the center server 30 requests the association management server 50 to transmit the vehicle ID associated with the user ID. The association management server 50 executes a search by the user ID to extract the vehicle ID associated with the user ID. The center server 30 then acquires the vehicle ID associated with the user ID from the association management server 50. The vehicle ID is a number unique to the vehicle 10, such as the vehicle number or the number displayed on the vehicle registration plate (license plate). This number will be referred to below as the vehicle ID. The vehicle ID is also called the dual number.

[0023] At P4, the center server 30 requests the vehicle ID server 60 to transmit vehicle information linked to the vehicle ID. The vehicle ID server 60 executes a search using the vehicle ID to extract vehicle information linked to the vehicle ID. Then, the center server 30 acquires the vehicle information linked to the vehicle ID from the vehicle ID server 60. The vehicle information includes information that can identify the vehicle, such as the vehicle model, the vehicle name, the vehicle number, or the vehicle registration plate number (vehicle number). The vehicle information may include information that can identify the vehicle's height, size, the color of the windshield, the color of the side windows, the position of the wipers, the position of the sun visors, or the position of the A-pillars (pillars on both sides of the windshield). The vehicle information may also include information about the owner of the vehicle 10.

[0024] At P5, the center server 30 acquires attributes of the vehicle 10 from the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle ID server, and processes the authentication facial image to reflect the attributes. As a result, the center server 30 generates and stores an processed authentication facial image. For example, the color of the windshield is acquired as an attribute of the vehicle 10 from the vehicle information, and the processed authentication facial image is generated by reflecting the color of the windshield in the authentication facial image. The processed authentication facial image may be generated using a known technique. In this way, the center server 30 stores the processed authentication facial image that can be used for facial authentication when the user uses the vehicle 10.

[0025] Also, at U1, the utilization side server 40 acquires the vehicle ID and a facial image of the user. The facial image of the user is acquired by the camera 400 photographing the vehicle 10 from the outside. The facial image acquired in this manner is hereinafter also referred to as a user facial image. The vehicle ID may be acquired from the in-vehicle device 100 by communication. As another example, if the vehicle ID corresponds to the vehicle number, the vehicle number may be acquired by analyzing the image of the vehicle 10 photographed by the camera 400.

[0026] At U2, the usage server 40 queries the association management server 50 as to whether or not a linking relationship corresponding to the vehicle ID exists. At this time, the query may be made as to whether or not a valid linking relationship exists at the target date and time. The target date and time may be the date and time at the time of the query (which may be the present), or may be a past date and time. A valid linking is, for example, a linking that is within the expiration date if the linking between the vehicle ID and the user ID has an expiration date. If a valid linking exists, the user ID linked to the vehicle ID is transmitted from the association management server 50 to the usage server 40.

[0027] In U3, if a valid linking relationship exists, the use server 40 requests the center server 30 to transmit an edited authentication face image corresponding to the user ID. The center server 30 transmits the edited authentication face image corresponding to the user ID to the use server 40. At this time, the center server 30 also transmits information on various authorities linked to the user ID to the use server 40. The various authorities are, for example, authorities for payment services registered by the user. Note that the authorities are not limited to this, and may be, for example, authorities for administrative services.

[0028] In U4, the user server 40 performs face authentication by comparing the user's face image captured by the camera 400 with the processed face image for authentication. Here, a known face authentication technology can be used. The face authentication method is not limited. Image processing may be performed by any analysis process (pattern matching, edge extraction, etc.). A trained machine learning model may be used for image processing.

[0029] In U5, if the authentication is successful, the user server 40 executes the user's authority. For example, the user server 40 requests a payment from the payment server 70. For example, the payment can be used for payment at a drive-through in a restaurant, payment for parking fees, or payment for toll road fees.

[0030] The processed authentication facial image may be stored in either the center server 30 or the user server 40. The processes from P2 to P5 in the center server 30 may be executed at any timing before the process of U4 in the user server 40 is executed. The center server 30 may execute the processes from P2 to P5 consecutively to the process of P1. The center server 30 may periodically refer to the association management server 50 and generate a processed authentication facial image for each corresponding vehicle model. For example, if one user owns multiple vehicles 10, a processed authentication facial image may be generated for each vehicle 10 and stored.

[0031] Furthermore, the attribute of the vehicle 10 reflected when generating the processed authentication facial image may be the color of the windshield or side window, or the position and shape of the wipers, sun visors, A-pillars, or front seats, or the vehicle height. Any component that has an effect on face authentication can be used as an attribute of the vehicle 10. The processed authentication facial image may be generated by reflecting the attribute. For example, the center server 30 may process the authentication facial image to add the wipers, sun visors, A-pillars, or front seats to generate the processed authentication facial image.

[0032] Next, Figure 3 is a block diagram that shows an example of the hardware configuration of each of the center server 30, the user server 40, the linking management server 50, the vehicle ID server 60, and the payment server 70 that constitute the system 1 of the embodiment.

[0033] The center server 30 is configured as a computer having a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication module 33. The center server 30 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main storage unit (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary storage unit (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary storage unit stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, it is possible to realize various functions (software modules) that match a predetermined purpose, as described below. However, some or all of the modules may be realized as hardware modules by hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0034] The control unit 31 is a calculation unit that executes a predetermined program to realize various functions of the center server 30. The control unit 31 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 31 may also be configured to include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, and the like.

[0035] The storage unit 32 is a means for storing information, and is configured with storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, and a flash memory. The storage unit 32 stores programs executed by the control unit 31, data used by the programs, and the like. The storage unit 32 also stores various types of information. Details will be described later.

[0036] The communication module 33 is a communication interface for connecting the center server 30 to a network. The communication module 33 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The center server 30 can perform data communication with other computers (for example, other server devices or each user terminal 20) via the communication module 33.

[0037] The specific hardware configuration of the center server 30 may include omissions, substitutions, and additions of components as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the control unit 31 may include multiple hardware processors. The hardware processor may be configured with a microprocessor, FPGA, GPU, or the like. The center server 30 may be configured with multiple computers. In this case, the hardware configurations of the computers may or may not be the same.

[0038] The use server 40 is configured as a computer having a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, and a communication module 43. The use server 40 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main storage unit (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary storage unit (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary storage unit stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, it is possible to realize each function (software module) that matches a predetermined purpose, as described below. However, some or all of the modules may be realized as a hardware module by a hardware circuit such as ASIC or FPGA. The control unit 41, storage unit 42, and communication module 43 of the use server 40 are configured similarly to the control unit 31, storage unit 32, and communication module 33 of the center server 30, so their explanations are omitted. A camera 400 is connected to the use server 40, and this camera 400 is controlled by the control unit 41. The camera 400 is arranged in advance at a position where it can capture an image of the driver of the stopped vehicle 10. The camera 400 is, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CCD Using imaging elements such as OS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensors It is a device that takes photographs using a microscope.

[0039] The association management server 50, the vehicle ID server 60, and the settlement server 70 can also be configured as a computer similar to the center server 30. The association management server 50 is a device that provides information on the association between the vehicle ID and the user ID, the timestamp of the association, and the expiration date of the association via the network N1. Therefore, the association management server 50 stores information on the vehicle ID, the user ID, the timestamp, and the expiration date in association with each other. The timestamp is, for example, the date and time when the user ID and the vehicle ID are associated with each other. The expiration date is the expiration date of the association between the user ID and the vehicle ID. The association management server 50 is managed by a business operator or a government agency that is neutral to the administrator of the center server 30 and the administrator of the user side server 40. The information stored in the association management server 50 may be provided by, for example, the user via the user terminal 20, or may be provided by the center server 30.

[0040] The vehicle ID server 60 is a device that provides information related to the vehicle number, the vehicle model, and the owner of the vehicle 10, which are linked to the vehicle ID, via the network N1. For this reason, the vehicle ID server 60 stores information related to the vehicle ID, the vehicle number, the vehicle model, and the owner of the vehicle 10, which are linked to each other. The vehicle ID server 60 is managed by a neutral business operator or administrative agency with respect to the administrator of the center server 30 and the administrator of the user side server 40. The vehicle ID server 60 may be, for example, a server managed by an administrative agency that issues license plates. When the user registers the vehicle 10, a license plate is issued, and the number (vehicle number), and information related to the vehicle model and the owner may be stored in the vehicle ID server 60.

[0041] The payment server 70 is a device that performs payment processing based on a payment request. The payment server 70 is managed by, for example, a credit card company. As another example, the payment server 70 may be a server that manages electronic money or points, or a server that manages bank deposits. The payment server 70 stores payment information. The payment information may include, for example, a user ID, It may also include information relating to the link between D and a credit card number.

[0042] Next, FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of each of the user terminal 20 and the in-vehicle device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0043] The user terminal 20 is a small computer such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a personal information terminal, a wearable computer (such as a smart watch), a personal computer (PC), etc. The user terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication module 23, an input / output device 24, and a camera 25.

[0044] The user terminal 20 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.) like the center server 30. However, some or all of the functions (software modules) may be realized as hardware modules by hardware circuits such as ASIC, FPGA, etc.

[0045] The control unit 21, memory unit 22, and communication module 23 of the user terminal 20 have the same configuration as the control unit 31, memory unit 32, and communication module 33 of the center server 30, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0046] The input / output device 24 is a means for accepting an input operation performed by a user and presenting information to the user. Specifically, the input / output device 24 includes devices for input such as a mouse and a keyboard, and devices for output such as a display and a speaker. The input / output device 24 may be integrally configured with, for example, a touch panel display. The camera 25 is a device for capturing images using an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor.

[0047] As with the center server 30, the specific hardware configuration of the user terminal 20 may be such that components are omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0048] Next, the in-vehicle device 100 is a computer such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a DCM (Data Communication Module), a head unit, or a navigation system mounted on the vehicle 10. The in-vehicle device 100 is configured to include a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication module 13, and an input / output device 14. The control unit 11, the storage unit 12, the communication module 13, and the input / output device 14 of the in-vehicle device 100 are similar to the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, the communication module 23, and the input / output device 24 of the user terminal 20, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0049] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a software configuration of the center server 30 according to the embodiment. The control unit 31 is configured to have software modules of a user information acquisition unit 311, a linking information acquisition unit 312, a vehicle information acquisition unit 313, a face image processing unit 314, and a face image provision unit 315. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 31 (CPU) executing a program stored in the storage unit 32. Note that the information processing executed by the user information acquisition unit 311, the linking information acquisition unit 312, the vehicle information acquisition unit 313, the face image processing unit 314, and the face image provision unit 315 described below is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 31.

[0050] The storage unit 32 of the center server 30 stores a user information database 321 (hereinafter referred to as user information DB321), an authentication face image database 322 (hereinafter referred to as authentication face image DB322), and a user information database 323 (hereinafter referred to as authentication face image DB323). 22), a processed authentication facial image database 323 (hereinafter referred to as processed authentication facial image DB323), and a vehicle attribute database 324 (hereinafter referred to as vehicle attribute DB324). The user information DB321, the authentication facial image DB322, the processed authentication facial image DB323, and the vehicle attribute DB324 are constructed by a program of a database management system (DBMS) executed by a processor managing data stored in the auxiliary storage device. These databases are, for example, relational databases. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of table configurations of the user information DB321, the authentication facial image DB322, the processed authentication facial image DB323, and the vehicle attribute DB324 according to the embodiment. Details will be described later.

[0051] The user information acquisition unit 311 is configured to execute a process of receiving the user information and the authentication face image transmitted from the user terminal 20, and storing the user information and the authentication face image in the user information DB 321 and the authentication face image DB 322. As shown in FIG. 6, the user information DB 321 stores a user ID, a user's name, a user's contact information, and information related to a payment service. The user information is linked to the user ID. The user ID may be, for example, a driver's license number. The user's contact information may include the user's address, telephone number, SNS account, email address, and the like. The information related to the payment service is information related to the link between the user and the payment service, and includes information related to the payment desired by the user at the time of payment (for example, a credit card number). The user information is registered in advance in the center server 30 by the user via the user terminal 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the authentication face image DB 322 stores the authentication face image linked to the user ID. The authentication face image is a face image of the user transmitted from the user terminal 20 together with the user information, for example, a face image captured by the user himself / herself with the camera 25 of the user terminal 20. The user information acquisition unit 311 associates the authentication face image received from the user terminal 20 with the user ID and stores it in the authentication face image DB 322. As another example, the authentication face image DB 322 may store information regarding the location where the authentication face image is stored.

[0052] The association information acquisition unit 312 requests the association management server 50 to search by the user ID. Then, the association management server 50 returns information (hereinafter also referred to as association information) regarding the vehicle ID, timestamp, and expiration date associated with the user ID to the center server 30. Note that the association management server 50 may periodically update the association between the user ID and the vehicle ID. The association information acquisition unit 312 stores the association information acquired from the association management server 50 in the memory unit 32.

[0053] The vehicle information acquisition unit 313 requests the vehicle ID server 60 to search by vehicle ID. This vehicle ID is the vehicle ID acquired from the linking management server 50. The vehicle ID server 60 then returns information on the vehicle number, vehicle model, and owner of the vehicle 10 linked to the vehicle ID to the center server 30. The vehicle models are classified so that the attributes of the vehicle 10 can be determined. The information on the owner of the vehicle 10 includes, for example, information on the user ID or name.

[0054] The facial image processing unit 314 processes the facial image acquired from the user terminal 20 in accordance with the attributes of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter also referred to as vehicle attributes) to generate an processed facial image for authentication. As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle attribute DB 324 stores, for example, the relationship between the vehicle model and the vehicle attributes. The facial image processing unit 314 extracts the vehicle attributes corresponding to the vehicle model acquired from the vehicle ID server 60 from the vehicle attribute DB 324. Then, the facial image processing unit 314 generates an processed facial image for authentication by reflecting the vehicle attributes in the authentication facial image acquired from the user terminal 20. For example, in the vehicle attribute DB 324, the windshield of the vehicle 10 is stored as the vehicle attribute corresponding to the vehicle model. When the color is stored, the face image processing unit 314 generates a processed authentication face image by reflecting the color of the windshield of the vehicle 10 in the authentication face image. That is, the processed authentication face image is generated so as to correspond to an image of the user's face photographed from outside the vehicle 10. The face image processing unit 314 associates the generated processed authentication face image with the vehicle ID and the user ID and stores it in the processed authentication face image DB323. As shown in FIG. 6, the processed authentication face image DB323 stores the relationship between the user ID, the vehicle ID, and the processed authentication face image. As another example, the processed authentication face image DB323 may store information regarding the location where the processed authentication face image is stored.

[0055] The facial image providing unit 315 provides a processed authentication facial image in response to a request from the use-side server 40. The request from the use-side server 40 includes information related to the vehicle ID, and the facial image providing unit 315 extracts a processed authentication facial image corresponding to the vehicle ID from the processed authentication facial image DB 323 and transmits it to the use-side server 40.

[0056] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a software configuration of the use-side server 40 according to the embodiment. The control unit 41 is configured to have software modules of a face image acquisition unit 411, a vehicle information acquisition unit 412, a user ID acquisition unit 413, an authentication information acquisition unit 414, and an execution unit 415. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 41 (CPU) executing a program stored in the storage unit 42. Note that the information processing executed by the face image acquisition unit 411, the vehicle information acquisition unit 412, the user ID acquisition unit 413, the authentication information acquisition unit 414, and the execution unit 415 described below is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 41.

[0057] The face image acquisition unit 411 acquires an image captured by the camera 400 when the vehicle 10 is present at a predetermined position. The camera 400 is arranged in advance at a position where the driver of the vehicle 10 can be photographed. The face image acquisition unit 411, for example, constantly monitors images captured by the camera 400 and detects by image analysis that the vehicle 10 has approached a predetermined position. Then, the image of the user captured at that time is acquired as a user face image.

[0058] The vehicle information acquisition unit 412 acquires information about the vehicle 10 that is present at a predetermined position. At this time, for example, the camera 400 may be provided with a wireless communication function, and wireless communication may be performed between the camera 400 and the vehicle 10 to acquire information about the vehicle 10 (for example, the vehicle number). As another example, the vehicle number may be read by analyzing an image of the vehicle 10 captured by the camera 400.

[0059] The user ID acquisition unit 413 requests the association management server 50 to search by the vehicle ID. At this time, the user ID acquisition unit 413 inquires of the association management server 50 as to whether or not a valid association relationship corresponding to the vehicle ID exists at the target date and time. If a valid association relationship corresponding to the vehicle ID exists at the target date and time, the association management server 50 returns the user ID associated with the vehicle ID to the use side server 40. The user ID acquisition unit 413 stores the user ID acquired from the association management server 50 in the memory unit 42.

[0060] The authentication information acquisition unit 414 requests the center server 30 to search by the user ID. The center server 30 returns information on various authorities linked to the user ID and the processed face image for authentication to the user server 40. The various authorities include, for example, information on the payment service linked to the user ID.

[0061] If the face authentication is successful and the authority is valid, the execution unit 415 requests the payment server 70 to perform payment. The execution unit 415 performs face authentication by comparing the processed authentication face image acquired from the center server 30 with the user face image acquired from the camera 400. The execution unit 415 selects the payment server 70 to be used based on information related to various authorities linked to the user ID.

[0062] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a software configuration of the in-vehicle device 100 according to the embodiment. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 100 is configured to have a software module of a vehicle ID transmission unit 111. The software module may be realized by causing the control unit 11 (CPU) to execute a program stored in the storage unit 12. Note that the information processing executed by the vehicle ID transmission unit 111 below is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 11.

[0063] In response to a request from the utilization server 40 or the camera 400, the vehicle ID transmission unit 111 transmits the vehicle ID stored in the storage unit 12 to the utilization server 40 or the camera 400. Note that if the vehicle information acquisition unit 412 of the utilization server 40 reads and acquires the vehicle number, the vehicle ID transmission unit 111 can be omitted.

[0064] 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of the user terminal 20 according to the embodiment. The control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 is configured to have software modules of an image capturing unit 211 and a user information transmission unit 212. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 21 (CPU) executing a program stored in the storage unit 22. Note that the information processing executed by the image capturing unit 211 and the user information transmission unit 212 below is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 21.

[0065] The photographing unit 211 photographs the user with the camera 25. The photographing unit 211 photographs the user in response to a predetermined input from the user to the input / output device 24. At this time, the user adjusts the angle of the camera 25 so that the user's own face is photographed.

[0066] The user information transmission unit 212 transmits the user information input by the user via the input / output device 24 and the user's face image captured by the image capture unit 211 to the center server 30.

[0067] Next, the user registration process in the center server 30 will be described. Fig. 10 is a flowchart of the user registration process in the center server 30 according to the embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 10 is executed at predetermined time intervals in the center server 30. Note that the process shown in Fig. 10 is executed by each software module of the control unit 31, but in the following flowchart, the process will be described as being executed by the control unit 31.

[0068] In step S101, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a user registration request has been received from the user terminal 20. An application program capable of performing user registration may be installed in the user terminal 20. The user performs a predetermined input using this application program and photographs his / her face, whereby the user terminal 20 transmits a user registration request to the center server 30. As another example, the user terminal 20 may access a web page capable of performing user registration, and the user may perform a predetermined input on the web page or upload a face image for authentication, whereby the user terminal 20 transmits a user registration request to the center server 30. If the determination in step S101 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S102, and if the determination is negative, the routine is terminated.

[0069] In step S102, the control unit 31 acquires user information and a face image for authentication. The user information and the face image for authentication are transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the center server 30 together with a request for user registration, so the control unit 31 acquires the user information and the face image for authentication. The user information includes a user ID. Then, in step S103, the control unit The unit 31 performs a user registration process, stores the user information in a user information DB 321, and stores the authentication face image in an authentication face image DB 322 in association with the user ID.

[0070] Next, the process of providing a processed authentication face image in the center server 30 will be described. Fig. 11 is a flowchart of the process of providing a processed authentication face image in the center server 30 according to the embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 11 is executed at predetermined time intervals in the center server 30. Note that the process shown in Fig. 11 is executed by each software module of the control unit 31, but the following flowchart will be described assuming that the control unit 31 executes the process.

[0071] In step S201, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a search request by user ID has been received from the use-side server 40. This request includes a request to transmit information on various authorities linked to the user ID and a processed authentication face image to the use-side server 40. If the determination in step S201 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S202, and if the determination is negative, the present routine is terminated.

[0072] In step S202, the control unit 31 obtains the linking information from the linking management server 50. The control unit 31 requests the linking management server 50 to search by user ID. This user ID is the user ID that the control unit 31 obtained from the usage side server 40 in step S201. In response to this request, the linking management server 50 extracts the vehicle information (information relating to the vehicle ID, timestamp, and expiration date) that is linked to the user ID, and transmits it to the center server 30.

[0073] In step S203, the control unit 31 acquires vehicle information from the vehicle ID server 60. The control unit 31 requests the vehicle ID server 60 to search by vehicle ID. This vehicle ID is the vehicle ID acquired by the control unit 31 from the linking management server 50 in step S202. In response to this request, the vehicle ID server 60 extracts vehicle information (information on the vehicle number, vehicle model, and each of the owners of the vehicle 10) linked to the vehicle ID, and transmits it to the center server 30.

[0074] In step S204, the control unit 31 extracts vehicle attributes from the information related to the vehicle model. This information related to the vehicle model is included in the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle ID server 60 in step S203. The control unit 31 extracts vehicle attributes (e.g., windshield color) corresponding to the vehicle model from the vehicle attribute DB 324.

[0075] In step S205, the control unit 31 acquires an authentication face image stored in the authentication face image DB 322. The authentication face image acquired at this time is a face image received from the user terminal 20 at the time of user registration. The control unit 31 extracts, from the authentication face image DB 322, an authentication face image associated with the user ID acquired in step S201.

[0076] In step S206, the control unit 31 generates an processed authentication face image according to the vehicle attributes and the authentication face image. The control unit 31 generates the processed authentication face image by reflecting the vehicle attributes in the authentication face image. For example, the control unit 31 processes the authentication face image acquired from the user so that the face image becomes a face image of the user when photographed through the windshield. This processing can be performed using a known technique. The control unit 31 associates the generated processed authentication face image with the user ID and vehicle ID, and stores it in the processed authentication face image DB323.

[0077] In step S207, the control unit 31 acquires the user's authority from the user information DB 321. In this embodiment, information on the payment service is acquired as the information on the user's authority. Then, in step S208, the control unit 31 transmits the information to the utilization side server 40. The processed authentication face image and information regarding the user's authority are transmitted to the authentication server 100. The information regarding the user's authority transmitted at this time includes, for example, information regarding the payment company (credit card company) registered by the user and information regarding the credit card number.

[0078] In the routine shown in Fig. 11, a processed authentication face image is generated in response to a request from the user server 40, but as another example, a processed authentication face image can be generated following the routine shown in Fig. 10. For example, after the process of step S103, the processes of steps S202 to S206 may be executed to store the processed authentication face image in the processed authentication face image DB 323. Then, if a positive determination is made in step S201, the processed authentication face image associated with the user ID and stored in the processed authentication face image DB 323 may be read, and then the processes of steps S207 and S208 may be executed.

[0079] Next, the face authentication process in the use server 40 will be described. Fig. 12 is a flowchart of the face authentication process in the use server 40 according to the embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 12 is executed at predetermined time intervals in the use server 40. Note that the process shown in Fig. 12 is executed by each software module of the control unit 41, but the following flowchart will be described assuming that the control unit 41 executes the process.

[0080] In step S301, the control unit 41 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 is present at a predetermined position. The predetermined position is, for example, a position where a product is ordered or received in a drive-through. Note that the predetermined position is not limited to a position where the vehicle 10 stops, but may be a position where the vehicle 10 passes while traveling. In addition, the predetermined position is a position where the face of the driver of the vehicle 10 can be photographed by the camera 400. If a positive determination is made in step S301, the process proceeds to step S302, and if a negative determination is made, the routine ends.

[0081] In step S302, the control unit 41 acquires a user face image by capturing an image of the driver of the vehicle 10 with the camera 400. The control unit 41 stores the acquired user face image in the storage unit 42. In step S303, the control unit 41 acquires a vehicle ID from the vehicle 10. For example, the vehicle ID may be transmitted from the in-vehicle device 100 to the camera 400 using short-range wireless communication. As another example, the license plate of the vehicle 10 may be captured with the camera 400, and the vehicle number may be acquired by image analysis.

[0082] In step S304, the control unit 41 acquires the user ID corresponding to the vehicle ID from the association management server 50. At this time, the control unit 41 inquires of the association management server 50 as to whether or not a valid association corresponding to the vehicle ID exists at the target date and time. In this case, the control unit 41 transmits information on the vehicle ID and the target date and time to the association management server 50. For example, if the user has not registered a user ID, there is no valid association corresponding to the vehicle ID. Therefore, the association management server 50 determines whether or not a user ID corresponding to the vehicle ID exists. In addition, for example, an expiration date may be set for the association between the vehicle ID and the user ID. In this case, if the expiration date of the association between the vehicle ID and the user ID has passed, there is no valid association corresponding to the vehicle ID. Therefore, the association management server 50 determines whether or not the expiration date of the association between the vehicle ID and the user ID is within the expiration date. In addition, for example, when a valid association between the vehicle ID and the user ID is required at a specific date and time, it is determined whether or not a valid association between the vehicle ID and the user ID exists at the specific date and time using a timestamp. If a valid linking relationship between the vehicle ID and the user ID exists at the target date and time, the linking management server 50 transmits the user ID to the use-side server 40. On the other hand, if a valid linking relationship between the vehicle ID and the user ID does not exist at the target date and time, the linking management server 50 transmits information to that effect to the use-side server 40. In this case, the control unit 41 Unable to obtain user ID.

[0083] In step S305, the control unit 41 judges whether or not the user ID was acquired in step S304. If the judgment in step S305 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S306, and if the judgment is negative, the routine is terminated. If the judgment in step S305 is negative, the user may be notified that payment cannot be made. In this case, the use-side server 40 may be configured to display such a message on a signage or play a voice message from a speaker.

[0084] In step S306, the control unit 41 acquires the processed authentication facial image and information on various authorities from the center server 30. At this time, the control unit 41 transmits a search request by user ID to the center server 30. In response to this request, the center server 30 transmits the processed authentication facial image and information on various authorities to the use-side server 40. Then, the control unit 41 receives the processed authentication facial image and information on the user's various authorities from the center server 30.

[0085] In step S307, the control unit 41 performs face authentication by comparing the user face image acquired in step S302 with the processed authentication face image acquired in step S306. A known technique can be adopted for face authentication. The method of face authentication is not particularly limited and may be appropriately determined depending on the embodiment.

[0086] In step S308, the control unit 41 determines whether or not face authentication has been established. If the determination in step S308 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S309, and if the determination is negative, the routine is terminated. Note that if the determination in step S308 is negative, the user may be notified that payment cannot be made.

[0087] In step S309, the control unit 41 determines whether or not the user is able to make a payment at the payment server 70. The control unit 41 determines whether or not the user's authority is valid based on information related to various authorities acquired from the center server 30. In this case, the control unit 41 may inquire of the payment server 70 whether or not the user is able to make a payment at the payment server 70. If a positive determination is made in step S308, the process proceeds to step S310, and if a negative determination is made, the routine is terminated.

[0088] In step S309, the control unit 41 requests the payment server 70 to make a payment. That is, the control unit 41 exercises the authority of the user. At this time, the control unit 41 transmits to the payment server 70 information on the user ID and the amount of the payment.

[0089] In this way, the processed authentication face image reflects the attributes of the vehicle 10. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the discrepancy between how the user appears in the user face image obtained at the time of authentication and how the user appears in the processed authentication face image. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of face authentication of the user while the user remains in the vehicle 10.

[0090] <Second embodiment> In this embodiment, when a plurality of vehicle IDs of the same model are linked to the same user ID, the processed authentication face image that has already been generated is reused. Even if the vehicle 10 is assigned a vehicle ID different from that of the vehicle 10 for which the processed authentication face image has already been generated, the processed authentication face image that has already been generated can be reused if the vehicle 10 is of the same model. In other words, if the vehicle model is the same, it is considered that the attributes of the vehicle 10 have a similar effect on the user face image, so if the vehicle model and user ID are the same, the processed authentication face image can be reused.

[0091] When the face image processing unit 314 of the center server 30 generates an processed authentication face image and stores it in the processed authentication face image DB323, the face image processing unit 314 stores the processed authentication face image in association with the user ID, the vehicle ID, and the vehicle model. Here, Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of the processed authentication face image DB323 according to the embodiment. The processed authentication face image DB323 stores the relationship between the user ID, the vehicle ID, the vehicle model, and the processed authentication face image. The information related to the vehicle model is included in the information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 313 from the vehicle ID server 60.

[0092] In addition, before generating the processed authentication face image, the face image processing unit 314 of the center server 30 determines whether or not a record with the same user ID and vehicle model already exists in the processed authentication face image DB 323. If there is no record with the same user ID and vehicle model, the face image processing unit 314 of the center server 30 generates a processed authentication face image based on the vehicle attributes. On the other hand, if there is a record with the same user ID and vehicle model, the face image processing unit 314 extracts a processed authentication face image stored in a record with the same user ID and vehicle model. Then, the processed authentication face image is associated with the user ID, the vehicle ID, and the vehicle model and stored in the processed authentication face image DB 323. In this way, if a processed authentication face image has already been generated for a vehicle 10 with the same user ID and vehicle model, the processed authentication face image is reused without generating a new processed authentication face image for the vehicle 10 with the same user ID and vehicle model.

[0093] Next, the process of providing a processed authentication face image in the center server 30 will be described. Fig. 14 is a flowchart of the process of providing a processed authentication face image in the center server 30 according to the embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 14 is executed at predetermined time intervals in the center server 30. Note that the process shown in Fig. 14 is executed by each software module of the control unit 31, but in the following flowchart, the process will be described as being executed by the control unit 31. Note that the steps in which the same process as in Fig. 11 is executed are given the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0094] In the routine shown in Fig. 14, when the process of step S204 is completed, the process proceeds to step S401. In step S401, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the same car model is registered in the processed authentication face image DB 323 for the user ID acquired in step S201. That is, the control unit 31 determines whether or not a record with the same user ID and car model exists in the processed authentication face image DB 323. If the determination in step S401 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S205, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S402.

[0095] In step S402, the control unit 31 reuses the processed authentication face image. At this time, the control unit 31 extracts the processed authentication face image from a record having the same user ID and vehicle model. The control unit 31 associates the extracted processed authentication face image with the user ID, vehicle ID, and vehicle model, and stores it in the processed authentication face image DB 323. As another example, information on the location where the extracted processed authentication face image is stored may be associated with the user ID, vehicle ID, and vehicle model, and stored in the processed authentication face image DB 323.

[0096] In this way, by reusing the processed face image for authentication, the load on the center server 30 can be reduced.

[0097] <Other embodiments> The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs. Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, the process may be executed by multiple devices. The processes described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0098] For example, one server may have the functions of two or more of the center server 30, the usage side server 40, the association management server 50, the vehicle ID server 60, and the payment server 70. For example, the center server 30 and the usage side server 40 may be one server. Similarly, the center server 30 and the association management server 50 or the vehicle ID server 60 may be one server.

[0099] In addition, the processed authentication facial image generated by the center server 30 may be transmitted from the center server 30 to the user server 40 and stored in the memory unit 42 of the user server 40 before a search request based on the user ID is made from the user server 40.

[0100] The processed authentication facial image may be generated by the control unit 41 of the user side server 40. In this case, a request to transmit the authentication facial image at the time of user registration, which is necessary for generating the processed authentication facial image, is sent to the center server 30. At this time, information on at least one of the user ID and the vehicle ID is transmitted to the center server 30. In addition to the authentication facial image, information on various authorities of the user and information on the attributes of the vehicle 10 are also obtained from the center server 30. Note that the control unit 41 may directly obtain the information on the attributes of the vehicle 10 from the vehicle ID server 60. The control unit 41 generates the processed authentication facial image based on the authentication facial image received from the center server 30 and the attributes of the vehicle.

[0101] In addition, the control unit 31 of the center server 30 may periodically access the association management server 50 and generate a processed authentication face image for each vehicle model corresponding to the user ID. This makes it possible to handle cases where the user changes vehicles 10, purchases an additional vehicle 10, etc.

[0102] In the above embodiment, when face authentication is successful, a payment is requested from the payment server 70. However, the use-side server 40 can execute various types of authority of the user, not limited to payment.

[0103] Furthermore, when generating the processed authentication face image, the height at which the camera 400 is placed may be reflected. Since the angle of the user's face changes depending on the height at which the camera 400 is placed, the authentication face image may be processed so that the user faces forward, for example. Furthermore, the vehicle height may be an attribute of the vehicle 10. In this case, the processed authentication face image may be generated so that the angle of the face changes depending on the vehicle height.

[0104] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors of the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (floppy disk, hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1 System 10 Vehicles 20 User terminal 30 Center Server 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section 40 User Server 41 Control section 42 Storage section 50 Linking Management Server 60 Vehicle ID Server 70 Payment Server 100 In-vehicle equipment 400 Cameras

Claims

1. Acquiring user identification information, which is identification information of a user of a vehicle, and an authentication face image, which is an image of the face of the user for authentication; acquiring vehicle identification information, the vehicle identification information being associated with the user identification information; obtaining information regarding an attribute of the vehicle associated with the vehicle identification information; generating a processed authentication face image by processing the authentication face image in accordance with information on an attribute of the vehicle; An information processing device comprising a control unit that executes the above.

2. The control unit stores the processed authentication face image in a storage unit so that the processed authentication face image can be used for face authentication when the user uses the vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit acquires the user identification information and the authentication face image from the user terminal. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the control unit transmits the processed authentication face image corresponding to the user identification information in response to a request to transmit the processed authentication face image corresponding to the user identification information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. the control unit generates the processed authentication face image in response to a request to transmit the processed authentication face image corresponding to the user identification information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. the control unit generates the processed authentication face image in response to acquiring the user identification information and the authentication face image from the user terminal. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The control unit generates the processed authentication face image by reflecting a color of the glass of the vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

8. the control unit processes the authentication face image as an image captured through a window of the vehicle in accordance with information on attributes of the vehicle, thereby generating the processed authentication face image. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

9. The control unit is obtaining information regarding a vehicle type associated with the vehicle identification information; in response to generating the processed authentication face image, storing the processed authentication face image in a storage unit in association with the user identification information and information related to the vehicle model; generating the processed authentication face image in response to acquiring the information related to the vehicle model if a first processed authentication face image having the same user identification information and information related to the vehicle model associated with the processed authentication face image is not stored in the storage unit; In response to acquiring the information about the vehicle model, when the first processed face image for authentication is stored in the storage unit, instead of generating the processed face image for authentication, Associating one processed face image for authentication with information about the vehicle model and the user identification information; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

10. The computer Acquiring user identification information, which is identification information of a user of a vehicle, and an authentication face image, which is an image of the face of the user for authentication; acquiring vehicle identification information, the vehicle identification information being associated with the user identification information; obtaining information regarding an attribute of the vehicle associated with the vehicle identification information; generating a processed authentication face image by processing the authentication face image in accordance with information on an attribute of the vehicle; An information processing method for performing the above.

11. The computer stores the processed face image for authentication in a storage unit so that the processed face image for authentication can be used for face authentication when the user uses the vehicle. The information processing method according to claim 10.

12. The computer acquires the user identification information and the authentication face image from the user's terminal. The information processing method according to claim 10.

13. the computer transmits the processed authentication face image corresponding to the user identification information in response to a request to transmit the processed authentication face image corresponding to the user identification information; The information processing method according to claim 10.

14. the computer generates the processed authentication face image in response to a request to transmit the processed authentication face image corresponding to the user identification information; The information processing method according to claim 10.

15. the computer generates the processed authentication face image in response to acquiring the user identification information and the authentication face image from the user terminal; The information processing method according to claim 10.

16. The computer generates the processed face image for authentication by reflecting the color of the glass of the vehicle. The information processing method according to claim 10.

17. the computer processes the authentication face image as an image taken through a window of the vehicle in accordance with information on attributes of the vehicle, thereby generating the processed authentication face image. The information processing method according to claim 10.

18. The computer includes: obtaining information regarding a vehicle type associated with the vehicle identification information; in response to generating the processed authentication face image, storing the processed authentication face image in a storage unit in association with the user identification information and information related to the vehicle model; In response to acquiring the information about the vehicle model, a first processed authentication face image having the same user identification information and information about the vehicle model associated with the processed authentication face image is acquired. generating the processed authentication face image when the image is not stored in the storage unit; and in response to acquiring the information about the vehicle model, when the first processed authentication face image is stored in the storage unit, instead of generating the processed authentication face image, associating the first processed authentication face image with the information about the vehicle model and the user identification information; The information processing method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

19. acquiring a user face image, the user face image being an image generated by photographing a user riding in a vehicle with a camera disposed outside the vehicle; acquiring vehicle identification information that is identification information of the vehicle; obtaining user identification information, which is identification information of the user associated with the vehicle identification information at the time of authentication; acquiring a processed authentication face image, which is an image of the user's face associated with the user identification information, and which has been processed to reflect attributes of the vehicle identified from the vehicle identification information; authenticating the user by comparing the user face image with the processed authentication face image; If authentication of the user is successful, executing a process associated with the user; An information processing device comprising a control unit that executes the above.

20. The control unit is transmitting a request to transmit the processed authentication face image to a server that generates the processed authentication face image in association with the user identification information; acquiring the processed authentication face image from the server; The information processing device according to claim 19.

Images