Age identification device

Abstract

To provide an age identification device capable of identifying a holder's age by using a booklet incorporating an IC chip storing information on a birth date.SOLUTION: An age identification device 1 includes: a base section 20 having a guide surface 21 for guiding an IC passport 90 incorporating an IC chip 96 storing information on a holder's birth date; a head section 22 for forming an insertion slot 23 into which the edge of the opened IC passport 90 can be inserted; a camera 30 capable of photographing the edge of the IC passport 90 inserted into the insertion slot 23; a stopper 24 for regulating the movement of the IC passport 90 in a -z direction; a communication section 32 capable of communicating with the IC chip 96; and a control section 34. The communication section 32 is disposed between the stopper 24 and the entrance of the insertion slot 23. The control section 34 acquires machine-readable data from the edge of the IC passport 90, acquires information on a birth date from the IC chip 96 via the communication section 32 by using it, and identifies a holder's age on the basis of it.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an age identification device. [Background technology]

[0002] Vending machines that sell products without human intervention have been known for some time, but in recent years, due to the impact of COVID-19, self-checkout registers where customers scan products themselves to make purchases and self-gates where visitors are allowed to enter by holding up a QR code (registered trademark) or similar have become widespread. For example, in order to sell products with age restrictions for purchase, such as tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and adult magazines, at vending machines or self-checkout registers, it is necessary to confirm the age of the purchaser without human checks. Also, in facilities with age restrictions for entry, it is necessary to confirm the age of visitors without human checks.

[0003] Known systems capable of verifying such ages use a driver's license or an individual number card (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, travelers from overseas who do not reside in Japan do not have a driver's license or an individual number card, and such systems are unable to verify ages. Therefore, there is a demand for a device that can verify ages using a means other than a driver's license or an individual number card. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7383316 specification Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems in the prior art, and aims to provide an age identification device that can identify the age of a holder using a booklet containing an IC chip that stores date of birth information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an age identification device capable of identifying the age of a holder using a booklet with an IC chip with date of birth information stored therein. The age identification device includes a base portion having a guide surface for guiding a booklet with an IC chip with date of birth information representing the birth date of the holder stored therein, a head portion having an insertion slot into which an edge of the open booklet can be inserted in a first direction along the guide surface, a camera capable of photographing the edge of the booklet inserted into the insertion slot of the head portion, a stopper for restricting the movement of the booklet in a second direction opposite to the first direction, a communication unit capable of communicating with the IC chip of the booklet and disposed in a position close to the guide surface between the stopper and an entrance of the insertion slot, and a control unit configured to obtain booklet data from the edge of the booklet photographed by the camera, obtain the date of birth information from the IC chip of the booklet via the communication unit using the booklet data, and identify the age of the holder based on the date of birth information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an age identification device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating components of the age identification device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a passport as a booklet used in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the age identification device shown in FIG. [Figure 4B]FIG. 4B is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the age identification device shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a usage state of the age identification device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a usage state of the age identification device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the age identification device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. In Figs. 1 to 6, identical or corresponding components are denoted with the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. In addition, in Figs. 1 to 6, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated or some components may be omitted. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish components from each other, and do not represent a specific order or sequence.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an age identification device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing components of the age identification device 1. This age identification device 1 is mounted on and connected to, for example, a vending machine for cigarettes or alcoholic beverages, but it goes without saying that this age identification device 1 can also be mounted on and connected to a self-checkout register or self-gate.

[0010] The age identification device 1 in this embodiment does not use a driver's license or a personal number card, but rather uses an IC passport that most travelers from overseas have to identify the holder's age. An IC passport is a passport equipped with an IC chip on which biometric information and other data are electromagnetically recorded to prevent unauthorized use, and has been adopted worldwide in recent years. The age identification device 1 reads the data stored in the IC chip of the IC passport and identifies the holder's age based on this data. The age identification device according to the present invention is not limited to IC passports, but can also be applied to booklets containing an IC chip that stores information about the holder.

[0011] The ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) has established standards for IC passports. However, the ICAO standards only stipulate the minimum conditions that an IC passport must meet, and each country can freely determine the parts that are not stipulated in the ICAO standards. For example, there is no particular specification as to which page in the passport the face photo should be on or which page the IC chip should be on. Depending on the country, the page on which the IC chip is on may be the cover page, the back cover page, or a page between these. Therefore, the age identification device 1 in this embodiment is configured to be able to read data from any specification of the IC passports of more than 100 countries. The detailed configuration of the age identification device 1 will be described below.

[0012] 1 and 2, the age identification device 1 includes a base unit 10 and a housing 12 attached to the base unit 10. The housing 12 includes a base unit 20 having a guide surface 21 for guiding an IC passport as described below, a head unit 22 protruding in the +Y direction from the end of the base unit 20 on the +Z direction side, and a stopper 24 protruding in the +Y direction from the end of the base unit 20 on the -Z direction side.

[0013] The head unit 22 has a light emitting unit (LED) 25 that indicates the data reading state. In addition, the head unit 22 has an insertion slot 23 formed along the guide surface 21 at the boundary with the base unit 20. This insertion slot 23 extends in an elongated manner in the X direction, so that an edge of an IC passport 90 with a specific page opened, which will be described later, can be inserted into this insertion slot 23 in the +Z direction (first direction) along the guide surface 21. In addition, the head unit 22 has a sensor (not shown), such as an optical sensor, that detects that an object has been inserted into the insertion slot 23. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the age identification device 1 has a camera 30, a mirror 31, a communication unit 32, an output unit 33, a light emitting unit 35, and a control unit 34 inside the housing 12. Details of these components will be described later.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example of an ePassport 90. FIG. 3 shows a page 91 (hereinafter referred to as "holder information page") on which information on the holder of the ePassport 90 is written, in an open state. As shown in FIG. 3, the holder information page 91 contains the holder's face photo 92, as well as the holder's surname, first name, date of birth, nationality, sex, domicile of origin, signature, type of passport, issuing country, passport number, date of issue, expiration date, and issuing authority information 93. In addition, in order to comply with the above-mentioned ICAO standard, a machine-readable zone (MRZ) 95 in which machine-readable data 94 is displayed is provided on the edge of the holder information page 91. As the machine-readable data 94, the type of passport, issuing country code, name, etc. are written on the first line, and the passport number, nationality, date of birth, sex, expiration date, etc. are written on the second line.

[0015] The IC passport 90 also has an IC chip 96 built in, which stores the face photo data of the holder of the IC passport 90 as well as the passport number and other information data written on the holder information page 91. The page on which the IC chip 96 is built varies depending on the country. It may be built in the front or back cover page, or it may be built in the middle page of the booklet as in the case of Japanese IC passports. The IC passport 90 also has an antenna (not shown) built in to enable communication between an external device and the IC chip 96. The data stored in the IC chip 96 can be read using an authentication key generated using the machine-readable data 94 displayed on the MRZ 95. For example, an IC chip conforming to the ISO14443 Type B standard may be used as the IC chip 96, but is not limited thereto.

[0016] Returning to FIG. 2, the camera 30 photographs the edge of the IC passport 90 inserted into the insertion slot 23 of the head unit 22. The mirror 31 reflects an image of the edge of the IC passport 90 inserted into the insertion slot 23 and forms an image on the camera 30. The stopper 24 regulates the movement of the IC passport 90 in the -Z direction (second direction). The communication unit 32 is disposed in a position close to the guide surface 21 between the stopper 24 and the entrance of the insertion slot 23. The communication unit 32 communicates with the IC chip 96 built into the IC passport 90, and is constituted by, for example, a communication device using radio frequency identification (RFID). The light emitting unit 35 illuminates the inside of the insertion slot 23, and is constituted by, for example, an LED. The control unit 34 is connected to various components of the age identification device 1 and controls these components, and includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a storage device that stores programs and the like that, when executed by the CPU, realize the functions described in detail below and other functions (for example, a function to obtain the current date and time). The output unit 33 outputs the data processed and acquired by the control unit 34 to an external device.

[0017] 4A and 4B are flowcharts showing an example of the operation of the age identification device 1. The age identification device 1 is started by a trigger from a vending machine when an age-restricted product is about to be purchased from the vending machine. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the age identification device 1 is started, it is in a standby state until the IC passport 90 is inserted into the insertion slot 23 of the head unit 22 (step S101). When using the age identification device 1, the user opens the holder information page 91 of the IC passport 90, and inserts the edge of the IC passport 90 into the insertion slot 23 of the head unit 22 so that the MRZ 95 located on the edge faces the +Y direction, as shown in FIG. 5. When the edge of the IC passport 90 is inserted into the insertion slot 23, the sensor in the head unit 22 detects the insertion, and the control unit 34, receiving a signal from the sensor, instructs the light emitting unit 35 to light up (step S102). The control unit 34 also instructs the camera 30 to take a picture of the edge of the IC passport 90 (step S103). As a result, the edge of the IC passport 90 inserted into the insertion slot 23 is photographed by the camera 30 via the mirror 31 .

[0018] The image captured by the camera 30 is sent to the control unit 34, and the control unit 34 acquires the characters written in the MRZ 95 of the IC passport 90, i.e., the machine-readable data 94 (booklet data), from the image captured by the camera 30 using, for example, optical character recognition (OCR) technology (step S104). The control unit 34 then generates an authentication key required to access the IC chip 96 of the IC passport 90 from the acquired machine-readable data 94 (step S105). The control unit 34 checks the checksum of the generated authentication key (step S106), and if the checksum is correct, the control unit 34 notifies the user of the validity of the authentication key by, for example, illuminating the light-emitting unit 25 of the head unit 22 (step S107). If the checksum is incorrect, the output unit 33 outputs a response to the vending machine not permitting the purchase of the product, as shown in FIG. 4B (step S108).

[0019] If the checksum of the generated authentication key is correct, the control unit 34 instructs the communication unit 32 to start sending a request command and to receive a response signal from the IC chip 96 of the IC passport 90. This puts the communication unit 32 into a standby state (step S109).

[0020] When the user confirms that the light-emitting unit 25 is emitting light, indicating that the authentication key is valid, the user moves the IC passport 90 in the -Z direction to bring the edge of the IC passport 90 out of the insertion slot 23 and closes the open holder information page 91, as shown in Fig. 6. Next, the user moves the closed IC passport 90 in the -Z direction along the guide surface 21 until its back portion 97 hits the stopper 24. When the sensor in the head unit 22 no longer detects the presence of the IC passport 90 in the insertion slot 23, the control unit 34 instructs the light-emitting unit 35 to turn off.

[0021] As described above, the page in which the IC chip 96 is embedded varies from country to country, but when the back 97 of the closed IC passport 90 is in contact with the stopper 24, the IC chip 96 is located within the communication range of the communication unit 32 of the age identification device 1, regardless of which page of the IC passport 90 the IC chip 96 is embedded in. Therefore, as described above, when the closed IC passport 90 is moved in the -Z direction until the back 97 in contacts with the stopper 24, the IC chip 96 comes into the communication range of the communication unit 32.

[0022] When the IC chip 96 enters a communication range with the communication unit 32, power is supplied to the IC chip 96 by the magnetic field from the communication unit 32, and the IC chip 96 becomes capable of communicating with the outside. At this time, since the communication unit 32 of the age identification device 1 transmits a request command as described above, the IC chip 96 of the IC passport 90 receives the request command from the communication unit 32 and transmits a response signal to the communication unit 32.

[0023] The fact that the communication unit 32 receives a response signal from the IC chip 96 means that the IC chip 96 is present within the communication range of the communication unit 32. Therefore, when the communication unit 32 receives a response signal from the IC chip 96 (Y in step S109), as shown in FIG. 4B, the communication unit 32 transmits a command to the IC chip 96 to acquire data stored in the IC chip 96 (hereinafter, referred to as "chip data") (step S110). At this time, the communication unit 32 performs authentication in the IC chip 96 using the generated authentication key. When the IC chip 96 authenticates that the authentication key is valid, the IC chip 96 transmits the requested chip data to the communication unit 32. The communication unit 32 receives the chip data from the IC chip 96 and transmits it to the control unit 34 (step S111). In this manner, the control unit 34 can acquire the chip data stored in the IC chip 96.

[0024] As described above, the data in the chip that the control unit 34 can acquire includes information representing the face photo data, family name, given name, date of birth (date of birth information), nationality, sex, permanent domicile, type of e-passport 90, issuing country, passport number, date of issue, expiration date (validity information), etc. of the holder of the e-passport 90. The control unit 34 compares the expiration date of the e-passport 90 obtained from the validity information with the current date and time, and judges whether the expiration date of the e-passport 90 is in the future, i.e., whether the e-passport 90 is valid (step S112). The current date and time can be acquired by a function built into the control unit 34. If the expiration date is in the future, i.e., if the e-passport 90 is valid, the control unit 34 calculates the difference between the date of birth of the holder of the e-passport 90 obtained from the date of birth information and the current date and time, and calculates (identifies) the age of the holder (step S113). Then, the control unit 34 judges whether the calculated age is equal to or exceeds the age at which the product can be purchased (e.g., 20 years old) (step S114), and if the calculated age is equal to or exceeds the age at which the product can be purchased, outputs a response to the vending machine permitting the purchase of the product (step S115). On the other hand, if the user does not reach the age at which the product can be purchased, the control unit 34 outputs a response to the vending machine denying the purchase of the product from the output unit 33 (step S108). Also, if it is determined in step S112 that the IC passport 90 is not valid, the control unit 34 also outputs a response to the vending machine denying the purchase of the product from the output unit 33 (step S108).

[0025] By mounting and connecting such an age identification device 1 to a vending machine or self-checkout register, when a purchaser purchases an age-restricted product, the age identification device 1 reads the purchaser's IC passport 90 according to the above-mentioned procedure, and the product can be sold only if a response permitting the purchase of the product is output from the control unit 34. Also, if the age identification device 1 is mounted and connected to a self-gate, when a visitor enters a facility with age restrictions, the age identification device 1 reads the purchaser's IC passport 90 according to the above-mentioned procedure, and the visitor can enter only if a response permitting entry is output from the control unit 34.

[0026] According to the age identification device 1 of this embodiment, after opening the holder information page of the IC passport 90 and photographing the machine-readable data 94 (booklet data) with the camera 30, the IC passport 90 is closed and moved along the guide surface 21 until its back 97 hits the stopper 24, and the IC chip 96 of the IC passport 90 will be located within the communication range of the communication unit 32 of the age identification device 1, regardless of which page of the IC passport 90 the IC chip 96 is embedded in. Therefore, it is possible to read the data stored in the IC chip 96 of the IC passport 90 with a simple operation, without having to worry about differences in specifications between countries.

[0027] Here, in order to ensure more reliable communication between the communication unit 32 of the age identification device 1 and the IC chip 96 of the IC passport 90, as shown in Figure 6, it is preferable that the distance D between the stopper 24 and the entrance of the insertion slot 23 is longer than the width W of the IC passport 90 along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the back 97 of the IC passport 90 extends (X direction) when the IC passport 90 is closed.

[0028] In addition, in the above example, the characters written in the MRZ 95 of the IC passport 90 are considered to be machine-readable data 94, but such machine-readable data 94 does not necessarily have to be characters; for example, a QR code (registered trademark) or a barcode may be displayed in the MRZ 95 as machine-readable data 94.

[0029] In the above example, when the edge of the IC passport 90 is inserted into the insertion slot 23, the camera 30 automatically starts taking pictures. However, it is also possible to provide a button on the head unit 22 to instruct the camera to start taking pictures, and to have the control unit 34 turn on the light-emitting unit 35 and start taking pictures with the camera 30 when the user presses this button.

[0030] As described above, the age identification device according to the present invention can employ the following configuration.

[0031] [Configuration 1] a base portion having a guide surface for guiding a booklet having an IC chip therein storing birth date information indicating the birth date of the holder; a head portion having an insertion slot into which an edge of the open booklet can be inserted in a first direction along the guide surface; a camera capable of photographing the edge of the booklet inserted into the insertion slot of the head portion; a stopper that restricts movement of the booklet in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a communication unit capable of communicating with the IC chip of the booklet, the communication unit being disposed at a position adjacent to the guide surface between the stopper and an entrance of the insertion slot; a control unit configured to acquire booklet data from the edge of the booklet photographed by the camera, acquire the date of birth information from the IC chip of the booklet via the communication unit using the booklet data, and identify the age of the holder based on the date of birth information; An age identification device comprising:

[0032] [Configuration 2] The IC chip further stores expiration date information indicating an expiration date of the booklet, The control unit is further configured to acquire the expiration date information in addition to the date of birth information from the IC chip of the booklet, and identify the validity of the booklet based on the expiration date information. 2. The age identification device according to configuration 1.

[0033] [Configuration 3] 3. The age identification device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the stopper and the entrance of the insertion slot is greater than the width of the booklet along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the spine of the booklet extends when the booklet is closed.

[0034] [Configuration 4] machine-readable data usable for generating an authentication key for accessing the data stored in the IC chip is displayed on the edge of the booklet; the control unit is configured to acquire the machine-readable data from the edge photographed by the camera as the booklet data, and acquire the chip data from the IC chip of the booklet via the communication unit using the authentication key generated from the machine-readable data. An age identification device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3.

[0035] [Configuration 5] 5. An age identification device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, further comprising a mirror that reflects an image of the edge of the booklet inserted into the insertion slot of the head portion and forms an image on the camera.

[0036] [Configuration 6] 6. An age identification device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, further comprising a light-emitting unit that illuminates the inside of the insertion slot of the head portion.

[0037] [Configuration 7] 7. An age identification device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the booklet is a passport.

[0038] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and may be embodied in various different forms within the scope of the technical concept thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1 Age Identification Device 10 Pedestal 12. Chassis 20 Base 21 Guide surface 22 Head section 23 Insertion Slot 24 Stopper 25 Light emitting part 30 Camera 31. Mirror 32 Communications Department 33 Output section 34 Control section 35 Light-emitting part 90 IC passport (booklet) 91 Owner Information Page 92 Photo 94 Machine-readable data (booklet data) 96 IC chip 97 Back

Claims

1. a base portion having a guide surface for guiding a booklet having an IC chip therein storing birth date information indicating the birth date of the holder; a head portion having an insertion slot formed therein into which an edge of the opened booklet can be inserted in a first direction along the guide surface; a camera capable of photographing the edge of the booklet inserted into the insertion slot of the head portion; a stopper that restricts movement of the booklet in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a communication unit capable of communicating with the IC chip of the booklet, the communication unit being disposed at a position adjacent to the guide surface between the stopper and an entrance of the insertion slot; a control unit configured to acquire booklet data from the edge of the booklet photographed by the camera, acquire the date of birth information from the IC chip of the booklet via the communication unit using the booklet data, and identify the age of the holder based on the date of birth information; An age identification device comprising:

2. The IC chip further stores expiration date information indicating an expiration date of the booklet, The control unit is further configured to obtain the expiration date information in addition to the date of birth information from the IC chip of the booklet, and identify the validity of the booklet based on the expiration date information.

2. The age identification device according to claim 1.

3. 2. The age identification device of claim 1, wherein the distance between the stopper and the entrance of the insertion slot is greater than a width of the booklet along a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the spine of the booklet extends when the booklet is closed.

4. the edge of the booklet displays machine-readable data that can be used to generate an authentication key for accessing the date of birth information stored in the IC chip; the control unit is configured to acquire the machine-readable data from the edge photographed by the camera as the booklet data, and acquire the date of birth information from the IC chip of the booklet via the communication unit using the authentication key generated from the machine-readable data.

2. The age identification device according to claim 1.

5. The age identification device according to claim 1 , further comprising a mirror that reflects an image of the edge of the booklet inserted into the insertion slot of the head portion and forms the image on the camera.

6. The age identification device according to claim 1 , further comprising a light-emitting unit that illuminates the inside of the insertion slot of the head portion.

7. The age identification device according to claim 1 , wherein the booklet is a passport.

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