Access control system, authentication terminal, and controller

Abstract

To facilitate the introduction of new authentication technologies into existing systems.SOLUTION: An access control system 100 includes an authentication terminal 1 and a controller 2. The controller 2 is connected to the authentication terminal 1 via at least one of a power line L1 and a dedicated communication line L2, and controls a facility. The authentication terminal 1 communicates using a first signal of a first communication method, which includes information for authentication used for authentication in an external system (authentication server 4), on either the power line L1 or the dedicated communication line L2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an entrance / exit management system, an authentication terminal, and a controller.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an entrance / exit room management system. This entrance / exit room management system includes an operation terminal and a collation device. The operation terminal is provided in each management section within the facility and reads out identification information for collation recorded on a user's recording medium. The collation device is connected to the operation terminal via a transmission line, and refers to registered information registered in advance based on the identification information notified from the operation terminal to collate whether a user can enter or exit the management section.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides an entrance / exit management system or the like that makes it easy to introduce a new authentication technology into an existing system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An entrance / exit management system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an authentication terminal and a controller. The controller is connected to the authentication terminal via at least one of a power line and a communication dedicated line and controls the facility. The authentication terminal communicates using a first signal of a first communication method including authentication information used for authentication in an external system on either the power line or the communication dedicated line.

[0006] The authentication terminal according to one aspect of the present invention is connected to a controller that controls equipment in an entrance / exit management system via at least one of a power line and a dedicated communication line. The authentication terminal communicates using a first signal of a first communication method including authentication information used for authentication in an external system on either the power line or the dedicated communication line.

[0007] The controller according to one aspect of the present invention is a controller that controls equipment in an entrance / exit management system and is connected to an authentication terminal via at least one of a power line and a dedicated communication line. The controller communicates using a first signal of a first communication method including authentication information used for authentication in an external system on either the power line or the dedicated communication line.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] The entrance / exit management system of the present invention and the like have the advantage of facilitating the introduction of new authentication technologies into existing systems.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Note that all of the embodiments described below show comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, among the components in the following embodiments, components not described in the independent claims are described as optional components.

[0011] Note that each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily drawn precisely. Also, in each figure, the same reference numerals are given to substantially the same configurations, and redundant descriptions may be omitted or simplified.

[0012] (Embodiment) [1. Configuration] Hereinafter, the configuration of the entry / exit management system according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment. The entry / exit management system 100 is a system for managing, for example, the entry and exit of people into and out of a facility or the entry and exit of people into a part of the facility (such as a floor). Here, the management of the entry and exit of people into and out of a facility or area includes, for example, managing the locking and unlocking of doors for entering and exiting the facility or area, or managing the operation of elevators for entering and exiting the facility or area.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the entry / exit management system 100 includes a plurality of authentication terminals 1 and a controller 2. In the embodiment, the plurality of authentication terminals 1 include a first terminal 11, a second terminal 12, and a third terminal 13. In FIG. 1, there is one first terminal 11, but there may be a plurality of them. Also, there is one second terminal 12, but there may be a plurality of them. Furthermore, there is one third terminal 13, but there may be a plurality of them.

[0014] In the embodiment, the first terminal 11, the second terminal 12, and the third terminal 13 are installed at the entrances to different facilities or areas, respectively. That is, the access control system 100 manages the entry and exit of people to the facilities or areas corresponding to the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12, and also manages the entry and exit of people to the facilities or areas corresponding to the third terminal 13. Note that at the entrance to the same area, the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12 may be used to manage the entry of people into the area, and the third terminal 13 may be used to manage the exit of people from the area. Of course, the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12 may be for exit, and the third terminal 13 may be for entry.

[0015] The plurality of authentication terminals 1 are connected to the controller 2 in a one-to-one manner via both the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2. On the other hand, the plurality of authentication terminals 1 are connected to each other via both the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2 by a daisy-chain wiring method. For example, when two authentication terminals 1 (the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12) for entry and two authentication terminals 1 (the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12) for exit are installed at the entrance to the same area, these four authentication terminals 1 are connected to each other by a daisy-chain wiring method.

[0016] The power line L1 is a line to which DC power is supplied from a DC 24V power source, for example, and is mainly used to supply operating power to each of the controller 2 and the plurality of authentication terminals 1. The dedicated communication line L2 is a signal line including a pair of wires conforming to a serial communication standard such as RS-485, for example, and is mainly used to transmit and receive signals between the controller 2 and the plurality of authentication terminals 1.

[0017] In the embodiment, the entrance and exit management system 100 is basically configured by replacing an existing controller with a new controller 2. The power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2 are existing wirings that connect between the existing controller and the second terminal 12. That is, in the embodiment, the line used for communication between the controller 2 and the plurality of authentication terminals 1 is the existing dedicated communication line L2, and is not a different type of communication line from existing wirings such as a LAN (Local Area Network) cable.

[0018] Note that when adopting a communication method conforming to the communication standard of HD-PLC (High Definition Power Line Communication) as the first communication method described later, the authentication terminals that perform communication by the first communication method among all the existing authentication terminals are replaced with the authentication terminals 1 corresponding to the HD-PLC communication standard. On the other hand, the remaining existing authentication terminals, that is, the authentication terminals that perform communication by the second communication method described later, are left in place. Also, when adopting a communication method conforming to the communication standard of single-pair Ethernet as the first communication method described later, all the existing authentication terminals are replaced with the authentication terminals 1 corresponding to the single-pair Ethernet communication standard. In either case, the existing wiring is utilized as it is.

[0019] The controller 2 is configured to be able to communicate with each of the entrance and exit management server 3 and the authentication server 4 via a local communication network N1 such as a LAN.

[0020] The entrance / exit management server 3 is a server device located at the location where the entrance / exit management system 100 is installed or at a location away from the location where the entrance / exit management system 100 is installed. The entrance / exit management server 3 collates the identification information transmitted via the local communication network N1 from any one of the set of the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12 and the third terminal 13 with the registration information (registered identification information) stored in advance, thereby determining whether the holder of the identification information is permitted to enter or exit the facility or area. If the identification information is included in the registration information, the entrance / exit management server 3 permits the holder of the identification information to enter or exit the facility or area. In the embodiment, the identification information includes a first ID (Identifier) and a second ID.

[0021] The authentication server 4 is a server device located at a location away from the location where the entrance / exit management system 100 is installed. The authentication server 4 performs an authentication process by collating the authentication information transmitted via the local communication network N1 from any one of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 with the registration information (registered authentication information) stored in advance. If the authentication information is included in the registration information, the authentication server 4 transmits the first ID corresponding to the authentication information to the holder of the authentication information.

[0022] Here, the authentication information is information used for authentication in an external system different from the entrance / exit management system 100. In the embodiment, the external system is the authentication server 4. Also, in the embodiment, the authentication information is information based on an image in which the face of a person captured by the imaging units 114 and 135 described later is reflected. That is, in the embodiment, the authentication information is information used for face authentication. The authentication information may be the captured image itself or the feature amount of the face of a person obtained from the captured image. Note that the image in the authentication information may include an image obtained by appropriately processing the image captured by the imaging units 114 and 135, for example.

[0023] [1-1. First Terminal] The first terminal 11 is a terminal that acquires authentication information used for image-based authentication and performs authentication based on the acquired authentication information through communication with the authentication server 4 via the local communication network N1. In the embodiment, the first terminal 11 is a terminal that performs face authentication. The first terminal 11 includes a communication unit 111, a processing unit 112, a storage unit 113, and an imaging unit 114.

[0024] The communication unit 111 is a communication circuit for the first terminal 11 to communicate with the authentication server 4 via the local communication network N1. Specifically, the communication unit 111 communicates with the authentication server 4 via the controller 2 and the local communication network N1 using either one of the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2.

[0025] The processing unit 112 executes a process of causing the communication unit 111 to transmit authentication information to the authentication server 4 via the local communication network N1, and a process of causing the first ID received from the authentication server 4 via the local communication network N1 to be transmitted from the communication unit 111 to the controller 2. The processing unit 112 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor. The functions of the processing unit 112 are realized, for example, by a microcomputer or a processor constituting the processing unit 112 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 113.

[0026] The storage unit 113 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like executed by the processing unit 112. The storage unit 113 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0027] The imaging unit 114 is a camera that captures (acquires) an image in which a person's face is reflected. The imaging unit 114 is realized by an image sensor, a lens, and the like.

[0028] [1-2. Second Terminal] The second terminal 12 is a terminal that acquires authentication information used for authentication and performs authentication based on the acquired authentication information through communication with the entry / exit management server 3 via the local communication network N1. In the embodiment, the second terminal 12 is a terminal that performs authentication using an IC (Integrated Circuit) card. The second terminal 12 includes a communication unit 121, a processing unit 122, a storage unit 123, and a reading unit 124.

[0029] The communication unit 121 is a communication circuit for the second terminal 12 to communicate with the entry / exit management server 3 via the local communication network N1. Specifically, the communication unit 121 communicates with the entry / exit management server 3 via the communication dedicated line L2, the controller 2, and the local communication network N1.

[0030] The processing unit 122 executes a process of causing the communication unit 121 to transmit the second ID to the entry / exit management server 3 via the local communication network N1. The processing unit 122 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor. The functions of the processing unit 122 are realized, for example, by a microcomputer or a processor constituting the processing unit 122 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 123.

[0031] The storage unit 123 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like executed by the processing unit 122. The storage unit 123 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0032] The reading unit 124 acquires the second ID by reading the second ID recorded on the IC card. The reading unit 124 is realized by, for example, a contact-type or non-contact-type card reader or the like.

[0033] [1-3. Third Terminal] The third terminal 13 is a terminal that integrally configures the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12, and has the functions of the first terminal 11 and the functions of the second terminal 12. The third terminal 13 includes a communication unit 131, a processing unit 132, a storage unit 133, a reading unit 134, and an imaging unit 135.

[0034] The communication unit 131 is a communication circuit for the third terminal 13 to communicate with each of the access management server 3 and the authentication server 4 via the local communication network N1. Specifically, the communication unit 131 communicates with the access management server 3 via the controller 2 and the local communication network N1 using the dedicated communication line L2. Also, the communication unit 131 is a communication circuit for the third terminal 13 to communicate with the authentication server 4 via the controller 2 and the local communication network N1 using either one of the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2.

[0035] The processing unit 132 executes a process of causing the communication unit 131 to transmit authentication information to the authentication server 4 via the local communication network N1, and a process of causing the communication unit 131 to transmit the first ID received from the authentication server 4 via the local communication network N1 to the controller 2. Also, the processing unit 132 executes a process of causing the communication unit 131 to transmit the second ID to the access management server 3 via the local communication network N1. The processing unit 132 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor. The functions of the processing unit 132 are realized by, for example, a microcomputer or a processor constituting the processing unit 132 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 133.

[0036] The storage unit 133 is a storage device in which a computer program and the like executed by the processing unit 132 are stored. The storage unit 133 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0037] The reading unit 134 acquires the second ID recorded on the IC card by reading it. The reading unit 134 is realized by, for example, a contact-type or non-contact-type card reader or the like.

[0038] The imaging unit 135 is a camera that captures (acquires) an image in which a person's face is reflected. The imaging unit 135 is realized by an image sensor, a lens, and the like.

[0039] [1-4. Controller] The controller 2 is a device for controlling facilities. Specifically, the controller 2 is a device for controlling facilities for restricting access to a facility or area, such as an electric lock or an elevator drive device. In the embodiment, the controller 2 is a device for controlling an electric lock installed on a door for entering and exiting a facility or area. The controller 2 includes a communication unit 21, a processing unit 22, and a storage unit 23.

[0040] The communication unit 21 is a communication circuit for the controller 2 to communicate with each of the access management server 3 and the authentication server 4 via the local communication network N1. Also, the communication unit 21 is a communication circuit for the controller 2 to communicate with each of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 using either the power line L1 or the dedicated communication line L2.

[0041] The processing unit 22 executes a process of transmitting information received from any one of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 to the access management server 3 or the authentication server 4 via the communication unit 21, and a process of transmitting information received from the access management server 3 or the authentication server 4 to any one of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 via the communication unit 21. Also, when the communication unit 21 receives a collation result indicating permission to enter or exit a facility or area from the access management server 3, the processing unit 22 executes a process of controlling the facility (here, the electric lock) to enable entry and exit to the facility or area.

[0042] The processing unit 22 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor. The function of the processing unit 22 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer or a processor constituting the processing unit 22 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 23.

[0043] The storage unit 23 is a storage device in which a computer program executed by the processing unit 22 and the like are stored. The storage unit 23 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0044] [1-5. Communication] Next, the communication modes performed by the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment will be described. In the embodiment, each of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 can communicate using a first signal Sig1 (see FIG. 2 etc.) of a first communication method including authentication information on either the power line L1 or the dedicated communication line L2. Further, each of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 can communicate using a second signal Sig2 (see FIG. 3 etc.) of a second communication method including information different from the authentication information on the dedicated communication line L2.

[0045] In the embodiment, the information included in the second signal Sig2 is information related to the entry / exit management system 100, such as a first ID or a second ID, and more specifically, information used for authentication in the entry / exit management system 100. Note that the information included in the second signal Sig2 is not limited to information related to the entry / exit management system 100 and may be other information.

[0046] The first communication method is a communication method different from the existing communication method (second communication method) used in the communication between the existing controller and the second terminal 12, and is a communication method faster than the second communication method. In the embodiment, the first communication method is, for example, a communication method conforming to the communication standard of HD-PLC. Also, the first communication method may be, for example, a communication method conforming to the Internet protocol using a pair wire as a communication line. Further, in the embodiment, the second communication method is, for example, a communication method conforming to the serial communication standard of RS-485.

[0047] In the embodiment, the first terminal 11 and the third terminal 13 among the plurality of authentication terminals 1 both acquire the first ID by communication using the first signal Sig1 during authentication, and transmit the acquired first ID to the controller 2 using the second signal Sig2. That is, the first terminal 11 and the third terminal 13 are terminals that perform communication using both the first signal Sig1 and the second signal Sig2 during authentication.

[0048] On the other hand, the second terminal 12 among the plurality of authentication terminals 1 transmits the second ID acquired during authentication to the controller 2 using the second signal Sig2, but does not perform communication using the first signal Sig1 (excluding communication that relays the first signal Sig1 from other authentication terminals 1). That is, the second terminal 12 is a terminal that performs communication using only the second signal Sig2 during authentication.

[0049] In the embodiment, each of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 performs communication using the first signal Sig1 in any of the following modes.

[0050] First, each of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 may perform communication using the second signal Sig2 on the dedicated communication line L2 and perform communication using the first signal Sig1 on the power line L1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the waveform of the first signal Sig1 superimposed on the power line L1. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 can perform communication using the first signal Sig1 on the power line L1 by superimposing the first signal Sig1 conforming to the HD-PLC communication standard on the power line L1.

[0051] Second, each of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 may perform communication in which the first signal Sig1 and the second signal Sig2 are superimposed on the dedicated communication line L2. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the waveforms of the first signal Sig1 and the second signal Sig2 superimposed on the dedicated communication line L2. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 can perform communication using both the first signal Sig1 and the second signal Sig2 on the dedicated communication line L2 by superimposing the first signal Sig1 conforming to the HD-PLC communication standard and the second signal Sig2 conforming to the RS-485 serial communication standard on the dedicated communication line L2.

[0052] In addition, when adopting the communication method according to the communication standard of single-pair Ethernet as the first communication method, each of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 may be connected to the controller 2 on a one-to-one basis without being connected to other authentication terminals 1 in a daisy-chain connection method. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the waveform of the first signal Sig1 according to single-pair Ethernet in the dedicated communication line L2. In this case, each of the plurality of authentication terminals 1 does not perform communication using the second signal Sig2 in the dedicated communication line L2. This communication mode is used, for example, when replacing the existing second terminal 12 with the first terminal 11.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the frequency bands of the first signal Sig1 and the second signal Sig2. In FIG. 5, the vertical axis represents the magnitude of the frequency component, and the horizontal axis represents the frequency. Also, in FIG. 5, the solid line represents the frequency band of the second signal Sig2 according to the RS-485 serial communication standard, the thick dashed line represents the frequency band of the first signal Sig1 according to the HD-PLC communication standard, and the thin dashed line represents the frequency band of the first signal Sig1 according to the single-pair Ethernet communication standard.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5, the frequency band of the first signal Sig1 according to the HD-PLC communication standard and the frequency band of the second signal Sig2 according to the RS-485 serial communication standard do not overlap. Therefore, even when the controller 2 superimposes the first signal Sig1 and the second signal Sig2 on the dedicated communication line L2, the controller 2 can separate and acquire the first signal Sig1 and the second signal Sig2 by appropriate filtering processing.

[0055] [2. Operation] Hereinafter, the operation of the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an operation example of the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 6, the case of managing the entry and exit of a person using the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12 will be described. When managing the entry and exit of a person using the third terminal 13, the third terminal 13 will execute the operations of the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12 described below.

[0056] First, the imaging unit 114 of the first terminal 11 captures an image in which a person's face is reflected, and acquires authentication information used for authentication based on the image (S101). Then, the processing unit 112 of the first terminal 11 causes the acquired authentication information to be transmitted from the communication unit 111 to the authentication server 4 via the controller 2 and the local communication network N1 (S102).

[0057] When the authentication server 4 receives the authentication information transmitted from the first terminal 11, it executes an authentication process by comparing the received authentication information with the registered information stored in advance (S501). If the authentication information is included in the registered information, the authentication server 4 transmits the first ID corresponding to the authentication information to the first terminal 11 via the controller 2 and the local communication network N1 (S502).

[0058] When the communication unit 111 of the first terminal 11 receives the first ID, the processing unit 112 of the first terminal 11 causes the received first ID to be transmitted from the communication unit 111 to the controller 2 (S103).

[0059] On the other hand, the reading unit 124 of the second terminal 12 reads the second ID recorded on the IC card to acquire the second ID (S201). Then, the processing unit 122 of the second terminal 12 causes the acquired second ID to be transmitted from the communication unit 121 to the controller 2 (S202).

[0060] Note that steps S101 to S103 executed by the first terminal 11 may be executed before, after, or in parallel with steps S201 and S202 executed by the second terminal 12.

[0061] When the communication unit 21 of the controller 2 receives the first ID and the second ID, the processing unit 22 of the controller 2 causes the received first ID and second ID to be transmitted from the communication unit 21 to the entrance / exit management server 3 via the local communication network N1 (S301).

[0062] When the entry / exit management server 3 receives the first ID and the second ID transmitted from the controller 2, it executes a collation process (S401) by collating the received first ID and second ID with the registered information stored in advance. Then, if the pair of the first ID and the second ID is included in the registered information, the entry / exit management server 3 transmits a collation result indicating that it permits the entry / exit of the holders of the first ID and the second ID to the facility or area to the controller 2 (S402).

[0063] When the communication unit 21 of the controller 2 receives the collation result, the processing unit 22 of the controller 2 controls the facility (here, the electric lock) to enable entry / exit to the facility or area (S302). As described above, the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment manages the entry / exit of people to the facility or area by performing both authentication using an IC card and authentication using the feature amounts of people's faces.

[0064] [3. Advantages] Hereinafter, the advantages of the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment will be described in comparison with the entry / exit management system 200 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the entry / exit management system 200 of the comparative example. The entry / exit management system 200 of the comparative example is different from the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment in that it does not include the third terminal 13 and the first terminal 11 communicates with the authentication server 4 via a local communication network N2 such as a LAN different from the local communication network N1.

[0065] In the entry / exit management system 200 of the comparative example, when introducing an authentication technique based on an image of a person's face, simply replacing the existing controller 203 with a new controller and adding the first terminal 201 is not enough. It is necessary to wire a communication line of a different type from the dedicated communication line L2 such as a LAN cable between the first terminal 201 and the authentication server 4. For this reason, in the entry / exit management system 200 of the comparative example, for example, when the existing controller 203 and the second terminal 202 are devices of a type embedded in a building material such as a wall, it is necessary to perform the work of embedding and wiring the different type of communication line in the building material, and there is a problem that it takes a great deal of cost to introduce a new authentication technique into the existing system. Further, in the entry / exit management system 200 of the comparative example, there is also a problem that the design property of the existing system may be impaired depending on the way of wiring the different type of communication line.

[0066] Here, instead of wiring the different type of communication line, it is also conceivable to perform communication using a signal including authentication information by an existing communication method using the existing dedicated communication line L2. However, since the authentication information used for authentication based on an image of a person's face has a relatively large amount of information, communication using a signal including authentication information becomes slow with the existing communication method. For this reason, in this aspect, there is a problem that it may not be possible to perform authentication with sufficient performance even if an authentication technique is introduced, such as taking a long time for authentication.

[0067] In contrast, in the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment, the authentication terminal 1 communicates using the first signal Sig1 of the first communication method including authentication information used for authentication in the external system (authentication server 4) on either the power line L1 or the dedicated communication line L2. Therefore, in the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment, since communication is performed using the first signal Sig1 in the first communication method different from the existing communication method, the existing wiring can be used, and there is no need to wire a different type of communication line from the dedicated communication line L2 such as a LAN cable. For this reason, the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment has the advantage that the cost required to introduce a new authentication technology into the existing system is also easily reduced, and it is easy to introduce a new authentication technology into the existing system. Further, in the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment, since the existing wiring is used, there is also an advantage that the design property is less likely to be impaired compared to the case of wiring a different type of communication line from the dedicated communication line L2.

[0068] Further, in the entry / exit management system 100 according to the embodiment, since communication is performed using the first signal Sig1 in the first communication method different from the existing communication method, even when the amount of authentication information is relatively large, it is easy to perform communication using the first signal Sig1 at a sufficiently high communication speed, and there is also an advantage that it is easy to introduce an authentication technology while ensuring sufficient performance.

[0069] (Modification example) As described above, the embodiments have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the authentication information is information used for face authentication, but it is not limited to this. For example, the authentication information may be information used for biometric authentication such as information used for fingerprint authentication including the feature amount of a person's fingerprint or information used for iris authentication including the feature amount of a person's iris. Further, for example, the authentication information may be information used for authentication using two-dimensional information such as a QR code (registered trademark). Further, the authentication information is not limited to information used for authentication in an external system, and may be either biometric information or two-dimensional information that does not depend on authentication in an external system.

[0071] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the access control system 100 performs both authentication using an IC card and authentication using the feature amount of a person's face by adding the first terminal 11 to the existing second terminal 12, but is not limited thereto. For example, the access control system 100 may be changed to perform authentication using the feature amount of a person's face instead of authentication using an IC card by replacing the existing second terminal 12 with the first terminal 11.

[0072] Also, in the above-described embodiment, the processing executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. Also, the order of a plurality of processes may be changed, or a plurality of processes may be executed in parallel.

[0073] Also, in the above-described embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

[0074] Also, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or an integrated circuit). These circuits may constitute one circuit as a whole, or may be separate circuits respectively. Also, these circuits may be general-purpose circuits or dedicated circuits respectively.

[0075] Also, the general or specific aspect of the present invention may be realized by a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM. Also, it may be realized by any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0076] For example, the present invention may be realized as a method executed by an entrance / exit management system, or as a program for causing the entrance / exit management system to execute the method, or as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded. Such a program includes a program for upgrading an existing entrance / exit management system to operate in the same manner as the entrance / exit management system of the above-described embodiment.

[0077] For example, in an entrance / exit management system 100 including an authentication terminal 1 and a controller 2 that is connected to the authentication terminal 1 via at least one of a power line L1 and a dedicated communication line L2 and controls equipment, the authentication terminal 1 is caused to perform communication using a first signal Sig1 of a first communication method including authentication information used for authentication in an external system (authentication server 4) on either the power line L1 or the dedicated communication line L2. Further, for example, the program causes one or more processors to execute the above-described entrance / exit management method.

[0078] In addition, forms obtained by applying various modifications that can be conceived by those skilled in the art to each embodiment, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions in each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

[0079] (Summary) As described above, the entrance / exit management system 100 according to the first aspect includes an authentication terminal 1 and a controller 2. The controller 2 is connected to the authentication terminal 1 via at least one of a power line L1 and a dedicated communication line L2 and controls equipment. The authentication terminal 1 performs communication using a first signal Sig1 of a first communication method including authentication information used for authentication in an external system (authentication server 4) on either the power line L1 or the dedicated communication line L2.

[0080] According to such an access control system 100, since communication is performed using the first signal Sig1 with the first communication method different from the existing communication method, the existing wiring can be used, and there is no need to wire a different type of communication line from the dedicated communication line L2 such as a LAN cable. Therefore, according to such an access control system 100, there is an advantage that the cost required to introduce a new authentication technology into the existing system is also easily reduced, and it is easy to introduce a new authentication technology into the existing system.

[0081] Also, for example, in the access control system 100 according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the controller 2 is connected to the authentication terminal 1 via both the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2. The authentication terminal 1 performs communication in which the second signal Sig2 of the second communication method including information different from the first signal Sig1 and the authentication information is superimposed on the dedicated communication line L2.

[0082] According to such an access control system 100, for example, it is possible to make both the existing communication in the second communication method and the communication in the new first communication method coexist, so there is an advantage that it is easy to maintain compatibility with the existing system.

[0083] Also, for example, in the access control system 100 according to the third aspect, in the first aspect, the controller 2 is connected to the authentication terminal 1 via both the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2. The authentication terminal 1 performs communication using the second signal Sig2 of the second communication method including information different from the authentication information on the dedicated communication line L2, and performs communication using the first signal Sig1 on the power line L1.

[0084] According to such an access control system 100, for example, it is possible to make both the existing communication in the second communication method and the communication in the new first communication method coexist, so there is an advantage that it is easy to maintain compatibility with the existing system.

[0085] Also, for example, in the entry / exit management system 100 according to the fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, there are a plurality of authentication terminals 1. The plurality of authentication terminals 1 are connected via both the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2 by a feed wiring method.

[0086] According to such an entry / exit management system 100, there is an advantage that it is easy to reduce the cost of wiring as compared with the case where a plurality of authentication terminals 1 are connected to the controller 2 one-to-one.

[0087] Also, for example, in the entry / exit management system 100 according to the fifth aspect, in the fourth aspect, the plurality of authentication terminals 1 include the first terminal 11. The first terminal 11 acquires authentication information used for authentication based on an image, and performs communication using both the first signal Sig1 and the second signal Sig2 of the second communication method including information different from the authentication information at the time of authentication.

[0088] According to such an entry / exit management system 100, there is an advantage that an authentication terminal 1 (first terminal 11) capable of performing authentication using the first signal Sig1 can be newly introduced.

[0089] Also, for example, in the entry / exit management system 100 according to the sixth aspect, in the fifth aspect, the plurality of authentication terminals 1 further include the second terminal 12. The second terminal 12 performs communication using only the second signal Sig2 among the first signal Sig1 and the second signal Sig2 at the time of authentication.

[0090] According to such an entry / exit management system 100, there is an advantage that an existing authentication terminal 1 (second terminal 12) capable of performing authentication using the second signal Sig2 and the newly introduced authentication terminal 1 (first terminal 11) can coexist.

[0091] Also, for example, in the entry / exit management system 100 according to the seventh aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the first communication method is a communication method according to the Internet protocol using a pair wire as a communication line.

[0092] According to such an access control system 100, either one of the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2 can be used as a communication line for IP (Internet Protocol). Therefore, there is an advantage that it becomes easier to divert the communication mode of another system where, for example, a LAN cable or the like is wired.

[0093] Also, for example, in the access control system 100 according to the eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the first communication method is a communication method conforming to the communication standard of single-pair Ethernet.

[0094] According to such an access control system 100, there is an advantage that it becomes easier to realize wiring over a relatively long distance or transmission of relatively large power.

[0095] Also, for example, the authentication terminal 1 according to the ninth aspect is connected to a controller 2 that controls equipment in the access control system 100 via at least one of the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2. The authentication terminal 1 communicates using a first signal Sig1 of a first communication method including authentication information used for authentication in an external system (authentication server 4) on either one of the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2.

[0096] According to such an authentication terminal 1, since communication is performed using the first signal Sig1 in a first communication method different from the existing communication method, the existing wiring can be used, and there is no need to wire a different type of communication line from the dedicated communication line L2 such as a LAN cable. Therefore, according to such an authentication terminal 1, there is an advantage that the cost required to introduce a new authentication technology into an existing system can be easily reduced, and it is easy to introduce a new authentication technology into the existing system.

[0097] Further, for example, the controller 2 according to the tenth aspect is a controller that controls equipment in the entry / exit management system 100, and is connected to the authentication terminal 1 via at least one of the power line L1 and the dedicated communication line L2. The controller 2 performs communication using a first signal Sig1 of a first communication method including authentication information used for authentication in an external system (authentication server 4) on either the power line L1 or the dedicated communication line L2.

[0098] According to such a controller 2, since communication using the first signal Sig1 is performed by the first communication method different from the existing communication method, the existing wiring can be used, and there is no need to wire a different type of communication line from the dedicated communication line L2 such as a LAN cable. Therefore, according to such a controller 2, there is an advantage that the cost required to introduce a new authentication technology into the existing system is also easily reduced, and it is easy to introduce a new authentication technology into the existing system.

Explanation of Signs

[0099] 1 Authentication terminal 11 First terminal 12 Second terminal 2 Controller 4 Authentication server (external system) 100 Entry / exit management system L1 Power line L2 Dedicated communication line Sig1 First signal Sig2 Second signal

Claims

1. An authentication terminal; a controller connected to the authentication terminal via at least one of a power line and a communication dedicated line and controlling the equipment; the authentication terminal performs communication using a first signal of a first communication method, the first signal including authentication information used for authentication in an external system, via either the power line or the communication dedicated line; Entrance / exit control system.

2. the controller is connected to the authentication terminal via both the power line and the communication dedicated line; the authentication terminal performs communication on the dedicated communication line by superimposing the first signal on a second signal of a second communication method including information different from the authentication information; The entrance / exit management system according to claim 1 .

3. the controller is connected to the authentication terminal via both the power line and the communication dedicated line; the authentication terminal performs communication using a second signal of a second communication method including information different from the authentication information on the communication dedicated line, and performs communication using the first signal on the power line. The entrance / exit management system according to claim 1 .

4. The authentication terminal is a plurality of terminals, the plurality of authentication terminals are connected via both the power line and the communication dedicated line by a forwarding wiring method; The entrance / exit management system according to claim 1 .

5. the plurality of authentication terminals includes a first terminal, the first terminal acquires the authentication information used for authentication based on an image, and performs communication using both the first signal and a second signal of a second communication method including information different from the authentication information during authentication. The entrance / exit management system according to claim 4.

6. the plurality of authentication terminals includes a second terminal, the second terminal performs communication using only the second signal of the first signal and the second signal during authentication; The entrance / exit management system according to claim 5.

7. The first communication method is a communication method according to the Internet Protocol using a pair of wires as a communication line. The entrance / exit management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The first communication method is a communication method conforming to a single pair Ethernet communication standard. The entrance / exit management system according to claim 7.

9. The access control system is connected to a controller that controls the equipment via at least one of a power line and a dedicated communication line, performing communication using a first signal of a first communication method, the first signal including authentication information used for authentication in an external system, on either the power supply line or the communication dedicated line; Authentication terminal.

10. A controller for controlling equipment in an entrance / exit control system, connected to the authentication terminal via at least one of a power line and a dedicated communication line; performing communication using a first signal of a first communication method, the first signal including authentication information used for authentication in an external system, on either the power supply line or the communication dedicated line; controller.

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