Confirmation system and confirmation device

Abstract

To provide a device and a system that read information displayed on the face of a usage ticket and perform processing corresponding to the ticket's validity based on the displayed content.SOLUTION: A ticket confirmation device 100 installed at a ticket gate includes: a camera unit that is installed on both the entry and exit sides of a ticket gate 200, and captures images of the face of the ticket; an acquisition unit that extracts information from the images captured by the camera unit; and a determination unit that determines whether the ticket usage is valid based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit. Based on the determination result, a door of the ticket gate 200 is controlled, and the user's passage is permitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a verification system and a verification device. [Background technology]

[0002] There are tickets whose validity is determined based on the information displayed on the face of the ticket. For example, the "Seishun 18 Ticket" of the Japan Railway Company (JR) has a stamp with the date recorded on it attached to the face of the ticket at the first entry, allowing passage through the ticket gate (entering and exiting) an unlimited number of times on the same day. When passing through the ticket gate, the date recorded on the stamp on the face of the ticket is used to determine whether or not you can pass through. Meanwhile, there is a conventional technology that processes information based on the information obtained by capturing an image of the face of the ticket with a camera and outputs the processing results.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a guidance system that includes a platform on which a voucher with validity information printed on its first side is placed in a predetermined position, a camera that images the platform, an information processing unit that acquires the validity information based on image data of the first side of the voucher imaged by the camera and acquires guidance information corresponding to the validity information, and a display control unit that displays the guidance information on a display surface using a display device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-131926 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Systems that exchange data using magnetic or near-field wireless communication to confirm the validity of tickets, such as automatic ticket gates at railways, are becoming widespread, but tickets that are difficult to use in this way are still checked by humans, such as by ticket gate attendants.By mechanically reading the information on the face of the ticket and processing the validity of the ticket based on the information displayed, it is expected that the number of personnel required for manned tasks such as ticket gate operations can be reduced.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a device and system that reads the information on the face of a voucher and performs processing according to the validity of the voucher in accordance with the information displayed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention, which achieves the above-mentioned objectives, is a verification system that includes a photographing unit that photographs the face of a ticket, an acquisition unit that acquires information from the image captured by the photographing unit, and a judgment unit that determines whether the ticket is valid for use based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit. Here, the configuration may further include a control unit that transmits control information to the ticket gate for controlling the state of the gate of the ticket gate in accordance with the determination result by the determination unit. The apparatus may further include an issuing unit that issues a ticket for passing through the ticket gate in accordance with the determination result by the determining unit. In addition, the configuration may further include a control unit that transmits biometric information of the user of the ticket to the ticket gate in order to control the gate state of the ticket gate in accordance with the determination result by the determination unit. The acquisition unit may also be configured to acquire one or more date records from an image of the face of the ticket, and the determination unit may determine that the ticket is valid if the acquired dates include the current date as one of the conditions. More specifically, the device may further include a control unit that controls information output, and the determination unit may determine that the ticket is invalid if the acquired date does not include the current date, and the control unit may notify a management center of information about the ticket that has been determined to be invalid. The device may also be configured to further include a control unit that controls information output, and if the last date among the acquired dates is the previous day, the determination unit may suspend determination of the ticket, and the control unit may notify the user requesting settlement in response to the suspension of the determination result by the determination unit. Furthermore, in a predetermined specific section, the determination unit may be configured to determine that the ticket is valid even if the latest date among the acquired dates is the date of the previous day. The device may also be configured to further include a user counting means for counting the number of users passing through the ticket gate, and the determination unit may be configured to determine that the ticket is valid if, when the acquired date includes multiple dates of the current day, the number of users counted by the user counting means matches the number of dates of the current day, as one of the conditions. Furthermore, the device may further include a control unit that controls information output, and the judgment unit may suspend judgment on the ticket if the number of users counted by the user number counting means does not match the number of dates on the current day, and the control unit may notify the management center of information about the ticket in response to the suspension of judgment result by the judgment unit. The configuration may further include a recording means for recording the date of use on the face of the ticket, and a control unit for causing the recording means to record the date of the day on the face of the ticket if the date acquired by the acquisition unit does not include the date of the day. Furthermore, the device may further include an acceptance means for accepting input of the number of users, and the control unit may be configured to cause the recording means to record on the face of the ticket a number of dates for the current day corresponding to the number of users accepted by the acceptance means. In addition, the acquisition unit may acquire a record of the expiration date of the ticket from an image of the face of the ticket, and the judgment unit may determine that the ticket is valid if one of the conditions is that the ticket is used within the acquired expiration date. The device may also be configured to further include a control unit that controls information output, wherein the judgment unit judges the ticket to be invalid if it is not used within the acquired expiration date, and the control unit notifies a management center of information about the ticket that has been judged to be invalid depending on the validity judgment result made by the judgment unit. The acquisition unit may also be configured to acquire information added to the face of the ticket upon entry from an image of the face of the ticket taken when exiting, and the determination unit may determine whether the ticket is valid or not based on the acquired information and the exit location. More specifically, the acquisition unit may be configured to acquire at least one of the entry location, date, and amount paid as the information added to the face of the ticket upon entry. The system may also further include a control unit that controls information output, wherein the acquisition unit acquires a record showing the usage history of the ticket, the determination unit counts the number of times the ticket has been used based on the acquired usage history, and the control unit notifies the user when the number of times the ticket has been used reaches a predetermined number. The system may also be configured to include a notification unit that notifies the user of information regarding vehicles on which the ticket cannot be used. The system may further include a confirmation unit that confirms whether or not the user has used the unavailable vehicle. Another aspect of the present invention that achieves the above object is a confirmation device that includes a photographing unit that photographs the face of a pass for passing through an aisle, an analysis unit that analyzes the image photographed by the photographing unit, and a judgment unit that determines whether or not to allow the user of the pass to pass through based on the analysis results by the analysis unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a device and a system that reads the information on the face of a voucher and performs processing according to the validity of the voucher in accordance with the displayed information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a confirmation system to which the present embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of a confirmation device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a confirmation device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a ticket gate. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the configuration of a server. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a ticket face. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. <System configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a verification system to which this embodiment is applied. The verification system is a system that verifies whether a pass for passing through a passage is valid based on information acquired from the face of the pass. This embodiment can be used as a pass verification system in various situations, but below, we will explain an example in which the verification system of this embodiment is applied to a ticket gate at a station. In such a system, the pass is treated as a passenger ticket, and the ticket is verified both at the time of entry and exit.

[0011] The validity of Japan Railway Company (JR) tickets is usually determined based on data read and written to a magnetic strip or IC chip. However, the validity of some tickets may be determined by visually inspecting the information on the face of the ticket. One example of such a ticket is the "Seishun 18 Kippu" (registered trademark). This ticket has a date stamp affixed to its face upon entry. Then, upon exiting or the next time the ticket is entered, an attendant visually checks the expiration date, date and number of stamps recorded on the face of the ticket to determine the validity of the ticket.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the verification system includes a verification device 100, a ticket gate 200, and a server 300. The verification device 100 is a device that verifies the validity of a ticket based on information recorded on the face of the ticket. The ticket gate 200 is a device that verifies the validity of the ticket and, depending on the verification result, permits or prohibits the user from passing through the ticket gate passage. The server 300 is a device that acquires and manages information such as the results of verifying the validity of the ticket from the verification device 100 and the ticket gate 200.

[0013] Depending on the application, the verification device 100 may be provided on both the entrance side and the exit side. In this case, for example, at a location such as a railway ticket gate, the verification device 100 is provided on both the entrance side (outside the ticket gate) and the exit side (inside the ticket gate) of the ticket gate 200, as shown in Fig. 1. The verification device 100 and the ticket gate 200 are communicatively connected, for example, via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a direct connection via a communication line. The verification device 100, the ticket gate 200, and the server 300 are communicatively connected, for example, via a network such as a LAN.

[0014] <Functional configuration of the verification device 100> 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the verification device 100. The verification device 100 photographs the face of a ticket and verifies the validity of the ticket based on information obtained from the image of the photographed face. The verification device 100 includes an imaging unit 110, an acquisition unit 120, a determination unit 130, a processing unit 140, a control unit 150, a display unit 160, an operation unit 170, a seal unit 180, and an issuing unit 190.

[0015] The photographing unit 110 is a device that photographs the face of a ticket. The photographing unit 110 includes, for example, a stand (not shown) on which the ticket is placed, and a camera that photographs the stand from above. When the ticket is placed on the stand, the camera photographs the ticket placed on the stand and sends the image to the acquisition unit 120.

[0016] The acquisition unit 120 acquires various information used to determine the validity of a ticket from an image of the ticket face captured by the imaging unit 110. Characters and the like are recorded on the face of the ticket, such as printed characters or stamps affixed at the time of entry. Existing technologies such as image analysis and OCR (Optical Character Recognition / Reader) are used to acquire information from the image of the ticket face. The acquisition unit 120 is an example of an analysis unit. Information acquired by the acquisition unit 120 from the image of the ticket face includes, for example, date information, history information, and expiration date. Date information is the date recorded when the ticket is used. History information is the usage history of the ticket. Date information is included in the history information. The expiration date is the date until which the ticket can be used.

[0017] The determination unit 130 determines whether the ticket is valid. The determination by the determination unit 130 is made based on information acquired from an image of the face of the ticket by the acquisition unit 120. If the determination unit 130 determines that the ticket is valid, the user holding the ticket is permitted to enter or exit by passing through the ticket gate 200. The details of the determination by the determination unit 130 will be described later.

[0018] The processing unit 140 executes processing related to the determination of the ticket by the determination unit 130. The processing unit 140 executes processing necessary for the determination by the determination unit 130 and the control by the control unit 150. For example, the processing unit 140 executes processing such as counting the number of users of the ticket being determined and determining which vehicles can be used with the ticket being determined. The processing unit 140 also accepts information input by users using the operation unit 170. The processing unit 140 is an example of a user number counting means and an example of a receiving means.

[0019] The control unit 150 controls the functions of the verification device 100. Specifically, for example, the control unit 150 controls communication with the ticket gate 200 and the server 300. In communication with the ticket gate 200, for example, control information for operating the doors of the ticket gate 200 is transmitted, and information indicating the state of the doors of the ticket gate 200 is received. In communication with the server 300, for example, a notification is transmitted when the determination by the determination unit 130 is suspended, and management information for the ticket being verified is received. The control unit 150 is an example of a verification unit. The control unit 150 also controls the display of the display unit 160 to display a screen that provides information to the user. The control unit 150 also controls the stamp unit 180 to record information on the face of the ticket. The information provided to the user includes the determination result by the determination unit 130 and the processing result by the processing unit 140. The control unit 150 also controls the issuing unit 190 to issue a ticket.

[0020] The display unit 160 displays a screen that provides information to the user under the control of the control unit 150. The screen displayed on the display unit 160 displays information such as the determination result by the determination unit 130 and the processing result by the processing unit 140. The display unit 160 and the control unit 150 are an example of a notification unit. For example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display is used as the display unit 160.

[0021] The operation unit 170 is a device for a user to perform input operations. For example, input keys or a touch panel are used as the operation unit 170. The operation unit 170 and the processing unit 140 are an example of a receiving means.

[0022] The stamping unit 180 stamps the date of the day on the face of the ticket. The stamp stamped on the ticket by the stamping unit 180 indicates the date and number of times the ticket has been used. The stamping unit 180 is an example of a recording means. Note that instead of stamping the ticket by the stamping unit 180, the date of use and the number of times it has been used may be recorded on the ticket by processing the ticket, such as by printing the date or making a cut in the ticket.

[0023] The issuing unit 190 issues tickets. Paper media for tickets are held in the verification device 100. The issuing unit 190 includes, for example, a printing mechanism that prints on the paper media, a paper feed mechanism that sends the paper media to a printing position by the printing mechanism, and an ejection mechanism that ejects the printed paper media. The issuing unit 190 creates and issues tickets by recording information such as the type of ticket, issue date, and validity period on the paper media in response to input operations by the user, for example.

[0024] <Hardware Configuration of Verification Device 100> FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the verification device 100. The verification device 100 includes one or more processors 101, which are calculation means, and a main memory 102 and an auxiliary memory 103, which are storage means. The processor 101 loads a program stored in the auxiliary memory 103 into the main memory 102 and executes it, thereby executing various processes and controlling each device provided in the verification device 100. The processor 101 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP). The main memory 102 may be, for example, a random access memory (RAM). The auxiliary memory 103 may be, for example, a magnetic disk device or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0025] The verification device 100 also includes a communication interface 104 for exchanging data with external devices such as the ticket gate 200 and server 300. The verification device 100 also includes a camera 105 for taking pictures of the face of the ticket. The verification device 100 also includes a display device 106 for displaying various screens. The verification device 100 also includes an input device 107 for user operation. The verification device 100 also includes a stamping device 108 for stamping the ticket. The verification device 100 also includes an issuing device 109 for issuing the ticket.

[0026] In the functions of the verification device 100 shown in FIG. 2, the photographing unit 110 is realized, for example, by the processor 101 and camera 105 shown in FIG. 3. The functions of the acquisition unit 120, the determination unit 130, the processing unit 140, and the control unit 150 are realized, for example, by the processor 101 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program. The display unit 160 is realized, for example, by the display device 106 and the processor 101 that controls the display shown in FIG. 3. The operation unit 170 is realized, for example, by the input device 107 shown in FIG. 3 and the processor 101 that accepts operation of the input device 107 by a user. The stamping unit 180 is realized, for example, by the stamping device 108 shown in FIG. 3 and the processor 101 that controls the stamping device 108. The issuing unit 190 is realized, for example, by the issuing device 109 and the processor 101 that controls the issuing device 109 shown in FIG. 3. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and the hardware configuration of the verification device 100 is not limited to the example configuration shown in FIG. 3.

[0027] <Configuration of ticket gate 200> 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a ticket checker 200. The ticket checker 200 is installed in the ticket gate passage through which a user passes. The ticket checker 200 determines whether a user's ticket is valid based on information recorded on the ticket by magnetic or IC chip, and if the ticket is valid, allows the user to pass through the ticket gate passage. The ticket checker 200 includes a control device 210, a communication interface 220, a handler 230, an IC card reader / writer (R / W) 240, a sensor 250, a door unit (openable / closable door) 260, and a display device 270.

[0028] The control device 210 controls the operation of each part of the ticket gate 200. The control device 210 also determines whether or not to permit a user to pass through the ticket gate passage based on information read from the ticket by the handler 230 and the IC card R / W 240 and information detected by the sensor 250. The control device 210 is realized, for example, by a processor and a storage device. The processor may be, for example, a CPU, MPU, GPU, DSP, etc. The storage device may be, for example, a main storage device such as RAM, and an auxiliary storage device such as a magnetic disk device or SSD.

[0029] The communication interface 220 is used for communication between the confirmation device 100 and the server 300. The control device 210 of the ticket gate 200 transmits ticket information and information regarding the open / closed state of the door unit 260 to the confirmation device 100 and the server 300 via the communication interface 220. The ticket gate 200 also receives instructions to open or close the door unit 260.

[0030] The handler 230, under the control of the control device 210, transports the ticket inserted into the ticket gate 200, reads and writes information, and then ejects the ticket. The handler 230 includes, for example, an insertion slot into which the ticket is inserted, an ejection slot from which the ticket is ejected, a transport path along which the ticket is transported from the insertion slot to the ejection slot, and a read / write device that reads and writes information from the ticket on the transport path. The handler 230 reads and writes information from the ticket using, for example, magnetism.

[0031] The IC card R / W 240 electronically reads and writes information from and to an IC card-type ticket under the control of the control device 210. The IC card R / W 240 has an IC card read / write unit provided on the surface of the housing of the ticket gate 200. When a user brings an IC card close to this read / write unit, data is read from and written to the IC chip mounted on the IC card via a short-range wireless method.

[0032] The sensor 250 is a human presence sensor that detects users passing through the ticket gate passage. User detection information by the sensor 250 is sent to the control device 210. The sensor 250 may also be configured to detect users approaching the ticket gate 200 from the entrance side and the exit side. The sensor 250 detects users using, for example, infrared rays.

[0033] The door unit 260 opens and closes the ticket gate passage by opening and closing operations under the control of the control device 210. The door unit 260 closes the ticket gate passage when the user is not permitted to pass through the ticket gate passage.

[0034] The display device 270 displays various information to provide information to users who are passing through the ticket gate. Specifically, for example, it displays whether the user is entering or leaving the ticket gate, whether the user is permitted to pass through the ticket gate, and whether the remaining balance on the IC card ticket is displayed. For example, a liquid crystal display or an LED (light-emitting diode) display may be used as the display device 270.

[0035] The ticket gate 200 uses the handler 230 and the IC card R / W 240 to read information from the ticket of a user who is about to pass through the ticket gate passage. The ticket gate 200 then determines whether the information, such as the fare and the section of use, satisfies predetermined permission conditions. If the information read from the ticket satisfies the permission conditions, the ticket gate 200 opens the door 260 and allows the user to pass. The ticket gate 200 then performs the necessary processing in response to the use of the ticket, and writes information based on the processing results onto the ticket using the handler 230 and the IC card R / W 240. If the information, such as the fare and the section of use, does not satisfy the permission conditions, the ticket gate 200 closes the door 260 and prohibits the user from passing.

[0036] <Configuration of Server 300> 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server 300. The server 300 manages information and processing results obtained from the face of the ticket by the verification device 100, ticket information obtained by the ticket gate 200, and information related to the passage of the user. The server 300 is, for example, a server constructed on a network. The server 300 may be realized as a single server machine connected to the network, or may be realized by distributing functions across multiple servers.

[0037] The server 300 includes one or more processors 301, which are calculation means, and a storage device 302. The processor 301 may be, for example, a CPU, MPU, GPU, or DSP. The storage device 302 may be, for example, a main storage device such as RAM, or an auxiliary storage device such as a magnetic disk drive or SSD. The server 300 also includes a communication interface 303 for connecting to external devices such as the verification device 100 and the ticket gate 200. The server 300 may also be implemented as a cloud server or the like that is virtually constructed using resources on a network. The server 300, the verification device 100, and the ticket gate 200 may be connected to each other via, for example, a dedicated network or a virtual private network (VPN).

[0038] <Example of ticket face composition> Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the face of a passenger ticket. The passenger ticket 400 shown in Fig. 6 does not have a magnetic medium or IC chip, and information is identified by the information written on the face of the ticket. Therefore, whether or not the ticket is valid cannot be determined by the ticket gate 200, but by the verification device 100.

[0039] 6 includes a character string 401 indicating the type of ticket, a character string 402 indicating the section of use, a character string 403 indicating the amount, a character string 404 indicating the issue date, a character string 405 indicating an identification number, and a character string 406 indicating the expiration date. In the example shown in FIG. 6, character string 401 is "XX ticket," character string 402 is "All passenger railway lines (all XX lines)," character string 403 is "￥12050," character string 404 is "2023.12.-6," and character string 405 is "30024-36." Furthermore, character string 406 states, "The usage period is from December 10, 2023 to January 10, 2024. Each use (person) is valid only on the day of use."

[0040] The ticket 400 shown in FIG. 6 also has a stamp area 410. The stamp area 410 is divided into five areas, allowing five stamps to be stamped. One stamp is stamped on the ticket 400 each time it is used. Therefore, the ticket 400 can be used five times by stamping it. In the example shown in FIG. 6, four stamps have been stamped, indicating that the ticket 400 has been used four times. Information obtained from the stamps stamped on the face of the ticket 400 indicates the usage history of the ticket 400.

[0041] The stamp imprinted in stamp area 410 indicates the date the ticket 400 was used (in other words, the date the stamp was imprinted) and the location (station) where the user used the ticket 400 to enter. Therefore, by comparing the date recorded on the stamp with character strings 404, 406 indicating the issue date and expiration date recorded on the face of the ticket 400, it is possible to determine whether the ticket 400 was used within the expiration date. In addition, by comparing the entry location (boarding station) recorded on the stamp with character string 402 indicating the section of use recorded on the face of the ticket 400, it is possible to determine whether the ticket 400 was used within a section in which it is valid. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the four stamps respectively have numbers indicating January 4, January 5, January 6, and January 7 written on them, and all of them indicate that the user entered at "XX Station."

[0042] The ticket 400 can be used not only by one user multiple times, but also by multiple users. In this case, use by one user among multiple users is counted as one use of the ticket 400. For example, if three people use the ticket 400 at the same time, the ticket 400 is counted as having been used three times, and three stamps are affixed. The stamps are affixed when passing through the ticket gate and entering. If the verification device 100 has a stamping function, the stamp is affixed by the stamping unit 180 of the verification device 100 on the entrance side. Alternatively, the stamp may be affixed manually by a station employee. The configuration of the face of the ticket 400 described with reference to FIG. 6 is merely an example. As long as it is possible to obtain the information necessary to determine whether the ticket 400 is valid, whether the use of the ticket 400 is legitimate, etc., the content of the information recorded on the face of the ticket 400, the recording method, and the arrangement of the information on the face of the ticket 400 are not particularly limited.

[0043] <Example of judgment> Next, the judgment by the judgment unit 130 of the verification device 100 will be explained using some specific examples. Here, it is assumed that the ticket 400 to be judged is processed by the verification device 100 both at the time of entry and at the time of exit. At the time of entry, a stamp bearing the date of the day is stamped on the ticket 400. It is assumed that the ticket 400 is permitted to enter and exit any number of times only on the date indicated on the stamp.

[0044] As a preliminary operation, when a user places a ticket 400 on the platform of the photographing unit 110 of the verification device 100, the photographing unit 110 photographs the face of the ticket 400. The acquisition unit 120 of the verification device 100 analyzes the image of the photographed face of the ticket 400 and acquires various pieces of information described with reference to Fig. 6. Then, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 120, the determination unit 130 of the verification device 100 determines whether the ticket 400 is valid, whether the use of the ticket 400 is authorized, etc.

[0045] Example of judgment based on stamp date The acquisition unit 120 of the verification device 100 acquires stamp date information from an image of the face of the ticket 400. One or more stamps are affixed to the ticket 400. When there is one stamp, one date is acquired. On the other hand, when there are multiple stamps, one or more dates are acquired.

[0046] The determination unit 130 of the verification device 100 determines whether the date acquired by the acquisition unit 120 includes the date on which the image of the face of the ticket 400 was acquired by the photographing unit 110 (hereinafter referred to as "the day"). If the acquired date includes the date of the day, the determination unit 130 determines that the ticket 400 is valid, based on the stamp date. This determination based on the stamp date is made, for example, when exiting. If the stamp date and other necessary conditions are met, the user is permitted to pass through the ticket gate passage. In this case, the verification device 100 transmits control information to the ticket gate 200 to open the door unit 260. Upon receiving this control information, the ticket gate 200 opens the door unit 260.

[0047] On the other hand, when exiting, if the date acquired by the acquisition unit 120 does not include the current date, the determination unit 130 determines that the ticket 400 is invalid. In this case, the user is not permitted to pass through the ticket gate. If the determination unit 130 determines that the ticket 400 is invalid, the control unit 150 of the verification device 100 transmits information identifying the ticket 400 that has been determined to be invalid (for example, an identification number acquired from an image of the ticket face) and the determination result to the server 300. If necessary, the server 300 transmits information about the ticket 400 that has been determined to be invalid to, for example, a management center that manages the use of the ticket 400.

[0048] Here, if the latest date among the dates acquired by the acquisition unit 120 is the date of the day before the current date, it is possible that the date changes after entry and the passenger exits after that. In this case, use of the ticket 400 before the date changes is valid, but use of the ticket 400 after the date changes is invalid. Therefore, even if the dates acquired by the acquisition unit 120 do not include the current date, the ticket cannot be immediately invalidated. Therefore, in such a case, the determination unit 130 suspends determination of whether the ticket 400 is valid. If the determination by the determination unit 130 is suspended, the control unit 150 may request the user to perform settlement. In this case, payment of the fare for the ride after the date changes is requested. The amount of the fare for the ride after the date changes may be acquired, for example, via the server 300 from a management center or the like that manages the use of the ticket 400. The settlement request is made, for example, by displaying a message on the display unit 160. Settlement is made, for example, by inserting the remaining amount into a fare adjustment machine (not shown). Once the fare has been settled, the fare adjustment machine notifies the confirmation device 100 that the fare has been completed. Once the fare has been settled, the control unit 150 of the confirmation device 100 transmits control information to the ticket gate 200 to open the door unit 260. Upon receiving this control information, the ticket gate 200 opens the door unit 260. Note that a specific section may be set as the section in which the ticket 400 can be used, and the ticket 400 may be determined to be valid for use in this specific section even if the date changes after entry and the final date is the previous day.

[0049] Example of judgment based on number of users The acquisition unit 120 of the verification device 100 acquires information on the date and number of stamps from an image of the face of the ticket 400. One or more stamps are affixed to the ticket 400. The verification device 100 also counts the number of users passing through the ticket gate. The number of users may be counted, for example, by using a camera to acquire images of users passing through the ticket gate passage and analyzing the images. The number of users may also be counted by using a human presence sensor such as an infrared sensor. Instead of mechanically counting the number of users, the number of users may be input by the user operating the operation unit 170.

[0050] The determination unit 130 of the verification device 100 determines whether the date acquired by the acquisition unit 120 includes the current date and whether the number of stamps for the current date matches the number of users counted. If the number of stamps for the current date matches the number of users, the determination unit 130 determines that the ticket 400 is valid based on the number of stamps. This determination based on the number of stamps is made, for example, when exiting. If the number of stamps and other necessary conditions are met, the user is permitted to pass through the ticket gate passage. In this case, the verification device 100 transmits control information to the ticket gate 200 to open the door unit 260. Upon receiving this control information, the ticket gate 200 opens the door unit 260.

[0051] On the other hand, when exiting, if the number of stamps for the day's date does not match the number of counted users, the determination unit 130 reserves the determination of whether the ticket 400 is valid. When the determination by the determination unit 130 is reserved, the control unit 150 transmits information specifying the ticket 400 in question (for example, an identification number acquired from an image of the ticket face) and the determination result to the server 300. If necessary, the server 300 transmits information about the ticket 400 that has been determined to be invalid to, for example, a management center that manages the use of the ticket 400.

[0052] -Example of judgment based on expiration date The acquisition unit 120 of the verification device 100 acquires information about the expiration date (see character string 406 in FIG. 6 ) from an image of the face of the ticket 400. The determination unit 130 of the verification device 100 determines whether the ticket 400 was used within the expiration date based on the expiration date information acquired by the acquisition unit 120. If the ticket 400 was used within the expiration date, the determination unit 130 determines that the ticket 400 is valid, based on the expiration date. This determination based on the expiration date is made, for example, both at the time of entry and exit. If the expiration date and other necessary conditions are met, the user is permitted to pass through the ticket gate passage. In this case, the verification device 100 transmits control information to the ticket gate 200 to open the door unit 260. Upon receiving this control information, the ticket gate 200 opens the door unit 260. Furthermore, if the ticket 400 is determined to be valid at the time of entry, the stamping unit 180 of the verification device 100 stamps the stamp area 410 of the ticket 400 with the date of the current day.

[0053] On the other hand, if the ticket 400 is not used within the expiration date, the determination unit 130 determines that the ticket 400 is invalid. In this case, the user is not permitted to pass through the ticket gate. If the determination unit 130 determines that the ticket 400 is invalid, the control unit 150 of the verification device 100 transmits information identifying the ticket 400 determined to be invalid (for example, an identification number obtained from an image of the ticket face) and the determination result to the server 300. If necessary, the server 300 transmits information about the ticket 400 determined to be invalid to, for example, a management center that manages the operation of the ticket 400.

[0054] -Example of judgment based on usage section The acquisition unit 120 of the verification device 100 acquires information about the usage zone (see character string 402 in FIG. 6 ) from an image of the face of the ticket 400. The determination unit 130 of the verification device 100 compares the location (station) where the verification device 100 is installed with the usage zone information acquired by the acquisition unit 120, and determines whether the ticket 400 was used within the usage zone. If the ticket was used within the usage zone, the determination unit 130 determines that the ticket 400 is valid, based on the usage zone. This determination based on the usage zone is performed, for example, both at the time of entry and exit. If the usage zone and other necessary conditions are met, the user is permitted to pass through the ticket gate passage. In this case, the verification device 100 transmits control information to the ticket gate 200 to open the door unit 260. Upon receiving this control information, the ticket gate 200 opens the door unit 260. Furthermore, if the ticket 400 is determined to be valid at the time of entry, the stamping unit 180 of the verification device 100 stamps the stamp area 410 of the ticket 400 with the date of the current day.

[0055] On the other hand, if the use of the ticket 400 is not within the usage section, different controls may be performed at the time of entry and exit. Specifically, if the use of the ticket 400 is not within the usage section at the time of entry, the determination unit 130 determines that the ticket 400 is invalid. In this case, the user is not permitted to pass through the ticket gate. In contrast, if the use of the ticket 400 is not within the usage section at the time of exit, the determination unit 130 suspends determination of the ticket 400. When the determination by the determination unit 130 is suspended, the control unit 150 may request the user to perform fare settlement. In this case, payment of the fare from the usage section of the ticket 400 to the exit location (descending station) is requested. The amount of the fare from the usage section of the ticket 400 to the exit location may be obtained, for example, via the server 300 from a management center or the like that manages the operation of the ticket 400. The request for fare settlement is made, for example, by displaying a message on the display unit 160. The fare is settled, for example, by inserting the missing amount into a fare adjustment machine (not shown). Once the fare has been settled, the fare adjustment machine notifies the confirmation device 100 that the fare has been completed. Once the fare has been settled, the control unit 150 of the confirmation device 100 transmits control information to the ticket gate 200 to open the door unit 260. Upon receiving this control information, the ticket gate 200 opens the door unit 260.

[0056] · Judgment and processing upon entry As described above, at the time of entry, a determination is made based on the expiration date and the section of use, but a determination is not made based on the date on the stamp or the number of users. This is because stamping is performed at the time of entry. If the verification device 100 has a stamping function (stamping unit 180), the stamping unit 180 of the verification device 100 stamps the current day's date in the stamp area 410 on the face of the ticket 400 for the number of users at the time of entry. However, as described with reference to FIG. 6, there is a limit to the number of stamps that can be stamped in the stamp area 410. Therefore, if the number of stamps already stamped reaches the limit of the number of stamps that can be stamped in the stamp area 410, the verification device 100 determines that the ticket 400 is invalid. The users are not permitted to pass through the ticket gate. Furthermore, if the number of users exceeds the number of stamps that can be stamped in the stamp area 410, the users exceeding the number of stamps that can be stamped are not permitted to pass through the ticket gate. Note that the number of stamps that have already been stamped may be counted, and if the upper limit of the number of stamps that can be stamped in the stamp area 410 is reached, or if the number of users exceeds the number of stamps that can be stamped in the stamp area 410, the user may be notified of this. The user may be notified by, for example, displaying a message on the display unit 160.

[0057] Furthermore, at the time of entry, the verification device 100 acquires information on the expiration date and the section of use from an image of the face of the ticket 400. Furthermore, at the time of entry, the verification device 100 accepts input of information on the number of users. The verification device 100 may then transmit this acquired information to the server 300, along with information identifying the ticket 400 (for example, an identification number acquired from the image of the face of the ticket) and information on the entry location (boarding station). In this case, the server 300 manages this information received from the verification device 100 on the entry side. The verification device 100 on the exit side may acquire information on the time of entry related to the ticket 400 to be judged from the server 300 based on information identifying the ticket 400 (such as identification information), and make a judgment. For example, by acquiring information on the number of users at entry, it is possible to determine whether the number of users at entry and exit differs.

[0058] In a system that checks the ticket 400 both at the time of entry and exit, like a railway ticket gate, as shown in the above judgment example, the acquisition unit 120 of the verification device 100 acquires information that was added to the face of the ticket 400 by means of stamping or the like upon entry from an image of the face of the ticket 400 taken upon exit. Then, the judgment unit 130 judges whether the ticket is valid or not based on the acquired information and information on the exit location.

[0059] <Modification> In the above configuration example, whether the ticket 400 is valid, whether the use of the ticket 400 is authorized, etc., is determined based on information obtained from an image of the face of the ticket 400. To make these determinations, other information may be used in addition to the information obtained from the image of the face of the ticket. For example, information identifying the user based on biometric information (hereinafter referred to as "user identification information") may be used. Examples of user biometric information include authentication information such as facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, and iris recognition. As an example, the verification device 100 and the ticket gate 200 are provided with a means for acquiring user identification information, and the verification device 100 sends the acquired user identification information to the ticket gate 200. The ticket gate 200 can determine whether the user whose ticket 400 was verified by the verification device 100 is the same as the user passing through the ticket gate by comparing the user identification information acquired by its own acquisition means with the user identification information received from the verification device 100. Furthermore, the user identification information acquired by the verification device 100 at the time of entry is managed by the server 300 together with the identification information of the ticket 400, and it is possible to determine whether the user at the time of entry and exit is the same by comparing the user identification information acquired by the verification device 100 at the time of exit with the user identification information managed by the server 300. Such a system for identifying users may be applied, for example, to unmanned stations where verification by station staff is not possible.

[0060] There may also be cases where the ticket 400 cannot be used due to its type, etc. For example, there may be reserved seat cars or special cars that cannot be used with the ticket 400 held by the user. In such cases, when the verification device 100 confirms that the ticket 400 is valid, the verification device 100 may notify the user of information about the cars that cannot be used (or information about cars that can be used). The user is notified by, for example, displaying a message on the display unit 160.

[0061] Furthermore, when the verification device 100 checks the ticket 400 at the time of exit, it may be possible to check whether the user has used a vehicle that cannot be used with the ticket 400. In this case, for example, a message inquiring about the vehicle used may be displayed on the display unit 160, and the vehicle used by the user may be determined by receiving input from the user. The user may input information about the vehicle used by, for example, performing an input operation using the operation unit 170.

[0062] In the above example, the present embodiment is applied to a railway ticket gate, and a case where a ticket is checked both when entering and exiting the gate is described as an example. In addition to the railway ticket gate described above, the present embodiment can be applied to various types of passage management systems that use passes. For example, the present embodiment can be applied to a system that checks tickets (passes) either when entering or exiting. The present embodiment can also be applied to a system that checks passes along a route in a facility where users move along a specific route. In such cases, the present embodiment may be configured to acquire and check necessary information such as the entrance location (entrance gate), issue date, expiration date, and fare, depending on the management details of the visitors.

[0063] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications and alternative configurations that do not depart from the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 100...Verification device, 110...Photographing unit, 120...Acquisition unit, 130...Determination unit, 140...Processing unit, 150...Control unit, 160...Display unit, 170...Operation unit, 180...Sealing unit, 190...Issuing unit, 200...Ticket gate, 210...Control device, 220...Communication interface, 230...Handler, 240...IC card reader / writer (R / W), 250...Sensor, 260...Door unit, 270...Display device, 300...Server, 400...Ticket, 410...Stamp area

Claims

1. A photography unit that takes a photo of the face of the ticket, an acquisition unit that acquires information from the image captured by the imaging unit; a determination unit that determines whether the ticket is valid based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit; A verification system comprising:

2. 2. The verification system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that transmits control information to the ticket gate for controlling the state of the gate of the ticket gate in accordance with the determination result by the determination unit.

3. The verification system according to claim 1 , further comprising an issuing unit that issues a ticket for passing through a ticket gate in accordance with the determination result by said determining unit.

4. The verification system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that transmits biometric information of the user of the ticket to the ticket gate in order to control the gate state of the ticket gate depending on the determination result by the determination unit.

5. the acquisition unit acquires one or more date records from an image of the face of the ticket, The determination unit determines that the ticket is valid if the acquired date includes the current date as one of the conditions. The verification system of claim 1 .

6. Further comprising a control unit for controlling information output, the determination unit determines that the ticket is invalid if the acquired date does not include the current date, The control unit notifies a management center of information about the ticket that has been determined to be invalid. The verification system of claim 5.

7. Further comprising a control unit for controlling information output, If the latest date among the acquired dates is the date of the previous day, the determination unit suspends determination of the ticket, the control unit notifies the user to request settlement in response to the determination result being withheld by the determination unit; The verification system of claim 5.

8. The verification system according to claim 7 , wherein the determination unit determines that the ticket is valid for a predetermined specific section even if the latest date among the acquired dates is the date of the previous day.

9. further comprising a user number counting means for counting the number of users passing through the ticket gate; When the acquired date includes multiple dates of the current day, the determination unit determines that the ticket is valid if the number of users counted by the user number counting means matches the number of dates of the current day. The verification system of claim 5.

10. Further comprising a control unit for controlling information output, the determination unit suspends determination of the ticket when the number of users counted by the user number counting means does not match the number of days on the current day; the control unit notifies a management center of information about the ticket in response to the suspension of the determination result by the determination unit. The verification system of claim 9.

11. a recording means for recording the date of use on the face of the ticket; a control unit that causes the recording means to record the date of the day on the face of the ticket when the date acquired by the acquisition unit does not include the date of the day; The verification system of claim 5 further comprising:

12. further comprising a receiving means for receiving an input of the number of users; The control unit causes the recording unit to record the date of the current day on the face of the ticket, the number of which corresponds to the number of users accepted by the accepting unit. The verification system of claim 11.

13. the acquisition unit acquires a record of the expiration date of the ticket from an image of the face of the ticket, The determination unit determines that the ticket is valid on one of the conditions that the ticket is used within the acquired expiration date. The verification system of claim 1 .

14. Further comprising a control unit for controlling information output, the determination unit determines that the ticket is invalid if the ticket has not been used within the acquired expiration date; The control unit notifies a management center of information about the ticket that has been determined to be invalid, depending on the validity determination result of the determination unit.

14. The verification system of claim 13.

15. The acquisition unit acquires information added to the face of the ticket upon entry from an image of the face of the ticket taken upon exiting, the determination unit determines whether the ticket is valid or not based on the acquired information and the exit location. The verification system of claim 1 .

16. The verification system according to claim 15, wherein the acquisition unit acquires at least one of the entry location, date, and amount paid as the information added to the face of the ticket upon entry.

17. Further comprising a control unit for controlling information output, the acquisition unit acquires a record representing a usage history of the ticket, The determination unit counts the number of times the ticket has been used based on the acquired usage history, The control unit notifies the user when the number of times the ticket has been used reaches a predetermined number. The verification system of claim 1 .

18. The verification system according to claim 1 , further comprising a notification unit that notifies the user of information regarding vehicles on which the ticket cannot be used.

19. The verification system according to claim 18, further comprising a verification unit that verifies whether or not a user has used the unavailable vehicle.

20. a photographing unit that photographs the face of a pass to pass through the passage; an analysis unit that analyzes the image captured by the imaging unit; a determination unit that determines whether or not to permit passage of the user of the pass based on the analysis result by the analysis unit; A verification device comprising:

Images