Imaging apparatus, method for controlling imaging apparatus, and program

Abstract

To provide an imaging apparatus improved in personal authentication.SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus comprises: sensing means that senses the position or state of a photographer; authentication means that authenticates the photographer according to one of a plurality of authentication methods; authentication means selection means that selects one of the plurality of authentication methods to be used in the authentication means from the position or state of the photographer sensed by the sensing means; and execution means that executes specific processing on the basis of an authentication state of the authentication method selected by the authentication means selection means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging device, a control method for an imaging device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are methods for authenticating the identity of a user (photographer) of an imaging device. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for authenticating the identity of a user by capturing an image of the user's eyes when the user looks through a viewfinder. Patent Document 2 discloses a method for identifying an individual based on the photographer's biometric information while shooting video, and for detecting when the photographer is replaced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-002562 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-191194 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Documents 1 and 2 list several candidate methods for personal authentication, including fingerprint authentication and iris authentication. However, the most suitable authentication method varies depending on the situation. For example, when shooting video while looking at the rear display, iris authentication performed by looking through the viewfinder is not suitable. Also, authentication methods that involve smartphone operation may not be possible in time when immediate shooting is required. Conventional methods do not take into consideration how to use these biometric authentication methods, resulting in the problem of not being able to authenticate when desired.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and has as its object to provide an imaging device with improved personal authentication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An imaging device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a sensing means for sensing the position or status of a photographer, an authentication means for authenticating the photographer using one of a plurality of authentication methods, an authentication means selection means for selecting which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the authentication means based on the position or status of the photographer sensed by the sensing means, and an execution means for executing a specific process based on the authentication status of the authentication method selected by the authentication means selection means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging device with improved personal authentication. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a functional block diagram of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart for selecting an authentication means according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an authentication means and ease of authentication according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart for selecting an authentication means according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart for selecting an authentication means according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart for selecting an authentication means according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a camera according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention.

[0010] <Embodiment 1> [Camera configuration diagram] FIG. 1 is an external view of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The camera 100 according to this embodiment is a digital still camera. The camera 100 is an interchangeable lens camera. The camera 100 is an example of an imaging device. FIG. 1(A) is a front perspective view of the camera 100. FIG. 1(B) is a rear perspective view of the camera 100. In the following description, the Z-axis direction is the optical axis direction of the camera 100 as shown in FIG. 1(A). The X-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and corresponds to the left-right direction in FIG. 1(A). The Y-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and corresponds to the up-down direction in FIG. 1(A).

[0011] 1A, camera 100 has a photographing lens unit 100A and a camera housing 100B. Camera housing 100B is provided with release button 101, which is an operating member that accepts image capturing operations from a user (photographer).

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1(B), an eyepiece 102 is disposed on the rear surface of the camera housing 100B, through which the user looks to view a display device 214 (see FIG. 2) contained within the camera housing 100B. The display device 214 is an example of a display panel. The eyepiece 102 is an example of a viewfinder.

[0013] Also arranged on the back of the camera housing 100B are operation members 103, 104, and 105 that accept various operations from the user. For example, the operation member 103 is a touch panel that accepts touch operations. For example, the operation member 104 is an operation lever that can be pushed down in each direction. For example, the operation member 105 is a four-way key that can be pushed in each of four directions. The operation member 103, which is a touch panel, is equipped with a display panel and has the function of displaying images on the display panel. The display panel is, for example, a liquid crystal panel.

[0014] Furthermore, on the rear surface of the camera housing 100B, there are also arranged an in-camera 106 that takes pictures of the rear surface side of the camera housing 100B, and a microphone 107 that converts ambient sounds into sound signals that are electrical signals.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of camera 100 cut along a plane that is perpendicular to the X axis shown in FIG. 1(A), is formed by the Y axis and the Z axis, and passes through the optical axis, and shows the general internal configuration of camera 100.

[0016] The photographing lens unit 100A includes two lenses 201 and 202, an aperture 203, an aperture driver 204, a lens drive motor 205, a lens driver 206, a photocoupler 207, a pulse plate 208, a mount contact 209, and a focus adjustment circuit 210.

[0017] Lens drive member 206 includes a drive gear that drives lens 201 in response to the rotation of drive motor 205. Photocoupler 207 detects the rotation of pulse plate 208, which is linked to lens drive member 206, and transmits this information to focus adjustment circuit 210. Focus adjustment circuit 210 drives lens drive motor 205 based on information from photocoupler 207 and information from camera housing 100B (lens drive amount information), thereby moving lens 201 and changing the focus position. Mount contact 209 is an interface between photographic lens unit 100A and camera housing 100B. Note that, for simplicity, two lenses 201 and 202 are shown in this embodiment, but in reality, more than two lenses are included in photographic lens unit 100A.

[0018] The camera housing 100B includes an image sensor 211, a CPU 212, a memory unit 213, a display device 214, and a display device drive circuit 215. CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit.

[0019] Image sensor 211 is disposed at a planned imaging plane of photographing lens unit 100A. CPU 212 is a central processing unit of a microcomputer, and controls the entire camera 100 by executing programs stored in memory unit 213, for example. Memory unit 213 stores various information. For example, memory unit 213 stores images captured by image sensor 211.

[0020] The display device 214 displays various information on the screen (display surface) of the display device 214. For example, the display device 214 is a liquid crystal panel, and displays a captured image (subject image) on the screen. The display device drive circuit 215 drives the display device 214. The user can view the screen of the display device 214 through the eyepiece 102.

[0021] Camera housing 100B also includes light sources 216a and 216b, a light splitter 217, a light receiving lens 218, and an eye imaging element 219. Light sources 216a and 216b are light sources for illuminating eyeball 220 of a user looking through the viewfinder (eyepiece 102). Light sources 216a and 216b are light sources that have traditionally been used in single-lens reflex cameras to detect the line of sight from the relationship between the pupil and the reflection image (corneal reflection image) of light reflected by the cornea.

[0022] The light sources 216a and 216b are, for example, infrared light-emitting diodes that emit infrared light that is insensitive to the user, and are arranged around the eyepiece 102. An optical image of the eyeball 220 illuminated by the light sources 216a and 216b passes through the eyepiece 102 and is split into reflected light and transmitted light by the light splitter 217. The optical image of the eye, which is the optical image of the eyeball 220 illuminated by the light sources 216a and 216b, is an optical image formed by the light emitted from the light sources 216a and 216b and reflected by the eyeball 220.

[0023] The eye optical image reflected by the light splitter 217 is formed by the light receiving lens 218 on the eye imaging element 219, which has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements (e.g., CCD or CMOS) arranged two-dimensionally. CCD is an abbreviation for Charge Coupled Device. CMOS is an abbreviation for Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor. The light receiving lens 218 positions the pupil of the eyeball 220 and the eye imaging element 219 in a conjugate imaging relationship. By a gaze detection process described later, the gaze of the eyeball 220 is detected from the position of the corneal reflection image in the eye optical image formed on the eye imaging element 219. For example, at least one of information indicating the gaze direction (direction of the gaze) and information indicating the viewpoint (position where the gaze is fixed) on the screen of the display device 214 can be obtained as information regarding the gaze. The viewpoint can be regarded as the position at which the user is looking or the gaze position.

[0024] 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration inside camera 100. Camera housing 100B includes a line-of-sight detection circuit 301, a photometry circuit 302, an autofocus detection circuit 303, a signal input circuit 304, and a light source drive circuit 305. To CPU 212, line-of-sight detection circuit 301, photometry circuit 302, autofocus detection circuit 303, signal input circuit 304, display device drive circuit 215, and light source drive circuit 305 are connected.

[0025] The CPU 212 transmits signals to a focus adjustment circuit 210 disposed in the photographing lens unit 100A and to an aperture control circuit 306 included in an aperture drive unit 204 in the photographing lens unit 100A via a mount contact 209. A memory unit 213 attached to the CPU 212 has a memory function for storing image signals from the image sensor 211 and the eye image sensor 219.

[0026] The gaze detection circuit 301 A / D converts the output of the eye imaging element 219 (the eye image, which is an image of the eyeball 220, i.e., the eye) when an optical image of the eye is formed on the eye imaging element 219, and transmits the result to the CPU 212. A / D conversion is an abbreviation for Analogue / Digital conversion. The CPU 212 extracts feature points required for gaze detection from the eye image according to gaze detection processing, which will be described later, and detects the user's gaze from the positions of the feature points.

[0027] The photometry circuit 302 performs predetermined processing (e.g., amplification, logarithmic compression, and A / D conversion) on a signal obtained from the image sensor 211, which also functions as a photometry sensor, such as a luminance signal corresponding to the brightness of the field, and sends the result to the CPU 212 as field luminance information.

[0028] The autofocus detection circuit 303 A / D converts signals from a plurality of detection elements (a plurality of pixels) included in the image sensor 211 that are used for phase difference detection, and sends the converted signals to the CPU 212. The CPU 212 calculates the distance to the subject corresponding to each focus detection point from the signals from the plurality of detection elements. This is a well-known technique known as image plane phase difference AF. AF is an abbreviation for autofocus. In the first embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that there are focus detection points at 180 locations on the image plane that correspond to 180 locations in the field of view within the viewfinder (the screen of the display device 214).

[0029] Switches SW1 and SW2 are connected to the signal input circuit 304. Switch SW1 is a switch that is turned on by the first stroke of the release button 101, and starts the shooting preparation operation (e.g., photometry and distance measurement) of the camera 100. Switch SW2 is a switch that is turned on by the second stroke of the release button 101, and starts the shooting operation. The second stroke is a deeper stroke than the first stroke. ON signals from switches SW1 and SW2 are input to the signal input circuit 304 and transmitted to the CPU 212. Gaze detection may be started when switch SW1 is turned on. Note that light source drive circuit 305 drives light sources 216a and 216b.

[0030] Furthermore, operation members 103, 104, and 105 are also connected to the CPU 212. When the user operates the operation members 103 to 105, the operation members 103 to 105 output operation signals corresponding to the user's operation to the CPU 212. The CPU 212 performs processing (control) corresponding to the operation signals input from the operation members 103 to 105. For example, the CPU 212 moves a selection frame of a displayed menu in response to the operation signal.

[0031] [Configuration of the imaging device] 4 is a block diagram showing a processing method for performing personal authentication of a user of the camera 100. Personal authentication in this embodiment uses at least one of eyeball authentication, fingerprint authentication, face authentication, voice authentication, and terminal authentication. Each component will be described below.

[0032] The user data acquisition unit 401 acquires user data required for various authentication means. If the authentication means is eyeball authentication, the user data acquisition unit 401 acquires an image of the user's eyeball 220 looking through the eyepiece 102. Specifically, the user data acquisition unit 401 acquires the eye image from the eye imaging element 219 via the gaze detection circuit 301. The user data acquisition unit 401 acquires the eye image by obtaining an eye image signal, which is an electrical signal of the eye image.

[0033] If the authentication means is fingerprint authentication, the user data acquisition unit 401 acquires the fingerprint of the user who touches the release button 101. The release button 101 has a fingerprint sensor. If the authentication means is face authentication, the user data acquisition unit 401 acquires a face image of the user captured by the in-camera 106. If the authentication means is voice authentication, the user data acquisition unit 401 acquires the user's voiceprint from the sound signal converted by the microphone 107.

[0034] If the authentication method is terminal authentication, the user data acquisition unit 401 acquires, for example, a password entered by the user in the camera 100. If the terminal is a smartphone or a smartwatch, the user data acquisition unit 401 acquires the unique identification information of the terminal. If the terminal is an accessory or card of the camera 100 and is authenticated when it is located close to the camera 100, the user data acquisition unit 401 acquires the unique identification information and location information of the accessory or card.

[0035] The registration data management unit 403 stores registration information of users who use the camera 100. Specifically, the user is registered and managed by linking the user's authentication information with the user's name and storing the linked information in the memory unit 213 as registration information for the user who uses the camera 100. If the authentication method is eyeball authentication, the user's registration information is, for example, a feature vector of an eye image. If the authentication method is fingerprint authentication, the user's authentication information is, for example, a feature vector of a fingerprint. If the authentication method is face authentication, the user's authentication information is, for example, a feature vector of a face. If the authentication method is voice authentication, the user's authentication information is, for example, a feature vector of a voiceprint. If the authentication method is password authentication among terminal authentication, the user's authentication information is, for example, a password. If the authentication method is authentication using a smartphone or a smartwatch among terminal authentication, the user's authentication information is, for example, unique identification information of the smartphone or smartwatch. If the authentication method is authentication using an accessory or card for the camera 100 among terminal authentication, the user's authentication information is, for example, unique identification information and location information of the accessory or card.

[0036] The user registration unit 402 creates data to be registered in the registration data management unit 403. The sensing unit 404 is composed of an eye-contact determination unit 405, a contact determination unit 406, a face determination unit 407, and a distance determination unit 408. The sensing unit 404 is composed of at least one of the eye-contact determination unit 405, the contact determination unit 406, the face determination unit 407, and the distance determination unit 408. The determination results by the eye-contact determination unit 405, the contact determination unit 406, the face determination unit 407, and the distance determination unit 408 are examples of the photographer's position or state. The sensing unit 404 is an example of a sensing means that senses the photographer's position or state. The eye-contact determination unit 405 determines whether the user is looking through the eyepiece 102. The contact determination unit 406 determines whether the user is touching the release button 101. The face determination unit 407 determines whether the user is on the back of the camera 100. The distance determination unit 408 acquires the distance from the camera 100 to the terminal held by the user and determines whether it exceeds a threshold. The eyepiece determination unit 405 is an example of an eyepiece determination means that determines whether the photographer is looking through the viewfinder, i.e., the eyepiece 102. The contact determination unit 406 is an example of a contact determination means that determines whether the photographer is touching the camera 100. The face determination unit 407 is an example of a face determination means that determines whether the photographer is behind the camera 100. The distance determination unit 408 is an example of a distance determination means that determines whether the photographer is within a certain range from the camera 100.

[0037] The authentication method selection unit 409 selects one authentication method from multiple available authentication methods. The reason for selecting one authentication method from multiple authentication methods is that some authentication methods are unavailable or difficult to use depending on the shooting situation. Furthermore, users may need to authenticate using a stricter authentication method and ensure that the image is authentic. For example, iris authentication cannot be used if the user is not looking through the viewfinder, and face authentication cannot be used if a facial image cannot be acquired. Furthermore, authentication methods that take a long time are unacceptable when authentication is required quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to select an authentication method based on the shooting situation and the user's needs. Therefore, in this embodiment, the eye contact determination unit 405, contact determination unit 406, face determination unit 407, and distance determination unit 408 of the sensing unit 404 determine whether an authentication method is available for use during shooting. In this embodiment, the authentication method with the highest authentication accuracy is selected from among the authentication methods determined to be available.

[0038] The authentication unit 410 performs a process to authenticate which registered person is being photographed when a user takes a photo. The authentication unit 410 analyzes the user data acquired by the user data acquisition unit 401 and generates a feature vector. For example, if iris authentication is selected by the authentication method selection unit 409, the authentication unit 410 generates a feature vector from the acquired eye image data. Furthermore, the authentication unit 410 performs matching by comparing a template previously stored in the registered data management unit 403 with the feature vector generated from the acquired user data. As a result of the matching, a similarity score is generated and an authentication result is output according to the similarity score. This authentication result is referred to as an authentication state. In this embodiment, the authentication process of the authentication unit 410 has been described above using biometric authentication as an example, but this is not limited thereto. For example, if the acquired user data is unique identification information or location information of a smartphone or smartwatch, the authentication result is output according to whether the acquired identification information matches the identification information stored in the server or system. The authentication method executed by the authentication unit 410 is, as described above, any of eyeball authentication, fingerprint authentication, face authentication, voice authentication, and device authentication. Eyeball authentication, fingerprint authentication, face authentication, voice authentication, and terminal authentication are examples of multiple authentication methods. The authentication unit 410 is an example of authentication means that authenticates the photographer using one of the multiple authentication methods. The authentication means selection unit 409 is an example of authentication means selection means that selects which of the multiple authentication methods to use in the authentication unit 410 based on the position or status of the photographer sensed by the sensing unit 404. The processing by the authentication means selection unit 409 is an example of an authentication means selection process that selects which of the multiple authentication methods to use in the authentication process based on the position or status of the photographer sensed in the sensing process.

[0039] The execution unit 411 executes processing according to the authentication status. The execution unit 411 has an authentication status management unit 412, an authentication status storage unit 413, and an authentication status display unit 414. The authentication status management unit 412 manages the authentication status. The authentication status refers to which authentication means has been selected and whether authentication is being performed. The status of whether authentication is being performed takes one of two values: "authenticated" and "unauthenticated." The authentication status storage unit 413 stores the authentication status. The authentication status display unit 414 displays the authentication status. The execution unit 411 is an example of an execution unit that executes a specific process based on the authentication status of the authentication method selected by the authentication means selection unit 409. The authentication status storage unit 413 of the execution unit 411 executes processing to store information about which authentication means has been selected, as well as the authentication accuracy and ease of authentication of the authentication means, in association with the captured image. The process stored by the authentication status storage unit 413 is an example of a specific process executed based on the authentication status of the authentication method selected by the authentication means selection unit 409 .

[0040] When the imaging unit 415 receives a signal indicating that the user has pressed the release button 101, it records the image captured by the imaging element 211 in the memory unit 213. The authentication status storage unit 413 records the authentication status of the authentication status management unit 412 as metadata, in association with the image captured by the imaging unit 415. One method for recording image metadata is known as C2PA. C2PA is a method for adding metadata indicating edits made to an image to authenticate the origin, history, and provenance of the image. Therefore, this embodiment may record the authentication status, etc., in accordance with C2PA. However, the present invention may also use other recording methods. Alternatively, the present invention may record the image file and the metadata file separately. Alternatively, the present invention may manage the metadata in a database. The metadata recording method in the present invention is not limited to these.

[0041] Authentication status display unit 414 displays the authentication status on the camera based on the authentication status of authentication status management unit 412. For example, when the authentication status is "authenticating", authentication status display unit 414 displays "authenticating" on display device 214 or a touch panel (operation member 103). Alternatively, camera 100 may be configured to include an LED lamp (not shown) or the like, and authentication status display unit 414 may turn on this LED lamp or the like when the authentication status is "authenticating".

[0042] [Select authentication method] The authentication means selection process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 5. This process is mainly executed by the CPU 212 via the authentication means selection unit 409. It is assumed that the authentication means selection process is performed by the user immediately before authentication is performed during image capture.

[0043] First, the sensing unit 404 determines which authentication methods are available for use. Then, the authentication method selection unit 409 selects the authentication method with the highest authentication accuracy from among the authentication methods determined to be available. The determination of available authentication methods is performed according to the flowchart in FIG.

[0044] In step S501, the sensing unit 404 determines whether the user is looking into the viewfinder, i.e., the eyepiece 102, using the proximity sensor 221. Here, the determination means does not have to be a proximity sensor, and whether the user is looking into the viewfinder may be determined by capturing an image of the eyeball 220 with the eye imaging element 219. If the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is looking into the viewfinder, the process of step S502 is executed. If the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is not looking into the viewfinder, the process of step S503 is executed. In step S502, the sensing unit 404 sets eyeball authentication to be usable.

[0045] In step S503, the sensing unit 404 determines whether the user is touching the release button 101 using a contact sensor. A fingerprint sensor included in the release button 101 may be used as the contact sensor. If the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is touching the release button 101, the process of step S504 is executed. If the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is not touching the release button 101, the process of step S505 is executed. In step S504, the sensing unit 404 sets fingerprint authentication to be usable.

[0046] In step S505, the sensing unit 404 determines whether the user is behind the camera 100 using the in-camera 106 on the back of the camera 100. More specifically, the in-camera 106 acquires an image of the back of the camera 100, and a face detector detects a person's face from the image. If a person's face is detected, it is determined that the user is behind the camera 100. If the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is behind the camera 100, the process of step S506 is executed. If the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is not behind the camera 100, the process of step S507 is executed. In step S506, the sensing unit 404 sets face authentication to be usable.

[0047] In step S507, the sensing unit 404 determines whether the user is holding an authentication terminal. Specifically, it is assumed that the authentication terminal is, for example, a smartphone, a smartwatch, a camera accessory, or a card. Bluetooth (registered trademark) is installed in the camera 100 and the authentication terminal, and the authentication terminal is registered in advance in the registration data management unit 403. This allows the camera 100 to detect the proximity of two devices, the camera 100 and the authentication terminal, using Bluetooth, and determines that the user is holding the authentication terminal when the two devices are close to each other. If the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is holding an authentication terminal, the process proceeds to step S508. If the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is not holding an authentication terminal, the process proceeds to step S509. In step S508, the sensing unit 404 sets terminal authentication to be usable.

[0048] In step S509, the sensing unit 404 determines whether the user is close to the camera 100. Specific examples of this determination include two methods. The first method uses the process of step S505, which determines whether the user is behind the camera 100 using the in-camera 106 on the back of the camera 100. The second method uses Bluetooth. This second method presupposes that the user has an authentication terminal equipped with Bluetooth, and the sensing unit 404 reads the position of the authentication terminal relative to the position of the camera 100 via Bluetooth. Then, if the position of the authentication terminal is within a certain distance from the camera 100, the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is close to the camera 100. If the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is close to the camera 100, the process of step S510 is executed. If the sensing unit 404 determines that the user is not close to the camera 100, the process of FIG. 5 ends. In step S510, the sensing unit 404 sets the camera 100 to enable password entry.

[0049] The above is the flow for determining which authentication methods are available. After that, the authentication method selection unit 409 selects the authentication method with the highest authentication accuracy from among the available authentication methods.

[0050] Eyeball authentication is an authentication method that uses the eyeball, which includes the iris, which has a radial pattern that makes it easy to identify an individual. For example, eyeball authentication uses a method in which the iris is detected from an eye image, normalized, and a feature map is calculated using a neural network for matching.

[0051] Fingerprint authentication is an authentication method that uses features such as the position and angle of a fingerprint, as well as patterns of endpoints and bifurcations. For example, fingerprint authentication uses a minutia matching method that extracts minutiae, which are the endpoints and bifurcations of fingerprint ridges, and compares the positions and directions of the minutiae to determine whether they are the same finger.

[0052] Facial recognition is an authentication method that uses facial features such as the eyes, nose, mouth, and contours. For example, facial recognition uses a neural network that has learned the distance between facial feature vectors to extract and match feature vectors.

[0053] Voice recognition is a method that uses voice features and has the characteristic of using time-series data. For example, voice recognition uses a time delay neural network that aggregates time-series voice features to extract a speaker expression vector (x-vector) to identify the speaker.

[0054] These technologies are still being improved, so it is sufficient to select the mainstream method at the time of development, and there is no need to limit yourself to the methods described in these documents.

[0055] In the above biometric authentication, the accuracy of the above authentication methods and other adopted methods is referenced, and the priority is set in descending order of authentication accuracy. Then, the authentication means selection unit 409 selects the authentication means with the highest priority among the authentication means determined to be usable in the flow of Fig. 5. At this time, if none of the authentication means are usable, the camera 100 can also authenticate the user using a method other than biometric authentication.

[0056] <Modification of the First Embodiment> [Select other authentication methods] In the first embodiment, the authentication means selection unit 409 selected the authentication means with the highest authentication accuracy from among multiple authentication means. However, the user does not necessarily want to select the authentication means with the highest authentication accuracy. For example, if the user is not aware of the authentication accuracy of each authentication means, it is difficult for the user to know which authentication means to select. Therefore, in some cases, it is easier for the user to understand if the authentication means are selected according to a predetermined priority order.

[0057] In addition, some users may have a preferred authentication method and want to make it easier for their preferred authentication method to be selected. In this case, the user must set the priority order for selecting authentication methods.

[0058] In addition, if the authentication accuracy is high, it may take a long time for authentication inside the camera 100. In this case, there is a possibility that authentication may not be possible when a user wants to take a photo in a hurry, so an authentication method that takes less time for authentication is preferable for the user.

[0059] Here, three variations will be described: a method of searching in a predetermined order, a method of selecting a means of authentication that requires less effort, and a method in which the user specifies the priority of authentication means.

[0060] In the first modified example, Modification 1-1, a method of searching in a predetermined order will be described. Modification 1-1 is a method in which an authentication means is selected in a predetermined order, and whether an authentication means is available is determined according to that order. If an available authentication means is found, the search is stopped and that authentication means is selected. For example, in the flow of FIG. 5, whether the authentication means are available is determined in the following order: eyeball authentication, fingerprint authentication, face authentication, terminal authentication, and password entry in camera 100. Therefore, in this case, the authentication means selection unit 409 selects eyeball authentication when eyeball authentication is available. Also, when eyeball authentication is unavailable but fingerprint authentication is available, the authentication means selection unit 409 selects fingerprint authentication. Also, when eyeball authentication and fingerprint authentication are unavailable but face authentication is available, the authentication means selection unit 409 selects face authentication. Also, when eyeball authentication, fingerprint authentication, and face authentication are unavailable but terminal authentication is available, the authentication means selection unit 409 selects terminal authentication. Note that even if password entry in camera 100 is available, password entry is not selected because face authentication or terminal authentication is also available in this case.

[0061] The second modified example, modified example 1-2, describes a method for selecting a means of authentication that requires the least effort. In a method that prioritizes ease of authentication, the easiest authentication means is selected from among the available authentication means. Ease of authentication is defined by the number of actions required for the photographer to perform authentication and the time required for authentication. The fewer the number of actions and the shorter the time required for authentication, the easier authentication is determined to be.

[0062] Eyeball authentication requires the user to look into the eyepiece 102, which serves as a viewfinder. Fingerprint authentication requires the user to touch the release button 101. Facial authentication requires the user to be in a position where their face is captured by the in-camera 106. Voice authentication requires the user to speak into the microphone 107 in a voice that can be distinguished from ambient noise. Terminal authentication using a password entered into the camera 100 is time-consuming because it requires the user to operate the camera 100 and enter the password. Terminal authentication using a smartphone or smartwatch is similarly time-consuming because it requires the user to operate the terminal. A method of authentication when an accessory or card is within a certain distance of the camera 100 is very simple because authentication can be performed simply by approaching the camera as long as the user is holding the accessory or card.

[0063] Furthermore, the authentication accuracy and processing time of biometric authentication differ depending on the algorithm. Generally, the higher the authentication accuracy, the longer the processing time, and the lower the authentication accuracy, the shorter the processing time. Furthermore, if robustness is low, authentication is difficult in poor environments, and the time required for authentication increases. For example, in face authentication, if the face image to be matched is an image taken in a dark environment and the face image registered in the registered data management unit 403 is an image taken in a bright environment, authentication may not be possible or may take a long time due to the difference. However, face authentication that is highly robust and resistant to such environmental changes increases the chances of immediate successful authentication. In the case of fingerprint authentication, for example, if authentication can be performed even if there is an injury to the fingertip, it can be said to be highly robust.

[0064] FIG. 6 is a table that quantifies the ease of authentication for each authentication method based on the above-mentioned concept. For each biometric authentication method, camera 100 is equipped with two types of authentication methods that differ in robustness and processing time. These two types include authentication methods with high robustness and short processing time (i.e., high ease of authentication), and authentication methods with strict authentication, low robustness, and long processing time (i.e., low ease of authentication). As shown in FIG. 6, eyeball authentication has two types: eyeball authentication (1) with a high ease of authentication and eyeball authentication (2) with a low ease of authentication. Furthermore, fingerprint authentication has two types: fingerprint authentication (1) with a high ease of authentication and fingerprint authentication (2) with a low ease of authentication. Furthermore, face authentication has two types: face authentication (1) with a high ease of authentication and face authentication (2) with a low ease of authentication. In addition, there are two types of voiceprint authentication: voiceprint authentication (1) with a high authentication ease rating and voiceprint authentication (2) with a low authentication ease rating.

[0065] The authentication means selection unit 409 selects an authentication means to be used by referring to the ease of authentication of each authentication means, depending on a setting such as, for example, what numerical value of the ease of authentication is to be selected for the authentication means. The authentication means selection unit 409 may select an authentication means to be used by referring to the ease of authentication of each authentication means, depending on a setting such as, for example, whether to prioritize processing speed or authentication accuracy.

[0066] In this modified example, from the above perspective, numerical values ​​for the ease of authentication shown in FIG. 6 are set for each authentication means, but this way of thinking is just one example and may change with technological advances and the like.

[0067] In the third modified example, modified example 1-3, a method in which the user sets the priority of authentication means will be described. This is a method in which the authentication means selection unit 409 selects the authentication means with the highest priority set by the user from among the available authentication means. This allows the user to give priority to using the authentication means of their choice. Note that the user can turn off the authentication function if they do not use it.

[0068] The above are modified examples of the method for selecting an authentication means. However, other methods for selecting an authentication means may be used, for example, a criterion may be set based on a combination of numerical values ​​for authentication accuracy and ease of authentication.

[0069] The authentication accuracy and ease of authentication are managed together with the authentication status by the authentication status management unit 412. Furthermore, the authentication status storage unit 413 records the authentication accuracy and ease of authentication together with the authentication status of the authentication status management unit 412 as metadata in association with the image acquired by the imaging unit 415.

[0070] <Embodiment 2> [Two-Step Verification] In the first embodiment, personal authentication processing in the camera 100 is performed using one-stage authentication. However, a method of performing authentication using multiple stages can also be considered to enhance security. Therefore, in this embodiment, a case will be described in which the camera 100 uses two-stage authentication. In this two-stage authentication, it is assumed that the user performs first authentication before taking a picture with the camera 100, and then performs second authentication when taking a picture.

[0071] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the camera 100 according to the second embodiment. Detailed description of components similar to those according to the first embodiment will be omitted. The user data acquisition unit 701 according to the second embodiment is similar to the user data acquisition unit 401 according to the first embodiment. The user registration unit 702 according to the second embodiment is similar to the user registration unit 402 according to the first embodiment. The registration data management unit 703 according to the second embodiment is similar to the registration data management unit 403 according to the first embodiment. The sensing unit 704 according to the second embodiment is similar to the sensing unit 404 according to the first embodiment. The eyecontact determination unit 705 according to the second embodiment is similar to the eyecontact determination unit 405 according to the first embodiment. The contact determination unit 706 according to the second embodiment is similar to the contact determination unit 406 according to the first embodiment. The face determination unit 707 according to the second embodiment is similar to the face determination unit 407 according to the first embodiment. The distance determination unit 708 according to the second embodiment is similar to the distance determination unit 408 according to the first embodiment. The imaging section 717 according to the second embodiment is similar to the imaging section 415 according to the first embodiment.

[0072] Furthermore, camera 100 according to the second embodiment performs authentication in two stages, and therefore has two authentication units, a first authentication unit 711 and a second authentication unit 712, instead of authentication unit 410 according to the first embodiment. Execution unit 713 according to the second embodiment is basically the same as execution unit 411 according to the first embodiment, but differs in that it corresponds to two authentication units, first authentication unit 711 and second authentication unit 712. That is, an authentication status management unit 714 corresponding to authentication status management unit 412 manages the authentication status of each of first authentication unit 711 and second authentication unit 712. Furthermore, authentication status storage unit 715 corresponding to authentication status storage unit 413 stores the authentication status of each of first authentication unit 711 and second authentication unit 712. Furthermore, authentication status display unit 716 corresponding to authentication status display unit 414 displays the authentication status of each of first authentication unit 711 and second authentication unit 712.

[0073] The authentication means selection unit 709 selects authentication means to be executed by each of the first authentication unit 711 and the second authentication unit 712 from a plurality of available authentication means, using the same selection method as the authentication means selection unit 409 in embodiment 1. The first authentication unit 711 performs the first authentication. The second authentication unit 712 performs the second authentication.

[0074] Generally, to prevent unrelated users from being mistakenly recognized as registered users, it is necessary to select a strict authentication method with a low false acceptance rate, which indicates the probability that a user's authentication information will be mistakenly recognized as a registered user's authentication information and accepted. However, strict authentication methods have drawbacks such as low usability, such as the need for still photography and the time required, and are therefore not suitable for authentication during photography. Therefore, in this embodiment, first, before photography, the first authentication unit 711 performs authentication using a highly accurate authentication method. Then, during photography, the second authentication unit 712 selects and performs a robust authentication method, such as one that is resistant to environmental fluctuations, or a high-speed authentication method that can be completed in a short time. This embodiment achieves both accuracy and usability in authentication by performing different authentication methods in multiple stages.

[0075] Next, the flow of processing for selecting an authentication means by the authentication means selection unit 709 will be described. Figures 8 and 9 show flowcharts of the main processing of embodiment 2. In the example shown in Figures 8 and 9, the authentication means selection unit 709 selects an authentication means with high authentication accuracy as the authentication means to be executed by the first authentication unit 711, and selects an authentication means with low authentication accuracy but high usability as the authentication means to be executed by the second authentication unit 712. Figure 8 shows the processing for selecting an authentication means by the first authentication unit 711, and Figure 9 shows the processing for selecting an authentication means by the second authentication unit 712.

[0076] First, the process of selecting an authentication means to be used by the first authentication unit 711 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In step S801a, the authentication means selection unit 709 acquires information on available authentication means, i.e., which authentication means are available, by acquiring the determination result of the sensing unit 704. Acquisition of available authentication means conforms to the method of embodiment 1.

[0077] In step S802a, the authentication means selection unit 709 acquires the authentication accuracy of the available authentication means. For example, a table is prepared in which the authentication accuracy for each authentication means is set, and the authentication accuracy is acquired from the table. Note that high authentication accuracy here indicates a low false acceptance rate.

[0078] In step S803a, the authentication means selection unit 709 executes the following processes in steps S804a and S805a for each of the available authentication means acquired in step S801a.

[0079] In step S804a, the authentication means selection unit 709 determines whether the authentication accuracy of the available authentication means acquired in step S802a is equal to or greater than a threshold. Here, the threshold for determination is set relatively high so that the first authentication unit 711 can select an authentication means with high authentication accuracy. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that the authentication accuracy is equal to or greater than the threshold, the authentication means remains available, and processing is executed for the next authentication means among the available authentication means acquired in step S801a. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that the authentication accuracy is not equal to or greater than the threshold, processing is executed for step S805a. In step S805a, the authentication means selection unit 709 sets the authentication means to be unusable, i.e., unselectable. Once the processing of steps S804a and S805a has been completed for all available authentication means acquired in step S801a, processing of step S806a is executed.

[0080] In step S806a, the authentication means selection unit 709 determines whether or not there is an authentication means that can be used. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that there is an authentication means that can be used, the processing in Fig. 8 is terminated. The authentication means selection unit 709 selects an authentication means from the available authentication means in accordance with the selection method in embodiment 1. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that there is no available authentication means, the processing in step S807a is executed.

[0081] In step S807a, the authentication means selection unit 709 displays a pop-up message on the touch panel 103 on the rear surface of the camera 100 saying, "Enable the use of unselectable authentication means or set a different selection method."

[0082] Next, the process of selecting an authentication means to be used by the second authentication unit 712 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. In step S801b, the authentication means selection unit 709 acquires information on available authentication means, i.e., which authentication means are available, by acquiring the determination result of the sensing unit 704. Acquisition of available authentication means conforms to the method of embodiment 1.

[0083] In step S802b, the authentication method selection unit 709 acquires the numerical value of the ease of authentication for the available authentication methods. The method of acquiring the numerical value of the ease of authentication is, for example, to prepare a table in which the numerical value of the ease of authentication for each authentication method is set, as shown in Fig. 6, and acquire the numerical value of the ease of authentication from this table.

[0084] In step S803b, the authentication means selection unit 709 executes the following processes in steps S804b and S805b for each of the available authentication means acquired in step S801b.

[0085] In step S804b, the authentication means selection unit 709 determines whether the numerical value of the ease of authentication of the available authentication means acquired in step S802b is equal to or greater than a threshold. Here, the threshold for determination is set relatively high in order to select an authentication means that is easy to authenticate as the authentication means to be used by the second authentication unit 712. The threshold used to compare the numerical value of the ease of authentication in the process of step S804b is obviously different from the threshold used to compare the authentication accuracy in the process of step S804a. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that the numerical value of the ease of authentication is equal to or greater than the threshold, the authentication means remains available, and processing is performed for the next authentication means among the available authentication means acquired in step S801b. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that the numerical value of the ease of authentication is not equal to or greater than the threshold, processing is performed in step S805b. In step S805b, the authentication means selection unit 709 sets the authentication means as unusable, i.e., unselectable. When the processes of steps S804b and S805b have been completed for all of the available authentication means acquired in step S801b, the process of step S806b is executed.

[0086] In step S806b, the authentication means selection unit 709 determines whether or not there is an authentication means that can be used. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that there is an authentication means that can be used, the processing in Fig. 9 is terminated. The authentication means selection unit 709 selects an authentication means from the available authentication means in accordance with the selection method in embodiment 1. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that there is no available authentication means, the processing in step S807b is executed.

[0087] In step S807b, the authentication means selection unit 709 displays a pop-up message on the touch panel 103 on the back of the camera 100 saying, "Enable the use of unselectable authentication means or set a different selection method."

[0088] The above is the flow of processing for selecting an authentication means, in which the authentication means used by the first authentication unit 711 is one that has high authentication accuracy, and the authentication means used by the second authentication unit 712 is one that places importance on ease of authentication, that is, usability.

[0089] <Modification of the second embodiment> [Select a combination of primary and secondary authentication methods] As a method for selecting the authentication means of the first authentication unit 711 and the second authentication unit 712, the following four variations are possible in addition to the above.

[0090] The selection method of variant 2-1, which is the first variant, is a method in which different authentication means are used for the authentication means used in the first authentication unit 711 and the authentication means used in the second authentication unit 712. A method in which two-step authentication is performed using the same authentication means has one authentication element, but a method in which two-step authentication is performed using different authentication means has two authentication elements, which provides greater security.

[0091] The second modification, modification 2-2, is a selection method in which the authentication means with the highest authentication accuracy among the available authentication means is selected for both the first authentication unit 711 and the second authentication unit 712. This further enhances security.

[0092] The selection method of the third modification, modification 2-3, is a method in which the authentication means that is easiest to authenticate among the available authentication means is selected for both the first authentication unit 711 and the second authentication unit 712. This results in two-step authentication that is highly convenient for the user.

[0093] The fourth selection method, variant 2-4, is a method in which the user sets the priority of the authentication means. This is a method in which the authentication means with the highest priority set by the user among the available authentication means is selected to be used in the first authentication unit 711 and the second authentication unit 712. This is performed for each of the first authentication unit 711 and the second authentication unit 712.

[0094] The processing of each modified example will be further explained below. First, the processing flow of the selection method of modified example 2-1, in which the authentication means used in first authentication unit 711 and the authentication means used in second authentication unit 712 are different authentication means, will be explained. The selection of the authentication means used in first authentication unit 711 conforms to embodiment 1. The selection of the authentication means used in second authentication unit 712 will be described using FIG. 10.

[0095] 10 shows a process flow for selecting an authentication means to be used by the second authentication unit 712. In step S901, the authentication means selection unit 709 acquires information about available authentication means, i.e., which authentication means are available, by acquiring the determination result of the sensing unit 704. Acquisition of available authentication means conforms to the method of embodiment 1.

[0096] In step S902, the authentication means selection unit 709 acquires the authentication means of the first authentication unit 711, that is, information on the authentication means used by the first authentication unit 711, from the authentication status management unit 714.

[0097] In step S903, the authentication means selection unit 709 executes the following processes in steps S904 and S905 for each of the available authentication means acquired in step S901.

[0098] In step S904, the authentication means selection unit 709 determines whether the available authentication means and the authentication means used by the authentication means of the first authentication unit 711 obtained in step S902 are different authentication means. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that the available authentication means and the authentication means used by the authentication means of the first authentication unit 711 obtained in step S902 are not different, the processing of step S905 is executed. In step S905, the authentication means selection unit 709 sets the available authentication means to be unusable, i.e., unselectable. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that the authentication means are different authentication means, the available authentication means remains available, and the processing of the next authentication means among the available authentication means obtained in step S901 is executed. When the processing of steps S904 and S905 has been completed for all available authentication means obtained in step S901, the processing of step S906 is executed.

[0099] In step S906, the authentication means selection unit 709 determines whether or not there is an authentication means that can be used. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that there is an authentication means that can be used, the processing in Fig. 10 ends. The authentication means selection unit 709 selects an authentication means from the available authentication means in accordance with the selection method in embodiment 1. If the authentication means selection unit 709 determines that there is no available authentication means, the processing in step S907 is executed.

[0100] In step S907, the authentication means selection unit 709 displays a pop-up message on the touch panel 103 on the rear surface of the camera 100 saying, "Enable the use of unselectable authentication means or set a different selection method."

[0101] Next, we will explain the selection method of Modification 2-2, which is a method of selecting the authentication means with the highest authentication accuracy among the available authentication means for both the first authentication unit 711 and the second authentication unit 712. The selection method of Modification 2-2 is implemented by applying the method of selecting the means with the highest authentication accuracy in Embodiment 1 to both the authentication means of the first authentication unit 711 and the second authentication unit 712.

[0102] Next, we will explain the selection method of Modification 2-3, which is a method of selecting the authentication means that is easiest to authenticate among the available authentication means for both the first authentication unit 711 and the second authentication unit 712. The selection method of Modification 2-3 is implemented by applying the method of selecting the means that is easiest to authenticate in Modification 1-2 of Embodiment 1 to both the authentication means of the first authentication unit 711 and the second authentication unit 712.

[0103] <Embodiment 3> [Disable authentication] When a device of the present invention has multiple authentication means, there is a possibility that spoofing will occur for each authentication means. As a result, the probability of allowing spoofing is higher than when only one authentication means is provided. Furthermore, if successful authentication is automatically continued after successful authentication, there is a possibility that someone else will use the device while the successful authentication continues. In embodiment 3, to address the above, an embodiment will be described that includes a mechanism for detecting use by others and a mechanism for invalidating the authentication status. This mechanism can increase the reliability of personal authentication of the device.

[0104] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a camera 100 according to the third embodiment. Detailed description of components similar to those according to the second embodiment will be omitted. A user data acquisition unit 1001 according to the third embodiment is similar to the user data acquisition unit 701 according to the second embodiment. A user registration unit 1002 according to the third embodiment is similar to the user registration unit 702 according to the second embodiment. A registration data management unit 1003 according to the third embodiment is similar to the registration data management unit 703 according to the second embodiment. A sensing unit 1004 according to the third embodiment is similar to the sensing unit 704 according to the second embodiment. An eyecontact determination unit 1005 according to the third embodiment is similar to the eyecontact determination unit 705 according to the second embodiment. A contact determination unit 1006 according to the third embodiment is similar to the contact determination unit 706 according to the second embodiment. A face determination unit 1007 according to the third embodiment is similar to the face determination unit 707 according to the second embodiment. A distance determination unit 1008 according to the third embodiment is similar to the distance determination unit 708 according to the second embodiment. The first authentication unit 1010 according to the third embodiment is similar to the first authentication unit 711 according to the second embodiment. The second authentication unit 1011 according to the third embodiment is similar to the second authentication unit 712 according to the second embodiment. The imaging unit 1018 according to the third embodiment is similar to the imaging unit 717 according to the second embodiment.

[0105] The false-use detection unit 1012 detects that a photograph is being taken using the camera 100 by a person (a false person) different from the person authenticated by the first authentication unit 1010. Whether the photographer is a false person or not is determined based on the trend of the authentication status in the second authentication unit 1011. Specifically, the authentication means selection unit 1009 selects all available authentication means, different from the authentication means selected for the first authentication unit 1010, as the authentication means for the second authentication unit 1011. The second authentication unit 1011 then executes all selected available authentication means. The false-use detection unit 1012 determines whether the person authenticated by each authentication means in the second authentication unit 1011 is the same person as the person authenticated by the first authentication unit 1010. At this time, if the false-use detection unit 1012 determines that more than half of the authentication means in the second authentication unit 1011 are not the same person, it detects false use. If there is only one authentication means available to the second authentication unit 1011, the false use detection unit 1012 detects false use when authentication by the second authentication unit 1011 fails a predetermined number of times in succession or when the authentication score is extremely low. Note that the method of determining whether or not the person is a false person is not limited to these. The false use detection unit 1012 is an example of a false use detection means that detects false use by comparing the authentication result of the first authentication unit 1010 with the authentication result of the second authentication unit 1011.

[0106] When authentication by the first authentication unit 1010, i.e., the first authentication, is successful, the authentication status invalidation unit 1013 determines whether or not the authentication status should be invalidated. There are several methods for invalidation determination. Here, two examples of the invalidation determination method will be described.

[0107] The first invalidation determination method is a method based on detection of use by another person. Specifically, when use by another person is detected by the use by another person detection unit 1012, the authentication status invalidation unit 1013 invalidates the authentication.

[0108] The second invalidation determination method is based on the time elapsed since the first authentication by the first authentication unit 1010 was successful. For example, the authentication status invalidation unit 1013 invalidates the authentication when the time elapsed since the first authentication was successful exceeds a predetermined lifetime. Furthermore, if the second authentication is successful while the first authentication is valid, the lifetime is extended. In this case, if the authentication means used for the first authentication and the second authentication are different, the reliability of the authentication is high, and the lifetime is further extended. Furthermore, if there are multiple authentication means available for the second authentication, the lifetime can be further extended by implementing all available authentication means.

[0109] The authentication status management unit 1015 manages not only information about the authentication means selected by the authentication means selection unit 1009 and information indicating whether authentication is being performed, but also the detection result of the unauthorized use detection unit 1012. Specifically, the authentication status management unit 1015 holds one of the values ​​"unauthorized use" and "unauthorized use," which indicate whether unauthorized use has been detected. Furthermore, when the authentication status is invalidated by the authentication status invalidation unit 1013, the authentication status management unit 1015 updates the authentication status to "unauthenticated."

[0110] The authentication status storage unit 1016 records, in association with the image captured by the imaging unit 1018, not only information indicating the authentication method selected by the authentication method selection unit 1009 and whether authentication is being performed, but also whether or not the image has been used by another person as metadata.

[0111] The authentication status display unit 1017 displays the authentication status on the camera 100 based on the authentication status of the authentication status management unit 1015. For example, when the unauthorized use detection unit 1012 detects unauthorized use, the authentication status display unit 1017 displays "Unauthorized use detected" or the like on the display device 214 or the touch panel (operation member 103).

[0112] (others) Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0113] The present invention can be embodied as, for example, a system, an apparatus, a method, a program, a storage medium, etc. Specifically, the present invention may be applied to a system consisting of multiple devices, or may be applied to an apparatus consisting of a single device.

[0114] The present invention can also be realized by executing the following process: That is, software (programs) that realize the functions of the above-described embodiments are supplied to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads and executes the programs.

[0115] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0116] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0117] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration, method, and program. (Configuration 1) a sensing means for sensing the position or state of a photographer; an authentication means for authenticating the photographer using one of a plurality of authentication methods; an authentication means selection means for selecting which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the authentication means based on the position or state of the photographer sensed by the sensing means; an execution means for executing a specific process based on the authentication status of the authentication method selected by the authentication means selection means; An imaging device comprising: (Configuration 2) The sensing means an eye contact determination means for determining whether or not the photographer is looking through the viewfinder; a contact determination means for determining whether or not the photographer is touching the camera; a face determination means for determining whether the photographer is behind the camera; and At least one of the distance determination means for determining whether the photographer is within a certain range from the camera is provided. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, (Configuration 3) Each of the plurality of authentication methods has at least one authentication accuracy. 3. The imaging device according to configuration 1 or 2, (Configuration 4) When the authentication means selection means selects one of the plurality of authentication methods, the authentication means selection means selects a method that is available among the plurality of authentication methods and has the highest authentication accuracy. 4. The imaging device according to configuration 3. (Configuration 5) Each of the plurality of authentication methods has at least one authentication ease value. 5. The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein: (Configuration 6) When the authentication means selection means selects one of the plurality of authentication methods, the authentication means selection means selects a method that is available among the plurality of authentication methods and has the highest numerical value for ease of authentication. 6. The imaging device according to configuration 5. (Configuration 7) The execution means executes a process of storing information about the selected authentication method, as well as the authentication accuracy and ease of authentication of the selected authentication method, in association with the captured image. 7. The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein: (Configuration 8) the authentication means includes a first authentication means and a second authentication means, The authentication means selection means selects which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the first authentication means, and selects which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the second authentication means. 8. The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein: (Configuration 9) The authentication accuracy of the method used in the first authentication means among the plurality of authentication methods is higher than the authentication accuracy of the method used in the second authentication means among the plurality of authentication methods. 9. The imaging device according to configuration 8. (Configuration 10) The method used by the first authentication means among the plurality of authentication methods is different from the method used by the second authentication means among the plurality of authentication methods. 10. The imaging device according to configuration 8 or 9, (Configuration 11) Among the plurality of authentication methods, the method used by the first authentication means has high authentication accuracy, Among the plurality of authentication methods, the method used in the second authentication means has a high authentication ease value. 11. The imaging device according to any one of configurations 8 to 10. (Configuration 12) the authentication means selection means selects a plurality of methods from the plurality of authentication methods as methods to be used by the second authentication means, The authentication device further includes a third-party use detection unit that detects third-party use by comparing the authentication result of the first authentication unit with the authentication result of the second authentication unit. 12. The imaging device according to any one of configurations 8 to 11, (Method 1) a sensing step of sensing the position or state of a photographer; an authentication step of authenticating the photographer using one of a plurality of authentication methods; an authentication means selection step of selecting which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the authentication step based on the position or state of the photographer sensed in the sensing step; an execution step of executing a specific process based on the authentication status of the authentication method selected in the authentication means selection step; 11. A method for controlling an imaging device, comprising: (Program 1) Computer, a sensing means for sensing the position or state of the photographer; authentication means for authenticating the photographer by one of a plurality of authentication methods; an authentication means selection means for selecting which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the authentication means based on the position or state of the photographer sensed by the sensing means; and an execution means for executing a specific process based on the authentication state of the authentication method selected by the authentication means selection means; A program characterized by functioning as [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 404 Sensing Unit 409 Authentication Method Selection Unit 410 Authentication Section 411 Executive Department 412 Authentication Status Management Unit 413 Authentication Status Storage 414 Authentication status display section 415 Imaging unit

Claims

1. a sensing means for sensing the position or state of a photographer; an authentication means for authenticating the photographer using one of a plurality of authentication methods; an authentication means selection means for selecting which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the authentication means based on the position or state of the photographer sensed by the sensing means; an execution means for executing a specific process based on the authentication status of the authentication method selected by the authentication means selection means; An imaging device comprising:

2. The sensing means an eye contact determination means for determining whether or not the photographer is looking through the viewfinder; a contact determination means for determining whether or not the photographer is touching the camera; a face determination means for determining whether the photographer is behind the camera; and At least one of the distance determination means for determining whether the photographer is within a certain range from the camera is provided.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1.

3. Each of the plurality of authentication methods has at least one authentication accuracy.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1.

4. When the authentication means selection means selects one of the plurality of authentication methods, the authentication means selection means selects a method that is available among the plurality of authentication methods and has the highest authentication accuracy.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3.

5. Each of the plurality of authentication methods has at least one authentication ease value.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1.

6. When the authentication means selection means selects one of the plurality of authentication methods, the authentication means selection means selects a method that is available among the plurality of authentication methods and has the highest numerical value for ease of authentication.

6. The imaging device according to claim 5.

7. The execution means executes a process of storing information about the selected authentication method, as well as the authentication accuracy and ease of authentication of the selected authentication method, in association with the captured image.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1.

8. the authentication means includes a first authentication means and a second authentication means, The authentication means selection means selects which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the first authentication means, and selects which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the second authentication means.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1.

9. The authentication accuracy of the method used in the first authentication means among the plurality of authentication methods is higher than the authentication accuracy of the method used in the second authentication means among the plurality of authentication methods.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8.

10. The method used by the first authentication means among the plurality of authentication methods is different from the method used by the second authentication means among the plurality of authentication methods.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8.

11. Among the plurality of authentication methods, the method used by the first authentication means has high authentication accuracy, Among the plurality of authentication methods, the method used in the second authentication means has a high authentication ease value.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8.

12. the authentication means selection means selects a plurality of methods from the plurality of authentication methods as methods to be used by the second authentication means, The authentication device further includes a third-party use detection unit that detects third-party use by comparing the authentication result of the first authentication unit with the authentication result of the second authentication unit.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8.

13. a sensing step of sensing the position or state of a photographer; an authentication step of authenticating the photographer using one of a plurality of authentication methods; an authentication means selection step of selecting which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the authentication step based on the position or state of the photographer sensed in the sensing step; an execution step of executing a specific process based on the authentication status of the authentication method selected in the authentication means selection step; 11. A method for controlling an imaging device, comprising:

14. Computer, a sensing means for sensing the position or state of the photographer; authentication means for authenticating the photographer by one of a plurality of authentication methods; an authentication means selection means for selecting which of the plurality of authentication methods to use in the authentication means based on the position or state of the photographer sensed by the sensing means; and an execution means for executing a specific process based on the authentication state of the authentication method selected by the authentication means selection means; A program characterized by functioning as

Images