Information processing programs and information processing devices

Abstract

We provide an information processing program and information processing device that can accurately identify users who come to the facility. [Solution] In an information processing program according to one embodiment, the computer is made to execute an authentication procedure that authenticates a user in accordance with a facial image of a facility user captured by a camera installed in the facility; a reception procedure that receives information from the user or a person related to the user indicating whether or not the user plans to use the facility; and a processing procedure that updates status information indicating the user's usage status at the facility in accordance with the user's authentication result and the schedule information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosed embodiments relate to an information processing program and an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in various facilities such as daycare centers and nursing homes, it is important to accurately grasp the users who come to the facility (such as children, the elderly, etc.). Conventionally, for example, in a daycare center, there has been proposed a technique for displaying a list of absent children based on absence information from parents, and a technique for notifying bus passengers by email of information such as the names of children who do not board the pick-up and drop-off bus and the boarding locations (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, among the users of the facility, there are also users who come to the facility on foot, by bicycle, etc. in addition to the pick-up and drop-off bus. Therefore, with the conventional technology, it has been impossible to accurately grasp the users who come to the facility. [[ID=3?]]

[0005] One aspect of the embodiment has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an information processing program and an information processing apparatus capable of accurately grasping the users who come to the facility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems and achieve the objective, an information processing program according to one embodiment of the invention causes a computer to execute an authentication procedure that authenticates a user in accordance with a facial image of the user of the facility captured by a camera installed in the facility; a reception procedure that receives information from the user or a person related to the user indicating whether or not the user plans to use the facility; and a processing procedure that updates status information indicating the user's usage status at the facility in accordance with the user's authentication result and the schedule information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In one embodiment of the system, the information processing program authenticates users based on facial images captured by the facility's cameras and also accepts scheduled information from users or related parties. The information processing program updates status information based on the user authentication results and scheduled information, making it possible to accurately identify users arriving at the facility by various means, such as bus, on foot, or by bicycle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the information processing according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of authentication information. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of situation information. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the processing sequence according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a screen for entering schedule information. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a screen displaying status information. [Figure 9]Figure 9 shows an example of a screen displaying unauthenticated information. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the information processing program and information processing apparatus disclosed in this application will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0010] <Overview of Information Processing> First, an overview of the information processing implemented by the information processing program, etc., according to the embodiment will be explained using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the information processing according to the embodiment.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment comprises an information processing device 10, a terminal device 100, a management terminal device 200, and a camera 300. The information processing program according to this embodiment is executed by the information processing device (computer) 10.

[0012] The information processing device 10 is implemented, for example, by a server device. The information processing device 10 may be configured as a cloud server that provides cloud services via a communication network such as the Internet or a mobile phone network, or it may be configured to perform distributed processing using multiple servers. The information processing device 10 has a communication function that communicates with terminal devices 100, management terminal devices 200, and cameras 300, etc., via a communication network.

[0013] The information processing device 10 performs various processes, including processing related to user B of facility A. Here, we show an example where facility A is a childcare facility such as a nursery school or kindergarten, and user B is a child. Therefore, below, facility A may be referred to as "childcare facility A" and user B as "child B". In the example in Figure 1, there are multiple children B, but this is not the only example. Also, facility A is not limited to the childcare facility described above, but may be other types of facilities such as nursing homes, companies, schools, sports facilities, etc.

[0014] The terminal device 100 is a terminal device used by the relative C of the user, child B. The relative C is, for example, the guardian of child B. Hereinafter, the relative C may be described as "guardian C".

[0015] The management terminal device 200 is a terminal device used by the administrator D who manages the usage status such as the attendance of child B in the nursery facility A which is a facility. The administrator D is, for example, a nursery teacher who takes care of child B in the nursery facility A. Hereinafter, the administrator D may be described as "nursery teacher D".

[0016] The camera 300 is installed in the nursery facility A. Specifically, the camera 300 is installed in a place such as the entrance or the front door of the nursery facility A where child B passes when entering or leaving the nursery. Note that the camera 300 may be one or a plurality of cameras. The camera 300 images child B entering the nursery facility A and child B leaving the nursery facility A. Specifically, the camera 300 images the face of child B entering the nursery and the face of child B leaving the nursery.

[0017] In the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to accurately grasp child (user) B who has come to the nursery facility (facility) A.

[0018] Specifically described, the information processing apparatus 10 acquires the face image of child (user) B imaged by the camera 300 (step S1). Specifically, the information processing apparatus 10 acquires the face image of child B entering the nursery or child B leaving the nursery. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of understanding, the case of entering the nursery will be described as an example.

[0019] Next, the information processing device 10 authenticates child (user) B based on the acquired facial image of child B (step S2). Specifically, facial information representing child B's face is pre-registered in the information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 compares the registered facial information with the facial image of child B acquired from the camera 300 and performs the authentication process for child B. If the facial information of child B and the facial image of child B match, the information processing device 10 authenticates (identifies) that the child B who has arrived at the nursery is the registered child B.

[0020] Next, the information processing device 10 receives schedule information from parent C indicating whether or not child B is scheduled to use childcare facility A (step S3). Specifically, if child B is absent from childcare facility A due to illness or other reasons (taking leave), parent C operates the terminal device 100 and inputs information indicating that child B will be absent from childcare facility A, in other words, that there is no scheduled use of childcare facility A, as schedule information. The information processing device 10 receives the schedule information input from parent C via the terminal device 100.

[0021] Furthermore, if Facility A is a nursing home, company, etc., the information processing device 10 may accept schedule information entered by the user of Facility A themselves. In other words, the information processing device 10 accepts schedule information from the user or a person related to the user.

[0022] Next, the information processing device 10 performs a process to update status information indicating the usage status of child B at childcare facility A, according to the authentication result and scheduled information of child B (step S4). The status information includes, for example, the name of child B who has arrived, the time of arrival, and, if scheduled information indicating absence (taking leave) has been received, information indicating leave. The status information will be explained in detail later using Figure 5.

[0023] Next, the information processing device 10 transmits the updated status information to the management terminal device 200 for display (step S5). The status information displayed on the management terminal device 200 will be explained in detail later using Figure 8.

[0024] Thus, in this embodiment, by having childcare worker D view the status information displayed on the management terminal device 200, the information processing device 10 can enable childcare worker D to accurately identify child B who has come to childcare facility A.

[0025] Furthermore, childcare worker D can take attendance of child B while checking the status information on the management terminal device 200. This allows childcare worker D to take action, for example, to contact child B's guardian C if there is no information indicating absence in the status information and child B is not present, thereby reducing the chances of failing to contact guardian C. In addition, since the information processing device 10 updates the status information according to child B's authentication result and schedule information, the workload for childcare worker D in checking child B's attendance and other statuses can be reduced.

[0026] <Information Processing System> Next, with reference to Figure 2, the configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Note that block diagrams such as Figure 2 only show the components necessary to explain the features of the embodiment, and descriptions of general components are omitted.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the information processing system 1 comprises the information processing device 10 described above, a terminal device 100, a management terminal device 200, and a camera 300. The information processing device 10, the terminal device 100, the management terminal device 200, and the camera 300 are connected to each other via a communication network N.

[0028] Terminal device 100 is a terminal device used by parent C of child B. Terminal device 100 can be, but is not limited to, a smartphone, tablet, or PC (Personal Computer). Terminal device 100 is equipped with a display device 101 (see Figure 7), such as a touch panel display, and can display various types of information, such as a screen for inputting schedule information or a screen displaying information transmitted from the information processing device 10.

[0029] The management terminal device 200 is a terminal device used by childcare worker D to manage the usage status of child B at childcare facility A, such as child B's attendance status. The management terminal device 200 can be, but is not limited to, a tablet device, smartphone, or PC. The management terminal device 200 is equipped with a display device 201 (see Figures 8 and 9), such as a touch panel display, and can display various types of information, such as a screen of status information transmitted from the information processing device 10, or a screen of the face image of unauthenticated child B, which will be described later.

[0030] Camera 300 is installed in childcare facility A and captures images of child B arriving at and leaving the facility. Camera 300 outputs the captured facial images (image data) of child B to the information processing device 10. The image data may be a moving image or a still image. Camera 300 is, for example, a camera equipped with a lens and an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), but is not limited to this.

[0031] The information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 10 comprises a communication unit 11, a controller (control unit) 20, and a storage unit 30. The communication unit 11 is an interface for data communication between the terminal device 100, the management terminal device 200, and the camera 300. The communication unit 11 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card), but is not limited to this.

[0033] The storage unit 30 is a storage unit composed of storage devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory), data flash, or a hard disk drive. Authentication information 31, status information 32, unauthenticated information 33, and information on various programs are stored in this storage unit 30. The information processing device 10 may also acquire the above-mentioned programs and various information via other computers or portable recording media connected by wired or wireless networks.

[0034] Authentication information 31 is information used for the authentication process of child B who uses childcare facility A, which is a facility. Authentication information 31 is stored in the storage unit 30 in advance before the authentication process is performed. Now, let's explain authentication information 31 using Figure 4. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of authentication information 31.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the authentication information 31 includes items such as "User ID," "Name," "Class," and "Facial Information," and the data for each item is linked to each other.

[0036] The "User ID" is identification information that identifies child B, who is the user. The "Name" is information indicating child B's name. In the example shown in Figure 4, for convenience, the "Name" is abstractly represented as "F01," but "F01" will store specific information. Other information may also be described abstractly below.

[0037] "Class" is information indicating the name of the class to which child B belongs at childcare facility A. Note that "Class" may also be "Group," indicating the name of the group to which the user belongs, for example, if the facility is a nursing home or sports facility, or "Department," indicating the name of the department to which the user belongs, if the facility is a company, etc., and can be set arbitrarily. "Face information" is information indicating the face of child B.

[0038] In the example shown in Figure 4, the authentication information for child B, identified by user ID "E01," indicates that the name is "F01," the class is "G01," and the facial information is "H01."

[0039] Continuing the explanation of Figure 3, situation information 32 is information showing the usage status of child B at childcare facility A. Now, let's explain situation information 32 using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of situation information 32.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, the status information 32 includes items such as "User ID," "Name," "Class," "Face Image," "Arrival Time," "Leaving Time," "Return Time," "Departure Time," "Absence / Lateness," "Contact Details," and "Injury Information," and the data for each item is linked to each other.

[0041] The "User ID," "Name," and "Class" have already been explained. The "Face Image" is a face image (image data) of child B captured by camera 300. The "Arrival Time" is information indicating the arrival time of child B.

[0042] "Time of leaving" indicates the time when child B leaves the facility. Specifically, at childcare facility A, child B (user) may go outside the facility to engage in activities such as visiting a nearby park (off-site activity). "Time of leaving" indicates the time when child B leaves childcare facility A for that activity. "Time of return" indicates the time when the activity is completed and child B returns to childcare facility A from outside the facility. "Time of departure" indicates the time when child B leaves the facility.

[0043] The "Leave / Late Arrival" field indicates whether or not child B has been notified of their leave (absence) or lateness. Specifically, if parent C's terminal device 100 receives information indicating that child B will be absent from childcare facility A (taking leave), "Leave" will be registered in the "Leave / Late Arrival" field. Similarly, if parent C's terminal device 100 receives information indicating that child B will be late for childcare facility A, "Late Arrival" will be registered in the "Leave / Late Arrival" field.

[0044] "Communication details" is information indicating the content of the communication from parent / guardian C. Specifically, if child B is absent from or late to childcare facility A, parent / guardian C enters the reason as communication details in the schedule information into terminal device 100. When schedule information including communication details is received from parent / guardian C's terminal device 100, the entered communication details are registered in "Communication details".

[0045] "Injury information" refers to information about injuries on child B's face. Specifically, if a facial injury is detected from child B's face image during the authentication process, information about the injury, such as the location of the detected injury, will be registered in "injury information." Facial injuries include, but are not limited to, scrapes, cuts, bruises, and bandages.

[0046] In the example shown in Figure 5, the status information for child B, identified by user ID "E01," indicates that the name is "F01," the class is "G01," the face image is "J01," the arrival time is "9:00," the time spent out is "10:00," the return time is "11:30," and the departure time is "18:00." Similarly, the status information for child B, identified by user ID "E02," indicates that the name is "F02," the class is "G02," the absence / lateness status is "absence," and the contact content is "K02." Furthermore, the status information for child B, identified by user ID "E03," indicates that the name is "F03," the class is "G03," the face image is "J03," the arrival time is "9:05," the departure time is "17:30," and the injury information is "L03."

[0047] Continuing the explanation of Figure 3, the unauthenticated information 33 is information indicating the face images that were not authenticated by the authentication process among the multiple face images captured by the camera 300, that is, information indicating the face images that were not authenticated.

[0048] The controller 20 includes a microcomputer with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM, and various circuits. The controller 20 controls the operation of the entire information processing device 10 by having the CPU execute a program (e.g., an information processing program) stored in ROM, using RAM as a workspace. The controller 20 may be partially or entirely composed of hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0049] Controller 20 performs various processes, including authenticating child B based on the child B's facial image, receiving schedule information from parent C, etc., and updating status information based on the authentication result and schedule information of child B. Controller 20 performs information processing according to the processing sequence shown in Figure 6, including all of these processes.

[0050] <Information processing in information processing systems> Next, the information processing performed by the information processing device 10, the terminal device 100, and the management terminal device 200 will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the processing sequence according to the embodiment.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6, the information processing device 10 (controller 20) acquires a facial image of child B captured by a camera 300 installed at childcare facility A (step S100). The child B captured may be, for example, child B arriving at the facility, child B leaving the facility, child B returning from outside the facility, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0052] Next, the information processing device 10 reads the authentication information 31 from the storage unit 30 and performs an authentication process using the face information of child B contained in the authentication information 31 and the acquired face image of child B (step S101). Specifically, the information processing device 10 analyzes the face image of child B and extracts the characteristic points of child B's face (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth, etc.) from the face image. If the extracted characteristic points of child B's face match or nearly match the characteristic points of child B's face information, the information processing device 10 authenticates (identifies) the captured child B as child B registered in the authentication information 31. On the other hand, if the extracted characteristic points of child B's face do not match any of the multiple face information of child B contained in the authentication information 31 and authentication fails, the information processing device 10 registers the unauthenticated face image as unauthenticated information 33 in the storage unit 30.

[0053] Furthermore, in the authentication process, the information processing device 10 excludes authenticated children B from the authentication process among the multiple children B. Specifically, in the authentication process, the information processing device 10 excludes the face information of authenticated children B from the face information of multiple children B included in the authentication information 31. Then, the information processing device 10 compares the face image of child B captured by the camera 300 with the face information of authentication information 31 from which the face information of authenticated children B has been excluded, and performs the authentication process.

[0054] Furthermore, during the authentication process, the information processing device 10 analyzes the acquired facial image of child B, and if a facial injury is detected from the facial image of child B, it includes injury information indicating that an injury has been detected in the authentication result.

[0055] Furthermore, for the image analysis in the authentication process described above, an image recognition model can be used, for example. The image recognition model is an AI (Artificial Intelligence) model for image recognition. The image recognition model is, for example, a DNN (Deep Neural Network) model trained using a deep learning algorithm, and is configured to detect facial feature points, injuries, etc., when a facial image of child B is input. However, image analysis may also be performed by methods other than the image recognition model.

[0056] The terminal device 100 receives scheduled information indicating whether child B is scheduled to use childcare facility A, through the operation of parent C (step S102). Specifically, for example, if child B is absent from childcare facility A due to illness, etc. (taking leave) or is late, parent C operates the terminal device 100 and inputs information indicating that child B will be absent or late from childcare facility A as scheduled information. Figure 7 shows an example of the scheduled information input screen.

[0057] As shown in Figure 7, on the input screen displayed on the display device 101 of the terminal device 100, the name of child B is entered in input field 110, the date of absence or lateness is entered in input field 111, and the details of the planned use of childcare facility A (absence, lateness, etc.) are entered in input field 112. In addition, on the input screen, the reason for absence or lateness is entered in input field 113. When the send button 114 on the input screen is pressed by parent C, the terminal device 100 sends the entered schedule information to the information processing device 10.

[0058] Let's continue the explanation of Figure 6. The information processing device 10 receives the schedule information transmitted from the terminal device 100 (step S103). Although the above explanation described the authentication process followed by the schedule information reception process, it is not limited to this order. For example, the order could be schedule information reception process followed by the authentication process, or the authentication process and the schedule information reception process could be performed simultaneously.

[0059] Next, the information processing device 10 performs a process to update status information indicating the usage status of child B at childcare facility A, according to the authentication result and schedule information of child B (step S104). Specifically, according to the authentication result and schedule information of child B, the information processing device 10 registers information from each item of the status information 32 (see Figure 5) in the storage unit 30 that corresponds to child B who was authenticated in this authentication process.

[0060] For example, if the authentication result indicates that child B has been authenticated, the information processing device 10 registers information such as "name," "class," "face image," and "arrival time" from the status information 32 for the authenticated child B. Also, if the authentication result includes information about injuries, the information processing device 10 registers the "injury information" from the status information 32. Furthermore, if the information processing device 10 receives schedule information, it registers information such as "name," "class," "vacancy / lateness," and "contact details" from the status information 32 for child B corresponding to the received schedule information.

[0061] Next, the information processing device 10 transmits the updated status information to the management terminal device 200 for display (step S105). Figure 8 shows an example of a screen displaying the status information.

[0062] As shown in Figure 8, the display device 201 of the management terminal device 200 displays a status confirmation screen for childcare workers D and others to check the status information. On the status confirmation screen, the content of the status information is displayed in the display field 210.

[0063] Furthermore, if the authentication result for child B includes information about an injury, a mark 210a will be placed on child B's face image in display field 210 to highlight it. By seeing this mark 210a, childcare worker D can confirm that child B has an injury on their face. Note that the above example shows how child B's injury is highlighted, but this is not the only example, and other display methods may be used, such as displaying a message indicating that an injury has been detected.

[0064] The status confirmation screen is equipped with a leave confirmation button 211 for checking the absence of child B. Specifically, when the leave confirmation button 211 is pressed by childcare worker D, the management terminal device 200 requests the information processing device 10 to send the contents of the received schedule information. Although not shown in the diagram, the management terminal device 200 displays the contents of the schedule information sent from the information processing device 10 in response to the request (for example, a list of children B who will be absent or late, the content of the contact, etc.). By viewing the contents of this schedule information, childcare worker D can confirm which children B will be absent or late from childcare facility A, the reasons for their absence or lateness, etc.

[0065] Let's continue the explanation of Figure 6. If unauthenticated information 33 is registered in the storage unit 30, the information processing device 10 sends the unauthenticated information 33 to the management terminal device 200 for display (step S106). Specifically, the information processing device 10 sends the face images of the multiple children B that were not authenticated by the authentication process (i.e., unauthenticated face images) to the management terminal device 200 for display. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying unauthenticated information.

[0066] As shown in Figure 9, the display device 201 of the management terminal device 200 displays an unauthenticated confirmation screen for childcare worker D and others to check unauthenticated information. On the unauthenticated confirmation screen, face images that were not authenticated during the authentication process are displayed in the display area 220. Note that the unauthenticated confirmation screen shown in Figure 9 and the status confirmation screen shown in Figure 8 may be displayed on the same screen of the display device 201, or they may be displayed on separate screens.

[0067] Continuing the explanation of Figure 6, if there are any corrections to the status information and unauthenticated information displayed on the display device 201 in the management terminal device 200, the corrections to each piece of information are entered by the childcare worker D (step S107). Once the corrections to each piece of information are entered, the management terminal device 200 sends a correction request for each piece of information to the information processing device 10, and the information processing device 10 accepts the correction request for each piece of information (step S108). The information processing device 10 updates (corrects) the status information 32, etc. in the storage unit 30 according to the content of the corrections to each piece of information (step S109). The information processing device 10 sends the updated status information, etc. to the management terminal device 200 for display (step S110). Thus, in this embodiment, the status information, etc. can be corrected by manual operation in steps S107 to S110.

[0068] Here, the correction process in steps S107 to S110 will be explained in detail. For example, among the face images displayed on the unauthenticated confirmation screen (see Figure 9), there may be cases where, although not authenticated during the authentication process, childcare worker D can identify which child B's face image it is by looking at the face image. In such cases, childcare worker D inputs corrections to the unauthenticated information on the unauthenticated confirmation screen. For example, the identifiable face image is selected in the selection field 221, the class of child B in the selected face image is entered in the input field 222, the name of child B is entered in the input field 223, and the usage status of child B at the time the face image was taken (e.g., arrival, departure) is entered in the input field 224. Then, when childcare worker D presses the registration button 225 on the unauthenticated confirmation screen, the management terminal device 200 sends a correction request for the entered content to the information processing device 10, and the information processing device 10 accepts the correction request. The information processing device 10 updates the face image, name, and class in the status information 32 of the storage unit 30 according to the changes made. Furthermore, if, for example, the status of child B is "attended" in the changes made, the information processing device 10 updates the attendance time in the status information 32. This updated attendance time is, for example, the time when child B's face image was captured. Also, if an unauthenticated face image is registered in the status information 32, the information processing device 10 deletes the face image from the unauthenticated information 33 in the storage unit 30 and updates the unauthenticated information 33. Finally, the information processing device 10 transmits the updated status information and unauthenticated information to the management terminal device 200 for display. As a result, the changes are reflected in the status information and unauthenticated information displayed on the display device 201 of the management terminal device 200.

[0069] Next, we will explain the process of correcting the status information on the status confirmation screen (see Figure 8). For example, when childcare worker D is taking attendance of child B while checking the status information displayed on the status confirmation screen, there may be cases where child B is present but not registered in the status information. This can occur, for example, if camera 300 is unable to capture an image of child B and a facial image cannot be obtained. In such cases, in this embodiment, the status information is corrected on the status confirmation screen. Specifically, the status confirmation screen is provided with a correction button 212 for correcting the status information. When the correction button 212 is pressed by childcare worker D, the management terminal device 200 switches to correction mode and accepts corrections to the status information displayed on the status confirmation screen. Here, the attendance time of child B who is not registered is entered (corrected). The management terminal device 200 sends a correction request for the entered content to the information processing device 10, and the information processing device 10 accepts the correction request. The information processing device 10 updates the status information 32 (in this case, the arrival time) in the storage unit 30 according to the changes made. The information processing device 10 then transmits the updated status information to the management terminal device 200 for display. As a result, the status information displayed on the display device 201 of the management terminal device 200 reflects the changes made.

[0070] Furthermore, for example, when childcare worker D takes attendance of child B while checking the status information displayed on the status confirmation screen, there may be cases where the displayed face image and the name of child B corresponding to that face image are incorrect. This can occur if a misauthentication occurs during the authentication process. In such cases, childcare worker D presses the correction button 212, and the management terminal device 200 accepts the correction of the status information displayed on the status confirmation screen in correction mode. Here, corrections are made such as moving the misauthenticated face image to the face image field corresponding to child B that matches the face image (in other words, the correct child B). At this time, if the time the image was taken is registered as the arrival time, the arrival time may also be moved as part of the correction. The management terminal device 200 sends a correction request for the input content to the information processing device 10, and the information processing device 10 accepts the correction request. The information processing device 10 updates the status information 32 (here, face image, arrival time) in the storage unit 30 according to the correction content. The information processing device 10 then transmits the updated status information to the management terminal device 200 for display. As a result, the modified content is reflected in the status information displayed on the display device 201 of the management terminal device 200.

[0071] Furthermore, regarding the status information of child B, whose incorrectly authenticated facial image was registered, the facial image, arrival time, etc. will no longer be registered as a result of the above-mentioned migration. Therefore, for example, if child B is identified during roll call, the arrival time, etc., may be registered (corrected) by childcare worker D.

[0072] Let's continue the explanation of Figure 6. Next, if the content of the authentication result for child B differs from the content of the schedule information, the information processing device 10 notifies the parent C's terminal device 100 (step S111). For example, if there is a child B who has not been authenticated in the content of the authentication result (for example, child B whose attendance is not registered), and if child B's absence (vacancy) or lateness is not registered in the content of the schedule information, the information processing device 10 notifies the terminal device 100. Such notification is made using a notification function such as email or message notification, and notifies that child B has not attended school and prompts the parent C to register schedule information in the case of absence (vacancy) or lateness. If child B is absent or late, parent C who receives the notification enters the schedule information via the terminal device 100 (see Figure 7). As a result, the information processing device 10 can reflect the entered schedule information in the status information and send this status information to the management terminal device 200 for display.

[0073] Furthermore, if Facility A is a nursing home, company, etc., the above-mentioned notification may be sent to the user of Facility A themselves. In other words, the information processing device 10 sends a notification to user B or a person related to user B C.

[0074] As described above, in the information processing program according to the embodiment, the computer is instructed to execute the following: an authentication procedure that authenticates user B based on a facial image of user B of facility A captured by a camera 300 installed in facility A; a reception procedure that receives scheduled information from user B or a related party C of user B indicating whether or not user B plans to use facility A; and a processing procedure that updates status information indicating user B's usage status at facility A based on the authentication result and scheduled information of user B.

[0075] In this embodiment, user B is authenticated based on a facial image captured by camera 300 at facility A, and scheduled information is received from user B or related party C. In this embodiment, status information is updated according to the authentication result and scheduled information of user B, so that the administrator (childcare worker) D can accurately keep track of user B (child) who comes to facility (childcare facility) A by various means such as bus, walking, or bicycle.

[0076] Furthermore, the administrator D, who manages the usage status, can take attendance of users (children) B while checking the status information on the management terminal device 200. This allows administrator D to take action, for example, to contact user B or user B's related party (guardian) C if user B does not have any information indicating leave in the status information and has not come to facility A, thereby reducing the likelihood of missed communications with related party C, etc. In addition, since the information processing device 10 updates the status information according to user B's authentication result and schedule information, the workload for administrator D in checking user B's attendance and other statuses can be reduced.

[0077] Furthermore, since user B or related party C can contact facility A regarding leave or other matters simply by entering their schedule information, the burden of communication work on user B or related party C can be reduced.

[0078] Furthermore, the processing procedure will notify user B or related party C if the content of user B's authentication result differs from the content of the scheduled information.

[0079] This ensures that, for example, if there is an unauthenticated user B (e.g., user B whose attendance is not registered) in the authentication results, and if user B's leave or other absence is not registered in the schedule information, relevant party C can be reliably notified. Furthermore, by having the information processing device 10 send the notification, the workload of the administrator (childcare worker) D in contacting user B or relevant party C can be reduced, and the possibility of missed communications can be further reduced.

[0080] Furthermore, the authentication procedure excludes authenticated users B from the authentication process among multiple users B.

[0081] In this way, by excluding authenticated user B from the authentication process, it is possible to prevent the results of any subsequent misauthentication from being reflected in the status information. Furthermore, excluding authenticated user B from the authentication process reduces the processing load on subsequent authentication processes.

[0082] Furthermore, the authentication procedure involves displaying unauthenticated facial images from among multiple facial images on the display device 201.

[0083] This allows administrator D to be aware that there is an unauthenticated user B. Furthermore, if administrator D can identify which user B's face image is among the unauthenticated face images, administrator D inputs the correction details into the management terminal device 200, and the information processing device 10 can update the status information accordingly. As a result, the unauthenticated face images are reflected in the status information, and consequently, the accuracy of the status information can be improved.

[0084] Furthermore, if the authentication procedure detects a facial injury in user B's facial image, the authentication result will include injury information indicating that an injury was detected. Therefore, the status information will be updated according to the authentication result, which will include the injury information.

[0085] This allows the administrator (nursery teacher) D to be aware of whether user (child) B has any injuries, and also encourages administrator D to take extra care when dealing with injuries if they are present.

[0086] Furthermore, by including injury information in the authentication results, it is possible to confirm when the injury occurred. That is, if injury information is not included in the authentication results upon arrival but is included upon departure, it can be presumed that the injury occurred while using facility A. Also, if injury information is included in the authentication results upon both arrival and departure, it can be presumed that the injury occurred before arrival. Furthermore, if injury information is not included in the authentication results upon arrival or departure, but user B has an injury, it can be presumed that the injury occurred after leaving the facility. Thus, in this embodiment, it is possible to confirm whether user (child) B's injury occurred before arrival, during facility use, or after leaving the facility. Therefore, for example, unnecessary trouble can be avoided between the administrator (childcare worker) D and the relevant party (parent) C regarding an injury to user (child) B.

[0087] Further effects and modifications can be readily derived by those skilled in the art. Therefore, broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments expressed and described above. Accordingly, various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the overall concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1. Information Processing System 10 Information Processing Devices 20 controllers 31 Authentication Information 32 Situation Information 33 Unverified Information 100 terminal devices 200 Management terminal device 300 Cameras

Claims

1. An authentication procedure for authenticating a user based on a facial image of the user of the facility captured by a camera installed at the facility, A reception procedure for receiving information from the user or a person related to the user indicating whether or not the user plans to use the facility, A processing procedure that performs a process to update status information indicating the usage status of the facility in accordance with the user's authentication result and the scheduled information. An information processing program that causes a computer to execute an action.

2. The aforementioned processing procedure is: If the content of the user's authentication result differs from the content of the scheduled information, the user or the relevant party shall be notified. The information processing program according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned authentication procedure is: Among the multiple users, the authenticated user who has been authenticated is excluded from the authentication process. The information processing program according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned authentication procedure is: Of the multiple facial images, the unauthenticated facial image is displayed on the display device. The information processing program according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned authentication procedure is: If a facial injury is detected from the user's facial image, the authentication result will include information indicating that the injury was detected. The information processing program according to claim 1.

6. An information processing device equipped with a controller, The aforementioned controller, Authentication of the user is performed based on the facial image of the user of the facility captured by a camera installed at the facility. The user or a person related to the user has received information indicating whether or not the user plans to use the facility. Based on the user's authentication result and the scheduled information, the system executes a process to update status information indicating the user's usage status at the facility. Information processing device.

Images