Authentication system and gate system

Abstract

To provide an authentication system and a gate system utilizing the authentication system that can maintain a high level of accuracy when authenticating users who are walking (moving), such as at ticket gates. [Solution] The authentication system 100 includes an account acquisition unit AC that acquires account information from a moving user US, a feature extraction unit FE that extracts facial feature data as biometric feature points from the user US triggered by the acquisition of information by the account acquisition unit AC, a transmission unit Tx that links and transmits the acquired user US account information and feature points, and a determination unit JG that determines whether or not registration information corresponding to the information from the transmission unit Tx exists in the database DB.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an authentication system for authenticating users such as ticket gates and a gate system using the authentication system.

Background Art

[0002] For example, it is known that a ticket gate is equipped with a communication method capable of communicating within several tens of meters such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and wirelessly communicates with a mobile terminal or a mobile phone to confirm the validity of ticket information (see 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, in the above Patent Document 1, when specifying the position for confirming the validity of ticket information, depending on the situation, a configuration for improving the position accuracy may be required.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an authentication system capable of maintaining highly accurate determination and a gate system using the authentication system when authenticating a walking (moving) user such as a ticket gate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An authentication system for achieving the above objectives comprises an account acquisition unit that acquires account information from a user in transit, a feature extraction unit that extracts biometric authentication feature points from the user based on the information acquired by the account acquisition unit, a transmission unit that links and transmits the acquired user account information and feature points, and a determination unit that determines whether or not registered information corresponding to the information from the transmission unit exists in the database.

[0007] The authentication system described above obtains account information from users on the move, and simultaneously extracts biometric feature points from the user. This information is then linked and compared with registered information in the database. This enables highly accurate authentication.

[0008] In a specific aspect of the present invention, the feature extraction unit has an imaging unit that captures images over a predetermined range, and extracts facial feature data as the user's characteristic points from the image acquired by the imaging unit. In this case, authentication based on facial feature data can be performed quickly and accurately.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, the determination unit reads account information from the database that matches the user's account information from the transmission unit, and makes a determination based on facial recognition by comparing the facial feature data associated with the read account information with the user's facial feature data from the transmission unit. In this case, accurate authentication can be achieved by narrowing down the comparison targets in facial recognition in advance.

[0010] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the account acquisition unit acquires account information from a mobile terminal that is moving with the user via short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal possessed by the user. In this case, the user can be easily and reliably identified based on the account information.

[0011] A gate system for achieving the above objective comprises one of the above authentication systems and a gate that indicates whether a user is allowed to pass. The account acquisition unit starts acquiring the user's account information at a position before the gate, the feature extraction unit extracts biometric authentication feature points from users within a predetermined range before the gate, and the determination unit, if it determines that there is a match in the database for the information from the transmission unit, transmits a pass-through permission signal to the gate.

[0012] The above gate system can achieve high accuracy in determining whether or not to grant permission to pass through the gate by employing one of the authentication systems described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual perspective view illustrating a gate system incorporating an authentication system of one embodiment. [Figure 2] This block diagram illustrates a functional example of a gate system configuration, including an authentication system. [Figure 3] (A) is a block diagram illustrating the process during the pre-registration of account information and facial feature data, and (B) is a block diagram illustrating the process during authentication based on facial feature data. [Figure 4] (A) is a conceptual diagram showing how facial feature data is linked to account information and the registration process is performed, and (B) is a data table showing the contents of the database generated by accumulating the results of the registration process. [Figure 5] (A) is a conceptual diagram showing how account information and facial feature data are linked when acquiring information for authentication processing, and (B) is a conceptual diagram showing how data matching is performed for authentication using the acquired data. [Figure 6] (A) to (D) are conceptual diagrams illustrating the series of operations from user authentication to permission / denial. [Figure 7]This is a flowchart illustrating the sequence of operations of a gate system. [Figure 8] This is a conceptual diagram to provide an overview of the authentication system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The authentication system and the gate system incorporating it will be described below with reference to Figure 1 and other figures. Figure 1 is a conceptual perspective view showing the gate system 500 incorporating the authentication system 100 of this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a block diagram for explaining one configuration example of the gate system 500 including the authentication system 100 from a functional perspective.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the gate system 500 of this embodiment comprises a gate GT, a short-range wireless communication unit 10, an imaging unit 20, a control device 30, and an authentication server 50. The short-range wireless communication unit 10 acquires the user US's account information, and, triggered by the acquisition of information by the short-range wireless communication unit 10, extracts biometric authentication feature points from the user US. Based on this information, the system determines whether or not to allow passage through the gate. In this case, the user US can pass through the gate hands-free. Furthermore, as an example of a biometric authentication method, facial feature data is extracted as feature points of the user US from the image acquired by imaging by the imaging unit 20. That is, facial authentication is performed based on facial feature data extracted from partial facial images cut out from images of the user US, to determine whether or not the user is the correct person. Various facial authentication methods can be used, but as an example here, facial feature data is extracted from the cut-out partial facial image, including the contour of the face and parts such as the eyes, nose, and ears, and then compared with parameterized facial feature data.

[0016] Furthermore, in one example shown in the figure, the gate system 500 is applied to a walk-through type gate that does not have a stopping position, such as a ticket gate at a train station. In this case, gate GT is provided as a pair, consisting of an entrance gate GTα and an exit gate GTβ. Gate GT has an opening / closing section OC, which consists of a pair of door members that open and close to indicate whether or not a user US is allowed to pass, and motion sensors SE1 and SE2, which are composed of infrared light sensors or the like to detect the passage of a person. In this example, a short-range wireless communication unit 10, an imaging unit 20, an opening / closing section OC, and motion sensors SE1 and SE2 are provided for each gate GTα and GTβ. In order to enable the above operation, in the example shown, the short-range wireless communication unit 10 and the imaging unit 20 are attached to gate GT, but it is also possible to provide the short-range wireless communication unit 10 and the imaging unit 20 separately from gate GT.

[0017] The short-range wireless communication unit 10 performs short-range wireless communication with a mobile terminal TE, such as a smartphone, held by the user US. Various communication methods are envisioned, but for example, by adopting Bluetooth, the communication range can be set to several meters to about 10 meters. Here, it is assumed that the user US's pre-registered account information is transmitted and received. For example, the short-range wireless communication unit 10 built into the entrance gate GTα acquires account information from the mobile terminal TE held by the user US moving in the direction indicated by arrow DDα. Similarly, the short-range wireless communication unit 10 built into the exit gate GTβ acquires account information from the user US (mobile terminal TE) coming from the direction indicated by arrow DDβ. In this way, the short-range wireless communication unit 10 functions as an account acquisition unit AC. In other words, as an account acquisition unit AC, the short-range wireless communication unit 10 acquires account information from the mobile terminal TE that moves with the user US through short-range wireless communication with the user US. Furthermore, the short-range wireless communication unit 10 of the entrance gate GTα is located on the exit side of the gate GTβ than the short-range wireless communication unit 10 of the exit gate GTβ, so that communication with users US moving from outside the ticket gate to inside the ticket gate is established more quickly. In this case, conversely, the short-range wireless communication unit 10 of the exit gate GTβ is configured to establish communication with users US moving from inside the ticket gate to outside the ticket gate more quickly.

[0018] The imaging unit 20 is an authentication camera CA that captures the face portion of the user US within a predetermined range and acquires data of a face image for authentication. The imaging unit 20 of the entrance gate GTα is installed to capture a predetermined range on the upstream side in the direction indicated by the arrow DDα, and the imaging unit 20 of the exit gate GTβ is installed to capture a predetermined range on the upstream side in the direction indicated by the arrow DDβ. Also, in an example here, in the imaging unit 20, when a plurality of face images are captured, the most recently captured face image (for example, the face image occupying the largest range) is adopted. Note that the imaging range of the imaging unit 20 is adjusted according to the communication range of the short-range wireless communication unit 10 and the assumed moving speed (average walking speed) of the user US. Even if the short-range wireless communication units 10 on the entrance side and the exit side are both activated for one user US, accurate information acquisition is possible.

[0019] The control device 30 acquires information necessary for authentication from the user US moving through the gate GT by controlling the operations of the short-range wireless communication unit 10 and the imaging unit 20. Also, the control device 30 controls the operations of each part constituting the gate GT in addition to the short-range wireless communication unit 10 and the imaging unit 20.

[0020] The authentication server 50 holds a database configured by associating and digitizing in advance the account information of the user US with feature points, and performs data collation in response to a request from the control device 30. In this embodiment, as the feature points, face feature data obtained by extracting feature portions from the face of the user US and digitizing them is adopted. Therefore, the authentication system 100 here performs identity verification (authentication) based on the account information and face authentication of the user US. For this reason, the authentication system 100 is composed of, among the above-mentioned parts, the short-range wireless communication unit 10, the imaging unit 20, the control device 30 or a part thereof (the part related to the authentication process), and the authentication server 50. In other words, the authentication system 100 is incorporated into the gate system 500 to perform authentication based on face authentication associated with account information.

[0021] The gate system 500 will be described below, focusing on the authentication system 100, from a functional perspective, with reference to the block diagram shown in Figure 2.

[0022] As previously described, Gate GT is equipped with motion sensors SE1 and SE2. Of these, motion sensor SE1 is located on the gate entrance side (gate entry side) and detects when a person enters Gate GT. Motion sensor SE2 is located on the gate exit side (gate exit side) and detects when a person exits Gate GT. Each motion sensor SE1 and SE2 outputs the detection result regarding the passage of a user US to the control device 30. In addition, the opening / closing unit OC located on the exit side of Gate GT indicates whether passage is permitted or not by opening and closing a pair of plate-shaped door members according to a command from the control device 30. For example, if the control device 30 issues a command to allow passage before detection by motion sensor SE1, the opening / closing unit OC will remain open, and will close after detection by motion sensor SE2.

[0023] As described above, the short-range wireless communication unit 10, acting as an account acquisition unit AC, outputs the user US's account information, obtained from communication with the user US's mobile terminal TE, to the control device 30.

[0024] As described above, the imaging unit 20 captures the face portion of the user US to acquire image data and outputs the acquired data to the control device 30. In particular, in this configuration, imaging is initiated when the short-range wireless communication unit 10 acquires account information in accordance with a command from the control device 30.

[0025] The control device 30 is connected to the aforementioned parts of the gate system 500 that are installed on-site, in order to control their operation, and is also capable of communicating with the authentication server 50. This allows the control device 30 to inquire about authentication processing and receive the results of authentication processing from the authentication server 50. Specifically, it includes an acquired data processing unit 31 that performs various processing on the data acquired for authentication processing, a communication unit 32 for accessing the authentication server, and a gate control unit 33 for controlling the operation of the gate GT. In particular, the acquired data processing unit 31 includes an account information reading unit 31a that reads the account information of the target user US, an image data analysis unit 31b that analyzes image data of the face portion of the user US, and a data linking unit 31c that links the account information read by the account information reading unit 31a with the face feature data as an analysis result by the image data analysis unit 31b.

[0026] The account information reading unit 31a temporarily stores the account information obtained from the mobile terminal TE by the short-range wireless communication unit 10 (account acquisition unit AC).

[0027] The image data analysis unit 31b activates the imaging unit 20 (authentication camera VC) in conjunction with the storage of account information in the account information reading unit 31a. The imaging unit 20 extracts the face portion of the user US from the image captured by the imaging unit 20, and the face feature data extraction unit DE extracts each part of the face from the extracted face image. For each extracted part, feature points are calculated according to a predetermined method and parameterized. Thus, the image data analysis unit 31b functions as a feature point calculation device CC. The image data analysis unit 31b temporarily stores the parameterized data, which is the calculation result, as face feature data.

[0028] The data linking unit 31c links the account information stored in the account information reading unit 31a with the facial feature data stored in the image data analysis unit 31b.

[0029] The communication unit 32 functions as a transmission unit Tx that sends the account information and facial feature data, which have been linked by the data linking unit 31c, to the authentication server 50. In other words, it queries whether or not registration information corresponding to the combination of account information and facial feature data exists in the authentication server 50. The communication unit 32 also functions as a reception unit Rx that receives the answer (response) to the information (query) sent to the authentication server 50.

[0030] The gate control unit 33 receives information from the gate GT and outputs various command signals to each part of the gate GT in order to control its operation. In this case, the gate control unit 33 is equipped with a pass / fail determination unit 33a. The pass / fail determination unit 33a makes a pass / fail decision based on the response from the authentication server 50 received by the communication unit 32, which acts as a receiving unit Rx, and outputs the decision result to the gate GT.

[0031] The authentication server 50 includes an authentication unit 51 that performs authentication processing in response to an inquiry from the control device 30, and a communication unit 52 that sends and receives information related to the inquiry from the control device 30. The authentication unit 51 includes a determination unit JG and a database DB. As described above, the database DB contains pre-registered registration data RD, which is composed of user US account information linked to feature points and converted into data.

[0032] Of the authentication unit 51, the determination unit JG determines whether or not registered information corresponding to the content of the information transmitted (query) from the communication unit 32, which acts as the transmission unit Tx of the control device 30, exists in the database DB. In other words, the determination unit JG reads the account information in the database DB that matches the user US account information from the transmission unit Tx, and makes a determination based on facial authentication by comparing the facial feature data associated with the read account information with the facial feature data of the user US from the transmission unit Tx.

[0033] The communication unit 52 receives an inquiry from the communication unit 32, which acts as the transmitting unit Tx, and transmits the determination result from the determination unit JG to the communication unit 32, which acts as the receiving unit Rx.

[0034] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the control device 30 can be said to function as a feature extraction unit FE by triggering the acquisition of information by the short-range wireless communication unit 10 to cause the imaging unit 20 to take images over a predetermined range, and extracting facial feature data as feature points for biometric authentication of the user US from the images acquired by the imaging unit 20. Alternatively, it can be considered that the control device 30 and the imaging unit 20 work together to function as a feature extraction unit FE that extracts facial feature data of the user US.

[0035] The following outlines the process from pre-registration before using the gate system 500 to the process during use, referring to Figure 3. Figure 3(A) is a block diagram illustrating the outline of the process during pre-registration of account information and facial feature data, and Figure 3(B) is a block diagram illustrating the outline of the process during authentication based on facial feature data.

[0036] First, as shown in Figure 3(A), during pre-registration, information is provided (user registration) from the user US (mobile terminal TE) to the authentication server 50. Specifically, account information is assigned, which should be stored as data in the database DB's registration data RD (see Figure 2), and facial feature data associated with this information is calculated. Various interfaces capable of capturing images of the user US and processing the captured images can be used for registration, such as the mobile terminal TE itself, a PC, or a ticket vending machine at a train station.

[0037] Next, as shown in Figure 3(B), during authentication based on facial feature data, i.e., when using the gate, when a user US possessing a mobile terminal TE approaches a ticket gate TI consisting of gate GT, account information is obtained from the mobile terminal TE via the antenna AT installed on the short-range wireless communication unit 10 installed on gate GT. At the same time, an image of the user US is obtained by the authentication camera VC, which is the imaging unit 20, and a facial image is extracted from it. Furthermore, facial feature data is calculated by the feature point calculation device CC. After linking the account information and facial feature data for the user US obtained in the above manner, a query is sent to the authentication server 50. The authentication server 50 determines whether or not the corresponding registration information exists and returns the determination result as a response. The ticket gate TI decides whether or not to allow passage according to the returned determination result.

[0038] Figure 4 shows an example of the process described with reference to Figure 3, specifically the process during pre-registration. More specifically, Figure 4(A) is a conceptual diagram showing how the registration process is performed by linking facial feature data to account information, and Figure 4(B) is a data table showing the contents of the database DB generated by accumulating the results of the registration process.

[0039] As described above, when an image GG of a user US, as illustrated in Figure 4(A), is acquired using various interfaces for registration, a partial image GGf containing the portion corresponding to the user US's face is extracted from the image GG, and facial feature data is calculated from the partial image GGf. Here, the method for calculating the facial feature data is the same as the calculation process in the feature point calculation device CC (image data analysis unit 31b) of the control device 30. In addition to calculating the facial feature data, a process is performed to assign account information to identify the user US, and the assigned account information and facial feature data are linked and stored in the registration data RD. As a specific example, as illustrated in Figure 4(B), the registration data RD is stored with personal information such as a user ID and password as account information, various parameters as facial feature data, and an email address that serves as contact information for assigning account information and allows for the identification of the registered user US linked to it.

[0040] Figure 5 shows an example of the process described with reference to Figure 3, specifically the process during authentication based on facial feature data, i.e., when using the gate. More specifically, Figure 5(A) is a conceptual diagram showing how account information and facial feature data are linked when acquiring information for authentication, and Figure 5(B) is a conceptual diagram showing how data matching is performed for authentication using the acquired data.

[0041] As previously described, when a user US is approaching gate GT (see Figure 1, etc.), once they get within a certain distance, account information is provided from the mobile terminal TE held by the user US. That is, the short-range wireless communication unit 10 (see Figure 1, etc.) reads (acquires) the account information, and the user US's facial feature data is acquired through imaging of the user US by the imaging unit 20. Here, as shown in Figure 5(A), the account information (user ID and password) acquired by the short-range wireless communication unit 10 is referred to as account information AAd, and the facial feature data acquired based on imaging by the imaging unit 20 is referred to as facial feature data AFd. The account information AAd and facial feature data AFd are linked and then transmitted to the authentication server 50.

[0042] In the authentication server 50, as shown in Figure 5(B), first, it is checked whether the corresponding data exists in the registration data RD based on the account information AAd. As illustrated in the figure, when account information SAd is identified as data that matches account information AAd from the registration data RD, the face feature data SFd associated with account information SAd is read out, and face authentication is performed by comparing face feature data AFd and face feature data SFd to determine whether the data matches. For example, in the determination unit JG (see Figure 2) of the authentication server 50, it is conceivable that similarity definitions and thresholds are set in advance for various parameters that constitute the face feature data, and that a match is determined when a similarity of a certain degree or higher is detected. In the gate system 500, as described above, the decision of whether to allow user US to pass through the gate is made according to the determination result of the determination unit JG.

[0043] The following describes an example of a series of operations from user authentication to permission / denial of passage, referring to Figures 6(A) to 6(D), which are arranged in chronological order. Here, we will describe the operation of the authentication system 100 and, consequently, the gate system 500, when a user US, who possesses a mobile terminal TE, is moving in the direction indicated by arrow DDα toward the entrance gate GTα, one of the pair of gates GT shown in Figure 1.

[0044] First, as shown in Figure 6(A), if the user US, who is holding the mobile terminal TE, is still far from the entrance gate GTα and outside the range of short-range communication, the short-range wireless communication unit 10 (account acquisition unit AC) continues to transmit but receives no response, waiting for communication with the mobile terminal TE to be established. Subsequently, as shown in Figure 6(B), when the user US reaches a position before gate GT and has approached to a certain extent, communication is established between the short-range wireless communication unit 10 and the mobile terminal TE, and the acquisition of the user US's account information begins. Once the user US's account information is exchanged, the account information is stored in the control device 30, and triggered by the information acquisition by the short-range wireless communication unit 10 (account acquisition unit AC), as shown in Figure 6(C), the control device 30, acting as a feature extraction unit FE, activates the imaging unit 20 to extract facial feature data as biometric authentication feature points from the user US located within a predetermined range before gate GT, and imaging of the user US is performed. As described above, when the control device 30 acquires the user US's account information and facial feature data, these are linked together, and as shown in Figure 6(D), the control device 30 queries the authentication server 50, and a decision is made regarding whether or not to allow the user US to pass through gate GTα based on the response result. That is, if the determination unit JG (see Figure 2) of the authentication server 50 determines that a match exists in the database DB, the control device 30 sends a pass-through permission signal to gate GTα.

[0045] The following describes the sequence of operations of the gate system 500 with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 7.

[0046] When each part of the gate system 500 is activated, first, the short-range wireless communication unit 10 starts transmitting in accordance with a command from the control device 30 (step S101), and continues this until it receives a response from the mobile terminal TE (step S102).

[0047] If reception is confirmed in step S102 (step S102: Yes), the control device 30 obtains account information from communication with the mobile terminal TE (step S103), and triggers the activation of the imaging unit 20 (authentication camera VC) (step S104), that is, it starts imaging the face of the person assumed to be the owner of the mobile terminal TE, and confirms whether or not face detection was possible through imaging (step S105).

[0048] The confirmation of whether or not face detection occurs in step S105 continues until a certain period of time has elapsed (step S106). If no face detection occurs (step S105: No) and a certain period of time has elapsed (step S106: Yes), the account information obtained in step S103 is cleared (deleted) (step S107), and the series of processes ends. In this case, gate GT remains in the closed state.

[0049] On the other hand, if face detection is confirmed in step S105 before a certain amount of time has elapsed (step S105: Yes), data extraction is performed on the detected face image (step S108). In other words, face feature data is acquired.

[0050] Next, the control device 30 links the account information obtained in step S103 with the facial feature data obtained in step S108 (step S109), sends it to the authentication server 50 (inquiry) (step S110), and waits for a response from the authentication server 50, i.e., the result of the inquiry (step S111).

[0051] In step S111, upon receiving the result of the inquiry (step S111: Yes), a decision is made based on the result whether or not to allow passage through the gate (step S112).

[0052] If a decision to grant permission to pass is made in step S112 (step S112: Yes), a permission signal is sent to gate GT (step S113), the acquired series of information is cleared (erased) (step S114), and the process returns to the initial operation. In this case, upon receiving the permission signal, gate GT performs an action indicating passage.

[0053] On the other hand, if a decision to allow passage is made in step S112 (step S112: No), the acquired series of information is cleared (erased) without any special processing (step S114), and the process returns to the initial operation. In this case, gate GT remains in the closed state.

[0054] Furthermore, if user US reaches the human presence sensor SE1 on the gate entrance side (gate entry side) as shown in Figure 1, etc., before a decision on permission to pass through has been made, that is, if the human presence sensor SE1 detects the entry of user US, the gate control unit 33 of the control device 30 outputs a command to close the opening / closing unit OC of gate GT. Also, after the permission to pass through signal is transmitted in step S113, if user US reaches the human presence sensor SE2 on the gate exit side (gate exit side), that is, if the human presence sensor SE2 detects the exit of user US, the permission to pass through signal is cleared (erased).

[0055] The authentication system 100 of this embodiment will be described in outline below with reference to the conceptual diagram shown in Figure 8.

[0056] As shown in the figure and as described above, the authentication system 100 of this embodiment includes, for example, an account acquisition unit AC that acquires account information from a user US moving in the direction indicated by arrow DD, a feature extraction unit FE that extracts facial feature data as feature points for biometric authentication from the user US triggered by the acquisition of information by the account acquisition unit AC, a transmission unit Tx that links and transmits the acquired account information and feature points (facial feature data) of the user US, and a determination unit JG that determines whether or not registration information corresponding to the information from the transmission unit Tx exists in the database DB.

[0057] The authentication system 100 described above obtains account information from a moving user US, and simultaneously extracts biometric feature points from the user US. This linked information can then be compared with registered information in the database DB. In this case, the system uses the account information to select entries in the database DB that are expected to correspond to the user US, and then compares these facial feature data as biometric feature points to make a determination. Therefore, compared to methods such as finding similarities from a large amount of facial feature data, this enables more accurate and faster determination. Furthermore, in this case, the user US can undergo authentication hands-free.

[0058] Furthermore, the gate system 500 of this embodiment (see Figure 1, etc.) includes the authentication system 100 described above and a gate GT that indicates whether or not a user US is allowed to pass. The account acquisition unit AC starts acquiring user US account information at a position before the gate GT, the feature extraction unit FE extracts biometric authentication feature points from user US within a predetermined range before the gate GT, and the determination unit JG, if it determines that there is a match in the database DB for the information from the transmission unit Tx, transmits a pass-through permission signal to the gate GT.

[0059] By employing the authentication system 100 described above, the gate system 500 of this embodiment can make highly accurate judgments regarding permission to pass through gate GT. In particular, when used in walk-through type gates that do not have stopping points, such as automatic ticket gates at train stations, it enables smooth and rapid passage.

[0060] 〔others〕 Furthermore, this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from its essence.

[0061] First, although the gates described above were automatic ticket gates at train stations, the gate system 500 and authentication system 100 can be applied to various types of gates. For example, the present invention can be applied not only to gates that are expected to be used repeatedly, such as passing through a station with a commuter pass, but also to gates that are expected to be used only once, such as determining whether or not to allow passage at an event venue. When applied to automatic ticket gates at train stations, it is also possible to configure the system to also determine whether or not the validity period of a commuter pass is still valid and whether or not fare adjustment processing is possible.

[0062] Furthermore, while the above assumes the use of short-range wireless communication via mobile devices such as smartphones to obtain account information, various methods can be used to obtain account information. Similarly, various wireless communication methods can be employed, not limited to Bluetooth.

[0063] Furthermore, although the above describes a pair of gates GT, one for entry and one for exit, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, it is also possible to apply the present invention to a configuration in which a single device allows passage in both directions.

[0064] Furthermore, while facial recognition was used as an example of biometric authentication above, other biometric authentication methods may also be employed.

[0065] Furthermore, although the above description explains a configuration in which one user US passes through gate GT at a time, the system is not limited to this, and simultaneous passage of multiple people may also be permitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10...Short-range wireless communication unit, 20...Imaging unit, 30...Control device, 31...Acquired data processing unit, 31a...Account information reading unit, 31b...Image data analysis unit, 31c...Data linking unit, 32...Communication unit, 33...Gate control unit, 33a...Pass / fail decision unit, 50...Authentication server, 51...Authentication unit, 52...Communication unit, 100...Authentication system, 500...Gate system, AAd...Account information, AC...Account acquisition unit, AFd...Facial feature data, AT...Antenna, CA... Authentication camera, CC...Feature point calculation device, DB...Database, DD,DDα,DDβ...Arrow, DE...Facial feature data extraction unit, FE...Feature extraction unit, GG...Image, GGf...Partial image, GT,GTα,GTβ...Gate, JG...Determination unit, OC...Open / close unit, RD...Registered data, Rx...Receiver, SAd...Account information, SE1,SE2...Human presence sensor, SFd...Facial feature data, TE...Mobile terminal, TI...Ticket gate, Tx...Transmitter, US...User, VC...Authentication camera

Claims

1. An account acquisition unit that acquires account information from a user on the move, A feature extraction unit extracts biometric authentication feature points from the user, triggered by the acquisition of information by the account acquisition unit. A transmission unit that links and transmits the acquired user account information and characteristic points, A determination unit that determines whether or not registered information corresponding to the information from the transmission unit exists in the database. An authentication system equipped with [specific features / features].

2. The authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the feature extraction unit has an imaging unit that captures images over a predetermined range, and extracts facial feature data as feature points of the user from the image obtained by imaging with the imaging unit.

3. The authentication system according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit reads account information from the database that matches the user's account information from the transmission unit, and makes a determination based on facial recognition obtained by comparing the facial feature data associated with the read account information with the user's facial feature data from the transmission unit.

4. The authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the account acquisition unit acquires account information from the mobile terminal that is moving with the user by short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal possessed by the user.

5. An authentication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A gate indicating whether the aforementioned user is allowed to pass through. Equipped with, The account acquisition unit starts acquiring the user's account information at a position before the gate. The feature extraction unit extracts biometric authentication feature points from the user located within a predetermined range in front of the gate. The gate system includes a determination unit that, when it determines that a match exists in the database based on the information from the transmission unit, transmits a pass-through permission signal to the gate.

Images