Authentication server providing companion animal authentication-related services and its operating method

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a system for providing a companion animal authentication-related service that can authenticate the identity of a companion animal and verify whether the companion animal has visited a facility. An operation method of an authentication server in the system for providing a companion animal authentication-related service according to the embodiment of the present invention includes receiving biometric video data related to biometric information of the companion animal from a user device, determining a location of the user device from the biometric video data, confirming the companion animal's visit to a facility based on the biometric information of the companion animal and the location of the user device, and storing information about the companion animal's visit to a facility.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an authentication server that provides services related to the authentication of companion animals and a method for operating the authentication server. [Background technology]

[0002] In modern society, there is a growing demand for companion animals, animals that can be emotionally relied upon while living alongside humans. As the number of people living with companion animals continues to grow, the companion animal-related industry is also steadily expanding. A prime example of this is facilities such as pet hospitals that provide medical care and health-related services for companion animals. However, unlike human care, pet insurance is not yet actively promoted at pet hospitals, and the current rate of pet insurance enrollment is low. One of the reasons for the low rate of pet insurance enrollment is the difficulty for insurance companies to verify whether insured animals have received medical treatment at a pet hospital. In other words, insurance companies must verify whether insured animals have actually visited a pet hospital, but since there is no way to verify the identity of companion animals or whether they have visited a hospital, there is a high possibility of fictitious claims being made for pet insurance. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention provides an authentication server and an operating method of the authentication server that provide companion animal authentication-related services that enable the authentication of the identity of companion animals and the verification of whether or not they have visited a facility. The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In an embodiment of the present invention, an operating method of an authentication server in a system for providing companion animal authentication-related services includes receiving biometric image data related to the biometric information of a companion animal from a user device, determining the location of the user device from the biometric image data, confirming the companion animal's visit to a facility based on the biometric information of the companion animal and the location of the user device, and storing information regarding the companion animal's visit to a facility. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the biometric image data may include an image including an object showing biometric information of the companion animal, and information about a time and location at which the image was taken. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the object indicating the biometric information of the companion animal included in the image may include a nose region or a face region of the companion animal. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of confirming the companion animal's visit to a facility may include a step of identifying the identity of the companion animal from the companion animal's biometric information, a step of determining whether the shooting location information of the video corresponds to the facility location, and a step of confirming that the companion animal has visited the facility if the shooting location information corresponds to the facility location. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an operating method of an authentication server in a system for providing authentication-related services for companion animals may further include generating a visit certificate proving that the companion animal has visited the facility based on information regarding the companion animal's visit to the facility, and transmitting the visit certificate to the user device. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility may include a step of detecting an object related to the facility from the biometric image data or image data including the process of acquiring the biometric information, and a step of verifying whether the companion animal has visited the facility based on the object related to the facility. In the system for providing companion animal authentication-related services according to the present invention, an operating method of an authentication server includes the steps of receiving first biometric information and profile information of a companion animal from a user device, generating a biometric information registration certificate including a biometric information registration number of the companion animal based on the first biometric information and profile information of the companion animal, transmitting the biometric information registration certificate to the user device, receiving a visit certificate issuance request including authentication information of the companion animal from the user device, generating the visit certificate based on the authentication information of the companion animal, and transmitting the visit certificate to the user device. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the authentication information of the companion animal may include second biometric information of the companion animal, acquisition time information of the second biometric information, and location information of the user device. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of receiving the visit certificate issuance request may include the steps of: transmitting an access request for location information of the user device; receiving the location information of the user device if the access request is approved; receiving an image of a feature object corresponding to the second biometric information from the user device; and recording a time when the second biometric information is acquired as acquisition time information of the second biometric information.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of generating the visit certificate may include a step of verifying the validity of the visit certificate issuance request based on the second biometric information of the companion animal and location information of the user device, and a step of generating a visit certificate corresponding to the visit certificate issuance request if it is determined that the visit certificate issuance request is valid. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of verifying the validity of the visit certificate issuance request may include the steps of checking facility visit information from the user device, including a facility visit time and facility information; determining whether a first matching condition is met regarding whether the second biometric information matches the first biometric information; determining whether a second matching condition is met regarding whether location information of the user device corresponds to a facility location; determining whether a third matching condition is met regarding whether acquisition time information of the second biometric information is within a reference range from the facility visit time; and determining that the visit certificate issuance request is valid if the first matching condition, the second matching condition, and the third matching condition are all met. In the system for providing companion animal authentication-related services according to the present invention, the operating method of the authentication server includes the steps of receiving video data of the companion animal from a user device, receiving payment details data including payment information from the user device, confirming the companion animal's visit to a facility based on the video data and the payment details data, and storing information regarding the companion animal's visit to a facility. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility may include a step of determining whether the payment information included in the payment details data matches the shooting information of the video data, and a step of verifying that the companion animal has visited the facility if the payment information matches the shooting information. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of determining whether the payment information and the photography information match may include a step of determining whether a facility location included in the payment information matches photography location information, and a step of determining whether a payment time included in the payment information matches photography time included in the photography information. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the shooting location information may be obtained from metadata linked to the image data, or may be extracted from an object included in a frame image of the image data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a visit certificate can be generated based on the biometric information of the companion animal and the location information of the user device, thereby authenticating the identity of the companion animal and verifying whether or not the companion animal has visited the facility. The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for providing services related to the authentication of companion animals. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an authentication server. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart showing an operation method of an authentication server according to a first embodiment in a system for providing services related to the authentication of companion animals. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for verifying a companion animal's visit to a facility. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation method of an authentication server according to a second embodiment in a system for providing services related to the authentication of companion animals. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user device during the process of registering profile information of a companion animal. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user device during the process of registering biometric information of a companion animal. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of receiving a visit certificate issuance request. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of screens displayed on a user device during an input process for requesting a visit certificate. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process for generating a visit certificate. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of verifying the validity of a visit certificate issuance request. [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a user device to which a visit certificate has been issued. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation between a user device and an authentication server in a system that provides services related to the authentication of companion animals. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation method of an authentication server according to a third embodiment in a system for providing services related to the authentication of companion animals. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for checking whether a companion animal has visited a facility using video data of the companion animal and payment breakdown data. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for verifying whether or not payment information matches photograph information. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a process of associating photograph information with payment information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily understand and practice the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts that are not relevant to the description will be omitted and the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same or similar components throughout the specification. Furthermore, in various embodiments, components having the same configuration will be described using the same symbols only in the representative embodiment, and in other embodiments, only configurations different from the representative embodiment will be described. Throughout this specification, when one part is said to be "connected (or coupled)" to another part, this includes not only when it is "directly connected (or coupled)" but also when it is "indirectly connected (or coupled)" with another member interposed therebetween. Furthermore, when it is said that a part "comprises" a certain component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but that it may further include other components, unless otherwise specified. Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to a system, an authentication server, and an operating method of an authentication server that provide companion animal authentication-related services. Biometric information of a companion animal is acquired to verify the identity of the companion animal. The biometric information of a companion animal may include, for example, a nose print, facial shape, body shape, and iris. While this document focuses on photographing a dog's muzzle print as biometric information of a companion animal, the scope of companion animals in the present invention is not limited to dogs and cats, and the characteristics used as identification information are not limited to muzzles but can include various physical characteristics of companion animals. In this document, a facility refers to an entity that provides services for companion animals, such as a pet hospital. A system for providing services related to the authentication of companion animals is shown in Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 1, the system for providing services related to the authentication of companion animals includes a user device 200 used by a caregiver of a companion animal, and an authentication server 100 that provides biometric authentication and a visit certificate for the companion animal to the user device 200.

[0009] 1, a user visits a facility 300 (S101) and receives medical treatment for their companion animal at the facility (S102). The user registers the biometric information of their companion animal with the authentication server 100 via the user device 200 (S103). The authentication server 100 authenticates the visit of the companion animal to the user device 200 by authenticating the identity of the companion animal (S104). The user submits a claim for insurance to the insurance company 400 by attaching information verifying the fact of the visit to the facility or a visit certificate along with the details of the medical treatment at the facility 300 (S105). The insurance company 400 can pay the insurance after verifying the details of the claim based on the details of the medical treatment and the visit certificate (S106). The user device 200 is an electronic device carried and used by a caregiver of a companion animal. The user device 200 may be a portable electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet device, or laptop computer. The user device 200 may also be a wearable device such as a smart watch or smart glasses. The user device 200 may also be an electronic device such as a personal computer (PC) or a game console. The user device 200 may be an electronic device equipped with a processor, memory, display, and communication module capable of executing an application program for biometric recognition of a companion animal. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the authentication server 100. In the system for providing companion animal authentication-related services according to the present invention, the authentication server 100 includes a communication module 120 for transmitting and receiving data with a user device 200, a processor 110 electrically coupled to the communication module 120, and a memory 150 electrically coupled to the processor 110. Optionally, the authentication server 100 may include a display 130 for visually outputting information, and an input / output interface 140 for connecting to other devices or for inputting and outputting information. The processor 110 can perform calculations and data processing for the operation of the authentication server 100 and control each module of the authentication server 100. The processor 110 can execute one or more software programs stored in the memory 150. The processor 110 may include a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU) that executes an operating system that manages the overall operation of the authentication server 100. The processor 110 may also include a dedicated processor (e.g., a GPU, an NPU) for specific calculation processing. The processor 110 may include one or more processing circuits. The operation method of the authentication server 100 described below may be executed by the processor 110.

[0010] The communication module 120 provides an environment in which the authentication server 100 can communicate with external entities (e.g., authentication servers, base stations, IoT devices, and user devices 200). The communication module 120 may include devices for wired or wireless communication. The communication module 120 can provide data received from external entities to the processor 110. The communication module 120 can convert data provided by the processor 110 and transmit the converted data to the external entities. The display 130 is a device that visually outputs information and may include a panel and a control circuit. The memory 150 can store an operating system for the operation of the authentication server 100, programs such as applications, and data used in the process of executing the programs. The memory 150 may include volatile memory (e.g., DRAM) and non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory). The memory 150 may also include a mass storage device for configuring a database. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the authentication server 100 according to the first embodiment in a system for providing a service related to the authentication of companion animals. In the system for providing a service related to the authentication of companion animals according to the present invention, the operation method of the authentication server 100 includes a step of receiving biometric image data related to biometric information of the companion animal from the user device 200 (S310), a step of determining the location of the user device 200 from the biometric image data (S320), a step of confirming the companion animal's visit to a facility based on the biometric information of the companion animal and the location of the user device 200 (S330), and a step of storing information about the companion animal's visit to a facility (S340). In operation S310, the processor 110 receives biometric video data related to the biometric information of the companion animal from the user device 200 via the communication module 120. The biometric video data may include a video including an object indicating the biometric information of the companion animal, and information about the time and location of the video. The video data may be configured by linking the video including the object indicating the biometric information of the companion animal with the time and location of the video. The object indicating the biometric information of the companion animal included in the video may include the nose or face of the companion animal. The user device 200 may transmit the biometric video data to the authentication server 100 to authenticate the companion animal's visit to the facility. The user device 200 may capture a video for biometric recognition of the companion animal and transmit the captured video to the authentication server 100. Information about the time and location of the video is transmitted to the authentication server 100 along with the video of the companion animal.

[0011] In operation S320, the processor 110 determines the location of the user device 200 from the biometric image data. The processor 110 can identify the location (e.g., address) where the image was captured from the capture location information (e.g., coordinate information) included in the biometric image data. In step S330, the processor 110 confirms whether the companion animal has visited a facility based on the biometric information of the companion animal and the location of the user device 200. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for confirming whether the companion animal has visited a facility based on the biometric information of the companion animal and the location of the user device 200. Referring to Fig. 4, the step S330 of confirming whether the companion animal has visited a facility based on the biometric information of the companion animal and the location of the user device 200 includes the step S410 of identifying the identity of the companion animal from the biometric information of the companion animal, the step S420 of determining whether the shooting location information of the video corresponds to the facility location, and the step S430 of confirming that the companion animal has visited the facility if the shooting location information corresponds to the facility location. In step S410, processor 110 identifies the identity of the companion animal from the biometric information of the companion animal. Processor 110 identifies an animal whose biometric information is registered in the database and whose biometric information matches the received biometric information of the companion animal. Processor 110 can confirm the identity of the companion animal using the identity information of the animal whose biometric information matches. In step S420, processor 110 determines whether the shooting location information of the video corresponds to the facility location. Processor 110 can determine whether the shooting location information (e.g., coordinates) received together with the video corresponds to the facility location. Processor 110 can determine that the shooting location corresponds to the facility location if it is within a certain distance range from the location of the specified facility. If the shooting location of the video corresponds to the facility location, processor 110 confirms that the companion animal has visited the facility in step S430. If the shooting location of the video does not correspond to the facility location, processor 110 determines that the visit to the facility has not been confirmed in step S440, and processes the process as if the companion animal's visit to the facility has not been authenticated. In one embodiment, the step of confirming whether the companion animal has visited a facility (S420) includes the steps of detecting an object associated with the facility from biometric image data or image data including a process for acquiring biometric information, and verifying whether the companion animal has visited the facility based on the object associated with the facility. The processor 110 can acquire information about the surrounding environment in which the companion animal is located from each frame of biometric image data including the companion animal's biometric information (e.g., muzzle print, face). That is, the processor 110 can analyze the image using a deep neural network to determine where the companion animal is currently located. The processor 110 can detect one or more objects located around the companion animal from each frame of the biometric image data. The processor 110 can determine which object the detected object corresponds to. By detecting an object located in a hospital among the objects detected around the companion animal in each frame, the processor 110 can determine that the companion animal is located in a hospital. For example, if text such as "hospital," "treatment," or "hospitalization" is detected in the frame, processor 110 can determine that the companion animal is located in a hospital. Alternatively, if a person dressed as a doctor or nurse or medical equipment is detected in the frame, processor 110 can determine that the companion animal is located in a hospital.

[0012] If it is confirmed whether the companion animal has visited a facility, the process proceeds to step S340 in FIG. 3, where the processor 110 stores information about the companion animal's visit to the facility in the memory 150 or a database. If the companion animal's visit to the facility is authenticated, the processor 110 stores the fact that the companion animal has visited the specific facility and can transmit information authenticating the companion animal's visit to the user device 200 or the insurance company 400 (e.g., a visit certificate) to authenticate the companion animal's visit to the facility. This allows the insurance company authentication server 400 to confirm that the companion animal has visited the facility and process the insurance. The embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4 are embodiments in which the companion animal's visit to the facility is verified using video containing the companion animal's biometric information and metadata (shooting time, shooting location) attached to the video. Below, FIGS. 5 to 13 relate to embodiments in which the companion animal's biometric information is received in advance, and location information along with the companion animal's biometric information is obtained from the user device 200 to authenticate the companion animal's visit to the facility. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the authentication server 100 in the system for providing a companion animal authentication-related service. The operation method of the authentication server 100 in the system for providing a companion animal authentication-related service includes a step of receiving first biometric information and profile information of the companion animal from the user device 200 (S510), a step of generating a biometric information registration certificate including a unique identification number of the companion animal based on the first biometric information and profile information of the companion animal (S520), a step of transmitting the biometric information registration certificate to the user device 200 (S530), a step of receiving the companion animal authentication information and a visit certificate issuance request acquired from the user device 200 (S540), a step of generating a visit certificate based on the companion animal authentication information (S550), and a step of transmitting the visit certificate to the user device 200 (S560). In operation S510, the processor 110 receives first biometric information and profile information of a companion animal from the user device 200 via the communication module 120. The user can execute an application program for biometric authentication of a companion animal on the user device 200 and input the biometric information and profile information of the companion animal using the application program. That is, the biometric information and profile information of the companion animal are input to the user device 200 via the application program for biometric authentication of a companion animal. FIG. 6 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user device 200 during the process of registering the companion animal's profile information, and FIG. 7 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user device 200 during the process of registering the companion animal's biometric information.

[0013] In (a) of Fig. 6, a profile input interface for inputting profile information of a companion animal is displayed on the screen of the user device 200. In (a) of Fig. 6, a profile photo 605, name 610, breed information 615, sex 620, date of birth 625, and a profile input completion button 630 for completing the profile input of the companion animal are displayed through the profile input interface. The user may input profile information of the companion animal through the profile input interface such as that shown in (a) of Fig. 6. The profile information may include the species, sex, and date of birth of the companion animal. FIG. 6(b) shows a profile input completion interface indicating that the companion animal's profile input has been completed. FIG. 6(b) shows an interface that is displayed when the profile input completion button 630 for completing the profile input in FIG. 6(a) is pressed. FIG. 6(b) displays some information about the companion animal for which profile information has been entered, and also displays a biometric information registration button 640 for proceeding to an interface for generating a biometric information registration certificate and a return button 650 for returning to the initial screen. When an input is made to the biometric information registration button 640, an operation for acquiring the companion animal's biometric information is performed in the user device 200. When an input is made to the return button 650, an operation for returning to the initial screen of the application for biometric authentication of the companion animal is performed. FIG. 6(c) shows an interface displaying information about a companion animal whose profile has been registered in an application for biometric authentication of companion animals. In FIG. 6(c), companion animal profile information 660 is displayed. The profile information 660 includes information 670 indicating whether the companion animal's biometric information is registered. If the biometric information is not registered, a biometric information registration button 680 is displayed, which leads to an interface for generating a biometric information registration certificate. When an input is made to the biometric information registration button 640, an operation is performed in the user device 200 to obtain the companion animal's biometric information. In addition, a missing person report button 690 for reporting the missing companion animal may be displayed on the interface.

[0014] FIG. 7(a) illustrates an interface displayed on the user device 200 during the process of registering a companion animal's biometric information. To acquire the biometric information, the camera of the user device 200 is activated, and a preview image captured by the camera is displayed on the screen. A message 710 indicating the photographed status of the companion animal is displayed overlapping the preview image. In addition, an icon 730 for tracking a characteristic object corresponding to the companion animal's biometric information is displayed at the position of the characteristic object. The icon 730 may indicate the suitability of the current photographed status based on the image quality of the current characteristic object. While the screen illustrated in FIG. 7(a) is displayed, the user can control the user device 200 to capture an image suitable for biometric authentication of the companion animal. For example, the user can move the user device 200 so that a frontal image of the companion animal is captured. The user device 200 can repeatedly check the quality of the preview image to determine whether an image suitable for biometric recognition is captured, and automatically save images that meet a certain level of quality. In other words, the processor of the user device 200 can automatically capture images suitable for biometric recognition of the companion animal without the user having to press the capture button each time. Biometric information (e.g., a muzzle print image) acquired during the process of acquiring the biometric information may be transmitted as the first biometric information to the authentication server 100. That is, the first biometric information includes an image including the face region or nose region of the companion animal. Once the biometric information has been acquired, it is sent to the authentication server 100, which stores the biometric information in the memory 150 together with the companion animal's profile information. At step S520, the processor 110 generates a biometric information registration certificate including the biometric information registration number of the companion animal based on the first biometric information and profile information of the companion animal. The processor 110 generates the biometric information registration number of the companion animal, adds it to the companion animal's registration information, and stores it in the memory 150. The biometric information registration certificate may include the companion animal's unique identification number. The biometric information registration certificate is data (an image file or a document file) that certifies that the biometric information of the companion animal is linked to the companion animal's identification information and registered in the authentication server 100. The biometric information registration certificate may include the companion animal's biometric information registration number, species, sex, birthdate, and issue date. At step S530, the processor 110 transmits the biometric information registration certificate to the user device 200 via the communication module 120.

[0015] FIG. 7(b) shows an interface that is displayed after biometric information registration is complete. In FIG. 7(b), a biometric information registration certificate 760 is displayed along with companion animal profile information 740. When biometric information registration is complete, the profile information 740 includes text 750 notifying the user that biometric information registration is complete. The biometric information registration certificate 760 is data (an image file or a document file) that certifies that the companion animal's biometric information has been linked to the companion animal's identification information and registered in the authentication server 100. The interface may include a registration number copy button 770 for copying the registration number from the biometric information registration certificate 760 and a registration certificate save button 780 for saving the biometric information registration certificate 760 to the user device 200. In step S540, the processor 110 receives the companion animal authentication information and a visit certificate issuance request acquired from the user device 200 via the communication module 120. The companion animal authentication information includes second biometric information of the companion animal, location information of the user device 200, and acquisition time information of the second biometric information. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process of receiving a visit certificate issuance request. The step of receiving the visit certificate issuance request (S540) includes a step of sending an access request for the location information of the user device 200 (S810), and if the access request is approved, a step of receiving the location information of the user device 200 (S820), a step of receiving an image of the feature object corresponding to the second biometric information from the user device 200 (S830), and a step of recording the time of receiving the second biometric information as acquisition time information of the second biometric information (S840). First, a request for issuance of a visit certificate is made from the user device 200 of a parent visiting the pet facility. FIG. 9 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user device 200 during the input process for requesting a visit certificate. (a) of FIG. 9 is a profile interface showing profile information of a companion animal. (a) of FIG. 9 displays the animal's profile information 910, a biometric information registration certificate 920, a copy button 930 for copying the biometric information registration number to the clipboard, a save button 940 for saving the biometric information registration certificate in the memory of the user device 200, and an issuance request button 950 for generating a visit certificate issuance request. When an input is made to the issuance request button 950, a visit certificate issuance request is sent to the authentication server 100.

[0016] In step S810, in response to the visit certificate issuance request, the processor 110 transmits an access request for location information to the user device 200 via the communication module 120. When the access request is transmitted to the user device 200, an interface for acquiring location information is displayed on the user device 200 as shown in FIG. 9B. FIG. 9B illustrates an interface for selecting whether to allow access of the location information of the user device 200 from the authentication server 100. In FIG. 9B, an interface 960 is displayed to notify the issuance of a location information access request from the authentication server 100. The interface 960 includes a one-time allow button 971 for allowing access only once, an allow while app is running button 972 for allowing access while the application is in use, and a reject button 973 for rejecting the access. In step S820, when an input is made to the one-time allow button 971 or the allow button 972 while the app is running, the processor 110 receives location information of the user device 200 via the communication module 120. When an input is made to the one-time allow button 971 or the allow button 972 while the app is running, the location information is transmitted from the user device 200 to the authentication server 100. When an input is made to the reject button 973, a location information access reject message is transmitted from the user device 200 to the authentication server 100. When the location information access is rejected, the authentication server 100 terminates the procedure for issuing a visit certificate. In operation S830, the processor 110 receives second biometric information (image of the characteristic object) from the user device 200 via the communication module 120. In FIG. 9(b), when an input is made to the one-time allow button 971 or the allow button 972 during application operation, the user device 200 performs an operation to acquire biometric information of the companion animal. The user device 200 activates the camera and captures an image of a characteristic area (e.g., face or nose) as the biometric information of the companion animal. FIG. 9(c) shows an interface for acquiring the biometric information of the companion animal, in which a preview image captured by the camera is displayed together with a message 980 indicating the capture status of the companion animal and an icon 990 for tracking the characteristic object. Acquisition of the second biometric information of the companion animal may be performed in the same manner as acquisition of the first biometric information described with reference to FIG. 7(a). An image including the muzzle print of the companion animal may be extracted as the second biometric information. The second biometric information may be transmitted from the user device 200 to the authentication server 100. In another embodiment, the user device 200 can transmit a pre-stored image of the companion animal to the authentication server 100 as the second biometric information.

[0017] In operation S840, the processor 110 records the time when the second biometric information is acquired as acquisition time information of the second biometric information. The processor 110 may associate the time when the second biometric information is received from the user device 200 with location information of the user device 200 and the second biometric information of the companion animal and store the associated time in the memory 150. Alternatively, the processor 110 may record the time when the second biometric information is captured as acquisition time information of the second biometric information. Furthermore, the authentication server 100 may receive facility visit information (facility information, visit time information) from the user device 200. When the authentication server 100 receives the location information of the user device 200, the biometric information of the companion animal, acquisition time information, and facility visit information from the user device 200, the authentication server 100 proceeds to operation S550 and may perform an operation for generating a visit certificate. In step S550, the processor 110 generates a visit certificate based on the second biometric information of the companion animal, acquisition time information of the second biometric information, and location information of the user device 200. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing a process of generating a visit certificate. The step of generating a visit certificate (S550) includes a step of verifying the validity of the visit certificate issuance request based on the second biometric information of the companion animal and the location information of the user device 200 (S1010), and, if it is determined that the visit certificate issuance request is valid, a step of generating a visit certificate corresponding to the visit certificate issuance request (S1020). If it is determined that the visit certificate issuance request is invalid, a step of the authentication server 100 rejecting the visit certificate issuance request or sending a message to the user device 200 requesting that the visit certificate issuance request be made again (S1030) may be performed. In step S1010, the processor 110 verifies the validity of the request for issuance of the visit certificate based on the second biometric information of the companion animal and the location information of the user device 200. The authentication server 100 can verify whether the companion animal included in the request for issuance of the visit certificate by the user device 200 is the same as a previously registered companion animal and whether the companion animal actually visited the facility. 11 is a flowchart showing a process of verifying the validity of a visit certificate issuance request. The step of verifying the validity of the visit certificate issuance request (S1010) includes the steps of: checking facility visit information, including a facility visit time and facility information, from the user device 200 (S1110); determining whether a first matching condition is satisfied, which is whether the second biometric information matches the first biometric information (S1120); determining whether a second matching condition is satisfied, which is whether the location information of the user device 200 corresponds to the facility location (S1130); determining whether a third matching condition is satisfied, which is whether the acquisition time information of the second biometric information is within a reference range from the facility visit time (S1140); and determining that the visit certificate issuance request is valid if all of the first, second, and third matching conditions are satisfied (S1150). If any one of the first matching condition, the second matching condition, and the third matching condition is not met, a step of determining that the visit certificate issuance request is invalid (invalid) (S1160) may be performed.

[0018] In step S1110, the processor 110 checks facility visit information input by the user device 200. The facility visit information may be input to the user device 200 and transmitted to the authentication server 100. The facility visit information may include information on the facility visited, visit time information, and medical treatment details information. In operation S1120, the processor 110 determines whether a first matching condition is met for whether the second biometric information matches the first biometric information. The processor 110 determines whether the previously registered first biometric information of the companion animal for which a visit certificate issuance request has occurred matches the second biometric information received from the user device 200. Whether the two sets of biometric information match may be determined based on whether a value (score) indicating the degree of match is equal to or greater than a reference value. Alternatively, the processor 110 may identify a companion animal that matches the second biometric information received from the user device 200 from among companion animals whose biometric information is previously registered. If the second biometric information of the companion animal matches the first biometric information (if the first matching condition is met), operation S1130 may be executed. In operation S1130, the processor 110 determines whether a second matching condition is met regarding whether the location information of the user device 200 corresponds to the facility location. The processor 110 may determine whether the location information (e.g., coordinates, address) of the user device 200 included in the visit certificate issuance request corresponds to the address of the facility. If a facility is included within a certain distance from the location information of the user device 200, the processor 110 may determine that the location information of the user device 200 corresponds to the facility location. If the location information of the user device 200 corresponds to the facility location (if the second matching condition is met), operation S1140 may be executed. In operation S1140, the processor 110 determines whether a third matching condition is satisfied, that is, whether the acquisition time information of the second biometric information matches the facility visit time. The processor 110 determines whether the acquisition time of the second biometric information matches the facility visit time information included in the facility visit information received from the user device 200. For example, if the acquisition time of the second biometric information and the facility visit time are within a certain time range (e.g., 10 minutes), the processor 110 may determine that the acquisition time information of the second biometric information matches the facility visit time. As another example, the facility visit time information may be input in units of a certain time range (e.g., 30 minutes) (e.g., 10:30 to 11:00), and if the acquisition time of the second biometric information is included in the facility visit time information, the processor 110 may determine that the acquisition time information of the second biometric information matches the facility visit time. If the acquisition time information of the second biometric information matches the facility visit time (if the third matching condition is satisfied), operation S1150 may be executed.

[0019] In step S1150, the processor 110 determines that the visit certificate issuance request is valid if the first matching condition, the second matching condition, and the third matching condition are all satisfied. If it is determined that the visit certificate issuance request is valid, the processor 110 proceeds to step S1020 of FIG. 10. If it is determined in step S1020 that the request for issuance of the visit certificate is valid, the processor 110 generates a visit certificate corresponding to the request for issuance of the visit certificate. The visit certificate is data (image file or document file) confirming that a companion animal registered in the account of the user device 200 visited a specific facility at a specific time. It includes the companion animal's guardian information, facility visit information, a biometric information registration certificate, and a QR (quick response) code corresponding to page information of the visit certificate. The companion animal's guardian information is guardian information corresponding to the account of the user device 200 from which the request for issuance of the visit certificate was made. The facility visit information includes the facility location and facility visit time, which are entered into the user device 200 and then authenticated by the authentication server 100. The QR code is a code that allows easy access to a page where the visit certificate can be viewed from another device. In step S560, the generated visit certificate is transmitted from the authentication server 100 to the user device 200. The authentication server 100 may store the visit certificate in its memory 150 or in a separate database. Fig. 12 shows an example of a screen displayed on a user device to which a visit certificate has been issued. Fig. 12(a) shows an interface that outputs a list of visit certificates generated and registered by the authentication server 100. Fig. 12(a) outputs a visit certificate issuance breakdown 1210 and lists of visit certificates by time period 1220, 1230, and 1240. Each visit certificate list 1220, 1230, and 1240 includes save buttons 1222, 1232, and 1242 that allow each visit certificate to be saved in the user device 200. The list 1220 of the most recently issued visit certificates may include an icon 1224 indicating that it has been newly issued.

[0020] FIG. 12(b) shows an example of a visit certificate 1250, an interface output when an input is made to the specific visit certificate catalog 1220 in FIG. 12(a). The visit certificate 1250 includes information about the pet's guardian and facility visit 1251, a biometric information registration certificate 1252, and a QR (quick response) code 1253 corresponding to the page information of the visit certificate. The user can download the visit certificate to the user device 200 and attach it when filing an insurance claim with an insurance company. When confirming the insurance claim, the insurance company can use the visit certificate to verify whether the pet claimed is an insured pet and whether the pet visited the facility during treatment hours. In this way, building a system that allows verification of whether or not a treatment was provided between the pet's guardian and the insurance company can improve the reliability of the entire pet insurance system. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the operation between the user device 200 and the authentication server 100 in the system for providing companion animal authentication-related services. Referring to FIG. 13, the user device 200 receives first biometric information and profile information of the companion animal (S1305). The user device 200 transmits the first biometric information and profile information of the companion animal to the authentication server 100 (S1310). The authentication server 100 generates a biometric information registration certificate including the biometric information registration number of the companion animal based on the first biometric information and the profile information of the companion animal (S1315). The authentication server 100 transmits the biometric information registration certificate to the user device 200 (S1320). The user device 200 receives an input for issuing a visit certificate (S1325). The user device 200 acquires the second biometric information of the companion animal and the location information of the user device 200 (S1330). The user device 200 transmits a visit certificate issuance request including the second biometric information of the companion animal and the location information of the user device to the authentication server 100 (S1335).

[0021] The authentication server 100 generates the visit certificate based on the second biometric information of the companion animal, the acquisition time information of the second biometric information, and the location information of the user device (S1340), and transmits the visit certificate to the user device 200. 14 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the authentication server 100 according to the third embodiment in a system for providing a companion animal authentication-related service. In this embodiment, the authentication server 100 uses payment details data along with video data generated by photographing the companion animal to authenticate whether or not the companion animal has visited the facility. Referring to FIG. 14, the operation method of the authentication server 100 in the system for providing companion animal authentication-related services includes a step of receiving video data of the companion animal from the user device 200 (S1410), a step of receiving payment details data including payment information from the user device 200 (S1420), a step of confirming the companion animal's facility visit based on the video data and the payment details data (S1430), and a step of storing information regarding the companion animal's facility visit (S1440). In step S1410, the user device 200 transmits video data generated by photographing the companion animal to the authentication server 100. The processor 110 receives the video data via the communication module 120. The video data may be video including biometric information (e.g., muzzle print, face) of the companion animal. That is, the video data may be photographs or video data generated during the process of acquiring the biometric information of the companion animal. In operation S1420, the user device 200 transmits payment detail data including payment information to the authentication server 100. The processor 110 receives the payment detail data via the communication module 120. The payment detail data may include a receipt photo or electronic receipt data recording the payment information. The pet caretaker may use the user device 200 to take a photo of the receipt issued after visiting a facility and transmit the photo of the receipt to the authentication server 100. Alternatively, the pet caretaker may receive electronic receipt data from the facility they visited and transmit the electronic receipt data to the authentication server 100. In step S1430, the processor 110 can confirm the companion animal's visit to the facility based on the video data and the payment details data.

[0022] 15 is a flowchart showing a process of checking whether a companion animal has visited a facility using video data of the companion animal and payment detail data. Referring to FIG. 15, the step of checking whether a companion animal has visited a facility (S1430) includes a step of determining whether payment information included in the payment detail data matches with shooting information of the video data (S1510), and a step of verifying that the companion animal has visited a facility if the payment information matches with the shooting information (S1520). The step of checking whether a companion animal has visited a facility (S1430) includes a step of determining that a companion animal has not visited a facility if the payment information does not match with the shooting information (S1530). In step S1510, the processor 110 confirms the visit of the companion animal to the facility based on the shooting information of the video data received from the user device 220 and the payment information included in the payment details data. 16 is a flowchart showing a process of verifying whether payment information and photography information match. Referring to FIG. 16, the step of determining whether payment information and photography information match (S1510) includes a step of determining whether the facility location included in the payment information matches the photography location information (S1610) and a step of determining whether the payment time included in the payment information matches the photography time included in the photography information (S1620). Prior to step S1610, the processor 110 may extract shooting information from the video data and payment information from the payment detail data. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the processor 110 may extract shooting information from metadata linked to the video data. The shooting information may include a shooting location 1711, a shooting time 1712, and a shooting format. Alternatively, the processor 110 may extract the shooting location and the shooting time based on an object detected from each frame of the video data. Also, as shown in FIG. 17, the processor 110 may extract payment information, i.e., a facility name 1721, a facility location 1722, visitor information 1723, payment information 1724, and a payment time 1725, from a receipt photo 1720. In step S1610, the processor 110 determines whether the facility information included in the payment information matches the shooting location information. The processor 110 can determine whether the shooting location 1711 extracted from the video data 1710 matches the facility location 1722 in the payment information. The processor 110 can determine whether the shooting location 1711 is the same as the facility location 1722. Alternatively, the processor 110 can determine whether the distance between the shooting location 1711 and the facility location 1722 is within a reference range (e.g., 100 m). If the distance between the shooting location 1711 and the facility location 1722 is within the reference range, the processor 110 can determine that the shooting location 1711 and the facility location 1722 match. The processor 110 can determine whether the shooting location 1711 and the facility location 1722 are the same by comparing the coordinates of the shooting location 1711 and the coordinates of the facility location 1722. If the photographing location 1711 matches the facility location 1722 of the facility information, the processor 110 proceeds to step S1620. If the photographing location 1711 does not match the facility location 1722 of the facility information, the processor 110 proceeds to step S1640 and determines that the payment information and the photographing information do not match.

[0023] In step S1620, the processor 110 determines whether the payment time included in the payment information matches the shooting time included in the shooting information. The processor 110 determines whether the shooting time 1712 extracted from the video data 1710 matches the payment time 1725 of the payment information. The processor 110 may determine whether the difference between the shooting time 1712 and the payment time 1725 is within a reference range (e.g., 10 minutes). If the difference is within the reference range, the processor 110 may determine that the shooting time 1712 and the payment time 1725 match. If the shooting time 1712 and the payment time 1725 match, the processor 110 proceeds to step S1630 and determines that the payment information and the shooting information match. If the shooting time 1712 and the payment time 1725 do not match, the processor 110 proceeds to step S1640 and determines that the payment information and the shooting information do not match. If it is determined that the payment information and the photograph information match, the processor 110 verifies that the companion animal has visited the facility in step S1520. In this case, the server 100 may send a message to the user device 200 notifying that the companion animal's visit to the facility has been authenticated. If it is determined that the payment information and the photograph information do not match, the processor 110 determines that the companion animal's visit to the facility has not been confirmed in step S1530. In this case, the processor 110 may request the user device 200 to resend a message and data informing the user device 200 that the visit has not been confirmed. In step S1440, the processor 110 may store information about the companion animal's visit to the facility in the memory 150. The server 100 may store information about the companion animal's visit to the facility in a separate database. The server 100 may generate a visit certificate indicating information about the companion animal's visit to the facility and store it in the memory 150 or the database. When a request is made by the user device 200 or the insurance company 400, the server 100 may transmit information about the companion animal's visit to the facility to the user device 200 or the insurance company 400.

[0024] The present embodiment and the drawings attached to this specification merely clearly illustrate a part of the technical ideas contained in the present invention, and it is clear that all modifications and specific embodiments that can be easily inferred by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the technical ideas contained in the specification and drawings of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the concept of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and the scope of the claims below, as well as any equivalent or variants thereof, are considered to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. A method for operating an authentication server in a system for providing services related to the authentication of companion animals, comprising: receiving biometric image data relating to biometric information of a companion animal from a user device; determining a location of the user device from the biometric image data; confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility based on the biometric information of the companion animal and the location of the user device; and storing information regarding said companion animal's visit to the facility.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biometric image data includes a video including an object showing biometric information of the companion animal, and information on a time and location at which the video was taken.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object representing the biometric information of the companion animal included in the video includes a nose area or a face area of ​​the companion animal.

4. The step of confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility includes: identifying the identity of the companion animal from the biometric information of the companion animal; determining whether the photographing location information of the video corresponds to a facility location; The method of claim 2 , further comprising: if the photographing location information corresponds to a facility location, confirming that the companion animal has visited the facility.

5. generating a visit certificate attesting to the companion animal's visit to the facility based on information about the companion animal's visit to the facility; The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting the visit certificate to the user device.

6. The step of confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility includes: detecting an object related to the facility from the biometric image data or image data including a process of acquiring the biometric information; The method of claim 1 , further comprising verifying whether the companion animal has visited the facility based on an object associated with the facility.

7. 1. A method for operating an authentication server in a system for providing services related to the authentication of companion animals, comprising: receiving first biometric information and profile information of a companion animal from a user device; generating a biometric information registration certificate including a biometric information registration number of the companion animal based on the first biometric information and profile information of the companion animal; transmitting the biometric enrollment certificate to the user device; receiving companion animal authentication information and a visit authentication certificate issuance request acquired from the user device; generating the visit certificate based on the companion animal's authentication information; and sending the visit certificate to the user device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the authentication information of the companion animal includes second biometric information of the companion animal, acquisition time information of the second biometric information, and location information of the user device.

9. The step of receiving a visit certificate issuance request includes: transmitting an access request for location information of the user device; receiving location information of the user device if the access request is approved; receiving an image of a feature object corresponding to the second biometric information from the user device; The method of claim 7 , further comprising: recording a time when the second biometric information is acquired as acquisition time information of the second biometric information.

10. The step of generating a visit certificate includes: verifying the validity of the request for issuance of the visit certificate based on the second biometric information of the companion animal and location information of the user device; The method of claim 7 , further comprising: generating a visit certificate corresponding to the visit certificate issuance request when the visit certificate issuance request is determined to be valid.

11. The step of verifying the validity of the request for issuance of the visit certificate includes: checking facility visit information including facility visit time and facility information from the user device; determining whether a first matching condition is satisfied for whether the second biometric information matches the first biometric information; determining whether a second matching condition is satisfied with respect to whether the location information of the user device corresponds to a facility location; determining whether a third matching condition is satisfied, which is whether acquisition time information of the second biometric information is within a reference range from the facility visit time; and determining that the visit certificate issuance request is valid if the first matching condition, the second matching condition, and the third matching condition are all satisfied.

12. 1. A method for operating an authentication server in a system for providing services related to the authentication of companion animals, comprising: receiving video data of a companion animal from a user device; receiving payment detail data including payment information from the user device; confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility based on the video data and the payment details data; and storing information regarding said companion animal's visit to the facility.

13. The step of confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility includes: determining whether the payment information included in the payment detail data matches with the image capture information of the video data; The method of claim 12 , further comprising: if the payment information and the photograph information match, verifying that the companion animal has visited the facility.

14. The step of determining whether the payment information and the photograph information match includes: determining whether the facility location included in the payment information matches the photographing location information; The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining whether a payment time included in the payment information matches a photography time included in the photography information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the shooting location information is obtained from metadata linked to the video data or extracted from an object included in a frame image of the video data.

Images