Identification method, information processing device, and identification program

Abstract

To reduce the burden on a person to be authenticated in person identification using biometric information.SOLUTION: A computer identifies one or more candidates associated with a vehicle number identified from a captured image of a vehicle number marker. When receiving biometric information, the computer identifies a candidate corresponding to the biometric information from among the identified one or more candidates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for identifying a candidate corresponding to biometric information. [Background technology]

[0002] Biometric authentication is a technology that uses biometric information such as face, vein, fingerprint, palm print, etc. to identify an individual. Biometric authentication using biometric information makes it difficult for the person to impersonate another person, and the person to be authenticated can be authenticated without carrying anything. Due to its high level of security and convenience, biometric authentication is becoming widespread.

[0003] For example, in palm vein authentication using palm vein patterns as biometric information, the vein information of the person to be authenticated is compared with the vein information of multiple people who have been registered in advance. Therefore, if the number of vein information of registered people becomes huge, the authentication process takes a long time. Therefore, in order to ensure practical authentication accuracy and speed, the upper limit of the number of registered people is often set at around 10,000.

[0004] When palm vein authentication is performed for a number of registered users exceeding the upper limit, a hybrid authentication technique that combines palm vein authentication with other authentication techniques is used. For example, in a hybrid authentication technique using key information, the person to be authenticated inputs key information such as ID and date of birth, and one or more registered users are narrowed down from a large number of registered users. Palm vein authentication can be performed in a short time by comparing the vein information acquired from the person to be authenticated with the vein information of the small number of narrowed down registered users.

[0005] In relation to biometric authentication, a fuel supply system that simplifies and streamlines the setting of work information for fuel supply work is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this fuel supply system, personal authentication is performed using the worker's own biometric information, and default work information for the fuel supply work to be performed is automatically created based on work result information of fuel supply work already performed by the worker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-210030 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the conventional hybrid authentication technology described above, the task of inputting key information such as an ID and date of birth is a burden on the person to be authenticated, resulting in a loss of convenience and operability.

[0008] This problem is not limited to palm vein authentication, but occurs in biometric authentication using various types of biometric information.

[0009] In one aspect, the present invention aims to reduce the burden on an individual to be authenticated in identity identification using biometric information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In one version, a computer performs the following steps.

[0011] The computer identifies one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number from an image of the vehicle number plate. When the computer receives the biometric information, it identifies a candidate corresponding to the biometric information from among the identified one or more candidates. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to one aspect, it is possible to reduce the burden on an individual to be authenticated in identity verification using biometric information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of an information processing device. [Diagram 2]13 is a flowchart of a candidate specification process. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a biometric authentication system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a vehicle number acquisition device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a biometric authentication terminal device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a biometric authentication server. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart of a vehicle number acquisition process. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart of an authentication control process. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart of a biometric authentication process. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of an information processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] 1 shows an example of a functional configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. An information processing apparatus 101 in FIG.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a candidate identification process performed by the information processing device 101 in Fig. 1. First, the first identification unit 111 identifies one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number from an image of a vehicle number plate (step 201). Next, when the second identification unit 112 receives biometric information, it identifies a candidate corresponding to the biometric information from among the identified one or more candidates (step 202).

[0017] According to the information processing device 101 in FIG. 1, it is possible to reduce the burden on a person to be authenticated in identifying the person using biometric information.

[0018] Fig. 3 shows an example of the configuration of a biometric authentication system including the information processing device 101 in Fig. 1. The biometric authentication system in Fig. 3 includes an imaging device 301, a vehicle number acquisition device 302, biometric authentication terminal devices 303-1 to 303-3, payment devices 304-1 to 304-3, and a biometric authentication server 305. The biometric authentication server 305 corresponds to the information processing device 101 in Fig. 1.

[0019] The imaging device 301 is connected to a vehicle number acquisition device 302, and the payment devices 304-i (i=1 to 3) are connected to a biometric authentication terminal device 303-i. The biometric authentication terminal device 303-i communicates with the vehicle number acquisition device 302 via a communication network 311, and communicates with the biometric authentication server 305 via a communication network 312. The communication networks 311 and 312 are, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network).

[0020] The imaging device 301, the vehicle number acquisition device 302, the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i, and the payment device 304-i are installed in an environment where a vehicle in which a user who is the subject of authentication is riding exists. The user is a driver or a passenger other than the driver. The environment where the vehicle exists corresponds to, for example, a service station that provides services such as refueling and car washing, a parking lot, a drive-through store, etc.

[0021] Businesses that provide membership-based services can use the biometric authentication system shown in Figure 3 to provide services such as payment processing to members at service stations, parking lots, drive-through stores, etc.

[0022] In the case of a service station, the imaging device 301 and the vehicle number acquisition device 302 are installed, for example, at the entrance of the service station, and the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i and the payment device 304-i are installed, for example, at a predetermined location in the service station. The biometric authentication terminal device 303-i and the payment device 304-i may be provided for each fuel pump.

[0023] In the case of a parking lot, the imaging device 301 and the vehicle number acquisition device 302 are installed, for example, at the entrance of the parking lot, and the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i and the payment device 304-i are installed, for example, at the exit of the parking lot.

[0024] In the case of a drive-through store, the image capturing device 301 and the vehicle number acquisition device 302 are installed, for example, at the entrance of the store, and the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i and the payment device 304-i are installed, for example, at a window that accepts orders.

[0025] The imaging device 301 is a camera having an imaging element such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS). Every time a vehicle enters a monitoring target area, the imaging device 301 captures an image of a vehicle registration plate (number plate) attached to the vehicle, and outputs the image of the number plate to the vehicle number acquisition device 302. The number plate attached to the vehicle is an example of a vehicle number plate, and the vehicle registration number is an example of a vehicle number. Note that information such as the vehicle shape and the color of the vehicle body may be acquired from the image captured by the imaging device 301, and used for identifying the candidate by the first identification unit 111.

[0026] Fig. 4 shows an example of a functional configuration of the vehicle number acquisition device 302 in Fig. 3. The vehicle number acquisition device 302 in Fig. 4 includes an acquisition unit 411, a number generation unit 412, a list generation unit 413, and a communication unit 414. The communication unit 414 communicates with the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i via the communication network 311.

[0027] The acquisition unit 411 operates the imaging device 301 to acquire images of license plates output from the imaging device 301. When multiple vehicles enter a monitored area, images of each of the multiple vehicles are output from the imaging device 301 in order.

[0028] The number generating unit 412 performs character recognition on each acquired image and extracts the vehicle number appearing in the image. The extracted vehicle number includes numbers and non-number characters. If the license plate image is clear, the number generating unit 412 can extract the complete vehicle number from the image recognition result.

[0029] However, the image of the license plate may be blurred due to factors such as the image quality or angle of view of the imaging device 301, the influence of external light, and substances attached to the license plate. When character recognition is performed on a blurred image, a part of the vehicle number shown in the image may not be recognized and may be missing.

[0030] If the image is unclear and part of the vehicle number is missing, the number generating unit 412 uses multiple recognition candidates for the missing characters as complementary characters and replaces the missing characters with the complementary characters, thereby generating multiple vehicle numbers. In this case, multiple vehicle numbers are generated from the recognition result of one image.

[0031] The number generating unit 412 can also generate a vehicle number using a wildcard instead of a supplementary character. In this case, the number generating unit 412 generates one vehicle number including a wildcard by replacing missing characters with a wildcard. Note that the wildcard here may be, for example, a digit (or a character) that is temporarily used for number generation when the vehicle number is unclear. As will be described later, the wildcard may be updated by the user inputting characters at the operation unit 511 later.

[0032] The list generating unit 413 generates a vehicle number list including vehicle numbers extracted or generated from one or more images acquired within a predetermined period. The vehicle number list includes one or more vehicle numbers. The list generating unit 413 transmits the generated vehicle number list to the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i via the communication unit 414. Every time a vehicle enters the monitored area, the vehicle number list is updated based on an image of the vehicle.

[0033] Fig. 5 shows an example of a functional configuration of the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i in Fig. 3. The biometric authentication terminal device 303-i in Fig. 5 includes an operation unit 511, a display unit 512, a vein sensor 513, a touch panel 514, a communication unit 515, a control unit 516, a reception unit 517, an acquisition unit 518, and an instruction unit 519. The communication unit 515 communicates with the vehicle number acquisition device 302 via the communication network 311, and communicates with the biometric authentication server 305 via the communication network 312.

[0034] A user inputs information into the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i using the operation unit 511. The display unit 512 displays on the screen the operation procedure / operation guidance / processing status of the palm vein authentication authentication process, the authentication result, and the operation procedure / operation guidance / processing status of the payment process.

[0035] The user uses the touch panel 514 to select an item to transition to the next screen from the displayed operation procedure / operation guidance / processing status of the authentication process, authentication result, operation procedure / operation guidance / processing status of the payment process, etc. The vein sensor 513 acquires vein information as information about the palm veins of the user. The user's vein information includes vein information of one or both hands. Palm vein information is an example of biometric information.

[0036] The control unit 516 functions as a hardware control unit that controls the hardware, and operates the operation unit 511, the display unit 512, the vein sensor 513, the touch panel 514, and the communication unit 515. The reception unit 517 receives the vehicle number list received by the communication unit 515 from the vehicle number acquisition device 302.

[0037] If any vehicle number in the received vehicle number list contains a wildcard, the reception unit 517 instructs the user to input characters corresponding to the wildcard via the display unit 512. The user inputs characters using the operation unit 511, and the reception unit 517 replaces the wildcard with the input characters to generate a complete vehicle number. The reception unit 517 then updates the vehicle number list by replacing the vehicle number containing the wildcard with the generated vehicle number.

[0038] The reception unit 517 transmits the received vehicle number list or the updated vehicle number list to the biometric authentication server 305 via the communication unit 515. The acquisition unit 518 acquires palm vein information of the user from the vein sensor 513, and transmits it to the biometric authentication server 305 via the communication unit 515.

[0039] The instruction unit 519 instructs the payment device 304-i to perform payment processing based on the authentication result received from the biometric authentication server 305, and the payment device 304-i performs the instructed payment processing. The authentication result includes identification information of the registrant identified by palm vein authentication. The authentication result may also include the name of the identified registrant, payment information such as a credit card, etc.

[0040] In the case of a service station, the payment device 304-i performs a process of settling the fees for services such as gasoline and car washes. In the case of a parking lot, the payment device 304-i performs a process of settling the parking fee, for example. In the case of a drive-through store, the payment device 304-i performs a process of settling the price of ordered products, for example. If the authentication result includes payment information such as credit card information, the payment is made using the credit card or the like indicated by the payment information.

[0041] Fig. 6 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of the biometric authentication server 305 in Fig. 3. The biometric authentication server 305 in Fig. 6 includes a reception unit 611, an acquisition unit 612, an authentication unit 613, a communication unit 614, and a storage unit 615. The acquisition unit 612 and the authentication unit 613 correspond to the first identification unit 111 and the second identification unit 112 in Fig. 1, respectively.

[0042] The communication unit 614 communicates with the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i via the communication network 312. The storage unit 615 stores a database 621 that associates vehicle numbers with registrants. A registrant is, for example, a member who has subscribed to a membership service.

[0043] Fig. 7 shows an example of the database 621 in Fig. 6. Each entry in the database 621 in Fig. 7 includes an ID, a vehicle number N1, a vehicle number N2, a vehicle number N3, and registered vein information. The ID, the vehicle number N1, the vehicle number N2, the vehicle number N3, and the registered vein information are associated with each other.

[0044] The ID is identification information of a registrant, and the vehicle numbers N1 to N3 indicate vehicle numbers of vehicles in which the registrant may ride as a driver or a user other than a driver. One or more vehicle numbers can be associated with the ID of one registrant. The number of vehicle numbers associated with the ID of one registrant may be four or more.

[0045] By registering the vehicle numbers of vehicles in which a registrant may ride in association with the registrant, it is possible to easily extract a registrant corresponding to the vehicle number of a vehicle in which a user rides. A registrant registered in database 621 is an example of a candidate associated with a vehicle number.

[0046] The registered vein information represents palm vein information obtained from the hand of a registrant at the time of registration. Only one piece of registered vein information can be associated with the ID of one registrant. One piece of registered vein information includes vein information of one or both hands. The registered biometric information corresponding to the ID of one registrant can include any biometric information that can be obtained from the same registrant. The registered vein information is an example of registered biometric information.

[0047] For example, the vehicle number N1 of the registrant identified by the ID "0003" is the same as the vehicle number N1 of the registrant identified by the ID "0004". In this way, in the database 621 of Fig. 7, it is possible to associate one vehicle number with multiple registrants. Examples of cases in which multiple registrants use the same vehicle include a family member using a private car, an employee using a company car, car sharing, rental cars, etc.

[0048] A registrant who is a member of a membership service can register or delete a vehicle number at any time. In addition, a business providing a membership service can also register or delete a vehicle number at any time. The registrant's vehicle number N3 indicated by the ID "0003" represents the vehicle number of a rental car that the registrant registered at his / her travel destination.

[0049] The reception unit 611 receives the vehicle number list received by the communication unit 614 from the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i, and stores it in the storage unit 615 as a vehicle number list 622. The reception unit 611 also receives the vein information of the user received by the communication unit 614 from the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i, and stores it in the storage unit 615 as vein information 623.

[0050] The acquisition unit 612 refers to the database 621, identifies the IDs of one or more registrants associated with each vehicle number included in the vehicle number list 622, and acquires the registered vein information associated with the identified IDs from the database 621. The one or more registrants associated with each vehicle number are people who may ride in the vehicle indicated by the vehicle number as a driver or a user other than the driver.

[0051] The authentication unit 613 performs authentication processing to compare one or more pieces of registered vein information acquired from the database 621 with the vein information 623, and identifies a registrant corresponding to the vein information 623 based on the comparison result. This makes it possible to identify a registrant corresponding to a user from among many registrants registered in the database 621.

[0052] In the authentication process, the authentication unit 613 calculates the similarity between the vein information 623 and each registered vein information, and identifies the registered vein information whose similarity satisfies a criterion. For example, the criterion may be the maximum similarity. However, this embodiment is not limited to this. Then, the authentication unit 613 determines that the registrant indicated by the ID associated with the identified registered vein information corresponds to the user who provided the vein information 623.

[0053] The authentication unit 613 generates an authentication result 624 including the ID of the specified registrant, and stores it in the storage unit 615. Then, the authentication unit 613 transmits the authentication result 624 via the communication unit 614 to the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i.

[0054] According to the biometric authentication system of Fig. 3, the vehicle number read from the license plate image is used as key information to narrow down the registrants corresponding to the person to be authenticated, and the person to be authenticated is uniquely identified from the narrowed down registrants by palm vein authentication. The vehicle number used to narrow down the registrants is acquired in a non-contact manner without the person to be authenticated being aware of it, so the person to be authenticated does not need to input the vehicle number. This reduces the burden on the person to be authenticated, and makes it possible to narrow down the person to be authenticated from a large number of registrants without impairing convenience and operability.

[0055] When multiple people use the same vehicle, such as a personal car, a company car, car sharing, or a rental car, it is difficult to identify the person to be authenticated by the vehicle number alone. Therefore, by performing palm vein authentication using the registered vein information of registrants narrowed down by the vehicle number, it is possible to uniquely identify the person to be authenticated even when multiple people use the same vehicle. This makes it possible to provide personalized services, such as payment processing, to the identified person to be authenticated.

[0056] Even if the image of the license plate is unclear and part of the vehicle number cannot be recognized, the unrecognized characters can be replaced with a complement character or a wild card to generate a vehicle number used to narrow down the list of registrants. This makes it possible to narrow down the list of registrants even if part of the vehicle number cannot be recognized. In addition, since the deterioration of the accuracy of reading the vehicle number can be complemented by highly accurate palm vein authentication, deterioration of authentication accuracy is prevented.

[0057] By generating a vehicle number list including vehicle numbers extracted or generated from multiple images, even if multiple vehicles enter a monitored area, all registered users using those vehicles can be extracted as targets for authentication processing.

[0058] 3, a plurality of imaging devices 301 may be provided, and a plurality of vehicle number acquisition devices 302 may be provided. When a plurality of imaging devices 301 and a plurality of vehicle number acquisition devices 302 are provided, a plurality of vehicle number lists 622 are generated, and the vehicle number lists 622 are integrated by, for example, an acquisition unit 612 of the biometric authentication server 305.

[0059] The number of biometric authentication terminal devices 303-i is not limited to three, and may be one, two, or more than four. Similarly, the number of payment devices 304-i may be one, two, or more than four. Instead of the payment device 304-i, a device that provides a different service to the user may be provided.

[0060] Any two of the vehicle number acquisition device 302, the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i, and the biometric authentication server 305 may be integrated and implemented as one device. For example, the vehicle number acquisition device 302 and the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i may be integrated, the vehicle number acquisition device 302 and the biometric authentication server 305 may be integrated, or the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i and the biometric authentication server 305 may be integrated. All of the vehicle number acquisition device 302, the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i, and the biometric authentication server 305 may be integrated and implemented as one device.

[0061] For example, when the function of the vehicle number acquisition device 302 is incorporated into each biometric authentication terminal device 303-i, an imaging device 301 is provided for each biometric authentication terminal device 303-i. In this case, the imaging device 301 captures an image of only one vehicle stopped in front of the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i, and the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i generates a vehicle number list including only the vehicle number of that vehicle. Therefore, the biometric authentication server 305 can narrow down the registrants using a single vehicle number list.

[0062] The biometric authentication terminal device 303-i may have the user input the vehicle number instead of acquiring the vehicle number list from the vehicle number acquisition device 302. This makes it possible to identify the user reliably.

[0063] The biometric authentication server 305 may perform authentication processing using other biometric authentication methods besides palm vein authentication. As the other biometric authentication methods, face authentication, fingerprint authentication, palm print authentication, or a combination of these can be used. The other biometric authentication methods may be authentication techniques that use physical or behavioral characteristics other than palm vein, face, fingerprint, and palm print to identify an individual.

[0064] When another biometric authentication is used, the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i includes another biometric sensor instead of the vein sensor 513, acquires the biometric information of the user, and transmits it to the biometric authentication server 305. The database 621 of the biometric authentication server 305 includes another registered biometric information instead of the registered vein information. The authentication unit 613 performs authentication processing to compare one or more registered biometric information acquired from the database 621 with the biometric information of the user, and identifies the registered person corresponding to the biometric information based on the comparison result.

[0065] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of vehicle number acquisition processing performed by vehicle number acquisition device 302 in Fig. 4. First, acquisition unit 411 acquires an image of the license plate from imaging device 301 (step 801).

[0066] Next, the number generation unit 412 performs character recognition on the acquired image (step 802) and checks whether the vehicle number shown in the image has been recognized (step 803). If all characters included in the vehicle number have been recognized (step 803, YES), the number generation unit 412 extracts the vehicle number from the image recognition result (step 804).

[0067] On the other hand, if some characters included in the vehicle number are not recognized (step 803, NO), the number generation unit 412 generates a vehicle number using complementary characters or wild cards (step 807). When complementary characters are used, the number generation unit 412 generates multiple vehicle numbers by replacing each of the unrecognized characters with multiple complementary characters. When a wild card is used, the number generation unit 412 generates one vehicle number by replacing each of the unrecognized characters with a wild card.

[0068] Next, the list generating unit 413 generates a vehicle number list including the vehicle numbers extracted or generated from one or more images acquired within a predetermined period (step 805). Then, the list generating unit 413 transmits the generated vehicle number list to the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i via the communication unit 414.

[0069] Next, the acquisition unit 411 checks whether an image of the next vehicle has been output from the imaging device 301 (step 806). If an image of the next vehicle has been output (step 806, YES), the vehicle number acquisition device 302 repeats the processes from step 801 onwards. This updates the vehicle number list. If an image of the next vehicle has not been output (step 806, NO), the vehicle number acquisition device 302 ends the process.

[0070] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of authentication control processing performed by the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i in Fig. 5. For example, the authentication control processing in Fig. 9 is started when a user presses a biometric authentication start button displayed on the screen of the display unit 512.

[0071] First, the communication unit 515 receives the vehicle number list from the vehicle number acquisition device 302, and the reception unit 517 receives the received vehicle number list (step 901). Then, the reception unit 517 checks whether any vehicle number in the received vehicle number list includes a wildcard (step 902).

[0072] If any vehicle number contains a wildcard (step 902, YES), the reception unit 517 instructs the user to input characters corresponding to the wildcard, and the user inputs the characters (step 903). The reception unit 517 then replaces the wildcard included in the vehicle number with the input characters to generate a complete vehicle number and update the vehicle number list.

[0073] Next, the acquisition unit 518 acquires the palm vein information of the user from the vein sensor 513 (step 904), and the communication unit 515 transmits the vehicle number list and the user's vein information to the biometric authentication server 305 (step 905).

[0074] Next, the communication unit 515 receives the authentication result from the biometric authentication server 305 (step 906), and the display unit 512 displays the information of the registrant included in the received authentication result on the screen (step 907). The information of the registrant may include ID, name, payment information such as credit card, etc.

[0075] Next, the instruction unit 519 transfers the information of the registrant indicated by the authentication result to the payment device 304-i, and instructs the payment device 304-i to perform the payment process (step 908). Then, the payment device 304-i performs the instructed payment process.

[0076] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of biometric authentication processing performed by the biometric authentication server 305 in Fig. 6. First, the communication unit 614 receives the vehicle number list and the user's vein information from the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i (step 1001). Then, the reception unit 611 receives the received vehicle number list and stores it in the storage unit 615 as the vehicle number list 622, and receives the received user's vein information and stores it in the storage unit 615 as vein information 623.

[0077] Next, the acquiring unit 612 refers to the database 621 to identify one or more registrant IDs associated with each vehicle number included in the vehicle number list 622 (step 1002). Then, the acquiring unit 612 acquires registered vein information associated with the identified ID from the database 621 (step 1003).

[0078] Next, the authentication unit 613 performs authentication processing to compare one or more pieces of registered vein information acquired from the database 621 with the vein information 623, and identifies a registered person corresponding to the vein information 623 based on the comparison result (step 1004). Then, the authentication unit 613 generates an authentication result 624 including information on the identified registered person, and the communication unit 614 transmits the authentication result 624 to the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i (step 1005).

[0079] The configuration of the information processing device 101 in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and some of the components may be omitted or changed depending on the application or conditions of the information processing device 101.

[0080] The configuration of the biometric authentication system in Fig. 3 is merely an example, and some of the components may be omitted or changed depending on the use or conditions of the biometric authentication system. The configurations of the vehicle number acquisition device 302 in Fig. 4, the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i in Fig. 5, and the biometric authentication server 305 in Fig. 6 are merely an example, and some of the components may be omitted or changed depending on the use or conditions of the biometric authentication system. For example, the database 621 in Fig. 6 may be stored in a device external to the biometric authentication server 305. In this case, the biometric authentication server 305 acquires the database 621 from the external device and stores it in the storage unit 615.

[0081] The flowcharts in FIG. 2 and FIG. 9 to FIG. 10 are merely examples, and some of the processes may be omitted or changed depending on the configuration or conditions of the information processing device 101 or the biometric authentication system.

[0082] The database 621 shown in FIG. 7 is merely an example, and the entries in the database 621 vary depending on the registrant and the vehicle used by the registrant.

[0083] FIG. 11 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device used as the information processing device 101 in FIG. 1, the vehicle number acquisition device 302 in FIG. 4, the biometric authentication terminal device 303-i in FIG. 5, and the biometric authentication server 305 in FIG.

[0084] 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1101, a memory 1102, an input device 1103, an output device 1104, an auxiliary storage device 1105, a medium drive device 1106, and a network connection device 1107. These components are hardware and are connected to each other via a bus 1108. When the information processing device is a biometric authentication terminal device 303-i, the vein sensor 513 and the touch panel 514 in FIG. 5 may be connected to the bus 1108.

[0085] The memory 1102 is, for example, a semiconductor memory such as a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), or a flash memory, and stores programs and data used in processing. The memory 1102 may operate as the storage unit 615 in FIG.

[0086] 1 by executing a program using memory 1102. CPU 1101 also operates as acquisition unit 411, number generation unit 412, and list generation unit 413 in FIG.

[0087] The CPU 1101 also operates as a control unit 516, a reception unit 517, an acquisition unit 518, and an instruction unit 519 in Fig. 5 by executing a program using the memory 1102. The CPU 1101 also operates as a reception unit 611, an acquisition unit 612, and an authentication unit 613 in Fig. 6 by executing a program using the memory 1102.

[0088] The input device 1103 is, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc., and is used for inputting instructions or information from a user or an operator. The input device 1103 may operate as the operation unit 511 in FIG.

[0089] The output device 1104 is, for example, a display device, a printer, etc., and is used to output inquiries or instructions to a user or an operator, and processing results. The output device 1104 may operate as the display unit 512 in FIG.

[0090] The auxiliary storage device 1105 is, for example, a magnetic disk device, an optical disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, a tape device, or the like. The auxiliary storage device 1105 may be a hard disk drive or a flash memory. The information processing device can store programs and data in the auxiliary storage device 1105 and use them by loading them into the memory 1102. The auxiliary storage device 1105 may operate as the storage unit 615 in FIG. 6.

[0091] The medium drive device 1106 drives the portable recording medium 1109 and accesses the recorded contents. The portable recording medium 1109 is a memory device, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, etc. The portable recording medium 1109 may be a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, etc. An operator can store programs and data in the portable recording medium 1109 and load them into the memory 1102 for use.

[0092] In this manner, a computer-readable recording medium for storing the program and data used in the processing is a physical recording medium such as the memory 1102, the auxiliary storage device 1105, or the portable recording medium 1109. The recording medium may be non-transitory.

[0093] The network connection device 1107 is a communication interface circuit that is connected to the communication network 311 or 312 and performs data conversion associated with communication. The information processing device can receive programs and data from an external device via the network connection device 1107 and load them into the memory 1102 for use. The network connection device 1107 may operate as the communication unit 414 in FIG. 4, the communication unit 515 in FIG. 5, or the communication unit 614 in FIG. 6.

[0094] The payment device 304-i in Fig. 3 is an information processing device similar to that in Fig. 11. It is not necessary for the information processing device to include all of the components in Fig. 11, and some components may be omitted depending on the purpose or conditions of the information processing device. For example, when the information processing device is the vehicle number acquisition device 302 or the biometric authentication server 305, the input device 1103 and the output device 1104 may be omitted. When the portable recording medium 1109 is not used, the medium drive device 1106 may be omitted.

[0095] Although the disclosed embodiments and their advantages have been described in detail, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art may make various modifications, additions and omissions therein without departing from the scope of the invention as clearly set forth in the claims.

[0096] The following notes are further disclosed regarding the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. (Appendix 1) Identifying one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number from an image of the vehicle number plate; When the biometric information is received, a candidate corresponding to the biometric information is identified from the identified one or more candidates. A method for identifying a target object, the method comprising the steps of: (Appendix 2) The process of identifying the one or more candidates includes a process of acquiring registered biometric information of the one or more candidates from a database; The identification method described in Appendix 1, characterized in that the process of identifying a candidate corresponding to the biometric information includes a process of identifying a candidate corresponding to the biometric information based on a comparison result between the acquired registered biometric information of the one or more candidates and the accepted biometric information. (Appendix 3) The database includes registered biometric information of one or more candidates associated with each of a plurality of vehicle numbers; The identification method described in Appendix 2, characterized in that the process of obtaining registered biometric information of the one or more candidates from the database includes a process of obtaining registered biometric information of one or more candidates associated with an identified vehicle number among the multiple vehicle numbers. (Appendix 4) The identification method described in any one of appendices 1 to 3, characterized in that when identifying the one or more candidates, if multiple vehicle numbers are identified from the image recognition results, the method includes a process of identifying one or more candidates corresponding to each of the identified multiple vehicle numbers. (Appendix 5) The identification method described in any one of Appendices 1 to 4, characterized in that when identifying the one or more candidates, if multiple images each depicting a multiple vehicle are received, the method includes a process of identifying one or more candidates associated with the multiple vehicle numbers identified from the recognition results of the multiple images. (Appendix 6) The identification method described in any one of Appendices 1 to 5, characterized in that the one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number are at least one of a driver or a user other than the driver who may be a person who is likely to ride in the vehicle indicated by the identified vehicle number. (Appendix 7) The identification method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the received biometric information is information regarding palm veins. (Appendix 8) A first identification unit that identifies one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number from an image of the vehicle number plate; a second identification unit that, when receiving biometric information, identifies a candidate corresponding to the biometric information from among the identified one or more candidates; An information processing device comprising: (Appendix 9) The first identification unit acquires registered biometric information of the one or more candidates from a database, The information processing device described in Appendix 8, characterized in that the second identification unit identifies a candidate corresponding to the biometric information based on a comparison result of comparing the acquired registered biometric information of the one or more candidates with the accepted biometric information. (Appendix 10) The database includes registered biometric information of one or more candidates associated with each of a plurality of vehicle numbers; The information processing device described in Appendix 9, characterized in that the first identification unit acquires registered biometric information of one or more candidates associated with an identified vehicle number among the multiple vehicle numbers. (Appendix 11) The information processing device described in any one of Appendices 8 to 10, characterized in that when identifying the one or more candidates, if multiple vehicle numbers are identified from the image recognition results, the first identification unit identifies one or more candidates corresponding to each of the identified multiple vehicle numbers. (Appendix 12) The information processing device described in any one of Appendices 8 to 11, characterized in that when the first identification unit receives multiple images of multiple vehicles respectively when identifying the one or more candidates, it identifies one or more candidates associated with the multiple vehicle numbers identified from the recognition results of the multiple images. (Appendix 13) An information processing device described in any one of Appendices 8 to 12, characterized in that the one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number are at least one of a driver or a user other than the driver who may be a person who is likely to ride in the vehicle indicated by the identified vehicle number. (Appendix 14) 14. The information processing device according to claim 8, wherein the received biometric information is palm vein information. (Appendix 15) Identifying one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number from an image of the vehicle number plate; When the biometric information is received, a candidate corresponding to the biometric information is identified from the identified one or more candidates. A specific program for causing a computer to execute a process. (Appendix 16) The process of identifying the one or more candidates includes a process of acquiring registered biometric information of the one or more candidates from a database; The identification program described in Appendix 15, characterized in that the process of identifying a candidate corresponding to the biometric information includes a process of identifying a candidate corresponding to the biometric information based on a comparison result between the acquired registered biometric information of the one or more candidates and the accepted biometric information. (Appendix 17) The database includes registered biometric information of one or more candidates associated with each of a plurality of vehicle numbers; The specific program described in Appendix 16, characterized in that the process of obtaining the registered biometric information of the one or more candidates from the database includes a process of obtaining the registered biometric information of one or more candidates associated with an identified vehicle number among the multiple vehicle numbers. (Appendix 18) The identification program described in any one of Appendices 15 to 17, characterized in that when identifying the one or more candidates, if multiple vehicle numbers are identified from the image recognition results, the identification program causes the computer to execute a process of identifying one or more candidates associated with each of the identified multiple vehicle numbers. (Appendix 19) The identification program described in any one of Appendices 15 to 18, characterized in that when identifying the one or more candidates, the identification program causes the computer to execute a process of identifying one or more candidates associated with the multiple vehicle numbers identified from the recognition results of the multiple images when multiple images of multiple vehicles are received. (Appendix 20) The identification program described in any one of Appendices 15 to 19, characterized in that the one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number are at least one of a driver or a user other than the driver who may be a person who is likely to ride in the vehicle indicated by the identified vehicle number. (Appendix 21) 21. The specific program according to any one of appendices 15 to 20, wherein the received biometric information is information regarding palm veins. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 101 Information processing device 111 1st Specific Section 112 Second Specific Part 301 Imaging device 302 Vehicle number acquisition device 303-1~303-3 Biometric authentication terminal device 304-1~304-3 Payment device 305 Biometric authentication server 311, 312 Communication Network 411, 518, 612 Acquisition Department 412 Number Generation Department 413 List Generation Unit 414, 515, 614 Communications Department 511 Operation section 512 Display section 513 Vein Sensor 514 Touch Panel 516 Control Unit 517, 611 Reception 519 Instruction section 613 Authentication Department 615 Storage section 621 Database 622 Vehicle Number List 623 Vein Information 624 Authentication Result 1101 CPU 1102 Memory 1103 Input Device 1104 Output device 1105 Auxiliary storage device 1106 Media drive unit 1107 Network connection device 1108 Bus 1109 Portable recording media

Claims

1. Identifying one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number from an image of the vehicle number plate; When the biometric information is received, a candidate corresponding to the biometric information is identified from the identified one or more candidates. The computer executes the process, The identification method is characterized in that, in the process of identifying the one or more candidates, if multiple vehicle numbers are generated from a single vehicle number plate as a result of the image recognition, the identification method includes a process of identifying one or more candidates corresponding to each of the multiple vehicle numbers.

2. The process of identifying the one or more candidates includes a process of acquiring registered biometric information of the one or more candidates from a database; The identification method according to claim 1, characterized in that the process of identifying a candidate corresponding to the biometric information includes a process of identifying a candidate corresponding to the biometric information based on a comparison result between the acquired registered biometric information of the one or more candidates and the accepted biometric information.

3. The database includes registered biometric information of one or more candidates associated with each of a plurality of vehicle numbers; The identification method described in claim 2, characterized in that the process of obtaining registered biometric information of the one or more candidates from the database includes a process of obtaining registered biometric information of one or more candidates associated with an identified vehicle number from among the multiple vehicle numbers included in the database.

4. The identification method described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that when identifying the one or more candidates, if multiple images each depicting a multiple vehicle are received, a process of identifying one or more candidates associated with the multiple vehicle numbers identified from the recognition results of the multiple images is included.

5. The identification method described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number are at least one of a driver or a user other than the driver who may be a person who is likely to ride in the vehicle indicated by the identified vehicle number.

6. A first identification unit that identifies one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number from an image of a vehicle number plate; a second identification unit that, when receiving biometric information, identifies a candidate corresponding to the biometric information from among the identified one or more candidates; Equipped with When a plurality of vehicle numbers are generated from a single vehicle number plate as a result of the image recognition, the first identification unit identifies one or a plurality of candidates associated with each of the plurality of vehicle numbers.

23. An information processing apparatus comprising:

7. Identifying one or more candidates associated with the identified vehicle number from an image of the vehicle number plate; When the biometric information is received, a candidate corresponding to the biometric information is identified from the identified one or more candidates. The process is executed by a computer, In the process of identifying the one or more candidates, when a plurality of vehicle numbers are generated from a number plate of one of the vehicles as a result of the recognition of the image, a process of identifying one or more candidates associated with each of the plurality of vehicle numbers is included. A specific program characterized by:

Images