AUTHENTICATION SERVER, AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM, AUTHENTICATION REQUEST PROCESSING METHOD AND PROGRAM

Abstract

Provided is an authentication server (10) that efficiently performs identity verification using an identification card. The authentication server (10) is provided with: a reception unit (101); an authentication request processing unit (102); and a transmission unit (103). The reception unit (101) receives, from a service provider, an authentication request regarding a to-be-authenticated person who presents an identification card. The authentication request processing unit (102) processes the authentication request by executing biometric authentication using biological information about the to-be-authenticated person and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card. The transmission unit (103) transmits the authentication result based on the results of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an authentication server, an authentication system, an authentication request processing method, and a storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] When local governments provide services to residents, they often require strict identity verification. For example, when paying subsidies, strict identity verification is necessary to prevent fraudulent receipt of subsidies.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses technology for reducing the burden on local government employees, etc. It states that a system is provided that supports applications for administrative certificates, which eliminates the need for personal authentication cards such as My Number cards and data entry by applicants who visit the counter by entering their kana name and date of birth, and also eliminates the need for counter staff to enter data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-024479 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, identity verification is performed using an identification card such as a My Number card. Here, identity verification using the identification card requires confirmation that the user who has been issued a certificate presents a correct certificate and that the presented identification card is genuine.

[0006] If such identity verification is performed by local government employees, the burden on employees will increase in situations where a large amount of work needs to be processed in a short period of time, or the convenience for users will decrease because a large amount of work cannot be processed in a short period of time.

[0007] A primary object of the present invention is to provide an authentication server, an authentication system, an authentication request processing method, and a storage medium that contribute to efficient identity verification using an identification card. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an authentication server comprising: a receiving unit that receives an authentication request from a service provider regarding a person to be authenticated who presents an identification card; an authentication request processing unit that processes the authentication request by performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card; and a transmitting unit that transmits an authentication result corresponding to results of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the service provider.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an authentication system including a business management server that transmits an authentication request for a person to be authenticated who presents an identification card, and an authentication server connected to the business management server, wherein the authentication server comprises: a receiving unit that receives the authentication request; an authentication request processing unit that processes the authentication request by performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card; and a transmitting unit that transmits an authentication result corresponding to results of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the business management server.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an authentication request processing method in which an authentication server receives an authentication request for a person to be authenticated who presents an identification card from a service provider, processes the authentication request by performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card, and transmits an authentication result according to results of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the service provider.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer mounted on an authentication server to execute the following processes: receiving an authentication request from a service provider regarding a person to be authenticated who presents an identification card; performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card; and transmitting an authentication result corresponding to the results of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the service provider. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to each aspect of the present invention, an authentication server, an authentication system, an authentication request processing method, and a storage medium are provided that contribute to efficient identity verification using an identification card. Note that the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above. The present invention may achieve other effects instead of or in addition to the effects. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an authentication system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of a terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a user information acquisition unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a user information acquisition unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of a business management server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an authentication request according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a business management database according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of an authentication server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an authentication history database according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an authentication policy database according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of an authentication server according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a biological information database according to the third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the authentication system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of an authentication server. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an authentication system according to a modified example of the present disclosure. [Figure 21] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of an authentication server according to a modified example of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] First, an outline of one embodiment will be described. The reference numerals in the drawings are added to each element for convenience as an example to aid in understanding, and the description of the outline is not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the blocks shown in each drawing represent functional units rather than hardware units. The connection lines between the blocks in each drawing include both bidirectional and unidirectional. The unidirectional arrows are used to diagrammatically indicate the flow of the main signal (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. In this specification and the drawings, elements that can be similarly described may be given the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

[0015] An authentication server 100 according to an embodiment includes a receiving unit 101, an authentication request processing unit 102, and a transmitting unit 103 (see FIG. 1). The receiving unit 101 receives an authentication request from a service provider regarding a person to be authenticated who presents an identification card. The authentication request processing unit 102 processes the authentication request by performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card. The transmitting unit 103 transmits an authentication result according to the results of the biometric authentication and electronic authentication to the service provider.

[0016] The authentication server 100 executes two types of authentication using identification cards without human intervention. In addition, the two types of identity verification can be performed in parallel, which realizes efficient identity verification using identification cards.

[0017] Specific embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] [First embodiment] The first embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0019] [System configuration] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an authentication system according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the authentication system includes a plurality of service providers, an authentication center, and the like.

[0020] A service provider is an individual, group, organization, etc. that provides various services to users. For example, examples of service providers include retail, medical, financial, and insurance businesses. Alternatively, a service provider may be a public institution such as a city hall. The service provider disclosed in the present application is only required to be able to provide services to users who present an "identification card."

[0021] Examples of services provided by private service providers include medical services provided by hospitals and pharmacies, and financial services provided by banks. Alternatively, the present disclosure may be applied to insurance services provided by insurance companies.

[0022] Alternatively, the service provided by the service provider may be subsidies, benefits, etc., provided by a local government. Alternatively, the service provider may provide a service for identifying an heir from family register information.

[0023] The service provider disclosed in this application provides any service to users whose identities are confirmed.

[0024] As described above, a service provider provides a service to a user who presents an identification card. Examples of the identification card include a card with an integrated circuit (IC) chip built in, such as a My Number card, a driver's license, or a passport. Alternatively, a smartphone or the like that includes the function of an identification card equipped with the IC chip may be used as the identification card.

[0025] The IC chip of the ID card stores electronic information such as an electronic certificate issued by a public certification authority and an electronic signature signed by a public institution. For example, the electronic certificate and the electronic signature are stored in the IC chip of the ID card.

[0026] The service provider provides the service to the user who has completed identity verification based on the ID card. The following explanation will be given using the example of an ID card that has an "electronic certificate" stored in the IC chip.

[0027] The authentication center is operated by an organization or group that provides "authentication services" to multiple service providers. Specifically, the authentication center provides services related to identity verification (identification) based on the above-mentioned identification documents.

[0028] An authentication server 10 is installed in the authentication center. The authentication server 10 is responsible for the process related to the identity verification. The authentication server 10 may be a server installed on the premises of the authentication center, or may be a server installed on the cloud. A plurality of authentication servers 10 may cooperate to perform the identity verification.

[0029] The authentication server 10 is an authentication authority that supports two types of authentication methods (means, methods).

[0030] The first authentication method is identity authentication using biometric information (biometric authentication). Biometric authentication determines whether the user who submitted the identification card is the user who was issued the correct identification card. For example, if user B presents an identification card issued to user A, authentication will fail.

[0031] Examples of the biometric information of a user include data (feature amounts) calculated from physical characteristics unique to an individual, such as a face, fingerprint, voiceprint, veins, retina, and iris pattern. Alternatively, the biometric information of a user may be image data such as a face image or fingerprint image. The biometric information of a user may include information on the physical characteristics of the user. In this disclosure, a case where biometric information related to a person's "face" is used will be described.

[0032] The second authentication method is identity authentication using electronic information stored in the IC chip of the identification card (hereinafter referred to as electronic authentication). The validity and authenticity of the identification card are determined by electronic authentication. For example, an identification card has a set validity period, and authentication of a user who presents an identification card whose validity period has expired will fail. In addition, the information written on the identification card (e.g., name, address, etc.) may change. If the information written on the identification card changes, the user must be issued an identification card with the correct information written on it. In other words, if an identification card that does not reflect the correct information is presented, authentication of the user who presents that identification card will also fail.

[0033] The second authentication method, electronic authentication, can be considered as "electronic verification" that verifies the identification card presented by the user using the electronic information contained in the identification card. Service providers cannot carry out their business (e.g., applying for subsidies) based on information (e.g., address) obtained from an identification card that does not reflect the correct information. In this respect, electronic authentication (electronic verification) is necessary in addition to identity verification using biometric authentication.

[0034] The service provider requests the authentication server 10 to perform authentication using at least one of the above two authentication methods (biometric authentication and electronic authentication).

[0035] An authentication request made by the service provider to the authentication server 10, which requests both biometric authentication and electronic authentication, is denoted as "authentication request 1".

[0036] An authentication request in which a service provider requests authentication through electronic authentication is referred to as "authentication request 2."

[0037] An authentication request in which the service provider requests authentication using biometric authentication is referred to as “authentication request 3.”

[0038] The authentication server 10 accepts any one of the authentication requests 1 to 3 and transmits the result of the authentication process (authentication successful, authentication failed) to the sender of the authentication request (service provider). When the authentication server 10 receives the authentication request 1, if the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication are both successful, the authentication server 10 transmits "authentication successful" to the service provider.

[0039] Each service provider has a business management server and a terminal.

[0040] For example, a service provider S1 is provided with a business management server 20 and a plurality of authentication terminals 30. A service provider S2 is provided with a business management server 21 and a plurality of authentication terminals 31.

[0041] In the following description, when it is necessary to distinguish between the components, the reference numerals to the right of the hyphens are used. The operation of each device included in the service provider S1 and the service provider S2 can be the same, so the following description will be centered on the service provider S1.

[0042] The devices shown in Fig. 2 are interconnected. For example, the authentication server 10 and the service management server 20 are connected by wired or wireless communication means and configured to be able to communicate with each other.

[0043] The business management server 20 is a server that controls and manages the overall business of the service provider. For example, when the service provider is a local government such as a city hall, the business management server 20 manages the history of services provided to residents. For example, the business management server 20 stores information such as whether or not subsidy payment to a resident has been completed. When the service provider is a medical institution such as a hospital, the business management server stores information such as the patient's medical department and consultation date.

[0044] The service management server 20 provides services to users who have completed identity verification using an ID card. The service management server 20 selects one of the above authentication requests 1 to 3 according to the service provider's business content, business form, business scale, etc., and requests the authentication server 10 to authenticate the user.

[0045] For example, if the business type of the service provider requires strict identity verification, the user who receives the service must be successful in both biometric authentication and electronic authentication. In this case, the business management server 20 requests both biometric authentication and electronic authentication from the authentication server 10 (sends authentication request 1).

[0046] Even if the business type of the service provider requires strict identity verification, when an employee or the like verifies the identity of the user based on the user's face or the like, the business management server 20 requests electronic authentication from the authentication server 10 (sends authentication request 2). Alternatively, when the business management server 20 itself performs biometric authentication, it is sufficient for the business management server 20 to request electronic authentication from the authentication server 10.

[0047] Also, for example, if the service provider is a retail store that sells alcohol or tobacco and it is sufficient to confirm the user's age, the business management server 20 requests biometric authentication from the authentication server 10 (sends authentication request 3). Since the service provider does not use information that may change, such as the name and address written on the identification card, in providing the service, electronic authentication to confirm the validity of the identification card is not necessary.

[0048] The terminal 30 is a device that is connected to the business management server 20 and serves as an interface for users who visit the service provider. The users receive various services via the terminal 30. For example, if the service provider is a medical institution such as a hospital, the user uses the terminal 30 to apply for a medical examination. Alternatively, if the service provider is a retail store, the user uses the terminal 30 to purchase products. Alternatively, if the service provider is a local government such as a city hall, the user uses the terminal 30 to apply for subsidies, etc.

[0049] When receiving a service, the user presents his / her identification card to the service provider. For example, the user inserts the identification card into a card reader connected to the terminal 30.

[0050] The terminal 30 acquires the user's biometric information (for example, a face image) and information stored in the IC chip of the identification card (hereinafter referred to as IC chip information), and transmits them to the business management server 20.

[0051] The service management server 20 uses this information to generate an authentication request and sends it to the authentication server 10. When the service management server 20 receives a "successful authentication" from the authentication server 10, it provides the service to the user via the terminal 30 or directly.

[0052] FIG. 2 is an example and is not intended to limit the configuration of the authentication system disclosed herein. For example, the authentication center may include two or more authentication servers 10. Alternatively, the service provider may include at least one or more terminals 30. Alternatively, the functions of the business management server 20 and the terminal 30 may be integrated, and the service may be provided by the integrated single device. Alternatively, in each service provider, multiple terminals 30 may be connected to one business management server 20 as shown in FIG. 2, or one terminal 30 may be connected to one business management server 20.

[0053] Next, the general operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0054] <Authentication requirement 1 (biometric authentication and electronic authentication)> FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the authentication system when the service provider transmits “authentication request 1” to the authentication server 10. As shown in FIG.

[0055] The terminal 30 photographs the user who presents the identification card and obtains a facial image. In the following description, the facial image obtained by the terminal 30 photographing the user is referred to as a "photographed facial image."

[0056] The terminal 30 acquires IC chip information from the identification card inserted into the card reader, and if necessary, acquires a password for reading out the electronic certificate stored in the IC chip.

[0057] The terminal 30 transmits the acquired photographed face image and IC chip information (IC chip information including an electronic certificate) to the business management server 20.

[0058] In addition to the electronic certificate, the IC chip information includes a facial image of the person to whom the identification card is to be issued, and personal information of the user (e.g., the four basic pieces of information: name, gender, address, and date of birth). The business management server 20 extracts the facial image from the IC chip information. In the following explanation, the facial image (or information relating to the facial image; e.g., features that characterize the facial image) stored in the IC chip of the identification card will be referred to as the "chip facial image." Note that the personal information included in the IC chip information is not limited to the name, etc., but also includes the passport number, etc.

[0059] The business management server 20 transmits “authentication request 1” including the service provider ID, two face images (photographed face image, chip face image), and an electronic certificate to the authentication server 10. The business management server 20 may also transmit personal information included in the IC chip information to the authentication server 10.

[0060] The service provider ID is identification information for uniquely identifying a service provider included in the authentication system. In the example of Fig. 2, different service provider IDs are assigned to the service providers S1 and S2.

[0061] Note that the service provider ID is an ID assigned to each service provider, not to each service. For example, in FIG. 2, even if service providers S1 and S2 are providers providing the same type of service (e.g., medical services), if they are managed by different entities, different IDs are assigned to these service providers.

[0062] The authentication server 10 and the business management server 20 share the service provider ID by any method. For example, when a service provider participates in the authentication system, the authentication server 10 generates a service provider ID and distributes (notifies) the generated service provider ID to the service provider.

[0063] The authentication server 10, which has received the authentication request 1, performs biometric authentication using the two face images (biometric information) included in the request. The authentication server 10 performs one-to-one matching using the two face images, and determines that the biometric authentication has been successful if the two face images are of the same person.

[0064] Before or after the biometric authentication, or in parallel with the biometric authentication, the authentication server 10 performs electronic authentication using an electronic certificate. Specifically, the authentication server 10 transmits the electronic certificate extracted from the authentication request 1 to the external validation server 40. The authentication server 10 requests the validation server 40 to validate the electronic certificate.

[0065] The validation server 40 is an entity that issues the electronic certificate stored in the IC chip, and is also called a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure).

[0066] The validation server 40 checks the validity period of the acquired electronic certificate and transmits the validation result to the authentication server 10 .

[0067] If the verification result of the verification server 40 is "verification successful", the authentication server 10 determines that "electronic authentication was successful".

[0068] If "biometric authentication is successful" and "electronic authentication is successful", the authentication server 10 sets the authentication result for authentication request 1 obtained from the service management server 20 to "authentication successful". In other words, if at least one of the above two authentications fails, the authentication server 10 sets the authentication result for authentication request 1 to "authentication failed".

[0069] The authentication server 10 transmits the authentication result (authentication success, authentication failure) to the business management server 20. If the authentication of the person to be authenticated is successful, the authentication server 10 generates a user ID (Identifier) ​​for identifying the person who was successfully authenticated, and transmits a response (authentication success) including the user ID to the business management server 20.

[0070] When successful authentication is received, the service management server 20 provides services to the user via the terminal 30. For example, the service management server 20 notifies the resident of the results of a subsidy application, or provides the patient with information about medical departments.

[0071] In this manner, the authentication server 10 receives an authentication request from the service provider regarding the person to be authenticated who presents an identification card. The authentication server 10 processes the authentication request by performing biometric authentication using the biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card. The authentication server 10 transmits an authentication result according to the results of the biometric authentication and electronic authentication to the service provider.

[0072] <Authentication request 2 (electronic authentication)> FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the authentication system when the service provider transmits “authentication request 2” to the authentication server 10. As shown in FIG.

[0073] The terminal 30 transmits the user's face image and IC chip information to the business management server 20.

[0074] The service management server 20 performs biometric authentication (one-to-one matching) using two face images (a photographed face image and a chip face image). If the biometric authentication is successful, the service management server 20 transmits an authentication request 2 including a service provider ID and an electronic certificate to the authentication server 10. The service management server 20 may transmit personal information extracted from the IC chip information to the authentication server 10.

[0075] The authentication server 10 extracts the electronic certificate from the authentication request 2 and requests the verification server 40 to verify the certificate. The authentication server 10 transmits an authentication result according to the verification result to the business management server 20. If the authentication is successful, the authentication server 10 transmits a response including the user ID to the business management server 20.

[0076] If both the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication result in "authentication success," the service management server 20 provides the service to the user.

[0077] In this way, in a service provider that requires biometric authentication and electronic authentication, the biometric authentication may be performed on the service provider side (edge ​​side), and the electronic authentication may be performed on the authentication center side (cloud side).

[0078] 4 shows the operation when the service management server 20 performs biometric authentication. As described above, biometric authentication may be performed visually by staff of the service provider. In this case, the service provider (service management server 20, terminal 30) does not need to acquire a face image or perform biometric authentication using a face image.

[0079] <Authentication request 3 (biometric authentication)> FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the authentication system when the service provider transmits “authentication request 3” to the authentication server 10. As shown in FIG.

[0080] The terminal 30 transmits the user's face image and IC chip information to the business management server 20.

[0081] The service management server 20 transmits an authentication request 3 including a service provider ID and two face images (a photographed face image and a chip face image) to the authentication server 10. The service management server 20 may transmit personal information to the authentication server 10.

[0082] The authentication server 10 performs biometric authentication (one-to-one matching) using two face images (a photographed face image and a chip face image). The authentication server 10 transmits an authentication result (authentication success, authentication failure) to the business management server 20. If the authentication is successful, the authentication server 10 transmits a response including the user ID to the business management server 20.

[0083] If the authentication result is "authentication successful", the service management server 20 provides the service to the user.

[0084] When the service provider requests biometric authentication from the authentication server 10, it is not necessary to transmit the electronic certificate to the authentication server 10. Therefore, the terminal 30 does not need to obtain a password for reading out the electronic certificate.

[0085] As described above regarding the processing of authentication requests 1 to 3, the authentication server 10 executes at least one of biometric authentication and electronic authentication depending on the type of authentication request.

[0086] Next, each device included in the authentication system according to the first embodiment will be described in detail.

[0087] [Device] 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the terminal 30 according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 6, the terminal 30 includes a communication control unit 201, a user information acquisition unit 202, a message output unit 203, and a storage unit 204.

[0088] The communication control unit 201 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 201 receives data (packets) from the service management server 20. The communication control unit 201 also transmits data to the service management server 20. The communication control unit 201 passes data received from other devices to other processing modules. The communication control unit 201 transmits data acquired from other processing modules to other devices. In this way, the other processing modules transmit and receive data to and from other devices via the communication control unit 201.

[0089] The user information acquisition unit 202 is a means for acquiring information about a user who wishes to receive a service.

[0090] For example, the user information acquisition unit 202 acquires a service desired by the user using a GUI (Graphical User Interface) including a list of services that can be provided by a service provider, as shown in Fig. 7. After that, the user information acquisition unit 202 displays a GUI as shown in Fig. 8, and acquires a password for reading the user's face image (captured face image) and electronic certificate.

[0091] The user information acquisition unit 202 controls the camera to acquire image data in which the user is photographed, and extracts a face image from the acquired image data.

[0092] Since the facial image extraction process by the user information acquisition unit 202 can use existing technology, detailed description will be omitted. For example, the user information acquisition unit 202 may extract a facial image (facial region) from image data using a learning model trained by a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network). Alternatively, the user information acquisition unit 202 may extract a facial image using a method such as template matching.

[0093] The user information acquisition unit 202 controls a card reader and reads information from the IC chip mounted on the identification card. The user information acquisition unit 202 acquires a face image (chip face image), an electronic certificate, etc. from the IC chip. The acquired password is required to read the electronic certificate.

[0094] If the electronic certificate cannot be read using the acquired password, the user information acquisition unit 202 notifies the user to that effect.

[0095] The user information acquisition unit 202 transmits the captured face image and IC chip information (chip face image, electronic certificate, personal information) to the business management server 20.

[0096] The message output unit 203 is a means for outputting various messages to the user. For example, the message output unit 203 outputs a message related to the provision of a service. The message output unit 203 may display the message using a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor, or may play back an audio message using an audio device such as a speaker.

[0097] The storage unit 204 stores information necessary for the operation of the terminal 30 .

[0098] [Business management server] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the service management server 20 according to the first embodiment. Referring to Fig. 9, the service management server 20 includes a communication control unit 301, an authentication request unit 302, a service providing unit 303, a biometric authentication unit 304, and a storage unit 305.

[0099] The communication control unit 301 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 301 receives data (packets) from the authentication server 10. The communication control unit 301 also transmits data to the authentication server 10. The communication control unit 301 passes data received from other devices to other processing modules. The communication control unit 301 transmits data acquired from other processing modules to other devices. In this way, the other processing modules transmit and receive data to and from other devices via the communication control unit 301.

[0100] The authentication request unit 302 is a means for requesting the authentication server 10 to authenticate the user. The type of authentication to be requested of the authentication server 10 is determined in advance according to the type of business of the service provider. The authentication request unit 302 generates one of authentication requests 1 to 3 according to the predetermined settings and transmits it to the authentication server 10.

[0101] The authentication request unit 302 generates an authentication request in a format as shown in Fig. 10. The authentication request includes fields for storing an ID (authentication type ID) indicating what type of authentication is requested, an ID (service provider ID) for identifying the service provider, two facial images, an electronic certificate, etc. As described above, the authentication request unit 302 may generate an authentication request including personal information read from the IC chip.

[0102] When requesting biometric authentication and electronic authentication, the authentication request unit 302 sets the authentication type ID to "1." When requesting electronic authentication, the authentication request unit 302 sets the authentication type ID to "2." When requesting biometric authentication, the authentication request unit 302 sets the authentication type ID to "3."

[0103] The authentication request unit 302 sets blanks in fields of information that do not require authentication. For example, when sending authentication request 2, the authentication request unit 302 sets blanks in the face image field, and when sending authentication request 3, the authentication request unit 302 sets blanks in the digital certificate field.

[0104] The format of the authentication request shown in FIG. 10 is an example, and is not intended to limit the contents thereof. For example, the authentication type ID does not need to be included in the authentication request. The authentication server 10 may determine which type of authentication is requested according to the information set in the authentication request. For example, when an authentication request including two face images and a digital certificate is received, the authentication server 10 may determine that it has received authentication request 1. The authentication server 10 may determine that an authentication request that does not include two face images is authentication request 2, and that an authentication request that does not include a digital certificate is authentication request 3.

[0105] When a notification of authentication failure is received from the authentication server 10, the authentication request unit 302 notifies the user of this via the terminal 30.

[0106] When receiving a notification of successful authentication from the authentication server 10, the authentication request unit 302 passes the user ID sent together with the authentication result to the service providing unit 303.

[0107] The service providing unit 303 is a means for providing services to a person who has been successfully authenticated. The service providing unit 303 performs user management and the like using a business management database (DB; Data Base).

[0108] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a service management database according to the first embodiment. For example, the service providing unit 303 manages services using a database as shown in FIG.

[0109] For example, if the user ID acquired from the authentication server 10 is not registered in the database, the service providing unit 303 adds a new entry.

[0110] If the user ID obtained from the authentication server is already registered in the database, the service providing unit 303 provides a service based on the information read from the corresponding entry. In the example of Fig. 11, the service providing unit 303 guides the successfully authenticated person to an internal medicine department.

[0111] It should be noted that the business management database shown in Fig. 11 is merely an example, and it is needless to say that the contents thereof are not limited thereto. For example, the service providing unit 303 may manage users (those who have been successfully authenticated) using the four basic pieces of information, etc., without using the user ID. Furthermore, if the business type and mode of the service provider differs, the information stored in the business management database will differ, and the operation of the service providing unit 303 will naturally differ.

[0112] The biometric authentication unit 304 is a means for performing biometric authentication of a user. As shown in FIG. 4, the biometric authentication unit 304 is a module required when the service management server 20 executes biometric authentication.

[0113] When biometric authentication is performed by the service management server 20, the authentication request unit 302 passes two face images (a photographed face image and a chip face image) to the biometric authentication unit 304.

[0114] The biometric authentication unit 304 performs one-to-one matching using two face images. Specifically, the biometric authentication unit 304 generates features (feature vectors consisting of a plurality of features) from each of the two face images. The biometric authentication unit 304 calculates the similarity between the two features. If the calculated similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the biometric authentication unit 304 determines that the authentication is successful. If the calculated similarity is smaller than the predetermined value, the biometric authentication unit 304 determines that the authentication is unsuccessful.

[0115] Since existing technology can be used for the process of generating the feature amount, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. For example, the biometric authentication unit 304 extracts the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. as feature points from the face image. After that, the biometric authentication unit 304 calculates the positions of the feature points and the distances between the feature points as feature amounts, and generates a feature vector (vector information that characterizes the face image) consisting of multiple feature amounts. In addition, the biometric authentication unit 304 calculates the chi-square distance, Euclidean distance, etc. as the similarity of the feature amounts (face images). The greater the distance, the lower the similarity, and the closer the distance, the higher the similarity.

[0116] The biometric authentication unit 304 notifies the authentication request unit 302 of the authentication result (authentication success, authentication failure).

[0117] When biometric authentication is performed by the service management server 20, the authentication request unit 302 transmits an authentication request 2 to the authentication server 10 in response to a successful biometric authentication. The authentication request unit 302 determines whether or not the authentication of the person to be authenticated has been successful in response to the results of the two authentications (biometric authentication and electronic authentication).

[0118] The storage unit 305 stores information necessary for the operation of the service management server 20 .

[0119] [Authentication Server] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the authentication server 10 according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 12, the authentication server 10 includes a communication control unit 401, an authentication request processing unit 402, an authentication history management unit 403, and a storage unit 404.

[0120] The communication control unit 401 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 401 receives data (packets) from the service management server 20. The communication control unit 401 also transmits data to the service management server 20. The communication control unit 401 passes data received from other devices to other processing modules. The communication control unit 401 transmits data acquired from other processing modules to other devices. In this way, the other processing modules transmit and receive data to and from other devices via the communication control unit 401. The communication control unit 401 has a function as a receiver that receives an authentication request and a function as a transmitter that transmits an authentication result.

[0121] The authentication request processing unit 402 is a unit for processing an authentication request received from a service provider. The authentication request processing unit 402 includes sub-modules of a biometric authentication unit 411 and an electronic authentication unit 412.

[0122] When the authentication request 1 or 3 is received from the service management server 20, the biometric authentication unit 411 performs biometric authentication.

[0123] The biometric authentication unit 411 performs one-to-one matching (biometric authentication) using the biometric information (photographed face image) of the person to be authenticated and the biometric information (chip face image) extracted from the identification card. That is, the biometric authentication unit 411 performs matching processing (one-to-one matching) using two face images (photographed face image, chip face image) and judges whether the two face images are images obtained from the same person. The operation of the biometric authentication unit 411 can be the same as that of the biometric authentication unit 304 of the business management server 20, so further detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0124] When an authentication request 1 or 2 is received from the service management server 20, the electronic authentication unit 412 performs electronic authentication.

[0125] The electronic authentication unit 412 sends the electronic certificate to the validation server 40 and requests the validation server 40 to validate the certificate. When a response is received from the validation server 40 indicating that the validation of the electronic certificate was successful, the electronic authentication unit 412 determines that the electronic authentication was successful. When a response is received from the validation server 40 indicating that the validation of the electronic certificate was unsuccessful, the electronic authentication unit 412 determines that the electronic authentication was unsuccessful.

[0126] When receiving authentication request 1, if both the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication are "successful", the authentication request processing unit 402 sets the authentication result to "authentication successful". In other words, if at least one of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication is "failed", the authentication result is set to "authentication failed".

[0127] Furthermore, the authentication request processing unit 402 may perform electronic authentication in response to a successful biometric authentication. In other words, if the biometric authentication fails, the authentication result sent to the service provider is "authentication failed" regardless of the result of the electronic authentication. The authentication request processing unit 402 can reduce unnecessary verification requests by making a request for electronic authentication to the verification server 40 in response to a successful biometric authentication. Alternatively, the authentication request processing unit 402 may perform biometric authentication in response to a successful electronic authentication.

[0128] When authentication request 2 is received, if electronic authentication is "successful", authentication request processing unit 402 sets the authentication result to "authentication successful".

[0129] When authentication request 3 is received, if the biometric authentication is "successful", the authentication request processing unit 402 sets the authentication result to "authentication successful".

[0130] When "authentication successful" is set as the authentication result, the authentication request processing unit 402 generates a user ID for identifying the person who has been successfully authenticated. The authentication request processing unit 402 generates the user ID by any method. For example, the authentication request processing unit 402 may generate a user ID by calculating a hash value of a face image (feature amount) of the person who has been successfully authenticated. Alternatively, the authentication request processing unit 402 may concatenate the four basic information items (name, sex, address, and date of birth) of the person who has been successfully authenticated, and generate a hash value of the concatenated value as the user ID. Note that if the person who has been successfully authenticated is not a new user, it is not necessary for the authentication request processing unit 402 to generate a user ID. The authentication request processing unit 402 may determine (specify) whether the user is new or not by using an authentication history database described later.

[0131] If the authentication of the person to be authenticated is successful, the authentication request processing unit 402 transmits an authentication result (authentication success) including the generated user ID to the business management server 20. If the authentication of the person to be authenticated is unsuccessful, the authentication request processing unit 402 notifies the business management server 20 of the fact (authentication failure). Note that the response transmitted from the authentication request processing unit 402 to the business management server 20 may include other information (for example, the name of the person to be authenticated, the authentication date and time, etc.) in addition to the authentication result.

[0132] The authentication request processing unit 402 passes the generated user ID and the service provider ID extracted from the authentication request to the authentication history management unit 403 .

[0133] The authentication history management unit 403 is a means for managing the authentication history of a person who has been successfully authenticated. The authentication history management unit 403 manages the authentication history by using an authentication history database. The authentication history database stores the history of successful authentication for each service provider for biometric authentication and electronic authentication.

[0134] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the authentication history database according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 13, the date and time when the biometric authentication and electronic authentication were successful are stored for each user ID of a person who was successfully authenticated and for each service provider.

[0135] The authentication history management unit 403 searches the authentication history database using the user ID acquired from the authentication request processing unit 402 as a key. If there is no corresponding entry, the authentication history management unit 403 creates a new entry and stores the date and time of the biometric authentication and electronic authentication, categorizing them for each service provider.

[0136] If an entry corresponding to the user ID exists and a corresponding service provider field exists, the authentication history management unit 403 updates the authentication date and time stored in that field. If an entry corresponding to the user ID exists and a corresponding service provider field does not exist, the authentication history management unit 403 adds a new service provider field and stores the authentication date and time in that field.

[0137] In this way, the authentication history management unit 403 updates the authentication history database using the user ID, the service provider ID, and the authentication dates and times of the biometric authentication and electronic authentication.

[0138] As shown in FIG. 13, even if the same person is successfully authenticated, different service providers may require different authentication methods (biometric authentication, electronic authentication).

[0139] The authentication history management unit 403 manages the authentication history of each service provider, allowing the service provider to refer to the authentication history of the user. Specifically, the service provider transmits the user ID of the user whose history is to be referred to and its own service provider ID to the authentication server 10. The authentication history management unit 403 identifies the corresponding authentication date and time based on the user ID and service provider ID, and returns the authentication date and time to the service provider.

[0140] The storage unit 404 stores information necessary for the operation of the authentication server 10 .

[0141] [Verification server] The validation server 40 can be configured using existing authentication infrastructure technology, and its configuration and operation will be apparent to those skilled in the art, so detailed description will be omitted.

[0142] [System Operation] Next, the operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0143] FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment.

[0144] The terminal 30 acquires a face image and IC chip information of the user, and transmits this information to the service management server 20 (step S01).

[0145] The service management server 20 generates an authentication request using the acquired face image and IC chip information, and transmits it to the authentication server 10 (step S02).

[0146] The authentication server 10 checks the "authentication type ID" included in the authentication request, and determines the authentication method that needs to be executed (step S03).

[0147] The authentication server 10 executes the determined authentication method (executing authentication; step S04). Specifically, when authentication request 1 is received, the authentication server 10 executes biometric authentication and electronic authentication. When authentication request 2 is received, the authentication server 10 executes electronic authentication. When authentication request 3 is received, the authentication server 10 executes biometric authentication.

[0148] The authentication server 10 generates an authentication result and transmits it to the service management server 20 (step S05).

[0149] When the service provider (terminal 30, business management server 20) receives the successful authentication, it provides the service to the user (step S06).

[0150] As described above, in the authentication system according to the first embodiment, the authentication server 10 processes an authentication request from a service provider. In particular, the authentication server 10 can process an authentication request that simultaneously requests biometric authentication and electronic authentication of the person to be authenticated. As a result, the service provider does not need to take measures such as having employees compare the face of the user with the face written on the identification card. Since the validity of the identification card is guaranteed by electronic authentication using electronic information, the service provider can provide services to the user based on reliable and certain information. That is, in the authentication system according to the first embodiment, it is not necessary for employees to compare faces or to determine whether the identification card is correct. In addition, in the authentication system according to the first embodiment, two identity confirmations (identity authentications) can be performed in parallel, so that efficient identity confirmation using an identification card is realized.

[0151] Since the authentication server 10 can handle various requests (requests for biometric authentication and electronic authentication, requests for electronic authentication only, requests for biometric authentication only), it can provide flexible authentication services tailored to the industry, business style, etc. of each of multiple service providers.

[0152] [Second embodiment] Next, the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0153] In the first embodiment, a case has been described in which a service provider transmits an authentication request suitable for its business type and business model to the authentication server 10, and the authentication server 10 responds to the request. Here, depending on the business type of the service provider, there are cases in which biometric authentication and electronic authentication are required, but one of the authentications can be omitted. For example, in a medical institution such as a hospital, the above two authentications are required at the first visit, but electronic authentication can be omitted if it occurs within the same month.

[0154] In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which the authentication server 10 provides a flexible authentication service that is in line with the business practices of each service provider.

[0155] The configuration of the authentication system according to the second embodiment can be the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore the explanation corresponding to Fig. 2 will be omitted. Also, the processing configurations of the authentication server 10, the service management server 20, and the terminal 30 according to the second embodiment can be the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore the explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0156] The following description will focus on the differences between the first and second embodiments.

[0157] A service provider according to the second embodiment preregisters in the authentication server 10 an authentication policy that defines how the authentication server 10 processes an authentication request transmitted by the service provider.

[0158] For example, a service provider S1 requests biometric authentication and electronic authentication (sends authentication request 1 to authentication server 1). With regard to processing of authentication request 1, the service provider S1 registers an authentication policy in the authentication server 10 that requests the execution of biometric authentication and electronic authentication each time an authentication request is received.

[0159] Like the service provider S1, the service provider S2 also requests biometric authentication and electronic authentication from the authentication server 10. With regard to processing of authentication request 1, the service provider S2 registers an authentication policy in the authentication server 10 that requests biometric authentication to be performed every time an authentication request is received, while requesting electronic authentication to be performed once within the same month.

[0160] Even when the service provider requests only one of biometric authentication and electronic authentication, the service provider can register a similar authentication policy in the authentication server 10. For example, the service provider requests electronic authentication (sends authentication request 2 to the authentication server 10). With regard to the processing of authentication request 2, the service provider can register an authentication policy in the authentication server 10 such that electronic authentication is performed once a month.

[0161] A detailed description of the method for registering an authentication policy by a service registrant will be omitted. The service provider may register an authentication policy in the authentication server 10 using any method. For example, the service provider may register an authentication policy when participating in the authentication system, or a person in charge of the service provider may visit an authentication center and register the authentication policy. The service provider may notify (input) the assigned service provider ID and authentication policy to the authentication server 10.

[0162] The authentication server 10 according to the second embodiment stores an authentication policy for each service provider. The authentication server 10 includes an authentication policy database that stores the authentication policy (see FIG. 15). The authentication policy database stores the ID of the service provider and the authentication policy in association with each other.

[0163] The authentication request processing unit 402 processes the authentication request based on an authentication policy that is determined by the service provider as a method for processing the authentication request. The operation of the authentication request processing unit 402 will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0164] 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the authentication server 10 according to the second embodiment. The operation of the authentication request processing unit 402 will be mainly described with reference to FIG.

[0165] When the authentication request processing unit 402 receives an authentication request from the service management server 20, it generates a user ID of the person to be authenticated (step S101).

[0166] The authentication request processing unit 402 searches the authentication history database using the generated user ID as a key (step S102). The authentication request processing unit 402 determines, through the search, whether the person to be authenticated is a user who has been authenticated in the past (hereinafter referred to as an existing person to be authenticated) or a user to be newly authenticated (hereinafter referred to as a new person to be authenticated).

[0167] If an entry corresponding to the generated user ID exists in the authentication history database, the authentication request processing unit 402 determines that the person to be authenticated is an "existing person to be authenticated." If an entry corresponding to the generated user ID does not exist in the authentication history database, the authentication request processing unit 402 determines that the person to be authenticated is a "new person to be authenticated."

[0168] If the person to be authenticated is a new person to be authenticated (step S103, Yes branch), the authentication request processing unit 402 executes the process described in the first embodiment. That is, the authentication request processing unit 402 executes authentication processing according to the type of authentication request (step S104).

[0169] If the person to be authenticated is an existing person (step S103, No branch), authentication request processing unit 402 searches the authentication policy database using the service provider ID acquired together with the authentication request as a key, and identifies a corresponding authentication policy (step S105).

[0170] The authentication request processing unit 402 determines whether or not to execute biometric authentication and electronic authentication for the person to be authenticated (existing person to be authenticated) (step S106). Specifically, the authentication request processing unit 402 determines whether or not to execute biometric authentication and electronic authentication based on the authentication policy of the service provider (the service provider that is the sender of the authentication request) and the authentication history of the existing person to be authenticated obtained from the authentication history database.

[0171] For example, with regard to the authentication policy of the service provider S1 shown in FIG. 15, biometric authentication and electronic authentication are required to be performed each time an authentication request is received, so the authentication request processing unit 402 determines to perform the two authentications regardless of the authentication history of the person to be authenticated.

[0172] On the other hand, the authentication policy of the service provider S2 requires the execution of biometric authentication, but whether or not electronic authentication is required is determined according to the authentication history of existing authenticatees. In other words, if the most recent electronic authentication date and the date on which the authentication request was received are within the same month, electronic authentication is determined to be unnecessary, and if the authentication date and the reception date are included in different months, electronic authentication is determined to be necessary. In this way, the authentication request processing unit 402 determines whether or not to execute electronic authentication based on the authentication policy and the electronic authentication history stored in the authentication history database.

[0173] The authentication request processing unit 402 executes the authentication (biometric authentication, electronic authentication) that is determined to be necessary (step S107).

[0174] The authentication request processing unit 402 transmits the authentication result to the business management server 20 (step S108). If the authentication was not performed according to the authentication policy, the authentication request processing unit 402 may treat the authentication that was not performed according to the authentication policy as "authentication success" and generate an authentication result (authentication success, authentication failure) for the authentication request. Alternatively, the authentication request processing unit 402 may notify the business management server 20 of the authentication method that was not performed according to the authentication policy.

[0175] As described above, the authentication system according to the second embodiment can meet the complex requirements of service providers by using an authentication policy. That is, the service provider does not need to manage the authentication status (authentication history) of the user, and can execute the minimum authentication required for the provision of its own service by transmitting the biometric information and electronic information of the user to the authentication server 10. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the amount of data transmission and reception between the authentication server 10 and the verification server 40 is reduced, so that frequent transmission and reception of highly confidential information such as electronic certificates can be suppressed.

[0176] [Third embodiment] Next, the third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0177] In the first and second embodiments, the explanation is given on the assumption that one type of authentication request is sent from one service provider. However, depending on the business type or mode of the service provider, different types of authentication requests may be sent from the same service provider to the authentication center.

[0178] For example, consider the case where the service provider is a casino operator. In this case, terminals 30 are installed at the entrances to the casino, and users who pass biometric authentication and electronic authentication can enter. Also, convenience stores are set up in various places in the casino, and biometric authentication is used for payment for purchasing goods at the convenience stores.

[0179] In the third embodiment, a case will be described in which a plurality of types of authentication requests are transmitted to the authentication server 10, such as in a casino.

[0180] The configuration of the authentication system according to the third embodiment can be the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore the explanation corresponding to Fig. 2 will be omitted. Also, the processing configurations of the authentication server 10, the service management server 20, and the terminal 30 according to the third embodiment can be the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore the explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0181] The following description will focus on the differences between the first to third embodiments.

[0182] A service provider according to the third embodiment registers an authentication policy including matters associated with authentication, in addition to a policy regarding the implementation of authentication (biometric authentication, electronic authentication), in the authentication server 10. The authentication server 10 performs operations in accordance with the authentication policy, thereby providing authentication services as required by the casino operator and the like.

[0183] The service provider registers the following authentication policy 1 regarding authentication request 1.

[0184] <Authentication Policy 1> When an authentication request 1 that requests biometric authentication and electronic authentication is received, the biometric information of the person who has been successfully authenticated is associated with personal information and stored in the biometric information database. Note that the personal information in this case includes credit information for payment (e.g., bank account and credit card information).

[0185] Furthermore, the service provider registers the following authentication policy 2 regarding the authentication request 3.

[0186] <Authentication Policy 2> When an authentication request 3 requesting biometric authentication is received, a one-to-N (N is a positive integer, the same applies below) match is performed using a biometric information database, and the corresponding personal information is sent to the service provider.

[0187] The authentication request processing unit 402 according to the third embodiment acquires a service provider ID when receiving an authentication request from the service management server 20. The authentication request processing unit 402 refers to an authentication policy database using the service provider ID and acquires a corresponding authentication policy.

[0188] When an authentication request 1 is received from a service provider that has registered the above authentication policies 1 and 2, the authentication request processing unit 402 executes processing in accordance with "authentication policy 1."

[0189] In this case, the authentication request processing unit 402 executes biometric authentication and electronic authentication. The authentication request processing unit 402 notifies the authentication result to the business management server 20. If both authentications are successful, the authentication request processing unit 402 associates the face image (photographed face image and / or chip face image) of the person who has been successfully authenticated, acquired from the business management server 20, with personal information, and stores them in the biometric information database (see FIG. 17).

[0190] When an authentication request 3 is received from the business management server 20 of the service provider, the authentication request processing unit 402 executes processing in accordance with "authentication policy 2".

[0191] In this case, the authentication request processing unit 402 executes biometric authentication. At that time, the authentication request processing unit 402 (biometric authentication unit 411) sets the face image acquired from the service management server 20 as the matching side and the face image registered in the biometric information database as the registration side, and executes one-to-many matching. The biometric authentication unit 411 identifies the face image on the registration side that has the highest similarity when the similarity between the matching side and the registration side is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and acquires the corresponding personal information. The authentication request processing unit 402 calculates feature amounts from the face image and calculates the similarity (distance) between the feature amounts.

[0192] The authentication request processing unit 402 transmits personal information of the person who has been successfully authenticated to the business management server 20 .

[0193] The service management server 20 provides services to the successfully authenticated person using the acquired personal information. For example, the service management server 20 performs a payment process using credit information registered as personal information.

[0194] The operation according to the third embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 18. Note that the service management server 20 is omitted in Fig. 18. The authentication terminal 30 and the authentication server 10 transmit and receive data via the service management server 20.

[0195] User U1 presents his / her identification card to terminal 30-3 installed at the entrance of a casino or the like. User U1 operates terminal 30-3 to input personal information (credit information). Alternatively, the personal information may be input using a terminal such as a smartphone of user U1. For example, personal information may be input to terminal 30-3 by presenting a two-dimensional barcode containing the personal information to terminal 30-3.

[0196] The terminal 30-3 transmits the facial image, IC chip information, and personal information of the user U1 to the service management server 20. The service management server 20 transmits an authentication request 1 including the facial image, electronic certificate, and personal information acquired from the terminal 30-3 to the authentication server 10.

[0197] If both the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication are successful, the authentication server 10 stores the face image and personal information of the person who has been successfully authenticated (user U1) in the biometric information database in association with each other.

[0198] The authentication server 10 notifies the service provider (service management server 20, terminal 30-3) of the successful authentication. In response to receiving the successful authentication, the terminal 30-3 opens the gate and permits entrance of the user U1.

[0199] User U1 moves around the casino and pays for purchased items at terminal 30-4 installed in a kiosk.

[0200] The terminal 30-4 acquires a facial image of the user U1 and transmits it to the service management server 20. The service management server 20 transmits an authentication request 3 including the facial image of the user U1 to the authentication server 10.

[0201] The authentication server 10 identifies personal information of the user U1 through biometric authentication. More specifically, the authentication server 10 performs one-to-many matching using a face image registered in a biometric information database and a face image extracted from the authentication request 3, and identifies personal information of the user U1.

[0202] The authentication server 10 transmits the specified personal information (credit information) to the service provider (the business management server 20, the authentication terminal 30-4).

[0203] The service provider uses the acquired personal information to complete the payment process for user U1.

[0204] As described above, the authentication server 10 according to the third embodiment is requested to perform biometric authentication and electronic authentication by a service provider that transmits different types of authentication requests. When the biometric authentication and electronic authentication are successful, the authentication server 10 stores the biometric information of the authenticated person and personal information (credit information) in a biometric information database in association with each other. When the authentication server 10 receives a request for biometric authentication from the service provider, the authentication server 10 identifies the personal information of the authenticated person by one-to-many matching using the biometric information stored in the biometric information database and the biometric information of the authenticated person. The authentication server 10 transmits the identified personal information to the service provider. As a result, in the third embodiment, even when different types of authentication are required in the same facility, the service provider can realize the necessary authentication without being aware of the specific contents of the authentication process. That is, in the third embodiment, an authentication service suitable for a service provider that is set up so that the authentication terminal 30 installed at the entrance transmits authentication request 1 and the authentication terminal 30 installed at the kiosk transmits authentication request 3, such as in a casino, can be provided.

[0205] Next, the hardware of each device constituting the authentication system will be described.

[0206] The authentication server 10 can be configured by an information processing device (so-called a computer), and has the configuration exemplified in Fig. 19. For example, the authentication server 10 includes a processor 311, a memory 312, an input / output interface 313, and a communication interface 314. The components such as the processor 311 are connected by an internal bus or the like, and are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

[0207] However, the configuration shown in Fig. 19 is not intended to limit the hardware configuration of the authentication server 10. The authentication server 10 may include hardware not shown. Furthermore, the number of processors 311 and the like included in the authentication server 10 is not intended to be limited to the example shown in Fig. 19, and for example, the authentication server 10 may include multiple processors 311.

[0208] The processor 311 is, for example, a programmable device such as a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP). Alternatively, the processor 311 may be a device such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor 311 executes various programs including an operating system (OS).

[0209] The memory 312 is a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The memory 312 stores an OS program, application programs, and various data.

[0210] The input / output interface 313 is an interface for a display device and an input device (not shown). The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display, etc. The input device is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. that accepts user operations.

[0211] The communication interface 314 is a circuit, a module, etc. that communicates with other devices. For example, the communication interface 314 includes a wireless communication circuit, a NIC (Network Interface Card), etc.

[0212] The functions of the authentication server 10 are realized by various processing modules. The processing modules are realized, for example, by the processor 311 executing a program stored in the memory 312. The program can be recorded in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium can be a non-transitory medium such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium, or an optical recording medium. That is, the present invention can also be embodied as a computer program product. The program can be downloaded via a network, or updated using a storage medium storing the program. The processing modules may also be realized by a semiconductor chip.

[0213] The business management server 20, the terminal 30, etc. can also be configured by information processing devices like the authentication server 10, and their basic hardware configurations are not described here because they are no different from the authentication server 10. For example, the terminal 30 may be equipped with a camera for capturing an image of a user and a card reader for reading information from an IC chip.

[0214] The authentication server 10 is equipped with a computer, and the functions of the authentication server 10 can be realized by causing the computer to execute a program. The authentication server 10 also executes an authentication request processing method by the program.

[0215] [Variations] The configuration, operation, and the like of the authentication system described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the system configuration, and the like.

[0216] In the above embodiment, a case has been mainly described in which a user who receives a service visits a service provider and presents an identification card. However, the disclosure of the present application can also be applied to a case in which a user receives a service via a WEB (web) page or the like. Specifically, the user takes a picture of his or her face using a terminal such as a smartphone, and registers the face image on a WEB page. Furthermore, the user may input IC chip information read from the IC chip of the identification card using a card reader into the WEB page.

[0217] The present disclosure is directed to any identification card that stores electronic information. For example, a driver's license equipped with an IC chip may be used as an identification card, or an identification card for certifying a specific qualification (e.g., doctor) may be used. Alternatively, if an IC chip is installed in an identification card such as a Social Security Number (SNN) card in the United States, the card may also be used as an identification card disclosed in the present application.

[0218] In the above embodiment, electronic authentication using an electronic certificate extracted from an IC chip has been described. However, the information used for electronic authentication is not limited to an electronic certificate, and an electronic signature may be used for electronic authentication. When the authentication server 10 receives an authentication request including an electronic signature extracted from an IC chip of a driver's license, the authentication server 10 acquires information for verifying the electronic signature from an external server. Specifically, the authentication server 10 acquires a public key of the signer of the electronic signature (the issuer of the driver's license). When the authentication server 10 succeeds in verifying the electronic signature using the acquired information (public key), the authentication server 10 determines that the electronic authentication has been successful. Alternatively, even if the identification does not store an electronic certificate, an electronic signature, or the like, such as a passport, the authentication server 10 can perform electronic authentication using information extracted from the IC chip of the identification. For example, the authentication server 10 may perform electronic authentication by inquiring of an external server about the validity of a passport number, or the like.

[0219] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which biometric information related to a "face image" is transmitted from the service management server 20 to the authentication server 10. However, biometric information related to a "feature amount generated from a face image" may be transmitted from the service management server 20 to the authentication server 10. Also, if the chip face image read from the IC chip is biometric information related to a "feature amount," the authentication server 10 may generate a feature amount corresponding to the chip face image from the captured face image and perform biometric authentication (one-to-one matching).

[0220] The multiple authentication terminals 30 owned by the service provider do not have to be installed on the same premises, building, etc. If the service provider is the same, the authentication terminals 30 may be installed in spatially separated locations.

[0221] In the above embodiment, the authentication server 10 generates a user ID and notifies the service provider of the user ID. However, the business management server 20 may generate a user ID and notify the authentication server 10 of the generated user ID. For example, the business management server 20 may generate a user ID from the four basic pieces of information. In this case, frequent transmission and reception of personal information can be suppressed.

[0222] In the above embodiment, it has been described that, when authentication fails, the authentication server 10 notifies the business management server 20 of only that fact. The authentication server 10 may also notify the business management server 20 of the reason for the authentication failure. For example, the authentication server 10 may notify the business management server 20 of the type of authentication failure (biometric authentication, electronic authentication). Alternatively, when electronic authentication fails, the authentication server 10 may notify the business management server 20 of the reason for the electronic authentication failure (for example, the validity period of the electronic certificate has expired). The service provider may notify the user of the reason for the authentication failure. Alternatively, the terminal 30 may perform a display or the like that allows the user to intuitively understand the reason why the service cannot be received. For example, the terminal 30 may provide information to the user by clearly indicating whether the service cannot be received due to an incorrect password or because the validity period of the identification card has expired.

[0223] Alternatively, even if the validity period of the electronic certificate has not yet expired, if the validity period is about to expire, the authentication server 10 may notify the business management server 20 of that fact. The service provider may notify the user of the fact that the validity period of the electronic certificate will soon expire.

[0224] In the above embodiment, the case where the user inputs a password for reading out the electronic certificate has been described. However, by storing the password in the authentication server 10, the user can omit inputting the password. The user registers his / her own face image and the above password in the authentication server 10. The terminal 30 transmits the photographed face image and IC chip information to the business management server 20. The business management server 20 transmits the photographed face image to the authentication server 10. The authentication server 10 performs a match (1:N match) using a face image registered in advance and a photographed face image acquired via the business management server 20, and identifies a corresponding password. The authentication server 10 transmits the identified password to the business management server 20. The business management server 20 retrieves the electronic certificate using the acquired password. For the subsequent processing, the business management server 20 may transmit the authentication request 1 or authentication request 2 described above. Alternatively, if the business management server 20 supports biometric authentication, the business management server 20 may store the user's biometric information and password in association with each other. In this case, the service management server 20 can obtain the electronic certificate without obtaining a password for extracting the electronic certificate from the authentication server 10. In other words, when the authentication request 2 is transmitted, if the biometric authentication at the service provider on the edge side is successful, the service management server 20 can read out the electronic certificate without obtaining a password from the user.

[0225] The authentication server 10 may check the authentication history periodically or at a predetermined timing, and notify the service provider (service management server 20) of various information according to the result. For example, the authentication server 10 may notify the service management server 20 of the user ID of a person who has been successfully authenticated (a user who has entered the casino) according to the authentication request 1 after a predetermined time (e.g., 24 hours) has elapsed since processing the authentication request 1 from the casino. In response to the notification, the casino operator may encourage the corresponding user (a user who has entered the casino for 24 hours) to leave and re-enter. Alternatively, the authentication server 10 may request the user who has entered the casino for a predetermined period of time to perform biometric authentication or electronic authentication again by presenting an identification card. Specifically, the authentication server 10 notifies the service provider (service management server 20) of the user ID of the user along with the fact (a predetermined period of time has elapsed since entering the casino). The service provider (service management server 20) may instruct (notify) the user corresponding to the notified user ID to leave the casino once and move to the authentication terminal 30 at the entrance. Alternatively, the service provider may instruct the user to move to the authentication terminal 30 installed inside the casino. The user presents his / her identification card at the instructed authentication terminal 30 and undergoes biometric authentication and electronic authentication again.

[0226] When processing an authentication request from one service provider, the authentication server 10 may use the results (authentication history) of processing an authentication request from another service provider. For example, in the example of FIG. 13, consider a case where the authentication server 10 receives an authentication request 1 from the service provider S2. In this case, if the month including the authentication request date is "July 2020", the electronic authentication of the user (user with user ID ID11) is executed according to the authentication policy of the service provider S2, since the immediately preceding electronic authentication date and the authentication request date are not within the same month. However, since the electronic authentication of the user by the service provider S1 has already been executed in "July 2020" and was successful, the authentication server 10 may determine based on this fact that "the immediately preceding electronic authentication date and the authentication request date are within the same month" and omit the electronic authentication.

[0227] In the above embodiment, it has been described that the service provider registers its own authentication policy in advance in the authentication server 10. However, the service provider may transmit the authentication policy together with the authentication request to the authentication server 10. By taking such measures, even if the authentication policy of the service provider is changed, the method of processing the authentication request can be changed without any procedure.

[0228] In the third embodiment, a case has been described in which different authentication requests (different types of authentication requests) from the same service provider are processed according to the authentication policy. However, in the authentication system according to the third embodiment, the authentication request may be extended to realize the desires of the service provider. For example, the authentication server 10 processes an authentication request in which the authentication type is set to "4" according to the contents of the authentication policy 1 described above. The authentication server 10 processes an authentication request in which the authentication type is set to "5" according to the contents of the authentication policy 2 described above.

[0229] The third embodiment may be applied to a service provided by a local government regarding preferential treatment for elderly people, disabled people, and the like with regard to the use of public transport. Specifically, when a service provider (local government) issues a public transport pass to an elderly person, etc., the service provider requests both biometric authentication and electronic authentication from the authentication server 10. When a user who has a public transport pass uses public transport, the public transport sends the user's biometric information (photographed face image, chip face image) to the business management server 20. The business management server 20 requests the authentication server 10 to authenticate the biometric information. The business management server 20 manages the use of the public transport pass according to the result of the biometric authentication. In addition, with regard to the provision of a service related to a public transport pass, if electronic authentication is not required within the same month, only biometric authentication may be performed within the same month, and electronic authentication may be omitted, as in the second embodiment.

[0230] In the above embodiment, the case where one type of identification card is presented to the service provider has been described as an example. However, the identification cards presented to each service provider may be different. In this case, the authentication server 10 may change the destination of the request for electronic verification depending on the type of the presented identification card (IC chip information acquired from the service provider). That is, the authentication system may include multiple external servers 50 as shown in FIG. 20. The authentication server 10 (electronic authentication unit 412) may switch the external server 50 to be accessed depending on the type of the identification card presented by the user to the service provider. The authentication server 10 may determine the type of the presented identification card from information acquired from the business management server 20 (e.g., electronic certificate), or the business management server 20 may notify the authentication server 10 of the type of the presented identification card.

[0231] When multiple external servers 50 are included as described above, the authentication server 10 performs the operation shown in Fig. 21. The authentication server 10 acquires information related to the identification card acquired from the service provider (step S201). The authentication server 10 identifies the type of the acquired identification card (step S202). The authentication server 10 selects an external server 50 (verification server) to access according to the identified type of identification card (step S203). The authentication server 10 accesses the selected external server 50 and performs electronic authentication suitable for the identified identification card (step S204).

[0232] As described above, when the system supports multiple identification cards, the authentication server 10 may store the authentication history for each identification card. More specifically, the authentication server 10 may store and manage the date and time of successful electronic authentication for each identification card (or for each external server 50).

[0233] The authentication center may request payment of a fee from the service provider that provided the authentication service. In doing so, the authentication center may change the amount to be charged depending on the type of service provider (public institution or private business) and the type of business (finance, retail, etc.).

[0234] Although the form of data transmission and reception between each device (authentication server 10, service management server 20, terminal 30) is not particularly limited, data transmitted and received between these devices may be encrypted. Biometric information is transmitted and received between these devices, and in order to appropriately protect the biometric information, it is desirable to transmit and receive encrypted data.

[0235] In the flow charts (flow charts, sequence diagrams) used in the above description, multiple steps (processes) are described in order, but the order of execution of the steps executed in the embodiments is not limited to the order described. In the embodiments, the order of the steps shown in the figures can be changed to a degree that does not interfere with the content, such as executing each process in parallel.

[0236] The above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, and it is not intended that all of the configurations described above are necessary. In addition, when a plurality of embodiments are described, each embodiment may be used alone or in combination. For example, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of an embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of an embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of an embodiment with another configuration.

[0237] From the above explanation, it is clear that the present invention has industrial applicability, and the present invention can be suitably applied to an authentication system for verifying an individual's identity using an identification card.

[0238] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but is not limited to, the following supplementary notes. [Appendix 1] a receiving unit that receives an authentication request from a service provider regarding an authentication subject who presents an identification card; an authentication request processing unit that processes the authentication request by performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card; a transmission unit that transmits an authentication result corresponding to the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the service provider; An authentication server comprising: [Appendix 2] 2. The authentication server according to claim 1, wherein the authentication request processing unit executes at least one of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication depending on a type of the authentication request. [Appendix 3] 3. The authentication server according to claim 1, wherein the authentication request processing unit performs one-to-one matching using the biometric information of the person to be authenticated and the biometric information extracted from the identification card as the biometric authentication. [Appendix 4] The authentication server according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein, if the electronic information is an electronic certificate, the authentication request processing unit requests an external server to verify the electronic certificate, and if the verification result is successful, determines that the electronic authentication has been successful. [Appendix 5] 5. The authentication server according to claim 1, further comprising an authentication history database that stores a history of successful authentication for each of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication for each service provider. [Appendix 6] The authentication server according to claim 5, wherein the authentication request processing unit processes the authentication request based on an authentication policy that is determined by the service provider as a method for processing the authentication request. [Appendix 7] 7. The authentication server according to claim 6, further comprising an authentication policy database that stores the ID of the service provider and the authentication policy in association with each other. [Appendix 8] 8. The authentication server according to claim 7, wherein the authentication request processing unit determines whether or not to execute the electronic authentication based on the authentication policy and the history of the electronic authentication stored in the authentication history database. [Appendix 9] The authentication request processing unit: when the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication are requested by the service provider that transmits the authentication request of a different type, and the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication are successful, the biometric information and personal information of the person who has been successfully authenticated are associated with each other and stored in a biometric information database; when the biometric authentication is requested by the service provider that transmits the authentication request of the different type, identifying personal information of the person to be authenticated by one-to-many matching using the biometric information stored in the biometric information database and the biometric information of the person to be authenticated; The transmission unit is 9. The authentication server according to claim 1, further comprising: a service provider that transmits the identified personal information to the service provider that transmits the authentication request of the different type. [Appendix 10] The authentication server described in Appendix 9, wherein the authentication request processing unit performs the biometric authentication using a facial image of the person to be authenticated and a facial image extracted from an IC chip of the identification card, and performs the electronic authentication using an electronic certificate stored in the IC chip. [Appendix 11] The authentication server according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein the authentication request processing unit, if the electronic information is an electronic signature, obtains information for verifying the electronic signature from an external server, and if the verification of the electronic signature is successful, determines that the electronic authentication is successful. [Appendix 12] a business management server that transmits an authentication request regarding a subject who presents an identification document; an authentication server connected to the business management server; Including, The authentication server, A receiving unit that receives the authentication request; an authentication request processing unit that processes the authentication request by performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card; a transmission unit that transmits an authentication result corresponding to the results of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the service management server; An authentication system comprising: [Appendix 13] In the authentication server, receiving an authentication request from a service provider regarding a subject presenting an identification document; processing the authentication request by performing a biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and an electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identity document; an authentication result corresponding to the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication is transmitted to the service provider; [Appendix 14] The computer installed on the authentication server receiving an authentication request from a service provider regarding a person to be authenticated who presents an identification document; A process of performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card; a process of transmitting an authentication result corresponding to the results of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the service provider; A computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for executing the above.

[0239] The disclosures of the above cited prior art documents are incorporated herein by reference. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are merely illustrative and that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and amendments that a person skilled in the art can make in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the scope of the claims, and the technical ideas. [Explanation of symbols]

[0240] 10, 100 Authentication Servers 20, 21 Business management server 30, 31, 30-1~30-4, 31-1, 31-2 Terminal 40 Verification Server 50, 50-1, 50-2 External Server 101 Receiving unit 102, 402 Authentication request processing unit 103 Transmitter 201, 301, 401 Communication control unit 202 User information acquisition department 203 Message output section 204, 305, 404 Storage section 302 Authentication Request Section 303 Service Provision Department 304, 411 Biometrics Department 311 Processor 312 Memory 313 Input / Output Interface 314 Communication Interface 403 Authentication History Management Department 412 Electronic Certification Department

Claims

1. a receiving unit that receives an authentication request from a service provider regarding an authentication subject who presents an identification card; an authentication request processing unit that processes the authentication request by performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card; a transmission unit that transmits an authentication result corresponding to the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the service provider; an authentication history database that stores a history of successful authentication for each of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication for each of the service providers; Equipped with the authentication request processing unit processes the authentication request based on an authentication policy defined by the service provider as a method for processing the authentication request, the authentication policy defining an authentication method and an authentication frequency; Authentication server.

2. The authentication server according to claim 1 , wherein the authentication request processing unit executes at least one of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication depending on a type of the authentication request.

3. 3 . The authentication server according to claim 1 , wherein the authentication request processing unit performs one-to-one matching using the biometric information of the person to be authenticated and the biometric information extracted from the identification card as the biometric authentication.

4. 4. The authentication server according to claim 1, wherein, if the electronic information is an electronic certificate, the authentication request processing unit requests an external server to verify the electronic certificate, and if the verification result is successful, determines that the electronic authentication has been successful.

5. The authentication server according to claim 1 , further comprising an authentication policy database that stores the ID of the service provider and the authentication policy in association with each other.

6. 6. The authentication server according to claim 5, wherein the authentication request processing unit determines whether or not to execute the electronic authentication based on the authentication policy and the history of the electronic authentication stored in the authentication history database.

7. The authentication request processing unit: when the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication are requested by the service provider that transmits the authentication request of a different type, and the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication are successful, the biometric information and personal information of the person who has been successfully authenticated are associated with each other and stored in a biometric information database; when the biometric authentication is requested by the service provider that transmits the authentication request of the different type, identifying personal information of the person to be authenticated by one-to-N matching using the biometric information stored in the biometric information database and the biometric information of the person to be authenticated; The transmission unit is The authentication server according to claim 1 , further comprising: a server configured to transmit the identified personal information to the service provider that transmits the different types of the authentication requests.

8. The authentication server according to claim 7, wherein the authentication request processing unit performs the biometric authentication using a facial image of the person to be authenticated and a facial image extracted from an IC chip of the identification card, and performs the electronic authentication using an electronic certificate stored in the IC chip.

9. 4. The authentication server according to claim 1, wherein, if the electronic information is an electronic signature, the authentication request processing unit obtains information for verifying the electronic signature from an external server, and if the verification of the electronic signature is successful, determines that the electronic authentication is successful.

10. a business management server that transmits an authentication request regarding a subject who presents an identification document; an authentication server connected to the business management server; Including, The authentication server, A receiving unit that receives the authentication request; an authentication request processing unit that processes the authentication request by performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card; a transmission unit that transmits an authentication result corresponding to the results of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the service management server; an authentication history database that stores a history of successful authentication for each service provider for the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication; Equipped with the authentication request processing unit processes the authentication request based on an authentication policy defined by the service provider as a method for processing the authentication request, the authentication policy defining an authentication method and an authentication frequency; Authentication system.

11. In the authentication server, receiving an authentication request from a service provider regarding a subject presenting an identification document; processing the authentication request by performing a biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and an electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identity document; transmitting an authentication result corresponding to the results of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the service provider; storing a history of successful authentications for each of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication for each of the service providers; processing the authentication request based on an authentication policy defined by the service provider as a method for processing the authentication request, the authentication policy defining an authentication method and an authentication frequency; How authentication requests are handled.

12. The computer installed on the authentication server receiving an authentication request from a service provider regarding a person to be authenticated who presents an identification document; A process of performing biometric authentication using biometric information of the person to be authenticated and electronic authentication using electronic information extracted from the identification card; a process of transmitting an authentication result corresponding to the results of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication to the service provider; a process of storing a history of successful authentication for each of the biometric authentication and the electronic authentication for each of the service providers; Processing the authentication request based on an authentication policy defined by the service provider as a method for processing the authentication request, the authentication policy defining an authentication method and an authentication frequency; A program for executing the above.

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