Authentication System

Abstract

This overcomes the difficulties associated with introducing facial recognition to apartment complexes and maximizes its convenience. [Solution] This problem is solved by an authentication system that includes a face data storage unit that stores facial images of residents of an apartment complex or facial data that is processed data thereof, and an authentication unit that compares faces photographed by a photographing means with the facial data and unlocks the doors of each facility in the apartment complex, where the photographing means includes a first photographing means installed near the entrance door of the apartment complex building and a second photographing means installed near the front doors of multiple dwelling units in the apartment complex, and the front doors of each dwelling unit are automatically locked by an auto-lock function.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an authentication system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the real estate industry has also seen a rapid spread of digital transformation (DX), a business model that utilizes digital technology. As part of this, the application of facial recognition technology to residential environments is being considered, and condominiums that use this technology to improve the convenience and safety of living have appeared. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-005614 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By introducing facial recognition into the security system of an apartment building, residents can enter and exit their apartments without carrying keys and can operate various shared facilities without having to remember PIN codes. However, simply replacing conventional unlocking methods with facial recognition can sometimes result in noticeable drawbacks to its implementation, such as locking out due to problems with the authentication device, forcing residents who do not want to use facial recognition to use it, and the existence of equipment that is not compatible with facial recognition.

[0005] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to overcome the difficulties associated with introducing face recognition into apartment complexes and maximize its convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the authentication system of the present invention comprises a face data storage unit that stores face images of residents of an apartment building or face data that is processed data thereof, and an authentication unit that compares a face photographed by a photographing means with the face data and unlocks the doors of each facility in the apartment building, wherein the photographing means includes a first photographing means installed near the entrance door of the apartment building and a second photographing means installed near the front doors of multiple dwelling units in the apartment building, and the front doors of each dwelling unit are automatically locked by an auto-lock function.

[0007] By making it possible to unlock the entrance door (building entrance door) of an apartment complex and the front door of each unit with facial recognition, residents can enter and exit the entrance and unit without carrying keys or card keys or having to remember PIN numbers. However, if the front door of the unit does not have an auto-lock function, residents must lock the front door themselves when going out, which means they end up taking their keys with them. By equipping front doors that can be unlocked with facial recognition with an auto-lock function as standard, the effect of introducing facial recognition to front doors can be maximized.

[0008] In this case, it is desirable that each entrance door is equipped with a first unlocking means that is an unlocking means by facial recognition using the second photographing means, and a second unlocking means that is an unlocking means other than facial recognition. By preparing an alternative means in advance for when facial recognition is not possible due to a breakdown in the facial recognition device or a power outage, it is possible to prevent problems from occurring or to deal with problems quickly.

[0009] Furthermore, it is more desirable that each resident be able to choose to disable the first unlocking means. This is to give residents who do not wish to use facial recognition the option of not using it. Alternatively, for residents who are concerned about the security of facial recognition, it may be possible to allow them to select an unlocking method that requires both the first unlocking means and the second unlocking means as the method of unlocking the front door.

[0010] In this case, it is desirable that the entrance door be equipped with an unlocking means that uses face recognition by using the first photographing means, and an unlocking means other than face recognition, for the same reasons as for equipping the front door with a second unlocking means.

[0011] It is also desirable that the auto-lock function of the entrance door of each dwelling unit can be switched on or off by the resident of that unit. This is to prevent being locked out unexpectedly, for example, when facial recognition is disabled. Furthermore, if the resident can turn the auto-lock function on and off themselves, it also eliminates the need to coordinate construction schedules with the apartment complex manager or other personnel each time the function is switched on or off.

[0012] Furthermore, it is desirable that the first and / or second image capture devices have both lighting to illuminate the subject's face and a neutral density filter. If either of these image capture devices is installed outdoors, for example, direct sunlight or reflected light during the daytime in midsummer may cause brightness saturation (so-called whiteout or white out) in the captured image. By providing both lighting and a neutral density filter, the image capture device can properly capture the resident's face even in an environment where the illuminance exceeds the limit of the image capture device's exposure compensation function, or even in darkness. Alternatively, a hood that surrounds at least a portion of the lens or housing may be provided instead of a neutral density filter. Furthermore, if the apartment complex has a third image capture device installed near a collective mailbox, a delivery box, an elevator door, the entrance to the on-site garbage dump, the entrance to the bicycle parking lot, or the entrance to the parking lot, the lighting and neutral density filter / hood may be provided on the third image capture device.

[0013] Furthermore, it is desirable that the authentication strength, which is the strictness of authentication by the authentication unit, be stricter for the face photographed by the second photographing means than for the face photographed by the first photographing means. Alternatively, if the apartment complex has a third photographing means installed near a collective mailbox, a delivery box, an elevator door, the entrance to the on-site garbage disposal area, the entrance to the bicycle parking area, or the entrance to the parking lot, it is desirable that one of the first to third photographing means be stricter or more lenient than the others. By making the authentication strength stricter or more lenient depending on the security risk of each facility, it is possible to achieve both safety and convenience in the lives of residents.

[0014] It is also desirable that the second photographing means be able to use the power for common areas of the apartment building, so that the second photographing means can be managed and operated even when the dwelling unit is vacant.

[0015] Furthermore, the authentication system of the present invention preferably includes a registration means for acquiring a facial image of the resident when registering the facial data, and the registration means is provided using a user terminal, which is an information terminal owned by the resident, and the registration means is preferably capable of registering the facial data of multiple people, including the owner of the user terminal and their housemates, in association with the same room number using a single user terminal. This allows housemates who do not have their own smartphones or PCs, such as children, to smoothly register their faces.

[0016] Furthermore, the authentication system of the present invention preferably includes a registration means for acquiring a facial image of the resident when registering the facial data, and the registration means is provided using a user terminal, which is an information terminal owned by the resident, and the resident can voluntarily re-register their own facial data using the registration means. This is because human faces are not permanently immutable and the accuracy of captured facial images may be insufficient. In such cases, the resident can quickly re-register their facial data themselves without the assistance of an apartment complex manager or the like.

[0017] Furthermore, when the collective mailbox, delivery box, and elevator door on the same floor as the entrance door of the apartment building are collectively referred to as other shared facilities, it is desirable that the photographing means include a third photographing means installed near any of the other shared facilities, and further include a key conversion unit that converts the room number of each resident into data that conforms to a data format adopted by a control unit of the other shared facilities or a native key that is partial data containing a unique value of that data, or a key storage unit that stores the native key associated with the room number. This allows residents and managers of the apartment building to register for use of shared facilities whose behavior changes depending on the resident's room number using only the room number without having to know the detailed specifications.

[0018] In this case, the authentication system of the present invention preferably includes a first authentication device equipped with the first photographing means, a second authentication device equipped with the second photographing means, a third authentication device equipped with the third photographing means, and a server device capable of communicating with the first to third authentication devices, wherein the first to third authentication devices each have the face data storage unit and the authentication unit, and the third authentication device or the server device further has the key conversion unit or the key storage unit. By performing resident authentication and facility operation using on-site equipment, i.e., an edge device, these processes can be performed at high speed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] In this way, the authentication system of the present invention overcomes the difficulties associated with introducing face authentication into apartment complexes and maximizes convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of an authentication system S. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing the type of authentication device D installed in an apartment building 10. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an image diagram showing an example of use of the authentication device D. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of each authentication device D. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the mechanical configuration of the server device 30. [Figure 6] 1 is a sequence diagram showing the main processing contents in the authentication system S. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a data flow diagram illustrating the process by which a resident ID 34 is distributed to an authentication device d in charge of the room number facility. [Figure 8] 10 is a data flow diagram showing the process of authentication processing performed by authentication device d. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are a block diagram and a sequence diagram showing a modified example of the authentication system S. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An authentication system S according to an embodiment of the present invention is a system that enables operation of various living facilities in a housing complex such as an apartment building through facial authentication of residents.

[0022] <System Overview> 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of an authentication system S of this embodiment. The authentication system S of this embodiment is mainly composed of a server device 30, a user application 20, a residence management tool 29, and a plurality of authentication devices D.

[0023] The server device 30 is a server that holds various data necessary for the operation of the authentication system S, accepts requests from the user application 20 and the occupancy management tool 29, and operates the settings of the authentication device D. The server device 30 in this embodiment is a virtual server constructed using a cloud hosting service, and the user application 20, the occupancy management tool 29, and each authentication device D are connected to the server device 30 via the Internet. Note that the server device 30 is not limited to a cloud server, and may be an on-premise server installed in the LAN of the apartment building 10 or its management company.

[0024] The user application 20 is a dedicated application installed on a smartphone owned by a resident of the apartment building 10. The user application 20 is an example of a registration means that acquires facial images of the residents of the apartment building 10 (including prospective residents) and their families, etc., and registers them as users of the authentication system S. The user application 20 may be dedicated software installed on the resident's PC, or a web application.

[0025] The occupancy management tool 29 is a web application used by the condominium manager, i.e., the management company or owner of the condominium 10, and operates the settings of each authentication device D by registering users registered in the user application 20 as residents of the condominium 10 and canceling their registration when they move out.

[0026] Authentication device D is a photographing device installed near each facility in apartment building 10, and unlocks the door to that facility when the photographed face is successfully authenticated. As will be described in detail later, each authentication device D in this embodiment generates face data for matching from a face image acquired by user application 20, and also has an authentication unit that compares the photographed face with that face data.

[0027] <Authentication device overview> 2 is a block diagram showing types of authentication devices D installed in an apartment building 10. In the apartment building 10 of this embodiment, a first authentication device 41 is installed near an entrance door 11, which is the entrance door to the building of the apartment building 10, a second authentication device 42 is installed near a dwelling door 12, which is the front door of each dwelling unit, a third authentication device 43 is installed near a mailbox 13, which is a collective mailbox, a fourth authentication device 44 is installed near a delivery box 14, and a fifth authentication device 45 is installed near an elevator door 15 on the same floor as the entrance door 11. The authentication device D of this embodiment is just one example, and it is also possible to install other authentication devices to unlock, for example, the entrance door of a garbage dump on the premises, the entrance door of a bicycle parking lot, or the entrance door of a parking lot.

[0028] Here, among the authentication devices D in this embodiment, the second authentication device 42 installed on the dwelling unit door 12 is not a shared facility of the condominium 10, but is essentially a private facility used only by the resident of that unit. The second authentication device 42 is not used when the dwelling unit is vacant. Therefore, it may seem appropriate to use the private area power contracted by the resident for the second authentication device 42. However, in this embodiment, the second authentication device 42 also operates using the common area power of the condominium 10. This is to enable management operations of the second authentication device 42 even when the dwelling unit is vacant. Alternatively, for example, common area power may be supplied only when the dwelling unit is vacant, i.e., only when private area power is not supplied.

[0029] <Authentication device details> 3A and 3B are conceptual diagrams showing examples of use of the authentication device D. Fig. 3A shows an example of use of the first authentication device 41 of the entrance door 11, and Fig. 3B shows an example of use of the second authentication device 42 of the dwelling door 12.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3(a), the first authentication device 41 of this embodiment is installed on a decorative pillar at the entrance. A resident of the apartment building 10 can open the entrance door 11 by photographing his / her face with a camera 51 (first photographing means) of the first authentication device 41. The first authentication device 41 is provided with an LED light 54 (lighting) that illuminates the face of the subject, so that the resident's face can be photographed even at night.

[0031] Furthermore, the first authentication device 41 in this embodiment is installed outdoors in sunlight, and the camera 51 is equipped with an ND filter 511 (neutral density filter). For example, the illuminance of direct sunlight and its reflected light in midsummer can exceed 100,000 lux depending on the time of day. If the ambient illuminance exceeds the camera 51's limits, the captured image may become overexposed or blurred, potentially preventing facial recognition from functioning. In other words, the entrance door 11 may become unable to be unlocked by facial recognition. For example, even if the camera 51 is equipped with an automatic exposure compensation function and its maximum rated illuminance is not exceeded, the accuracy of the image capture may be significantly reduced in an environment exceeding 50,000 lux. On the other hand, the illuminance required to capture a face is approximately 500 lux even with a visible light camera, which can be adequately met by the LED light 54 alone. An infrared camera requires even lower illuminance. In other words, the only environmental illuminance that can be a problem for the first authentication device 41 installed outdoors is "excessive illuminance." Therefore, in this embodiment, an ND filter 511 is attached to the camera 51 of the first authentication device 41 to limit the amount of light entering the camera lens in advance, thereby providing a margin for maximum rated illuminance even in the midsummer environmental illuminance. Specifically, the ND filter 511 is selected so that the illuminance after dimming does not exceed 50,000 lux throughout the year. Note that it is also possible to use a hood that surrounds at least a part of the lens of the camera 51 or the first authentication device 41 instead of the ND filter 511.

[0032] 3(a), the entrance of this embodiment is provided with not only the first authentication device 41 but also a numeric keypad 111 for entering a personal identification number to unlock the entrance door 11. In other words, the entrance door 11 of this embodiment is equipped with both the first authentication device 41, which is the first unlocking means, and the numeric keypad 111, which is the second unlocking means other than facial authentication. By preparing an alternative means in advance for when facial authentication is not possible, such as when the facial authentication device breaks down, it is possible to quickly deal with any problems with facial authentication.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 3(b), the second authentication device 42 of this embodiment is installed adjacent to the dwelling door 12. A resident of the condominium 10 can unlock the dwelling door 12 by photographing their face with a camera 51 (second photographing means) of the second authentication device 42. Like the first authentication device 41, the second authentication device 42 is also provided with an LED light 54 that illuminates the subject's face.

[0034] Similarly to the entrance door 11, the dwelling door 12 is also provided with a cylinder lock 121, which is a second unlocking mechanism. The cylinder lock 121 allows the dwelling door 12 to be unlocked, even during a power outage. In the condominium 10 of this embodiment, each resident can choose to disable the second authentication device 42 of the dwelling door 12, i.e., unlock the dwelling door 12 using only the cylinder lock 121 without using facial recognition. This allows residents who do not want to use facial recognition to unlock the dwelling door 12 to live the same life as in a conventional condominium. Furthermore, the dwelling door 12 of this embodiment can be configured so that it cannot be unlocked unless the cylinder lock 121 is turned with a key after successful authentication by the second authentication device 42. In other words, unlocking the dwelling door 12 requires MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication), which combines biometric authentication (facial recognition) and owner authentication (physical key). This can meet the needs of residents who require higher security, such as celebrities and women living alone.

[0035] In addition, the dwelling door 12 in this embodiment is automatically locked by an auto-lock function 129 (see FIG. 2) when the door is closed. By enabling the entrance door 11 and the dwelling door 12 of the condominium 10 to be unlocked using facial recognition, residents can enter and exit the entrance and their units without carrying keys or card keys or having to remember a PIN number. However, if the dwelling door 12 does not have the auto-lock function 129, residents would have to lock the dwelling door 12 themselves when going out, which would result in them having to take their keys with them. In this embodiment, the dwelling door 12 is equipped with the auto-lock function 129 as standard, thereby fully utilizing the benefits of introducing facial recognition to the dwelling door 12. Note that if the second authentication device 42 is disabled, it is desirable to also disable the auto-lock function 129 to prevent residents from being unexpectedly locked out. In this case, it is also desirable for residents to be able to switch the auto-lock function 129 on and off at their own discretion. This is because the residents themselves can turn on and off the auto-lock function 129, eliminating the need to coordinate construction with the condominium manager or the like each time the function is switched on and off.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of each authentication device D. In the authentication system S of this embodiment, each authentication device D includes a memory 52 serving as a face data storage unit in which a face template 22 (described later) of each resident is stored, and an authentication program 53 that compares a face photographed by a camera 51 with the face template 22 and unlocks the door of each facility. In other words, the authentication system S of this embodiment is an edge-type face authentication system. Here, the cameras 51 provided in the third authentication device 43, the fourth authentication device, and the fifth authentication device all constitute third imaging means. Note that the term "memory" in this embodiment refers to memory in a broad sense, and includes not only RAM and cache memory but also all storage devices. For example, the memory referred to here also includes persistent storage such as HDD, SSD, and flash memory, regardless of whether it is internal storage or external storage.

[0037] The face template 22 referred to here is face data for comparison obtained by extracting features from a face image of a resident acquired by the user application 20, and may also be called, for example, a face vector, feature amount, face model, face map, biometric data, etc. In this embodiment, each authentication device D acquires a face image of a resident from the server device 30, and generates and saves a face template 22 from this face image using the algorithm of the authentication program 53.

[0038] In this embodiment, only the first authentication device 41 is equipped with the ND filter 511 because the only authentication device D installed outdoors in this embodiment is the first authentication device 41. The ND filter 511 may be attached to all authentication devices D.

[0039] Furthermore, in the authentication system S of this embodiment, the authentication strength of the second authentication device 42 (see FIG. 2) for the dwelling door 12 and the third authentication device 43 for the delivery box 14 is set stricter than that of the other authentication devices D. Here, "authentication strength" refers to the strictness of authentication by the authentication program 53, i.e., the required matching rate. By adjusting the authentication strength according to the security risk (severity) of each facility, it is possible to achieve both safety and convenience for the residents' lives. In this embodiment, the security of the dwelling door 12, which directly affects the safety of daily life, and the delivery box 14, where high-value items may be stored, is highly valued. Note that the setting of the authentication strength is not limited to the example of this embodiment; one authentication strength may be set stricter or more lenient depending on the characteristics of the apartment complex.

[0040] <Server device> FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the mechanical configuration of the server device 30. The server device 30 of this embodiment has resident information 31, which is personal information of the residents of the condominium 10. The resident information 31 includes the name and contact information of the resident, as well as a resident ID 34, which is information that can identify the resident's room number, and a facial image 21 of the resident acquired by the user application 20. These are stored in memory 39 of the server device 30. The server device 30 also has authentication device information 32, which is address information of each authentication device D, the equipment in charge, and other management information. Note that the functions and data of the server device 30 shown in FIG. 5 are merely examples, and the server device 30 also has a wide variety of other functions and data.

[0041] In this embodiment, the mailbox 13, delivery box 14, and elevator door 15 are devices whose behavior changes depending on the resident's room number. Specifically, when the third authentication device 43 of the mailbox 13 successfully authenticates, the door of the compartment corresponding to the authenticated resident's room number is unlocked. When the fourth authentication device 44 of the delivery box 14 successfully authenticates, the door of the compartment in which the package addressed to the authenticated resident's room number is stored is unlocked. When the fifth authentication device 45 of the elevator door 15 successfully authenticates, the destination of the elevator in which the authenticated resident boards is automatically set to the floor indicated by the resident's room number. These devices are products of various manufacturers and each have their own unique API. Hereinafter, such shared devices will also be referred to as "room number devices," and the third authentication device 43, fourth authentication device 44, and fifth authentication device 45, which are responsible for these room number devices, will also be collectively referred to as "authentication device d (small D)."

[0042] The server device 30 of this embodiment has a key conversion program 33 that converts a resident's room number into a native key, which is data that can be interpreted by the control unit of the room number system. A native key is data that conforms to the data format adopted by the control unit of each room number system, or partial data that includes a unique value of that data, i.e., the value of the room number portion. In the authentication system S of this embodiment, the resident ID 34 corresponds to this partial data. In other words, the resident ID 34 of this embodiment is information that can identify the resident's room number and is also a native key. Therefore, the memory 39 of this embodiment also serves as a key storage unit. The authentication device d in charge of the room number system obtains the resident ID 34 along with the resident's facial image 21 from the server device 30, thereby realizing behavior according to the resident's room number. This allows residents and managers of the condominium 10 to register or delete users using only the room number without having to understand the detailed specifications of various room number systems. In this embodiment, the resident ID 34 is multipurpose and therefore also serves as a native key, but the native key may be data separate from the resident ID 34. In this case, the key conversion program 33 generates a separate native key from the room number and resident ID 34 set in the occupancy management tool 29 by the condominium manager.

[0043] <Key processes of the authentication system> Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the main processing contents in the authentication system S. The processes performed by the authentication system S are broadly divided into "move-in procedures," daily "authentication processing," "re-registration processing" of the face template 22, and "move-out procedures." Each of these will be explained below with reference to Fig. 6.

[0044] When adding a new resident to the condominium 10, the condominium manager first uses the occupancy management tool 29 to register the prospective resident's name and contact information (phone number, email address, etc.). This registration causes the server device 30 to send the prospective resident an email or SMS informing them of their move-in. After receiving this information, the prospective resident installs the user app 20 on their smartphone and registers other personal information and a facial image 21. In other words, they perform user registration. If the prospective resident has already completed user registration, this procedure can be omitted. Here, the facial image 21 captured using the user app 20 is pre-checked for image quality by the server device 30. If the accuracy of the facial image 21 is insufficient, a re-capture is requested. After user registration, the prospective resident applies to move into the condominium 10 using the user app 20. The condominium manager receives and approves the prospective resident's application for move-in. When the condominium manager approves the application for occupancy, a facial image 21 of the prospective resident and a resident ID 34, which is a native key associated with the prospective resident's room number, are distributed to each authentication device D. This completes the occupancy procedure.

[0045] Here, the user application 20 of this embodiment can be used not only by the owner of the smartphone on which it is installed, but also by the resident to register the faces of multiple housemates, including family members, by associating them with the same room number. This allows housemates who do not have their own smartphones or PCs, such as children, to smoothly start using face recognition.

[0046] Daily authentication processing in the authentication system S is basically performed between the authentication device D and the equipment it is responsible for. Smooth authentication and unlocking processing is achieved by performing resident authentication and equipment unlocking operations between on-site devices, i.e., between edge devices. Only the authentication processing log is sent to the server device 30. This also prevents the load of authentication processing and other processes from concentrating on the server device 30.

[0047] Unlike the move-in procedure, the re-registration process for the face template 22 is completed solely by the user application 20. Residents can re-register their own face template 22 at will using the user application 20. This is because human faces are not permanently immutable, and the accuracy of captured facial images can sometimes be less than satisfactory. Being able to quickly re-register one's face on one's own without the support of the condominium manager makes it easy to maintain smooth face authentication.

[0048] In the procedure for a resident to move out, the apartment building manager performs the resident move-out operation using the resident management tool 29. As a result, the face template 22 of the resident moving out is deleted or invalidated in each authentication device D.

[0049] <Native key distribution process> Figure 7 is a data flow diagram showing the process by which a resident ID 34 is distributed as a native key to authentication device d, which is responsible for the room number equipment. As mentioned above, authentication device d is a shared piece of equipment whose behavior changes depending on the resident's room number. Therefore, it is not enough to simply authenticate the resident's face and send a fixed signal to the equipment; the resident's room number must be determined, and instructions that can be interpreted by the control unit of each piece of equipment must be given according to the room number. The resident ID 34 distribution process will be explained below with reference to Figure 7.

[0050] First, during the occupancy procedure, the facial image 21 and personal information of the prospective resident are acquired from the user application 20. The room number set by the condominium manager using the occupancy management tool 29 is added to this, and the key conversion program 33 (see FIG. 5) generates a resident ID 34. Each authentication device d acquires the facial image 21 of the prospective resident and the resident ID 34 from the server device 30. If the resident ID 34 is data in a format unrelated to the native key, the server device 30 uses the key conversion program 33 to generate a native key that can be interpreted by the control unit of each facility from the room number set by the occupancy management tool 29 and the resident ID 34, and distributes this to each authentication device d. Thereafter, each authentication device d extracts features from the acquired facial image 21 and generates a face template 22. In this embodiment, the first authentication device 41 and the second authentication device 42 other than the authentication device d also acquire the facial image 21 and the resident ID 34 from the server device 30.

[0051] Figure 8 is a data flow diagram showing the authentication process performed by authentication device d. After authenticating the resident's face, authentication device d encodes the resident ID 34 corresponding to that resident to create a data frame. This encoding process involves converting the resident ID 34 to hexadecimal and replacing the variable portion of the standard command with the resident ID 34. In this embodiment, the resident ID 34 is a partial data format used by the control unit of authentication device d, containing a unique value indicating the room number. During the encoding process, the resident ID 34 is converted to hexadecimal and various flags, checksums, parities, etc. are added. This makes the resident ID 34 a native command used by authentication device d to identify the door to be unlocked. The closer the data format of the resident ID 34 is to the final data frame in advance, the less processing is required after successful authentication. The encoded data frame is transmitted to each facility as an RS422 signal.

[0052] In the authentication system S of this embodiment, the server device 30 generates a native key from the room number in advance and distributes it to each authentication device d. However, the method of generating the native key is not limited to the example of this embodiment. For example, each authentication device d may be equipped with a key conversion program that dynamically converts the room number into a native key, or may be equipped with a key storage unit in which the correspondence between the room number and the native key is predefined. In this case, during the move-in procedure and face re-registration process, only information that can identify the room number is distributed to each authentication device d instead of the native key.

[0053] <Modification> 9 is a block diagram and a sequence diagram showing a modified example of the authentication system S. In the above embodiment, the authentication system S has been described as a so-called edge-type face authentication system. However, the authentication system S is not limited to an edge configuration, and can also be constructed as a cloud-type face authentication system.

[0054] 9(a) is a block diagram of a server device 30+ according to this modification. In addition to the configuration of the server device 30 according to the above embodiment, the server device 30+ according to this modification includes a face template 22 and an authentication program 36. That is, the memory 39 of the server device 30+ according to this modification also functions as a face data storage unit. On the other hand, the authentication device D- according to this embodiment lacks the face template 22 and authentication program 53 from the configuration of the authentication device D according to the above embodiment.

[0055] 9(b) is a sequence diagram of the authentication process in this modified example. In this modified example, a facial image captured by the authentication device D- is transferred directly to the server device 30+. The server device 30+ compares the transferred facial image with a facial template 22 using the authentication program 36 and returns the authentication result to the authentication device D-. If the authentication is successful, the authentication device D- unlocks the door to the facility it is responsible for.

[0056] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the authentication system S includes the server device 30, the user application 20, and the occupancy management tool 29, thereby automating many management tasks, such as the apartment building 10 entry and exit procedures and the re-registration process of the face template 22. However, the present invention can also be used in an authentication system that does not include the server device 30, etc., and in which the administrator manually performs the entry and exit procedures and the face registration and re-registration procedures. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] S: authentication system, D, D-: authentication device, d: authentication device that changes behavior depending on room number, 10: apartment (multi-family dwelling), 20: user application (registration means), 21: face image, 22: face template (face data), 29: occupancy management tool, 30, 30+: server device, 31: resident information, 32: authentication device information, 33: key conversion program (key conversion unit), 34: resident ID (information that can identify room number, native key), 36: authentication program (authentication unit), 39: memory (room number storage unit, key storage unit, face data storage unit), 11: entrance door (entrance door of building), 111: numeric keypad (second unlocking means), 12: dwelling door (entrance door of dwelling), 121: cylinder lock, 129: auto-lock function, 13: mailbox (collective mailbox), 14: delivery box, 15: elevator door, 41: first authentication device (first photographing means, first unlocking means), 42: second authentication device (second photographing means, first unlocking means), 43: third authentication device (third photographing means), 44: fourth authentication device, 45: fifth authentication device, 51: camera, 511: ND filter (neutral density filter), 52: memory (face data storage unit), 53: authentication program (authentication unit), 54: LED light (lighting)

Claims

1. a face data storage unit for storing face images of residents of the apartment complex or face data that is processed data thereof; an authentication unit that compares a face photographed by the photographing means with the face data and unlocks the doors of each facility of the apartment building; The photographing means is a first photographing means installed near an entrance door of the apartment building; and a second photographing means installed near entrance doors of a plurality of dwelling units of the apartment building; The entrance door of each dwelling unit is automatically locked by an auto-lock function. The apartment complex, Collective mailbox, Delivery boxes, and Elevator door on the same floor as the entrance door When we say other shared facilities collectively, the photographing means includes a third photographing means installed near any one of the other shared facilities, The system further includes a key conversion unit that converts the room number of each resident into data conforming to a data format adopted by the control unit of the other shared equipment or a native key that is partial data including a unique value of the data, or a key storage unit that stores the native key associated with the room number. Authentication system.

2. a first authentication device in which the first photographing means is implemented; a second authentication device in which the second photographing means is implemented; a third authentication device in which the third photographing means is implemented; a server device capable of communicating with the first to third authentication devices; Equipped with each of the first to third authentication devices includes the face data storage unit and the authentication unit; The third authentication device or the server device further includes the key conversion unit or the key storage unit. The authentication system of claim 1 .

3. Each entrance door is: a first unlocking means that is an unlocking means by face authentication using the second photographing means; and a second unlocking means that is an unlocking means based on owner authentication; The door can be unlocked by the first unlocking means or the second unlocking means. The authentication system of claim 1 .

4. Each resident can choose to disable the first unlocking means. The authentication system according to claim 3 .

5. Each resident can select an unlocking method that requires both the first unlocking means and the second unlocking means as an unlocking method for the front door. The authentication system according to claim 3 .

6. The entrance door is An unlocking means for face authentication using the first photographing means, and Equipped with unlocking methods other than facial recognition, The authentication system according to claim 3 .

7. The auto-lock function of the entrance door of each dwelling unit can be enabled or disabled by the resident of that unit. The authentication system of claim 1 .

8. The first photographing means and / or the second photographing means are provided with both a light for illuminating a face of a subject and a neutral density filter. The authentication system of claim 1 .

9. The other shared facilities further include an entrance to a garbage disposal area on the premises, an entrance to a bicycle parking area, and an entrance to a parking lot; the third photographing means is provided with both a light for illuminating the face of the subject and a neutral density filter; The authentication system of claim 1 .

10. the first photographing means and / or the second photographing means are provided with both a light for illuminating a face of a subject and a lens hood; The authentication system of claim 1 .

11. The other shared facilities further include an entrance to a garbage disposal area on the premises, an entrance to a bicycle parking area, and an entrance to a parking lot; the third photographing means includes a light for illuminating a face of a subject, and a hood for surrounding at least a part of a lens or a housing of the third photographing means; The authentication system of claim 1 .

12. The authentication strength, which is the strictness of the authentication by the authentication unit, is The authentication strength of the face photographed by the second photographing means is stricter than the authentication strength of the face photographed by the first photographing means. The authentication system of claim 1 .

13. The other shared facilities further include an entrance to a garbage disposal area on the premises, an entrance to a bicycle parking area, and an entrance to a parking lot; The authentication strength, which is the strictness of the authentication by the authentication unit, is Any of the first to third imaging means is stricter than the others, or any of the first to third imaging means is more tolerant than the others, The authentication system of claim 1 .

14. The second photographing means is capable of using common area power of the apartment building. The authentication system of claim 1 .

15. a registration means for acquiring a facial image of the resident when registering the facial data; the registration means is provided using a user terminal that is an information terminal owned by the resident, the registration means is capable of registering, by one user terminal, the face data of a plurality of people, including the owner of the user terminal and his / her roommates, in association with the same room number; The authentication system of claim 1 .

16. a registration means for acquiring a facial image of the resident when registering the facial data; the registration means is provided using a user terminal that is an information terminal owned by the resident, The resident can re-register his / her own face data at will using the registration means. The authentication system of claim 1 .

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