Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program that do not recognize a user as an authority holder if the user is an authority non-holder.SOLUTION: In an information processing system, a software configuration of an information processing apparatus 1 comprises: an acquisition unit 11 for acquiring medium information stored in a medium and acquiring biometric information and attribute information from a user; a feature data extraction unit 112 for extracting input feature data from the biometric information; an attribute data extraction unit 113 for extracting input attribute data from the attribute information; and an output control unit 114 for comparing registered feature data and the input feature data stored in the storage unit 12, and registered attribute data and the input attribute data stored in the storage unit 12, respectively, determining whether or not authorization information included in the medium information satisfies a predetermined condition and whether or not the collation result is collation match, and outputting information indicating that the user is an authorized person if the authorization information included in the medium information satisfies the predetermined condition and the collation result is collation match.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] When a service is provided to a user, it is necessary to confirm whether the user is actually entitled to use the service. For example, when using a ticket that offers a discount as a service, it is necessary to confirm whether the user is entitled to the discount.

[0003] For example, cited document 1 discloses a technology that acquires a facial image of a user and uses information such as age and gender extracted from the facial image information to confirm whether the user is eligible for a discount. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6567369 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if a user's face resembles that of a discount-qualified person, for example because they are a relative, the user may be deemed to be a discount-qualified person and be able to use a discount ticket even if they are not.

[0006] The object of this invention has been made in light of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide technology that prevents a user who uses authority including services such as discounts from being recognized as an authority holder when the user is a non-authority holder who is not an authority holder including a person qualified to receive the service. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is an information processing device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires media information stored in a medium and acquires biometric information and attribute information from a user who uses the medium; a feature data extraction unit that extracts input feature data that is significant data for identifying the user from the biometric information; an attribute data extraction unit that extracts input attribute data that represents attributes to which the user belongs from the attribute information; a comparison unit that compares the input feature data with registered feature data stored in a memory unit, and the registered attribute data stored in the memory unit with the input attribute data, respectively, and outputs a matching result including a matching match or a matching mismatch depending on the result of the comparison; a determination unit that determines whether authority information included in the media information satisfies a predetermined condition and whether the matching result is a matching match; and an output unit that outputs information indicating that the user is a legitimate authorized person if the authority information included in the media information satisfies the predetermined condition and the matching result is a matching match. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the information processing device in advance preparation of the first embodiment in association with the hardware configuration shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the advance preparation processing operation of the information processing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the information processing device in the rights determination process of the first embodiment in relation to the hardware configuration shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the rights determination processing operation of the information processing device. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of an information processing device in the rights determination process of the second embodiment in relation to the hardware configuration shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the rights determination processing operation of the information processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, elements that are the same as or similar to elements that have already been described will be designated by the same or similar reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will basically be omitted.

[0010] [First embodiment] (composition) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information processing system according to the first embodiment. The information processing system also includes an information processing device 1, an input device 2, an output device 3, a biometric information acquisition device 4, an attribute information acquisition device 5, and a medium 6.

[0011] 1 also shows an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 is realized by a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer). The information processing device 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and an input / output interface 13. The control unit 11, the storage unit 12, and the input / output interface 13 are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0012] The control unit 11 controls the information processing device 1. The control unit 11 includes a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU).

[0013] The storage unit 12 is a storage medium. The storage unit 12 is configured by combining a nonvolatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), a nonvolatile memory such as a read only memory (ROM), and a volatile memory such as a random access memory (RAM). The storage unit 12 has a storage area including a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area stores an operating system (OS), middleware, and application programs required to execute various processes.

[0014] The input / output interface 13 is an interface that enables transmission and reception of information between the input device 2, the output device 3, the biometric information acquisition device 4, and the attribute information acquisition device 5. The input / output interface 13 may include a wired or wireless communication interface. That is, the information processing device 1 and the input device 2, the output device 3, the biometric information acquisition device 4, and the attribute information acquisition device 5 may transmit and receive information via a network such as a LAN or the Internet. Note that the example shown in FIG. 1 is just an example, and it goes without saying that the input device 2, the output device 3, the biometric information acquisition device 4, and the attribute information acquisition device 5 may be arranged within the information processing device 1.

[0015] Furthermore, if the information processing device 1 is a gate device such as an automatic ticket gate, it may of course include a gate or the like for physically blocking the passage of users.

[0016] The medium 6 may be an IC card, a QR Code (registered trademark) card, a mobile terminal, or the like. The medium 6 can transmit and receive medium information including identification information and authority information to and from the input device 2. Here, the identification information is information for identifying the medium 6, and the authority information is information indicating authority. The authority indicates that a user has the right to receive a specific service. For example, the authority information includes information such as whether a user of the medium 6 can receive a discount, whether a charge can be made, or whether the user can travel through a specific lane. The authority information may also include information indicating whether the user can receive a service within a specific range. For example, the authority information may be information such as whether a discount can be received from a certain time to a certain time. In other words, the authority information includes information indicating whether the user can receive a specific service or information indicating whether the user can receive a specific service within a specific range.

[0017] The input device 2 includes a reader capable of acquiring medium information from the medium 6. The reader may be, for example, an IC card reader, a QR code reader, an NFC (Near Field Communication) reader, or the like, which is capable of acquiring medium information wirelessly or optically. For example, the input device 2 acquires the medium information from the medium 6 when the user holds the medium 6 over a predetermined reader. The input device 2 then outputs the medium information and date and time information including the date and time when the medium information was acquired to the information processing device 1. The input device 2 may also include a keyboard, a pointing device, or the like for the user to input various information. The input device 2 may also include a reader for reading data to be stored in the storage unit 12 from a memory medium such as a USB memory, or a disk device for reading such data from a disk medium.

[0018] The output device 3 includes a display that displays output data to be presented to a user from the information processing device 1. The output device 3 may also include a writer for writing data to be input to another information processing device 1, such as a PC or a smartphone, to a memory medium such as a USB memory, or a disk device for writing such data to a disk medium.

[0019] The biometric information acquisition device 4 includes a camera, fingerprint sensor, vein sensor, iris sensor, microphone, etc. for acquiring biometric information from a user who possesses the medium 6. Here, biometric information is information that can identify a user using a part of the user, such as a face, fingerprint, veins, iris, or voice, or something equivalent thereto. The biometric information acquisition device 4 can acquire biometric information, such as fingerprint information, by, for example, touching the user's finger to a fingerprint sensor. The biometric information acquisition device 4 can output the biometric information and the acquisition date and time when the biometric information was acquired to the information processing device 1. The biometric information acquisition device 4 may also include a storage unit that stores the acquisition date and time and the biometric information. Furthermore, the biometric information acquisition device 4 may acquire biometric information multiple times in chronological order. However, the biometric information acquisition device 4 is not limited to these, and any device capable of acquiring biometric information may be used.

[0020] The attribute information acquisition device 5 includes a camera, a distance sensor, and the like for acquiring attribute information of a user. Here, the attribute information is information representing attributes belonging to a user that can be acquired from the user's appearance, such as information including the user's age, gender, height, and the like. The attribute information acquisition device 5 can acquire, as attribute information, for example, a facial image of the user taken with a camera, a full-body image of the user, or the three-dimensional position of the user's head taken with a distance sensor. The attribute information acquisition device 5 can output the attribute information and the acquisition date and time when the attribute information was acquired to the information processing device 1. The attribute information acquisition device 5 may also include a storage unit for storing the acquisition date and time and the attribute information. However, the attribute information acquisition device 5 is not limited to these, and may of course be any device capable of acquiring attribute information.

[0021] Advance preparation In the first embodiment, the information processing device 1 needs to obtain various information in advance to determine whether the user is an authorized user. The configuration and operation of the information processing device 1 in advance preparation will be described below.

[0022] (Software configuration in advance) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the information processing device 1 in advance preparation of the first embodiment in association with the hardware configuration shown in FIG. The storage unit 12 includes an acquired data storage unit 121 and an extracted data storage unit 122 .

[0023] The acquired data storage unit 121 stores acquired data acquired by an acquiring unit 111 (to be described later) of the control unit 11. The acquired data will be described later.

[0024] The extracted data storage unit 122 stores data extracted by a feature data extraction unit 112 and an attribute data extraction unit 113 (to be described later) of the control unit 11. The extracted data will be described later.

[0025] The control unit 11 includes an acquisition unit 111, a feature data extraction unit 112, an attribute data extraction unit 113, and an output control unit 114. These functional units are realized by the hardware processor executing an application program stored in the storage unit 12.

[0026] The acquisition unit 111 includes a medium information acquisition unit 1111 , a biometric information acquisition unit 1112 , and an attribute information acquisition unit 1113 .

[0027] The medium information acquisition unit 1111 acquires the medium information and date and time information received from the input device 2. The medium information acquisition unit 1111 outputs the identification information and date and time information included in the acquired medium information to the biometric information acquisition unit 1112 and the attribute information acquisition unit 1113. Furthermore, the medium information acquisition unit 1111 may store the medium information and the date and time information in the acquired data storage unit 121.

[0028] The biometric information acquisition unit 1112 acquires the biometric information received from the biometric information acquisition device 4. The biometric information acquisition unit 1112 outputs the acquired biometric information and identification information to the feature data extraction unit 112. The biometric information acquisition unit 1112 may also request biometric information of a date and time corresponding to the date and time information received from the medium information acquisition unit 1111, and acquire the biometric information. The biometric information acquisition unit 1112 may store the acquired biometric information in the acquired data storage unit 121.

[0029] The attribute information acquisition unit 1113 acquires the attribute information received from the attribute information acquisition device 5. The attribute information acquisition unit 1113 outputs the acquired attribute information and identification information to the attribute data extraction unit 113. Note that the attribute information acquisition unit 1113 may store the acquired attribute information and identification information in the acquired data storage unit 121.

[0030] The feature data extraction unit 112 extracts feature data that is significant for identifying a user from biometric information. The feature data extraction unit 112 extracts feature data from biometric information using a feature extraction filter algorithm, a feature extraction neural network algorithm, or the like. The feature data extraction unit 112 may extract feature data from biometric information by combining these algorithms. Furthermore, when there are multiple pieces of biometric information, the feature data extraction unit 112 may select one or more pieces of biometric information from the multiple pieces of biometric information based on conditions such as data stability and low noise, and extract feature data using the selected biometric information. Furthermore, the number of extracted feature data is not limited to one; the feature data extraction unit 112 may extract multiple pieces of feature data from one or more pieces of biometric information. The feature data extraction unit 112 associates the extracted feature data with identification information from the medium information acquired by the medium information acquisition unit 1111. The feature data extraction unit 112 then stores the feature data associated with the identification information in the extracted data storage unit 122 as registered feature data.

[0031] The attribute data extraction unit 113 extracts attribute data, which are personal attributes of the user, from the attribute information. For example, the attribute data extraction unit 113 extracts the user's age and gender as personal attributes from a face image included in the attribute information acquired from the attribute information acquisition device 5. The attribute data extraction unit 113 extracts attribute data from the attribute information using, for example, a filter algorithm for extracting attribute features, a neural network algorithm for extracting attribute features, or the like. The attribute data extraction unit 113 may extract attribute data from the attribute information by combining these algorithms. The user's height may also be used as a personal attribute. In this case, the attribute data extraction unit 113 calculates the user's height from a full-body image included in the attribute information. For example, the attribute data extraction unit 113 detects the position of a specific part (top of the head, eyes, nose, etc.) in the input image on the image plane and converts the position based on a previously calculated correspondence table between positions in a 2D image and height to calculate the height. Alternatively, the attribute data extraction unit 113 may estimate the height from the 3D position of the user's head measured by a distance sensor. The attribute data extraction unit 113 may estimate the age and height within a certain range. For example, the user's age may be estimated as being in their teens, early twenties, mid-twenties, late twenties, etc. Similarly, the attribute data extraction unit 113 may estimate the height as being in the 160 cm range, early 170 cm, mid-170 cm, or late 170 cm. Of course, these ranges may be determined arbitrarily.

[0032] The attribute data extraction unit 113 associates the extracted attribute data with the identification information. Then, the attribute data extraction unit 113 stores the attribute data associated with the identification information in the extracted data storage unit 122. The attribute data extraction unit 113 may store the attribute data in the extracted data storage unit 122 together with date and time information.

[0033] Furthermore, when various data are stored in the extracted data storage unit 122, the output control unit 114 may output information to the output device 3 via the input / output interface 13 indicating that advance preparation has been completed.

[0034] (Preparatory processing operation) FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the advance preparation processing operation of the information processing device 1. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 reads out and executes a program stored in the storage unit 12, thereby realizing the operation of this flowchart.

[0035] The operation starts when the input device 2 acquires the medium information of the medium 6. The operation may also start when the user operates the input device 2 to indicate that they wish to make advance preparations. In this case, the output device 3 prompts the user to hold the medium 6 over a predetermined location on the input device 2, and the input device 2 acquires the medium information of the medium 6.

[0036] The medium information acquisition unit 1111 acquires medium information and date and time information from the input device 2 through the input / output interface 13 (step ST11). The medium information includes identification information and authority information of the medium 6. The medium information acquisition unit 1111 may store the medium information and date and time information in the acquired data storage unit 121. Furthermore, the medium information acquisition unit 1111 outputs the identification information and date and time information included in the medium information to the biometric information acquisition unit 1112 and the attribute information acquisition unit 1113.

[0037] The biometric information acquisition unit 1112 acquires biometric information from the biometric information acquisition device 4 through the input / output interface 13 (step ST12). The biometric information acquisition unit 1112 receives the biometric information transmitted from the biometric information acquisition device 4. Alternatively, the biometric information acquisition unit 1112 may output a request to the biometric information acquisition device 4 to acquire biometric information corresponding to the date and time information received from the medium information acquisition unit 1111, and acquire the biometric information from the biometric information acquisition device 4. For example, the biometric information acquisition unit 1112 may acquire biometric information corresponding to the date and time information in chronological order. That is, the biometric information acquisition unit 1112 may acquire multiple pieces of biometric information. The biometric information acquisition unit 1112 may also acquire multiple types of biometric information. For example, the biometric information acquisition unit 1112 may acquire fingerprint data and iris data as biometric information. The biometric information acquisition unit 1112 outputs the acquired biometric information, identification information, and date and time information to the feature data extraction unit 112. Here, the term "plurality of biometric information" described below refers to a plurality of pieces of biometric information of a single type, a plurality of types of biometric information, or both of these types of biometric information. The biometric information acquisition unit 1112 outputs the acquired biometric information, identification information, and date and time information to the feature data extraction unit 112. Note that the biometric information acquisition unit 1112 may store the acquired biometric information in the acquired data storage unit 121 in association with the identification information.

[0038] The feature data extraction unit 112 extracts feature data based on the biometric information (step ST13). Here, the feature data is data that is significant for identifying a user. For example, the feature data extraction unit 112 extracts feature data from the biometric information using a feature extraction filter algorithm, a feature extraction neural network algorithm, or the like. The feature data extraction unit 112 extracts one or more feature data from one or more pieces of biometric information. That is, the feature data extraction unit 112 may extract one or more feature data from one piece of biometric information, or may extract one or more feature data from multiple pieces of biometric information.

[0039] The feature data extraction unit 112 associates the extracted feature data with the identification information. Then, the feature data extraction unit 112 stores the feature data associated with the identification information as registered feature data in the extracted data storage unit 122. The feature data extraction unit 112 may store the registered feature data together with date and time information in the extracted data storage unit 122. It goes without saying that the feature data extraction unit 112 may use the biometric information stored in the acquired data storage unit 121 instead of using the biometric information received from the biometric information acquisition unit 1112.

[0040] The attribute information acquisition unit 1113 acquires attribute information from the attribute information acquisition device 5 through the input / output interface 13 (step ST14). The attribute information acquisition unit 1113 receives the attribute information transmitted from the attribute information acquisition device 5. Alternatively, the attribute information acquisition unit 1113 may transmit a request to the attribute information acquisition device 5 to acquire medium information corresponding to the date and time information received from the medium information acquisition unit 1111, and acquire the attribute information. For example, the attribute information acquisition unit 1113 may acquire attribute information corresponding to the date and time of the date and time information in chronological order. That is, the attribute information acquisition unit 1113 may acquire multiple pieces of attribute information. Furthermore, the attribute information acquisition unit 1113 may acquire multiple types of attribute information. For example, the attribute information acquisition unit 1113 may acquire a face image and a full-body image as attribute information. Here, the term "multiple attribute information" described below refers to a case where multiple pieces of attribute information of the same type are included, multiple types of biometric information are included, or both of these types of attribute information are included. The attribute information acquisition unit 1113 outputs the acquired attribute information, identification information, and date and time information to the attribute data extraction unit 113. Note that the attribute information acquisition unit 1113 may store the acquired attribute information in the acquired data storage unit 121 in association with the identification information.

[0041] The attribute data extraction unit 113 extracts attribute data based on the attribute information (step ST15). Here, the attribute data is data that represents the attributes of a user. The attribute data extraction unit 113 extracts attribute data from the attribute information using, for example, a filter algorithm for extracting attribute features, a neural network algorithm for extracting attribute features, or the like. The attribute data extraction unit 113 extracts one or more pieces of attribute data from one or more pieces of attribute information. That is, the attribute data extraction unit 113 may extract one or more pieces of attribute data from one piece of attribute information, or may extract one or more pieces of attribute data from multiple pieces of attribute information.

[0042] The attribute data extraction unit 113 associates the extracted attribute data with the identification information. Then, the attribute data extraction unit 113 stores the attribute data associated with the identification information as registered attribute data in the extracted data storage unit 122. The attribute data extraction unit 113 may store the registered attribute data together with date and time information in the extracted data storage unit 122. Of course, the attribute data extraction unit 113 may use the attribute information stored in the acquired data storage unit 121 instead of using the attribute information received from the attribute information acquisition unit 1113.

[0043] In addition, when the registered feature data and registered attribute data are stored in the extracted data storage unit 122, the output control unit 114 may output information that the preliminary preparations have been completed to the output device 3 via the input / output interface 13, thereby informing the user.

[0044] Note that the order of processing in step A0, which combines steps ST12 and ST13, and step B0, which combines steps ST14 and ST15, does not matter. That is, step A0 and step B0 are interchangeable, and may be processed in parallel.

[0045] By the above pre-processing operation, the necessary data is stored in the storage unit 12, and the information processing device 1 becomes able to determine whether the user is an authorized person.

[0046] ·Authority determination processing Next, in the first embodiment, the configuration and operation of the information processing device 1 for performing the process of determining whether a user is an authorized person will be described. Here, the information processing device 1 that performs the preparatory operation and the information processing device 1 that performs the authority determination process may be the same device, or they may be different devices. If they are different devices, the information stored in the memory unit 12 in the preparatory operation is transmitted via a network or the like to the information processing device 1 that performs the authority determination process, and the information is stored in the memory unit 12 of the information processing device 1 that performs the authority determination process. For example, the preparatory operation may be performed by a ticket vending machine, and the authority determination process may be performed by a ticket gate.

[0047] (Software configuration for authorization processing) FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the information processing device 1 in the rights determination process of the first embodiment in relation to the hardware configuration shown in FIG. In addition to the units described in the advance preparation section, the control unit 11 further includes a feature data comparison unit 115, an attribute data comparison unit 116, an authority determination unit 117, and an authority holder determination unit 118. These functional units are realized by the hardware processor executing an application program stored in the storage unit 12.

[0048] The storage unit 12 further includes a condition storage unit 123 in addition to the units described in the advance preparation section.

[0049] The condition storage unit 123 stores conditions under which a user can receive a discount, etc. The conditions are to be stored in the condition storage unit 123 in advance by an administrator or the like who manages the information processing device 1.

[0050] The medium information acquisition unit 1111 receives the medium information and the date and time information from the biometric information acquisition device 4, and outputs the identification information and the date and time information included in the medium information to the biometric information acquisition unit 1112 and the attribute information acquisition unit 1113. Furthermore, the medium information acquisition unit 1111 outputs the authority information and the date and time information to the authority determination unit 117.

[0051] The feature data extraction unit 112 extracts feature data from the biometric information in the same manner as in the advance preparation. Then, the feature data extraction unit 112 associates the extracted feature information with the identification information and outputs them to the feature data comparison unit 115 as input feature data.

[0052] The attribute data extraction unit 113 extracts attribute data from the attribute information in the same manner as in the advance preparation, and outputs the extracted attribute data to the attribute data comparison unit 116 as input attribute data.

[0053] The feature data comparison unit 115 compares the input feature data with the registered feature data stored in the extracted data storage unit 122. To compare the input feature data with the registered feature data, the feature data comparison unit 115 calculates a distance measure such as Euclidean distance, Mahalanobis distance, or block distance, or a similarity measure such as Cosine similarity. The feature data comparison unit 115 then compares the calculated measure with a preset threshold to determine whether the input feature data matches or does not match the registered feature data. Furthermore, when receiving multiple pieces of input feature data from the feature data extraction unit 112, the feature data comparison unit 115 may compare each piece of input feature data with the registered feature data and statistically process the comparison results to determine whether the input feature data matches or does not match the registered feature data. Here, the statistical processing may use, for example, the average, mode, minimum distance, maximum similarity, or the like of distance or similarity.

[0054] Furthermore, the feature data comparison unit 115 outputs the comparison result as an authorized person matching result to the authorized person determination unit 118. Note that the authorized person matching result may include not only a matching match or a matching mismatch, but also a similarity index that indicates the degree of matching match (a distance measure or a similarity measure).

[0055] The attribute data comparison unit 116 compares the input attribute data with the registered attribute data stored in the extracted data storage unit 122. When making the comparison, the attribute data is not limited to one type, and multiple types of attribute data may be used. For example, the attribute data comparison unit 116 may compare attribute data such as height, gender, and age. For example, when comparing height or age, the attribute data comparison unit 116 determines whether the input attribute data is within the range of the registered attribute data. Furthermore, the attribute data comparison unit 116 may calculate the degree of similarity between the input attribute data and the registered attribute data.

[0056] Furthermore, the attribute data comparison unit 116 outputs the comparison result as the attribute data comparison result to the authority holder determination unit 118. Note that the attribute data comparison result may include not only a match or a mismatch, but also a similar attribute index that indicates the degree of similarity, etc.

[0057] The authority determination unit 117 determines whether the authority information included in the medium information satisfies a predetermined condition stored in the condition storage unit 123. Here, the predetermined condition stored in the condition storage unit 123 is, for example, a service level to be used, a price range, a time period to be used, etc. If it is determined that the authority information satisfies the predetermined condition, the authority determination unit 117 outputs an authority determination result indicating that the authority information satisfies the predetermined condition, i.e., that the user is an authority holder, to the authority holder determination unit 118. On the other hand, if it is determined that the authority information does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the authority determination unit 117 outputs information indicating that the user is an authority non-holder to the output control unit 114.

[0058] The authorized person determination unit 118 determines whether the user is an authorized person based on the authorized person matching result and the attribute data comparison result. For example, if the authorized person matching result indicates a matching match and the attribute data comparison result indicates a matching match, the authorized person determination unit 118 determines that the user is an authorized person. That is, if the input feature data and the input attribute data are valid, the authorized person determination unit 118 determines that the user is an authorized person. Conversely, if either the input feature data or the input attribute data is invalid, the authorized person determination unit 118 determines that the user is not an authorized person. In addition, the authorized person determination unit 118 outputs the determination result to the output control unit 114.

[0059] Furthermore, instead of determining whether the user is an authorized person based solely on the determination result as described above, the authorized person determination unit 118 may re-evaluate the similarity index and attribute index included in the determination result to determine whether the user is an authorized person. For example, if the similarity index and attribute specification are equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the authorized person determination unit 118 may output information to the output control unit 114 informing the user that they need to re-enter biometric information and attribute information. The output control unit 114 outputs the information to the output device 3 based on the information. As a result, the biometric information acquisition device 4 will acquire the user's biometric information again.

[0060] (Operation in authority determination process) FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the rights determination processing operation of the information processing device 1. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 reads out and executes a program stored in the storage unit 12, thereby realizing the operation of this flowchart.

[0061] The operation starts when the input device 2 acquires the medium information of the medium 6. The operation may also start when the user operates the input device 2 to indicate that they wish to make advance preparations. In this case, the output device 3 prompts the user to hold the medium 6 over a predetermined location on the input device 2, and the input device 2 acquires the medium information of the medium 6.

[0062] The medium information acquisition unit 1111 acquires medium information and date and time information from the input device 2 through the input / output interface 13 (step ST21). The medium information acquisition unit 1111 may store the medium information in the acquired data storage unit 121. The medium information acquisition unit 1111 also outputs the identification information and date and time information included in the medium information to the biometric information acquisition unit 1112 and the attribute information acquisition unit 1113. The medium information acquisition unit 1111 also outputs the authority information and date and time information included in the medium information to the authority determination unit 117.

[0063] The authority determination unit 117 determines whether the authority information satisfies the predetermined condition stored in the condition storage unit 123 (step ST22). For example, if the authority information indicates that a discount is available, the date and time information (i.e., the date and time when the information was acquired from the medium) is 11:00 AM, and the predetermined condition stored in the condition storage unit 123 indicates that the discount is available during the usage time period (10:00 AM to 4:00 PM), the authority determination unit 117 determines that the authority information has the condition. Also, if the authority information includes information that allows the user to receive a predetermined service within a specific range, the authority determination unit 117 may determine whether the predetermined condition is satisfied based only on the authority information and the date and time information without using the condition stored in the condition storage unit 123. If it is determined that the authority information satisfies the predetermined condition, the authority determination unit 117 outputs an authority determination result indicating that the user is an authority holder to the authority holder determination unit 118, and the process proceeds to step ST23. On the other hand, if it is determined that the authority information does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the authority determining unit 117 outputs information indicating that the user is not an authority holder to the output control unit 114, and the process proceeds to step ST31.

[0064] The biometric information acquiring unit 1112 acquires biometric information from the biometric information acquiring device 4 through the input / output interface 13 (step ST23). As in the advance preparation process, the biometric information acquiring unit 1112 acquires biometric information. The biometric information acquiring unit 1112 outputs the acquired biometric information, identification information, and date and time information to the feature data extracting unit 112. Note that the biometric information acquiring unit 1112 may store the acquired biometric information in the acquired data storage unit 121 in association with the identification information.

[0065] The feature data extraction unit 112 extracts feature data based on the biometric information (step ST24). As in the advance preparation process, the feature data extraction unit 112 extracts feature data based on the biometric information. Then, the feature data extraction unit 112 outputs the extracted feature data as input feature data to the feature data comparison unit 115 together with the identification information.

[0066] The feature data comparison unit 115 compares the input feature data with the registered feature data (step ST25). The feature data comparison unit 115 acquires the registered feature data stored in the extracted data storage unit 122 based on the identification information received from the feature data extraction unit 112. Then, the feature data comparison unit 115 compares the input feature data with the registered feature data. The feature data comparison unit 115 outputs the comparison result to the authority holder determination unit 118 as an authority holder matching result. Note that the authority holder matching result may include a similarity index.

[0067] The attribute information acquisition unit 1113 acquires attribute information from the attribute information acquisition device 5 through the input / output interface 13 (step ST26). As in the advance preparation process, the attribute information acquisition unit 1113 acquires attribute information. The attribute information acquisition unit 1113 outputs the acquired attribute information, identification information, and date and time information to the attribute data extraction unit 113. Note that the attribute information acquisition unit 1113 may store the acquired attribute information in the acquired data storage unit 121 in association with the identification information.

[0068] The attribute data extraction unit 113 extracts attribute data based on the attribute information (step ST27). As in the advance preparation process, the attribute data extraction unit 113 extracts attribute data based on the attribute information. Then, the attribute data extraction unit 113 outputs the extracted attribute data as input attribute data together with the identification information to the attribute data comparison unit 116.

[0069] The attribute data comparison unit 116 compares the input attribute data with the registered attribute data (step ST28). The attribute data comparison unit 116 acquires the registered attribute data stored in the extracted data storage unit 122 based on the identification information received from the attribute data extraction unit 113. The attribute data comparison unit 116 then compares the input attribute data with the registered attribute data. The attribute data comparison unit 116 outputs the comparison result to the authorized person determination unit 118 as the attribute data comparison result. Note that the attribute data comparison result may include a similar attribute index.

[0070] The authority holder determination unit 118 determines whether the authority holder matching result and the attribute data comparison result both match (step ST29). If the authority holder matching result and the attribute data comparison result both match, the authority holder determination unit 118 determines that the user is an authority holder. In this case, the authority holder determination unit 118 outputs authority holding information indicating that the user is an authority holder to the output control unit 114. On the other hand, if at least one of the authority holder matching result or the attribute data comparison result does not match, the authority holder determination unit 118 determines that the user is a non-authorized person. In this case, the authority holder determination unit 118 outputs authority non-holding information indicating that the user is a non-authorized person to the output control unit 114.

[0071] When the authority holder information is received, the output control unit 114 transmits information indicating that the user is a legitimate authority holder to the output device 3 via the input / output interface 13 (step ST30). The output device 3 may display, in accordance with the information, that the user is a legitimate authority holder.

[0072] In addition, when the information processing device 1 is a ticket gate or the like, the control unit 11 may of course open the gate or the like to allow the user to pass through.

[0073] On the other hand, when information indicating that the user is not authorized is received from the authorization determination unit 117 or the authorization holder determination unit 118, the output control unit 114 outputs information to the output device 3 via the input / output interface 13 that the user is not authorized (step ST31). In this case, for example, information may also be output that prompts the user to hold the medium over a predetermined location on the input device 2 again to cause the input device 2 to acquire the medium information.

[0074] Note that the order of processing does not matter for step A1, which combines steps ST21 and ST22, step B1, which combines steps ST23 to ST25, and step C1, which combines steps ST26 to ST28. That is, step A1, step B1, and step C1 are interchangeable, and may be processed in parallel.

[0075] (Operation and effect of the first embodiment) According to the first embodiment, it is possible to provide a technique for not recognizing a user as an authorized user when the user is not an authorized user.

[0076] [Second embodiment] (composition) The hardware configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Also, the software configuration and the operation of the preparation process are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0077] ·Authority determination processing (Software configuration for authorization processing) FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the information processing device 1 in the rights determination process of the second embodiment in relation to the hardware configuration shown in FIG.

[0078] The software configuration differs from that of the first embodiment in that the control unit 11 includes an identification information comparison unit 119. This functional unit is realized by the hardware processor executing an application program stored in the storage unit 12.

[0079] The feature data extraction unit 112 extracts feature data based on biometric information, as in the first embodiment, and outputs the extracted feature data to the feature data comparison unit 115 as input feature data, and outputs identification information to the identification information comparison unit 119.

[0080] The feature data comparison unit 115 compares the input feature data with the registered feature data. In the first embodiment, the feature data comparison unit 115 compared the input feature data with the registered feature data based on the identification information. However, in the second embodiment, the feature data comparison unit 115 compares the input feature data with all or part of the registered feature data stored in the extracted data storage unit 122. When comparing part of the input feature data, for example, the feature data comparison unit 115 determines a similarity range of the input feature data and retrieves and compares registered feature data that fall within the similarity range from the extracted data storage unit 122. The similarity range may be calculated by multiplying the input feature data by a predetermined coefficient, or may be determined based on a predetermined threshold value. Alternatively, the registered feature data may be roughly classified into partial data by predetermined statistical processing in advance, and partial data that have a high similarity to a representative value of each classification may be limited. The comparison may be performed in the order of registration or randomly. The feature data comparison unit 115 outputs the identification information corresponding to the registered feature data that is most similar to the input feature data to the identification information comparison unit 119. Note that the feature data comparison unit 115 may output to the identification information comparison unit 119 not only the identification information corresponding to the registered feature data that is most similar to the input feature data, but also the identification information corresponding to the registered feature data from the top down to a predetermined range.

[0081] The identification information comparison unit 119 compares the identification information received from the feature data extraction unit 112 (i.e., the identification information corresponding to the input feature data) with the identification information received from the feature data comparison unit 115. Then, it outputs the comparison result to the authority holder determination unit 118 as the authority holder matching result.

[0082] (Operation in authority determination process) FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the rights determination processing operation of the information processing device 1. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 1 reads out and executes a program stored in the storage unit 12, thereby realizing the operation of this flowchart.

[0083] The operation starts when the input device 2 acquires the medium information of the medium 6. The operation may also start when the user operates the input device 2 to indicate that they wish to make advance preparations. In this case, the output device 3 prompts the user to hold the medium 6 over a predetermined location on the input device 2, and the input device 2 acquires the medium information of the medium 6.

[0084] Steps ST21 to ST23 are the same as the operations in the rights determination process of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5, and therefore will not be described here.

[0085] The feature data extraction unit 112 extracts feature data based on the biometric information (step ST41). As in the first embodiment, the feature data extraction unit 112 extracts feature data based on the biometric information. Then, the feature data extraction unit 112 outputs the extracted feature data to the feature data comparison unit 115 as input feature data, and outputs identification information corresponding to the input feature data to the identification information comparison unit 119 as input identification information.

[0086] The feature data comparison unit 115 compares the input feature data with the registered feature data (step ST42). The feature data comparison unit 115 compares the input feature data with all or part of the registered feature data stored in the extracted data storage unit 122. The feature data comparison unit 115 outputs, as registered identification information, identification information corresponding to the registered feature data that is most similar to the input feature data to the identification information comparison unit 119. Note that the feature data comparison unit 115 may output, as registered identification information, not only the identification information corresponding to the registered feature data that is most similar to the input feature data, but also a plurality of identification information corresponding to registered feature data from the top down to a predetermined range.

[0087] The identification information comparison unit 119 compares the input identification information with the registered identification information (step ST43). The identification information comparison unit 119 compares the registered identification information corresponding to similar registered feature data received from the feature data comparison unit 115 with the input identification information corresponding to the input feature data received from the feature data extraction unit 112, and determines whether these pieces of information match. When the identification information comparison unit 119 receives multiple pieces of registered identification information from the feature data comparison unit 115, the identification information comparison unit 119 may determine that these pieces of information match if any of the registered identification information matches the input identification information. The identification information comparison unit 119 outputs the comparison result to the authorized person determination unit 118 as an authorized person matching result. The authorized person matching result includes information on the comparison result of whether the identification information matches or does not match.

[0088] Steps ST26 to ST28 are the same as the operations in the rights determination process of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5, and therefore will not be described here.

[0089] The authorized person determination unit 118 determines whether the authorized person matching result and the attribute data comparison result both match (step ST44). Here, in the first embodiment, the authorized person matching result was a matching result as to whether the feature data matched, whereas in the second embodiment, the authorized person matching result is a matching result as to whether the identification information matches. If both the authorized person matching result and the attribute data comparison result show a match, the authorized person determination unit 118 determines that the user is an authorized person. In this case, the authorized person determination unit 118 outputs authority holding information indicating that the user is an authorized person to the output control unit 114. On the other hand, if at least one of the authorized person matching result or the attribute data comparison result shows a mismatch, the authorized person determination unit 118 determines that the user is a non-authorized person. In this case, the authorized person determination unit 118 outputs authority non-holding information indicating that the user is a non-authorized person to the output control unit 114.

[0090] Steps ST30 to ST31 are the same as the operations in the rights determination process of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5, and therefore will not be described here.

[0091] Note that the order of processing does not matter for step A2, which combines step ST21 and step ST22, step B2, which combines step ST23 and steps ST41 to ST43, and step C2, which combines step ST26 to step ST28. That is, step A2, step B2, and step C2 are interchangeable, and may be processed in parallel.

[0092] (Effects of the second embodiment) According to the second embodiment, by comparing the input biometric information with all or part of the registered feature data, it is possible to provide a technology that more reliably prevents a user from being recognized as an authorized user when the user is not an authorized user.

[0093] [Other embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the present invention is expected to be used in station service equipment, but it can also be used in any other situation where identity verification is required. For example, it can be used for identity verification in online exams.

[0094] The techniques described in the above embodiments can be stored as a program (software means) that can be executed by a computer on a storage medium such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD, an MO, etc.), or a semiconductor memory (e.g., a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, etc.), and can also be distributed by transmitting the program via a communication medium. The program stored on the medium also includes a configuration program that configures the software means (including not only executable programs but also tables and data structures) that the computer executes. The computer that implements this device loads the program stored on the storage medium and, in some cases, configures the software means using the configuration program, and executes the above-described processing by controlling the operation of the software means. The term "storage medium" as used herein is not limited to storage media for distribution, but also includes storage media such as magnetic disks and semiconductor memories installed inside the computer or in devices connected via a network.

[0095] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1...Information processing device 2...Input device 3...Output device 4...Biometric information acquisition device 5…Attribute information acquisition device 6…Medium 11...Control unit 111…Acquisition Department 1111…Media information acquisition unit 1112...Biometric information acquisition unit 1113…Attribute information acquisition unit 112...Feature data extraction unit 113...Attribute data extraction unit 114...Output control unit 115...Feature data comparison unit 116...Attribute data comparison section 117...Authority Determination Unit 118...Authority Holder Determination Division 119...Identification information comparison unit 12...Storage section 121...Acquired data storage unit 122...Extracted data storage unit 123…Condition storage section 13...Input / output interface

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires medium information including input identification information stored in the medium, and acquires biometric information and attribute information from a user who uses the medium; a feature data extraction unit that extracts input feature data from the biometric information; an attribute data extraction unit that extracts input attribute data from the attribute information; a comparison unit that compares the input feature data with part or all of registered feature data stored in a storage unit, compares the input identification information with registered identification information corresponding to the registered feature data that is most similar to the input feature data as a result of the comparison, compares the input attribute data with registered attribute data stored in the storage unit, and outputs a matching result including a matching match or a matching mismatch according to the result of the comparison; a determination unit that determines whether the authority information included in the medium information satisfies a predetermined condition and whether the comparison result is a match; an output unit that outputs information indicating that the user is a legitimate authorized person when the authority information included in the medium information satisfies the predetermined condition and the collation result is a match; An information processing device comprising:

2. an acquisition unit that acquires medium information including input identification information stored in the medium, and acquires biometric information and attribute information from a user who uses the medium; a feature data extraction unit that extracts input feature data from the biometric information; an attribute data extraction unit that extracts input attribute data from the attribute information; a comparison unit that compares the input feature data with part or all of the registered feature data stored in a storage unit, and compares the input identification information with registered identification information corresponding to the registered feature data up to a predetermined range, starting with the registered feature data that is most similar to the input feature data, based on the comparison result, and compares the input attribute data with registered attribute data stored in the storage unit, and outputs a matching result including a matching match or a matching mismatch according to the comparison result; a determination unit that determines whether the authority information included in the medium information satisfies a predetermined condition and whether the comparison result is a match; an output unit that outputs information indicating that the user is a legitimate authorized person when the authority information included in the medium information satisfies the predetermined condition and the collation result is a match; An information processing device comprising:

3. An information processing method executed by an information processing device having a processor and a memory, obtaining medium information including input identification information stored on the medium; acquiring biometric information and attribute information from a user who uses the medium; extracting input feature data that is significant for identifying the user from the biometric information; extracting input attribute data representing an attribute to which the user belongs from the attribute information; comparing the input feature data with part or all of registered feature data stored in a storage unit; comparing the input identification information with registered identification information corresponding to the registered feature data up to a predetermined range, starting from the registered feature data that is most similar to the input feature data as a result of the comparison; comparing the input attribute data with registered attribute data stored in the storage unit; outputting a match result including a match or a mismatch according to the result of the comparison; determining whether the authorization information included in the medium information satisfies a predetermined condition and whether the matching result is a match; outputting information indicating that the user is a legitimate authorized person when the authority information included in the medium information satisfies the predetermined condition and the collation result is a match; An information processing method comprising:

4. An information processing program that causes a processor to function as each of the units of the information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

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