Authentication system, authentication method, and program

Abstract

An authentication system (1) comprises: a feature amount acquisition unit (11); a history information acquisition unit (12); an authentication unit (13); and an output unit (14). The feature amount acquisition unit (11) acquires an authentication subject feature amount which is a feature amount of an authentication subject image defined from an image in which a prescribed authentication subject article is captured. The history information acquisition unit (12) acquires history information about authentication history of the authentication subject article on the basis of the authentication subject feature amount. The authentication unit (13) authenticates the authentication subject article on the basis of the authentication subject feature amount and the history information. The output unit (14) outputs the authentication result.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an authentication system, an authentication method, and a computer-readable medium. [Background technology]

[0002] There is technology to determine the authenticity of an object.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which, if a received terminal ID matches a terminal ID stored in a management table storage unit, the received random pattern is stored in association with printed matter identification information, and the stored printed matter is made available for use.

[0004] Patent document 2 describes a technology in which, when copying the printed contents of a coded intensifying screen, the validity of the presence or absence of the original intensifying screen is determined based on the pattern stored on the intensifying screen, and the presence or absence of the original is confirmed based on the pattern.

[0005] Patent Document 3 describes a technology that detects state parameters that represent the state of paper, and varies the extraction conditions to be extracted as identification targets from pattern information based on the paper pattern in accordance with a comparison between a reference state parameter and state parameters detected after the reference parameter is detected.

[0006] Patent Document 4 describes a technology that performs a first matching process in which an input pattern is matched with a first feature that does not change over time, and a second matching process in which an input pattern is matched with a second feature that changes over time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-043751 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2005 / 071939 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-011770 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-069150 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Incidentally, when authenticating an object such as a passport or a credit card that an individual keeps for a long period of time and that is intended to authenticate the individual, there is a demand for efficient and correct authentication.

[0009] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an authentication system and the like that efficiently performs authentication of an authentication object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] An authentication system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a feature acquisition means, a history information acquisition means, an authentication means, and an output means. The feature acquisition means acquires an authentication target feature, which is a feature of an authentication target image defined from an image of a predetermined authentication target object. The history information acquisition means acquires history information regarding the authentication history of the authentication target object based on the authentication target feature. The authentication means authenticates the authentication target object based on the authentication target feature and the history information. The output means outputs the authentication result.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure certification In the method, a computer executes the following processes. The computer acquires features to be authenticated, which are features of an image to be authenticated defined from an image of a specific object to be authenticated. The computer acquires history information regarding the authentication history of the object to be authenticated based on the features to be authenticated. The computer authenticates the object to be authenticated based on the features to be authenticated and the history information. The computer outputs the authentication result.

[0012] A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute the following method. The computer acquires an authentication target feature, which is a feature of an authentication target image defined from an image of a predetermined authentication target object. The computer acquires history information regarding the authentication history of the authentication target object based on the authentication target feature. The computer authenticates the authentication target object based on the authentication target feature and the history information. The computer outputs a result of the authentication. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide an authentication system or the like that efficiently authenticates an authentication object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of an authentication system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart showing an authentication method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a usage mode of an authentication system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an authentication system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a method for registering history information in the authentication system. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an authentication method in an authentication system. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing details of an authentication method. [Figure 8] 10 is a table showing history information. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state of an image to be authenticated. [Figure 10] 10 is a graph showing expected values ​​according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an authentication method according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a graph showing the transition of the authentication score according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an authentication method according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state of an image to be authenticated according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present disclosure will be described below through embodiments, but the disclosure according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential as means for solving the problems. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0016] <Embodiment 1> A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an authentication system according to the first embodiment. The authentication system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a system for authenticating a predetermined object to be authenticated. The predetermined object to be authenticated is owned by an individual and is used multiple times by the individual who owns it, for example, within a period of one year to several years. Certified item For example, the ID card may be a passport, a theme park season ticket, a credit card, a student ID card, an employee ID card, or an insurance card.

[0017] The authentication system 1 may be configured, for example, by a computing device, computer, or server with a communication function. In the following description, the term "computer" may encompass any one of a server device, a blade, and a cloud computing system. The authentication system 1 acquires image data of an image of an object to be authenticated taken by a specified camera, and authenticates a person attempting to pass through the passage gate based on the acquired image data. The authentication system 1 also outputs the authentication results to other components connected to the authentication system 1. The authentication system 1 mainly comprises a feature acquisition unit 11, a history information acquisition unit 12, an authentication unit 13, and an output unit 14.

[0018] The feature acquisition unit 11 acquires the features of the object to be authenticated. The features of the object to be authenticated are features of the image to be authenticated that are defined from an image of a specific object to be authenticated. The image to be authenticated is a specific area in an image of the object to be authenticated. The image to be authenticated is set so that the authentication system 1 can authenticate the object to be authenticated. The feature acquisition unit 11 may acquire the features to be authenticated from an external configuration, or may acquire the features by extracting the features to be authenticated. The feature acquisition unit 11 may also acquire the image to be authenticated from an external configuration. The feature acquisition unit 11 may define the image to be authenticated from an image of the object to be authenticated.

[0019] The history information acquisition unit 12 acquires history information corresponding to the feature to be authenticated acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11. The history information is information related to the authentication history of the object to be authenticated. The authentication history is a history of authentications that the object to be authenticated underwent at a time before the feature acquisition unit 11 acquired the feature to be authenticated. For example, the history information acquisition unit 12 acquires history information corresponding to the feature to be authenticated, using the feature to be authenticated acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11. More specifically, for example, the history information acquisition unit 12 acquires history information by requesting history information from a predetermined external configuration using the feature to be authenticated acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11.

[0020] In the following description, the time before the feature acquisition unit 11 acquires the feature to be authenticated may be referred to as "past", and the time when the feature acquisition unit 11 acquires the feature to be authenticated or the time when the authentication system 1 performs authentication using the feature to be authenticated acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11 may be referred to as "present". In other words, the authentication history included in the history information is a history of authentications that the object to be authenticated has received in the past. The history information acquisition unit 12 may acquire the history information from a storage device not shown in the authentication system 1.

[0021] The history information may include various information from past authentications. For example, the history information may include the authenticated feature acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11 in past authentications. Alternatively, the history information may include the history information acquired by the history information acquisition unit 12 in past authentications. The history information is information indicating how the authentication unit 13 authenticated the authenticated object in past authentications, and may include, for example, the threshold used during authentication and the authentication score. The history information may also include information regarding the date and time of past authentications.

[0022] The authentication unit 13 authenticates the object to be authenticated. Specifically, the authentication unit 13 authenticates the object to be authenticated by using the feature to be authenticated. In this authentication, the authentication unit 13 also uses history information. In other words, the authentication unit 13 refers to the history information when authenticating the feature to be authenticated. More specifically, the authentication unit 13 compares the feature to be authenticated with the history information when determining whether the feature to be authenticated exceeds a predetermined authentication level. Note that the authentication unit 13 may, for example, input the feature to be authenticated and the history information into a predetermined trained model to determine whether to authenticate.

[0023] The output unit 14 outputs the result of the authentication. More specifically, the output unit 14 can output the result of the authentication as a predetermined signal to an external component to which the authentication system 1 is communicably connected.

[0024] Next, processing executed by the authentication system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the authentication method according to the first embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 2 is started, for example, when the authentication system 1 acquires image data.

[0025] First, the feature acquisition unit 11 acquires an authenticated feature, which is a feature of an authenticated image defined from an image of a predetermined authenticated object (step S11). After acquiring the authenticated feature, the feature acquisition unit 11 supplies the acquired authenticated feature to the authentication unit 13.

[0026] Next, the history information acquisition unit 12 acquires history information related to the authentication history of the object to be authenticated corresponding to the feature to be authenticated (step S12). Upon acquiring the history information, the history information acquisition unit 12 supplies the acquired history information to the authentication unit 13.

[0027] Next, the authentication unit 13 authenticates the object to be authenticated using the feature to be authenticated received from the feature acquisition unit 11 and the history information received from the history information acquisition unit 12 (step S13). After authenticating the object to be authenticated, the authentication unit 13 supplies information on the authentication result to the output unit 14.

[0028] Finally, the output unit 14 outputs the authentication result received from the authentication unit 13 to a predetermined output destination (step S14). When the output unit 14 outputs the authentication result, the authentication system 1 ends the series of processes.

[0029] The authentication system according to the first embodiment has been described above. The authentication system 1 may include a processor and a storage device as components not shown. The storage device included in the authentication system 1 includes a storage device including a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive). In this case, the storage device included in the authentication system 1 stores a computer program (hereinafter simply referred to as a program) for executing the image processing method described above. The processor also loads the computer program from the storage device into a buffer memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and executes the program.

[0030] Each component of the authentication system 1 may be realized by dedicated hardware. Furthermore, some or all of the components may be realized by general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits, etc., and a program. Furthermore, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), etc. may be used as the processor. The description of the components described herein may also be applied to other devices or systems described below in this disclosure.

[0031] Furthermore, when some or all of the components of the authentication system 1 are realized by a plurality of authentication systems, circuits, etc., the plurality of authentication systems, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the authentication systems, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, etc., each connected via a communication network. Authentication System 1 The functions of the above may be provided in a form of Software as a Service (SaaS). The above method may be stored on a computer-readable medium for causing a computer to execute the above method.

[0032] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an authentication system or the like that efficiently performs authentication of an authentication object.

[0033] <Embodiment 2> A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a usage mode of the authentication system according to the second embodiment. The authentication system 2 shown in Fig. 3 is used when a passenger passes through customs at airport A1. The authentication system 2 mainly includes an authentication device 100, a user terminal 300, a camera 310, a display device 320, and an information input device 330. The user terminal 300, the camera 310, the display device 320, and the information input device 330 are installed at airport A1. The authentication device 100 and the user terminal 300 are connected to each other via a network N1 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0034] The authentication device 100 is a computer installed at any location. The authentication device 100 is communicably connected to a user terminal 300 via a network N1. The authentication device 100 receives, from the user terminal 300, features to be authenticated relating to an image of an object to be authenticated 90 captured by a camera 310, and authenticates the received features to be authenticated. The authentication device 100 supplies a signal indicating the result of authentication to the user terminal 300.

[0035] The user terminal 300 is a terminal device installed in airport A1, and is used by, for example, an administrator who manages the user terminal 300 at airport A1. The user terminal 300 acquires image data from the camera 310, performs predetermined processing on the acquired image data, and extracts features to be authenticated. The user terminal 300 supplies the extracted features to the authentication device 100.

[0036] The user terminal 300 receives a signal relating to the authentication result from the authentication device 100, and displays the authentication result indicated by the received signal on the display device 320. The user terminal 300 may also display an image captured by the camera 310 on the display device 320.

[0037] The camera 310 takes an image of the passport, which is the object to be authenticated 90, and generates image data. The camera 310 supplies the generated image data to the user terminal 300.

[0038] The display device 320 is a display device connected to the user terminal 300, and includes, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic electroluminescence panel for displaying various information. The display device 320 shown in Fig. 3 displays an authentication target image P90 extracted from an image of the authentication target 90, and an "OK" message indicating authentication.

[0039] The information input device 330 is a device that allows an administrator who manages the user terminal 300 to operate the user terminal 300, and includes, for example, buttons, a keyboard, etc. for the user to input information. The information input device 330 may also be a touch panel superimposed on the display device 320.

[0040] Next, the authentication system 2 will be further described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the authentication system 2 according to the second embodiment. The authentication system 2 mainly includes an authentication device 100, a user terminal 300, a camera 310, a display device 320, and an information input device 330.

[0041] (Authentication device) The following describes the authentication device 100 included in the authentication system 2. The authentication device 100 mainly includes a feature acquisition unit 11, a history information acquisition unit 12, an authentication unit 13, an output unit 14, an image data acquisition unit 15, a communication unit 16, a registration unit 17, and a storage unit 20.

[0042] The feature acquisition unit 11 acquires the feature to be authenticated from the image to be authenticated that the image data acquisition unit 15 receives from the user terminal 300. The feature to be authenticated in this embodiment is the feature of the image to be authenticated that is determined from an image of the object to be authenticated 90.

[0043] The history information acquisition unit 12 acquires history information corresponding to the feature to be authenticated acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11. Specifically, the history information acquisition unit 12 in this embodiment searches for and reads history information corresponding to the feature to be authenticated acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11 from the storage unit 20. The history information acquisition unit 12 acquires history information including reference feature of the image to be authenticated that was acquired at a time before the feature to be authenticated was acquired. In other words, it can also be said that the history information acquisition unit 12 acquires reference feature corresponding to the feature to be authenticated acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11.

[0044] The reference feature is an authenticated feature of the object to be authenticated 90 previously acquired by the authentication system 2. The authentication system 2 authenticates the object to be authenticated 90 by comparing the authenticated feature acquired from the current object to be authenticated 90 with the authenticated feature acquired in the past (i.e., the reference feature).

[0045] The authentication unit 13 compares the feature to be authenticated with the reference feature to authenticate the object to be authenticated 90. The authentication unit 13 includes a comparison unit 131, an authentication score calculation unit 132, and a determination unit 133.

[0046] The matching unit 131 matches the feature to be authenticated acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11 with the reference feature included in the history information acquired by the history information acquisition unit 12, and detects matches and mismatches between the two.

[0047] The authentication score calculation unit 132 calculates an authentication score from the result of matching by the matching unit 131. The authentication score is an index that indicates the result of the above-mentioned matching. In the example shown here, the minimum value of the authentication score is 0 (zero) and the maximum value is 1.0. An authentication score of zero indicates that the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature do not match at all. On the other hand, an authentication score of 1.0 indicates that the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature match perfectly.

[0048] The determination unit 133 evaluates the authentication score calculated by the authentication score calculation unit 132 and determines whether or not to authenticate the object to be authenticated 90 related to the authentication feature. More specifically, the determination unit 133, for example, compares the authentication score with a predetermined threshold. If the authentication score is equal to or greater than the threshold, the authentication unit 13 determines to authenticate the object to be authenticated 90. If the authentication score is less than the threshold, the authentication unit 13 determines not to authenticate the object to be authenticated 90.

[0049] As described above, the authentication unit 13 calculates an authentication score by matching the feature to be authenticated with the reference feature, and authenticates the object to be authenticated 90 by comparing the value of the authentication score with a predetermined threshold. The authentication score may be rephrased as an authentication level. Alternatively, the authentication score may be rephrased as the degree of similarity or agreement between the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature indicated as a result of matching.

[0050] The output unit 14 outputs the result of the authentication. More specifically, the output unit 14 outputs the result of the authentication as a predetermined signal to the user terminal 300 with which the authentication system 1 is communicably connected.

[0051] The image data acquisition unit 15 acquires image data of the image to be authenticated from the user terminal 300. The image data acquisition unit 15 supplies the received image data to the feature amount acquisition unit 11. The image data acquisition unit 13 may perform predetermined processing such as tone adjustment on the received image data and then supply the image data to the feature amount acquisition unit 11.

[0052] The communication unit 16 is an interface for the authentication system 2 to communicate with the user terminal 300 via the network N1. For example, the communication unit 16 supplies the user terminal 300 with a signal indicating the authentication result output by the output unit 14.

[0053] The registration unit 17 registers the reference feature in the history information. Specifically, for example, the registration unit 17 receives a request from the user terminal 300 to register the reference feature of a new object to be authenticated, and in response to this request, stores the feature provided from the user terminal 300 in the storage unit 20 as the feature of the new object to be authenticated, i.e., the reference feature.

[0054] The storage unit 20 is a storage device including a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, an SSD, or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage unit 20 stores at least history information 21. When the object to be authenticated 90 is authenticated, the storage unit 20 receives predetermined information related to the authentication from the authentication unit 13 and updates the history information based on the received information. More specifically, after the authentication is completed, the storage unit 20 includes the feature to be authenticated as a reference feature in the history information.

[0055] (User terminal 300) The user terminal 300 mainly comprises an image data acquisition unit 301, an authentication image extraction unit 302, a communication unit 303, and a UI control unit 304.

[0056] The image data acquisition unit 301 acquires image data from the camera 310. The image data acquired from the camera 310 is data of an image of at least a part of the object to be authenticated 90 photographed by the camera 310, and includes the image to be authenticated.

[0057] The authentication target image extraction unit 302 extracts the authentication target image from the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit 301. Extracting the authentication target image means, for example, cutting out a predetermined area from an image captured by the camera 310. The authentication system 2 authenticates the authentication target object 90 by observing changes in the predetermined area of ​​the authentication target object 90. Therefore, the predetermined area extracted by the authentication target image extraction unit 302 is a fixed area defined on the authentication target object 90. It is preferable that the authentication target image is, for example, an area in which changes over time can be easily observed.

[0058] Incidentally, not making it clear to the owner which area of ​​the object to be authenticated 90 the image to be authenticated is, for example, effective in preventing counterfeiting by a third party. Furthermore, it is preferable that the image to be authenticated is large enough to be difficult to observe with the naked eye. An example of a size that is difficult to observe with the naked eye is a size of approximately 1000 micrometers square. By setting the image to be authenticated in this manner, counterfeiting of the object to be authenticated 90 can be prevented. The image to be authenticated may also be an image that cannot be observed with visible light, regardless of the size of the image. This allows the authentication system 2 to prevent counterfeiting of the object to be authenticated 90.

[0059] The communication unit 303 is an interface that enables the user terminal 300 to communicate with the authentication device 100 via the network N1. That is, the communication unit 303 supplies the authentication image extracted by the authentication image extraction unit 302 to the authentication device 100. The communication unit 303 also receives a signal indicating the result of authentication from the authentication device 100.

[0060] The UI control unit 304 controls the user interface (UI) for the administrator of the user terminal 300. For example, the UI control unit 304 displays various information on the display device 320, and also reflects input received from the information input device 330 on the user terminal 300. The UI control unit 304 controls the interface for outputting the above-mentioned information and receiving input information, as well as the application program that manages internal processing.

[0061] The camera 310 takes an image of the object to be authenticated 90 to generate predetermined image data, and supplies the generated image data to the user terminal 300. The camera 310 may be capable of pan-tilt-zoom. There may also be multiple cameras 310. The camera 310 may be a visible light camera, or a camera capable of capturing infrared or ultraviolet light.

[0062] Next, the processing executed by the authentication system 2 will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a method for registering history information in authentication system 2. The flowchart shown in Fig. 5 shows the process of registering reference features. The flowchart shown in Fig. 5 starts, for example, when an administrator of user terminal 300 performs a predetermined operation for registering new reference features.

[0063] First, the authentication system 2 acquires image data of the object to be authenticated 90 to be registered (step S101). More specifically, the camera 310 captures an image of the object to be authenticated 90, and the user terminal 300 acquires the image data.

[0064] Next, the authentication system 2 extracts a registration image from the acquired image data (step S102). The registration image is an image for acquiring features for registration, and is an image of the same area as the image to be authenticated. More specifically, the image to be authenticated extraction unit 302 extracts a predetermined image from the image data.

[0065] Next, the authentication system 2 acquires features corresponding to the enrollment image (step S103). Specifically, the user terminal 300 supplies the enrollment image to the authentication device 100, and the feature acquisition unit 11 of the authentication device 100 extracts features from the enrollment image.

[0066] Next, the authentication system 2 stores the acquired feature amounts in the storage unit 20 as history information 21 (step S104). The feature amounts stored in the storage unit 20 become reference feature amounts when authenticating the registered object to be authenticated 90. When the registration of the feature amounts in the history information 21 is completed, the authentication system 2 ends the series of registration processes. By performing the above registration processes, the registered object to be authenticated can be authenticated thereafter.

[0067] Next, a method by which the authentication system 2 authenticates a registered object to be authenticated 90 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an authentication method executed by the authentication device 100 of the authentication system 2. The flowchart shown in Fig. 6 is triggered, for example, by the camera 310 taking an image of the object to be authenticated 90 and the user terminal 300 supplying an authentication image relating to the taken image to the authentication device 100. The flowchart shown in Fig. 6 also differs from the flowchart shown in Fig. 2 in that step S21 is executed before step S11. The flowchart shown in Fig. 6 also differs from the flowchart shown in Fig. 2 in that step S22 is executed after step S14.

[0068] First, in the authentication device 100, the image data acquisition unit 15 acquires the image to be authenticated from the user terminal 300 (step S21). Upon receiving the image to be authenticated, the image data acquisition unit 15 supplies the received image to be authenticated to the feature amount acquisition unit 11.

[0069] Steps S11 to S14 are the same as the processes shown in Fig. 2, and therefore will not be described in detail here.

[0070] After step S14, the storage unit 20 updates the history information 21 with predetermined information related to the authentication performed in step S13 (step S22). Once the storage unit 20 has updated the history information 21, the authentication system 2 ends the series of processes.

[0071] Next, details of the authentication performed by the authentication unit 13 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing details of the authentication method. The flowchart shown in Fig. 7 shows more details of step S13 in Fig. 6.

[0072] First, the matching unit 131 of the authentication unit 13 matches the feature to be authenticated received from the feature acquisition unit 11 with the reference feature read from the storage unit 20 (step S131).

[0073] Next, the authentication score calculation unit 132 of the authentication unit 13 calculates the authentication score Cc from the result of the matching performed by the matching unit 131 (step S132).

[0074] Next, the determination unit 133 determines whether the authentication score Cc calculated by the authentication score calculation unit 132 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold Cth (step S133). If the authentication score Cc is less than the threshold Cth, it indicates that the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature are not similar. On the other hand, if the authentication score Cc is equal to or greater than the threshold Cth, it indicates that the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature are similar.

[0075] If it is not determined that the authentication score Cc is equal to or greater than the threshold value Cth (step S133: NO), the authentication unit 13 proceeds to an authentication NG processing routine. The authentication NG processing routine is a process performed when authentication is NG, i.e., when authentication is not possible. The authentication NG processing is performed using techniques already known to those skilled in the art, and a description thereof will be omitted here. When authentication is NG, the authentication unit 13 supplies a signal indicating that authentication is NG to the output unit 14.

[0076] If it is determined that the authentication score Cc is equal to or greater than the threshold Cth (step S133: YES), the authentication unit 13 determines that the authentication is OK (step S134). If the authentication is OK, the authentication unit 13 supplies a signal indicating that the authentication is OK to the output unit 14.

[0077] Next, the history information will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a table showing the history information 21. The history information 21 shown in Fig. 8 stores the authentication process execution date and time (T), the acquired feature amount, the referenced feature amount, and the authentication score Cc, each associated with each other.

[0078] The authentication process execution date and time (T) is the date and time when the authentication unit 13 executed the authentication process. For convenience of explanation, the authentication process execution date and time is denoted by the symbol "T", and information on the dates and times when the authentication process was actually performed is denoted by the symbols T11 to T13. Furthermore, the date and time T12 is after the date and time T11, and the date and time T13 is after the date and time T12.

[0079] The acquired feature is the feature that the authentication system 2 acquires from the object to be authenticated 90 in each authentication process. In other words, the acquired feature is the feature to be authenticated at the time of acquisition. Note that, for convenience of explanation, the feature is represented by the letter "F" and a three-digit number in Fig. 8, but the data representing the actual feature differs from this configuration.

[0080] The referenced feature is a feature that the authentication system 2 reads from the storage unit 20 in each authentication process and compares with the feature to be authenticated. In other words, the referenced feature is a reference feature at the time the process is performed.

[0081] The authentication score Cc is an authentication score calculated by the authentication score calculation unit 132 of the authentication unit 13 in each authentication process.

[0082] 8, for example, in the authentication process at date and time T=T11, the acquired feature (the feature to be authenticated) is F019, the referenced feature (the reference feature) is F018, and the authentication score Cc obtained by matching F019 and F018 is 0.79. Similarly, in the authentication process at date and time T=T12, which is later than date and time T=T11, the acquired feature is F020, the referenced feature is F019, and the authentication score Cc obtained by matching F020 and F019 is 0.86. In the authentication process at date and time T=T13, which is later than date and time T=T12, the acquired feature is F021, the referenced feature is F020, and the authentication score Cc obtained by matching F021 and F020 is 0.83.

[0083] As described above, the history information 21 includes information about authentication processes executed at multiple different past dates and times. As shown in the history information 21, the feature amounts referenced in an authentication process are those acquired by the authentication system 2 in the most recent authentication process that occurred before the authentication process. In this way, the authentication system 2 compares the most recent feature amount acquired in the past with the feature amount acquired in the current process. This allows the authentication system 2 to perform authentication appropriately using the feature amount that changes with the time-dependent changes of the object to be authenticated 90.

[0084] Next, the state of the image to be authenticated will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the state of the image to be authenticated. Fig. 9 shows, from top to bottom, a first image P91, a second image P92, and a third image P93. The first image P91 is the image to be authenticated extracted at date and time T=T11 in the table shown in Fig. 8. That is, the feature amount of the first image P91 is F019. Similarly, the second image P92 is the image to be authenticated extracted at date and time T=T12 in the table shown in Fig. 8. That is, the feature amount of the second image P92 is F20. The third image P93 is the image to be authenticated extracted at date and time T=T13 in the table shown in Fig. 8. That is, the feature amount of the third image P93 is F21.

[0085] The first image P91, the second image P92, and the third image P93 are all images of the same area of ​​the object to be authenticated 90, but changes have occurred over time. In Fig. 9, the second image P92 is an image acquired after the first image P91, and a scratch D1 has been added to the center of the image. The third image P93 is an image acquired after the second image P92, and in addition to the scratch D1, a scratch D2 has been added to the upper part of the image.

[0086] In the above situation, the authentication system 2 compares the image to be authenticated acquired at the time of authentication with the most recent image, thereby enabling authentication to be performed using the characteristics of the image to be authenticated that change over time.

[0087] Although the second embodiment has been described above, the authentication system 2 shown in the second embodiment is not limited to the above-described configuration.

[0088] For example, the authentication device 100 may have an image data acquisition unit 301 and an image-to-be-authenticated extraction unit 302 that are included in the user terminal 300. In this case, the authentication device 100 receives image data generated by the camera 310 from the user terminal 300, extracts the image to be authenticated from the image data of the object to be authenticated 90, and supplies the image to be authenticated to the feature acquisition unit 11.

[0089] Furthermore, for example, a plurality of user terminals 300 may be connected to the authentication device 100. With this configuration, the authentication system 2 can perform centralized and cross-sectional authentication of the object to be authenticated 90 in each of the user terminals 300, cameras 310, display devices 320, and information input devices 330 installed in a plurality of locations.

[0090] Furthermore, the history information 21 may store, for example, the most recent history information, and overwrite the history information each time a new authentication process is executed.

[0091] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an authentication system or the like that efficiently performs authentication of an authentication object.

[0092] <Embodiment 3> Next, a description will be given of embodiment 3. In embodiment 3, the processing of the authentication unit 13 differs from that of the above-described embodiments.

[0093] The storage unit 20 in this embodiment stores a plurality of reference features acquired in authentications performed at a plurality of different times (or dates and times) together with time information at which the reference features were acquired. The storage unit 20 in this embodiment also stores authentication scores in authentications corresponding to the plurality of reference features.

[0094] The authentication unit 13 in this embodiment performs authentication by comparing the most recent reference feature among multiple reference features with the feature to be authenticated. The authentication unit 13 also performs authentication by taking into account changes in the authentication score over time. More specifically, the authentication unit 13 calculates an expected value for the authentication score related to the feature to be authenticated, and performs authentication by taking the expected value into account.

[0095] The expected value for the authentication score for the feature to be authenticated is the current or future authentication score estimated from the authentication score value calculated in the past authentication and the date and time when the authentication score was calculated. Using this expected value, the authentication system 2 estimates the change over time of the image to be authenticated.

[0096] The condition of the object to be authenticated 90, such as scratches and dirt, varies depending on the owner's usage situation, frequency of use, etc. Therefore, the authentication system 2 in this embodiment estimates the value of the authentication score individually from the state of past changes in the authentication score, and performs authentication using the estimated expected value.

[0097] For example, even if the authentication score is judged to be authentication possible in consideration of a threshold value, the authentication unit 13 in this embodiment does not judge that authentication is possible if the authentication score does not correspond to the expected value. With this configuration, for example, when the user of the object to be authenticated 90 changes due to theft or the like, the authentication score status resulting from the change in usage status can be grasped and authentication can be judged.

[0098] Fig. 10 is a graph showing expected values ​​according to the third embodiment. In the graph shown in Fig. 10, the horizontal axis represents the logarithmic representation of elapsed time, and the vertical axis represents the expected value of the authentication score. In this graph, the curve plotted with a thick solid line is the calculated expected value Cx of the authentication target 90. In addition, the curve plotted with a thick two-dot chain line below the expected value Cx is the lower limit expected value Cx1 calculated from the expected value Cx. The curve plotted with a thick one-dot chain line on the information of the expected value Cx is the upper limit expected value Cx2 calculated from the expected value Cx. In addition, the straight line plotted with a dotted line extending in the left-right direction below the lower limit expected value Cx1 is the threshold value Cth of the authentication score.

[0099] The expected value Cx indicates the authentication score that changes over time from the most recent authentication point in the past, when the elapsed time is set to zero (0). For example, for an object to be authenticated 90 that changes little over time, the slope of the expected value Cx will be relatively gentle, while for an object to be authenticated 90 that deteriorates significantly over time, the slope of the expected value Cx will be relatively steep, with the right side of the curve tending to decline. The expected value Cx is generated from past performance, and each object to be authenticated 90 may have its own unique expected value Cx.

[0100] The lower limit expected value Cx1 and the upper limit expected value Cx2 are curves plotted at a position, for example, about 20 percent away from the expected value Cx. The lower limit expected value Cx1 and the upper limit expected value Cx2 are set in consideration of variations that occur in actual authentication scores. For example, the authentication system 2 in this embodiment determines authentication as NG when the authentication score calculated during authentication falls outside the range between the lower limit expected value Cx1 and the upper limit expected value Cx2.

[0101] It is preferable that the authentication system 2 stores the information about the above-mentioned expected value together with the history information 21.

[0102] The authentication method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the authentication method according to the third embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 11 differs from the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 in the processing between step S132 and step S134.

[0103] In step S233 after step S132, the determination unit 133 determines whether the authentication score Cc calculated by the authentication score calculation unit 132 is equal to or greater than the lower limit expected value Cx1 and equal to or less than the upper limit expected value Cx2 (step S233).

[0104] If the authentication score Cc is outside the above range, it indicates that the usage of the object to be authenticated 90 has changed significantly from the past. On the other hand, if the authentication score Cc is within the above range, it indicates that the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature are similar and that the usage of the object to be authenticated 90 has not changed significantly.

[0105] If the authentication unit 13 does not determine that the authentication score Cc is equal to or greater than the lower limit expected value Cx1 and equal to or less than the upper limit expected value Cx2 (step S233: NO), the authentication unit 13 proceeds to an authentication NG processing routine. On the other hand, if the authentication score Cc is equal to or greater than the lower limit expected value Cx1 and equal to or less than the upper limit expected value Cx2 (step S233: YES), the authentication unit 13 determines that the authentication is OK (step S134). If the authentication is OK, the authentication unit 13 supplies a signal indicating that the authentication is OK to the output unit 14.

[0106] The third embodiment has been described above. According to the above-described configuration, a change in the usage situation or a change in the user can be used to determine authentication. The processing performed by the authentication system 2 according to the third embodiment is not limited to the processing described above. For example, when the authentication system 2 does not determine that the authentication score Cc is equal to or greater than the lower limit expected value Cx1 and equal to or less than the upper limit expected value Cx2 (step S233: NO), the authentication system 2 may issue an alert indicating caution instead of determining authentication as NG. This allows, for example, the administrator of the user terminal 300 to employ further authentication using a means different from the above for authenticating the object to be authenticated 90. By performing such two-step authentication, the authentication system 2 can achieve more secure authentication.

[0107] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an authentication system or the like that efficiently performs authentication of an authentication object.

[0108] <Embodiment 4> Next, a description will be given of embodiment 4. An authentication system 2 according to embodiment 4 differs from the above-described embodiments in that it uses initial features.

[0109] The storage unit 20 in this embodiment further stores initial features related to the object to be authenticated 90 in the history information 21. The authentication system 2 acquires initial features according to the method of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5. However, the authentication system 2 in this embodiment treats the initial features as different from other reference features. In other words, the authentication system 2 in this embodiment continues to store the initial features.

[0110] Moreover, the authentication unit 13 in this embodiment performs first authentication based on the feature to be authenticated and the initial feature, and performs second authentication based on the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature.

[0111] The first authentication is an authentication method in which a cumulative authentication score is compared with a reference cumulative authentication score. The cumulative authentication score is an authentication score calculated by matching the feature to be authenticated with the initial feature. The reference cumulative authentication score is a reference cumulative authentication score at the most recent point in the past.

[0112] The cumulative authentication score tends to decrease over time due to changes in the object to be authenticated 90. Therefore, in the first authentication, the authentication unit 13 compares the cumulative authentication score with the reference cumulative authentication score, and sets the condition for authentication as being equal to or less than the reference cumulative authentication score.

[0113] It is preferable that the storage unit 20 in this embodiment also stores the above-mentioned cumulative authentication score.

[0114] The second authentication is performed using an authentication score calculated by comparing the feature to be authenticated with the reference feature and a threshold Cth. That is, the second authentication is the same as the authentication described with reference to FIG.

[0115] The authentication unit 13 in this embodiment performs the first authentication and the second authentication described above, and determines that authentication is possible if both the first authentication and the second authentication are satisfied.

[0116] Fig. 12 is a graph showing the transition of the authentication score according to the fourth embodiment. In the graph of Fig. 12, the horizontal axis represents the cumulative elapsed time from the time when the initial feature was acquired. In addition, in the graph of Fig. 12, the vertical axis represents the authentication score (cumulative authentication score) calculated by matching with the initial feature.

[0117] The broken line plotted on the graph in FIG. 12 shows the transition of the cumulative authentication score. In the example graph in FIG. 12, the initial authentication score at cumulative elapsed time TT=T(0) is shown as Cc(0). Furthermore, the cumulative authentication score at TT=T(-1) after elapsed time TT=T(0) is Cc(-1). The cumulative authentication score Cc(-1) is a lower value than the initial authentication score Cc(0). Furthermore, the cumulative authentication score at TT=T(1) after elapsed time TT=T(-1) is Cc(1). The cumulative authentication score Cc(1) is a lower value than the cumulative authentication score Cc(-1).

[0118] In this way, the cumulative authentication score tends to gradually decrease over time. Therefore, if the cumulative authentication score is clearly higher than the past cumulative authentication scores, the change in the state of the object to be authenticated 90 is determined to be unnatural.

[0119] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an authentication method according to embodiment 4. The flowchart shown in Fig. 13 differs from the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 in the processing before step S131.

[0120] First, the matching unit 131 of the authentication unit 13 matches the feature to be authenticated with the initial feature (step S431). The matching unit 131 supplies information on the result of matching the feature to be authenticated with the initial feature to the authentication score calculation unit 132.

[0121] Next, the authentication score calculation unit 132 calculates a cumulative authentication score Cc(1) from the result of matching the feature to be authenticated with the initial feature (step S432). The authentication score calculation unit 132 supplies the calculated cumulative authentication score Cc(1) to the determination unit 133.

[0122] Next, the judgment unit 133 compares the cumulative authentication score Cc(1) received from the authentication score calculation unit 132 with the reference cumulative authentication score Cc(-1) stored in the history information 21, and determines whether the cumulative authentication score Cc(1) is less than or equal to the reference cumulative authentication score Cc(-1) (step S433).

[0123] If the authentication unit 13 determines that the cumulative authentication score Cc(1) is not greater than the reference cumulative authentication score Cc(-1) (step S433: NO), the authentication unit 13 proceeds to an authentication NG processing routine. On the other hand, if the authentication unit 13 determines that the cumulative authentication score Cc(1) is not greater than the reference cumulative authentication score Cc(-1) (step S433: YES), the authentication unit 13 proceeds to step S131, and performs the same processing as shown in FIG. 7 as the second authentication.

[0124] The fourth embodiment has been described above. Note that in the above processing, the authentication system 2 does not care which of the first authentication and the second authentication is performed first. That is, in the flowchart shown in Fig. 13, steps S131 to S133 may be performed first. Alternatively, the authentication system 2 may perform the first authentication and the second authentication in parallel.

[0125] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an authentication system or the like that efficiently performs authentication of an authentication object.

[0126] <Embodiment 5> Next, a description will be given of embodiment 5. In embodiment 5, the process executed by the feature acquisition unit 11 and the process executed by the authentication unit 13 differ from the above-described embodiments.

[0127] The feature acquisition unit 11 in this embodiment acquires respective features to be authenticated from a plurality of images to be authenticated, at least some of which are defined in different regions.

[0128] In this case, for example, the feature acquisition unit 11 may divide the image to be authenticated received from the user terminal 300 into multiple pieces. Alternatively, in the authentication system 2, the authenticated image extraction unit 302 may extract multiple authenticated images and supply the extracted multiple authentication images to the authentication device 100.

[0129] The authentication unit 13 in this embodiment performs authentication for a plurality of features to be authenticated, and performs authentication by comparing the plurality of features to be authenticated with the reference features corresponding to each of them.

[0130] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the state of the image to be authenticated according to the fifth embodiment. Fig. 14 shows the image to be authenticated corresponding to Fig. 9. However, the image to be authenticated is divided into left and right halves. The image acquired at time T=T11 is the eleventh image P911 on the left and the twenty-first image P921 on the right.

[0131] In the above situation, the authentication system 2 performs authentication on each of the two images to be authenticated. By treating the image to be authenticated as multiple images having at least different areas, it becomes possible to determine in more detail the condition of the image to be authenticated, such as scratches that have occurred over time.

[0132] This completes the description of the fifth embodiment. In the above configuration, the authentication system 2 extracts two or more images to be authenticated. The multiple images to be authenticated may be partially overlapping or may be spaced apart from each other.

[0133] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an authentication system or the like that efficiently performs authentication of an authentication object.

[0134] <Example of hardware configuration> The following is a summary of the present disclosure: Authentication System The following describes a case where each of the functional configurations is realized by a combination of hardware and software.

[0135] 15 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a computer. Authentication System The above-described functions can be realized by a computer 500 including the hardware configuration shown in the figure. The computer 500 may be a portable computer such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, or a stationary computer such as a PC. The computer 500 may be a dedicated computer designed to realize each device, or may be a general-purpose computer. The computer 500 can realize desired functions by installing a predetermined program.

[0136] The computer 500 has a bus 502, a processor 504, a memory 506, a storage device 508, an input / output interface 510 (an interface is also called an I / F (Interface)), and a network interface 512. The bus 502 is a data transmission path through which the processor 504, the memory 506, the storage device 508, the input / output interface 510, and the network interface 512 transmit and receive data to and from each other. However, the method of connecting the processor 504 and other components to each other is not limited to a bus connection.

[0137] The processor 504 is a CPU, a GPU, an FPGA, or any of a variety of other processors. The memory 506 is a main storage device realized using a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like.

[0138] The storage device 508 is an auxiliary storage device realized using a hard disk, an SSD, a memory card, a ROM (Read Only Memory), or the like. The storage device 508 stores programs for realizing desired functions. The processor 504 reads the programs into the memory 506 and executes them to realize the respective functional components of each device.

[0139] The input / output interface 510 is an interface for connecting the computer 500 to an input / output device. For example, the input / output interface 510 is connected to an input device such as a keyboard and an output device such as a display device.

[0140] The network interface 512 is an interface for connecting the computer 500 to a network.

[0141] Although an example of a hardware configuration in the present disclosure has been described above, the above-described embodiment is not limited to this. Any processing in the present disclosure can also be realized by causing a processor to execute a computer program.

[0142] In the above examples, the program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium includes random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium includes electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0143] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the invention.

[0144] Some or all of the above embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) a feature acquisition means for acquiring an object to be authenticated, which is a feature of an object to be authenticated image defined from an image of a predetermined object to be authenticated; a history information acquiring means for acquiring history information relating to the authentication history of the object to be authenticated based on the feature of the object to be authenticated; an authentication means for authenticating the object to be authenticated based on the feature amount to be authenticated and the history information; an output means for outputting the result of the authentication; An authentication system comprising: (Appendix 2) the history information acquisition means acquires the history information including a reference feature of the image to be authenticated that was acquired at a time prior to the time at which the feature to be authenticated was acquired, the authentication means performs the authentication by comparing the feature to be authenticated with the reference feature. 1. An authentication system as described in Appendix 1. (Appendix 3) the authentication means calculates an authentication score by matching the feature to be authenticated with the reference feature, and performs the authentication by comparing the value of the authentication score with a predetermined threshold. 1. The authentication system described in Appendix 2. (Appendix 4) further comprising a storage means for storing the history information; The storage means updates the history information based on the authentication. 1. The authentication system described in Appendix 3. (Appendix 5) the storage means includes the feature to be authenticated as the reference feature in the history information after the authentication is completed. 1. The authentication system described in Appendix 4. (Appendix 6) the storage means stores the plurality of reference features acquired in the authentications performed at a plurality of different times, together with time information at which the reference features were acquired. 1. The authentication system described in Appendix 5. (Appendix 7) the authentication means performs the authentication by comparing the most recent reference feature among the plurality of reference features with the feature to be authenticated. 1. The authentication system described in Appendix 6. (Appendix 8) the storage means stores the authentication scores in the authentication corresponding to the plurality of reference features together; 1. An authentication system as described in Appendix 6 or 7. (Appendix 9) the authentication means calculates an expected value for the authentication score related to the feature to be authenticated based on a change in the authentication score over time, and performs the authentication taking the expected value into account. An authentication system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 6 to 8. (Appendix 10) the authentication means does not determine that authentication is possible when the authentication score does not correspond to the expected value, even if it is determined that authentication is possible in light of the threshold value; 10. The authentication system described in Appendix 9. (Appendix 11) the storage means further stores an initial feature amount related to the object to be authenticated in the history information; the authentication means performs first authentication based on the feature to be authenticated and the initial feature, and performs second authentication based on the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature. An authentication system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 4 to 10. (Appendix 12) The authentication means performing the first authentication based on a cumulative authentication score calculated by matching the feature to be authenticated with the initial feature and a reference cumulative authentication score at a most recent point in time in the past; performing the second authentication using the authentication score calculated by comparing the feature to be authenticated with the reference feature and the threshold value; 12. The authentication system described in Appendix 11. (Appendix 13) the feature acquisition means acquires the feature to be authenticated from a plurality of the images to be authenticated, at least a portion of which is defined in a different area from each other; the authentication means performs the authentication for the plurality of features to be authenticated and performs the authentication by comparing the plurality of features to be authenticated with the reference features corresponding to each of the features to be authenticated. An authentication system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 2 to 12. (Appendix 14) The computer Acquire an object feature, which is a feature of an object to be authenticated defined from an image of a predetermined object to be authenticated; acquiring history information relating to an authentication history of the object to be authenticated based on the feature of the object to be authenticated; authenticating the object to be authenticated based on the feature amount to be authenticated and the history information; outputting the result of the authentication; Authentication method. (Appendix 15) Acquire an object feature, which is a feature of an object to be authenticated defined from an image of a predetermined object to be authenticated; acquiring history information relating to an authentication history of the object to be authenticated based on the feature of the object to be authenticated; authenticating the object to be authenticated based on the feature amount to be authenticated and the history information; outputting the result of the authentication; A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute an authentication method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 1. Authentication System 2. Authentication System 11 Feature acquisition unit 12 History information acquisition unit 13 Authentication Section 14 Output section 15 Image data acquisition unit 16 Communications Department 17 Registration Department 20 Memory section 21 Historical Information 90 Certified Items 100 Authentication Device 131 Collation Unit 132 Authentication score calculation unit 133 Judgment section 300 User Terminals 301 Image data acquisition unit 302 Authentication target image extraction unit 303 Communications Department 304 UI ​​control section 310 Camera 320 display device 330 Information input device 500 computers 504 processor 506 memory 508 Storage Devices 510 Input / Output Interface 512 network interface N1 Network

Claims

1. a feature acquisition means for acquiring an object to be authenticated, which is a feature of an object to be authenticated image defined from an image of a predetermined object to be authenticated; a history information acquiring means for acquiring history information relating to the authentication history of the object to be authenticated based on the feature of the object to be authenticated; an authentication means for authenticating the object to be authenticated based on the feature amount to be authenticated and the history information; an output means for outputting the result of the authentication; Equipped with the history information acquisition means acquires the history information including a reference feature of the image to be authenticated that was acquired at a time prior to the time at which the feature to be authenticated was acquired, the authentication means calculates an authentication score by matching the feature to be authenticated with the reference feature, and performs the authentication by comparing the value of the authentication score with a predetermined threshold; further comprising a storage means for storing the history information; The storage means updates the history information based on the authentication, the storage means further stores an initial feature amount related to the object to be authenticated in the history information; the authentication means performs first authentication based on the feature to be authenticated and the initial feature, and performs second authentication based on the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature; Authentication system.

2. The authentication means performing the first authentication based on a cumulative authentication score calculated by comparing the feature to be authenticated with the initial feature and a reference cumulative authentication score at a most recent point in time in the past; performing the second authentication using the authentication score calculated by comparing the feature to be authenticated with the reference feature and the threshold value; The authentication system of claim 1 .

3. the storage means includes the feature to be authenticated as the reference feature in the history information after the authentication is completed.

3. The authentication system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the storage means stores the plurality of reference features acquired in the authentications performed at a plurality of different times, together with time information at which the reference features were acquired. The authentication system according to claim 3 .

5. the authentication means performs the authentication by comparing the most recent reference feature among the plurality of reference features with the feature to be authenticated. The authentication system according to claim 4 .

6. the storage means stores the authentication scores in the authentication corresponding to the plurality of reference features together; 6. The authentication system according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The computer Acquire an object feature, which is a feature of an object to be authenticated defined from an image of a predetermined object to be authenticated; acquiring history information relating to an authentication history of the object to be authenticated based on the feature of the object to be authenticated; authenticating the object to be authenticated based on the feature amount to be authenticated and the history information; outputting the result of the authentication; In the acquisition of the history information, the history information is acquired including a reference feature of the image to be authenticated that was acquired at a time before the time when the feature to be authenticated was acquired; In the authentication, an authentication score is calculated by matching the feature to be authenticated with the reference feature, and the authentication is performed by comparing the value of the authentication score with a predetermined threshold value; Furthermore, the history information is stored, In the storage, updating the history information based on the authentication; The storage further stores an initial feature amount related to the object to be authenticated in the history information; In the authentication, first authentication is performed based on the feature to be authenticated and the initial feature, and second authentication is performed based on the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature. Authentication method.

8. Acquire an object feature, which is a feature of an object to be authenticated defined from an image of a predetermined object to be authenticated; acquiring history information relating to an authentication history of the object to be authenticated based on the feature of the object to be authenticated; authenticating the object to be authenticated based on the feature amount to be authenticated and the history information; outputting the result of the authentication; In the acquisition of the history information, the history information is acquired including a reference feature of the image to be authenticated that was acquired at a time before the time when the feature to be authenticated was acquired; In the authentication, an authentication score is calculated by matching the feature to be authenticated with the reference feature, and the authentication is performed by comparing the value of the authentication score with a predetermined threshold value; Furthermore, the history information is stored, In the storage, updating the history information based on the authentication; The storage further stores an initial feature amount related to the object to be authenticated in the history information; In the authentication, first authentication is performed based on the feature to be authenticated and the initial feature, and second authentication is performed based on the feature to be authenticated and the reference feature. A program that causes a computer to execute an authentication method.

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