Information processing device, information processing method, and computer program

Abstract

This information processing device (1) is provided with: a storage unit (11) for storing first identification information indicating that a person relating to a newborn is the person in question; a first newborn information acquisition unit (12) for acquiring first newborn biological information from a newborn; a first determining unit (13) for determining the type of pattern of the first newborn biological information from among a plurality of types of patterns defined in advance; and a storage control unit (14) for storing, in the storage unit (11), first determining information indicating the result of the determination by the first determining unit (13) in association with the first identification information.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical fields of an information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technology that reads the vein patterns of body parts of multiple people, creates authentication pattern data representing the read vein patterns, registers the authentication pattern data in a predetermined registration location, reads the vein patterns of the body parts of the person to be authenticated, and authenticates the person by comparing the read vein pattern with the vein pattern included in the registered authentication pattern data, thereby avoiding mix-ups due to human error. Patent Document 2 describes a technology that captures an image of a subject such as a fingertip without blurring, using a structure in which multiple DG-TFTs are arranged in a matrix, a light diffusion film that diffuses light is formed on the surface, and a photosensor that converts the light and dark caused by the unevenness of the fingertip into an electrical signal to obtain a fingerprint image of the fingertip. Patent Document 3 describes a technology that reliably verifies the identity of patients, newborns, etc. at medical institutions such as hospitals, eliminates mistakes such as patients or newborns, and prevents others from impersonating the individual, by registering the biometric characteristics such as irises of the individual eligible for registration in advance, obtaining the biometric characteristics of the individual being matched when matching at a follow-up visit, etc., and comparing the biometric characteristics of the individual being matched with the registered biometric characteristics to verify the identity of the individual being matched. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-108104 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-039909 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-076072 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of this disclosure is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium that aim to improve upon the techniques described in prior art documents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the information processing device comprises a storage means for storing first personal information indicating that a person related to a newborn is the person in question, a first newborn information acquisition means for acquiring first newborn biometric information from the newborn, a first judgment means for determining which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern possessed by the first newborn biometric information is, and a memory control means for storing first judgment information indicating the judgment result by the first judgment means in association with the first personal information in the storage means.

[0006] One aspect of the information processing method includes storing first personal information indicating that a person related to a newborn is the person in question in a storage means, acquiring first newborn biometric information from the newborn, determining which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern possessed by the first newborn biometric information is, and storing first judgment information indicating the judgment result in the storage means in association with the first personal information.

[0007] One embodiment of the recording medium has recorded on it a computer program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method that stores first personal information indicating that a person related to a newborn is the person in question in a storage means, acquires first newborn biometric information from the newborn, determines which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern possessed by the first newborn biometric information is, and stores first judgment information indicating the judgment result in the storage means in association with the first personal information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device in the second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device in the fifth embodiment when pregnancy is determined. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations before delivery performed by the information processing device in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations after birth performed by the information processing device in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device in the eighth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram of the information processing operation performed by the information processing device in the eighth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device according to the ninth embodiment. [Figure 15]FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations during recording performed by the information processing device in the ninth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram of the information processing operation performed by the information processing device in the ninth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations during matching performed by the information processing device in the ninth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of an information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium will be described with reference to the drawings. [1: First embodiment]

[0010] An information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium according to a first embodiment will be described below. The information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium according to the first embodiment will be described below using an information processing device 1 to which the information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium according to the first embodiment are applied. [1-1: Configuration of information processing device 1]

[0011] The configuration of an information processing device 1 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device 1 in the first embodiment.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 1 includes a storage unit 11, a first newborn information acquisition unit 12, a first determination unit 13, and a storage control unit 14. The storage unit 11 stores first personal information indicating that a person related to a newborn is the person. The first newborn information acquisition unit 12 acquires first newborn biological information from the newborn. The first determination unit 13 determines which of multiple predetermined patterns the pattern possessed by the first newborn biological information is. The storage control unit 14 stores first determination information indicating the determination result by the first determination unit 13 in the storage unit 11 in association with the first personal information. [1-2: Technical Effects of Information Processing Device 1]

[0013] The information processing device 1 in the first embodiment stores in the memory unit 11 first judgment information indicating which of multiple predetermined patterns the pattern possessed by the first newborn biological information is, in association with the first personal information, thereby enabling accurate identification of newborns. [2: Second embodiment]

[0014] A second embodiment of an information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium will be described below. Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium will be described using an information processing device 2 to which the second embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium is applied. [2-1: Configuration of information processing device 2]

[0015] The configuration of the information processing device 2 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device 2 in the second embodiment.

[0016] 2, the information processing device 2 includes a calculation device 21 and a storage device 22. The information processing device 2 may further include a communication device 23, an input device 24, and an output device 25. However, the information processing device 2 does not necessarily include at least one of the communication device 23, the input device 24, and the output device 25. The calculation device 21, the storage device 22, the communication device 23, the input device 24, and the output device 25 may be connected via a data bus 26.

[0017] The arithmetic device 21 includes, for example, at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The arithmetic device 21 reads a computer program. For example, the arithmetic device 21 may read a computer program stored in the storage device 22. For example, the arithmetic device 21 may read a computer program stored in a computer-readable, non-transitory recording medium using a recording medium reading device (e.g., an input device 24 described later) not shown in the drawings that is provided in the information processing device 2. The arithmetic device 21 may acquire (i.e., download or read) the computer program from a device (not shown) located outside the information processing device 2 via the communication device 23 (or another communication device). The arithmetic device 21 executes the read computer program. As a result, logical functional blocks for executing operations to be performed by the information processing device 2 are realized within the arithmetic device 21. That is, the arithmetic device 21 can function as a controller for realizing logical functional blocks for executing the operations (in other words, processing) that the information processing device 2 should perform.

[0018] 2 shows an example of logical functional blocks implemented in the arithmetic device 21 to execute information processing operations. As shown in Fig. 2, implemented in the arithmetic device 21 are a first newborn information acquisition unit 212, which is a specific example of "first newborn information acquisition means" described in the appendix, a first determination unit 213, which is a specific example of "first determination means" described in the appendix, and a memory control unit 214, which is a specific example of "memory control means" described in the appendix. The operations of the first newborn information acquisition unit 212, the first determination unit 213, and the memory control unit 214 will be described later with reference to Fig. 3.

[0019] The storage device 22 can store desired data. For example, the storage device 22 may temporarily store a computer program executed by the arithmetic device 21. The storage device 22 may temporarily store data temporarily used by the arithmetic device 21 when the arithmetic device 21 is executing a computer program. The storage device 22 may store data to be stored long-term by the information processing device 2. The storage device 22 may include at least one of a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, a solid-state drive (SSD), and a disk array device. In other words, the storage device 22 may include a non-transitory recording medium. A storage unit 221, which is a specific example of a "storage means" described in the appendix below, may be implemented within the storage device 22. The storage unit 221, which is a specific example of a "storage means," may be implemented in a storage mechanism other than the storage device 22.

[0020] The communication device 23 is capable of communicating with devices external to the information processing device 2 via a communication network (not shown). The communication device 23 may be a communication interface based on standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0021] The input device 24 is a device that accepts information input to the information processing device 2 from outside the information processing device 2. For example, the input device 24 may include an operation device that can be operated by an operator of the information processing device 2 (for example, at least one of a keyboard, a mouse trackball, a touch panel, a pointing device such as a pen tablet, a button, etc.). For example, the input device 24 may include a reading device that can read information recorded as data on a recording medium that can be externally attached to the information processing device 2.

[0022] The output device 25 is a device that outputs information to the outside of the information processing device 2. For example, the output device 25 may output information as an image. That is, the output device 25 may include a display device (a so-called display) that can display an image showing the information to be output. Examples of the display device include a liquid crystal display and an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display. For example, the output device 25 may output information as sound. That is, the output device 25 may include an audio device (a so-called speaker) that can output sound. For example, the output device 25 may output information on paper. That is, the output device 25 may include a printing device (a so-called printer) that can print desired information on paper. Furthermore, the input device 24 and the output device 25 may be integrally formed as a touch panel.

[0023] Note that the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and devices other than those shown in FIG. 2 may be added, or some devices may not be provided. Also, some devices may be replaced with other devices having similar functions. Also, some functions of the second embodiment may be provided by other devices via a network. The functions of the second embodiment may be distributed and realized among multiple devices. In this way, the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 2 can be modified as appropriate. [2-2: Information processing operation performed by information processing device 2]

[0024] The flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device 2 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0025] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device 2 in the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the storage unit 221 stores first personal information indicating that the person related to the newborn is the person himself / herself (step S20).

[0026] The first newborn information acquiring unit 212 acquires the first newborn biological information from the newborn (Step S21). The first newborn information acquiring unit 212 may acquire a plurality of pieces of first newborn biological information from the newborn.

[0027] The first determination unit 213 determines which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern possessed by the first newborn biological information is (step S22). The first determination unit 213 may determine which of a plurality of patterns the pattern possessed by each of the plurality of first newborn biological information is. Specific examples of patterns possessed by the first newborn biological information will be described in detail in another embodiment described later.

[0028] The memory control unit 214 stores first determination information indicating the determination result by the first determination unit 213 in association with the first personal information in the memory unit 221 (step S23). The memory control unit 214 may store first determination information combining each of the determination results corresponding to each of the plurality of first newborn biological information by the first determination unit 213 in association with the first personal information in the memory unit 221. The first determination information may be information indicating an array of element information indicating a pattern determination result (hereinafter, may be referred to as "sequence data").

[0029] The operation of step S20 and the operations of steps S21 to S23 do not have to be consecutive, that is, the operation of step S20 may be performed in advance.

[0030] This embodiment may be applied to a situation where birth takes place in a place other than home, such as a hospital. In particular, this embodiment may be applied before a newborn is moved from a place other than home to home. The person related to the newborn may be a person registered in advance, or at least a person who is with the newborn when the newborn is moved from a place other than home to home. The person related to the newborn may be, for example, a person who is with the newborn when the newborn is discharged from the hospital where the newborn was born.

[0031] Steps S21 to S23 are performed at a timing at which it is possible to reliably identify who gave birth to the newborn, and may be operations that are performed before the newborn moves from a location other than the home to the home. [2-3: Technical Effects of Information Processing Device 2]

[0032] Since the body surface of a newborn baby is often covered with sebum, amniotic fluid, etc., it is often difficult to obtain biometric information that can accurately identify the newborn. In particular, when the baby is born in a situation where postpartum care is likely to be inadequate or medical facilities are inadequate, it is often difficult to obtain biometric information that can accurately identify the newborn.

[0033] The information processing device 2 in the second embodiment stores, in the storage unit 221, first determination information indicating which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern possessed by the first newborn biometric information is, in association with the first identity information, thereby enabling accurate identification of the newborn. The information processing device 2 uses identity information of a person related to the newborn and the first determination information of the newborn, thereby enabling accurate identification of the newborn, for example, even when biometric information of a certain quality or higher required for biometric authentication of adults cannot be obtained. In particular, when the first determination information is sequence data, the information processing device 2 can more accurately identify the newborn. The information processing device 2 can accurately identify the newborn, for example, even when it is more difficult to obtain biometric information of a certain quality or higher, such as in the case of premature birth. [3: Third embodiment]

[0034] An information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium according to a third embodiment will be described below. The third embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium will be described below using an information processing device 3 to which the third embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium is applied.

[0035] The information processing device 3 in the third embodiment differs from the information processing device 2 in the second embodiment in that the first newborn biological information is a fingerprint image. Other features of the information processing device 3 may be the same as other features of the information processing device 3. Therefore, hereinafter, differences from the already described embodiments will be described in detail, and descriptions of other overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate. [3-1: Fingerprint pattern]

[0036] Fingerprints of each human finger, including those of a newborn baby, can be classified into eight types of fingerprint patterns, for example, P Arch (Plain Arch: PA), T Arch (Tented Arch: TA), U Loop (Ulnar Loop: UL), R Loop (Radial Loop: RL), D Loop (Double Loop: DL), P Whorl (Plain Whorl: PW), C Whorl (Central Pocket Loop Whorl: CW), and A Whorl (Accidental Whorl: AW). A fingerprint pattern may represent the overall pattern of a fingerprint.

[0037] P arch (PA) may refer to a ridge that starts on one side of the fingertip and runs in an arch to the other side, with no backflow whatsoever. A T-arch (TA) may refer to a ridge that starts on one side of the fingertip, runs in an arch shape to the other side, has no backflow, and has a central protrusion. A U-loop (UL) may refer to a pattern formed by a loop of a line that flows from the pinky finger, with a delta only on the opposite side of the line. The loop of a U-loop may also be a ridge that starts on the pinky side of the fingertip and returns to the original side in a horseshoe shape. An R-Loop (RL) may refer to a loop-shaped line that flows from the thumb, with a delta only on the opposite side of the loop. The loop in an R-Loop may be a ridge that starts on the thumb side of the fingertip and returns to the original side in a horseshoe shape. A D-loop (DL) may refer to two cores each containing a distinct shoulder, a distinct delta, and one or more ridges that make up the complete circumference. P whorls (PW) may refer to whorl ridges that form one complete circumference containing two deltas and may be circular or spiral. C whorl (CW) may refer to a spiral ridge that makes up one complete circumference and may be any variation of an elliptical circle, spiral, or circle. A spiral (AW) may refer to a spiral that does not conform to the rules of spiraling and contains two or more deltas. [3-2: Information processing operation by information processing device 3]

[0038] In the third embodiment, the first newborn information acquisition unit 212 may acquire multiple fingerprint images from a newborn. Fingerprint images can be used as stable biometric information that can be acquired from a newborn. Stable biometric information may refer to biometric information that changes little with growth, etc., and can be used to identify an individual. The pitch of a newborn's fingerprints is very fine compared to that of an adult. Therefore, the first newborn information acquisition unit 212 may acquire high-resolution fingerprint images. The first newborn information acquisition unit 212 may acquire fingerprint images from each of the four fingers, for example, the thumbs and index fingers of both hands.

[0039] In the third embodiment, first determination unit 213 may determine which of a plurality of types of fingerprint patterns a fingerprint pattern in each of a plurality of fingerprint images corresponds to. First determination unit 213 may determine which of the above-mentioned eight types of fingerprint patterns a fingerprint pattern in each of a plurality of fingerprint images corresponds to.

[0040] The first determination unit 213 may determine which of nine types of fingerprint patterns each of the plurality of fingerprint images has, which is the above-mentioned eight types of fingerprint patterns plus an unknown fingerprint pattern (Unknown: UK).

[0041] The first determination unit 213 may determine a P arch (Plain Arch: PA) and a T arch (Tented Arch: TA) as an arch (Arch: A). The first determination unit 213 may also determine a P whorl (Plain Whorl: PW), a C whorl (Central Pocket Loop Whorl: CW), and an A whorl (Accidental Whorl: AW) as a whorl (Whorl: W). That is, the first determination unit 213 may determine which of six types of fingerprint patterns each of the fingerprints of the thumbs and four index fingers of both hands belongs to: arch (A), U loop (Ulnar Loop: UL), R loop (Radial Loop: RL), D loop (Double Loop: DL), whorl (W), and unknown (UK). The first determination unit 213 may also determine which of the six (or nine, or eight) types of fingerprint patterns each of the fingerprints of the thumbs and four index fingers of both hands belongs to.

[0042] The first determination unit 213 may use an algorithm to determine which of the six (or nine, or eight) types of fingerprint patterns each fingerprint pattern belongs to. The first determination unit 213 may use deep learning to determine which of the six (or nine, or eight) types of fingerprint patterns each fingerprint pattern belongs to. The classification level of the fingerprint image can further improve the accuracy of identification. The first determination unit 213 may classify fingerprints into up to nine types of fingerprint patterns in order to further improve the accuracy of identification.

[0043] In the third embodiment, the storage control unit 214 may store first determination information, which combines each of the determination results corresponding to each of the multiple fingerprint images by the first determination unit 213, in association with the first identity information in the storage unit 221. The storage control unit 214 may store, for example, sequence data, which combines each of the determination results corresponding to each of the fingerprint images of four fingers, in association with the first identity information in the storage unit 221. When the first determination unit 213 determines the fingerprint patterns of each of the four fingers, the sequence data may be expressed, for example, as (left index finger-left thumb-right thumb-right index finger: spiral (W)-spiral (W)-spiral (W)-spiral (W)).

[0044] For example, the frequency of fingerprint patterns for Japanese people is said to be 50% for whorl (W), the highest frequency. The frequency of R-loop (RL) or U-loop (UL) is said to be 40%. Therefore, if the fingerprint patterns of all four fingers are whorl (W) (left index finger-left thumb-right thumb-right index finger: WWWWW), the frequency of this sequence data is 6.25% (0.5 to the fourth power). Furthermore, if the fingerprint patterns of all ten fingers on both sides are whorl (W) (WWWWWWWWW), the frequency of this sequence data is 0.097% (0.5 to the tenth power), a lower frequency than the frequency for four fingers.

[0045] The storage control unit 214 may assign a reliability score to the first determination information. For example, the storage control unit 214 may assign a reliability score according to the occurrence rate of the sequence data. For example, the storage control unit 214 may assign a higher reliability score to the sequence data with a lower occurrence rate. The reliability score may be used, for example, when matching is performed using the first determination information.

[0046] Furthermore, if the first determination unit 213 determines the fingerprint pattern of any finger as unknown (UK), the memory control unit 214 may reduce the reliability score. For example, the memory control unit 214 may reduce the reliability score according to the ratio of the number of fingers determined by the first determination unit 213 as unknown (UK) to the total number of fingers. For example, if the first determination unit 213 determines the fingerprint patterns of each of four fingers and determines the fingerprint pattern of one finger as unknown (UK), the memory control unit 214 may reduce the reliability score by 25%. If the first determination unit 213 determines the fingerprint patterns of each of four fingers and determines the fingerprint patterns of two fingers as unknown (UK), the memory control unit 214 may reduce the reliability score by 50%. If the first determination unit 213 determines the fingerprint patterns of each of ten fingers and determines the fingerprint pattern of one finger as unknown (UK), the memory control unit 214 may reduce the reliability score by 10%. Furthermore, when the first determination unit 213 determines the fingerprint patterns of each of the ten fingers and determines the fingerprint patterns of two fingers as unknown (UK), the memory control unit 214 may reduce the reliability score by 20%.

[0047] The information processing device 3 may determine the number of fingers from which to acquire fingerprint images depending on the accuracy required for the first determination information and the burden on the newborn. Since fingerprints of all fingers of a newborn are often registered after the newborn grows, it is preferable to be able to acquire fingerprints of all fingers of a newborn, but this imposes a large burden on the newborn.

[0048] For example, when the expected number of births is large, the information processing device 3 may determine to lower the accuracy required for the first determination information. In this case, for example, the information processing device 3 may determine to acquire fingerprint images from four fingers. Furthermore, when the expected number of births is small, the information processing device 3 may determine to increase the accuracy required for the first determination information. In this case, for example, the information processing device 3 may determine to acquire fingerprint images from ten fingers. For example, the output device 25 may output information regarding the accuracy required for the first determination information as an image. Furthermore, for example, the output device 25 may output information regarding the accuracy required for the first determination information as sound.

[0049] The above-mentioned eight types of fingerprint patterns are merely an example. Fingerprints may be classified into more than eight types, for example, 20 or more types. For example, the user may specify the number of fingerprint classifications depending on the usage requirements for information about newborns. In this case, the first determination unit 213 may determine which fingerprint pattern belongs to which of the fingerprint patterns in the number of classifications specified by the user. [3-3: Technical Effects of Information Processing Device 3]

[0050] Since the body surface of a newborn baby is often covered with sebum, amniotic fluid, etc., it is often difficult to obtain a fingerprint image that can be used to accurately identify the newborn. In particular, when the baby is born in a situation where postpartum care is likely to be inadequate or medical facilities are inadequate, it is often difficult to obtain a fingerprint image that can be used to accurately identify the newborn.

[0051] The information processing device 3 in the third embodiment stores first determination information, which indicates which of a plurality of predetermined fingerprint patterns the fingerprint pattern of a fingerprint image is, in association with the first identity information in the storage unit 221, thereby enabling accurate identification of newborns. The information processing device 3 uses identity information of a person related to the newborn and the fingerprint image of the newborn, so that it can accurately identify newborns even when, for example, it is not possible to obtain a fingerprint image of a certain quality or higher required for fingerprint authentication of adults. In particular, when the first determination information is sequence data based on a fingerprint pattern, the information processing device 3 can more accurately identify newborns. [4: Fourth embodiment]

[0052] An information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium according to a fourth embodiment will be described below. The information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium according to the fourth embodiment will be described below using an information processing device 4 to which the information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium according to the fourth embodiment are applied. [4-1: Configuration of information processing device 4]

[0053] The configuration of the information processing device 4 in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device 4 in the fourth embodiment.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 4 , the information processing device 4 of the fourth embodiment includes a calculation device 21 and a storage device 22, similar to the information processing device 2 of the second embodiment or the information processing device 3 of the third embodiment. Furthermore, the information processing device 4 may include a communication device 23, an input device 24, and an output device 25, similar to the information processing device 2 of the second embodiment or the information processing device 3 of the third embodiment. However, the information processing device 4 does not necessarily include at least one of the communication device 23, the input device 24, and the output device 25. The information processing device 4 of the fourth embodiment differs from the information processing device 2 of the second embodiment or the information processing device 3 of the third embodiment in that the calculation device 21 further includes a personal information acquisition unit 415, a second newborn information acquisition unit 416, a second determination unit 417, and a matching unit 418. The matching unit 418 includes a first matching unit 4181 and a second matching unit 4182. Other features of the information processing device 4 may be the same as other features of the information processing device 2 in the second embodiment or the information processing device 3 in the third embodiment. Therefore, in the following, only the parts that differ from the embodiments already described will be described in detail, and descriptions of other overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate. [4-2: Information processing operation by information processing device 4]

[0055] The flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device 4 in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device 4 in the fourth embodiment. The information processing operations by the information processing device 4 may be performed when the newborn moves from a location other than the home, such as a hospital, to the home. The information processing operations by the information processing device 4 may be performed when the newborn is discharged from the hospital, etc.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 5, the personal information acquisition unit 415 acquires, from a person related to the newborn, second personal information indicating that the person is the person (step S40).

[0057] The second newborn information acquisition unit 416 acquires second newborn biometric information from the newborn (step S41). The second newborn biometric information may be a fingerprint image. The fingerprint image may be a fingerprint image of four fingers including the thumbs and index fingers of both hands of the newborn.

[0058] The second determination unit 417 determines which of a plurality of patterns the pattern in the second newborn biometric information corresponds to (step S42). When the second newborn biometric information is fingerprint images of four fingers of a newborn, the second determination unit 417 may determine which of a plurality of patterns (for example, the above-mentioned P arch, U loop, R loop, D loop, P spiral, unknown, T arch, C spiral, and A spiral) the pattern in each of the four fingerprint images corresponds to. The second determination unit 417 may generate sequence data of the patterns.

[0059] The first verification unit 4181 verifies the first personal information stored in the storage unit 221 with the second personal information (step S43).

[0060] The second matching unit 4182 matches the first judgment information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information with the second judgment information indicating the judgment result by the second judgment unit 417 (step S44). The second matching unit 4182 may also match the sequence data of the patterns with each other. [4-3: Technical Effects of Information Processing Device 4]

[0061] The information processing device 4 in the fourth embodiment can perform highly accurate matching even for newborns, for which it is difficult to collect data that allows for highly accurate matching, by performing person matching and pattern matching. That is, the information processing device 4 can ensure a certain level of matching accuracy by performing one-to-one (or one-to-relatively small number of) matching using sequence data of newborns related to the person after performing person matching related to the newborn.

[0062] Also, for example, consider a case where the first newborn biometric information is a fingerprint image. In general fingerprint authentication, it is important to ensure the quality of the data used for authentication, so authentication using low-quality data is rejected as an FTA (Failure to Acquire). Since the body surface of a newborn baby is often covered with sebum, amniotic fluid, etc., general fingerprint authentication is likely to reject the newborn as an FTA, making it difficult to authenticate the newborn. In contrast, the information processing device 4 can achieve high-precision matching even for newborns, for whom it is difficult to collect fingerprint images that allow high-precision matching, by performing person matching and matching of patterns contained in the fingerprint image. [5: Fifth embodiment]

[0063] A fifth embodiment of an information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium will be described below. The fifth embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium will be described below using an information processing device 5 to which the fifth embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium is applied. [5-1: Configuration of information processing device 5]

[0064] The configuration of the information processing device 5 in the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device 5 in the fifth embodiment.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 6 , the information processing device 5 of the fifth embodiment includes a calculation device 21 and a storage device 22, similar to at least one of the information processing devices 2 of the second embodiment to the information processing device 4 of the fourth embodiment. Furthermore, the information processing device 5 may include a communication device 23, an input device 24, and an output device 25, similar to at least one of the information processing devices 2 of the second embodiment to the information processing device 4 of the fourth embodiment. However, the information processing device 5 does not necessarily include at least one of the communication device 23, the input device 24, and the output device 25. The information processing device 5 of the fifth embodiment differs from at least one of the information processing devices 2 of the second embodiment to the information processing device 4 of the fourth embodiment in that the calculation device 21 further includes a mother information control unit 519. Other features of the information processing device 5 may be the same as at least one of the other features of the information processing device 2 of the second embodiment to the information processing device 4 of the fourth embodiment. Therefore, hereinafter, differences from the already-described embodiments will be described in detail, and descriptions of other overlapping features will be omitted as appropriate. [5-2: Information processing operation by information processing device 5]

[0066] In the fifth embodiment, the person related to the newborn is the mother who gave birth to the newborn (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "mother"). When associating a newborn with a person related to the newborn, it is most reliable to associate the newborn with the mother who gave birth to the newborn, and this is useful for identifying the newborn. For example, there may be one, two (twins), or three (triplets) newborns associated with a certain mother. It is considered extremely rare for the patterns of biometric information of three people to be the same, so associating the newborn with the mother is useful for identifying the newborn. Furthermore, in each situation where newborn information is used, it is often appropriate to associate the newborn with the mother. [5-2-1: Information processing during pregnancy]

[0067] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device in the fifth embodiment when pregnancy is determined.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 7, the personal information acquisition unit 415 acquires, from the mother, first personal information indicating that the mother is the person in question (step S50). The mother information control unit 519 collates the registered personal information with the first personal information (step S51). The registered personal information may be, for example, information about all citizens managed by a country, and may be information indicating that the citizen is the person. A citizen may be a person who has the nationality of the country in which the information processing operation is being performed. The registered personal information may be, for example, registered in a citizen information DB in which information identifying citizens about all citizens managed by a country is registered.

[0069] The mother information control unit 519 determines whether the mother is the person in question based on the collation result (step S52). If the mother is the person in question (step S52: Yes), the mother information control unit 519 registers the first personal information in the maternal and child health DB serving as the storage unit 221 (step S53). The maternal and child health DB may include a mother DB1 and a child DB2. The mother information control unit 519 may register the first personal information in the mother DB1. If the registered personal information is information indicating a person with nationality, the mother information control unit 519 may add nationality confirmation information to the personal information to be registered in the mother DB1.

[0070] If the mother is not the person in question (step S52: No), the mother information control unit 519 performs a re-match or investigation (step S54). For example, when the personal information is a match of biometric information, the match may fail depending on the accuracy of the acquired biometric information. For this reason, a re-match may be performed. For example, if the registered personal information contains information of a citizen of the country in which the operation is being performed, there may be no corresponding personal information. In this case, the person's nationality may be investigated. [5-2-2: Information processing before delivery]

[0071] 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations before delivery performed by an information processing device in Embodiment 5. The information processing operations before delivery may be performed after the information processing operations performed when pregnancy is determined.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 8, the personal information acquisition unit 415 acquires, from the mother, first personal information indicating that the mother is the person in question (step S50). The mother information control unit 519 collates the personal information registered in the mother DB1 with the first personal information (step S55).

[0073] The mother information control unit 519 determines whether the mother is the person in question based on the collation result (step S56). If the mother is the person in question (step S56: Yes), the mother information control unit 519 assigns a newborn flag to the person information registered in the mother DB1 (step S57). The newborn flag may be a flag indicating that a newborn baby to be assigned nationality will be born.

[0074] If the mother is not the person in question (step S56: No), the mother information control unit 519 performs a re-collation or investigation (step S54). [5-2-3: Information processing after birth]

[0075] 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations after birth performed by an information processing device in Embodiment 5. The information processing operations after birth may be performed after the information processing operations before birth.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 9, the mother information control unit 519 acquires personal information of the mother who gave birth to the newborn from the mother DB1 (step S58). The mother information control unit 519 copies the personal information acquired in step S58 (step S59). The first newborn information acquisition unit 212 acquires first newborn biological information from the newborn (step S21). The first determination unit 213 determines which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern possessed by the first newborn biological information is (step S22). The storage control unit 214 associates first determination information indicating the determination result by the first determination unit 213 with the personal information copied in step S59 and registers it in the child DB2 (step S23).

[0077] It should be noted that the information on newborns registered in the child DB2 may in the future be integrated into, for example, a national information DB in which information for identifying all nationals managed by a country is registered. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the mother's information is registered in the mother DB1 and the newborn's information is registered in the child DB2 is described, but when the newborn's information is registered in the child DB2, the management of the mother's information by the mother DB1 may be terminated. Furthermore, although the mother DB1 and the child DB2 have been described separately, the information about the mother and the information about the newborn may be registered in the same DB, in which case the duplication operation in step S59 may be omitted.

[0078] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the case where the person related to the newborn is the mother who gave birth to the newborn has been described. However, if the person related to the newborn is a person other than the mother, the mother DB1 may register the first personal information of the person other than the mother. In this case, the mother DB1 may add, to the first personal information of the person other than the mother, information indicating that the mother has consented to the registration of the person's information in the mother DB1. Furthermore, the information of the person other than the mother in the national information DB may be associated with the information of the person other than the mother in the mother DB1. The person other than the mother may be, for example, the mother's husband, a relative, etc. [5-3: Technical Effects of Information Processing Device 5]

[0079] In the fifth embodiment, the person related to the newborn is the mother, so the information processing device 5 can identify the newborn with higher accuracy. [6: Sixth embodiment]

[0080] An information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium according to a sixth embodiment will be described below. The sixth embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and a recording medium will be described below using an information processing device 6 to which the sixth embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and a recording medium is applied.

[0081] The information processing device 6 in the sixth embodiment differs from the information processing devices 2 in the second embodiment to the information processing device 5 in the fifth embodiment in that the first personal information is biometric information of a person. The biometric information of a person may be, for example, information about a fingerprint of the person, information about a face of the person, information about an iris of the person, information about a voice of the person, etc.

[0082] Other features of the information processing device 6 may be the same as at least one other feature of the information processing device 2 to the information processing device 5. Therefore, in the following, only the parts that differ from the embodiments already described will be described in detail, and other overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate.

[0083] Pattern data relating to the patterns contained in newborn biometric information alone has poor accuracy when performing one-to-N matching with a large number N (N can be relatively large). Therefore, by associating the pattern data with biometric information of a person related to the newborn, particularly the mother, it is possible to ensure accuracy when performing matching. In other words, using biometric information is advantageous in matching operations because it is more difficult to impersonate a person than when using other personal information.

[0084] In particular, when first comparing the first biometric information as the first personal information stored in the mother DB1 with the second biometric information as the acquired second personal information (first comparing), and then comparing the first judgment information associated with the first biometric information that has been successfully compared with the acquired second biometric information with the second judgment information indicating the judgment result by the second judgment means (second comparing), highly accurate comparing can be performed. [Technical effect of information processing device 6]

[0085] In the information processing device 6 in the sixth embodiment, the first personal information is biometric information of a person, and therefore the accuracy of identifying a newborn can be increased. [7: Seventh embodiment]

[0086] An information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium according to a seventh embodiment will be described below. The seventh embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and a recording medium will be described below using an information processing device 7 to which the seventh embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and a recording medium is applied. [7-1: Configuration of information processing device 7]

[0087] The configuration of the information processing device 7 in the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device 7 in the seventh embodiment.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 10 , the information processing device 7 of the seventh embodiment includes a calculation device 21 and a storage device 22, similar to at least one of the information processing devices 2 of the fourth embodiment to the information processing device 6 of the sixth embodiment. Furthermore, the information processing device 7 may include a communication device 23, an input device 24, and an output device 25, similar to at least one of the information processing devices 2 of the second embodiment to the information processing device 6 of the sixth embodiment. However, the information processing device 7 does not necessarily include at least one of the communication device 23, the input device 24, and the output device 25. The information processing device 7 of the seventh embodiment differs from at least one of the information processing devices 2 of the second embodiment to the information processing device 6 of the sixth embodiment in that the calculation device 21 further includes a presentation unit 719 and in the storage control operation by the storage control unit 214. Other features of the information processing device 7 may be the same as at least one of the other features of the information processing device 2 of the second embodiment to the information processing device 6 of the sixth embodiment. Therefore, the following will describe in detail the differences from the previously described embodiments, and will omit appropriate descriptions of other overlapping features. [7-2: Storage control operation by information processing device 7]

[0089] The flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device 7 in the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of storage control operations performed by the information processing device 7 in the seventh embodiment. The storage control operations may be operations corresponding to a modified example of the storage control operations in the second embodiment described above (i.e., operations corresponding to step S23 in Fig. 3).

[0090] 11, the memory control unit 214 determines whether there are multiple newborns corresponding to the same first determination information within a predetermined space-time range (step S70). The space-time within the predetermined range may include the same row within the hospital.

[0091] If multiple newborns corresponding to the same first determination information exist within the predetermined space-time range (step S70: Yes), the storage control unit 214 acquires a facial image of the newborns (step S71). The storage control unit 214 associates the facial image of the newborns with the first personal information and first determination information corresponding to the newborns, and stores them in the storage unit 221 (step S72). [7-3: Operation during verification by information processing device 7]

[0092] When the matching unit 418 matches the newborn, the presentation unit 719 presents the face image of the newborn stored in the storage unit 221 to the operator, prompting the operator to confirm the face of the newborn. Matching of the newborn by the matching unit 418 may be performed when the newborn is discharged from the hospital. Having the operator visually confirm the face of the newborn can prevent the occurrence of a mix-up of newborns.

[0093] The information processing device 7 may further perform authentication using a facial image. The authentication using a facial image may be face authentication using biometric information extracted from a collected facial image, or iris authentication. Furthermore, the information processing device 7 may perform authentication by fingerprint authentication using fingerprint information collected for pattern recognition. For example, when the matching unit 418 matches the newborn, the information processing device 7 may match the facial image stored in the storage unit 221 with the facial image of the newborn acquired at the time of matching. In other words, the information processing device 7 may perform multimodal authentication. [7-4: Technical Effects of Information Processing Device 7]

[0094] The information processing device 7 in the seventh embodiment can more reliably identify newborns, and can prevent the occurrence of mix-ups of newborns. [8: Eighth embodiment]

[0095] An eighth embodiment of an information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium will be described below. Hereinafter, the eighth embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium will be described using an information processing device 8 to which the eighth embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and the recording medium is applied.

[0096] The information processing device 8 in the eighth embodiment differs from the information processing device 4 in the fourth embodiment in the determination operation by the first determination unit 213, the memory control operation by the memory control unit 214, the determination operation by the second determination unit 417, and the matching operation by the second matching unit 4182. Other features of the information processing device 8 may be the same as other features of the information processing device 4. Therefore, hereinafter, only the parts that differ from the embodiments already described will be described in detail, and descriptions of other overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate.

[0097] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device in the eighth embodiment. [8-1: Information processing operation when storing by information processing device 8]

[0098] 12(a), the storage unit 221 stores first personal information indicating that a person related to the newborn is the newborn (step S20). The first newborn information acquisition unit 212 acquires first newborn biological information from the newborn (step S21). The first determination unit 213 determines which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern contained in the first newborn biological information is (step S22).

[0099] The first determination unit 213 divides the first newborn biometric information into a plurality of parts and determines from which part the pattern contained in the first newborn biometric information was detected (step S80). The first newborn biometric information may be a fingerprint image. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the first determination unit 213 may divide the fingerprint image F into, for example, nine 3×3 regions. The first determination unit 213 may identify from which region of the fingerprint image F the pattern contained in the fingerprint image (also referred to as a "print pattern") was determined. The print pattern may be the same as or different from the above-described fingerprint pattern. The print pattern may be a pattern that is most clearly identifiable on a certain finger. In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, the pattern is most clearly identifiable in region (7). In this case, the first determination unit 213 may identify that the print pattern was determined from the fingerprint image mainly in region (7).

[0100] The storage control unit 214 adds partial information about the portion determined by the first determination unit 213 to the first determination information, and stores the first determination information in the storage unit 221 in association with the first identity information (step S81). In the example shown in FIG. 13, the pattern is most clearly identifiable in the area (7). In this case, the storage control unit 214 may add information indicating that the determination was made from the fingerprint image in the area (7) to information indicating the pattern that can be determined from the fingerprint image in the area (7), and store the information in the storage unit 221. For example, the storage control unit 214 may store the newborn's ID, the pattern in the fingerprint image, and information indicating the area as partial information, as shown in Table 1 below.

[0101] [Table 1]

[0102] Table 1 above may indicate that the newborn baby with ID "000001" has a pattern determined from the fingerprint image in area "(7)" and the pattern is "A," that the newborn baby with ID "000002" has a pattern determined from the fingerprint image in area "(5)" and the pattern is "B," that the newborn baby with ID "000003" has no pattern determined, and that the newborn baby with ID "000004" has a pattern determined from the fingerprint image in area "(5)" and the pattern is "C." [8-2: Information processing operation during verification by information processing device 8]

[0103] 12(b), the personal information acquisition unit 415 acquires second personal information indicating that the person is the newborn from a person related to the newborn (step S40). The second newborn information acquisition unit 416 acquires second newborn biological information from the newborn (step S41). The second determination unit 417 determines which of a plurality of patterns the pattern contained in the second newborn biological information is (step S42).

[0104] The second determination unit 417 divides the second newborn biometric information into a plurality of parts and determines from which part the pattern contained in the second newborn biometric information was detected (step S82). The second newborn biometric information may be a fingerprint image. In this case, similar to the operation of the first determination unit 213, the second determination unit 417 may divide the fingerprint image F into, for example, nine 3x3 regions. The second determination unit 417 may specify which region of the fingerprint image the pattern was detected from.

[0105] The first verification unit 4181 verifies the first personal information stored in the storage unit 221 with the second personal information (step S43).

[0106] The second matching unit 4182 matches the first judgment information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information with the second judgment information to which partial information related to the portion determined by the second judgment unit 417 has been added (step S83). The first judgment information may be supplemented with partial information related to the portion determined by the first judgment unit 213. Table 1 above may show the first judgment information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information. In this case, the newborns related to the person corresponding to the personal information may be four people assigned IDs "000001," "000002," "000003," and "000004." For example, if the area determined by the second judgment unit 417 is "(7)," the second matching unit 4182 may match the pattern pattern of ID "000001" with the pattern pattern determined by the second judgment unit 417. For example, if the area determined by the second determination unit 417 is "(5)", the second matching unit 4182 may match the pattern determined by the second determination unit 417 with the pattern of ID "000002" and the pattern of ID "000004". [8-3: Technical Effects of Information Processing Device 8]

[0107] The information processing device 8 in the eighth embodiment adds partial information relating to parts, and therefore can perform matching with higher accuracy even when the number of newborns is relatively large. [9: Ninth embodiment]

[0108] An information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium according to a ninth embodiment will be described below. The ninth embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and a recording medium will be described below using an information processing device 9 to which the ninth embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing method, and a recording medium is applied. [9-1: Configuration of information processing device 9]

[0109] The configuration of the information processing device 9 in the ninth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device 9 in the ninth embodiment.

[0110] 14 , the information processing device 9 of the ninth embodiment includes a calculation device 21 and a storage device 22, similar to the information processing device 4 of the fourth embodiment and the information processing device 8 of the eighth embodiment. Furthermore, the information processing device 9 may include a communication device 23, an input device 24, and an output device 25, similar to the information processing device 4 of the fourth embodiment and the information processing device 8 of the eighth embodiment. However, the information processing device 9 does not necessarily include at least one of the communication device 23, the input device 24, and the output device 25. The information processing device 9 of the ninth embodiment differs from the information processing device 4 of the fourth embodiment and the information processing device 8 of the eighth embodiment in that the first determination unit 213 includes a first feature extraction unit 9132 in addition to the first pattern determination unit 2131, the second determination unit 417 includes a second feature extraction unit 9172 in addition to the second pattern determination unit 4171, and the matching unit 418 includes a third matching unit 9183. Other features of the information processing device 9 may be the same as other features of at least one of the information processing device 4 in the fourth embodiment and the information processing device 8 in the eighth embodiment. Therefore, in the following, only the parts that differ from the embodiments already described will be described in detail, and descriptions of other overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate. [9-2: Information processing operation when storing by information processing device 9]

[0111] The flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device 9 in the ninth embodiment when storing information will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device 9 in the ninth embodiment when storing information.

[0112] 15, the storage unit 221 stores first personal information indicating that a person related to the newborn is the newborn (step S20). The first newborn information acquisition unit 212 acquires first newborn biological information from the newborn (step S21). The first determination unit 213 determines which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern contained in the first newborn biological information is (step S22).

[0113] The first determination unit 213 determines whether the first newborn biological information has higher accuracy than a predetermined value (step S90). If the first newborn biological information has higher accuracy than a predetermined value (step S90: Yes), in addition to the first pattern determination unit 2131 determining the pattern of the first newborn biological information, the first feature extraction unit 9132 extracts features from the first newborn biological information (step S91).

[0114] The first feature extraction unit 9132 divides the first newborn biometric information into a plurality of parts and determines from which part the first newborn biometric information with higher accuracy than a predetermined value has been detected (step S92). The first newborn biometric information may be a fingerprint image. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 16, the first feature extraction unit 9132 may divide the fingerprint image F into, for example, nine 3×3 regions. The first feature extraction unit 9132 may identify from which region of the fingerprint image F the feature has been extracted. In the example illustrated in FIG. 16, the feature can be extracted from region (7). In this case, the first feature extraction unit 9132 may identify that the feature has been extracted from region (7).

[0115] When the first feature extraction unit 9132 extracts a feature from the first newborn biological information, the storage control unit 214 includes the feature and partial information indicating the portion from which the feature was extracted in the first determination information (step S93). The storage control unit 214 stores the first determination information in the storage unit 221 in association with the first personal information (step S23). In the example shown in FIG. 16, a feature can be extracted in region (7). In this case, the storage control unit 214 may include the feature and information indicating region (7) from which the feature was extracted in the first determination information and store the information in the storage unit 221. For example, the storage control unit 214 may store the newborn's ID, a pattern in the fingerprint image, the feature, and information indicating the region from which the feature was extracted in the storage unit 221, as shown in Table 2 below.

[0116] [Table 2]

[0117] Table 2 above may indicate that the newborn with ID "000001" has a pattern "A," a feature "X," and that the feature was extracted in region "(7)." It may also indicate that the newborn with ID "000002" has a pattern "B," and that no feature was extracted. It may also indicate that the newborn with ID "000003" has no pattern and no feature was extracted. It may also indicate that the newborn with ID "000004" has a pattern "C," a feature "Y," and that the feature was extracted in region "(5)." [9-3: Information processing operation during verification by information processing device 9]

[0118] The flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device 9 in the ninth embodiment during matching will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing operations performed by the information processing device 9 in the ninth embodiment during matching.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 17(a), the personal information acquisition unit 415 acquires, from a person related to the newborn, second personal information indicating that the person is the newborn (step S40). The second newborn information acquisition unit 416 acquires second newborn biological information from the newborn (step S41). The second pattern determination unit 4171 determines which of a plurality of patterns the pattern possessed by the second newborn biological information is (step S42). The first comparison unit 4181 compares the first personal information stored in the storage unit 221 with the second personal information (step S43).

[0120] The matching unit 418 determines whether the first determination information includes a feature (step S93). If the first determination information includes a feature (step S93: Yes), the second feature extraction unit 9172 divides the second newborn biometric information into a plurality of parts, extracts a feature, and determines from which part the feature was detected (step S94). The second newborn biometric information may be a fingerprint image. In this case, similar to the operation of the first feature extraction unit 9132, the second feature extraction unit 9172 may divide the fingerprint image F into, for example, nine 3x3 regions. The second feature extraction unit 9172 may identify from which region of the fingerprint image the feature was extracted.

[0121] The third matching unit 9183 performs feature matching (step S94). The third matching unit 9183 may match the second determination information with first judgment information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information. The first determination information may be information to which the feature extracted by the first feature extraction unit 9132 and partial information related to the portion determined by the first feature extraction unit 9132 have been added. The second determination information may be information to which the feature extracted by the second feature extraction unit 9172 and partial information related to the portion determined by the second feature extraction unit 9172 have been added. Table 2 above may show the first judgment information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information. In this case, the newborns related to the person corresponding to the personal information may be four people assigned IDs "000001", "000002", "000003", and "000004". For example, if the area determined by the second feature amount extraction unit 9172 is "(7)", the third matching unit 9183 may match the feature amount of ID "000001" with the feature amount extracted by the second feature amount extraction unit 9172. For example, if the area determined by the second feature amount extraction unit 9172 is "(5)", the third matching unit 9183 may match the feature amount of ID "000004" with the feature amount extracted by the second feature amount extraction unit 9172.

[0122] If the first judgment information does not include a feature (step S93: No), the second matching unit 4182 matches the first judgment information associated with the first personal information that was successfully matched with the second personal information with the second judgment information indicating the judgment result by the second pattern judgment unit 4171 (step S44).

[0123] 17(a), the information processing operation flow shown in FIG. 17(b) may be executed. That is, regardless of the determination result in step S93, the operation of step S44 may be executed. That is, the information processing device 9 may execute fusion matching.

[0124] In the ninth embodiment, as in the eighth embodiment, the first pattern determination unit 2131 may divide the first newborn biological information into a plurality of parts and determine from which part a pattern possessed by the first newborn biological information has been detected. In this case, the second pattern determination unit 4171 may divide the second newborn biological information into a plurality of parts and determine from which part a pattern possessed by the second newborn biological information has been detected. Furthermore, the second matching unit 4182 may match the first determination information to which partial information regarding the part determined by the first pattern determination unit 2131 has been added with the second determination information to which partial information regarding the part determined by the second pattern determination unit 4171 has been added. [9-4: Technical Effects of Information Processing Device 9]

[0125] When the first determination information includes a feature, the information processing device 9 in the ninth embodiment can perform at least one of pattern matching and feature matching, thereby enabling newborns to be matched with higher accuracy.

[0126] In the above-described embodiments, the newborn biometric information is a fingerprint image, but the newborn biometric information may be biometric information other than a fingerprint image. For example, a sole pattern image may be used as the newborn biometric information.

[0127] In each of the above-described embodiments, a fingerprint image of a target person may be acquired, for example, at an opportunity such as a vaccination, and the acquired fingerprint image may be additionally registered in the mother DB1. The acquired fingerprint image may be subjected to a quality check, and if the quality is sufficient for use in normal fingerprint authentication for adults, the target person's authentication may be updated to a more accurate authentication. The quality check of the fingerprint image may be performed by extracting feature information from the fingerprint image and based on the extracted feature information. As a result, when matching the target person, matching using the mother's personal information is not required, thereby reducing the burden on the mother. Furthermore, the first determination information of a newborn as a target person may be integrated into a national information DB in which, for example, national information for identifying all citizens managed by the government is registered. [10: Note]

[0128] The following additional notes are provided regarding the above-described embodiment. [Appendix 1] a storage means for storing first personal information indicating that a person related to the newborn is the person; a first newborn information acquisition means for acquiring first newborn biological information from the newborn; a first determination means for determining which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern of the first newborn biological information belongs to; a storage control means for storing first determination information indicating a determination result by said first determination means in said storage means in association with said first personal information; An information processing device comprising: [Appendix 2] the first newborn information acquisition means acquires a plurality of first newborn biological information from the newborn; the first determination means determines which of the plurality of patterns each of the plurality of first newborn biological information has; The storage control means stores first determination information, which is a combination of the determination results obtained by the first determination means and corresponds to each of the plurality of first newborn biological information, in the storage means in association with the first personal information. 10. The information processing device according to claim 1. [Appendix 3] The first newborn biometric information is a fingerprint image. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2. [Appendix 4] personal information acquisition means for acquiring second personal information indicating that the person related to the newborn is the person; a second newborn information acquisition means for acquiring second newborn biological information from the newborn; a second determination means for determining which of the plurality of patterns the pattern included in the second newborn biological information corresponds to; a matching means including a first matching means for matching the first personal information stored in the storage means with the second personal information, and a second matching means for matching the first determination information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information with second determination information that indicates a determination result by the second determination means; Further provided with 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2. [Appendix 5] The person related to the newborn is the mother who gave birth to the newborn. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2. [Appendix 6] The first personal information is biometric information of the person. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2. [Appendix 7] When there are a plurality of newborns corresponding to the same first determination information within a predetermined space-time range, the storage control means associates a facial image of the newborn with the first personal information and the first determination information corresponding to the newborns, and stores the first personal information and the first determination information corresponding to the newborns in the storage means; The presenting means further comprises a presenting means for presenting a face image of the newborn stored in the storage means to an operator when the matching means matches the newborn, and prompting the operator to confirm the face of the newborn. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4. [Appendix 8] the first determination means divides the first newborn biological information into a plurality of parts and determines from which part a pattern contained in the first newborn biological information is detected; the storage control means adds partial information relating to the part determined by the first determination means to the first determination information, and stores the first determination information in the storage means in association with the first personal information; the second determination means divides the second newborn biological information into a plurality of parts and determines from which part a pattern contained in the second newborn biological information is detected; The second matching means matches the first determination information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information with the second determination information to which partial information related to the part determined by the second determination means has been added. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4. [Appendix 9] When the first newborn biological information has a higher accuracy than a predetermined accuracy, the first determination means extracts a feature from the first newborn biological information in addition to determining a pattern of the first newborn biological information, when the first determination means extracts a feature from the first newborn biological information, the storage control means stores the first determination information including the feature in the storage means in association with the first personal information; When the first determination information includes the feature amount, the matching means performs at least one of matching the pattern and matching the feature amount. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4. [Appendix 10] storing first personal information indicating that a person related to the newborn is the person in question in a storage means; acquiring first newborn biological information from the newborn; determining which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern of the first newborn biological information belongs to; First determination information indicating the determination result is stored in the storage means in association with the first personal information. Information processing methods. [Appendix 11] On the computer, storing first personal information indicating that a person related to the newborn is the person in question in a storage means; acquiring first newborn biological information from the newborn; determining which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern of the first newborn biological information belongs to; First determination information indicating the determination result is stored in the storage means in association with the first personal information. A recording medium on which a computer program for executing an information processing method is recorded.

[0129] At least some of the components of each of the above-described embodiments can be appropriately combined with at least some of the other components of each of the above-described embodiments. Some of the components of each of the above-described embodiments may not be used.

[0130] This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. This disclosure may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims and the technical idea that can be read from the entire specification. Information processing devices, information processing methods, and recording media incorporating such modifications are also included in the technical idea of ​​this disclosure. Furthermore, to the extent permitted by law, all publications and papers described in this specification are incorporated herein by reference.

[0131] To the extent permitted by law, this application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-085036, filed on May 25, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Information processing equipment 11,221 storage section 12,212 First Newborn Information Acquisition Department 13,213 1st judgment section 14,214 Memory control unit 415 Personal information acquisition department 416 Second Newborn Information Acquisition Department 417 Second Judgment Section 418 Collation Unit 4181 First Collation Unit 4182 Second Collation Unit 519 Mother Information Control Unit 719 Presentation section 9183 Third Collation Department 2131 First pattern determination unit 9132 First feature extraction unit 4171 Second pattern determination unit 9172 Second feature extraction unit

Claims

1. a storage means for storing first personal information indicating that a person related to the newborn is the person; a first newborn information acquisition means for acquiring first newborn biological information from the newborn; a first determination means for determining which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern of the first newborn biological information belongs to; a storage control means for storing first determination information indicating a determination result by the first determination means in the storage means in association with the first personal information; personal information acquisition means for acquiring second personal information indicating that a person related to the newborn is the newborn; a second newborn information acquisition means for acquiring second newborn biological information from the newborn; a second determination means for determining which of the plurality of patterns the pattern included in the second newborn biological information corresponds to; a matching means including a first matching means for matching the first personal information stored in the storage means with the second personal information, and a second matching means for matching the first determination information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information with second determination information that indicates a determination result by the second determination means; Equipped with When a plurality of newborns corresponding to the same first determination information exist within a predetermined space-time range, the storage control means associates a facial image of the newborn with the first personal information and the first determination information corresponding to the newborns, and stores the first personal information and the first determination information corresponding to the newborns in the storage means; The information processing device further includes a presentation means for presenting a facial image of the newborn stored in the storage means to an operator when the matching means matches the newborn, and prompting the operator to confirm the face of the newborn.

2. the first newborn information acquisition means acquires a plurality of first newborn biological information from the newborn; the first determination means determines which of the plurality of types of patterns each of the plurality of first newborn biological information has; The storage control means stores in the storage means first determination information, which is a combination of the determination results obtained by the first determination means and corresponds to each of the plurality of first newborn biological information, in association with the first personal information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The first newborn biometric information is a fingerprint image.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The person related to the newborn is the mother who gave birth to the newborn.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The first personal information is biometric information of the person.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. the first determination means divides the first newborn biological information into a plurality of parts and determines from which part a pattern contained in the first newborn biological information is detected; the storage control means adds partial information relating to the part determined by the first determination means to the first determination information, and stores the first determination information in the storage means in association with the first personal information; the second determination means divides the second newborn biological information into a plurality of parts and determines from which part a pattern contained in the second newborn biological information is detected; The second matching means matches the first determination information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information with the second determination information to which partial information related to the part determined by the second determination means has been added. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. storing first personal information indicating that a person related to the newborn is the person in question in a storage means; acquiring first newborn biological information from the newborn; determining which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern of the first newborn biological information belongs to; storing first determination information indicating a determination result in the storage means in association with the first personal information; acquiring second personal information from a person related to the newborn, the second personal information indicating that the person is the newborn; acquiring second newborn biological information from the newborn; determining which of the plurality of patterns the pattern of the second newborn biological information belongs to; and performing a first matching process for matching the first personal information stored in the storage means with the second personal information, and a second matching process for matching the first determination information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information with second determination information that indicates a determination result obtained by the determination; and When a plurality of newborns corresponding to the same first determination information exist within a predetermined space-time range, a facial image of the newborns is associated with the first personal information and the first determination information corresponding to the newborns and stored in the storage means; and When matching the newborn, a facial image of the newborn stored in the storage means is presented to an operator, and the operator is prompted to confirm the face of the newborn. A computer-implemented information processing method.

8. On the computer, storing first personal information indicating that a person related to the newborn is the person in question in a storage means; acquiring first newborn biological information from the newborn; determining which of a plurality of predetermined patterns the pattern of the first newborn biological information belongs to; storing first determination information indicating a determination result in the storage means in association with the first personal information; acquiring second personal information from a person related to the newborn, the second personal information indicating that the person is the newborn; acquiring second newborn biological information from the newborn; determining which of the plurality of patterns the pattern of the second newborn biological information belongs to; and performing a first matching process for matching the first personal information stored in the storage means with the second personal information, and a second matching process for matching the first determination information associated with the first personal information that has been successfully matched with the second personal information with second determination information that indicates a determination result obtained by the determination; and When a plurality of newborns corresponding to the same first determination information exist within a predetermined space-time range, a facial image of the newborns is associated with the first personal information and the first determination information corresponding to the newborns and stored in the storage means; and When matching the newborn, a facial image of the newborn stored in the storage means is presented to an operator, and the operator is prompted to confirm the face of the newborn. A computer program for executing an information processing method.

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