Authentication system and authentication method

Abstract

To properly manage, even if biological authentication of a person to be authenticated fails, entry of the person (e.g., attendance to a class).SOLUTION: An authentication system according to the present invention has: a face image detecting unit for detecting a face image of at least one target from an image including faces of a plurality of persons; a first authentication processing unit for carrying out face authentication processing based on registered information and a face image relating to a group including a pre-registered registrant as an element to thereby specify a first registrant corresponding to the target, and if the first registrant is included in a partial group of the group, determining that the first registrant is an authentication completed person; and a notification unit for notifying a terminal held by the registrant included in the partial group of information indicating whether or not it is determined that the registrant included in the partial group is the authentication completed person.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an authentication system and an authentication method.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for managing the entry and exit of people to a specific location by biometric authentication have been studied. As an example, managing the entry and exit of students to a classroom by face authentication has been studied.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, data of the faces of students or employees is registered in advance in a database of a server. At a predetermined time, which is the start time of a class or the start time of work, an image sensor captures the face of a student or an employee, and a control terminal transmits the image data captured by the image sensor to the artificial intelligence image recognition means of the server, receives feedback information from the artificial intelligence image recognition means, and notifies the absence / presence information, which estimates who is present, to a predetermined computer terminal that is a predetermined contact (such as a school administrator, etc.). A notification system is described in which the predetermined computer terminal records the absence / presence information of students or employees as data.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, when the biometric authentication of a person to be authenticated fails, there is a risk that the entry and exit of the person (for example, attendance in class) cannot be appropriately managed.

[0006] Non-limiting embodiments of this disclosure contribute to providing authentication systems and authentication methods that can appropriately manage a person's access (e.g., attendance at classes) even if the biometric authentication of the person to be authenticated fails. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An authentication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a face image detection unit that detects the face image of at least one subject from an image containing the faces of multiple persons; a first authentication processing unit that identifies a first registrant corresponding to the subject by performing face authentication processing based on registration information relating to a set that includes pre-registered registrants as elements and the face image, and determines that the first registrant is an authenticated person if the first registrant is included in a subset of the set in which the first registrant is set; and a notification unit that notifies a terminal owned by a registrant included in the subset of information indicating whether or not the registrant included in the subset has been determined to be an authenticated person.

[0008] An authentication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure detects the face image of at least one subject from an image containing the faces of multiple persons, performs face authentication processing based on registration information relating to a set that includes pre-registered registrants as elements and the face image, thereby identifying a first registrant corresponding to the subject, and if the first registrant is included in a subset of the set in which the first registrant is set, determines that the first registrant is an authenticated person, and notifies the terminal held by the registrant included in the subset of information indicating whether or not the registrant included in the subset has been determined to be an authenticated person.

[0009] These comprehensive or specific embodiments may be implemented as systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, or recording media, or as any combination of systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, and recording media. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, even if the biometric authentication of the person to be authenticated fails, the person's access (e.g., attendance at classes) can be appropriately managed.

[0011] Further advantages and effects of one embodiment of this disclosure will be made apparent from the specification and drawings. Such advantages and / or effects are provided by several embodiments and features described in the specification and drawings, but not all of them are necessarily provided in order to obtain one or more identical features. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the system configuration in one embodiment. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing an example configuration of an authentication system in one embodiment. [Figure 3A] Diagram showing the first example of AI camera installation locations. [Figure 3B] Diagram showing a second example of AI camera installation locations. [Figure 3C] A diagram showing a third example of AI camera installation locations. [Figure 4] Diagram showing an example of display on a terminal. [Figure 5] Diagram showing an example of display on a screen. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating the first example of the processing flow in an authentication system. [Figure 7] A flowchart illustrating the first example of the processing flow in an authentication system that includes secondary authentication. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the first example of the processing flow at the secondary authentication terminal. [Figure 9] A flowchart illustrating a second example of the processing flow in an authentication system that includes secondary authentication. [Figure 10] A flowchart illustrating a second example of the processing flow at the secondary authentication terminal. [Figure 11] A flowchart illustrating a third example of the processing flow in an authentication system that includes secondary authentication.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail while referring to the attached drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0014] (One Embodiment) Hereinafter, by way of example, in a school, a system for managing attendance and absence of students based on the process of attendance and absence verification including face authentication when students receive classes in a classroom will be described. Note that the management of whether a student attends or is absent from a class may be referred to as class attendance and absence management hereinafter.

[0015] In addition, hereinafter, an example of a class that students who are scheduled to attend have determined in advance will be described. Students who are determined to attend a class may be described as scheduled attendees. Also, a list of information regarding scheduled attendees may be described as a scheduled attendee list. Since the scheduled attendees vary depending on each class or period, etc., the scheduled attendee list may use different lists each time. Also, students who actually enter the classroom and participate in the class may be described as class participants, and students who have not entered the classroom may be described as non-participants in the class.

[0016] In addition, hereinafter, in the management of class attendance and absence, a student who is registered as a scheduled attendee in the scheduled attendee list and is determined to be attending the class is a class participant and is described as a "student treated as present". That is, a student treated as present corresponds to a student who has completed the face authentication process and has been determined to be a scheduled attendee registered in the scheduled attendee list.

[0017] On the other hand, there are cases where a student is registered as an attendee on the attendance list and enters the classroom, but the facial recognition process fails to complete (i.e., the captured facial image is unclear or the student is looking downwards, making face detection impossible, or even if face detection is possible, a suitable facial image for facial recognition cannot be captured, thus preventing facial recognition). In this case, even though the student is present at the class, they are determined to be absent and listed as an "absent student," despite being a participant in the class.

[0018] Furthermore, there are cases where a student is registered as an expected attendee on the attendance list but does not actually attend class. In this case, since the student does not enter the classroom, facial recognition processing is not performed, and they are listed as an "absent student" who did not participate in the class.

[0019] In addition, some students are listed as "students not on the list" who are not registered as attendees but whose facial recognition was performed upon entry and who are participating in the class. Others are listed as "students not enrolled in the course" who were never registered as attendees and did not participate in the class (and whose facial recognition was not performed upon entry).

[0020] The term "participants" in a class includes students who are marked as present, absent, and not on the list. "Non-participants" includes students who are absent and students who have not taken the course. Furthermore, students registered as expected attendees on the attendance list include students who are marked as present, absent, and absent.

[0021] The reason why facial recognition may not complete will be explained later.

[0022] In the following embodiment, we will explain how student attendance management can be properly carried out by notifying participants in a class, including "students marked as absent," who are included in the list of expected attendees and are participating in the class, but who have been marked as absent due to errors such as their face not being detected and matching failing during facial recognition, for example, when entering the classroom.

[0023] Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration in this embodiment. The configuration shown in Figure 1 includes an authentication system 1.

[0024] The authentication system 1 includes an AI (artificial intelligence) camera 10, an attendance authentication server 20, a face matching server 30, and a display 50.

[0025] Furthermore, the configuration shown in Figure 1 includes terminals 40 owned by students, which are connected to the attendance authentication server 20.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the AI ​​camera 10 is connected to the attendance authentication server 20, and the attendance authentication server 20 is connected to the face matching server 30, the terminal 40, and the display 50. The connections between each component may be wireless, wired, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. Alternatively, each component shown in Figure 1 may be connected to each other via a network (for example, the Internet or a local area network within the university).

[0027] AI camera 10 can be installed, for example, near the entrance of a classroom to photograph students entering the classroom from the entrance. For example, AI camera 10 can be installed in a position to capture images that include the faces of students entering the classroom. Note that multiple AI cameras 10 may be installed. For example, if there are multiple entrances to a classroom, AI camera 10 may be installed at each of the multiple entrances. Also, multiple AI cameras 10 may be installed for a single entrance. For example, AI cameras 10 may be installed in multiple positions to photograph students entering the classroom from a single entrance, each with a different field of view. AI camera 10 has the function of detecting and extracting multiple face image regions included in the captured image. Note that the AI ​​camera 10 is not limited to being installed near the entrance of a classroom. Examples of installation locations for AI camera 10 will be described later.

[0028] The attendance authentication server 20 stores a list of expected attendees. The list of expected attendees includes personal information, including at least the ID of each person (student) who is scheduled to attend the class. Students included in the list of expected attendees are all students currently enrolled at the school. The list of expected attendees is a subset of the set that includes students currently enrolled at the school as its elements.

[0029] The attendance authentication server 20 acquires the face image extracted by the AI ​​camera 10 and performs attendee authentication processing. The attendee authentication processing includes requesting the face matching server 30 to match the face features based on the face image, and determining the authentication result based on the matching result. The attendance authentication server 20 sends the face image (or face features) to the face matching server 30. The attendance authentication server 20 acquires the matching result performed by the face matching server 30 (matching face features generated from face images of students registered in advance with face features generated from face images captured by the AI ​​camera 10). Hereinafter, the face image targeted for matching by the face matching server 30 may be referred to as the face image to be matched.

[0030] The face matching server 30 stores personal information, including the face image or facial features of each student enrolled in the school, associated with identification information that identifies the student (for example, the student's ID, such as their student ID number). The face images or facial features stored in the face matching server 30 are referred to as registered face images. The face matching server 30 may store the registered face images themselves, or it may store facial features extracted from the registered face images, or both.

[0031] The face matching server 30 obtains the face image to be matched from the attendance authentication server 20 and performs face matching processing. In the face matching processing, for example, a similarity score is calculated between the face image to be matched and each of the registered face images. For example, the similarity score of a certain registered face image indicates the degree to which that registered face image is similar to the face image to be matched. A higher similarity score indicates that the face image to be matched is more similar to the registered face image. The similarity score may also be called a matching score. The method for calculating the similarity score is not particularly limited. For example, the similarity score may be calculated based on the respective face features of the face image to be matched and the registered face image. The similarity score may be calculated for each of the registered face images. Then, in the face matching processing, the registered face image with the highest similarity score among the similarity scores of each registered face image calculated for the face image to be matched is determined, and if the highest similarity score is above a threshold, the registered face image corresponding to the highest similarity score is determined to be the most similar to the face image to be matched.

[0032] The face matching server 30 sends the matching result, including the ID of the person whose registered face image is determined to be the most similar to the face image to be matched, to the attendance authentication server 20.

[0033] Furthermore, the face matching server 30 may determine that there is no registered face image that is most similar to the face image to be matched if the highest similarity among the registered face images calculated for the face image to be matched is below a threshold. In this case, the face matching server 30 sends a matching result indicating that the matching of the face image to be matched failed to the face authentication processing server 30.

[0034] The matching results include, for example, the ID of the person whose registered face image has the highest similarity to the face image being matched.

[0035] The attendance authentication server 20 determines the authentication result based on the matching result. For example, the attendance authentication server 20 determines whether the ID included in the matching result is included in the ID of the list of scheduled attendees.

[0036] The attendance authentication server 20 determines an authentication result indicating that the person corresponding to the ID is attending the class if the ID included in the matching result is included in the list of expected attendees. In this case, the person corresponding to the ID included in the matching result is a student whose facial recognition has been completed, that is, a student who will be counted as present.

[0037] On the other hand, if the attendance authentication server 20 obtains a matching result indicating that the face image to be matched could not be matched by the face matching server 30, it cannot determine whether or not the ID is included in the list of expected attendees. Therefore, it determines that the authentication result is that the face authentication of the person corresponding to the face image to be matched has not been completed. In this case, the person corresponding to the face image to be matched is a student whose face authentication has not been completed, that is, a student who entered the classroom but is marked as absent.

[0038] Furthermore, in the case of a student who is absent from class, the student does not enter the classroom, so the student's face is not photographed, and the attendance authentication server 20 does not request the face matching server 30 to match the student's facial features based on the student's facial image. Therefore, the attendance authentication server 20 determines that the student's facial authentication has not been completed. In this case, the student is a student whose facial authentication has not been completed, that is, an absent student who has not entered the classroom. For example, the attendance authentication server 20 may determine at a specific time (for example, when the class starts) that the facial authentication of an absent student has not been completed.

[0039] If the attendance authentication server 20 finds that an ID included in the matching result is not included in the list of attendees, it determines an authentication result indicating that the person corresponding to that ID is not on the list of attendees. In this case, the person corresponding to the ID included in the matching result is, for example, a student whose facial recognition has been completed but whose attendance authentication has not been completed, i.e., a student who is not on the list.

[0040] Furthermore, the attendance authentication server 20 does not need to distinguish between students marked as absent and students who are actually absent. For example, the attendance authentication server 20 may determine that facial recognition for the student in question (i.e., students marked as absent and students who are actually absent) has not been completed in either of these two cases.

[0041] The authentication result may be updated by adding information to the authentication result as it is collected, including information on students who were determined to be present (i.e., students who were marked as present), students who were determined to be absent (i.e., students who were marked as absent), and students who were absent from the start (i.e., students who were absent).

[0042] The attendance authentication server 20 sends the authentication result for each student to the terminal 40 carried by each student, whether they are determined to be present (i.e., marked as present), whether they are determined to be absent (i.e., marked as absent), or whether they are absent from the start (i.e., absent students). It also sends the authentication result for those scheduled to attend to the display 50. For example, a student's ID and their contact information are registered in the attendance authentication server 20 (which may be an external server not shown), and the authentication result for that student is sent to the terminal 40 indicated by the contact information corresponding to that student's ID.

[0043] The attendance authentication server 20 may also notify the student administrator (e.g., school administrator, instructor, etc.), who is omitted in Figure 1, of the authentication results.

[0044] Authentication results may be updated periodically (or irregularly) within a specific time frame. For example, authentication results may be continuously updated from the time students enter the classroom until the start of the class. The authentication results may then be finalized after the class has started. Alternatively, a predetermined deadline may be set, such as five minutes after the start of the class, and the authentication results may be finalized after the predetermined deadline has elapsed. The finalized authentication results may be notified to the school administrator and / or the instructor of the class.

[0045] Terminal 40 is a smartphone or tablet computer owned by the student. The student checks the information notified to terminal 40. In the following, notifications sent to terminal 40 owned by a specific student may simply be referred to as notifications to a specific student.

[0046] Display 50 is installed, for example, in a classroom and displays information. For example, Display 50 displays authentication results. By checking the authentication results displayed on Display 50, each participant in the class in the classroom can see whether or not they were judged to have been present. Students who are judged to have been present in the authentication results are considered to be students who have been marked as present.

[0047] The display on display 50 may be updated each time the authentication result is updated. The display on display 50 may include information about students who have successfully authenticated (for example, students who have been marked as present). Information about students who have successfully authenticated may include, for example, their name and student ID number. In addition, the display on display 50 may associate and display information about students who are scheduled to attend the class (for example, their name) with information indicating whether each student has successfully authenticated (whether or not they have been marked as present). For example, the information indicating whether a student has successfully authenticated may be a symbol such as "○" indicating successful authentication, or a symbol such as "×" indicating unsuccessful authentication. The display on display 50 may also display a registered face image or a face image to be matched simultaneously with the name and student ID number, or by switching screens.

[0048] Furthermore, multiple students enter the classroom simultaneously and fluidly. Therefore, the authentication system 1 described above performs facial recognition processing on multiple students simultaneously and fluidly. For example, the AI ​​camera 10 captures images containing the faces of multiple students and detects the facial images of multiple students from the captured images. The attendance authentication server 20 then performs attendance authentication processing on each of the multiple student facial images based on the matching results of the facial matching server 30. The authentication results may be updated each time attendance authentication processing is performed.

[0049] Furthermore, the authentication results will continue to be updated until the class begins. Attendance authentication processing will end when the class starts. In authentication system 1, the authentication result is determined by comparing the authenticated person's face with a pre-registered list of class attendees.

[0050] Once an authentication result is determined, each student's device 40, registered on the class attendance list, will be notified of their individual authentication result. Class participants can check this notification to see whether they have been determined to be attending the class or not, i.e., not participating in the class. Class participants who have been determined to be attending the class are considered to be present, while class participants who have been determined not to be attending the class are considered to be absent.

[0051] Furthermore, students who are registered on the attendance list for a class but do not actually attend the class—that is, students who are absent—will also be notified of their attendance status.

[0052] Although Figure 1 shows an example where the authentication system 1 includes a display 50, the authentication system 1 does not necessarily have to include a display 50. If the authentication system 1 does not include a display 50, the attendance authentication server 20 only needs to send the authentication result for each individual student to each terminal 40.

[0053] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the authentication system in this embodiment. The authentication system 1 shown in Figure 2 includes an AI camera 10, an attendance authentication server 20, and a face matching server 30, similar to the example shown in Figure 1. In Figure 2, the display 50 is not included in the authentication system 1, but as shown in Figure 1, the display 50 may be included in the authentication system 1.

[0054] The AI ​​camera 10 includes an imaging unit 101 and a face image detection unit 102.

[0055] The imaging unit 101 captures images of students entering the classroom. The imaging unit 101 may capture still images or moving images. In cases where multiple students enter the classroom simultaneously and consecutively, it may be preferable for the imaging unit 101 to capture moving images.

[0056] The face image detection unit 102 detects face images from images captured by the imaging unit 101. The method for detecting face images is not particularly limited. Face images may be detected by the AI ​​functions of the AI ​​camera 10. For example, facial features such as eyes, nose, and mouth may be detected from the captured image, and face images containing these facial features may be detected based on the size, position, and shape of the detected facial features. Alternatively, the face image detection unit 102 may perform face detection using an AI model that has been pre-trained on human face images. The detected face images are output to the attendance authentication server 20.

[0057] In the authentication system 1 shown in Figure 2, an example is shown in which the AI ​​camera 10 has an imaging unit 101 and a face image detection unit 102, but this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the imaging unit 101 and the face image detection unit 102 may be included in separate devices. For example, a camera having an imaging unit 101 may capture an image and output the captured image to a device (e.g., an information processing device) having a face image detection unit 102. The device (e.g., an information processing device) having the face image detection unit 102 may then detect a face image from the image. In the case where multiple cameras having imaging units 101 are installed, the device having the face image detection unit 102 may detect a face image from images acquired from each of the multiple cameras. The face image detection unit 102 may also be included in the attendance authentication server 20. Furthermore, the authentication system 1 may acquire images captured by an external camera (e.g., a surveillance camera). In this case, the authentication system 1 does not need to have a device including an imaging unit 101.

[0058] The attendance authentication server 20 includes an authentication unit 201 and an authentication status notification unit 202.

[0059] The authentication unit 201 acquires a facial image from the AI ​​camera 10 and performs attendance authentication processing. For example, the authentication unit 201 sends the facial image to the facial matching server 30 and receives the result of the facial matching process (matching result) performed by the facial matching server 30. Based on the matching result, the authentication unit 201 determines the authentication result.

[0060] The authentication status notification unit 202 transmits the authentication result to each student's terminal 40 and display 50.

[0061] The face matching server 30 includes a target person storage unit 301 and a face matching processing unit 302.

[0062] The target person storage unit 301 stores information (registration information) about the target person. The target person may be, for example, all students enrolled in the school. The registration information also includes, for example, the name of the target person (e.g., a student), an ID (Identification) such as a student ID number, a facial image of the target person, facial features based on the facial image of the target person, and contact information (ID of the terminal owned by the target person).

[0063] The face matching unit 302 performs face matching based on the registration information obtained from the target person storage unit 301 and the face image obtained from the attendance authentication server 20. The face matching unit 302 transmits the result of the face matching process (matching result) to the attendance authentication server 20.

[0064] The attendance authentication server 20 and the face matching server 30 may be included in a single device. In that case, for example, the attendance authentication server 20 may have, in addition to the authentication unit 201 and the authentication status notification unit 202, a target person storage unit 301 and a face matching unit 302. In this case, the attendance authentication server 20 may perform face matching processing internally. Alternatively, in this case, the authentication unit 201 may perform face matching processing.

[0065] Terminal 40 includes, for example, a receiving unit 401 and an authentication result display unit 402. The receiving unit 401 receives authentication results from the attendance authentication server 20. The authentication result display unit 402 displays the received authentication results.

[0066] The display 50 includes, for example, a receiving unit 501 and an authentication result display unit 502. The receiving unit 501 receives the authentication result from the attendance authentication server 20. The authentication result display unit 502 displays the received authentication result.

[0067] As described above, the authentication system 1 includes a face image detection unit 102 that detects the face image of at least one subject from an image containing the faces of multiple students, and an authentication unit 201 (an example of a first authentication processing unit) that identifies the student corresponding to the subject (an example of a first registrant) by performing face authentication processing based on registration information and face images concerning all students (an example of a set) that include pre-registered students (an example of a registrant) as elements, and determines that if the student corresponding to the subject is included in the list of students expected to attend (an example of a subset), the student corresponding to the subject is a student whose authentication has been completed. The authentication system 1 also includes an authentication status notification unit 202 that notifies the terminal 40 held by a student included in the list of students expected to attend of information indicating whether or not the student is a student whose authentication has been completed. Note that the owners of terminals that receive notifications may include students who are marked as present, students who are not marked as present (i.e., students who are marked as absent), and absent students.

[0068] Next, we will explain an example of how to install AI camera 10.

[0069] Figure 3A shows a first example of the installation location for the AI ​​camera 10. Figure 3B shows a second example of the installation location for the AI ​​camera 10. Figure 3C shows a third example of the installation location for the AI ​​camera 10.

[0070] Figure 3A shows an example in which an AI camera 10 is installed on the upper end of a display 50 fixed to a stand. For example, the display 50 with the AI ​​camera 10 installed is set up at the entrance of a classroom. In the example shown in Figure 3A, casters are provided on the bottom of the stand, so the display 50 with the AI ​​camera 10 installed is movable.

[0071] Figure 3B shows an example in which an AI camera 10 is installed at the top of a display 50 fixed to the ceiling. For example, the display 50 on which the AI ​​camera 10 is installed is located at the entrance of a classroom.

[0072] In the examples shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the student walks while looking at the display 50. Since the AI ​​camera 10 is located at the edge of the display 50, the student walking while looking at the display 50 will be facing the AI ​​camera 10. In this case, the AI ​​camera 10 will photograph the student who is facing it. The AI ​​camera 10 may also photograph multiple students simultaneously.

[0073] Figure 3C shows an example of the AI ​​camera 10 being installed in a classroom. In the example in Figure 3C, the AI ​​camera 10 is installed at the front of the classroom (towards the teacher's desk). The AI ​​camera 10 can capture images of the entire classroom. Also, since students are seated facing the teacher's desk, the AI ​​camera 10 can capture images of the students from the front.

[0074] Furthermore, the installation location of the AI ​​camera 10 is not limited to the front of the classroom. Multiple AI cameras 10 may be installed. For example, the installation location and / or number of AI cameras 10 will be determined according to the shape, size, number of seats, etc., of the classroom.

[0075] The AI ​​camera 10 may be fixed in place or it may be movable. The AI ​​camera 10 may move along a rail installed on the ceiling, for example. Alternatively, an AI camera 10 that is fixed in place may rotate by controlling its pan / tilt function to capture images from one end of a classroom to the other. The AI ​​camera 10 may also be capable of controlling its pan / tilt function horizontally (e.g., pan), vertically (e.g., tilt), and zoom (zoom in and / or zoom out). A camera capable of controlling its pan / tilt function, tilt function, and zoom function may be called a PTZ camera.

[0076] By rotating the AI ​​camera 10 to photograph students from one end of the classroom to the other, it can more accurately authenticate students within the classroom.

[0077] The AI ​​camera 10 takes multiple photos before a specific time (for example, the start time of class) arrives, and sends the face image to the attendance authentication server 20 each time it takes a photo (or each time a face image is detected). Alternatively, the AI ​​camera 10 may continue taking photos even after the specific time has arrived, and send the face image to the attendance authentication server 20 each time it takes a photo.

[0078] Thus, in the authentication system 1 according to this embodiment, attendance authentication processing may be performed based on images acquired by rotating the AI ​​camera 10 and taking multiple shots. Alternatively, in the authentication system 1 according to this embodiment, attendance authentication processing may be performed based on images acquired by at least one fixed AI camera 10 capturing the entire classroom. In this case, multiple AI cameras 10 may capture the entire classroom by capturing their respective shooting ranges.

[0079] Furthermore, the authentication system 1 according to this embodiment may be configured using any one of the examples shown in Figures 3A to 3C, or a combination of multiple examples. For example, the example of the AI ​​camera 10 and display 50 shown in Figure 3A may be applied at the entrance of the classroom, while the example of the installation location of the AI ​​camera 10 shown in Figure 3C may be applied inside the classroom.

[0080] Next, we will explain examples of displays on terminal 40 and display 50.

[0081] Figure 4 shows an example of the display on terminal 40. Figure 4 shows examples of messages displayed on terminal 40 owned by students who are marked as absent and students who are marked as present. If the student who owns terminal 40 is marked as absent, text information indicating that the student is absent will be displayed on terminal 40. If the student who owns terminal 40 is marked as present, text information indicating that the student is present will be displayed.

[0082] For example, a student who is included in the attendance list and is a participant in the class but is marked as absent will recognize that they are absent by checking the text information on terminal 40. Although not shown in the diagram, a message may also be displayed on terminal 40 to students who are included in the attendance list but do not attend the class. This message will allow students who do not attend the class to confirm that they are marked as absent.

[0083] Figure 5 shows an example of the display on display 50. The display 50 shows the authentication results. For example, the display on the left side of Figure 5 shows an image captured by the AI ​​camera 10. The captured image has a frame superimposed to indicate the area that was determined to be a face. The display on the right side of Figure 5 shows the name of the student who was successfully recognized as present and the time the facial recognition process was performed.

[0084] As shown in the examples in Figures 3A and 3B, when the AI ​​camera 10 is installed at the edge of the display 50, the student looking at the display 50 is captured by the AI ​​camera 10, and facial recognition processing is performed based on the captured image. When facial recognition is completed, the authentication result, as illustrated in Figure 5, is displayed on the display 50 that the student is looking at, so that the student can immediately confirm the authentication result.

[0085] Note that the display in Figure 5 is just one example, and this disclosure is not limited to it. Any display that allows attending students to confirm whether or not they have been marked as present may differ from the display in Figure 5. For example, no image is displayed on display 50. Alternatively, for example, instead of the name of a student who has been marked as present, the display 50 may display an ID such as the student ID number of that student. Alternatively, for example, the name of a student who has been marked as present and an ID such as the student ID number may be displayed.

[0086] Next, the processing flow in authentication system 1 will be explained. Figure 6 is a flowchart of a first example of the processing flow in authentication system 1. The processing flow shown in Figure 6 may be started when students become eligible to enter the classroom for class. Alternatively, the processing flow shown in Figure 6 may be started by an instruction from an administrator (e.g., the class instructor, school staff).

[0087] The AI ​​camera 10 takes a picture (S101). Then, the AI ​​camera 10 detects a face image from the captured image (S102).

[0088] The attendance authentication server 20 acquires the facial image (S103).

[0089] The attendance authentication server 20 requests the face authentication server 30 to perform face matching processing on the acquired face image, receives the matching result, and determines whether or not face authentication has been completed (S104).

[0090] If facial recognition fails (NO in S104), the flow returns to S101.

[0091] If facial recognition is completed (YES in S104), the attendance authentication server 20 determines whether the ID included in the matching result is registered in the list of expected attendees (S105).

[0092] If the ID included in the matching result is registered in the list of expected attendees (YES in S105), the student indicated by the ID included in the matching result is determined to be attending the class (S106).

[0093] If the ID included in the matching result is not registered in the list of expected attendees (NO in S105), it is determined that the student indicated by the ID included in the matching result is not on the list of expected attendees (S107).

[0094] The attendance authentication server 20 updates the authentication result based on the determination in S106 or S107 (S108).

[0095] The attendance authentication server 20 then outputs the authentication result to the display 50, and displays the authentication result on the display 50 (S109).

[0096] As mentioned above, the authentication system 1 does not necessarily have a display 50. If the authentication system 1 does not have a display 50, the process in S109 may be omitted.

[0097] The attendance authentication server 20 determines whether or not it has received notification of the start of class (S110). The method of notifying the start of class is not particularly limited. For example, an external on-campus management server may manage the start time of class and notify the attendance authentication server 20 of the start of class when the current time reaches the start time of class. Alternatively, the instructor of the class may notify the attendance authentication server 20 of the start of class via their own terminal or the like. The attendance authentication server 20 itself may have information about the class schedule (start time, end time, etc.) registered in advance and determine the start time of class by referring to that information.

[0098] If you did not receive notification that the class has started (NO in S110), the flow returns to S101.

[0099] If the attendance authentication server 20 receives notification that the class has started (YES in S110), it determines the attendees (S111). For example, the attendance authentication server 20 may determine that the students listed in the authentication result as present are the final attendees. Alternatively, the attendance authentication server 20 may compare the authentication result with the list of expected attendees and determine that the students included in both are the final attendees.

[0100] The attendance authentication server 20 notifies the individual student terminal 40 of the authentication result (S112). For example, the attendance authentication server 20 notifies the terminal 40 of students who are marked as present of the authentication result indicating that they are present. The attendance authentication server 20 also notifies the terminal 40 of students who are marked as absent of the authentication result indicating that they are absent. After determining the attendees (i.e., after S111), the authentication result may also be displayed on the display 50 as a final update. The flow shown in Figure 6 then ends.

[0101] As described above, in this embodiment, when the authentication system 1 manages attendance based on facial recognition, it notifies the student's terminal 40 of the authentication result indicating whether or not authentication has been completed (i.e., whether or not the student has been marked as present). With this configuration, each student who owns a terminal 40 can check whether or not they have been marked as present. Therefore, for example, if a student is present in class but is not marked as present (e.g., authentication has not been completed), the student can correct the attendance result. Thus, even if facial recognition of a student who should be authenticated is not completed, the student's comings and goings (e.g., attendance in class) can be properly managed.

[0102] Furthermore, the authentication system 1 according to this embodiment can appropriately manage the entry and exit of students whose facial recognition was not completed, even if facial recognition is not completed for some of the multiple students who entered the classroom at the same time. In addition, since the authentication system 1 according to this embodiment manages attendance through facial recognition, it can prevent impersonation.

[0103] The method for correcting attendance results is not particularly limited. Students who fail facial recognition will not be counted as present, even if they enter the classroom and participate in the lesson. Therefore, authentication system 1 may prompt students who fail facial recognition to perform additional authentication. Hereafter, the authentication performed by students who fail facial recognition will be referred to as secondary authentication. In this case, authentication based on the image taken upon entering the classroom and the list of expected attendees may be referred to as primary authentication.

[0104] For example, if a student fails to complete facial recognition, they may be notified of the authentication result indicating that facial recognition was not completed, along with information prompting them to complete secondary authentication.

[0105] The information that prompts secondary authentication is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the method of secondary authentication is not particularly limited. Three patterns of secondary authentication methods are described below.

[0106] (Pattern 1) In Pattern 1, students who receive a notification indicating that facial recognition was not completed (hereinafter referred to as "incomplete students") perform secondary authentication using a secondary authentication processing device (hereinafter referred to as "secondary authentication terminal"). The secondary authentication terminal may be a stationary type installed in the classroom, or it may be a portable type brought to the classroom by the school administrator and / or the instructor. The secondary authentication terminal may be dedicated solely to secondary authentication, or it may perform processing different from secondary authentication. The secondary authentication terminal may also be included in the authentication system 1. The secondary authentication terminal may be connected to the attendance authentication server 20 by wired or wireless connection, or it may be connected to the attendance authentication server 20 via a network (e.g., the Internet).

[0107] If the secondary authentication terminal is a stationary terminal, a time (or timing) during which secondary authentication is possible may be set on the terminal. The time during which secondary authentication is possible may be a specific time after the end of class. In this case, students who have not yet completed secondary authentication will operate the secondary authentication terminal and perform the secondary authentication process after the end of class.

[0108] If the secondary authentication process is facial recognition, the secondary authentication terminal takes a picture of the person who has not completed the process, detects the person's face from the captured image, and performs facial recognition based on the detected face. If facial recognition is completed, the person who has not completed the process is changed from being absent to being present.

[0109] Next, we will explain the processing flow of Pattern 1 of secondary authentication. Figure 7 is a flowchart of the first example of the processing flow in authentication system 1, which includes secondary authentication. In Figure 7, the same numbers are used for processes that are the same as in Figure 6, and the explanation is omitted. The processing flow shown in Figure 7 may start when students are allowed to enter the classroom for class. Alternatively, the processing flow shown in Figure 7 may be started by an instruction from an administrator (e.g., the class instructor, school staff).

[0110] In Figure 7, the process in S201 is added to that in Figure 6. After the attendance authentication server 20 notifies the individual student terminal 40 of the authentication result (after S109), it instructs the terminal 40 of those whose authentication is incomplete to display a message prompting them to authenticate (S201). Then the flow shown in Figure 7 ends.

[0111] Upon receiving instructions at S201, terminal 40 displays information prompting secondary authentication. The owner of terminal 40, upon seeing the display, performs facial recognition on the secondary authentication terminal.

[0112] The processing flow at the secondary authentication terminal for secondary authentication pattern 1 is explained below. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the first example of the processing flow at the secondary authentication terminal. The processing flow shown in Figure 8 is initiated, for example, when the owner of terminal 40, who has confirmed the information prompting secondary authentication, performs the operation to start the authentication process at the secondary authentication terminal.

[0113] The camera on the secondary authentication terminal takes a picture (S301). The secondary authentication terminal then detects a face image from the captured image (S302).

[0114] The secondary authentication terminal acquires a facial image (S303).

[0115] The secondary authentication terminal obtains registration information from the facial recognition server 30 (S304). In this process, for example, the secondary authentication terminal obtains personal information (e.g., name and / or student ID number) from the person operating the secondary authentication terminal in advance, transmits the obtained personal information to the facial recognition server 30, and obtains registration information corresponding to the personal information from the facial recognition server 30.

[0116] The secondary authentication terminal compares facial features based on the facial image with the registered information and determines whether the matching was successful (S305).

[0117] If the verification is unsuccessful (NO in S305), the secondary authentication terminal notifies the person operating the terminal of the authentication result (S306). For example, the notified authentication result may include the fact that the person was not registered in the list of expected attendees in the first place. The flow shown in Figure 8 then ends. Students who receive the result notification in S306 may perform the facial recognition process again on the secondary authentication terminal.

[0118] If the verification is successful (YES in S305), although not shown in Figure 8, the attendance authentication server 20, for example, determines whether the person operating the secondary authentication terminal (i.e., the person marked as absent) is registered in the list of expected attendees (for example, S105 in Figure 6), as shown in Figure 6. The student marked as absent is determined to be present (for example, S106 in Figure 6), so the secondary authentication terminal requests the attendance authentication server 20 to update the authentication result, and the authentication result is updated (S307).

[0119] The secondary authentication terminal notifies the person operating the secondary authentication terminal of the authentication result via the attendance authentication server 20 (S308). Then, the flow shown in Figure 8 is completed.

[0120] In Pattern 1 of secondary authentication, if a student who has not completed the secondary authentication process uses a secondary authentication terminal to perform facial recognition, their attendance status, which was previously marked as absent due to the failure to complete facial recognition (primary authentication) despite them being present in class, will be changed from absent to present. This allows for proper management of a student's entry and exit (e.g., attendance at class) even if facial recognition of the student who should be authenticated is not completed.

[0121] In the example above, in steps S306 and S308 of the flow shown in Figure 8, the secondary authentication terminal notifies the terminal owned by the person operating the secondary authentication terminal of the authentication result, but this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the secondary authentication terminal may display the authentication result on its display unit to the person operating the secondary authentication terminal. Alternatively, the secondary authentication terminal may display the authentication result on its display unit and also notify the terminal owned by the person operating the secondary authentication terminal of the authentication result.

[0122] (Pattern 2) In Pattern 2, secondary authentication is performed using identification information. The following example describes a case where the identification information is a QR code (registered trademark).

[0123] In Pattern 2, similar to Pattern 1, those who have not completed the process perform secondary authentication using a secondary authentication terminal. If secondary authentication is performed using a QR code, the person who has not completed the process is notified of the QR code. The person who has not completed the process points the QR code displayed on terminal 40 towards the camera included in the secondary authentication terminal, and the camera takes a picture of the QR code. The secondary authentication terminal acquires the QR code and performs authentication based on the information in the acquired QR code. If authentication is completed at this point, the person who has not completed the process is changed from being absent to being present.

[0124] The QR code is sent to terminal 40 only once and does not need to be sent more than once. The sent QR code may also have an expiration date. For example, the QR code may be valid for a certain period from the start of the class (for example, for at least a portion of the period from the start to the end of the class). The period during which the QR code is valid may also be until a certain time has elapsed after the end of the class. If the period during which the QR code is valid is until a certain time has elapsed after the end of the class, those who have not completed the process can perform secondary authentication using the QR code after the class ends. In this case, since it is not necessary to go to the location of the secondary authentication terminal during class to perform secondary authentication, actions that would disrupt the progress of the class can be avoided.

[0125] Next, we will explain the processing flow for Pattern 2 of secondary authentication. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing a second example of the processing flow in authentication system 1, which includes secondary authentication. In Figure 9, the same numbers are used for processes similar to those in Figure 6, and their explanations are omitted. The processing flow shown in Figure 9 may begin when students are allowed to enter the classroom for class. Alternatively, the processing flow shown in Figure 9 may begin when instructed by an administrator (e.g., the class instructor, school staff).

[0126] In Figure 9, the process in S401 is added compared to Figure 6. The attendance authentication server 20 notifies the individual student's terminal 40 of the authentication result (after S109), and then notifies the terminal 40 of those whose authentication is incomplete with a QR code (S401). The flow shown in Figure 9 then ends.

[0127] Upon receiving the notification on S401, terminal 40 displays a QR code. The owner of terminal 40, after confirming the display, performs authentication using the QR code on the secondary authentication terminal.

[0128] The processing flow at the secondary authentication terminal for secondary authentication pattern 2 will be explained. Figure 10 is a flowchart of the second example of the processing flow at the secondary authentication terminal. The processing flow shown in Figure 10 is initiated, for example, when the owner of terminal 40, who has confirmed the display of the QR code, performs the operation to start the authentication process at the secondary authentication terminal.

[0129] The camera on the secondary authentication terminal captures an image containing a QR code and detects the QR code from the captured image (S501).

[0130] The secondary authentication terminal obtains the information from the QR code (S502).

[0131] The secondary authentication terminal obtains registration information from the facial recognition server 30 (S503). For example, the secondary authentication terminal may obtain personal information (e.g., name and / or student ID number) from the person operating the secondary authentication terminal beforehand, transmit the obtained personal information to the facial recognition server 30, and obtain the registration information corresponding to the personal information from the facial recognition server 30. The personal information may also be included in the information of the QR code.

[0132] The secondary authentication terminal compares the information in the QR code with the registration information and determines whether the comparison was successful (S504).

[0133] If the verification is unsuccessful (NO in S504), the secondary authentication terminal notifies the person operating the terminal of the result (S505). For example, the notified result may include that the person was not registered in the list of expected attendees in the first place. The flow shown in Figure 10 then ends.

[0134] If the verification is successful (YES in S504), although not shown in Figure 10, the attendance authentication server 20, for example, determines whether the person operating the secondary authentication terminal is registered in the list of expected attendees, as shown in Figure 6 (for example, S105 in Figure 6). Students who were marked as absent are determined to be present (for example, S106 in Figure 6), so the secondary authentication terminal requests the attendance authentication server 20 to update the authentication result, and the authentication result is updated (S506).

[0135] The secondary authentication terminal notifies the person operating the secondary authentication terminal of the authentication result via the attendance authentication server 20 (S507). Then, the flow shown in Figure 10 is completed.

[0136] In Pattern 2 of secondary authentication, students who have not completed the authentication process can perform authentication using identification information (e.g., a QR code) at the secondary authentication terminal. This allows for the attendance status of students who are currently absent due to a failure in facial recognition (primary authentication), even though they are actually attending the class, to be changed from absent to present. This ensures that even if facial recognition fails for a student who should be authenticated, their entry and exit from the classroom (e.g., attendance at class) can be properly managed.

[0137] (Pattern 3) In Pattern 3, secondary authentication is performed using short-range wireless communication. Below, we will explain an example where short-range wireless communication uses Bluetooth®.

[0138] In Pattern 3, as in Pattern 1, those who have not completed the process will use a secondary authentication terminal to perform secondary authentication. For example, a secondary authentication terminal installed in (or brought into) a classroom (an example of a closed space) will perform secondary authentication by wirelessly connecting via Bluetooth to a terminal 40 owned by a participant in the classroom.

[0139] In this case, the information prompting secondary authentication sent to a person whose facial recognition is incomplete may be information prompting them to turn on Bluetooth. The person who receives the notification and has not completed the process turns on Bluetooth on their device 40. The secondary authentication terminal detects the device 40 with Bluetooth turned on, obtains identification information from the detected device 40, and sends the obtained identification information to the attendance authentication server 20. The attendance authentication server 20 authenticates the person who has not completed the process by determining the owner of the device 40 detected by the secondary authentication terminal based on the registration information.

[0140] Next, we will explain the processing flow for pattern 3 of secondary authentication. Figure 11 is a flowchart of the third example of the processing flow in authentication system 1, which includes secondary authentication. Note that Figure 11 shows the processing flow that is executed after the processing of S109 in Figure 6 ("A" in the flow).

[0141] After the attendance authentication server 20 notifies the individual student terminal 40 of the authentication result (after S109), it notifies the terminals 40 of those who have not completed the authentication with instructions to prompt them to authenticate (S601). The instructions prompting authentication here may be instructions to turn on Bluetooth.

[0142] The secondary authentication terminal determines whether the Bluetooth setting on the terminal 40 that sent the instruction (hereinafter referred to as the authentication target terminal 40) is turned ON (S602). For example, the secondary authentication terminal receives a beacon from a terminal 40 whose Bluetooth setting is ON. Based on the registration information of the terminal 40 owned by each student who failed authentication and the identification information contained in the received beacon, the secondary authentication terminal determines whether the terminal 40 that sent the beacon is the authentication target terminal 40. Then, the secondary authentication terminal determines whether the Bluetooth setting on the authentication target terminal 40 is turned ON.

[0143] The method for determining the secondary authentication terminal is not limited to the example described above. For example, if a secondary authentication terminal (or a beacon transmitter connected to the secondary authentication terminal) installed in a classroom transmits a beacon and terminal 40 receives the beacon, terminal 40 determines that it is present in that classroom. The beacon transmitted here contains a different ID for each classroom or class, and terminal 40 may determine which classroom it is in based on the ID contained in the received beacon. Terminal 40 may then transmit information indicating its presence in that classroom (for example, terminal 40's ID) to the secondary authentication terminal, which may then determine that terminal 40 is present in that classroom.

[0144] If the Bluetooth setting on the authentication target device 40 is not turned ON (OFF in S602), the secondary authentication device notifies the authentication target device 40 via the attendance authentication server 20 to prompt it to turn on Bluetooth (S603). The flow then returns to S602.

[0145] If the Bluetooth setting on the authentication target device 40 is turned ON (ON in S602), the secondary authentication device detects the device 40 with the Bluetooth setting turned ON (i.e., the authentication target device 40) (S604).

[0146] The secondary authentication terminal obtains information about terminal 40 (personal terminal information) from the detected terminal 40 (S605).

[0147] The secondary authentication terminal obtains registration information from the facial recognition server 30 (S606). For example, the secondary authentication terminal may obtain personal information (e.g., name and / or student ID number) from the person operating the secondary authentication terminal beforehand, transmit the obtained personal information to the facial recognition server 30, and obtain the target person registration information corresponding to the personal information from the facial recognition server 30. Note that the personal information may be included in the personal terminal information obtained in S605.

[0148] The secondary authentication terminal compares the personal terminal information with the registered information and determines whether the comparison was successful (S607).

[0149] If the verification is unsuccessful (NO in S607), the secondary authentication terminal notifies the person operating the terminal of the result (S608). For example, the notified result may include that the person was not registered in the list of expected attendees in the first place. The flow shown in Figure 11 then ends.

[0150] If the matching is successful (YES in S607), although not shown in Figure 11, the attendance authentication server 20, for example, determines whether the person operating the secondary authentication terminal is registered in the list of expected attendees, as shown in Figure 6 (for example, S105 in Figure 6). Students who are marked as absent are determined to be present (for example, S106 in Figure 6), so the secondary authentication terminal requests the facial recognition processing server 20 to update the authentication result, and the authentication result is updated (S609).

[0151] The secondary authentication terminal notifies the person operating the secondary authentication terminal of the authentication result via the attendance authentication server 20 (S610). Then, the flow shown in Figure 11 is completed.

[0152] In Pattern 3 of the secondary authentication process, individuals who have not yet completed the authentication process can use short-range wireless communication to authenticate themselves. This allows for the change of attendance status for those who are present but are marked as absent due to a failure in facial recognition (primary authentication), from absent to present. This ensures that even if a student's facial recognition is not yet complete, their entry and exit (e.g., attendance at class) can be properly managed.

[0153] Furthermore, in secondary authentication pattern 3, those who have not yet completed the process can perform secondary authentication by operating their own device 40 without directly operating the secondary authentication terminal. Therefore, it is highly convenient as those who have not yet completed the process can perform secondary authentication while seated without moving around the classroom. In this case, those who have not yet completed the process can also easily perform secondary authentication even during class.

[0154] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, additional processing may be added for students who are participating in the class but are not included in the list of expected attendees. Students who are participating in the class but are not included in the list of expected attendees may be referred to as "students not on the list."

[0155] For example, a process for adding students to the list of expected attendees may be added during a certain period after the start of classes (for example, from the start of classes until the authentication results are notified) via the student's device.

[0156] Furthermore, when a student not on the list enters the classroom, once the facial recognition process is completed on the facial recognition server 30, the attendance authentication server 20 can compare the facial recognition result with the list of expected attendees and determine that the student is not on the list. In other words, the attendance authentication server 20 can determine that a student who is determined not to be on the list of expected attendees is not a regular student who should be attending that class. In this case, the attendance authentication server 20 can also send a notification to the student not on the list's terminal 40, for example, "Authentication is complete, but you are an unofficial student. Please notify the teacher or administrator and follow the procedures to become an official student." Upon receiving this notification, the student not on the list will obtain permission from the teacher or administrator to attend the class and then proceed with the procedures to be registered on the list of expected attendees. Once the student who received the notification is registered on the list of expected attendees, the attendance authentication server 20 can send a notification to the student's terminal 40 prompting secondary authentication. Note that secondary authentication is not particularly limited. For example, any of the methods described in patterns 1 to 3 above may be used for secondary authentication. By implementing this process, it becomes possible to manage attendees more effectively.

[0157] While the above-described embodiment uses classroom attendance management as an example, this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, this disclosure may be applied to the entry and exit management of individuals in enclosed spaces or spaces surrounded by walls. For instance, it is possible to manage the entry and exit of people scheduled to enter a construction site on a specific day, or the entry and exit management of people scheduled to work at a facility (such as a nursing home) on a specific day and at a specific time (such as volunteers or shift workers), using authentication in the same way as in the above-described embodiment.

[0158] Alternatively, it may be applied to managing the admission and discharge of patients receiving hospitalization and treatment in hospitals, admission and discharge of patients receiving care in nursing care facilities, admission and discharge of children receiving childcare in childcare facilities, and admission and discharge management and attendance management of employees in hospitals, nursing care facilities, childcare facilities, etc.

[0159] The flowchart diagram shown in the above-described embodiment does not limit the execution of processes to the order shown in the flowchart. For example, each process shown in the flowchart may be executed in a different order than shown in the flowchart, and multiple processes may be executed in parallel or simultaneously. The order of multiple processes shown in the flowchart may also be changed. Furthermore, some of the processes shown in the flowchart may be temporarily omitted.

[0160] In the embodiments described above, the notation "...part" used for each component may be replaced with other notations such as "...means," "...circuitry," "...assembly," "...device," "...unit," or "...module."

[0161] This disclosure can be implemented in software, hardware, or software in conjunction with hardware. Each functional block used in the description of the above embodiments may be implemented in part or in whole as an integrated circuit (LSI), and each process described in the above embodiments may be controlled in part or in whole by a single LSI or a combination of LSIs. An LSI may consist of individual chips, or it may consist of a single chip that includes some or all of the functional blocks. An LSI may have data inputs and outputs. Depending on the degree of integration, LSIs may be referred to as ICs, system LSIs, super LSIs, or ultra LSIs.

[0162] The method of integration is not limited to LSIs; it may also be implemented using dedicated circuits, general-purpose processors, or dedicated processors. Furthermore, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or reconfigurable processors that allow for the reconfiguration of the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI, may also be used. This disclosure may be implemented as digital or analog processing.

[0163] Furthermore, if advancements in semiconductor technology or related technologies lead to the emergence of integrated circuit technologies that replace LSIs, then naturally, these technologies could be used to integrate functional blocks. The application of biotechnology, for example, is a possible possibility.

[0164] This disclosure is applicable to all types of devices, systems, and equipment having communication capabilities (collectively referred to as communication equipment). Communication equipment may include a radio transceiver and a processing / control circuit. A radio transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, or both as functions. A radio transceiver (transmitter, receiver) may include an RF (Radio Frequency) module and one or more antennas. The RF module may include an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, or similar. Non-exclusive examples of communication devices include telephones (mobile phones, smartphones, etc.), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (laptops, desktops, notebooks, etc.), cameras (digital still / video cameras, etc.), digital players (digital audio / video players, etc.), wearable devices (wearable cameras, smartwatches, tracking devices, etc.), game consoles, digital book readers, telehealth / telemedicine devices, vehicles or mobile transport with communication capabilities (cars, airplanes, ships, etc.), and combinations of the above-mentioned devices.

[0165] Communication devices are not limited to portable or movable devices, but also include all kinds of non-portable or fixed devices, devices, and systems, such as smart home devices (appliances, lighting equipment, smart meters or measuring instruments, control panels, etc.), vending machines, and any other "things" that may exist on an IoT (Internet of Things) network.

[0166] Furthermore, in recent years, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), a new concept in IoT (Internet of Things) technology that creates new added value through information linkage between the physical and cyber spaces, has been attracting attention. This CPS concept can also be adopted in the above-described embodiment.

[0167] In other words, as a basic configuration of CPS, for example, edge servers located in physical space and cloud servers located in cyberspace are connected via a network, and processing can be distributed and performed by the processors installed on both servers. Here, it is preferable that each processing data generated on the edge server or cloud server is generated on a standardized platform, and by using such a standardized platform, it is possible to improve efficiency when building systems that include various diverse groups of sensors and IoT application software.

[0168] Communication includes data communication via cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, and communication satellite systems, as well as data communication using combinations of these.

[0169] Furthermore, the communication device also includes devices such as controllers and sensors that are connected to or linked to a communication device that performs the communication functions described in this disclosure. For example, this includes controllers and sensors that generate control signals and data signals used by the communication device that performs the communication functions of the communication device.

[0170] Furthermore, communication equipment includes infrastructure facilities such as base stations, access points, and any other devices, devices, and systems that communicate with or control the aforementioned non-limited types of equipment.

[0171] An authentication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a face image detection unit that detects the face image of at least one subject from an image containing the faces of multiple persons; a first authentication processing unit that identifies a first registrant corresponding to the subject by performing face authentication processing based on registration information relating to a set that includes pre-registered registrants as elements and the face image, and determines that the first registrant is an authenticated person if the first registrant is included in a subset of the set in which the first registrant is set; and a notification unit that notifies a terminal owned by a registrant included in the subset of information indicating whether or not the registrant included in the subset has been determined to be an authenticated person.

[0172] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the authentication system includes a display unit that displays information indicating whether or not the registered person included in the subset is determined to be the person who has completed the authentication.

[0173] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the notification unit notifies the terminals of registered users included in the subset that do not correspond to the target user, with information indicating that they are not the person who has completed authentication.

[0174] One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a second authentication processing unit that performs authentication processing for a second registrant who is not the person who has completed the authentication, based on the registration information relating to the subset.

[0175] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the notification unit notifies the terminal owned by the second registrant of identification information, and the second authentication processing unit performs authentication processing of the second registrant based on the identification information.

[0176] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the notification unit notifies the terminal owned by the second registrant of information prompting the use of a specific communication function, and the second authentication processing unit performs authentication processing of the second registrant based on the specific communication function.

[0177] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second authentication processing unit detects the face image of the second registrant from an image including the face of the second registrant, and performs face authentication processing of the second registrant based on the registration information.

[0178] A communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure detects the face image of at least one subject from an image containing the faces of multiple persons, performs face recognition processing based on registration information relating to a set that includes pre-registered registrants as elements and the face image, thereby identifying a first registrant corresponding to the subject, determines that the first registrant is an authenticated person if the first registrant is included in a subset of the set in which the set was configured, and notifies the terminal held by the registrant included in the subset of information indicating whether or not the registrant included in the subset has been determined to be an authenticated person.

[0179] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that this disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the components in the above embodiments may be combined in any way without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

[0180] The specific examples of this disclosure have been described in detail above, but these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technologies described in the claims include various modifications and changes to the specific examples described above. [Industrial applicability]

[0181] One embodiment of this disclosure is useful for a management system for managing entry and exit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0182] 10 AI Cameras 20 Attendance Authentication Server 30 Face Recognition Server 40 devices 50 displays 101 Imaging Unit 102 Face image detection unit 201 Certification Department 202 Authentication Status Notification Unit 301 Subject Person Storage Department 302 Face Recognition Processing Unit 401, 501 Receiver 402, 502 Authentication Result Display Section

Claims

1. A face image detection unit that detects the face image of at least one subject from an image containing the faces of multiple people, A first authentication processing unit performs facial recognition processing based on registration information relating to a set that includes pre-registered registrants as elements and the facial image to identify a first registrant corresponding to the target person, and determines that the first registrant is an authenticated person if the first registrant is included in a subset of the set in which the first registrant is set. A notification unit that notifies terminals owned by registered users included in the subset of the subset of information indicating whether or not the registered user included in the subset of the subset has been determined to be the person who has completed the authentication, and notifies terminals owned by registered users included in the subset of the subset of information indicating that they are not the person who has completed the authentication, The system includes a second authentication processing unit that performs authentication processing for a second registrant who is not the person who has completed the authentication process, based on the registration information relating to the subset. The notification unit notifies the terminal owned by the second registrant of information prompting the use of a specific communication function in a closed space. The second authentication processing unit compares the identification information received from the terminal based on the specific communication function with the registration information of the terminal owned by the second registrant to determine whether the terminal is an authentication target terminal, and performs the authentication process for the second registrant based on the determination result. Authentication system.

2. The system includes a display unit that displays information indicating whether or not the registered person included in the subset is determined to be the person who has completed the authentication process. The authentication system according to claim 1.

3. A computer, From an image containing the faces of multiple people, detect the face image of at least one subject. By performing facial recognition processing based on registration information relating to a set that includes pre-registered registrants as elements and the facial image, the first registrant corresponding to the target person is identified. If the first registrant is included in a subset of the set in which the first registrant is set, it is determined that the first registrant is an authenticated person. To the terminals owned by registered users included in the subset, information indicating whether or not the registered user included in the subset has been determined to be the person who has completed the authentication is notified; to the terminals owned by registered users included in the subset who do not correspond to the target person, information indicating that they are not the person who has completed the authentication is notified; Based on the registration information relating to the aforementioned subset, the authentication process for a second registrant who is not the person who has completed the authentication is performed. The terminal owned by the second registered user is notified of information encouraging the use of a specific communication function in a closed space. The identification information received from the terminal based on the aforementioned specific communication function is compared with the registration information of the terminal owned by the second registrant to determine whether the terminal is an authentication target terminal, and the authentication process for the second registrant is performed based on the determination result. Authentication method.

Images