Authentication server and its operating method for providing authentication-related services for companion animals

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a system for providing a companion animal authentication-related service that can authenticate the identity of a companion animal and verify whether the companion animal has visited a facility. An operation method of an authentication server in the system for providing a companion animal authentication-related service according to the embodiment of the present invention includes receiving biometric video data related to biometric information of the companion animal from a user device, determining a location of the user device from the biometric video data, confirming the companion animal's visit to a facility based on the biometric information of the companion animal and the location of the user device, and storing information about the companion animal's visit to a facility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an authentication server that provides authentication-related services for companion animals and an operation method of the authentication server. Background Art

[0002] In modern society, there is growing demand for companion animals that can be relied on emotionally while living alongside people. The population living with companion animals is increasing, and industries related to companion animals are also continuing to grow. Typical examples of such industries include facilities such as pet hospitals that provide medical treatment and health-related services for companion animals. However, unlike human medical care, pet insurance has not been activated, and the current situation is that the pet insurance penetration rate is low. One of the reasons for the low pet insurance penetration rate is that it is difficult for insurance companies to verify whether an insured animal has actually received medical treatment at a hospital. That is, it is necessary to verify whether an insured animal has actually visited a pet hospital, but since there is no method for confirming the identity of a companion animal and whether it has visited the facility, there is a high possibility that fraudulent claims for pet insurance will occur. Summary of the Invention Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide an authentication server that provides authentication-related services for companion animals that enable verification of the identity of a companion animal and whether the companion animal has visited a facility, and an operation method of the authentication server. The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. Means for Solving the Problem

[0004] In an embodiment of the present invention, a system providing authentication-related services for companion animals includes the steps of: receiving biometric video data related to the biometric information of a companion animal from a user device; determining the location of the user device from the biometric video data; confirming the companion animal's visit to a facility based on the companion animal's biometric information and the location of the user device; and storing information related to the companion animal's visit to a facility. According to embodiments of the present invention, the biological image data may include an image containing an object that shows the biological information of the companion animal, information on the time the image was taken, and information on the location where the image was taken. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the object showing the biological information of the companion animal included in the video may include the nasal region or the facial region of the companion animal. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility may include the steps of: identifying the companion animal's identity from the companion animal's biological information; determining whether the shooting location information of the video corresponds to the facility location; and, if the shooting location information corresponds to the facility location, confirming that the companion animal has visited the facility. According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals, the operation method of the authentication server may further include the steps of: generating a visit certificate that proves the companion animal has visited a facility based on information regarding the companion animal's visit to the facility; and transmitting the visit certificate to the user device. According to embodiments of the present invention, the step of confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility may include the steps of detecting an object associated with the facility from the biological image data or video data including the process of acquiring the biological information, and verifying whether or not the companion animal has visited the facility based on the object associated with the facility. In a system providing companion animal authentication-related services according to the present invention, the operation method of the authentication server includes the steps of: receiving first biometric information and profile information of a companion animal from a user device; generating a biometric information registration certificate including the companion animal's biometric information registration number based on the first biometric information and profile information of the companion animal; transmitting the biometric information registration certificate to the user device; receiving a request from the user device for issuance of a visit certificate including the companion animal's authentication information; generating the visit certificate based on the companion animal's authentication information; and transmitting the visit certificate to the user device. According to embodiments of the present invention, the companion animal authentication information may include the companion animal's second biological information, information on the time of acquisition of the second biological information, and the location information of the user device. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of receiving the visit certificate issuance request may include the steps of transmitting an approach request for the location information of the user device, receiving the location information of the user device once the approach request is approved, receiving an image of a feature object corresponding to the second biometric information from the user device, and recording the time at which the second biometric information was acquired as acquisition time information for the second biometric information.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of generating the visit certificate may include the step of verifying the validity of the visit certificate issuance request based on the second biometric information of the companion animal and the location information of the user device, and, if it is determined that the visit certificate issuance request is valid, the step of generating a visit certificate corresponding to the visit certificate issuance request. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of verifying the validity of the request for issuance of the visit certificate may include: confirming facility visit information, including facility visit time and facility information, from the user device; determining whether a first matching condition is met for whether the second biometric information matches the first biometric information; determining whether a second matching condition is met for whether the location information of the user device corresponds to the facility location; determining whether a third matching condition is met for whether the acquisition time information of the second biometric information falls within a standard range from the facility visit time; and determining that the request for issuance of the visit certificate is valid if all of the first, second, and third matching conditions are met. In a system providing companion animal authentication-related services according to the present invention, the operation method of the authentication server includes the steps of: receiving video data of a companion animal from a user device; receiving payment breakdown data including payment information from the user device; confirming the companion animal's visit to a facility based on the video data and the payment breakdown data; and storing information regarding the companion animal's visit to a facility. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility may include the step of determining whether the payment information included in the payment breakdown data matches the shooting information of the video data, and, if the payment information matches the shooting information, the step of verifying that the companion animal has visited the facility. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of determining whether the payment information and the shooting information are matched may include the step of determining whether the facility location included in the payment information and the shooting location information are matched, and the step of determining whether the payment time included in the payment information and the shooting time included in the shooting information are matched. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the shooting location information may be obtained from metadata linked to the video data, or extracted from an object included in the frame image of the video data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, by generating a visit certificate based on the biometric information of the companion animal and the location information of the user's device, it is possible to verify the identity of the companion animal and whether or not it has visited the facility. The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This diagram shows a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the authentication server. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows the operation method of the authentication server according to the first embodiment in a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of the process for confirming a visit to a facility for companion animals. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the operation method of the authentication server according to the second embodiment in a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on a user's device during the process of registering a companion animal's profile information. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on a user's device during the process of registering the biometric information of a companion animal. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows the process of receiving a request for issuance of a visitor certificate. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on a user's device during the input process for requesting a visitor authentication certificate. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing the process of generating a visitor certificate. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows the process for verifying the validity of a request for issuance of a visitor certificate. [Figure 12]It is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a user device to which an access certificate has been issued. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart illustrating operations between a user device and an authentication server in a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of an authentication server according to a third embodiment in a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart illustrating a process of confirming whether a companion animal has visited a facility using video data of the companion animal and payment breakdown data. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart illustrating a process of verifying whether payment information matches photographing information. [Figure 17] It is a diagram for explaining a process of associating photographing information with payment information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can easily implement the embodiments. The present invention may be embodied in various other forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. To clearly explain the present invention, portions unrelated to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification. In addition, in various embodiments, components having the same configuration are described only in a representative embodiment using the same reference numeral, and only configurations different from those of the representative embodiment will be described in other embodiments. Throughout this specification, when one portion is described as being "connected (or coupled)" to another portion, this includes not only cases of "direct connection (or coupling)" but also cases of "indirect connection (or coupling)" via another member interposed therebetween. In addition, when a portion is described as "comprising" a certain component, this means that, unless otherwise stated, other components are not excluded, and the portion may further comprise other components. Unless otherwise specifically stated, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meanings as those generally understood by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with those they have in the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined otherwise in the present application, shall not be interpreted in ideal or excessively formal meanings. Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with respect to a system for providing authentication-related services for companion animals, an authentication server, and an operating method for the authentication server. Biological information of a companion animal is acquired for identity verification of the companion animal. The biological information of the companion animal may include a nose wrinkle pattern (nose print), facial shape, body shape, iris and the like. In the present document, the description will focus on content of photographing nose prints of dogs as biological information of companion animals, but in the present invention, the range of companion animals is not limited to dogs and cats, and furthermore, features used as identification information are not limited to nose prints, and may be physical features of various companion animals. In the present document, a facility refers to an entity that provides services for companion animals, such as a pet hospital. Figure 1 shows a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals. Referring to Figure 1, the system for providing authentication-related services for companion animals includes a user device 200 used by a guardian of a companion animal, and an authentication server 100 that provides biometric authentication of the companion animal and a visit authentication certificate to the user device 200.

[0009] Referring to Figure 1, a user visits a facility 300 (S101), and receives medical treatment for the companion animal at the facility (S102). If the user registers the companion animal's biological information with the authentication server 100 via the user device 200 (S103), the authentication server 100 authenticates whether the facility visit has occurred to the user device 200 through identity verification of the companion animal (S104). The user attaches information authenticating the fact of the facility visit or a visit authentication certificate together with the breakdown of medical treatment at the facility 300 and claims insurance money from the insurance company 400 (S105), and the insurance company 400 can pay the insurance money after verifying the claim breakdown based on the medical treatment breakdown and the visit authentication certificate (S106). User device 200 is an electronic device carried and used by the caregiver of a companion animal. User device 200 may be a portable electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet device, or laptop computer. User device 200 may also be a wearable device such as a smart watch or smart glasses. User device 200 may also be an electronic device such as a personal computer or game console. User device 200 may be an electronic device equipped with a processor, memory, display, and communication module capable of running an application program for biometric recognition of a companion animal. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the authentication server 100. In the system providing companion animal authentication-related services according to the present invention, the authentication server 100 includes a communication module 120 for transmitting or receiving data with user equipment 200, a processor 110 electrically coupled to the communication module 120, and a memory 150 electrically coupled to the processor 110. Optionally, the authentication server 100 may include a display 130 for visually outputting information, and an input / output interface 140 for connecting to other devices or for inputting and outputting information. The processor 110 can perform calculations and data processing for the operation of the authentication server 100, and control each module of the authentication server 100. The processor 110 can execute one or more software programs stored in memory 150. The processor 110 may include a general-purpose processor (e.g., CPU) that runs an operational system to manage the overall operation of the authentication server 100. The processor 110 may also include a dedicated processor (e.g., GPU, NPU) for specific computational processing. The processor 110 may include one or more processing circuits. The operation methods of the authentication server 100 described below may be executed by the processor 110.

[0010] The communication module 120 provides an environment in which the authentication server 100 can communicate with external devices (e.g., authentication server, base station, IoT device, user device 200). The communication module 120 may include devices for wired or wireless communication. The communication module 120 can provide data received from external devices to the processor 110. The communication module 120 can convert the data provided by the processor 110 and transmit it to the external devices. The display 130 is a device that outputs information visually and may include a panel and a control circuit. The memory 150 can store the operational system for the operation of the authentication server 100, programs such as applications, and data used in the execution process of programs. The memory 150 may include volatile memory (e.g., DRAM) and non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory). The memory 150 may also include a large-capacity storage device for configuring a database. Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation method of the authentication server 100 according to the first embodiment in a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals. In the system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals according to the present invention, the operation method of the authentication server 100 includes the steps of: receiving biometric video data related to the biometric information of the companion animal from the user device 200 (S310); determining the location of the user device 200 from the biometric video data (S320); confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility based on the companion animal's biometric information and the location of the user device 200 (S330); and storing information related to the companion animal's visit to the facility (S340). At step S310, the processor 110 receives biometric video data related to the companion animal's biometric information from the user device 200 via the communication module 120. The biometric video data may include video containing an object indicating the companion animal's biometric information, video recording time information, and recording location information. The video data may be constructed by linking the video containing an object indicating the companion animal's biometric information, along with the video recording time information and recording location information. The object indicating the companion animal's biometric information included in the video may include the companion animal's nose region or face region. The user device 200 can transmit the biometric video data to the authentication server 100 in order to authenticate the companion animal's visit to the facility. The user device 200 can capture video for biometric recognition of the companion animal and transmit the captured video to the authentication server 100. The video of the companion animal, along with the recording time information and recording location information, is transmitted to the authentication server 100.

[0011] At step S320, the processor 110 determines the position of the user device 200 from the biometric image data. The processor 110 can identify the location (e.g., address) where the image was taken from the shooting location information (e.g., coordinate information) contained in the biometric image data. At step S330, the processor 110 confirms the companion animal's visit to the facility based on the companion animal's biometric information and the location of the user device 200. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for confirming a companion animal's visit to the facility. Referring to Figure 4, the step of confirming a companion animal's visit to the facility based on the companion animal's biometric information and the location of the user device 200 (S330) includes the step of identifying the companion animal's identity from the companion animal's biometric information (S410), the step of determining whether the video's shooting location information corresponds to the facility location (S420), and the step of confirming that the companion animal has visited the facility if the shooting location information corresponds to the facility location (S430). At stage S410, the processor 110 identifies the identity of the companion animal from its biometric information. The processor 110 identifies an animal from among the animals whose biometric information is registered in the database that matches the biometric information of the received companion animal. The processor 110 can then verify the identity of the companion animal using the identity information of the animal whose biometric information has been matched. At stage S420, the processor 110 determines whether the video's shooting location information corresponds to the facility location. The processor 110 can determine whether the shooting location information (e.g., coordinates) received along with the video corresponds to the facility location. If the shooting location is within a certain distance range from the designated facility location, the processor 110 can determine that the shooting location corresponds to the facility location. If the video's shooting location corresponds to the facility location, at stage S430, the processor 110 confirms that the companion animal visited the facility. If the video's shooting location does not correspond to the facility location, at stage S440, the processor 110 determines that the facility visit was not confirmed and processes the data as if the companion animal's visit to the facility was not authenticated. In one embodiment, the step of confirming a companion animal's visit to a facility (S420) includes the steps of detecting objects associated with the facility from biological video data or video data including the process of acquiring biological information, and verifying whether or not the companion animal has visited the facility based on the objects associated with the facility. The processor 110 can acquire information about the surrounding environment where the companion animal is located from each frame of the biological video data which includes the companion animal's biological information (e.g., nose print, face). That is, the processor 110 can analyze the video using a deep neural network to determine where the companion animal is currently located. The processor 110 can detect one or more objects located around the companion animal from each frame of the biological video data. The processor 110 can determine what kind of object the detected object corresponds to. By detecting objects located in the hospital from among the objects detected around the companion animal in each frame, the processor 110 can determine that the companion animal is located in the hospital. For example, if text such as "hospital," "clinic," or "hospitalization" is detected in the frame, the processor 110 can determine that the companion animal is located in a hospital. Alternatively, if a person dressed as a doctor or nurse, or medical equipment, is detected in the frame, the processor 110 can determine that the companion animal is located in a hospital.

[0012] Once it is confirmed whether or not the companion animal has visited the facility, the process proceeds to step S340 in Figure 3, where the processor 110 stores information regarding the companion animal's visit to the facility in memory 150 or in a database. Once the companion animal's visit to the facility is authenticated, the processor 110 stores that the companion animal has visited the specific facility and can send information authenticating the companion animal's visit to the user device 200 or the insurance company's authentication server 400 (e.g., a visit certificate). This allows the insurance company's authentication server 400 to confirm that the companion animal has visited the facility and to perform insurance processing. The embodiments in Figures 3 and 4 are examples of verifying whether or not the companion animal has visited a facility using video containing the companion animal's biological information and metadata attached to the video (shooting time, shooting location). The following embodiments in Figures 5 to 13 relate to an embodiment in which the companion animal's biological information is received in advance, location information is obtained from the user device 200 along with the companion animal's biological information, and the presence or absence of the companion animal's visit to the facility is authenticated. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation method of the authentication server 100 in a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals. The operation method of the authentication server 100 in a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals includes the steps of: receiving the companion animal's first biometric information and profile information from the user device 200 (S510); generating a biometric information registration certificate including the companion animal's unique identification number based on the companion animal's first biometric information and profile information (S520); transmitting the biometric information registration certificate to the user device 200 (S530); receiving the companion animal's authentication information and a request for issuance of a visit certificate from the user device 200 (S540); generating a visit certificate based on the companion animal's authentication information (S550); and transmitting the visit certificate to the user device 200 (S560). At step S510, the processor 110 receives the companion animal's first biometric information and profile information from the user device 200 via the communication module 120. The user can run an application program for biometric authentication of the companion animal on the user device 200 and input the companion animal's biometric information and profile information using the application program. In other words, the user device 200 receives the companion animal's biometric information and profile information via the application program for biometric authentication of the companion animal. Figure 6 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user device 200 during the process of registering the companion animal's profile information, and Figure 7 shows an example of a screen displayed on the user device 200 during the process of registering the companion animal's biological information.

[0013] In Figure 6(a), a profile input interface for entering companion animal profile information is displayed on the screen of the user device 200. In Figure 6(a), the profile input interface displays the companion animal's profile photo 605, name 610, breed information 615, sex 620, date of birth 625, and a profile input completion button 630 to indicate that the profile input is complete. The user may input the companion animal's profile information through a profile input interface like the one in Figure 6(a). The profile information may include the companion animal's species, sex, and date of birth. Figure 6(b) is the profile input completion interface, indicating that the companion animal's profile input has been completed. Figure 6(b) is the interface that appears when the profile input completion button 630 for completing profile input in Figure 6(a) is pressed. In Figure 6(b), some information of the companion animal whose profile information has been entered is displayed, and a biometric information registration button 640 for proceeding to the interface for generating a biometric information registration certificate and a return button 650 for returning to the initial screen are displayed. When input is received for the biometric information registration button 640, the user device 200 executes an operation to acquire the companion animal's biometric information. When input is received for the return button 650, the operation returns to the initial screen of the application for biometric authentication of the companion animal. Figure 6(c) shows an interface for displaying information about a companion animal whose profile has been registered in an application for biometric authentication of companion animals. In Figure 6(c), the companion animal's profile information 660 is displayed. The profile information 660 includes whether or not the companion animal's biometric information is registered 670. If biometric information is not registered, a biometric information registration button 680 is displayed, which leads to an interface for generating a biometric information registration certificate. When input is received for the biometric information registration button 640, the user device 200 performs an operation to acquire the companion animal's biometric information. In addition, a missing animal report button 690 for reporting a missing companion animal may be displayed on the interface.

[0014] Figure 7(a) shows the interface displayed on the user device 200 during the process of registering the biometric information of a companion animal. To acquire biometric information, the camera of the user device 200 is activated, and a preview image captured by the camera is displayed on the screen. A message 710 indicating the capture status of the companion animal is displayed overlaid on the preview image. In addition, an icon 730 that tracks the feature object corresponding to the biometric information of the companion animal is displayed at the location of the feature object. The icon 730 can indicate the degree of suitability of the current capture status based on the image quality of the feature object. While a screen like that shown in Figure 7(a) is displayed, the user can control the user device 200 so that an image suitable for biometric authentication of the companion animal is captured. For example, the user can move the user device 200 so that a frontal image of the companion animal is captured. The user device 200 can iteratively evaluate whether an image suitable for biometric recognition is captured by performing quality checks on the preview image, and can automatically save images that have a certain level of quality or higher. In other words, the processor of the user device 200 can acquire an image suitable for biometric recognition of the companion animal on its own, without the user having to press the capture button each time. The biometric information obtained during the biometric information acquisition process (for example, a nose print image) may be transmitted to the authentication server 100 as the first biometric information. That is, the first biometric information includes an image that includes the face region or nose region of the companion animal. Once the acquisition of biometric information is complete, the biometric information is sent to the authentication server 100, which stores the biometric information in memory 150 along with the companion animal's profile information. At step S520, the processor 110 generates a biometric registration certificate containing the companion animal's biometric registration number based on the companion animal's first biometric information and profile information. The processor 110 generates the companion animal's biometric registration number, adds it to the companion animal's registration information, and stores it in memory 150. The biometric registration certificate may include the companion animal's unique identification number. The biometric registration certificate is data (image file or document file) that authenticates that the companion animal's biometric information has been linked with the companion animal's identity information and registered with the authentication server 100. The biometric registration certificate may include the companion animal's biometric registration number, animal species, sex, date of birth, and date of issue. At step S530, the processor 110 transmits the biometric registration certificate to the user device 200 via the communication module 120.

[0015] Figure 7(b) shows the interface displayed after biometric information registration is complete. In Figure 7(b), the biometric information registration certificate 760 is displayed along with the companion animal's profile information 740. When biometric information registration is complete, the profile information 740 includes text 750 indicating that biometric information registration is complete. The biometric information registration certificate 760 is data (image file or document file) that authenticates that the companion animal's biometric information has been linked with the companion animal's identity information and registered with the authentication server 100. The interface may include a registration number copy button 770 for copying the registration number from the biometric information registration certificate 760, and a registration certificate save button 780 for saving the biometric information registration certificate 760 to the user device 200. At step S540, the processor 110 receives companion animal authentication information and a visit certificate issuance request from the user device 200 via the communication module 120. The companion animal authentication information includes the companion animal's second biometric information, the location information of the user device 200, and the acquisition time information of the second biometric information. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the process of receiving a visit certificate issuance request. The step of receiving a visit certificate issuance request (S540) includes the step of sending an approach request for the location information of the user device 200 (S810), the step of receiving the location information of the user device 200 once the approach request is approved (S820), the step of receiving an image of the feature object corresponding to the second biometric information from the user device 200 (S830), and the step of recording the time the second biometric information was received as the acquisition time information of the second biometric information (S840). First, a request for the issuance of a visit certificate is generated from the user device 200 of the guardian who has visited the pet facility. Figure 9 shows an example of the screen displayed on the user device 200 during the input process for requesting a visit certificate. Figure 9(a) is the profile interface that shows the profile information of the companion animal. In Figure 9(a), the animal's profile information 910, the biometric information registration certificate 920, a copy button 930 to copy the biometric information registration number to the clipboard, a save button 940 to save the biometric information registration certificate to the memory of the user device 200, and an issue request button 950 to generate a request for the issuance of a visit certificate. When input is generated for the issue request button 950, a request for the issuance of a visit certificate is sent to the authentication server 100.

[0016] At stage S810, in response to the request to issue a visitor authentication certificate, the processor 110 sends a location information proximity request to the user device 200 via the communication module 120. When the proximity request is sent to the user device 200, an interface for obtaining location information is displayed to the user device 200, as shown in Figure 9(b). Figure 9(b) is an interface that allows the user device 200 to select whether or not to allow the authentication server 100 to approach the user device 200's location information. In Figure 9(b), an interface 960 is displayed that indicates the occurrence of a location information proximity request from the authentication server 100. Interface 960 includes a "Allow once" button 971 to allow approach only once, an "Allow while application is running" button 972 to allow approach while the application is in use, and a "Deny" button 973 to reject the approach. At stage S820, if input occurs to the single-use allow button 971 or the allow button 972 while the application is running, the processor 110 receives location information of the user device 200 via the communication module 120. If input occurs to the single-use allow button 971 or the allow button 972 while the application is running, the location information is sent from the user device 200 to the authentication server 100. If input occurs to the reject button 973, a location information proximity rejection message is sent from the user device 200 to the authentication server 100. If location information proximity is rejected, the authentication server 100 terminates the procedure for issuing a visit certificate. At step S830, the processor 110 receives second biometric information (an image of a feature object) from the user device 200 via the communication module 120. In Figure 9(b), when input occurs to the once-allow button 971 or the allow button 972 during application operation, the user device 200 performs an action to acquire biometric information of the companion animal. The user device 200 activates the camera and captures an image of a feature region (e.g., face or nose) as biometric information of the companion animal. Figure 9(c) is an interface for acquiring biometric information of the companion animal, where a message 980 indicating the capture status of the companion animal and an icon 990 for tracking the feature object are displayed together with a preview image captured by the camera. The acquisition of the second biometric information of the companion animal may be performed in the same manner as the acquisition of the first biometric information, as described with reference to Figure 7(a). An image including the nose print of the companion animal may be extracted as the second biometric information. The second biometric information may be transmitted from the user device 200 to the authentication server 100. In another embodiment, the user device 200 can transmit an image of a companion animal that has been previously stored to the authentication server 100 as second biometric information.

[0017] At step S840, the processor 110 records the time when the second biometric information was acquired as the acquisition time information for the second biometric information. The processor 110 can store the time when the second biometric information was received from the user device 200 in memory 150, associated with the location information of the user device 200 and the second biometric information of the companion animal. Alternatively, the time when the second biometric information was captured can be recorded as the acquisition time information for the second biometric information. Furthermore, the authentication server 100 can receive facility visit information (facility information, visit time information) from the user device 200. When the authentication server 100 receives the location information of the user device 200, the biometric information of the companion animal, the acquisition time information, and the facility visit information from the user device 200, the authentication server 100 proceeds to step S550 and can perform operations for generating a visit certificate. At stage S550, the processor 110 generates a visit certificate based on the companion animal's second biometric information, the acquisition time information of the second biometric information, and the location information of the user device 200. Figure 10 is a flowchart of the process for generating a visit certificate. The stage for generating a visit certificate (S550) includes a stage (S1010) for verifying the validity of the visit certificate issuance request based on the companion animal's second biometric information and the location information of the user device 200, and a stage (S1020) for generating a visit certificate corresponding to the visit certificate issuance request if it is determined that the visit certificate issuance request is valid. If it is determined that the visit certificate issuance request is not valid, the authentication server 100 may reject the visit certificate issuance request or send a message to the user device 200 requesting that the visit certificate issuance request be executed again (S1030). At stage S1010, the processor 110 verifies the validity of the visit certificate issuance request based on the companion animal's second biometric information and the location information of the user device 200. The authentication server 100 can verify whether the companion animal included in the visit certificate issuance request by the user device 200 is the same as an already registered companion animal, and whether the companion animal actually visited the facility. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the process for verifying the validity of a visit certificate issuance request. The steps for verifying the validity of a visit certificate issuance request (S1010) include: confirming facility visit information, including facility visit time and facility information, from the user device 200 (S1110); determining whether the first matching condition for whether the second biometric information matches the first biometric information is met (S1120); determining whether the second matching condition for whether the location information of the user device 200 corresponds to the facility location is met (S1130); determining whether the third matching condition for whether the acquisition time information of the second biometric information falls within a standard range from the facility visit time is met (S1140); and determining that the visit certificate issuance request is valid if the first, second, and third matching conditions are all met (S1150). If any one of the first matching condition, the second matching condition, or the third matching condition is not met, the step (S1160) in which the request for issuance of a visit certificate is determined to be invalid (not valid) may be performed.

[0018] At stage S1110, the processor 110 verifies the facility visit information entered by the user device 200. The facility visit information may be entered into the user device 200 and transmitted by the authentication server 100. The facility visit information may include information about the visited facility, visit time information, and details of medical treatment. At step S1120, the processor 110 determines whether the first matching condition is met for determining whether the second biometric information matches the first biometric information. For companion animals for which a visit certificate issuance request has been made, the processor 110 determines whether the first biometric information already registered matches the second biometric information received from the user device 200. Whether the two biometric information matches may be determined by whether the value (score) indicating the degree of matching is above a certain threshold. Alternatively, the processor 110 can identify companion animals from among those whose biometric information is already registered that match the second biometric information received from the user device 200. If the second biometric information of a companion animal matches the first biometric information (i.e., the first matching condition is met), step S1130 may be executed. At step S1130, the processor 110 determines whether the second matching condition is met regarding whether the location information of the user device 200 corresponds to a facility location. The processor 110 can determine whether the location information of the user device 200 (e.g., coordinates, address) included in the visit certificate issuance request corresponds to a facility address. If the facility is located within a certain distance from the location information of the user device 200, the processor 110 can determine that the location information of the user device 200 corresponds to a facility location. If the location information of the user device 200 corresponds to a facility location (i.e., the second matching condition is met), step S1140 may be executed. At step S1140, the processor 110 determines whether the third matching condition is met, which is whether the acquisition time information of the second biometric information matches the facility visit time. The processor 110 determines whether the acquisition time of the second biometric information matches the facility visit time information included in the facility visit information received from the user device 200. For example, if the acquisition time of the second biometric information and the facility visit time are within a certain time range (e.g., 10 minutes), the processor 110 can determine that the acquisition time information of the second biometric information matches the facility visit time. As another example, the facility visit time information may be entered in a time range of a certain range (e.g., 30 minutes) (e.g., 10:30 to 11:00), and if the acquisition time of the second biometric information is included in the facility visit time information, the processor 110 can determine that the acquisition time information of the second biometric information matches the facility visit time. If the acquisition time information of the second biometric information matches the facility visit time (the third matching condition is met), step S1150 may be executed.

[0019] At stage S1150, the processor 110 determines that the visit certificate issuance request is valid if all of the first, second, and third matching conditions are met. If the visit certificate issuance request is determined to be valid, the processor 110 proceeds to stage S1020 in Figure 10. At stage S1020, if the request for issuance of a visit certificate is determined to be valid, the processor 110 generates a visit certificate corresponding to the request. The visit certificate is data (image file or document file) that confirms that a companion animal registered to the user device 200's account visited a specific facility at a specific time. It includes the companion animal's guardian information, facility visit information, biometric information registration certificate, and a QR (quick response) code corresponding to the page information of the visit certificate. The companion animal's guardian information is the guardian information corresponding to the account of the user device 200 from which the visit certificate issuance request originated. The facility visit information includes the facility location and facility visit time, which are entered into the user device 200 and then authenticated by the authentication server 100. The QR code is a code that allows other devices to easily access the page where the visit certificate can be verified. At stage S560, the generated visit certificate is transmitted from the authentication server 100 to the user device 200. The authentication server 100 can store the visit certificate in its memory 150 or in another database. Figure 12 shows an example of a screen displayed on a user device to which a visitor certificate has been issued. Figure 12(a) is an interface that outputs a list of visitor certificates generated and registered by the authentication server 100. In Figure 12(a), the breakdown of visitor certificate issuance 1210 and the time-slot list of visitor certificates 1220, 1230, and 1240 are output. Each visitor certificate list 1220, 1230, and 1240 includes save buttons 1222, 1232, and 1242 that allow each visitor certificate to be saved on the user device 200. The most recently issued visitor certificate list 1220 may include an icon 1224 to indicate that it has been newly issued.

[0020] Figure 12(b) shows the interface output when input occurs to the specific visit certificate catalog 1220 in Figure 12(a), and is an example of a visit certificate 1250. The visit certificate 1250 includes companion animal guardian information and facility visit information 1251, biometric information registration certificate 1252, and a QR (quick response) code 1253 corresponding to the page information of the visit certificate. Users can download the visit certificate to their user device 200 and attach it when filing an insurance claim with the insurance company. When the insurance company reviews the claim, it can use the visit certificate to verify whether the companion animal in question is an insured companion animal and whether the companion animal visited the facility during the consultation hours. In this way, by building a system that allows verification of whether or not a consultation took place between the companion animal's guardian and the insurance company, the reliability of the entire pet insurance system can be improved. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the operation between a user device 200 and an authentication server 100 in a system that provides companion animal authentication-related services. Referring to Figure 13, the user device 200 receives the companion animal's first biometric information and profile information (S1305). The user device 200 then transmits the companion animal's first biometric information and profile information to the authentication server 100 (S1310). The authentication server 100 generates a biometric registration certificate containing the companion animal's biometric registration number based on the companion animal's first biometric information and profile information (S1315). The authentication server 100 transmits the biometric registration certificate to the user device 200 (S1320). User device 200 receives input for issuing a visit certificate (S1325). User device 200 obtains the companion animal's second biometric information and the location information of user device 200 (S1330). User device 200 sends a visit certificate issuance request, including the companion animal's second biometric information and the user device's location information, to the authentication server 100 (S1335).

[0021] The authentication server 100 generates the visit certificate based on the companion animal's second biometric information, the time information for acquiring the second biometric information, and the location information of the user device (S1340), and transmits the visit certificate to the user device 200. Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the operation method of the authentication server 100 according to the third embodiment in a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals. In this embodiment, the authentication server 100 uses payment breakdown data along with video data generated by photographing the companion animal in order to authenticate whether or not the companion animal has visited the facility. Referring to Figure 14, in a system that provides companion animal authentication-related services, the operation method of the authentication server 100 includes the steps of receiving video data of the companion animal from the user device 200 (S1410), receiving payment breakdown data including payment information from the user device 200 (S1420), confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility based on the video data and payment breakdown data (S1430), and saving information regarding the companion animal's visit to the facility (S1440). At step S1410, the user device 200 transmits the video data generated by photographing the companion animal to the authentication server 100. The processor 110 receives the video data via the communication module 120. The video data may be video containing biological information of the companion animal (e.g., nose print, face). In other words, the video data may be photographic or video data generated during the process of acquiring biological information of the companion animal. At step S1420, the user device 200 transmits payment breakdown data, including payment information, to the authentication server 100. The processor 110 receives the payment breakdown data via the communication module 120. The payment breakdown data may include a photograph of a receipt or electronic receipt data on which payment information is recorded. The caregiver of a companion animal can use the user device 200 to photograph a receipt issued at a facility and transmit the photograph of the receipt to the authentication server 100. Alternatively, the caregiver of a companion animal can receive electronic receipt data from the visited facility and transmit the electronic receipt data to the authentication server 100. At stage S1430, the processor 110 can confirm the visit of the companion animal to the facility based on the video data and payment breakdown data.

[0022] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the process of confirming whether a companion animal has visited a facility using video data and payment breakdown data of the companion animal. Referring to Figure 15, the step of confirming a companion animal's visit to a facility (S1430) includes the step of determining whether the payment information included in the payment breakdown data matches the shooting information of the video data (S1510), and the step of verifying that the companion animal has visited the facility if the payment information and the shooting information match (S1520). The step of confirming a companion animal's visit to a facility (S1430) also includes the step of determining that a companion animal's visit to a facility was not confirmed if the payment information and the shooting information do not match (S1530). At stage S1510, the processor 110 confirms the visit of the companion animal to the facility based on the shooting information of the video data received from the user device 220 and the payment information included in the payment breakdown data. Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the process for verifying whether payment information and shooting information are matched. Referring to Figure 16, the step of determining whether payment information and shooting information are matched (S1510) includes the step of determining whether the facility location included in the payment information matches the shooting location information (S1610), and the step of determining whether the payment time included in the payment information matches the shooting time included in the shooting information (S1620). Prior to step S1610, the processor 110 can extract shooting information from video data and payment information from payment breakdown data. For example, as shown in Figure 17, the processor 110 can extract shooting information from metadata linked to the video data. The shooting information may include shooting location 1711, shooting time 1712, and shooting format. Alternatively, the processor 110 can extract shooting location and shooting time based on objects detected from each frame of the video data. Also, as shown in Figure 17, the processor 110 can extract payment information from receipt photograph 1720, namely facility name 1721, facility location 1722, visitor information 1723, payment information 1724, and payment time 1725. At step S1610, the processor 110 determines whether the facility information and shooting location information included in the payment information are matched. The processor 110 can determine whether the shooting location 1711 extracted from the video data 1710 is matched with the facility location 1722 in the payment information. The processor 110 can determine whether the shooting location 1711 is the same as the facility location 1722. Alternatively, the processor 110 can determine whether the distance between the shooting location 1711 and the facility location 1722 is within a reference range (for example, 100m). If the distance between the shooting location 1711 and the facility location 1722 is within the reference range, the processor 110 can determine that the shooting location 1711 and the facility location 1722 are matched. The processor 110 can determine whether the shooting location 1711 and the facility location 1722 are the same by comparing the coordinates of the shooting location 1711 and the coordinates of the facility location 1722. If the shooting location 1711 matches the facility location 1722 in the facility information, the processor 110 proceeds to step S1620. If the shooting location 1711 does not match the facility location 1722 in the facility information, the processor 110 proceeds to step S1640 and determines that the payment information and the shooting information do not match.

[0023] At step S1620, the processor 110 determines whether the settlement time included in the settlement information and the shooting time included in the shooting information match. The processor 110 determines whether the shooting time 1712 extracted from the video data 1710 matches the settlement time 1725 in the settlement information. The processor 110 can determine whether the difference between the shooting time 1712 and the settlement time 1725 is within a standard range (for example, 10 minutes). If it is within the standard range, the processor 110 can determine that the shooting time 1712 and the settlement time 1725 are matched. If the shooting time 1712 and the settlement time 1725 are matched, the processor 110 proceeds to step S1630 and determines that the settlement information and the shooting information are matched. If the shooting time 1712 and the settlement time 1725 are not matched, the processor 110 proceeds to step S1640 and determines that the settlement information and the shooting information are not matched. If it is determined that the payment information and the photographic information match, the processor 110 verifies in step S1520 that the companion animal has visited the facility. At this time, the server 100 can send a message to the user device 200 informing it that the companion animal's visit to the facility has been authenticated. If the payment information and the photographic information are determined not to match, the processor 110 determines at step S1530 that it could not be confirmed that the companion animal visited the facility. At this point, the processor 110 can request the user device 200 to send a message informing it that the visit was not confirmed and to resend the data. At stage S1440, the processor 110 can store information regarding the companion animal's facility visit in memory 150. The server 100 can store information regarding the companion animal's facility visit in a separate database. The server 100 can generate a visit certificate showing information regarding the companion animal's facility visit and store it in memory 150 or the database. When a request is made from the user device 200 or the insurance company 400, the server 100 can send information regarding the companion animal's facility visit to the user device 200 or the insurance company 400.

[0024] These embodiments and the drawings accompanying this specification only clearly illustrate a part of the technical idea contained in the present invention, and it will be clear that any modifications and specific embodiments that can be easily inferred by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea contained in the specification and drawings of the present invention are all included within the scope of the rights of the present invention. Therefore, the concept of the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described, and the claims described later, as well as any equivalent or comparable modifications thereof, can be said to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for operating an authentication server in a system that provides authentication-related services for companion animals, The aforementioned authentication server performs the following steps, which are: The process involves receiving biometric video data related to the biometric information of a companion animal from a user device, The step of determining the position of the user device from the aforementioned biological image data, A step of confirming the companion animal's visit to the facility based on the companion animal's biological information and the location of the user device, The step includes storing information regarding the companion animal's visit to the facility, The aforementioned biological image data includes images containing an object that represents the biological information of the companion animal, information on the time the images were taken, and information on the location where they were taken. In the step of determining the position of the user device, the position of the user device is determined from the shooting position information, The step of confirming the visit of the aforementioned companion animal to the facility is, A step of identifying the identity of the companion animal from the biological information of the companion animal, A step of determining whether the shooting location information of the aforementioned video corresponds to the location of the facility, If the aforementioned location information corresponds to the location of the facility, the step includes confirming that the companion animal has visited the facility, How the authentication server works.

2. The method for operating the authentication server according to claim 1, wherein the object showing the biological information of the companion animal included in the video includes the nasal region or the facial region of the companion animal.

3. Based on information regarding the companion animal's visit to the facility, the step of generating a visit certificate proving that the companion animal visited the facility, The method for operating the authentication server according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting the aforementioned visitor authentication certificate to the user device.

4. The step of confirming the visit of the aforementioned companion animal to the facility is, A step of detecting an object related to the facility from the aforementioned biological image data or video data that includes the process of acquiring the aforementioned biological information, A method for operating an authentication server according to claim 1, comprising the step of verifying whether or not the companion animal has visited the facility based on an object associated with the facility.

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