Server device and program

Abstract

Provided is a server device used in an identity determination system. The identity determination system includes a sender terminal and a recipient terminal. The server device is provided with a processor. The processor receives, from the sender terminal, first feature information indicating a first object sent by a sender to a recipient, receives, from the recipient terminal, second feature information indicating a second object received by the recipient, and performs a matching process for matching the first feature information with the second feature information.

Description

Server device and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server device and a program.

[0002] Services for transferring items between individuals are becoming popular. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for simplifying the registration operation of products sold by users when using such services, and a computer control program that can set appropriate prices for the products sold by users and provide them to users.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-121979

[0004] In order to safely transfer an object between a sender and a recipient, it is desirable to provide a technology that compares the object sent by the sender with the object received by the recipient and verifies whether the two are the same, but Patent Document 1 does not disclose such a technology.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a server device and a program that can more accurately determine the identity of an object sent by a sender and an object received by a recipient.

[0006] A server device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a server device used in an identity determination system, the identity determination system including a sender terminal and a recipient terminal, the server device having a processor, the processor receiving from the sender terminal first feature information indicating a first object sent by a sender to a recipient, receiving from the recipient terminal second feature information indicating a second object received by the recipient, performing a matching process to match the first feature information with the second feature information, and determining whether the first object and the second object are identical based on the result of the matching process.

[0007] A program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a program executed by a processor of a server device used in an identity determination system, the identity determination system including a sender terminal and a recipient terminal, the processor receives first feature information indicating a first object sent by a sender to a recipient from the sender terminal of the sender, and receives second feature information indicating a second object received by the recipient from the recipient terminal of the recipient, the program causes the processor to perform a matching process to match the first feature information with the second feature information, and determine whether the first object and the second object are identical based on the result of the matching process.

[0008] According to the server device and program disclosed herein, it is possible to more accurately determine the identity of an object sent by a sender and an object received by a recipient.

[0009] 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of identity determination performed in an identity determination system according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a server device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a sender terminal according to embodiment 1. FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a recipient terminal according to embodiment 1. FIG. 19 is a sequence diagram illustrating a processing flow in the identity determination system of FIG. 15. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an identity determination process performed by a server device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a recipient terminal according to embodiment 1. FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram illustrating a display example of a required recording portion. FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an identity determination process performed by a server device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 23 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a sender terminal according to embodiment 2. FIG. 24 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an identity determination process performed by a server device according to embodiment 3. FIG. 25 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a sender terminal according to embodiment 3. FIG. 26 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an identity determination system according to embodiment 4. FIG. 27 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow in the identity determination system of FIG. 15.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of well-known matters or redundant explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following explanation and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0011] The applicant provides the accompanying drawings and the following description so that those skilled in the art can fully understand the present disclosure, and does not intend for them to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0012] 1. First Embodiment 1-1. Overview Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of identity determination by an identity determination system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, an example of identity determination will be described in a case where a product is bought and sold using an electronic commerce service, and a sender (sender or consignor) who is the seller sends the product to a recipient (consignee) who is the buyer. Electronic commerce services are services that provide users with the convenience of trading products, and include, for example, auction services, shopping services, flea market services, etc.

[0013] An example of the sale and purchase of a product using an electronic commerce service and the identity determination according to this embodiment is as follows. Note that the terms sender (seller) and recipient (buyer) are used here on the premise that a sales contract is concluded. Before the sales contract is concluded, the parties corresponding to the sender and recipient are, for example, merely the exhibitor (seller) and the prospective purchaser, respectively.

[0014] First, the sender takes an image of the product with the camera 25 to obtain an item image 2. The sender then uses the sender terminal 20 to transmit the item image 2 to the server device 10.

[0015] Next, in the electronic commerce service, a sender, who is a seller, sells a product (item) to a recipient, who is a buyer, and the recipient pays the price of the product to the sender.

[0016] Next, the sender sends the product to the recipient. For example, the sender requests a carrier such as a delivery company to deliver the item to the recipient. The recipient receives the item from the carrier.

[0017] The above example is a typical example of the flow of buying and selling goods using e-commerce services. In such cases, the sent item and the received item should usually match. However, the received item may not be what the recipient intended. For example, a situation may occur in which the recipient believes they have purchased the genuine item but the received item is not the genuine item, or the item the sender intended to send and the item the recipient received are different. Therefore, the recipient may be unsure whether the received item is the same as the item they intended to purchase. To solve this problem, the inventor has developed a technology that compares the sent item sent by the sender with the received item received by the recipient and determines whether the two are the same.

[0018] To perform identity determination, the identity determination system 1 according to the present embodiment performs the following process. Specifically, the recipient captures an image of the item (second object) received from the carrier using a camera 35 and transmits the resulting image 3 to the server device 10. The server device 10 compares the feature values ​​of the item image 2 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "first feature values") with the feature values ​​of the item image 3 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "second feature values") to determine whether the item and the item are identical, and transmits the identity determination result to the recipient terminal 30. The first feature values ​​are an example of "first feature information" in the present disclosure, and the second feature values ​​are an example of "second feature information" in the present disclosure. For example, the feature information may be physical feature information of the object. Specifically, the feature information may be three-dimensional feature information or information regarding the shape, area, temperature, etc. of the object. The feature information may also be information regarding sounds, logos, characters, stains, scratches, etc., related to the object.

[0019] The recipient can know the identity determination result by checking the display screen of the recipient terminal 30. Therefore, the recipient can use the electronic commerce service with more peace of mind than before.

[0020] The present embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0021] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server device 10 according to this embodiment. The server device 10 includes a processor 11, a storage device 12, and a communication interface (I / F) 13.

[0022] The processor 11 performs information processing to realize the functions of the server device 10. Such information processing is realized, for example, by the processor 11 operating in accordance with instructions from a program 121 stored in the storage device 12. The processor 11 is configured with circuits such as a CPU, an MPU, an FPGA, etc. The processor 11 may be realized by a single such circuit or by multiple circuits. Furthermore, functions of the components of the processor 11 may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0023] The processor 11 operates in accordance with instructions from a program, thereby functioning as a feature amount calculation unit 111, an identity determination unit 112, or a recording-required portion calculation unit 113. For ease of understanding, the above functions are shown as blocks in FIG.

[0024] The storage device 12 stores various data including a program 121 required to realize the functions of the server device 10. The storage device 12 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory or a solid state drive (SSD), a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), or other recording media, either alone or in combination. The storage device 12 may also include a temporary storage device such as an SRAM or a DRAM.

[0025] The communication interface 13 is an interface circuit that performs data communication in accordance with an existing wired or wireless communication standard. The processor 11 can perform data communication with the sender terminal 20 and the recipient terminal 30 via the communication interface 13 and the network.

[0026] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of sender terminal 20 according to this embodiment. Sender terminal 20 includes a processor 21, a storage device 22, an input / output interface 23, and a communication interface 24.

[0027] The processor 21 performs information processing to realize the functions of the sender terminal 20. Such information processing is realized, for example, by the processor 21 operating in accordance with instructions from a program stored in the storage device 22. The processor 21 is composed of circuits such as a CPU, MPU, FPGA, etc. The processor 21 may be realized by a single such circuit or by multiple circuits. Furthermore, functions of the components of the processor 21 may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0028] The storage device 22 stores various data including programs necessary to realize the functions of the sender terminal 20. The storage device 22 may have a configuration similar to that of the storage device 12.

[0029] The input / output interface 23 is an interface circuit that connects the sender terminal 20 to an external device, such as a camera 25 or an output device 26, in order to receive information from the external device or to output information to the external device. The input / output interface 23 may be a communication circuit that performs data communication in accordance with an existing wired communication standard or wireless communication standard.

[0030] The communication interface 24 is a communication circuit that performs data communication in accordance with existing wired and / or wireless communication standards.

[0031] The camera 25 is an imaging device that captures images of the surrounding environment and generates captured image data. The camera 25 generates the captured image data using, for example, a solid-state imaging element such as a CMOS or CCD. The captured image data generated by the camera 25 is input to the sender terminal 20 via the input / output interface 23. Note that in this specification, image data may be simply referred to as an "image."

[0032] The output device 26 is a device that outputs information, and includes, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, or an audio output device such as a speaker.

[0033] 3 illustrates an example in which the camera 25 and the output device 26 are external devices to the sender terminal 20, but the present embodiment is not limited to this configuration. For example, the sender terminal 20 and at least one of the camera 25 and the output device 26 may be housed in a single housing and configured as an integrated unit. Terminals configured as an integrated unit in this manner include, for example, smartphones, tablet devices, laptops, etc.

[0034] 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the recipient terminal 30 according to this embodiment. The recipient terminal 30 comprises a processor 31, a storage device 32, an input / output interface 33, and a communication interface .

[0035] The processor 31 performs information processing to realize the functions of the recipient terminal 30. Such information processing is realized, for example, by the processor 31 operating in accordance with instructions from a program stored in the storage device 32. The processor 31 is composed of circuits such as a CPU, MPU, FPGA, etc. The processor 31 may be realized by such a single circuit or by multiple circuits. Furthermore, functions of the components of the processor 31 may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0036] The storage device 32 stores various data including programs necessary to realize the functions of the recipient terminal 30. The storage device 32 may have the same configuration as the storage device 12 or 22.

[0037] The input / output interface 33 is an interface circuit that connects the recipient terminal 30 to an external device, such as the camera 35 or the output device 36, in order to receive information from the external device or to output information to the external device. The input / output interface 33 may be a communication circuit that performs data communication in accordance with an existing wired communication standard or wireless communication standard.

[0038] The communication interface 34 is a communication circuit that performs data communication in accordance with existing wired and / or wireless communication standards.

[0039] The camera 35 is an imaging device that captures an image of the surrounding environment and generates captured image data using a solid-state imaging element such as a CMOS or CCD.

[0040] The output device 36 is a device that outputs information, and includes, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, or an audio output device such as a speaker.

[0041] 4 illustrates an example in which the camera 35 and the output device 36 are external devices to the recipient terminal 30, but the present embodiment is not limited to this configuration. For example, the recipient terminal 30 and at least one of the camera 35 and the output device 36 may be housed in a single housing and configured as an integrated unit. Examples of such an integrated unit include a smartphone, a tablet device, a laptop, etc.

[0042] 1-3. Operation 1-3-1. Operation of the Overall System FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating the flow of processing in the identity determination system 1 of FIG.

[0043] 5, first, the sender terminal 20 and the server device 10 perform a process of registering the feature quantities of the item to be sent. For example, the sender terminal 20 transmits an image 2 of the item to the server device 10, and the server device 10 calculates and stores the feature quantities of the image 2 of the item (see S12 in FIG. 6).

[0044] As shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 5, after the feature amount of the item has been registered, the sender usually sends the item to the recipient.

[0045] Next, the server device 10 starts an identity determination process. The identity determination process is triggered by the recipient terminal 30 transmitting the received item image 3 to the server device 10. If the feature amounts of the received item image 3 are sufficient to be matched with the feature amounts of the sent item image 2, the server device 10 performs a matching process (see S16 in FIG. 6) and performs an identity determination (see S17 in FIG. 6). Thereafter, the server device 10 transmits the identity determination result to the recipient terminal 30.

[0046] On the other hand, if the feature quantities of the received item image 3 are insufficient in the identity determination process, the server device 10 transmits first instruction information indicating the portion of the received item required for the identity determination process (the portion to be recorded) to the recipient terminal 30. This is a process intended to request the recipient to capture an image of the portion to be recorded with the camera 35. The recipient captures the portion to be recorded with the camera 35 and transmits the image of the portion to be recorded to the server device 10. The transmission of the first instruction information and the image of the portion to be recorded are repeated as necessary.

[0047] The operations of the server device 10, the sender terminal 20, and the recipient terminal 30 will now be described in more detail.

[0048] 1-3-2. Operation of Server Device 10 Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of identity determination processing according to this embodiment by the server device 10. The processing in Fig. 6 is executed by the processor 11 of the server device 10. For example, steps S11 to S14 in Fig. 6 are executed by the feature amount calculation unit 111 of the processor 11, steps S15 to S18 are executed by the identity determination unit 112, and steps S19 and S20 are executed by the required recording portion calculation unit 113.

[0049] 6, first, the processor 11 receives a delivery image 2 from the sender terminal 20 (S11). The delivery image 2 is an image or image data obtained by capturing an image of a delivery (first object) sent by a sender to a recipient using a camera 25. In this specification, the image may be a still image or a moving image. The image may also be a multi-view image obtained by capturing images of the delivery object from multiple different directions.

[0050] Next, the processor 11 calculates the feature amount (first feature amount) of the item image 2 (S12). The calculated first feature amount is stored in the storage device 12, for example.

[0051] The first feature may be a feature of an image. The feature of an image is obtained by analyzing the image. Examples of the feature include a Local Binary Pattern (LBP) feature, a Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF) feature, a Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) feature, a Histograms of Oriented Gradients (HOG) feature, or a Haar-like feature. The feature is represented by, for example, a vector and may be called a feature vector.

[0052] The feature quantities of an image may be feature quantities obtained by inputting the image into a trained model that has undergone machine learning. The trained model takes the image as input and the feature quantities as output. Such a trained model is obtained, for example, by training a model having a convolutional neural network (CNN) structure with a large number of images.

[0053] Next, the processor 11 receives the item image 3 from the recipient terminal 30 (S13). The item image 3 is an image or image data obtained by capturing an image of the item (second object) received by the recipient from a carrier such as a delivery company using the camera 35.

[0054] Next, the processor 11 calculates the feature amount (second feature amount) of the received object image 3 received in step S13 (S14). The calculated second feature amount is stored in the storage device 12, for example.

[0055] Next, the processor 11 determines whether or not there are sufficient second features (S15). The presence of sufficient second features means, for example, that the second features are present to an extent that they can be matched with the first features.

[0056] If there are sufficient second features (Yes in S15), the processor 11 performs a matching process to match the first features with the second features (S16). For example, the matching process may include calculating a distance, such as a Euclidean distance, between the first features and the second features.

[0057] Based on the result of the matching process S16, the processor 11 determines whether the item sent by the sender and the item received by the recipient are the same (S17). For example, the processor 11 determines that the item sent and the item received are the same if the similarity, which indicates the degree of similarity between the first feature and the second feature, is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. Such similarity is determined, for example, based on the distance between the first feature and the second feature calculated in step S16. For example, the similarity is greater as the distance between the first feature and the second feature is smaller.

[0058] Next, the processor 11 transmits the result of the identity determination process S17 to the recipient terminal 30 via the communication interface 13 (S18).

[0059] If there are insufficient second features in step S15 (No in S15), the processor 11 identifies a portion of the received item that needs to be recorded (S19). The feature information (third feature information) obtained by recording the portion that needs to be recorded identified in step S19 is at least one piece of information about the received item, and includes information that, when added to the second feature, enables matching of the first feature with the second feature after the portion that needs to be recorded has been added. The portion that needs to be recorded is a portion of the second feature that does not have enough feature data to match with the first feature. In other words, if there are insufficient second features, the feature obtained by adding the feature of the portion that needs to be recorded to the second feature can be matched with the first feature.

[0060] For example, in step S19, when the second feature amount is smaller than the first feature amount, the processor 11 identifies a portion of the received item image 3 corresponding to the difference between the first feature amount and the second feature amount as a portion to be recorded. When the second feature amount is smaller than a reference feature amount stored in advance in the storage device 12, the processor 11 may identify a portion of the received item image 3 corresponding to the difference between the reference feature amount and the second feature amount as a portion to be recorded.

[0061] In an example of comparing the sender image 2 with the received item image 3 as in this embodiment, if the sender image 2 or the first feature contains an area that indicates letters, dirt, or scratches, but the received item image 3 or the second feature does not contain any part that corresponds to such an area, the processor 11 may identify that area as an area that needs to be recorded.

[0062] When the number of areas to be recorded is two or more, the processor 11 may determine the priority of each area to be recorded based on the difference between the first feature amount and the second feature amount or the difference between the reference feature amount and the second feature amount. For example, the priority of an area to be recorded that indicates a logo, text, stains, or scratches on the received item is set higher than the priority of an area to be recorded that indicates other parts of the received item.

[0063] After step S19, the processor 11 transmits first instruction information indicating the areas to be recorded to the recipient terminal 30 (S20). The first instruction information is information for obtaining feature information or feature amounts for the second feature amounts that can be matched with the first feature amounts. For example, the processor 11 may transmit data indicating the areas to be recorded to the recipient terminal. Alternatively, if the areas to be recorded can be identified as areas corresponding to the front, back, side, corners, edges, etc. of the recipient shown in the recipient image 3, the processor 11 may transmit first instruction information indicating such positions to the recipient terminal.

[0064] After completing step S20, the processor 11 executes step S13 again.

[0065] The number of times the loop process that returns to step S13 via steps S19 and S20 is performed when step S15 is No may be limited. For example, when the number of times step S15 is No reaches a predetermined value, the processor 11 ends the process of Fig. 6. This makes it possible to avoid an infinite loop in the process of Fig. 6.

[0066] Unlike the example shown in Fig. 6, steps S15 and S16 may be executed integrally. For example, step S19 may be executed when the first feature amount and the second feature amount cannot be matched in step S16. In this way, the lack of a sufficient second feature amount (No in S15) is an example of when the first feature amount and the second feature amount cannot be matched in the matching process.

[0067] 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the recipient terminal 30. The processing in FIG.

[0068] First, the processor 31 acquires the received item image 3 from the camera 35 (S31) and transmits the acquired received item image 3 to the server device 10 (S32). The received item image 3 transmitted in this manner is received by the server device 10 in step S13 of FIG. 6.

[0069] Next, the processor 31 determines whether or not the first instruction information has been received from the server device 10 (S33). The first instruction information is transmitted from the server device 10 in step S20 of FIG.

[0070] If the first instruction information is not received in step S33 (No in step S33), this corresponds to the case where the second feature amount is sufficient in step S15 of Fig. 6 (Yes in S15). Therefore, in this case, the result of the identity determination process S17 is transmitted from the server device 10 to the recipient terminal 30. The processor 31 of the recipient terminal 30 receives the result of the identity determination process S17 transmitted from the server device 10 (S34).

[0071] Next, the processor 31 outputs the result of the identity determination process S17 received in step S34 to the output device 36 (S35).

[0072] If the processor 31 receives the first instruction information in step S33 (Yes in step S33), the processor 31 outputs the first instruction information to the output device 36 (S36). For example, the processor 31 outputs the data itself indicating the required recording portion to the output device 36 as the first instruction information.

[0073] Alternatively, in step S36, if the areas to be recorded can be identified as areas corresponding to the front, back, side, corner, edge, or the like of the received item shown in the received item image 3, the processor 31 may output first instruction information indicating such positions to the output device 36. For example, the output device 36 may output a text or voice message such as "Please take a photo of the front" based on the first instruction information. Furthermore, for example, the output device 36 may display the areas to be recorded by superimposing them on the received item image 3 based on the first instruction information. As exemplified in FIG. 8 , when displaying the areas to be recorded, the output device 36 may display a heat map 37 according to the degree of feature deficiency, an imaging position indicator 38 or an arrow 39 indicating the direction from which an image should be captured, or the like, superimposed on the received item image 3 as the areas to be recorded.

[0074] After completing step S36, the processor 31 executes step S31 again. The number of times that the loop process of returning to step S31 via step S36 is executed when the answer is No in step S33 may be limited.

[0075] 1-4. Effects, etc. As described above, the processor 11 of the server device 10 receives from the sender terminal 20 of the sender a first feature indicating an item sent by a sender to a recipient (S11), receives from the recipient terminal 30 of the recipient a second feature indicating an item received by the recipient (S13), and performs a matching process (S16) to match the first feature with the second feature. Based on the result of the matching process, the processor 11 determines whether the item sent and the item received are the same (S17). This configuration allows the server device 10 to more accurately determine the identity of the item sent and the item received.

[0076] If the processor 11 is unable to match the first feature with the second feature in the matching process, the processor 11 may further perform a transmission process of transmitting first instruction information to the recipient terminal for obtaining at least one third feature related to the second object. Here, the at least one third feature related to the second object is information that, when added to the second feature, enables the first feature to be matched with the second feature to which the at least one third feature has been added. This allows the server device 10 to obtain the second feature to which the at least one third feature has been added, and more accurately determine the identity of the first feature with the second feature to which the at least one third feature has been added.

[0077] When the number of third feature quantities instructed by the server device 10 is two or more, the processor 11 may determine the priority of each third feature quantity based on the difference between the first feature quantity and the second feature quantity. In this case, the processor transmits the first instruction information to the recipient terminal based on the determined priority in the transmission process. This configuration makes it possible to more accurately determine the identity of the sent item and the received item.

[0078] 9 to 11, the operation of the identity determination system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The identity determination system 1 according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the identity determination system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0079] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which only the recipient terminal 30 can receive first instruction information indicating the portions to be recorded from the server device 10. Unlike the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, the sender terminal 20 can also receive instruction information (second instruction information) indicating the portions to be recorded from the server device 10. By the sender providing the portions to be recorded to the server device 10 in accordance with the second instruction information, the server device 10 can improve the accuracy of identity determination.

[0080] 9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating the flow of identity determination processing according to this embodiment by the server device 10. First, as in the first embodiment, the processor 11 receives an item image 2 from the sender terminal 20 (S11) and calculates a first feature amount of the item image 2 (S12).

[0081] Next, the processor 11 determines whether or not the first feature amount is sufficient (S41). The presence of the first feature amount means, for example, that the first feature amount is present to an extent that it satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0082] Examples of cases where the predetermined condition is not satisfied include the following. For example, the processor 11 determines that the predetermined condition is not satisfied when the first feature does not satisfy a reference feature previously stored in the storage device 12. The processor 11 may also determine that the predetermined condition is not satisfied when the image quality of the delivery image 2 is poor. Examples of cases where the image quality of the delivery image 2 is poor include when the delivery is out of focus in the delivery image 2, when the resolution of the delivery image 2 is below a predetermined resolution, or when the brightness or luminance of the delivery image 2 is greater than a predetermined upper limit or less than a predetermined lower limit. Alternatively, the processor 11 may determine that the predetermined condition is not satisfied when features such as letters, stains, or scratches are detected in the delivery image 2 but are out of focus.

[0083] If there are sufficient first features (Yes in S41), the flowchart in Fig. 9 continues to step S13 in Fig. 10 via a connector A. Steps S13 to S19 in Fig. 10 are the same as steps S13 to S19 in Fig. 6, and therefore a description of Fig. 10 will be omitted.

[0084] If the first feature is not sufficient in step S41 (No in S41), the processor 11 identifies a portion of the item that needs to be recorded (S42). The portion that needs to be recorded identified in step S42 is information necessary for the first feature to satisfy a predetermined condition.

[0085] After step S42, the processor 11 transmits second instruction information indicating the required recording portion to the sender terminal 20 (S43). The second instruction information is information for obtaining feature information or feature amounts necessary to satisfy a predetermined condition for the first feature amount.

[0086] After completing step S43, the processor 11 executes step S41 again. If the answer to step S41 is No, the number of times the loop process of returning to step S41 via steps S42 and S43 may be limited.

[0087] 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the sender terminal 20 according to this embodiment. The process of FIG. 11 is executed by the processor 21 of the sender terminal 20.

[0088] First, the processor 21 acquires an image 2 of a sender item from the camera 25 (S51) and transmits the acquired image 2 of the sender item to the server device 10 (S52). The image 2 of the sender item transmitted in this manner is received by the server device 10 in step S11 of FIG.

[0089] Next, the processor 21 determines whether or not the second instruction information has been received from the server device 10 (S53). The second instruction information is transmitted from the server device 10 in step S43 of FIG.

[0090] If the second instruction information is not received in step S53 (No in step S53), the processor 21 ends the processing in Fig. 11. This case corresponds to the case where the first feature amount is sufficient in step S41 in Fig. 9 (Yes in S41). Therefore, in this case, the server device 10 executes the processing from step S13 onwards in Fig. 10.

[0091] If the processor 21 receives the second instruction information in step S53 (Yes in step S53), the processor 21 outputs the second instruction information to the output device 26 (S54). For example, the processor 21 outputs the data itself indicating the required recording portion to the output device 26 as the second instruction information.

[0092] Alternatively, in step S54, the processor 21 may output a message indicating the portion to be recorded to the output device 26 as second instruction information. For example, if the delivery image 2 is an image in which the delivery is out of focus, the output device 26 outputs a text or voice message such as "Take a photo in focus" or "Take another photo" based on the second instruction information. Also, for example, if text is detected in the delivery image 2, the output device 26 outputs a text or voice message such as "Take a photo of the text on the product" based on the second instruction information. If the brightness or luminance of the delivery image 2 is higher than a predetermined upper limit, the output device 26 may output a text or voice message such as "Turn down the brightness."

[0093] In addition to this information, the output device 26 may output a text or voice message indicating the position of the character in the delivery. Furthermore, when outputting such a position, the output device 26 may superimpose information such as a pointer or heat map indicating the position on the delivery image 2 as a location to be recorded.

[0094] After completing step S54, the processor 21 executes step S51 again. The number of times that the loop process of returning to step S51 via step S54 is executed when the answer is No in step S53 may be limited.

[0095] As described above, in the server device 10 according to the present embodiment, when the first feature amount received from the sender terminal 20 does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the processor 11 transmits to the sender terminal 20 second instruction information required for the first feature amount to satisfy the predetermined condition.

[0096] With this configuration, the sender can take an image of the portion to be recorded with the camera 25 in accordance with the second instruction information obtained through the sender terminal 20, and provide the image of the portion to be recorded to the server device 10 via the sender terminal 20. This allows the server device 10 to obtain a sufficient image 2 of the sent item when determining identity, and improves the accuracy of matching the image 2 of the sent item with the image 3 of the received item and determining identity.

[0097] 12 to 14, the operation of the identity determination system 1 according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The identity determination system 1 according to the third embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the identity determination systems 1 according to the first and second embodiments.

[0098] In the third embodiment, the sender designates a part of the item that the sender is particularly particular about as characteristic designation information and registers it in the server device 10. For example, if the item is an artwork such as a sculpture, the sender designates an elaborate part, the sender's signature, etc. as characteristic designation information.

[0099] To achieve this operation, compared to the operation of the server device 10 according to the second embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10, the server device 10 according to the third embodiment further executes steps S40 and S61 (see Figures 12 and 13), and executes step S62 instead of step S19 in Figure 10.

[0100] 12 and 13 are flowcharts illustrating the flow of identity determination processing according to this embodiment by the server device 10. First, as in the first and second embodiments, the processor 11 receives an item image 2 from the sender terminal 20 (S11) and calculates a first feature amount of the item image 2 (S12).

[0101] The processor 11 also receives feature designation information from the sender terminal 20 (S40). Step S40 may be performed before step S11 or between step S11 and step S12, different from the order shown in FIG.

[0102] The characteristic designation information is an example of additional characteristic information about the item designated by the sender. The sender inputs the characteristic designation information into the sender terminal 20 using an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, or the input unit of the camera 25 (see S71 in FIG. 14 described below).

[0103] For example, the sender may specify as feature designation information a part of the item that the sender is particularly particular about, a part that the sender feels is distinctive, an important part, etc. Alternatively, the sender may input classification information of the item into the sender terminal 20, and the processor 21 may determine the feature designation information based on the input classification information. In this specification, such determination of feature designation information by the processor 21 is also included in the input of feature designation information to the sender terminal 20.

[0104] In FIG. 12, steps S41, S42, and S43 following step S40 are the same as those in FIG. 9, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0105] If there are sufficient first features in step S41 (Yes in S41), the flow chart of FIG. 12 continues to step S13 of FIG. 13 via a connector B.

[0106] In steps S13 and S14 of FIG. 13, as described above, the processor 11 receives the recipient image 3 from the recipient terminal 30 and calculates the second feature amount.

[0107] If there are sufficient second feature quantities (Yes in S15), the processor 11 determines whether the second feature quantities include a feature quantity corresponding to the feature designation information received in step S40 of Fig. 12 (hereinafter, this may be referred to as "fourth feature information" or "fourth feature quantity") (S61).

[0108] For example, if the sender specifies an elaborate part of a work of art, a part of the sender's signature, etc. as feature designation information, but the fourth feature indicating that part is not detected in the image 3 of the received item captured by the recipient, the processor 11 determines that the second feature does not include the fourth feature (No in S61).

[0109] If the second feature amount includes the fourth feature amount corresponding to the feature designation information (Yes in step S61), the processor 11 executes steps S16 to S18. Steps S16 to S18 are the same as those in FIG. 10, and therefore will not be described here.

[0110] If there are insufficient second features in step S15 (No in S15), or if the second features do not include a fourth feature corresponding to the feature designation information in step S61, the processor 11 executes step S62. In step S62, the processor 11 identifies a portion of the received item that needs to be recorded.

[0111] The portions to be recorded identified in step S62 include portions that exhibit a fourth feature corresponding to the feature designation information in addition to the portions to be recorded identified in step S19 of Fig. 6. In an example in which sender image 2 and receiver image 3 are compared as in the present embodiment, if sender image 2 contains a portion that indicates characters, stains, or scratches as feature designation information, but the receiver image 3 does not contain any portion that corresponds to such a portion, the processor 11 may identify the portion as a portion to be recorded.

[0112] When the number of required recording locations is two or more, the processor 11 may determine the priority of each required recording location based on the characteristic designation information. For example, the priority of the required recording location corresponding to the characteristic designation information is set higher than the priority of the required recording location indicating another part of the received item.

[0113] After step S62, the processor 11 transmits second instruction information indicating the portion to be recorded to the recipient terminal 30 (S20), and then executes step S13 again.

[0114] 13, step S15 and step S61 are described as separate processes, but in other examples, step S15 may include step S61. For example, if the second feature does not include a fourth feature corresponding to the feature designation information (corresponding to No in S61 in FIG. 13), the processor 11 determines in step S15 that the second feature is insufficient (No in S15). That is, in this other example, the second feature including the fourth feature corresponding to the feature designation information is an example of the second feature being sufficient (Yes in S15).

[0115] 3-3. Operation of sender terminal 20 Fig. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of sender terminal 20 according to this embodiment. Compared with the flowchart of Fig. 11 according to embodiment 2, the flowchart of Fig. 14 further includes steps S71 and S72 in addition to steps S51 to S54 also included in Fig. 11.

[0116] In step S71, the processor 21 receives input of characteristic designation information from the sender. The characteristic designation information is input to the processor 21 via the input / output interface 23 from an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, or the input unit of the camera 25.

[0117] After step S71, the processor 21 transmits the input feature designation information to the server device 10 (S72).

[0118] Steps S71 and S72 may be executed before step S51 or between step S51 and step S52, different from the order shown in FIG.

[0119] As described above, in the process (S11 or S12) of receiving from the sender terminal 20 the item image 2 or the first feature amount, which is an example of the first feature information, the processor 11 of the server device 10 according to this embodiment further receives additional feature information related to the item specified by the sender from the sender terminal 20. If the received item image or the second feature amount, which is an example of the second feature information received in step S13 or S14, does not include a fourth feature amount corresponding to the additional feature information, the processor 11 transmits second instruction information for obtaining the fourth feature amount to the recipient terminal 30.

[0120] With this configuration, the recipient can obtain a fourth feature corresponding to the additional feature information using the camera 35 in accordance with the second instruction information obtained through the recipient terminal 30, and provide the fourth feature to the server device 10 via the recipient terminal 30. This allows the server device 10 to obtain features including the fourth feature regarding the received item, thereby improving the accuracy of matching the sent item image 2 and the received item image 3 and determining their identity.

[0121] 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an identity determination system 301 according to embodiment 4. The identity determination system 301 is used in a sales contract in which the sender is the seller and the recipient is the buyer. Compared to the identity determination system 1 according to embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1, the identity determination system 301 further includes a payment system 40.

[0122] Fig. 16 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing flow in the identity determination system 301 of Fig. 15. As shown in Fig. 16, first, the sender terminal 20 and the server device 10 perform a process of registering the feature amounts of the item to be sent. For example, the sender terminal 20 sends an item image 2 to the server device 10, and the server device 10 calculates and stores the feature amounts of the item image 2.

[0123] The server device 10 performs payment registration with the payment system 40. In the payment registration, the server device 10 transmits information necessary for payment to the payment system 40. The information necessary for payment includes, for example, product information, a transaction ID, key information for performing payment, or the sender's account number.

[0124] As shown by the dashed arrow in Fig. 16, after the feature amount of the item is registered, the sender usually sends the item to the recipient. The item may be sent after or before the payment registration.

[0125] Next, the identity determination process is started by the server device 10. The server device 10 transmits the identity determination result to the recipient terminal 30. The recipient can know the identity determination result by checking the display screen of the recipient terminal 30.

[0126] After confirming that the sent item and the received item are identical, the recipient uses the recipient terminal 30 to execute a settlement process for the settlement system 40. As a result, the recipient pays the purchase price to the sender.

[0127] In response to this, the recipient may not proceed with the payment process if the identity determination result indicates that the sent item and the received item are not the same. Alternatively, if the processor 11 of the server device 10 determines that the sent item and the received item are not the same, it may send a message to the sender terminal 20 refusing to pay the purchase price. This prevents the recipient from paying the purchase price to the sender when the received item is not the intended item, allowing the recipient to use the e-commerce service with peace of mind.

[0128] 5. Other Embodiments As described above, the embodiments have been described as examples of the technology of the present disclosure. For this purpose, the accompanying drawings and detailed description have been provided. The components described in the accompanying drawings and detailed description may include not only components essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem in order to exemplify the above technology. Therefore, the fact that these non-essential components are described in the accompanying drawings or detailed description should not be construed as indicating that these non-essential components are essential.

[0129] Furthermore, since the above-described embodiments are intended to exemplify the technology of the present disclosure, various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents. Modifications as such other embodiments are shown below.

[0130] 5-1. First Modification In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the processor 11 of the server device 10 receives the sender image 2 in step S11 of FIG. 6 and calculates the first feature amount of the sender image 2 in step S12. However, the method by which the processor 11 acquires the first feature amount is not limited to this example. For example, the first feature amount may be calculated in the sender terminal 20, and the processor 11 of the server device 10 may receive the first feature amount from the sender terminal 20.

[0131] Similarly, in the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the processor 11 receives the recipient image 3 in step S13 of Fig. 6 and calculates the second feature of the recipient image 3 in step S14, but the method by which the processor 11 acquires the second feature is not limited to this example. For example, the second feature may be calculated in the recipient terminal 30, and the processor 11 of the server device 10 may receive the first feature from the recipient terminal 30.

[0132] 5-2. Second Modification In the first to fourth embodiments and the first modification, examples have been described in which the feature information is a feature amount of an image. That is, in the first embodiment and the first modification, examples have been described in which the first feature information is a first feature amount and the second feature information is a second feature amount. However, the first and second feature information are not limited to these pieces of information.

[0133] For example, the feature information may be an image or image data. The first feature information may be a sent item image 2, and the second feature information may be a received item image 3. The feature information may be data combining an image or image data with its feature quantities. The image may be an RGB image, or a distance image (depth image) using information acquired from a distance sensor or the like. The image data may include internal camera parameters indicating the camera focus when each image was captured. The image data may include information such as external camera parameters including camera position data indicating the camera position when the image was captured.

[0134] 5-3. Third Modification The feature information may be a 3D model of an object. The 3D model may include data such as point cloud data and mesh data. For example, the first feature information may be a 3D model of the item being sent, and the second feature information may be a 3D model of the item being received. In one example, the process of generating the 3D model from the multi-view image is executed by processor 21 of the sender terminal 20 or processor 31 of the recipient terminal 30, and server device 10 acquires the 3D model from the sender terminal 20 or the recipient terminal 30. Alternatively, processor 11 of server device 10 may acquire the multi-view image from the sender terminal 20 or the recipient terminal 30, and generate the 3D model based on the acquired multi-view image.

[0135] Methods for generating 3D models from multi-viewpoint images are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 4491293 and Jacob Munkberg et al., Extracting Triangular 3D Models, Materials, and Lighting From Images, arXiv:2111.12503.

[0136] In this modification, the portion of the received item to be recorded (third characteristic information) identified in step S19 of Fig. 6 may be a portion of the received item for which a 3D model has not been formed or a portion for which a 3D model is missing. In this case, in step S36 of Fig. 7, the processor 31 may, based on the first instruction information, superimpose an image indicating the 3D model or the portion to be recorded on an image of the received item displayed on a display, which is an example of the output device 36.

[0137] Furthermore, in step S34 of FIG. 7 , where the recipient terminal 30 receives the results of the identity determination process, the recipient terminal 30 may also receive 3D models of the sent item and the received item. This allows the recipient to compare the 3D models of the sent item and the received item using, for example, the display of the recipient terminal 30. The recipient can view the 3D models of the sent item and the received item from various angles. Furthermore, by using the 3D models, the recipient can accurately check the contours, size, etc. of the entire item or a particular part. Therefore, the recipient can verify in more detail whether the sent item and the received item are the same.

[0138] When applying this modified example to embodiment 2, in step S41 of Figure 9, processor 11 may determine that the first feature is insufficient (No in S41) if there is a part of the item for which a 3D model has not been formed or a part for which a 3D model is missing.

[0139] 5-4. Fourth Modification The feature information may be audio information. For example, the first feature information may be a sound generated from the sent item, and the second feature information may be a sound generated from the received item. If the sent item or received item is an audio output device such as a speaker, such audio information may be, for example, a sound output by the sent item or received item when power is supplied. Alternatively, the audio information may be a sound generated from the sent item itself or the received item itself. Examples of a sound generated from the object itself include a sound made by the object if the object is a musical instrument, or a sound generated by hitting the object. The feature information may be the audio data itself, or a feature obtained by analyzing the audio data.

[0140] When this modification is applied to embodiment 1, in step S36 of FIG. 7, the processor 31 may cause the output device 36 to output a text or voice message such as "Please play the audio file," "Please play the instrument," or "Please hit it" based on the first instruction information.

[0141] 5-5. Fifth Modification The characteristic information may be temperature information. For example, the first characteristic information may be the temperature of the item being sent, and the second characteristic information may be the temperature of the item being received. Such temperature information is the temperature of the item being sent or the item being received under specific conditions, and is measured, for example, by a temperature sensor. For example, the first characteristic information and the second characteristic information are the temperatures of the item being sent and the item being received when the ambient temperature is a predetermined temperature. Alternatively, if the item being sent and the item being received are heat sources such as heaters, the first characteristic information and the second characteristic information may be the temperatures of the item being sent and the item being received, respectively, at a predetermined time after startup.

[0142] When applying this modified example to embodiment 1, in step S36 of Figure 7, the processor 31 may cause the output device 36 to output a text or voice message such as ``Please bring the temperature sensor closer'' based on the first instruction information.

[0143] 5-6. Sixth Modification In the third embodiment, an example was described in which, when the item is a work of art such as a sculpture, the sender designates the elaborately crafted part, the sender's signature, etc. as the characteristic designation information, but examples of the characteristic designation information are not limited to this. For example, the sender may designate characters such as a serial number written or engraved on the item as the characteristic designation information.

[0144] 6. Supplementary Notes The following provides examples of aspects of the present disclosure.

[0145] <Aspect 1> A server device used in an identity determination system, the identity determination system including a sender terminal and a recipient terminal, the server device having a processor, the processor: receives from the sender terminal first feature information indicating a first object sent by a sender to a recipient, receives from the recipient terminal second feature information indicating a second object received by the recipient, performs a matching process to match the first feature information with the second feature information, and determines whether the first object and the second object are the same based on a result of the matching process.

[0146] <Aspect 2> The server device according to Aspect 1, wherein, if the first feature information and the second feature information cannot be matched in the matching process, the processor further performs a transmission process of transmitting to the recipient terminal first instruction information for obtaining at least one third feature information related to the second object, the third feature information being added to the second feature information to enable matching of the first feature information and the second feature information.

[0147] <Aspect 3> The server device according to aspect 2, wherein the processor, when the number of pieces of third feature information is two or more, determines a priority of each piece of third feature information based on a difference between the first feature information and the second feature information, and in the transmission process, transmits the first instruction information to the recipient terminal based on the determined priority.

[0148] <Aspect 4> The server device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein, if the first characteristic information received from the sender terminal does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the processor transmits to the sender terminal information necessary for the first characteristic information to satisfy the predetermined condition.

[0149] <Aspect 5> The server device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein the processor, in the process of receiving the first feature information from the sender terminal, further receives from the sender terminal additional feature information regarding the first object specified by the sender, and, in the process of receiving the second feature information from the recipient terminal, if the received second feature information does not include fourth feature information corresponding to the additional feature information, transmits second instruction information to the recipient terminal for obtaining the fourth feature information.

[0150] <Aspect 6> The server device according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the server device is used in a sales contract in which the sender is the seller and the recipient is the buyer, and the processor, if it determines that the first object and the second object are not the same, sends a message to the sender terminal refusing to pay the purchase price.

[0151] Aspect 7 The server device according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the first feature information is image data of the first object, and the second feature information is image data of the second object.

[0152] Aspect 8 The server device according to aspect 7, wherein the image data includes at least one of RGB image data, distance image data, and camera position data.

[0153] Aspect 9 The server device according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the first feature information is a 3D model of the first object, and the second feature information is a 3D model of the second object.

[0154] Aspect 10 The server device according to aspect 9, wherein the 3D model includes at least one of point cloud data and mesh data.

[0155] <Aspect 11> The server device according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the first feature information is information indicating a sound generated from the first object, and the second feature information is information indicating a sound generated from the second object.

[0156] <Aspect 12> The server device according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the first characteristic information is information indicating a temperature of the first object, and the second characteristic information is information indicating a temperature of the second object.

[0157] <Aspect 13> A program executed by a processor of a server device used in an identity determination system, the identity determination system including a sender terminal and a recipient terminal, the processor: receives, from the sender terminal of the sender, first feature information indicating a first object sent by a sender to a recipient, and receives, from the recipient terminal of the recipient, second feature information indicating a second object received by the recipient, the program causing the processor to: perform a matching process to match the first feature information with the second feature information, and determine whether the first object and the second object are the same based on a result of the matching process.

[0158] <Aspect 14> A method performed by a processor of a server device used in an identity determination system, the identity determination system including a sender terminal and a recipient terminal, the method including the steps of: the processor receiving, from the sender terminal, first feature information indicating a first object sent by a sender to a recipient; the processor receiving, from the recipient terminal, second feature information indicating a second object received by the recipient; the processor performing a matching process to match the first feature information with the second feature information; and the processor determining, based on a result of the matching process, whether the first object and the second object are the same.

[0159] The present disclosure is applicable to a server device that communicates with external terminals such as a sender terminal and a recipient terminal.

[0160] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Identity determination system 2 Image of sent item 3 Image of received item 10 Server device 11 Processor 12 Storage device 13 Communication interface 20 Sender terminal 21 Processor 22 Storage device 23 Input / output interface 24 Communication interface 25 Camera 26 Output device 30 Recipient terminal 31 Processor 32 Storage device 33 Input / output interface 34 Communication interface 35 Camera 36 Output device 37 Heat map 38 Image capture position display 39 Arrow 40 Payment system 111 Feature calculation unit 112 Identity determination unit 113 Required recording area calculation unit 121 Program 301 Identity determination system

Claims

1. A server device used in an identity determination system, The identity determination system includes a sender terminal and a recipient terminal. The server device includes a processor, The aforementioned processor, The sender's terminal receives first characteristic information indicating a first object that the sender is sending to the recipient. The recipient's terminal receives second characteristic information indicating the second object received by the recipient. A matching process is performed to compare the first characteristic information with the second characteristic information. Based on the results of the matching process, it is determined whether the first object and the second object are identical. Server device.

2. The server device according to claim 1, wherein the processor further performs a transmission process to send to the recipient terminal a first instruction information for obtaining at least one third feature information relating to the second object, which, when the first feature information and the second feature information cannot be matched in the matching process, enables the matching of the first feature information and the second feature information.

3. The aforementioned processor, If the number of third feature information items is two or more, the priority order of each third feature information item is determined based on the difference between the first feature information item and the second feature information item. In the transmission process, the first instruction information is transmitted to the recipient terminal based on the determined priority order. The server device according to claim 2.

4. The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor transmits to the sender terminal information necessary for the first characteristic information to satisfy predetermined conditions if the first characteristic information received from the sender terminal does not satisfy predetermined conditions.

5. The aforementioned processor, In the process of receiving the first characteristic information from the sender terminal, additional characteristic information relating to the first object specified by the sender is further received from the sender terminal. The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, in the process of receiving the second characteristic information from the recipient terminal, if the received second characteristic information does not include the fourth characteristic information corresponding to the additional characteristic information, the server device transmits a second instruction information to the recipient terminal for obtaining the fourth characteristic information.

6. The server device is used in a sales contract in which the sender is the seller and the recipient is the buyer. The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor determines that the first object and the second object are not the same, and sends a message to the sender terminal refusing to pay the purchase price.

7. The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first feature information is image data of the first object, and the second feature information is image data of the second object.

8. The server device according to claim 7, wherein the image data includes at least one of RGB image data, distance image data, and camera position data.

9. The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first feature information is a 3D model of the first object, and the second feature information is a 3D model of the second object.

10. The server device according to claim 9, wherein the 3D model includes at least one of point cloud data and mesh data.

11. The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first characteristic information is information indicating a sound generated from the first object, and the second characteristic information is information indicating a sound generated from the second object.

12. The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first characteristic information is information indicating the temperature of the first object, and the second characteristic information is information indicating the temperature of the second object.

13. A program executed by the processor of a server device used in an identity determination system, The identity determination system includes a sender terminal and a recipient terminal. The aforementioned processor, The sender receives first characteristic information from the sender's terminal that indicates a first object that the sender is sending to the recipient. The recipient receives second characteristic information indicating the second object received by the recipient from the recipient's terminal. The program is provided to the processor: A matching process is performed to compare the first characteristic information and the second characteristic information. Based on the results of the matching process, it is determined whether the first object and the second object are identical. program.