Server device, server device control method, storage medium, and system

Abstract

Provided is a server device that is used in biometric authentication and that makes it possible to store, in a terminal possessed by a user, biometric information which is difficult to acquire using a smartphone or the like. A server device according to the present invention comprises a storage means and a first control means. The storage means stores an ID which has been issued for each of a plurality of users. The first control means receives, from an acquisition device, the ID of one user and the biometric information of said one user. The first control means identifies said one user from among the plurality of users on the basis of the received ID. The first control means transmits the received biometric information to a terminal possessed by said identified one user.

Description

Server device, server device control method, storage medium and system

[0001] The present invention relates to a server device, a control method for a server device, a storage medium, and a system.

[0002] Biometric authentication technology exists.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an information presentation system that allows a user's personal information to be kept under the user's control at all times, has high security through user authentication, and prevents others from viewing the information when it is presented. The information presentation system in Patent Document 1 includes a storage medium, an information display means, a detection means, and an authentication processing device. The storage medium is a portable medium that stores biometric information, which is biometric information unique to an individual user, and personal information held by the user. The information display means displays the content of the personal information stored in the storage medium only within the user's field of vision. The detection means detects the user's biometric information. The authentication processing device reads the biometric information stored in the storage medium and the biometric information detected by the detection means, compares the two to perform user authentication, and only allows the information display means to display the personal information once user authentication is established.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-006393

[0005] In recent years, various services using biometric authentication have begun to be provided. As the provision of services using biometric authentication becomes widespread, users have begun to desire to manage their own biometric information themselves. To meet this demand, a system has been developed in which users can, for example, register their own facial images on a device (smartphone) and provide the registered facial images to businesses as needed.

[0006] While such systems allow users to manage their own facial images for facial recognition, it is anticipated that facial recognition alone will not be sufficient for all use cases. Therefore, it would be desirable for users to be able to manage their own biometric information, such as iris and fingerprints, but there is a problem in that it is difficult to obtain iris and fingerprints on devices that users carry with them.

[0007] However, the problem cannot be solved by applying the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that iris images are primarily acquired using a head-mounted display. It is difficult to acquire iris images using devices such as smartphones that are normally carried by users.

[0008] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a server device, a control method for a server device, a storage medium, and a system that contribute to enabling biometric information used for biometric authentication and difficult to obtain using a smartphone or the like to be stored on a terminal carried by a user.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a server device is provided which includes: a storage means for storing IDs issued to each of a plurality of users; and a first control means for receiving the ID of a single user and biometric information of the single user from an acquisition device, identifying the single user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified single user.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a server device, comprising: a storage process for storing IDs issued to each of a plurality of users; and a first control process for receiving the ID of one user and biometric information of the one user from an acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user.

[0011] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer mounted on a server device to execute a storage process for storing IDs issued to each of a plurality of users, and a first control process for receiving the ID of one user and biometric information of the one user from an acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system including an acquisition device and a server device, wherein the server device is equipped with a storage means for storing IDs issued to each of a plurality of users, and a first control means for receiving the ID of one user and biometric information of the one user from the acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user.

[0013] According to each aspect of the present invention, a server device, a control method for a server device, a storage medium, and a system are provided that contribute to enabling biometric information used for biometric authentication and difficult to obtain using a smartphone or the like to be stored in a terminal carried by a user. Note that the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above. The present invention may achieve other effects instead of or in addition to the effects described above.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an authentication system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation of the authentication system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation of the authentication system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation of the authentication system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation of the authentication system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation of the authentication system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of a control server according to the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an account management database according to the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display of a terminal according to the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of the control server according to the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of the control server according to the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of a service server according to the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user management database according to the present disclosure. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of an authentication terminal according to the present disclosure. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of an acquisition device according to the present disclosure. Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display of an acquisition device according to the present disclosure. Fig. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of a terminal according to the present disclosure. Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display of a terminal according to the present disclosure. Fig. 21 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an operation of an authentication system according to the present disclosure. Fig. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a control server according to the present disclosure. Fig. 23 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display of a terminal according to a modification of the present disclosure. Fig. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display of a terminal according to a modification of the present disclosure. Fig. 25 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display of a terminal according to a modification of the present disclosure. Fig. 26 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display of a terminal according to a modification of the present disclosure.

[0015] First, an overview of one embodiment will be described. Note that the reference numerals in the drawings are added to each element for convenience as an example to facilitate understanding, and the description of this overview is not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the blocks shown in each drawing represent functional units, not hardware units. Connection lines between blocks in each drawing include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows are used to schematically indicate the flow of the main signal (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. Note that in this specification and drawings, elements that can be similarly described may be assigned the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation.

[0016] A server device 100 according to one embodiment includes a storage unit 101 and a first control unit 102 (see FIG. 1). The storage unit 101 stores IDs issued to multiple users (step S1 in FIG. 2). The first control unit 102 receives the ID of a user and the biometric information of the user from an acquisition device (step S2). The first control unit 102 identifies the user from the multiple users based on the received ID (step S3). The first control unit 102 transmits the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified user (step S4).

[0017] The server device 100 acquires biometric information from acquisition devices (devices that acquire biometric information that is difficult for a terminal carried by a user to acquire) installed in various locations throughout the city. The server device 100 transmits the acquired biometric information to the terminal of the user (a user who visits a biometric information acquisition station where an acquisition device is installed). The terminal stores the received biometric information internally. In other words, the terminal can internally store biometric information that is used for biometric authentication and is difficult to acquire using a smartphone or the like.

[0018] Specific embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0019] First Embodiment The first embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0020] [System Configuration] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an authentication system (information processing system) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 3, the authentication system includes multiple service providers A to C, an authentication center, and a biometric information acquisition station.

[0021] A service provider is a business that provides services to users using biometric authentication. The authentication system disclosed herein is premised on service providers belonging to various business types and industries providing services using biometric authentication. Note that the services provided by the service providers may be paid or free of charge.

[0022] For example, examples of service providers include businesses that provide rental housing services such as condominiums, businesses that are the employers of employees (the users' employers), businesses that provide events such as concerts, businesses that operate means of transportation such as airplanes, etc. Service providers disclosed in the present application also include businesses that provide accommodation services, businesses such as retail stores, businesses that provide financial services, educational businesses, etc. Furthermore, service providers are not limited to private businesses. Public institutions such as local governments may also be service providers.

[0023] The authentication center is the entity that controls and manages the biometric authentication of each of the multiple service providers. Any business (service provider) that wishes to provide services using biometric authentication to users (general consumers) must enter into a contract with the authentication center.

[0024] The authentication center includes a control server 10. The control server 10 performs the main functions of the authentication center. The control server 10 may be installed in the building of the authentication center, or may be a server installed on a network (cloud).

[0025] As described above, service providers provide users with services that use biometric authentication. For example, biometric authentication is performed when a user arrives at the office or returns home to their apartment, allowing only legitimately qualified users (employees, residents) to enter the office, etc. Alternatively, biometric authentication is performed for ticket verification at an event venue, check-in procedures at a hotel, immigration procedures at an airport, etc. Services are also provided to legitimately qualified users for such services (procedures). Alternatively, payment procedures at retail stores, etc., are performed using biometric authentication.

[0026] 3, each service provider includes a service server 20 and at least one authentication terminal 30. The devices included in the service provider (service server 20, authentication terminal 30) are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other. Specifically, the service server 20 and the authentication terminal 30 are connected by wired or wireless communication means.

[0027] The service server 20 is connected to the control server 10 via a network. The service server 20 may be installed in the building of the service provider, or may be installed on the cloud.

[0028] The service server 20 stores information required when providing services to users. Specifically, the service server 20 stores business information required when each service provider provides a service using biometric authentication, and information required for biometric authentication. The service server 20 uses a user management database to store the business information and information required for biometric authentication. The user management database will be described in detail later.

[0029] For example, the service server 20 of the company where the user works stores information such as the user's (employee's) name, date of birth, employee number, department, workplace, email address, etc. as business information. The service server 20 of an event company that hosts an event stores information on tickets purchased by event participants as business information. The service server 20 of a retail store or the like stores credit card information required for payment as business information.

[0030] The information necessary for biometric authentication stored in the service server 20 will be described in detail later.

[0031] The authentication terminal 30 is a device that serves as an interface for users who receive services. The authentication terminal 30 is installed at the service providing location of each service provider. More specifically, the authentication terminal 30 is installed in a store or the like that the user actually visits.

[0032] The authentication terminal 30 has functions and forms according to the type of business of the service provider. For example, an authentication terminal 30 installed in a workplace or an event venue can be a gate device equipped with a gate that restricts the passage of users (persons to be authenticated). Furthermore, an authentication terminal 30 installed in a retail store can be a tablet terminal.

[0033] Biometric information acquisition stations are installed in various locations throughout the city. Each station is equipped with an acquisition device 40 equipped with a fingerprint scanner, an iris camera, and the like. The acquisition device 40 is a device for acquiring biometric information that is difficult to acquire using a smartphone or other device carried by a user.

[0034] A user has a terminal 50. A dedicated application for receiving services using biometric authentication is installed on the terminal 50.

[0035] 3 is an example and is not intended to limit the configuration of the authentication system disclosed herein. For example, the authentication center may include two or more control servers 10. Furthermore, it is sufficient that at least one or more service providers participate in the authentication system. Furthermore, it is sufficient that each service provider has at least one or more service servers 20 and at least one or more authentication terminals 30. Furthermore, the number of biometric information acquisition points (acquisition devices 40) included in the authentication system is not limited to "1".

[0036] [Overall Operation] Next, an overall operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0037] <Account Creation> A user who wishes to receive a service from a service provider must create an account in the system. Specifically, the user operates the terminal 50 they own to access the control server 10 (see FIG. 4).

[0038] A user inputs login information (e.g., login ID and password), name, date of birth, email address, etc., on a WEB page provided by the control server 10. When the control server 10 acquires the login information, etc., it generates an ID for identifying the user. In the following description, the ID generated by the control server 10 will be referred to as a "system ID." The control server 10 associates the generated system ID with the login information, etc., and stores them in an account management database. Details of the account management database will be described later.

[0039] <Biometric Information Registration> A user who wishes to receive services using biometric authentication needs to register his / her own biometric information in the terminal 50 .

[0040] Here, to provide a service using biometric authentication, authentication information generated from biometric information must be registered in advance with the service provider. For example, when a service is provided using face authentication, feature amounts (feature vectors) generated from a face image must be registered in advance as authentication information. Alternatively, when a service is provided using fingerprint authentication, feature amounts generated from a fingerprint image must be registered in advance as authentication information.

[0041] In the following explanation, information that serves as the original (basis) for generating authentication information, such as a face image or a fingerprint image, will be referred to as "original biometric information." Also, features generated from the original biometric information and registered with the service provider will be referred to as "registered authentication information."

[0042] Once the user has completed the account creation, the user must register (store) the original biometric information in the terminal 50 .

[0043] There are two methods for registering original biometric information.

[0044] The first method is a method in which the terminal 50 directly acquires the original biometric information.

[0045] In this case, the terminal 50 acquires biometric information (for example, a facial image) using a GUI (Graphical User Interface) or the like. The terminal 50 verifies the quality of the acquired biometric information. If the acquired biometric information has sufficient quality for authentication purposes, the terminal 50 stores the acquired biometric information internally as original biometric information.

[0046] The second method is a method in which the terminal 50 acquires original biometric information via a biometric information acquisition center. For example, the second method is used for registering biometric information that is difficult to acquire using a camera or the like mounted on the terminal 50, such as a fingerprint image or an iris image.

[0047] Specifically, a user who wishes to store a fingerprint image, iris image, or the like as original biometric information for authentication purposes in terminal 50 visits a biometric information acquisition station installed in various locations around the city, such as a station or a commercial facility, etc. The user operates terminal 50 and displays the system ID issued by control server 10.

[0048] For example, the terminal 50 displays a two-dimensional barcode into which the system ID has been converted. The user reads the two-dimensional barcode displayed on the terminal 50 into the acquisition device 40. The acquisition device 40 decodes the two-dimensional barcode and acquires the system ID of the user.

[0049] Thereafter, the acquisition device 40 acquires biometric information (for example, a fingerprint image, an iris image) that the user wishes to store in the terminal 50. The acquisition device 40 acquires biometric information that is difficult for the terminal 50 to acquire using a dedicated fingerprint scanner, a dedicated iris camera, or the like.

[0050] The acquisition device 40 transmits a "biometric information transfer request" including the acquired biometric information and the system ID to the control server 10 (see FIG. 5).

[0051] The control server 10 uses the system ID included in the biometric information transfer request to identify the user (the user who wishes to register biometric information such as a fingerprint image in the terminal 50).

[0052] Furthermore, the control server 10 verifies the quality of the acquired biometric information (fingerprint image, iris image, etc.). The control server 10 verifies whether the acquired biometric information has sufficient quality for authentication purposes. If the biometric information has sufficient quality, the control server 10 transfers the biometric information acquired from the acquisition device 40 to the user's terminal 50.

[0053] After transferring the biometric information, the control server 10 discards the biometric information.

[0054] The terminal 50 stores the biometric information received from the control server 10 internally as original biometric information.

[0055] In this way, the terminal 50 internally stores original biometric information (for example, a face image, a fingerprint image, an iris image) that serves as the original of the authentication information used for biometric authentication.

[0056] <Service Selection> A user who has registered in the system (created an account) and registered their original biometric information selects the service provider from which they would like to receive biometric authentication services. The user selects the service provider from which they would like to receive services from among the multiple service providers participating in the authentication system (service providers that have contracts with the authentication center).

[0057] The control server 10 stores information about service providers participating in the authentication system. For example, the control server 10 stores the name, type of business, location, etc. of each service provider. Furthermore, the control server 10 stores the type of authentication method each service provider uses when providing its service. For example, the control server 10 stores the authentication method adopted by each service provider, such as "Service provider A: facial authentication" and "Service provider B: fingerprint authentication." The control server 10 holds information about each of multiple service providers and allows users to select a service provider.

[0058] When a user operates the terminal 50 to perform a predetermined operation on the user's own portal site, the control server 10 displays a GUI or the like on the terminal 50, which enables the user to select a desired service (service provider). The control server 10 uses the GUI to obtain the service (biometric authentication service) desired by the user.

[0059] <User Registration> After acquiring the service provider selected by the user, the control server 10 executes control related to "user registration" that enables the selected service provider to provide the user with a service that uses biometric authentication.

[0060] Specifically, the control server 10 controls the selected service provider to acquire the original biometric information stored in the user's terminal 50. The service provider generates registered authentication information from the acquired original biometric information and associates the generated registered authentication information with business information, thereby becoming ready to provide the service to the user.

[0061] Specifically, the user operates the terminal 50 to access the control server 10 and log in to their own portal site. When the user performs a predetermined operation on the portal site (for example, pressing a service provider selection button), the control server 10 displays a GUI including a list of service providers on the terminal 50.

[0062] When the user selects one service provider from the list of service providers displayed on the terminal 50, the control server 10 requests the user to provide original biometric information. Specifically, the control server 10 transmits an "original biometric information provision request" including the authentication method adopted by the selected service provider to the user's terminal 50 (see step S01 in FIG. 6).

[0063] Upon receiving the request for providing original biometric information, the terminal 50 transmits the original biometric information (e.g., one of a face image, a fingerprint image, and an iris image) corresponding to the authentication method included in the request for providing original biometric information to the control server 10 (step S02).

[0064] The control server 10 notifies the service provider selected by the user of the user's system ID, the acquired original biometric information, personal identification information, etc. The personal identification information is information for identifying the user. Examples of personal identification information include the user's name, or a combination of the user's name and date of birth. Alternatively, an employee number, an apartment room number, etc. may be used as personal identification information.

[0065] The control server 10 transmits a "user registration request" including the system ID, the original biometric information, the individual identification information, etc. to the service server 20 of the service provider selected by the user (step S03).

[0066] Upon receiving the user registration request, the service server 20 searches the user management database using the acquired personal identification information to identify the user who wishes to register (to receive services using biometric authentication). The service server 20 stores the system ID and registration authentication information (features) obtained from the original biometric information in the entry for the identified user.

[0067] The service server 20 transmits a response including the result of the user registration (success or failure of the user registration) to the control server 10 (step S04).

[0068] In this way, the user provides the original biometric information (master data of the biometric information) stored in the terminal 50 such as a smartphone to the service provider via the control server 10 of the authentication center. At that time, the terminal 50 continues to internally store the original biometric information (master data) of the user.

[0069] The control server 10 deletes the original biometric information (e.g., face image, fingerprint image, iris image) acquired from the user when it transmits a user registration request to the service server 20 or when it receives a response to the request. Furthermore, when the service server 20 generates registration authentication information (e.g., feature amounts), it deletes the original biometric information acquired from the control server 10.

[0070] <Provision of Service> After completing the service selection, the user visits the service provider to receive the service. For example, the user visits the facility, store, etc. of the service provider where the user will receive the service selected by the user, such as an office, amusement park, event venue, or retail store.

[0071] The authentication terminal 30 acquires biometric information of the user (person to be authenticated) who receives the service. Specifically, the authentication terminal 30 acquires biometric information (e.g., a face image, a fingerprint image, an iris image) corresponding to the authentication method adopted by the company.

[0072] The authentication terminal 30 transmits an authentication request including the acquired biometric information to the service server 20 (see FIG. 7). Note that the authentication terminal 30 may transmit other information (e.g., payment information such as the price of the purchased product) along with the biometric information to the service server 20 as needed. Alternatively, the authentication terminal 30 may transmit information used in the authentication process (e.g., credit card information) along with the biometric information to the service server 20.

[0073] The service server 20 generates authentication information for matching from the acquired biometric information. For example, the service server 20 generates features from a face image or a fingerprint image for matching. The service server 20 executes a matching process (one-to-N matching; N is a positive integer; the same applies hereinafter) using the generated authentication information for matching (hereinafter referred to as matching authentication information) and registered authentication information registered in the user management database.

[0074] The service server 20 identifies the user (person to be authenticated) registered in the user management database through the matching process.

[0075] The service server 20 authenticates the identified user using the user's business information. For example, the service server 20 of an employee's employer determines that the authentication has been successful if the person to be authenticated is an employee of the company and has the right to enter the office. Alternatively, a service server 20 installed at an event venue determines that the authentication has been successful if the ticket purchased by the person to be authenticated is valid. Alternatively, a service server 20 installed at a retail store determines that the authentication has been successful if the payment for the goods or other items purchased by the person to be authenticated is successful.

[0076] The service server 20 transmits the authentication result (authentication success, authentication failure) to the authentication terminal 30 .

[0077] The authentication terminal 30 executes processing according to the authentication result. For example, upon receiving a successful authentication, an authentication terminal 30 installed in an office opens the gate and allows the person to be authenticated to pass through. Alternatively, upon receiving a successful authentication, an authentication terminal 30 installed at an event venue allows the person to pass through the gate. Alternatively, upon receiving a successful authentication, an authentication terminal 30 installed at a retail store notifies the person to be authenticated that payment for the product has been completed.

[0078] <Cancelling user registration> A user can cancel his / her user registration with a service provider from which he / she wishes to receive services and has registered as a user.

[0079] The user operates the terminal 50 to access the control server 10 and log in to the user's portal site. When the user performs a predetermined operation on the portal site (for example, pressing the cancel button for a service provider), the control server 10 displays a GUI including a list of service providers on the terminal 50.

[0080] When a user selects a service provider for which user registration has already been completed from among the service providers listed on the terminal 50, the control server 10 executes control related to the cancellation of the user registration of the selected service provider.

[0081] When the service provider from which the user's registration is to be cancelled is selected, the control server 10 transmits a "cancellation request" including the user's system ID to the service server 20 of the selected service provider (step S10 in FIG. 8).

[0082] The service server 20 searches the user management database using the system ID as a key to identify users who wish to cancel their user registration (opt out). The service server 20 deletes at least the system ID and registered authentication information of the identified users from the user management database.

[0083] The service server 20 transmits a response to the deregistration request to the control server 10 (step S11). Specifically, if the system ID and registered authentication information are successfully deleted (opt-out is successful), the service server 20 transmits a positive response indicating that to the control server 10. If the system ID and registered authentication information are not successfully deleted (opt-out is unsuccessful), the service server 20 transmits a negative response indicating that to the control server 10.

[0084] The control server 10 notifies the user of the result of the processing in response to the deregistration request (user deregistration successful, user deregistration failed).

[0085] Next, each device included in the authentication system according to the first embodiment will be described in detail.

[0086] 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the control server 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 9, the control server 10 includes a communication control unit 201, an account management unit 202, a business operator management unit 203, an original registration control unit 204, a service selection control unit 205, a user registration control unit 206, and a storage unit 207.

[0087] The communication control unit 201 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 201 receives data (packets) from the service server 20. The communication control unit 201 also transmits data to the service server 20. The communication control unit 201 passes data received from other devices to other processing modules. The communication control unit 201 transmits data acquired from other processing modules to other devices. In this way, other processing modules transmit and receive data to and from other devices via the communication control unit 201. The communication control unit 201 has a function as a receiving unit that receives data from other devices and a function as a transmitting unit that transmits data to other devices.

[0088] The account management unit 202 is a means for managing a user's account. When a user operates the terminal 50 to access a predetermined homepage or the like, the account management unit 202 acquires information necessary to create an account for the user.

[0089] Specifically, the account management unit 202 acquires personal information such as login information, name, date of birth, and email address. Upon acquiring the login information, the account management unit 202 generates a system ID for identifying the user. The system ID may be any information that can uniquely identify the user. For example, the account management unit 202 may assign a unique value each time an account is created and use this as the system ID.

[0090] The account management unit 202 transmits the generated system ID to the user's terminal 50. The account management unit 202 issues the system ID to the user.

[0091] The account management unit 202 associates the generated system ID, login information, name, etc. and stores them in the account management database (see FIG. 10). Note that the account management database shown in FIG. 10 is an example and is not intended to limit the items to be stored. For example, the account creation date and time, etc. may also be stored in the account management database.

[0092] Furthermore, the account management unit 202 acquires login information for logging in to the user's own portal site from the user's terminal 50. The account management unit 202 performs authentication using the login information.

[0093] The business management unit 203 is a means for managing service providers (service businesses) participating in the authentication system. The business management unit 203 acquires business information to be registered in the system (such as the name, type of business, location, authentication method adopted, and address of the service server 20 of the service provider) from the staff of each service provider.

[0094] For example, the business management unit 203 may provide each service provider with an interface for inputting business information, etc. Alternatively, each service provider may send a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or the like storing business information, etc. to the authentication center. The business management unit 203 may acquire business information, etc. from staff, etc. of the authentication center.

[0095] The business management unit 203 generates an ID (business ID) for the service provider from which the business information, etc. has been acquired. The business management unit 203 stores the generated business ID and the acquired business information, etc. in association with each other.

[0096] The original registration control unit 204 is a means for executing control to register original biometric information, such as a fingerprint image or an iris image, which is difficult for the terminal 50 to acquire, in the terminal 50. The original registration control unit 204 corresponds to a first control unit (first control means).

[0097] The original registration control unit 204 receives the system ID of one user and the biometric information of the one user from the acquisition device 40, and identifies the one user from among multiple users based on the received system ID. The original registration control unit 204 transmits the received biometric information to the terminal 50 held by the identified one user.

[0098] The original registration control unit 204 receives a "biometric information transfer request" including the biometric information and the system ID from the acquisition device 40.

[0099] The original registration control unit 204 searches the account management database using the system ID included in the biometric information transfer request as a key, and identifies the corresponding user.

[0100] Furthermore, the original registration control unit 204 verifies the quality of the acquired biometric information (fingerprint image, iris image, etc.). The original registration control unit 204 verifies whether the acquired biometric information has sufficient quality (predetermined quality) as biometric information for authentication purposes.

[0101] For example, the original registration control unit 204 verifies the quality of the acquired biometric information by inputting the acquired biometric information into a learning model obtained by machine learning.

[0102] The learning model is obtained by machine learning using a large amount of training data in which labels (quality determined by an expert; sufficient quality, insufficient quality) are assigned to image data (for example, fingerprint images, iris images). Any algorithm such as a support vector machine, boosting, or neural network can be used to generate the learning model. Note that known techniques can be used for the algorithms such as the support vector machine, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0103] If the biometric information has sufficient quality, the original registration control unit 204 transmits the biometric information acquired from the acquisition device 40 to the terminal 50 of the user identified from the system ID. The original registration control unit 204 transmits the biometric information to an email address (an email address that can be received by the terminal 50) listed in the user management database.

[0104] After transmitting the biometric information, the original registration control unit 204 deletes the biometric information acquired from the acquisition device 40 .

[0105] If the biometric information has sufficient quality, the original registration control unit 204 notifies the acquisition device 40 that the transfer of the biometric information has been completed. The original registration control unit 204 transmits an affirmative response indicating this to the acquisition device 40.

[0106] If the biometric information does not have sufficient quality, the original registration control unit 204 notifies the acquisition device 40 that the biometric information cannot be transferred. The original registration control unit 204 transmits a negative response to that effect to the acquisition device 40.

[0107] In this way, the original registration control unit 204 verifies the quality of the biometric information received from the acquisition device 40 and transmits to the terminal 50 the biometric information that has been verified to have a predetermined quality.

[0108] The service selection control unit 205 is a means for controlling the selection of a biometric authentication service (service provider) by a user. The service selection control unit 205 enables the user to select a service provider from which the user wishes to receive a service from among a plurality of service providers that offer services using biometric authentication. The service selection control unit 205 corresponds to a second control unit (second control means).

[0109] When a user operates the terminal 50 to log in to the portal site and performs a predetermined operation on the portal site, the service selection control unit 205 displays, for example, a GUI such as that shown in FIG.

[0110] When displaying the GUI, the service selection control unit 205 displays the service providers so that the user can distinguish between service providers that have already been selected and those that have not been selected. In the example of Fig. 11, a service provider with a check mark in the upper right corner of the icon representing the service provider indicates a service provider that has already been selected, while a service provider with no check mark indicates a service provider that has not been selected. In this way, when the user selects a service provider from which the user wants to receive a service, the service selection control unit 205 allows the user to distinguish between service providers that have already been selected by the user and service providers that have not been selected by the user.

[0111] The service selection control unit 205 uses the business operator information and information registered in the account management database to display a GUI such as that shown in Fig. 11. Specifically, the service selection control unit 205 references the business operator information to generate a list of service providers that have concluded contracts with the authentication center. The service selection control unit 205 also references the selected service field in the account management database to acquire the service provider (the business operator ID of the service provider) that the user has selected.

[0112] In addition, when displaying a list of service providers, the service selection control unit 205 may also provide the user with more detailed information about each service provider (e.g., type of business, services offered, store location, authentication method used, etc.).

[0113] The service selection control unit 205 passes information on the service provider selected by the user (for example, the business ID of the service provider for which the user wishes to register) to the user registration control unit 206 .

[0114] The service selection control unit 205 also enables the user to cancel a service provider that has already been selected by the user (to terminate receiving services from that service provider). Specifically, when the user performs a predetermined operation on the portal site, the service selection control unit 205 displays a GUI such as that shown in FIG.

[0115] When a service provider that has already been registered as a user is selected in Figure 11 (a service provider with a check mark in the upper right corner in the example of Figure 11), the service selection control unit 205 performs control to cancel the user registration of the selected service provider.

[0116] The service selection control unit 205 passes on information about the service provider selected by the user (the service provider for which the user wishes to cancel the user registration) to the user registration control unit 206 .

[0117] The user registration control unit 206 is a unit that controls "user registration" by the control server 10. The user registration control unit 206 corresponds to a third control unit (third control unit).

[0118] The user registration control unit 206 controls "user registration" that enables a service provider selected by a user to provide the user with a service using biometric authentication. Alternatively, the user registration control unit 206 controls the cancellation of user registration.

[0119] When the information of the service provider selected by the user is acquired from the service selection control unit 205, the user registration control unit 206 transmits an "original biometric information provision request" to the user's terminal 50. More specifically, the user registration control unit 206 transmits to the terminal 50 the original biometric information provision request including the authentication method adopted by the service provider selected by the user.

[0120] The user registration control unit 206 receives the original biometric information of the user (for example, a face image, a fingerprint image, an iris image) from the terminal 50 .

[0121] The user registration control unit 206 transmits a user registration request including the user's system ID, original biometric information, individual identification information, etc. to the service server 20 of the service provider corresponding to the service selected by the user.

[0122] The user registration control unit 206 acquires the system ID and personal identification information (for example, name or a combination of name and date of birth) from the account management database.

[0123] The user registration control unit 206 receives a response (positive response, negative response) to the user registration request.

[0124] If a positive response (user registration successful) is received, the user registration control unit 206 registers the business ID of the service provider selected by the user in the account management database. Also, if a positive response is received, the user registration control unit 206 notifies the user that user registration for the selected service provider was successful.

[0125] If a negative response (user registration failed) is received, the user registration control unit 206 notifies the user accordingly.

[0126] In this way, the user registration control unit 206 acquires biometric information from the user's terminal 50 corresponding to the authentication method adopted by the service provider selected by the user, and transmits the acquired biometric information to the service server 20 of the service provider selected by the user.

[0127] If the user wishes to cancel his / her registration, the user registration control unit 206 sends a "registration cancellation request" including the user's system ID to the service server 20 of the service provider for which cancellation is desired.

[0128] The user registration control unit 206 receives a response (positive response or negative response) to the deregistration request, and notifies the user of the result of the deregistration request.

[0129] Specifically, if a positive response (deregistration successful) is received, the user registration control unit 206 notifies the user accordingly. For example, by unchecking the icon shown in FIG. 11 , the user registration control unit 206 notifies the user that the user registration with the selected service provider has been deregistered. Alternatively, if deregistration is successful, the user registration control unit 206 may display a message indicating that the registered authentication information (e.g., feature amounts) has been deleted from the service provider (service server 20). In other words, the terminal 50 may report to the user that the feature amounts registered with the service server 20 have been deleted by deregistration. If a negative response (deregistration failed) is received, the user registration control unit 206 notifies the user accordingly.

[0130] The user registration control unit 206 also updates the account management database with information about the service provider whose user registration has been successfully cancelled (opted out). The user registration control unit 206 deletes the business ID of the service provider whose user registration has been successfully cancelled from the selected service field of the account management database.

[0131] Alternatively, the account management database may store a history of user registrations and cancellations. In this case, the user registration control unit 206 stores the business ID of a service provider who has been registered (opted in) and then cancelled (opted out) in the account management database (for example, by storing the business ID in a cancelled service field).

[0132] The storage unit 207 is a means for storing information necessary for the operation of the control server 10. The storage unit 207 uses an account management database to store information about the service provider selected by the user (the business ID of the service provider selected by the user). The storage unit 207 also stores IDs (system IDs) issued to each of multiple users.

[0133] The above-described operation of the control server 10 for user registration can be summarized as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

[0134] The control server 10 acquires the biometric authentication service (service provider) desired by the user (acquire selected service; step S101).

[0135] The control server 10 acquires the original biometric information by transmitting an "original biometric information provision request" to the terminal 50 carried by the user (step S102).

[0136] The control server 10 sends a user registration request including the system ID, the acquired original biometric information (e.g., face image, fingerprint image, iris image) and personal identification information (e.g., name) to the service server 20 (step S103).

[0137] The control server 10 receives a response to the user registration request from the service server 20 (step S104).

[0138] The control server 10 notifies the user whether the user registration was successful or not (step S105).

[0139] In this way, the control server 10 acquires the original biometric information by requesting the provision of the original biometric information from the terminal 50 held by the user, and transmits the acquired original biometric information to the service server 20 of the service provider selected by the user. At that time, the control server 10 transmits at least a system ID for managing the user on its own device and the acquired original biometric information to the service server 20.

[0140] Furthermore, the above-described operation of the control server 10 in relation to user registration cancellation can be summarized as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

[0141] The control server 10 acquires the biometric authentication service (service provider) for which the user wishes to cancel registration (acquire selected service; step S201).

[0142] The control server 10 transmits a deregistration request including the system ID to the service server 20 of the selected service provider (step S202).

[0143] The control server 10 receives a response to the deregistration request from the service server 20 (step S203).

[0144] The control server 10 notifies the user whether the user deregistration was successful or not (step S204).

[0145] 14 is a diagram showing an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the service server 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 14, the service server 20 includes a communication control unit 301, a business information management unit 302, a user registration control unit 303, an authentication unit 304, and a storage unit 305.

[0146] The communication control unit 301 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 301 receives data (packets) from the control server 10. The communication control unit 301 also transmits data to the control server 10. The communication control unit 301 passes data received from other devices to other processing modules. The communication control unit 301 transmits data acquired from other processing modules to other devices. In this way, other processing modules transmit and receive data to and from other devices via the communication control unit 301. The communication control unit 301 has a function as a receiving unit that receives data from other devices and a function as a transmitting unit that transmits data to other devices.

[0147] The business information management unit 302 is a means for managing and controlling business information required by the service provider to provide the service.

[0148] The business information management unit 302 acquires business information necessary for the provision of services by the company using any means. For example, the business information management unit 302 of the company where the user works acquires information such as the employee's name, date of birth, employee number, department, workplace, email address, etc. as business information.

[0149] The business information management unit 302 may acquire the business information from staff of the service provider or may acquire the business information directly from the user using a means such as a homepage.

[0150] The business information management unit 302 manages business information using a user management database.

[0151] A detailed description of the business information management unit 302 will be omitted, as details of business information for individual services and methods for acquiring the information are different from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0152] The user registration control unit 303 is a unit that controls user registration by the service provider, and processes a user registration request received from the control server 10.

[0153] Upon receiving a user registration request, the user registration control unit 303 searches the user management database using the personal identification information (for example, name) included in the user registration request as a key, and identifies the corresponding user (entry).

[0154] If the corresponding user is registered in the user management database, the user registration control unit 303 generates registration authentication information from the acquired original biometric information (e.g., face image, fingerprint image, iris image). For example, if a face image is acquired, the user registration control unit 303 generates, as the registration authentication information, feature amounts (feature vectors) corresponding to the face recognition algorithm adopted by the company. Alternatively, if a fingerprint image is acquired, the user registration control unit 303 generates, as the registration authentication information, feature amounts corresponding to the fingerprint recognition algorithm adopted by the company.

[0155] Since existing technology can be used for the process of generating features, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0156] For example, the user registration control unit 303 extracts the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. as feature points from the facial image. Then, the user registration control unit 303 calculates the position of each feature point and the distance between each feature point as feature amounts, and generates a facial feature amount (feature vector; vector information that characterizes the facial image) consisting of multiple feature amounts.

[0157] Alternatively, the user registration control unit 303 generates fingerprint feature amounts based on the positions of minutiae of the fingerprint image, the number of core lines sandwiched between minutiae, and the like.

[0158] Alternatively, the user registration control unit 303 extracts the iris area by removing areas such as the pupil and iris from the iris image. The user registration control unit 303 divides the extracted iris area into small blocks. The user registration control unit 303 extracts and digitizes the feature amount of each block. The user registration control unit 303 generates the iris feature amount by encoding the brightness change between adjacent blocks.

[0159] When the registration authentication information (features) is generated, the user registration control unit 303 stores the system ID, the generated registration authentication information (features), and the business information in association with each other in the user management database (see FIG. 15).

[0160] 15 is an example and is not intended to limit the items to be stored in the user management database. For example, the date and time of user registration may be registered in the user management database.

[0161] When the user registration is completed successfully, the user registration control unit 303 sends an affirmative response indicating that the user registration was successful to the control server 10. The user registration control unit 303 generates registration authentication information (e.g., feature amounts), registers the generated registration authentication information in the user management database, and then deletes the original biometric information obtained from the control server 10.

[0162] If the user registration is not completed successfully, the user registration control unit 303 sends a negative response indicating that the user registration has failed to the control server 10. For example, a negative response is sent to the control server 10 when the personal identification information (e.g., name) received from the control server 10 is not registered in the user management database or when valid registration authentication information cannot be generated from the original biometric information.

[0163] Furthermore, the user registration control unit 303 processes a deregistration request received from the control server 10 .

[0164] Upon receiving a deregistration request, the user registration control unit 303 searches the user management database using the system ID included in the deregistration request as a key to identify the corresponding user. The user registration control unit 303 deletes at least the system ID and registered authentication information (features) of the identified user. Alternatively, the user registration control unit 303 deletes the entry of the identified user (entry in the user management database) as necessary.

[0165] If the system ID etc. is successfully deleted, the user registration control unit 303 sends a positive response indicating that the user registration has been successfully cancelled to the control server 10. If the user registration cancellation fails because the system ID obtained from the control server 10 does not exist in the user management database, for example, the user registration control unit 303 sends a negative response indicating this to the control server 10.

[0166] The authentication unit 304 is a means for performing biometric authentication of the person to be authenticated. The authentication unit 304 receives an authentication request from the authentication terminal 30. The authentication unit 304 extracts biometric information (for example, a face image, a fingerprint image, an iris image) from the authentication request.

[0167] The authentication unit 304 generates verification authentication information from the acquired biometric information. For example, when a facial image is acquired, the authentication unit 304 generates features corresponding to the facial recognition algorithm adopted by the company. The authentication unit 304 executes a verification process using the generated verification authentication information (features) and registered authentication information (features) registered in the user management database.

[0168] Specifically, the authentication unit 304 calculates the similarity between the feature (feature vector) to be matched and each of the multiple feature values ​​on the registration side. The similarity can be calculated using a chi-square distance, Euclidean distance, or the like. The greater the distance, the lower the similarity, and the closer the distance, the higher the similarity.

[0169] If there is no feature whose similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the authentication unit 304 sets the authentication result to "authentication failed."

[0170] If there is a feature whose similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the authentication unit 304 identifies the entry (user) having the feature (registered authentication information) with the highest similarity from among the multiple entries registered in the user management database. The authentication unit 304 authenticates the person to be authenticated using the business information of the identified user.

[0171] For example, the authentication unit 304 of the user's workplace determines that the authentication was successful if the user identified by the matching process is an employee of the company and has the right to enter the office. Alternatively, the authentication unit 304 determines that the authentication was unsuccessful if the identified user is an employee of the company but does not have the right to enter the location where the authentication terminal 30 is installed.

[0172] Note that a detailed description of the authentication process using business information at each service provider will be omitted, as the process specific to each service provider is outside the scope of the present disclosure.

[0173] Since the matching process using fingerprint features and iris features is clear to those skilled in the art, detailed description thereof will be omitted. For example, in the case of fingerprint authentication, the authentication unit 304 calculates a score indicating the similarity between two fingerprint images and performs matching process based on the score.

[0174] The authentication unit 304 transmits the authentication result (authentication success, authentication failure) to the authentication terminal 30 .

[0175] The storage unit 305 is a means for storing information necessary for the operation of the service server 20 .

[0176] 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the authentication terminal 30 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 16, the authentication terminal 30 includes a communication control unit 401, a biometric information acquisition unit 402, an authentication request unit 403, a function realization unit 404, and a storage unit 405.

[0177] The communication control unit 401 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 401 receives data (packets) from the service server 20. The communication control unit 401 also transmits data to the service server 20. The communication control unit 401 passes data received from other devices to other processing modules. The communication control unit 401 transmits data acquired from other processing modules to other devices. In this way, other processing modules transmit and receive data to and from other devices via the communication control unit 401. The communication control unit 401 has a function as a receiving unit that receives data from other devices and a function as a transmitting unit that transmits data to other devices.

[0178] The biometric information acquisition unit 402 is a means for controlling a camera or the like to acquire biometric information of the person to be authenticated (for example, at least one of a face image, a fingerprint image, and an iris image).

[0179] The biometric information acquisition unit 402 acquires biometric information corresponding to the authentication method adopted by the company (service provider).

[0180] For example, if a face authentication method is adopted, the biometric information acquisition unit 402 periodically or at a predetermined timing captures an image of the area in front of the device, determines whether the captured image contains a human face image, and extracts the face image from the captured image data if a face image is included.

[0181] Note that since existing technologies can be used for the facial image detection process and facial image extraction process by the biometric information acquisition unit 402, detailed description thereof will be omitted. For example, the biometric information acquisition unit 402 may extract a facial image (face region) from image data using a learning model trained by a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network). Alternatively, the biometric information acquisition unit 402 may extract a facial image using a technique such as template matching.

[0182] Alternatively, if a fingerprint authentication method is adopted, the biometric information acquisition unit 402 displays a message or the like on a liquid crystal monitor or the like and instructs the user to place their finger on a dedicated scanner. The biometric information acquisition unit 402 controls the scanner to acquire a fingerprint image of the user. Alternatively, if an iris authentication method is adopted, the biometric information acquisition unit 402 acquires an iris image using a dedicated camera or the like.

[0183] The biometric information acquisition unit 402 passes the acquired biometric information (for example, a face image, a fingerprint image, or an iris image) to the authentication request unit 403 .

[0184] The authentication request unit 403 is a means for requesting authentication of the person to be authenticated from the service server 20. The authentication request unit 403 transmits an authentication request including biometric information of the person to be authenticated (the user in front of the authentication terminal 30) to the service server 20.

[0185] The authentication request unit 403 receives the authentication result (authentication success, authentication failure) from the service server 20. The authentication request unit 403 passes the received authentication result to the function realization unit 404.

[0186] The function realization unit 404 is a means for realizing the functions assigned to the authentication terminal 30. For example, when the function realization unit 404 of the authentication terminal 30 installed at the user's workplace receives a notification of successful authentication, it opens the gate and allows the person to be authenticated to enter.

[0187] Note that a detailed description of the function realization unit 404 included in the authentication terminal 30 of each service provider will be omitted because the realization of the functions of the authentication terminal 30 by the function realization unit 404 is different from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0188] The storage unit 405 is a means for storing information necessary for the operation of the authentication terminal 30 .

[0189] 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the acquisition device 40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 17, the acquisition device 40 includes a communication control unit 501, a biometric information acquisition unit 502, and a storage unit 503.

[0190] The communication control unit 501 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 501 receives data (packets) from the control server 10. The communication control unit 501 also transmits data to the control server 10. The communication control unit 501 passes data received from other devices to other processing modules. The communication control unit 501 transmits data acquired from other processing modules to other devices. In this way, other processing modules transmit and receive data to and from other devices via the communication control unit 501. The communication control unit 501 has a function as a receiving unit that receives data from other devices and a function as a transmitting unit that transmits data to other devices.

[0191] The biometric information acquisition unit 502 is a means for acquiring biometric information that is difficult for the terminal 50 to acquire, such as a fingerprint image or an iris image.

[0192] The user operates the terminal 50 to display the two-dimensional barcode into which the system ID issued by the control server 10 has been converted. The user then causes a barcode reader or the like attached to the acquisition device 40 to read the two-dimensional barcode displayed on the terminal 50.

[0193] The biometric information acquisition unit 502 controls a barcode reader or the like to read a two-dimensional barcode, and acquires the system ID of the user by decoding the read two-dimensional barcode.

[0194] Thereafter, the biometric information acquiring unit 502 uses a GUI or the like to acquire the type of biometric information (for example, a fingerprint image or an iris image) that the user desires to store in the terminal 50. For example, the biometric information acquiring unit 502 uses a GUI such as that shown in FIG. 18 to acquire the type of biometric information that the user desires.

[0195] After acquiring the type of biometric information, the biometric information acquiring unit 502 acquires the biometric information by controlling a dedicated scanner or camera corresponding to the biometric information selected by the user. For example, the biometric information acquiring unit 502 controls a dedicated fingerprint scanner or the like to acquire a fingerprint image of the user. Alternatively, the biometric information acquiring unit 502 controls a dedicated iris camera (infrared camera) or the like to acquire an iris image of the user.

[0196] The biometric information acquisition unit 502 transmits to the control server 10 a “biometric information transfer request” including the acquired biometric information (for example, a fingerprint image, an iris image) and a system ID.

[0197] The biometric information acquisition unit 502 receives a response (positive response, negative response) to the biometric information transfer request.

[0198] If an affirmative response is received, the biometric information acquisition unit 502 notifies the user that the acquired biometric information of the user has been successfully transferred to the terminal 50 .

[0199] If a negative response is received, the biometric information acquisition unit 502 notifies the user that the transfer of the acquired biometric information of the user has failed. In this case, the biometric information acquisition unit 502 may reacquire the user's biometric information.

[0200] The storage unit 503 is a means for storing information necessary for the operation of the acquisition device 40 .

[0201] 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the terminal 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 19, the terminal 50 includes a communication control unit 601, an account creation control unit 602, an original acquisition control unit 603, a service selection unit 604, and a storage unit 605.

[0202] The communication control unit 601 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 601 receives data (packets) from the control server 10. The communication control unit 601 also transmits data to the control server 10. The communication control unit 601 passes data received from other devices to other processing modules. The communication control unit 601 transmits data acquired from other processing modules to other devices. In this way, other processing modules transmit and receive data to and from other devices via the communication control unit 601. The communication control unit 601 has a function as a receiving unit that receives data from other devices and a function as a transmitting unit that transmits data to other devices.

[0203] The account creation control unit 602 is a means for controlling account creation by a user. The account creation control unit 602 accesses a predetermined web page or the like provided by the control server 10 in response to an operation by the user.

[0204] The account creation control unit 602 inputs login information, name, date of birth, email address, etc. into the web page in response to user operations.

[0205] The account creation control unit 602 stores the system ID issued (assigned) by the control server 10 in the storage unit 605 .

[0206] The original acquisition control unit 603 is a means for executing control related to the acquisition of the user's biometric information (original biometric information). The original acquisition control unit 603 displays a GUI or the like for acquiring the original biometric information (e.g., a facial image) in response to an operation by the user. For example, the original acquisition control unit 603 acquires the original biometric information using a GUI such as that shown in FIG. 20.

[0207] The original acquisition control unit 603 verifies the quality of original biometric information (e.g., a facial image) acquired using the GUI. When biometric information of sufficient quality for acceptable use is acquired, the original acquisition control unit 603 stores the acquired biometric information (e.g., a facial image) in the storage unit 605.

[0208] Furthermore, in response to a user operation, the original acquisition control unit 603 provides the acquisition device 40 with the system ID issued by the control server 10. For example, the original acquisition control unit 603 converts the system ID into a two-dimensional barcode and displays the two-dimensional barcode. Alternatively, the original acquisition control unit 603 may provide the system ID to the acquisition device 40 using a communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or NFC (Near Field Communication).

[0209] Furthermore, the original acquisition control unit 603 receives biometric information (for example, a fingerprint image or an iris image) from the control server 10. The original acquisition control unit 603 stores the biometric information received from the control server 10 in the storage unit 605 as original biometric information.

[0210] In principle, the terminal 50 does not delete the original biometric information of the user (for example, a face image, a fingerprint image, or an iris image). That is, the terminal 50 does not delete the original biometric information stored in the storage unit 605 unless there is a clear instruction from the user.

[0211] The service selection unit 604 is a means for enabling a user to select a biometric authentication service. In response to an operation by the user, the service selection unit 604 logs in to a portal site provided by the control server 10. The service selection unit 604 transmits information about a service provider selected by the user using a GUI provided by the control server 10 to the control server 10.

[0212] The service selection unit 604 receives a request to provide original biometric information from the control server 10. Upon receiving the request, the service selection unit 604 transmits to the control server 10 the original biometric information stored in the storage unit 605 and corresponding to the authentication method (information related to the authentication method) included in the biometric information transfer request.

[0213] The storage unit 605 is a means for storing information necessary for the operation of the terminal 50 .

[0214] [System Operation] Next, the operation of the authentication system according to the first embodiment will be described. Note that a description of the operation related to account creation, etc. will be omitted. Fig. 21 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation related to the registration of original biometric information in the authentication system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0215] The acquisition device 40 acquires biometric information (for example, a fingerprint image, an iris image) that is difficult for the user terminal 50 to acquire (step S21).

[0216] The acquisition device 40 transmits a biometric information transfer request including the acquired biometric information and the user's system ID to the control server 10 (step S22).

[0217] The control server 10 verifies the quality of the received biological information (step S23).

[0218] The control server 10 transmits a response (positive response or negative response) according to the verification result regarding the quality of the biometric information to the acquisition device 40 (step S24).

[0219] The acquisition device 40 outputs a message or the like according to the received response (step S25). If the transaction device 40 receives a negative response (if the quality of the biometric information verified by the control server 10 is poor), the transaction device 40 may display a message on a display or the like urging the user to reacquire the biometric information. Alternatively, the control server 10 may send a notification to the terminal 50 of the user identified by the system ID, urging the user to reacquire the biometric information.

[0220] Furthermore, if the biometric information has a quality equal to or higher than a predetermined level, the control server 10 transfers the biometric information received from the acquisition device 40 to the terminal 50 (step S26).

[0221] The terminal 50 stores the received biometric information internally (step S27).

[0222] Next, a modified example of the authentication system according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0223] <Modification 1> In the above embodiment, it has been described that plaintext biometric information (for example, a face image, a fingerprint image, or an iris image) is stored in the terminal 50. However, the biometric information stored in the terminal 50 may be encrypted ciphertext.

[0224] For example, the original acquisition control unit 603 of the terminal 50 may encrypt the biometric information acquired directly or indirectly via the control server 10 and store the ciphertext in the storage unit 605 .

[0225] In this case, when responding to a request for providing original biometric information received from the control server 10, the service selection unit 604 decrypts the encrypted biometric information corresponding to the authentication method adopted by the service provider. The service selection unit 604 then transmits the obtained plaintext biometric information to the service provider via the control server 10.

[0226] <Modification 2> Alternatively, all or part of the original biometric information may be encrypted by the control server 10. The original registration control unit 204 of the control server 10 may transmit, to the terminal 50, an encrypted text of the biometric information that has been verified to have a predetermined quality.

[0227] For example, when the control server 10 transfers the biometric information received from the acquisition device 40 to the terminal 50, the control server 10 encrypts the received biometric information.

[0228] Specifically, if the acquired biometric information has sufficient quality, the original registration control unit 204 of the control server 10 encrypts the biometric information whose quality has been verified. For example, the original registration control unit 204 generates an encrypted text of the biometric information using an encryption key (for example, a common key or a public key).

[0229] The original registration control unit 204 transmits (transfers) the generated ciphertext to the terminal 50 .

[0230] The terminal 50 stores the encrypted text of the received biometric information.

[0231] When the control server 10 requests the provision of a fingerprint image or an iris image, the service selection unit 604 of the terminal 50 transmits to the control server 10 the biometric information previously received from the control server 10 (encrypted biometric information corresponding to the authentication method adopted by the service provider).

[0232] The control server 10 decrypts the received ciphertext of the biometric information using a decryption key (for example, a public key or a private key), and transmits the decrypted plaintext biometric information to the service server 20 of the service provider.

[0233] <Modification 3> In the above embodiment, it has been described that the quality of biometric information (e.g., a facial image) directly acquired by the terminal 50 is verified by the terminal 50. The terminal 50 may request the control server 10 to verify the quality of the directly acquired biometric information.

[0234] In this case, the original acquisition control unit 603 of the terminal 50 transmits a quality verification request including the acquired biometric information (for example, a facial image) to the control server 10 .

[0235] The original registration control unit 204 of the control server 10 verifies the quality of the acquired biometric information and notifies the terminal 50 of the result.

[0236] If the quality of the biometric information is good, the original acquisition control unit 603 of the terminal 50 stores the acquired biometric information.

[0237] If the quality of the biometric information is poor, the original acquisition control unit 603 of the terminal 50 discards the acquired biometric information and reacquires new biometric information. The original acquisition control unit 603 requests the control server 10 to verify the reacquired biometric information.

[0238] The control server 10 may generate an encrypted text of the biometric information (facial image) whose quality has been verified, and transmit the generated encrypted text to the terminal 50. The terminal 50 may store the encrypted text of the biometric information (facial image) received from the control server 10. When the terminal 50 receives a request to provide original biometric information, it transmits the encrypted text of the stored biometric information to the control server 10. The control server 10 may decrypt the encrypted text received from the terminal 50 and transmit the plaintext biometric information (facial image) to the service provider (service server 20).

[0239] <Modification 4> The control server 10 may verify that the original biometric information provided by the user to the service provider is biometric information whose quality is guaranteed.

[0240] Specifically, the original registration control unit 204 of the control server 10 generates an encrypted text of the biometric information (for example, a face image, a fingerprint image, or an iris image) acquired from the acquisition device 40 or the terminal 50 .

[0241] Furthermore, the original registration control unit 204 generates information for identifying the generated ciphertext. For example, the original registration control unit 204 calculates a hash value of the generated ciphertext.

[0242] The original registration control unit 204 stores the hash value in the user's account. The original registration control unit 204 calculates a hash value of the ciphertext for each type of biometric information and stores it in the account management database.

[0243] The original registration control unit 204 transmits the ciphertext (ciphertext of the biometric information) for which the hash value has been calculated to the terminal 50. The original registration control unit 204 discards the ciphertext of the biometric information.

[0244] The user registration control unit 206 receives an encrypted text of the biometric information corresponding to the authentication method adopted by the service provider in response to sending the original biometric information provision request to the terminal 50. The user registration control unit 206 calculates a hash value of the received encrypted text and compares it with the hash value stored in the account management database.

[0245] For example, if the service provider uses fingerprint authentication, the user registration control unit 206 compares the hash value calculated from the encrypted text of the fingerprint image received from the terminal 50 with the hash value of the fingerprint image stored in the account management database.

[0246] If the two hash values ​​match, the user registration control unit 206 determines that the ciphertext of the biometric information transmitted by the terminal 50 is identical to the ciphertext of the biometric information whose quality has been guaranteed (verified) by the control server 10. In this case, the user registration control unit 206 decrypts the ciphertext received from the terminal 50 and transmits the obtained biometric information to the service server 20.

[0247] If the two hash values ​​do not match, the user registration control unit 206 determines that the ciphertext of the biometric information sent by the terminal 50 is different from the ciphertext of the biometric information whose quality is guaranteed by the control server 10. In this case, the user registration control unit 206 discards the ciphertext received from the terminal 50, taking into consideration tampering with the acquired biometric information, etc.

[0248] In this way, the original registration control unit 204 calculates a hash value of the ciphertext of the biometric information and stores the calculated hash value. When the user registration control unit 206 receives the ciphertext of the biometric information from the terminal 50, it compares the stored hash value corresponding to the received ciphertext of the biometric information with the hash value calculated from the ciphertext of the received biometric information. If the two hash values ​​match, the user registration control unit 206 decrypts the ciphertext of the biometric information received from the terminal 50 and transmits the decrypted biometric information to the service server 20 of the service provider selected by the user.

[0249] As described above, in the authentication system according to the first embodiment, biometric information that is difficult to acquire using a smartphone or the like is acquired by the acquisition device 40 at a biometric information acquisition station installed in the city. The acquisition device 40 transmits the user's system ID and biometric information to the control server 10. The control server 10 identifies the user who visited the biometric information acquisition station based on the acquired system ID and verifies the quality of the acquired biometric information. If the acquired biometric information is of sufficient quality, the control server 10 transfers the acquired biometric information from the acquisition device 40 to the user's terminal 50. With this configuration, the user can register biometric information that is difficult to acquire using a smartphone, such as a fingerprint image or iris image, on their own terminal 50.

[0250] Furthermore, since the options for biometric information that a user can store in the terminal 50 are expanded, service providers can adopt the authentication method that is most suitable for the services they provide. The service provider adopts the authentication method that is most suitable for their services in accordance with the authentication accuracy, authentication speed, etc.

[0251] Furthermore, in the authentication system according to the first embodiment, original biometric information (e.g., a facial image) required for biometric authentication is stored in the user's terminal 50. When a user wishes to receive a biometric authentication service, the user selects a service provider, and then the original biometric information stored in the terminal 50 is provided to the selected service provider (the service provider that requires registered authentication information). Once the user registers their own biometric information (e.g., a facial image) in the terminal 50, they can receive each service without having to register their biometric information for each service (various service providing locations). In other words, once the user photographs their face, they can use the facial image to use the facial authentication service in various locations (services) without having to register their face again. In other words, once biometric information is registered, the biometric information can be applied to various solutions using biometric authentication.

[0252] The above configuration also solves various problems that arise when a service provider provides biometric authentication services. In existing systems, the service provider had to have users register their facial images for each service location (service). However, in the system according to the first embodiment, users only need to register their faces once, significantly reducing the burden on the service provider of encouraging users to register their faces. Furthermore, the service provider does not need to store the original biometric information (facial images), thereby reducing the burden on the service provider regarding information leaks, etc. In particular, if the same service provider employs multiple facial recognition algorithms, there is no need to store facial images corresponding to each algorithm, thereby reducing the business risk of the service provider. Furthermore, by storing the original biometric information at the authentication center with the user's consent, the service provider can change the facial recognition engine used in-house or adopt a new facial recognition engine suited to the service it provides. In other words, the service provider is not limited to a specific vendor's facial recognition engine, but can adopt facial recognition engines from various vendors suited to the application. As a result, the service provider can avoid the business risk of over-dependence on a single vendor (a single facial recognition engine). That is, service providers who participate in the authentication system disclosed in this application can easily support multiple vendors.

[0253] From the user's perspective, there is no need to register a facial image multiple times even when using the same service (same service provider), which improves user convenience. Furthermore, the original biometric information (facial image) is stored on the user's own terminal 50, and the user's facial image is not held by an external company or the like, which reduces concerns about information leaks, etc. In other words, users can enjoy biometric authentication services with peace of mind.

[0254] Next, the hardware of each device constituting the authentication system will be described. Fig. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control server 10.

[0255] The control server 10 can be configured using an information processing device (a so-called computer), and has the configuration shown in Fig. 22. For example, the control server 10 includes a processor 311, a memory 312, an input / output interface 313, and a communication interface 314. The components such as the processor 311 are connected by an internal bus or the like, and are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

[0256] However, the configuration shown in Fig. 22 is not intended to limit the hardware configuration of the control server 10. The control server 10 may include hardware not shown, and may not include the input / output interface 313 as necessary. Furthermore, the number of processors 311 and the like included in the control server 10 is not intended to be limited to the example shown in Fig. 22; for example, the control server 10 may include multiple processors 311.

[0257] The processor 311 is a programmable device such as a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP). Alternatively, the processor 311 may be a device such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor 311 executes various programs including an operating system (OS).

[0258] The memory 312 is a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The memory 312 stores an OS program, application programs, and various data.

[0259] The input / output interface 313 is an interface for a display device and an input device (not shown). The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display, etc. The input device is, for example, a device that accepts user operations, such as a keyboard or a mouse.

[0260] The communication interface 314 is a circuit, module, etc. that communicates with other devices. For example, the communication interface 314 includes a network interface card (NIC).

[0261] The functions of the control server 10 are realized by various processing modules. The processing modules are realized, for example, by the processor 311 executing a program stored in the memory 312. The program can be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium can be a non-transitory medium such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium, or an optical recording medium. That is, the present invention can also be embodied as a computer program product. The program can be downloaded via a network or updated using a storage medium storing the program. The processing modules can also be realized by semiconductor chips.

[0262] The service server 20, authentication terminal 30, acquisition device 40, terminal 50, etc. can also be configured using information processing devices similar to the control server 10, and their basic hardware configurations are not described here because they are no different from the control server 10. For example, the authentication terminal 30 may be provided with a camera or the like for photographing the person to be authenticated.

[0263] The control server 10, which is an information processing device, is equipped with a computer, and the functions of the control server 10 can be realized by having the computer execute a program. The control server 10 also executes the control method of the control server 10 using the program. Similarly, the terminal 50, which is an information processing device, is equipped with a computer, and the functions of the terminal 50 can be realized by having the computer execute a program. The terminal 50 also executes the control method of the terminal 50 using the program.

[0264] [Modification] The configuration, operation, etc. of the authentication system described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the configuration, etc. of the system.

[0265] The acquisition device 20 at the biometric information acquisition station may acquire the system ID directly from the user, instead of reading the system ID from the two-dimensional barcode displayed on the terminal 50 .

[0266] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a user who registers biometric information in the terminal 50 via a biometric information acquisition station is identified using a system ID. The user may be identified using biometric authentication (e.g., facial authentication). In this case, the control server 10 acquires the user's biometric information (e.g., a facial image) when creating an account and stores the acquired information in the account management database. The acquisition device 40 transmits to the control server 10 a biometric information transfer request including biometric information (e.g., a facial image) for identifying the user and biometric information (e.g., a fingerprint image, an iris image) to be stored in the terminal 50. The control server 10 may identify the user (the user's system ID) who visited the biometric information acquisition station by performing a matching process using the biometric information (e.g., a facial image) included in the biometric information transfer request and the biometric information stored in the account management database.

[0267] A service provider may request a user to provide two or more pieces of biometric information. For example, the service provider may request a user to provide original biometric information (face image, fingerprint image) to be used for both face authentication and fingerprint authentication. In this case, the control server 10 transmits an original biometric information request including information on two or more authentication methods adopted by the service provider to the terminal 50. The terminal 50 transmits original biometric information corresponding to each authentication method included in the request to the control server 10. The control server 10 transmits the received original biometric information to the service server 20. The service provider may provide a service using so-called multimodal biometric authentication to a user using the acquired two or more pieces of biometric information.

[0268] In the above embodiment, in order to accommodate cases where each service provider employs a different algorithm for calculating features used in facial authentication, the user's terminal 50 stores a facial image internally as original biometric information. However, if there is only one algorithm for calculating features from a facial image, the terminal 50 may store (hold) the features calculated by that algorithm rather than the image (original biometric information). The same applies to fingerprint images and iris images; if there is only one algorithm for calculating features from a fingerprint image or the like, the terminal 50 may store the features calculated by that algorithm rather than the fingerprint image or the like.

[0269] If the biometric information requested by the service provider is not stored in the terminal 50, the terminal 50 may prompt the user to acquire the requested biometric information. If the requested biometric information is biometric information that is difficult to acquire by the terminal 50 (e.g., a fingerprint image or an iris image), the terminal 50 may guide (notify) the user of the location of a biometric information acquisition station where the requested biometric information can be acquired. Furthermore, the terminal 50 may calculate the location of the terminal 50 using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like, and guide the user to the location of the nearest biometric information acquisition station.

[0270] In the above embodiment, it has been described that biometric information (e.g., a facial image) that can be acquired by the terminal 50 of the user is acquired by the terminal 50. However, even if the biometric information is acquireable by the terminal 50, it may be acquired by the acquisition device 40.

[0271] In the above embodiment, the control server 10 or the terminal 50 verifies the quality of the biometric information. However, the acquisition device 40 may verify the quality of the biometric information.

[0272] In the above embodiment, the operation of the authentication system has been described mainly using a person's "face," "fingerprint," and "iris" as examples of biometric information. However, the authentication system disclosed herein can also use other types of biometric information. For example, data containing physical characteristics unique to an individual, such as a voiceprint, veins, or retina, may also be used. In other words, the user's biometric information may be any information that includes the user's physical characteristics.

[0273] The user terminal 50 may obtain consent from the user to transmit the original biometric information (e.g., a face image, a fingerprint image, an iris image) to the service provider every time it receives a request to provide original biometric information from the control server 10. Specifically, upon receiving a request to provide original biometric information, the service selection unit 604 of the terminal 50 obtains whether or not the original biometric information can be provided. Upon obtaining consent from the user to provide the original biometric information, the service selection unit 604 transmits the original biometric information stored therein to the control server 10.

[0274] In the above embodiment, the case has been described in which the service server 20 generates authentication information (features) corresponding to the authentication engine employed by the service provider. However, the generation of the authentication information (features) may also be performed by the control server 10. Specifically, the control server 10 stores information on the authentication engine employed by the service provider as part of the business information. The control server 10 may generate registration authentication information (features) compatible with the authentication engine from the original biometric information acquired from the terminal 50, and transmit a user registration request including the generated registration authentication information to the service server 20.

[0275] Alternatively, the service server 20 or the control server 10 may transmit the original biometric information to a server (feature generation server) specialized in generating features and acquire the registered authentication information from the server. When the control server 10 or the service server 20 transmits the original biometric information to the feature generation server, information on the authentication engine adopted by the service provider may also be transmitted to the feature generation server. The feature generation server may generate registered authentication information (e.g., features) compatible with the authentication engine (authentication algorithm) specified by the control server 10 or the service server 20 and return the information to the control server 10 or the service server 20. In this way, the registered authentication information (features) may be generated on either the cloud side (the control server 10 side) or the edge side (the service server 20 side). Note that the configuration and operation of the feature generation server are clear from the above description, and therefore detailed description will be omitted.

[0276] The control server 10 may verify the identity of the user when creating an account. Specifically, the control server 10 acquires the user's login information, etc., as well as an identification document (e.g., a passport, a driver's license, etc.) bearing biometric information and the biometric information. The control server 10 performs one-to-one matching using the biometric information on the identification document and the biometric information acquired from the user. If the matching is successful, the control server 10 may register the user whose identity has been successfully verified (system registration).

[0277] Before the user selects a service provider, the control server 10 may notify the user of the level (strictness) of personal authentication for the services provided by each service provider and the type of biometric authentication adopted by each service provider (e.g., facial authentication, fingerprint authentication, etc.). For example, when the user selects a service, the control server 10 may display a GUI such as that shown in FIG. 23 on the terminal 50. As shown in FIG. 23, the control server 10 may display the type of biometric authentication adopted by each service provider (service providers not selected by the user) using an image corresponding to the type of biometric information below the icon corresponding to each service provider. In FIG. 23, the office uses biometric authentication based on a combination of "face" and "iris," while the apartment uses biometric authentication based on a combination of "face" and "fingerprint." Alternatively, when the user selects an icon, the control server 10 may display the type of biometric authentication adopted by the service provider corresponding to the selected icon (e.g., a combination of facial authentication and fingerprint authentication, facial authentication alone, etc.) (see FIG. 24). This configuration allows the user to recognize the biometric information required by each service provider. As a result, the user can decide to acquire new biometric information or to abandon the service provided by the service provider. Each service provider decides the biometric authentication (biometric information) required of users depending on its business model and policy (the level of strictness required for identity verification). For example, a business selling tickets for concerts, trains, etc. may decide to use facial recognition. Or, a business selling airline tickets may decide to use a combination of facial recognition and fingerprint recognition.

[0278] The type of biometric authentication adopted by the service provider does not have to be fixed in advance, such as "face authentication and iris authentication" or "face authentication and fingerprint authentication," but may be "any one of face authentication, iris authentication, and fingerprint authentication." In this case, it is sufficient that at least one of a face image, an iris image, and a fingerprint image is registered in the user's terminal 50.

[0279] 23, when displaying the type of biometric authentication (biometric information) adopted by the service provider, the control server 10 may display biometric information that has already been registered (stored) in the user's terminal 50 and unregistered biometric information separately. For example, consider a case where a face image is registered in the terminal 50, but an iris image and a fingerprint image are not registered. In this case, as shown in FIG. 25, the control server 10 displays a check mark near the face image to indicate that the face image has been registered, but does not display a check mark for the iris image or fingerprint image to indicate that they are not registered.

[0280] When the user checks an icon for unregistered biometric information (e.g., an iris image or a fingerprint image), the control server 10 may display information about a biometric information acquisition station for acquiring the unregistered biometric information. For example, the control server 10 may display the location (address) of the biometric information acquisition station, the relative position of the user's current location to the biometric information acquisition station, the distance from the current location to the biometric information acquisition station, and the travel time required. In this case, for example, the control server 10 displays information such as that shown in FIG. 26.

[0281] A service provider may flexibly change the authentication method depending on the type of biometric information registered by the user. For example, consider a service provider that employs "face authentication and iris authentication" or "face authentication and fingerprint authentication" and authentication of a user who has only registered a face image. In this case, if the service provider (service server 20) succeeds in face authentication using a face image acquired from the user but fails in authentication using an iris image or fingerprint image, the service provider may perform authentication using a predetermined passcode. In other words, a service provider that employs the "face and iris" or "face and fingerprint" authentication method may provide services to a user who has not registered only a face image by successfully completing face authentication and passcode authentication, without having to newly acquire an iris or fingerprint.

[0282] A user who has newly acquired an iris image or fingerprint image may be given a special benefit (e.g., a discount coupon, etc.). By offering a special benefit to a user, the motivation of the user to newly acquire an iris image or fingerprint may be increased. In this case, a condition for the special benefit may be set, such as "biometric information (fingerprint image, iris image, etc.) must be registered during a specific period, such as mid- to late August." Alternatively, a special benefit, such as a coupon, may be offered when a service is provided. For example, a service provider may issue a predetermined number of discount coupons, etc., to a user who pays for a purchase using a pre-registered face image and iris image (when a user who has successfully passed face authentication and iris authentication completes payment). Alternatively, the service provider may limit the period during which the coupon can be used, such as to two weeks.

[0283] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which biometric information and personal identification information are transmitted from the control server 10, and user registration is performed in the service server 20. However, the service server 20 may acquire personal identification information, etc. from the user and request the provision of information, such as biometric information, from the control server 10. In other words, after user registration (user account) is generated in the service server 20, the biometric information, etc. may be transmitted from the control server 10 to the service server 20.

[0284] The service server 20 and the control server 10 may provide the user with information regarding updates and validity periods for each type of biometric information. For example, it may be determined that fingerprints do not need updating, but facial information needs updating every few years. The service server 20 may notify a user who has completed user registration whether each type of biometric information needs updating, or the remaining validity period of the biometric information. Alternatively, the service server 20 may notify the user that facial information, etc. needs to be updated.

[0285] In the above embodiment, the account management database is configured inside the control server 10, but the database may be configured on an external database server or the like. That is, some of the functions of the control server 10 may be implemented on another server. More specifically, the above-described "service selection control unit (service selection control means)" and the like may be implemented on any of the devices included in the system.

[0286] The form of data transmission and reception between the devices (control server 10, service server 20, authentication terminal 30, and acquisition device 40) is not particularly limited, but the data transmitted and received between these devices may be encrypted. Biometric information and the like is transmitted and received between these devices, and in order to appropriately protect this information, it is desirable to transmit and receive encrypted data.

[0287] In the flow charts (flowcharts, sequence diagrams) used in the above explanation, multiple steps (processes) are described in order, but the order of execution of the steps executed in the embodiments is not limited to the order described. In the embodiments, the order of the steps shown in the drawings can be changed to the extent that the content is not affected, such as by executing each process in parallel.

[0288] The above-described embodiments have been described in detail to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, and it is not intended that all of the above-described configurations are required. Furthermore, when multiple embodiments are described, each embodiment may be used alone or in combination. For example, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with another configuration.

[0289] From the above explanation, it is clear that the present invention has industrial applicability, and the present invention can be suitably applied to information processing systems that provide biometric authentication services.

[0290] Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes. [Supplementary Note 1] A server device comprising: a storage means for storing IDs issued to each of a plurality of users; and a first control means for receiving the ID of one user and the biometric information of the one user from an acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user. [Supplementary Note 2] The server device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the first control means verifies the quality of the biometric information received from the acquisition device and transmits to the terminal the biometric information that has been verified to have a predetermined quality. [Supplementary Note 3] The server device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the first control means transmits to the terminal an encrypted text of the biometric information that has been verified to have the predetermined quality. [Supplementary Note 4] The server device according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the first control means calculates a hash value of the encrypted text of the biometric information and stores the calculated hash value. [Supplementary Note 5] The server device according to Supplementary Note 4, comprising: a second control means that enables the first user to select a service provider from which the first user wishes to receive a service from among a plurality of service providers that provide services using biometric authentication; and a third control means that acquires, from the terminal of the first user, biometric information corresponding to an authentication method adopted by the service provider selected by the first user and transmits the acquired biometric information to a server of the service provider selected by the first user. [Supplementary Note 6] The server device according to Supplementary Note 5, wherein, when an encrypted text of the biometric information is received from the terminal, if the stored hash value corresponding to the encrypted text of the received biometric information matches a hash value calculated from the encrypted text of the received biometric information, the third control means decrypts the encrypted text of the biometric information received from the terminal and transmits the decrypted biometric information to a server of the service provider selected by the first user. [Supplementary Note 7] The server device according to any one of Supplements 1 to 6, wherein the acquisition device is a device for acquiring biometric information that is difficult for the terminal of the first user to acquire.[Supplementary Note 8] A control method for a server device comprising: a storage step of storing IDs issued to each of a plurality of users; and a first control step of receiving an ID of one user and biometric information of the one user from an acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user. [Supplementary Note 9] The control method for a server device according to Supplementary Note 8, wherein the first control step verifies the quality of the biometric information received from the acquisition device and transmits to the terminal the biometric information that has been verified to have a predetermined quality. [Supplementary Note 10] The control method for a server device according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the first control step transmits to the terminal an encrypted text of the biometric information that has been verified to have the predetermined quality. [Supplementary Note 11] The control method for a server device according to Supplementary Note 10, wherein the first control step calculates a hash value of the encrypted text of the biometric information and stores the calculated hash value. [Supplementary Note 12] The control method for a server device according to Supplementary Note 11, comprising: a second control step of enabling the first user to select a service provider from which the first user wishes to receive services from among a plurality of service providers that provide services using biometric authentication; and a third control step of acquiring, from the terminal of the first user, biometric information corresponding to an authentication method adopted by the service provider selected by the first user and transmitting the acquired biometric information to a server of the service provider selected by the first user. [Supplementary Note 13] The control method for a server device according to Supplementary Note 12, wherein the third control step, when receiving an encrypted text of the biometric information from the terminal, decrypts the encrypted text of the biometric information received from the terminal if the stored hash value corresponding to the encrypted text of the received biometric information matches a hash value calculated from the encrypted text of the received biometric information. [Supplementary Note 14] The control method for a server device according to any one of Supplements 8 to 13, wherein the acquisition device is a device for acquiring biometric information that is difficult for the terminal of the first user to acquire.[Supplementary Note 15] A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer mounted on a server device to execute: a storage process for storing IDs issued to each of a plurality of users; and a first control process for receiving an ID of one user and biometric information of the one user from an acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user. [Supplementary Note 16] The storage medium of Supplementary Note 15, in which the first control process verifies the quality of the biometric information received from the acquisition device and transmits to the terminal the biometric information that has been verified to have a predetermined quality. [Supplementary Note 17] The storage medium of Supplementary Note 16, in which the first control process transmits to the terminal an encrypted text of the biometric information that has been verified to have the predetermined quality. [Supplementary Note 18] The storage medium of Supplementary Note 17, in which the first control process calculates a hash value of the encrypted text of the biometric information and stores the calculated hash value. [Supplementary Note 19] The storage medium according to Supplementary Note 18, comprising: a second control process that enables the first user to select a service provider from which the first user wishes to receive services from among a plurality of service providers that provide services using biometric authentication; and a third control process that acquires, from the first user's terminal, biometric information corresponding to an authentication method adopted by the service provider selected by the first user and transmits the acquired biometric information to a server of the service provider selected by the first user. [Supplementary Note 20] The storage medium according to Supplementary Note 19, wherein the third control process, when receiving an encrypted text of the biometric information from the terminal, decrypts the encrypted text of the biometric information received from the terminal if the stored hash value corresponding to the received encrypted text of the biometric information matches a hash value calculated from the received encrypted text of the biometric information, and transmits the decrypted biometric information to a server of the service provider selected by the first user. [Supplementary Note 21] The storage medium according to any one of Supplements 15 to 20, wherein the acquisition device is a device for acquiring biometric information that is difficult for the first user's terminal to acquire.[Supplementary Note 22] A system including an acquisition device and a server device, wherein the server device comprises: a storage means for storing IDs issued to each of a plurality of users; and a first control means for receiving an ID of one user and the biometric information of the one user from the acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user. [Supplementary Note 23] The system described in Supplementary Note 22, wherein the first control means verifies the quality of the biometric information received from the acquisition device and transmits to the terminal the biometric information that has been verified to have a predetermined quality. [Supplementary Note 24] The system described in Supplementary Note 23, wherein the first control means transmits to the terminal an encrypted text of the biometric information that has been verified to have the predetermined quality. [Supplementary Note 25] The system described in Supplementary Note 24, wherein the first control means calculates a hash value of the encrypted text of the biometric information and stores the calculated hash value. [Supplementary Note 26] The system according to Supplementary Note 25, comprising: a second control means that enables the first user to select a service provider from which the first user wishes to receive services from among a plurality of service providers that provide services using biometric authentication; and a third control means that acquires, from the first user's terminal, biometric information corresponding to an authentication method adopted by the service provider selected by the first user and transmits the acquired biometric information to a server of the service provider selected by the first user. [Supplementary Note 27] The system according to Supplementary Note 26, wherein, when the third control means receives an encrypted text of the biometric information from the terminal, if the stored hash value corresponding to the received encrypted text of the biometric information matches a hash value calculated from the received encrypted text of the biometric information, the third control means decrypts the encrypted text of the biometric information received from the terminal and transmits the decrypted biometric information to a server of the service provider selected by the first user. [Supplementary Note 28] The system according to any one of Supplements 22 to 27, wherein the acquisition device is a device for acquiring biometric information that is difficult for the first user's terminal to acquire.

[0291] The disclosures of the above-cited prior art documents are incorporated herein by reference. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative and that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and alterations that may be made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical concepts thereof.

[0292] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 control server 20 service server 30 authentication terminal 40 acquisition device 50 terminal 100 server device 101 storage means 102 first control means 201 communication control unit 202 account management unit 203 business management unit 204 original registration control unit 205 service selection control unit 206 user registration control unit 207 storage unit 301 communication control unit 302 business information management unit 303 user registration control unit 304 authentication unit 305 storage unit 311 processor 312 memory 313 input / output interface 314 communication interface 401 communication control unit 402 biometric information acquisition unit 403 authentication request unit 404 function realization unit 405 storage unit 501 communication control unit 502 biometric information acquisition unit 503 storage unit 601 communication control unit 602 account generation control unit 603 Original acquisition control unit 604 Service selection unit 605 Storage unit

Claims

1. A server device comprising: a storage means for storing an ID issued to each of a plurality of users; and a first control means for receiving a user's ID and biometric information of the one user from an acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user.

2. The server device according to claim 1, wherein the first control means verifies the quality of the biometric information received from the acquisition device and transmits to the terminal the biometric information that has been verified to have a predetermined quality.

3. The server device according to claim 2, wherein the first control means transmits to the terminal an encrypted text of the biometric information verified to have the predetermined quality.

4. The server device according to claim 3, wherein the first control means calculates a hash value of an encrypted text of the biometric information and stores the calculated hash value.

5. A server device as described in claim 4, comprising: a second control means for enabling the one user to select a service provider from among a plurality of service providers that provide services using biometric authentication; and a third control means for acquiring biometric information from the terminal of the one user that corresponds to the authentication method adopted by the service provider selected by the one user, and transmitting the acquired biometric information to a server of the service provider selected by the one user.

6. The server device according to claim 5, wherein the third control means, when receiving the encrypted text of the biometric information from the terminal, decrypts the encrypted text of the biometric information received from the terminal if the stored hash value corresponding to the encrypted text of the received biometric information matches a hash value calculated from the encrypted text of the received biometric information, and transmits the decrypted biometric information to a server of a service provider selected by the one user.

7. The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the acquisition device is a device for acquiring biometric information that is difficult for the terminal of the one user to acquire.

8. A control method for a server device, comprising: a storage process for storing an ID issued to each of a plurality of users; and a first control process for receiving a user's ID and biometric information of the one user from an acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer mounted on a server device to execute the following: a storage process for storing IDs issued to each of a plurality of users; and a first control process for receiving an ID of one user and biometric information of the one user from an acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user.

10. A system comprising: an acquisition device; and a server device, wherein the server device is equipped with: a storage means for storing IDs issued to each of a plurality of users; and a first control means for receiving the ID of one user and biometric information of the one user from the acquisition device, identifying the one user from the plurality of users based on the received ID, and transmitting the received biometric information to a terminal carried by the identified one user.

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