Information processing system, mobile terminal, information processing method, and recording medium

Abstract

An information processing system (10) comprises: a plurality of terminals (100) that are used by different users and are capable of acquiring reverberation sound information relating to reverberation sound in the ear; an authentication means (210) that performs an authentication process for each of the plurality of terminals by comparing reverberation sound information acquired from each of the plurality of terminals with registered reverberation sound information pre-registered in association with each of the plurality of terminals; and a control means (220) that controls the operation of each of the plurality of terminals on the basis of the result of the authentication process for each of the plurality of terminals. Such an information processing system makes it possible to appropriately perform ear acoustic authentication for a plurality of terminals.

Description

Information processing system, mobile terminal, information processing method, and recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical fields of an information processing system, a mobile terminal, an information processing method, and a recording medium.

[0002] There is known a technology for performing authentication processing of a target (so-called ear acoustic authentication) based on characteristics of the ear canal acquired by utilizing sound reverberation. This type of authentication processing can also be applied to the authentication of multiple targets. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology for determining that group authentication is successful if at least one person in a group has been successfully authenticated.

[0003] International Publication No. 2022 / 003888

[0004] An object of this disclosure is to provide an information processing system, a mobile terminal, an information processing method, and a recording medium that aim to improve upon the techniques disclosed in prior art documents.

[0005] One aspect of the information processing system disclosed herein comprises a plurality of terminals each used by a different user, each capable of acquiring reverberation information relating to reverberation within the ear, an authentication means for performing authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals by comparing the reverberation information acquired from each of the plurality of terminals with registered reverberation information pre-registered to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals, and a control means for controlling the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

[0006] One aspect of the mobile terminal disclosed herein comprises an authentication means for acquiring reverberation information relating to reverberation in the ear from each of a plurality of terminals used by different users, and performing authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals by comparing the reverberation information with registered reverberation information that has been pre-registered to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals, and a control means for controlling the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

[0007] One aspect of the information processing method disclosed herein involves using at least one computer to acquire reverberation information regarding reverberation in the ears from each of a plurality of terminals used by different users, comparing the reverberation information acquired from each of the plurality of terminals with registered reverberation information that has been pre-registered to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals, thereby performing authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals, and controlling the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the results of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

[0008] One aspect of the recording medium of this disclosure is a computer program recorded on at least one computer that causes the computer to execute an information processing method, which acquires reverberation information regarding reverberation in the ears from each of a plurality of terminals used by different users, compares the reverberation information acquired from each of the plurality of terminals with registered reverberation information that has been pre-registered to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals, performs authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals, and controls the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the results of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

[0009] 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a first information processing system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the terminal configuration of the first information processing system. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the first information processing system. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of control of a user terminal in a second information processing system. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of control when authentication of a parent unit in a third information processing system is successful. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of control when authentication of a parent unit in a third information processing system is unsuccessful. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of a parent unit change operation in a third information processing system. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of a fourth information processing system. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of a fifth information processing system. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a mobile terminal. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of a mobile terminal.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of an information processing system, a mobile terminal, an information processing method, and a recording medium will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] First Embodiment A first information processing system will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.

[0012] (Hardware Configuration) First, the hardware configuration of the first information processing system will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the first information processing system.

[0013] 1, a first information processing system 10 includes a processor 11, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 13, and a storage device 14. The information processing system 10 may further include an input device 15 and an output device 16. The processor 11, RAM 12, ROM 13, storage device 14, input device 15, and output device 16 are connected to each other via a data bus 17. The data bus 17 may be an interface other than a data bus (for example, a LAN, a USB, etc.).

[0014] The processor 11 loads a computer program. For example, the processor 11 is configured to load a computer program stored in at least one of the RAM 12, the ROM 13, and the storage device 14. Alternatively, the processor 11 may load a computer program stored in a computer-readable storage medium using a storage medium reading device (not shown). The processor 11 may acquire (i.e., load) the computer program from a device (not shown) located outside the information processing system 10 via a network interface. The processor 11 controls the RAM 12, the storage device 14, the input device 15, and the output device 16 by executing the loaded computer program. In particular, in this embodiment, when the processor 11 executes the loaded computer program, functional blocks for executing processing related to ear acoustic authentication are realized within the processor 11. In other words, the processor 11 may function as a controller that executes each control in the information processing system 10.

[0015] The processor 11 may be configured as, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a quantum processor. The processor 11 may be configured as one of these, or may be configured to use multiple processors in parallel.

[0016] The RAM 12 temporarily stores computer programs executed by the processor 11. The RAM 12 temporarily stores data that the processor 11 temporarily uses while it is executing the computer programs. The RAM 12 may be, for example, a dynamic random access memory (D-RAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM). Alternatively, other types of volatile memory may be used instead of the RAM 12.

[0017] The ROM 13 stores computer programs executed by the processor 11. The ROM 13 may also store fixed data. The ROM 13 may be, for example, a programmable read-only memory (PROM) or an erasable read-only memory (EPROM). Alternatively, other types of non-volatile memory may be used instead of the ROM 13.

[0018] The storage device 14 stores data that is to be saved long-term by the information processing system 10. The storage device 14 may operate as a temporary storage device for the processor 11. The storage device may store computer programs executed by the processor 11. The storage device 14 may include, for example, at least one of a hard disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a disk array device.

[0019] The input device 15 is a device that receives input instructions from a user of the information processing system 10. The input device 15 may include, for example, at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel. The input device 15 may be configured as part of a smartphone, a tablet terminal, an earphone-type terminal, a watch-type terminal, an HMD (Head Mounted Display) terminal, or the like. The input device 15 may be, for example, a device that includes a microphone and is capable of voice input.

[0020] The output device 16 is a device that outputs information related to the information processing system 10 to the outside. For example, the output device 16 may be a display device (e.g., a display) that can display information related to the information processing system 10. The output device 16 may also be a speaker or the like that can output information related to the information processing system 10 as audio. The output device 16 may be configured as part of a smartphone, a tablet terminal, an earphone-type terminal, a watch-type terminal, an HMD terminal, or the like.

[0021] The first information processing system 10 is configured to include a plurality of terminals, as will be described later. Each of the components described in Fig. 1 may be configured to be included in at least one of the plurality of terminals included in the first information processing system 10. Furthermore, some of the components described in Fig. 1 may be configured to be included in an external device (e.g., an external server, a cloud, etc.) different from the plurality of terminals included in the first information processing system 10.

[0022] (Terminal Configuration) Next, the terminal configuration of the first information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the terminal configuration of the first information processing system.

[0023] 2, the first information processing system 10 is configured to include a first terminal 110, a second terminal 120, a third terminal 130, and a processing terminal 200. The first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, the third terminal 130, and the processing terminal 200 are connected, for example, by wireless communication, and are configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from each other. Furthermore, the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the third terminal 130 may also be configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from each other.

[0024] Each of the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the third terminal 130 is configured as an earphone-type hearable terminal. Hereinafter, the first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the third terminal 130 may be collectively referred to as the user terminal 100. Note that, although an example including three user terminals 100 is given here, other terminals (for example, a fourth terminal, a fifth terminal, etc.) may be included in addition to these. In other words, there is no particular limitation on the number of user terminals 100 connected to the processing terminal 200.

[0025] The user terminal 100 may be configured as a terminal worn on one ear. Alternatively, the user terminal 100 may be configured as a terminal worn on both ears. That is, the user terminal 100 may be configured to include a right-ear terminal and a left-ear terminal. The user terminal 100 is configured to be able to acquire echo information indicating echoes echoed inside the target ear. More specifically, the user terminal 100 transmits sound waves into the target ear and acquires an echo signal based on the echoes of the transmitted sound waves.

[0026] The reverberation information acquired by the user terminal 100 may be data indicating the reverberation itself (for example, waveform data). Alternatively, the reverberation information may be data indicating features extracted from the reverberation. In this case, the user terminal 100 may have a function to extract features from the reverberation. Alternatively, the processing terminal 200 that acquires the reverberation from the user terminal 100 may have a function to extract features from the reverberation.

[0027] The first terminal 110, the second terminal 120, and the third terminal 130 are terminals used by different users. For example, when the first information processing system 10 is used at home, the user terminal 100 may be a terminal for the father, the second terminal 120 may be a terminal for the mother, and the third terminal 130 may be a terminal for the child. Alternatively, when the first information processing system 10 is used at school, the user terminal 100 may be a terminal for the teacher, the second terminal 120 may be a terminal for student A, and the third terminal 130 may be a terminal for student B.

[0028] The terminal 200 is configured as, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a watch-type terminal, or an HMD terminal, or as a terminal such as a personal computer or a server. The processing terminal 200 includes an authentication unit 210 and a control unit 220 as processing blocks for realizing its functions.

[0029] The authentication unit 210 is configured to be able to perform authentication using echo sound reverberating in the ears of the target (i.e., earacoustic authentication). The authentication unit 210 performs earacoustic authentication using echo sound information acquired by the user terminal 100. Specifically, the authentication unit 210 compares the echo sound information acquired by the user terminal 100 with echo sound information of a registered user that has been registered in advance (hereinafter referred to as "registered echo sound information"), thereby authenticating whether the target is a registered user. The authentication unit 210 may perform earacoustic authentication using echo sound information from either the right ear or the left ear. Alternatively, the authentication unit 210 may perform earacoustic authentication using echo sound information from both ears.

[0030] The authentication unit 210 performs ear acoustic authentication for each user terminal 100. That is, the authentication unit 210 separately performs authentication for the first terminal 110, authentication for the second terminal, and authentication for the third terminal. The registered echo sound information used by the authentication unit 210 is registered in advance as information corresponding to each of the multiple user terminals 100. For example, the authentication unit 210 stores first registered echo sound information corresponding to the first terminal 110, second registered echo sound information corresponding to the second terminal 120, and third registered echo sound information corresponding to the third terminal 130.

[0031] In addition, when one user terminal 100 is shared and used by multiple users, multiple pieces of registered echo sound information may be registered for one user terminal. For example, when the first terminal 110 is shared by a father and a mother, the father's registered echo sound information and the mother's registered echo sound information may be registered as the first registered echo sound information corresponding to the first terminal 110. In addition, when one user may use multiple user terminals 100, the registered echo sound information of one user that is common to the multiple user terminals 100 may be registered. For example, when the father may use the first terminal 110 and the second terminal 120, the common registered echo sound information of the father may be registered as the first registered echo sound information corresponding to the first terminal 110 and the second registered echo sound information corresponding to the second terminal 120.

[0032] The control unit 220 is configured to be able to control the operation of the user terminal 100 based on the authentication result of the authentication unit 210. Specifically, the control unit 220 is configured to be able to control the operation of each of the multiple user terminals 100 in accordance with the authentication result for each of the multiple user terminals 100. For example, the control unit 220 controls the operation of the first terminal 110 in accordance with the authentication result of the first terminal 110. The control unit 220 controls the operation of the second terminal 120 in accordance with the authentication result of the second terminal 120. The control unit 220 controls the operation of the third terminal 130 in accordance with the authentication result of the third terminal 130.

[0033] The control unit 220 may be configured to be able to control all operations of the user terminal 100 based on the authentication result. For example, the control unit 220 may control whether or not the user terminal 100 is operable. Alternatively, the control unit 220 may be configured to be able to control some operations of the user terminal 100 based on the authentication result. For example, the control unit 220 may control whether or not specific operations (e.g., operations related to playing music, adjusting the volume, etc.) are operable on the user terminal 100.

[0034] The functions of the authentication unit 210 and the control unit 220 described above may be provided in the user terminal 100. That is, some or all of the authentication unit 210 and the control unit 220 may be provided in the user terminal 100. In this case, the first information processing system 10 may be configured without including the processing terminal 200.

[0035] (Operational Flow) Next, the operational flow in the first information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operational flow of the first information processing system.

[0036] 3, when operation of the first information processing system 10 is started, first, each of the multiple user terminals 100 acquires reverberation information (step S101). Specifically, the first terminal 110 acquires reverberation information from the ear of the user wearing the first terminal 110. The second terminal 120 acquires reverberation information from the ear of the user wearing the second terminal 120. The third terminal 130 acquires reverberation information from the ear of the user wearing the third terminal 130. Then, each of the multiple user terminals 100 transmits the acquired reverberation signal to the processing terminal 200 (step S102).

[0037] Next, the authentication unit 210 performs ear acoustic authentication for each terminal (step S103). Specifically, the authentication unit 210 compares the reverberation sound information acquired from the first terminal 110 with the registered reverberation sound information corresponding to the first terminal 110, and performs authentication for the first terminal 110. The authentication unit 210 compares the reverberation sound information acquired from the second terminal 120 with the registered reverberation sound information corresponding to the second terminal 120, and performs authentication for the second terminal 120. The authentication unit 210 compares the reverberation sound information acquired from the third terminal 130 with the registered reverberation sound information corresponding to the third terminal 130, and performs authentication for the third terminal 130.

[0038] Next, the control unit 220 controls the operation of each of the multiple user terminals 100 based on the authentication result of the authentication unit 210 (step S104). Specifically, the control unit 220 controls the operation of the first terminal 110 based on the authentication result of the first terminal 110. The control unit 220 controls the operation of the first terminal 120 based on the authentication result of the second terminal 120. The control unit 220 controls the operation of the third terminal 130 based on the authentication result of the third terminal 130.

[0039] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the first information processing system 10 will be described.

[0040] As described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, in the first information processing system 10, earacoustic authentication is performed separately for each of the multiple user terminals 100. Then, the operation of each of the multiple user terminals 100 is controlled separately depending on the result of the earacoustic authentication. In this way, it is possible to appropriately control the operation of multiple terminals using earacoustic authentication. For example, it is possible to perform separate control on a user terminal 100 for which earacoustic authentication has been successful and a user terminal 100 for which earacoustic authentication has failed. Specific examples of control of the user terminals 100 will be described in detail in the embodiments described below.

[0041] Second Embodiment A second information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The second information processing system 10 illustrates a specific example of control of the user terminal 100 in the first information processing system 10 described above, and its configuration and operational flow may be similar to those of the first information processing system 10. Therefore, the following will describe in detail the parts that differ from the first embodiment, and will omit explanations of other overlapping parts as appropriate.

[0042] (Example of Control of User Terminal) First, an example of control of the operation of the user terminal 100 in the second information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of control of the user terminal in the second information processing system.

[0043] 4, the second information processing system 10 controls whether or not each of the multiple user terminals 100 is allowed to operate, depending on the authentication result for each of the multiple user terminals 100. Specifically, if the earacoustic authentication is successful in the authentication unit 210, the control unit 220 allows the operation of the user terminal 100. On the other hand, if the earacoustic authentication is unsuccessful in the authentication unit 210, the control unit 220 does not allow the operation of the user terminal 100.

[0044] In the example shown in Fig. 4, the authentication process in the authentication unit 210 for the first terminal 110 is successful. Therefore, the control unit 220 permits the operation of the first terminal 110. Also, the authentication process in the authentication unit 210 for the second terminal 120 is successful. Therefore, the control unit 220 permits the operation of the second terminal 120. On the other hand, the authentication process in the authentication unit 210 for the third terminal 130 fails. Therefore, the control unit 220 does not permit the operation of the third terminal 130. For example, if the user terminal 100 has a function to output played music, music can be listened to on the first terminal 110 and the second terminal 120, but music cannot be listened to on the third terminal 130.

[0045] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the second information processing system 10 will be described.

[0046] 4 , in the second information processing system 10, operation of a user terminal 100 for which earacoustic authentication has been successful is permitted, and operation of a user terminal 100 for which earacoustic authentication has failed is prohibited. In this way, it is possible to permit use of the user terminal 100 for users for which earacoustic authentication has been successful (i.e., registered users), and to prohibit use of the user terminal 100 for users for which earacoustic authentication has failed (i.e., unregistered users).

[0047] <Third Embodiment> A third information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. The third information processing system 10 shows a specific example of control of the user terminal 100 in the first information processing system 10 described above, and its configuration and operational flow may be similar to those of the first information processing system 10. Therefore, the following will describe in detail the parts that are different from the embodiments already described, and will omit explanations of other overlapping parts as appropriate.

[0048] (Control Example of User Terminal) First, a control example of the operation of the user terminal 100 in the second information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a control example when authentication of the parent device in the third information processing system is successful. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a control example when authentication of the parent device in the third information processing system is unsuccessful.

[0049] In the third information processing system 10, one of the multiple user terminals 100 is set as a parent device, and the rest are set as child devices. In the examples shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first terminal 110 is set as a parent device, and the second terminal 120 and the third terminal 130 are set as child devices.

[0050] In the third information processing system 10, when the authentication unit 210 successfully authenticates the parent device, the control unit 220 not only permits the parent device to operate, but also permits the child device to operate. In other words, when the authentication process for the parent device is successful, the child device is permitted to operate regardless of the result of the authentication process.

[0051] 5, the authentication of the first terminal 110, which is the parent device, has been successful. Therefore, the operation of the first terminal 110, which is the parent device, is permitted. As for the child devices, not only the second terminal 120, which has been successfully authenticated, but also the third terminal 130, which has not been successfully authenticated, is permitted to operate.

[0052] Furthermore, if the authentication unit 210 fails to authenticate the parent device, the control unit 220 may prohibit the parent device from operating and also the child device from operating. That is, if the authentication process for the parent device fails, the child device may be prohibited from operating regardless of the result of the authentication process.

[0053] 6, authentication of the first terminal 110, which is the parent device, has failed. Therefore, operation of the first terminal 110, which is the parent device, is prohibited. As for the child devices, operation of not only the second terminal 120, which has failed authentication, but also the third terminal 130, which has been successfully authenticated, is prohibited.

[0054] Note that when operations of both the parent unit and the child unit are permitted, the operations permitted for the child unit may be more restricted than those permitted for the parent unit. For example, if the user terminal 100 has a function for playing music, the parent unit and the child unit can listen to the same music, but operations to skip music or adjust the volume may be permitted only for the parent unit. In this case, when an operation to skip music is performed on the parent unit, the music being listened to on the child unit is also skipped. Furthermore, when an operation to lower the volume on the parent unit is performed, the volume on the child unit is also lowered.

[0055] Although the above example shows a configuration in which there is one parent device, multiple terminals may be set as parent devices. That is, multiple parent devices may exist. In this case, if the authentication process for all parent devices is successful, the operation of the child device may be permitted. Alternatively, if the authentication process for any one of the multiple parent devices is successful, the operation of the child device may be permitted. Furthermore, if the authentication process for all parent devices fails, the operation of the child device may be prohibited. Alternatively, if the authentication process for any one of the multiple parent devices fails, the operation of the child device may be prohibited.

[0056] Parental authority may be set not only for terminals but also for users. That is, a parent user who has authority to use the parent device and a child user who uses the child device (i.e., without parental authority) may be set. A parent user may be set, for example, by storing parental authority associated with a user ID. In a configuration in which a parent user is set, if the authentication process of a user with parental authority on the parent device is successful (i.e., if the user using the parent device is identified as the parent user), the operation of the child device may be permitted. On the other hand, if the authentication process of a user without parental authority on the parent device is successful (i.e., if the user using the parent device is identified as the child user), the operation of the child device may not be permitted. Furthermore, if the authentication process of a user with parental authority on the child device is successful (i.e., if the user using the child device is identified as the parent user), the operation of the child device may not be permitted.

[0057] (Master Unit Changing Operation) Next, a master unit changing operation (specifically, an operation of transferring authority of a master unit to a slave unit) in the third information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the master unit changing operation in the third information processing system.

[0058] In the master unit change operation, first, the authentication unit 210 in the processing terminal 200 performs authentication processing of the slave unit (step S51). That is, the processing unit 210 performs ear acoustic authentication using echo sound information acquired from the slave unit. Note that if the authentication processing of the slave unit fails (step S52: NO), the subsequent processing may be omitted.

[0059] If the authentication process of the child device is successful (step S52: YES), the processing terminal 200 accepts a parent device change operation (step S53). The parent device change operation is an operation performed when transferring the authority of the parent device to the child device. The parent device change operation may include an operation of specifying the child device to which the authority of the parent device is to be transferred. Alternatively, the parent device change operation may be an operation performed on the child device to which the authority of the parent device is to be transferred. Note that if the parent device change operation is not performed (step S54: NO), the subsequent processing may be omitted.

[0060] If the master unit change operation is accepted (step S54: YES), the authentication unit 210 in the processing terminal 200 executes master unit authentication processing (step S55). That is, the processing unit 210 executes ear acoustic authentication using the echo sound information acquired from the master unit. Note that if the master unit authentication processing fails (step S56: NO), the subsequent processing may be omitted.

[0061] If the authentication process of the parent device is successful (step S56: YES), the processing terminal 200 accepts a change approval operation (step S57). The change approval operation is an operation performed when approving the transfer of the parent device's authority to the child device. The change approval operation may be performed, for example, on the touch sensor of the parent device. For example, the change approval operation may be an operation in which the user of the parent device touches or presses and holds the touch sensor of the parent device. Note that if the change approval operation is not performed (step S58: NO), the subsequent processing may be omitted.

[0062] If the change approval operation is accepted (step S58: YES), the processing terminal 200 executes processing to change the master device (step S59). That is, the processing terminal 200 executes processing to transfer the authority of the master device to the slave device. Alternatively, the processing terminal 200 may execute the authentication processing of the master device first, then accept the master device change operation, and execute the authentication processing of the slave device. For example, steps S51 and S55 may be interchanged, and steps S52 and S56 may be interchanged. Alternatively, if the authentication processing of the master device is executed first, and the authentication processing of the master device is successful, the master device may be changed by skipping the authentication processing of the slave device.

[0063] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the third information processing system 10 will be described.

[0064] 5 to 7, in the third information processing system 10, the operation of the user terminal 100 set as a slave device is also controlled according to the result of the authentication process for the user terminal 100 set as a master device. In this way, it is possible to set the priority of authentication for the master device higher than the priority of authentication for the slave device. Therefore, for example, by setting the user terminal 100 used by a user who wants to have a higher priority as the master device, it is possible to more appropriately control the operation of each user terminal 100.

[0065] <Fourth Embodiment> A fourth information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Note that the fourth information processing system 10 only differs in some of its operations from the third information processing system 10 described above, and other parts may be similar to the first to third information processing systems 10. Therefore, the following will describe in detail the parts that differ from the embodiments already described, and will omit explanations of other overlapping parts as appropriate.

[0066] (Operation Flow) First, the operation flow in the fourth information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the fourth information processing system. Note that in Fig. 8, the same processes as those shown in Fig. 3 are assigned the same reference numerals. Also, in the fourth information processing system 10, it is assumed that a parent device and a child device are set in the user terminal 100, as in the third information processing system (see Figs. 5 and 6).

[0067] 8, when the operation of the fourth information processing system 10 starts, each of the plurality of user terminals 100 first acquires reverberation information (step S101), and then transmits the acquired reverberation signal to the processing terminal 200 (step S102).

[0068] Next, the authentication unit 210 performs ear acoustic authentication for each terminal (step S103). Here, the control unit 220 determines whether authentication for the parent unit is successful (step S401). If authentication for the parent unit is successful (step S401: YES), the control unit 220 permits operation of both the parent unit and the child unit (step S402). At this time, operation of the child unit may be permitted regardless of whether authentication is successful. On the other hand, if authentication for the parent unit is unsuccessful (step S401: NO), the control unit 220 prohibits operation of both the parent unit and the child unit (step S403). At this time, operation of the child unit may be prohibited regardless of whether authentication is successful.

[0069] Thereafter, the fourth information processing system 10 determines whether or not to end the authentication process (step S404). Whether or not to end the authentication may be determined based on a preset condition. For example, the fourth information processing system 10 may determine to end the authentication when the user removes the user terminal 100 from their ear or when the user terminal is turned off. When it is determined to end the authentication process (step S404: YES), the series of operations ends.

[0070] On the other hand, if it is determined not to end the authentication process (step S404: NO), the fourth information processing system 10 resumes the process from step S101. Therefore, the fourth information processing system 10 repeatedly performs user authentication. For example, the fourth information processing system 10 may perform user authentication at a predetermined interval.

[0071] When user authentication is repeated, even if the parent device was successful in the previous authentication (step S401: YES) and both the parent device and the child device were permitted to operate (step S402), if the parent device fails in the current authentication (step S401: NO), the operations of both the parent device and the child device are prohibited (step S403). That is, in the fourth information processing system 10, when the parent device's authentication switches from success to failure, the child device's operation is also prohibited.

[0072] Furthermore, even if the authentication of the parent device failed in the previous authentication (step S401: NO) and the operation of both the parent device and the child device was prohibited (step S403), if the authentication of the parent device is successful in the current authentication (step S401: YES), the operation of both the parent device and the child device may be permitted (step S403). That is, in the fourth information processing system 10, when the authentication of the parent device switches from failure to success, the operation of the child device may also be permitted. However, once the authentication of the parent device has failed once, the operation of the child device may remain prohibited regardless of the subsequent authentication results.

[0073] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the fourth information processing system 10 will be described.

[0074] As described in FIG. 8 , in the fourth information processing system 10, authentication is repeatedly performed, and the operation of the slave device is prohibited when the authentication of the master device changes from success to failure. This allows appropriate control to be performed when the authentication result changes. For example, if a user using the master device is replaced during operation, the use of the slave device that had been permitted up until then is prohibited. This prevents the slave device from being used in an inappropriate state.

[0075] Fifth Embodiment A fifth information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The fifth information processing system 10 only differs in some of its operations from the third and fourth information processing systems 10 described above, and other parts may be similar to the first to fourth information processing systems 10. Therefore, the following will describe in detail the parts that differ from the embodiments already described, and will omit explanations of other overlapping parts as appropriate.

[0076] (Operation Flow) First, the operation flow in the fifth information processing system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the fifth information processing system. Note that in Fig. 9, the same processes as those shown in Fig. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0077] 9 , when the operation of the fifth information processing system 10 starts, each of the plurality of user terminals 100 first acquires reverberation information (step S101), and then transmits the acquired reverberation signal to the processing terminal 200 (step S102).

[0078] Next, the authentication unit 210 performs ear acoustic authentication for each terminal (step S103). Here, the control unit 220 determines whether or not the authentication for the parent unit is successful (step S401). If the authentication for the parent unit is successful (step S401: YES), the control unit 220 permits operation of both the parent unit and the child unit (step S402). On the other hand, if the authentication for the parent unit is unsuccessful (step S401: NO), the control unit 220 prohibits operation of both the parent unit and the child unit (step S403).

[0079] Thereafter, the fifth information processing system 10 determines whether or not to end the authentication process (step S404). If it is determined that the authentication process should be ended (step S404: YES), the series of operations ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the authentication process should not be ended (step S404: NO), the fifth information processing system 10 resumes the process from step S101.

[0080] When user authentication is repeated, even if the parent device was successfully authenticated in the previous authentication (step S401: YES) and both the parent device and the child device were permitted to operate (step S402), if the parent device fails authentication in the current authentication (step S401: NO), both the parent device and the child device are prohibited from operating (step S403). Furthermore, in the fifth information processing system 10, the authentication unit 210 deletes the registered echo sound information of the child device (step S501). As a result, subsequent authentication of the child device will not be successful.

[0081] Furthermore, even if the previous authentication of the parent unit failed (step S401: NO) and the operation of both the parent unit and the child unit was prohibited (step S403), if the authentication of the parent unit is successful this time (step S401: YES), the operation of both the parent unit and the child unit may be permitted (step S403). However, if the registered echo sound information corresponding to the child unit has been deleted in the above-mentioned step S501, the operation of the child unit may not be permitted thereafter even if the authentication of the parent unit is successful again.

[0082] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the fifth information processing system 10 will be described.

[0083] As described in FIG. 9 , in the fifth information processing system 10, authentication is repeatedly performed, and when the authentication of the parent device changes from success to failure, the registered echo sound information corresponding to the child device is deleted. This allows appropriate control to be performed even if the authentication result changes. For example, if a user using the parent device changes during the authentication process, the registered echo sound information of the child device is deleted, preventing subsequent authentication of the child device from succeeding (i.e., effectively prohibiting use of the child device). This prevents the child device from being used in an inappropriate state.

[0084] Sixth Embodiment A mobile terminal will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. The mobile terminal 500 may be configured as one of the terminals included in the first to fifth information processing systems 10 described above, and its configuration and operation may be similar to those described in the first to fifth information processing systems 10. Therefore, the following will describe in detail the parts that are different from the embodiments already described, and will omit explanations of other overlapping parts as appropriate.

[0085] (Terminal Configuration) First, the configuration of the mobile terminal will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the mobile terminal. Note that in Fig. 10, the same elements as those shown in Fig. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0086] 10, the mobile terminal 500 is configured as a terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a watch-type terminal, an HMD terminal, etc. The mobile terminal 550 is connected to a plurality of user terminals 100 (not shown) (see, for example, FIG. 2). The mobile terminal 500 includes an authentication unit 210 and a control unit 220 as processing blocks for realizing its functions.

[0087] The authentication unit 210 and the control unit 220 may be similar to those included in the information processing system 10 described in the first to fifth embodiments. The authentication unit 210 is configured to acquire reverberant sound information from each of the multiple user terminals 100 and perform ear acoustic authentication for each user terminal 100. The control unit 220 is configured to control the operation of each of the multiple user terminals 100 based on the authentication result of the authentication unit 210.

[0088] (Operational Flow) Next, the operational flow in the mobile terminal 500 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the operational flow of the mobile terminal.

[0089] 11 , when the operation of the mobile terminal 500 is started, the authentication unit 210 first acquires reverberation information from each of the multiple user terminals 100 (step S601). Then, the authentication unit 210 performs ear acoustic authentication for each terminal using the acquired reverberation information (step S602).

[0090] Next, the control unit 220 controls the operation of each of the plurality of user terminals 100 based on the authentication result of the authentication unit 210 (step S603). The control unit 220 may control the plurality of user terminals 100 in the same manner as the information processing system 10 described in the first to fifth embodiments, for example.

[0091] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the mobile terminal 500 will be described.

[0092] 10 and 11 , the mobile terminal 500 performs earacoustic authentication separately for each of the multiple user terminals 100. Then, the operation of each of the multiple user terminals 100 is controlled separately depending on the result of the earacoustic authentication. In this way, it is possible to appropriately control the operation of multiple terminals using earacoustic authentication. For example, it is possible to separately control a user terminal 100 for which earacoustic authentication has been successful and a user terminal 100 for which earacoustic authentication has been unsuccessful.

[0093] The scope of each embodiment also includes a processing method in which a program that operates the configuration of each embodiment to realize the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded on a recording medium, the program recorded on the recording medium is read as code, and the program is executed on a computer. In other words, a computer-readable recording medium is also included in the scope of each embodiment. Furthermore, each embodiment includes not only a recording medium on which the above-described program is recorded, but also the program itself.

[0094] Examples of recording media that can be used include floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, and ROMs. Furthermore, the scope of each embodiment is not limited to programs that execute processes by themselves, but also includes programs that execute processes by operating on an OS in conjunction with other software or expansion board functions. Furthermore, the program itself may be stored on a server, and part or all of the program may be downloadable from the server to a user terminal. The program may be provided to the user in, for example, a SaaS (Software as a Service) format.

[0095] <Supplementary Notes> The above-described embodiment may be further described as in the following supplementary notes, but is not limited to the following.

[0096] (Supplementary Note 1) The information processing system described in Supplementary Note 1 is an information processing system that is capable of acquiring reverberation sound information related to reverberation sound in the ear, and that includes: a plurality of terminals each used by a different user; an authentication means that performs authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals by comparing the reverberation sound information acquired from each of the plurality of terminals with registered reverberation sound information that has been registered in advance to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals; and a control means that controls the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

[0097] (Supplementary Note 2) The information processing system described in Supplementary Note 2 is the information processing system described in Supplementary Note 1, in which the control means allows operation of a terminal among the plurality of terminals for which the authentication process has been successful, and does not allow operation of a terminal for which the authentication process has failed.

[0098] (Supplementary Note 3) The information processing system described in Supplementary Note 3 is the information processing system described in Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the control means permits operation of all terminals included in the plurality of terminals when the authentication process at a specific terminal included in the plurality of terminals is successful.

[0099] (Appendix 4) The information processing system described in Appendix 4 is the information processing system described in Appendix 3, in which the authentication means executes the authentication process intermittently, and the control means prohibits operation of terminals other than the specified terminal included in the plurality of terminals when the authentication process at the specified terminal switches from a successful state to a failed state.

[0100] (Appendix 5) The information processing system described in Appendix 5 is the information processing system described in Appendix 3 or 4, wherein the authentication means intermittently executes the authentication process, and the control means deletes the registered echo sound information corresponding to terminals other than the specified terminal included in the plurality of terminals when the authentication process at the specified terminal switches from a successful state to a failed state.

[0101] (Supplementary Note 6) The mobile terminal described in Supplementary Note 6 is a mobile terminal that includes: an authentication means that acquires reverberation sound information regarding reverberation sound in the ears from each of a plurality of terminals used by different users, and performs authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals by comparing the reverberation sound information with registered reverberation sound information that has been registered in advance to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals; and a control means that controls the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

[0102] (Supplementary Note 7) The information processing method described in Supplementary Note 7 is an information processing method in which, by using at least one computer, echo sound information regarding echo sound reflected in the ear is acquired from each of a plurality of terminals used by different users, the echo sound information acquired from each of the plurality of terminals is compared with registered echo sound information that is pre-registered to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals, thereby performing authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals, and controlling the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

[0103] (Appendix 8) The recording medium described in Appendix 8 is a recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for causing at least one computer to execute an information processing method, which comprises acquiring reverberation information relating to reverberation in the ears from each of a plurality of terminals used by different users, comparing the reverberation information acquired from each of the plurality of terminals with registered reverberation information pre-registered to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals, thereby performing authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals, and controlling the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

[0104] (Supplementary Note 9) The computer program described in Supplementary Note 9 is a computer program that causes at least one computer to execute an information processing method, which acquires reverberation information regarding reverberation in the ears from each of a plurality of terminals used by different users, compares the reverberation information acquired from each of the plurality of terminals with registered reverberation information that has been registered in advance to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals, and controls the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

[0105] This disclosure may be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not contradict the gist or idea of ​​the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and information processing systems, mobile terminals, information processing methods, and recording media that involve such modifications are also included in the technical idea of ​​this disclosure.

[0106] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Information processing system 11 Processor 100 User terminal 110 First terminal 120 Second terminal 130 Third terminal 200 Processing terminal 210 Authentication unit 220 Control unit 500 Portable terminal

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising: a plurality of terminals capable of acquiring reverberation information relating to reverberation within the ears, each terminal being used by a different user; an authentication means for executing authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals by comparing the reverberation information acquired from each of the plurality of terminals with registered reverberation information that is pre-registered to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals; and a control means for controlling the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said control means permits operation of terminals among said plurality of terminals for which said authentication process has been successful, and does not permit operation of terminals for which said authentication process has been unsuccessful.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said control means permits operation of all terminals included in said plurality of terminals when said authentication process in a predetermined terminal included in said plurality of terminals is successful.

4. The information processing system of claim 3, wherein the authentication means executes the authentication process intermittently, and the control means prohibits operation of terminals other than the specified terminal included in the plurality of terminals when the authentication process at the specified terminal switches from a successful state to a failed state.

5. The information processing system of claim 3, wherein the authentication means executes the authentication process intermittently, and the control means deletes the registered echo sound information corresponding to terminals other than the specified terminal included in the plurality of terminals when the authentication process at the specified terminal switches from a successful state to a failed state.

6. A mobile terminal comprising: an authentication means for acquiring reverberation information relating to reverberation in the ears from each of a plurality of terminals used by different users, and performing authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals by comparing the reverberation information with registered reverberation information that has been registered in advance to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals; and a control means for controlling the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

7. An information processing method comprising: acquiring, by at least one computer, reverberation information relating to reverberation in the ears from each of a plurality of terminals used by different users; comparing the reverberation information acquired from each of the plurality of terminals with registered reverberation information pre-registered to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals, thereby executing an authentication process for each of the plurality of terminals; and controlling the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication process for each of the plurality of terminals.

8. A recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing an information processing method, the method comprising: acquiring, on at least one computer, reverberation information relating to reverberation in the ears from each of a plurality of terminals used by different users; performing authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals by comparing the acquired reverberation information from each of the plurality of terminals with registered reverberation information that is registered in advance so as to correspond to each of the plurality of terminals; and controlling the operation of each of the plurality of terminals based on the result of the authentication processing for each of the plurality of terminals.

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