Monitoring device, authentication system, monitoring method, and recording medium

Abstract

Provided are an authentication device, a vehicle, an authentication method, and a recording medium with which it is easy to ensure authentication accuracy. Also provided are: a monitoring device that operates in conjunction with a vehicle equipped with an authentication device; an authentication system that operates in conjunction with this monitoring device; a monitoring method; and a recording medium.　The monitoring device is provided with: a communication means that communicates with an authentication system with which a vehicle is equipped, said authentication system authenticating whether or not an approaching person is a pre-registered user; an analysis means that analyzes a captured image of the vehicle; and a request means that, if a person satisfying a prescribed condition is found in the image, requests the authentication system to authenticate the person and causes the authentication system to authenticate the person.

Description

Monitoring device, authentication system, monitoring method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a monitoring device, an authentication system, a monitoring method, and a recording medium.

[0002] In recent years, monitoring devices equipped with an authentication device and capable of determining whether a person approaching a vehicle is suspicious have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of an approaching individual information recording device capable of accurately identifying an approaching individual approaching a monitoring target. According to this document, the approaching individual information recording device detects biometric information of the approaching individual while capturing an image of the approaching individual, and records each captured image information in association with the detected biometric information. The approaching individual information recording device then confirms the history of the captured and recorded image information by comparing the recorded biometric information with the biometric information of the approaching individual detected each time.

[0003] JP 2011-118812 A

[0004] The approaching person information recording device of Patent Document 1 operates independently, and has the problem that it cannot record information, for example, in dark places or if the image sensor mounted on the vehicle is covered.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a monitoring device that operates in cooperation with a vehicle equipped with an authentication device, an authentication system that operates in cooperation with this monitoring device, a monitoring method, and a recording medium.

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a monitoring device comprising: a communication means for communicating with an authentication system of a vehicle equipped with the authentication system, which authenticates whether an approaching person is a pre-registered user; an analysis means for analyzing an image of the vehicle; and a request means for, when a person satisfying predetermined conditions is found in the image, requesting the authentication system to authenticate the person, and causing the authentication system to authenticate the person.

[0007] According to a second aspect, there is provided an authentication system that requests user authentication from nearby people in response to an authentication request from the monitoring device, and returns the result of the user authentication to the monitoring device.

[0008] According to a third aspect, there is provided a monitoring method in which a monitoring device equipped with a communication means for communicating with an authentication system of a vehicle equipped with the authentication system that authenticates whether an approaching person is a pre-registered user analyzes an image of the vehicle, and if a person who meets predetermined conditions is found in the image, the monitoring device requests the authentication system to authenticate the person, and causes the authentication system to authenticate the person.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a monitoring device to have a communication means for communicating with an authentication system that authenticates whether a person approaching the vehicle is a pre-registered user, a process for analyzing an image taken by a camera that can photograph the area around the vehicle, and a process for requesting the authentication system to authenticate a person who meets predetermined conditions in the image.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a monitoring device that operates in cooperation with a vehicle equipped with an authentication device, an authentication system that operates in cooperation with this monitoring device, a monitoring method, and a recording medium.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overall configuration to which a monitoring device of the present disclosure is applied. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is another diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of a computer constituting an authentication device of the present disclosure.

[0012] First, an overview of one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings relate to one or more embodiments. The reference numerals in the drawings attached to this overview are attached to each element for convenience as an example to facilitate understanding, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the illustrated form. Furthermore, connecting lines between blocks in the drawings and the like referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows are used to schematically indicate the flow of main signals (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. A program is executed via a computer device, which includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and, if necessary, a display device. Furthermore, this computer device is configured to be able to communicate with internal or external devices (including computers) via the communication interface, whether wired or wireless. Although ports or interfaces are present at the input / output connection points of each block in the drawings, they are not shown.

[0013] In one embodiment, the present disclosure can be realized by a monitoring device 10 including a communication unit 11, an analysis unit 12, and a request unit 13, as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overall configuration to which the monitoring device of the present disclosure is applied. As shown in FIG. 2, the communication unit 11 communicates with an authentication system of a vehicle V equipped with the authentication system, which authenticates whether an approaching person is a pre-registered user. The analysis unit 12 analyzes an image captured of the vehicle V. When the request unit 13 finds a person in the image that meets predetermined conditions, it requests the authentication system to authenticate the person. In response, the monitoring device 10 causes the authentication system to authenticate the person.

[0014] The monitoring device 10 configured as described above operates as follows. First, the monitoring device 10 analyzes an image captured by a camera C or the like (step S01 in FIG. 3). If, as a result of the analysis, a person who meets predetermined conditions (a person who needs to be authenticated) is found in the image (Yes in step S02 in FIG. 3), the monitoring device 10 requests the authentication system to authenticate the person (step S03 in FIG. 3). This causes the monitoring device 10 to have the authentication system authenticate the person. Note that if a person who needs to be authenticated is not found in step S02, the monitoring device 10 continues monitoring (No in step S02 in FIG. 3).

[0015] According to the monitoring device 10 of the present disclosure that operates as described above, when a person who may be committing mischief or the like is detected on the monitored vehicle V, it is possible to prompt the authentication system of the vehicle V to perform person authentication. Of course, the approaching individual information recording device of Patent Document 1 can also be used as the authentication system. In this case, the monitoring device 10 of the present disclosure can cause the approaching individual information recording device of Patent Document 1 to confirm the identity of the approaching individual.

[0016] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment in which the present disclosure is applied to monitoring vehicles in a parking lot will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 4, a configuration is shown in which vehicles V1 and V2 parked in the parking lot are monitored using a camera C1 and a monitoring device 100.

[0017] The camera C1 is a camera capable of capturing images of the parking lot where the vehicles V1 and V2 are parked. As the camera C1, for example, a camera for monitoring the parking lot, a camera installed for security purposes, etc. can be used.

[0018] In the following description, it is assumed that vehicles V1 and V2 are equipped with an authentication system that authenticates whether an approaching person is a pre-registered user. The authentication system of vehicles V1 and V2 has a function of requesting user authentication of nearby people in response to an authentication request from authentication request unit 103, and a function of responding to monitoring device 100 with the result of user authentication.

[0019] The monitoring device 100 includes a communication unit 101 , an analysis unit 102 , an authentication request unit 103 , and a recording unit 104 .

[0020] The communication unit 101 communicates with the authentication systems of the vehicles V1 and V2. Specific communication methods include short-range wireless communication and a local 5G system that can build a 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system) network in a limited area. Of course, communication may be performed using a mobile communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) or a fifth generation mobile communication system. In this case, the communication unit 101 can be replaced with the terminal function of a mobile communication system. Therefore, the communication unit 101 corresponds to the communication means 11 described above. The communication unit 101 also functions as a receiving means that receives the result of user authentication from the authentication system.

[0021] The analysis unit 102 detects people in the image captured by the camera C1 and analyzes their movements. This person detection mechanism can use various technologies known as object recognition technology. For example, the analysis unit 102 can employ a method of detecting people in the image using an inference model created in advance by machine learning or the like. The analysis unit 102 sends the results of the analysis to the authentication request unit 103. Therefore, the analysis unit 102 corresponds to the analysis means 12 described above.

[0022] When the authentication request unit 103 finds a person (person who needs to be authenticated) who satisfies predetermined conditions based on the analysis results by the analysis unit 102, it requests the authentication system to authenticate the person who needs to be authenticated via the communication unit 101. The predetermined conditions can be, for example, that the detected person has behaved in the following manner. Such an analysis unit 102 corresponds to the analysis means 12 described above. - Crouching near the vehicle V - Staying near the vehicle V for a predetermined period of time or more - Staying within the angle of view of the camera C1 for a predetermined period of time or more - Looking into the interior of the vehicle V

[0023] The behaviors set forth as the predetermined conditions should desirably be changed depending on the location where the vehicle is parked and the behaviors to be prevented. For example, in areas where car break-ins (theft of cash or goods from automobiles, also known as "car break-ins") are common, it is desirable to set behaviors such as trying to unlock the doors of the vehicle V and peering into the vehicle.

[0024] The recording unit 104 receives the result of user authentication of the person to be authenticated by the authentication request unit 103 from the authentication system via the communication unit 101. Then, the recording unit 104 records the image captured by the camera C1 based on the result of the user authentication. For example, if the result of the authentication request by the authentication request unit 103 indicates that user authentication has failed, the recording unit 104 records the image captured by the camera C1. Furthermore, even if the result of the authentication request by the authentication request unit 103 indicates that user authentication has succeeded, the recording unit 104 may record the image captured by the camera C1 for a predetermined period of time.

[0025] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 5, first, the monitoring device 100 monitors the vehicles V1 and V2 to be monitored (step S001).

[0026] If a person requiring authentication is found during the monitoring (Yes in step S002), the monitoring device 100 notifies the authentication system and requests user authentication of the person requiring authentication (step S003).

[0027] The authentication system that has received the notification requests user authentication from the nearby person (step S004). If the nearby person does not comply with the user authentication request or if user authentication of the nearby person fails, it is desirable that the authentication system take a warning action such as issuing an alarm or turning on an emergency light.

[0028] Next, the authentication system transmits the result of the user authentication to the monitoring device 100 (step S005).

[0029] The monitoring device 100, which has received the result of the user authentication, records the image captured by the camera C1 based on the result of the user authentication (step S006).

[0030] 6, when a suspicious person SP is found crouching near the vehicle V2, the monitoring device 100 requests user authentication of the person to be authenticated, as described above. Then, when the monitoring device 100 receives a message that the user authentication has failed because the suspicious person SP has not responded to the user authentication request, the monitoring device 100 starts recording an image of the suspicious person SP using the recording unit 104. This makes it possible to record the behavior of the suspicious person SP and materials for identifying the person if it is discovered that the vehicle V2 has suffered some kind of damage.

[0031] As described above, according to this embodiment, as soon as a suspicious person or the like is found in a camera image, the authentication system is notified of this, and the image can be recorded depending on the result.

[0032] [Second Embodiment] In the above-described first embodiment, an example in which one camera C1 is used has been described, but two or more cameras may be connected to the monitoring device 100. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure in which two cameras C1 and C2 are connected to the monitoring device 100a. With this configuration, for example, even if the suspicious person SP is in the shadow of a vehicle V2, the camera C1 can record an image of the suspicious person SP captured by the other camera C2 in the recording unit 104a.

[0033] [Third Embodiment] In the first and second embodiments described above, images captured by cameras C1 and C2 directly connected to the monitoring devices 100 and 100a are described as being recorded, but the monitoring devices may request other devices to record images. Figure 8 is a diagram showing yet another configuration of the present disclosure. The difference from the configurations shown in Figures 4 and 7 is that a photography requesting unit 105 and a camera layout storage unit 106 are added to the monitoring device 100b, and the result of user authentication is also sent to the photography requesting unit 105. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first and second embodiments, the following description will focus on the differences.

[0034] When the communication unit 101 b receives the result of user authentication from the vehicle authentication system, it sends the result of user authentication to the recording unit 104 and the photography requesting unit 105 .

[0035] The camera location storage unit 106 stores location information (such as location and orientation) of the camera devices in the parking lot, as well as their communication addresses. In this embodiment, the camera location storage unit 106 also stores information about vehicles equipped with cameras in the parking lot as location information for the camera devices in the parking lot. Such vehicle information can be obtained, for example, from a system that tracks the locations of probe vehicles or vehicles subscribed to a specified service.

[0036] When the photography requesting unit 105 receives the result of the user authentication from the communication unit 101b, it refers to the camera arrangement storage unit 106, selects a camera device (including the vehicle) that can photograph the vehicle that sent the result of the user authentication, and sends a request to that communication address to take a photograph. The camera device (including the vehicle) that received the request to photograph from the photography requesting unit 105 takes a photograph for a predetermined time and sends the result to the monitoring device 100b.

[0037] For example, as shown in Fig. 9, when the monitoring device 100b detects a suspicious person SP crouching near a vehicle V2, the monitoring device 100b requests user authentication of the person to be authenticated, as described above. Then, when the monitoring device 100b receives a message that the user authentication has failed because the suspicious person SP does not comply with the user authentication, the monitoring device 100b records the information using the recording unit 104 and requests photography using the photography requesting unit 105. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, the monitoring device 100b selects a vehicle V3 that can photograph the vehicle V2 in which the suspicious person SP was detected, and requests photography.

[0038] In this way, according to this embodiment in which another camera device is requested to take a photograph, it becomes possible to capture and record a suspicious person who is in a position that is out of the blind spot of the camera C1.

[0039] 8, the monitoring device 100b is described as being provided with the camera layout storage unit 106, but a function equivalent to the camera layout storage unit 106 may be located on a network. In this case, the monitoring device 100b accesses the camera layout storage unit 106 via the network and selects a camera device (including the vehicle) that can capture an image of the vehicle that has transmitted the user authentication result.

[0040] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain images taken by the camera C1 installed in a parking lot or the like, as well as by other camera equipment (including vehicles).

[0041] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical concept of the present disclosure. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representation formats shown in the drawings are examples intended to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0042] (Hardware Configuration) In each embodiment of the present disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of the components of each device are realized by an arbitrary combination of an information processing device 900 and a program, for example, as shown in FIG. 10 . FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configuration: - CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901 - ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 - RAM (Random Access Memory) 903 - Program 904 loaded into RAM 903 - Storage device 905 that stores the program 904 - Drive device 907 that reads and writes to a recording medium 906 - Communication interface 908 that connects to a communication network 909 - Input / output interface 910 that inputs and outputs data - Bus 911 that connects each component

[0043] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 901 acquiring and executing a program 904 that realizes the function. That is, the CPU 901 in FIG. 10 executes an image analysis program and an authentication request program, and performs an update process for each calculation parameter stored in the RAM 903, the storage device 905, etc. The program 904 that realizes the function of each component of each device is stored in the storage device 905 or the ROM 902 in advance, for example, and is read by the CPU 901 as needed. The program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via the communication network 909, or may be stored in advance on the recording medium 906, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0044] There are various variations in the method of realizing each device. For example, each device may be realized by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Furthermore, multiple components of each device may be realized by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. In other words, each unit (processing means, function) of the monitoring device shown in the first to third embodiments can be realized by a computer program that causes a processor installed in the device to execute each of the above-mentioned processes using its hardware.

[0045] In addition, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0046] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits and programs.

[0047] When some or all of the components of each device are realized by multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc., the multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, in a form in which each device is connected via a communication network.

[0048] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to only the above-described embodiments. In other words, those skilled in the art can modify or substitute the above-described embodiments to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0049] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0050] [Supplementary Note 1] A monitoring device comprising: a communication means for communicating with an authentication system of a vehicle equipped with the authentication system, which authenticates whether an approaching person is a pre-registered user; an analysis means for analyzing an image of the vehicle; and a request means for, when a person satisfying predetermined conditions is found in the image, requesting the authentication system to authenticate the person and having the authentication system authenticate the person. [Supplementary Note 2] The request means of the monitoring device may be configured to request the authentication system to authenticate the person when a person crouching near the vehicle, a person remaining near the vehicle, or a person peering into the vehicle is found. [Supplementary Note 3] The monitoring device may further comprise a recording means for receiving the result of the authentication of the person from the authentication system, and recording the image captured by the camera based on the result of the authentication of the person. [Supplementary Note 4] The above-mentioned monitoring device can further be configured to have a requesting means for accessing location information of camera devices in the area where the vehicle is located, and for referencing the location information of the camera devices to select a camera device in a position suitable for photographing the person and requesting the camera device to photograph the person. [Supplementary Note 5] An authentication system that, in response to an authentication request from the above-mentioned monitoring device, requests user authentication from a nearby person and responds to the monitoring device with the result of the user authentication. [Supplementary Note 6] A monitoring method in which a monitoring device equipped with a communication means for communicating with an authentication system of a vehicle equipped with the authentication system that verifies whether an approaching person is a pre-registered user analyzes an image taken of the vehicle, and when a person satisfying predetermined conditions is found in the image, requests the authentication system to authenticate the person and has the authentication system authenticate the person. [Supplementary Note 7] A recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a monitoring device to have communication means for communicating with an authentication system that authenticates whether a person approaching the vehicle is a pre-registered user, a process for analyzing an image taken by a camera that can photograph the area around the vehicle, and a process for requesting the authentication system to authenticate a person who meets predetermined conditions in the image.The embodiments described in the above Supplements can be combined with each other after making necessary modifications. For example, the scope of disclosure of this specification also includes a configuration that combines the contents described in Supplementary Note 2 and the contents described in Supplementary Note 3, and when a person exhibiting suspicious behavior is discovered, requests the authentication system to authenticate the person and records an image based on the result. The embodiments of Supplements 6 to 7 can be expanded into the embodiments of Supplements 2 to 4, just like Supplementary Note 1.

[0051] The disclosures of the above-cited patent documents are incorporated herein by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure, as necessary. Modifications and adjustments of the embodiments and examples are possible within the scope of this disclosure (including the claims), and further based on its basic technical concept. Furthermore, various combinations and selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosed elements (including elements of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible within the scope of this disclosure. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes various modifications and alterations that would be possible by a person skilled in the art in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical concept. In particular, with regard to the numerical ranges described herein, any numerical value or subrange within that range should be construed as specifically described, even if not otherwise specified. Furthermore, the disclosures of the above-cited documents, when used in part or in whole in combination with the disclosures herein as part of this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, are also deemed to be included in the disclosures of this application.

[0052] 10, 100, 100a, 100b Monitoring device 11 Communication means 12 Analysis means 13 Request means 101 Communication unit 102 Analysis unit 103 Authentication request unit 104, 104a Recording unit 105 Photography request unit 106 Camera layout storage unit 900 Information processing device 901 CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Recording medium 907 Drive device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus C, C1, C2 Camera SP Suspicious person V, V1 to V3 vehicles

Claims

1. A monitoring device comprising: a communication means for communicating with an authentication system of a vehicle equipped with the authentication system, which authenticates whether an approaching person is a pre-registered user; an analysis means for analyzing an image of the vehicle; and a request means for, when a person who meets predetermined conditions is found in the image, requesting the authentication system to authenticate the person, and causing the authentication system to authenticate the person.

2. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the requesting means, when detecting a person crouching near the vehicle, a person remaining near the vehicle, or a person peering into the vehicle, requests the authentication system to authenticate the person.

3. The surveillance device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a recording means for receiving the result of authentication of the person from the authentication system, and for recording the image captured by the camera based on the result of authentication of the person.

4. A monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a request means for accessing location information of camera devices in the area where the vehicle is located, referencing the location information of the camera devices, selecting a camera device in a position suitable for photographing the person, and requesting that camera device to photograph the person.

5. An authentication system that requests user authentication from nearby people in response to an authentication request from a monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and responds with the result of the user authentication to said monitoring device.

6. A surveillance method in which a surveillance device equipped with a communication means for communicating with an authentication system of a vehicle equipped with the authentication system that authenticates whether an approaching person is a pre-registered user, analyzes an image of the vehicle, and if a person who meets predetermined conditions is found in the image, requests the authentication system to authenticate the person, and has the authentication system authenticate the person.

7. A recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a monitoring device to have a communication means for communicating with an authentication system that authenticates whether a person approaching the vehicle is a pre-registered user, a process of analyzing images taken by a camera that can capture the area around the vehicle, and a process of requesting the authentication system to authenticate a person who meets predetermined conditions when the person is found in the image.

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