Information processing device, information processing method, and recording medium

Abstract

This information processing device is provided with: an acquisition means that acquires an image including a person to be authenticated in a prescribed area; an authentication means that sequentially performs authentication processing of the person to be authenticated within the image; a determination means that determines the priority degree of notification processing for notifying a monitoring person who monitors the person to be authenticated, on the basis of time-series data of the results of the authentication processing; and a notification means that performs the notification processing on the basis of the results of the authentication processing and the priority degree. This information processing device makes it possible to appropriately perform the notification processing for the monitoring person on the basis of the priority degree.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, and recording medium

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

[0002] Known examples of this type of device are those that perform authentication processing for multiple subjects who are present in a predetermined area. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that acquires an image including a predetermined area through which subjects pass, and performs facial recognition while tracking the subjects within the image.

[0003] WO 2023 / 152970

[0004] An object of this disclosure is to provide an information processing device, 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 device disclosed herein comprises an acquisition means for acquiring an image including a person to be authenticated in a specified area, an authentication means for sequentially performing an authentication process for the person to be authenticated in the image, a determination means for determining the priority of a notification process for a monitor monitoring the person to be authenticated based on time series data of the results of the authentication process, and a notification means for performing the notification process based on the result of the authentication process and the priority.

[0006] One aspect of the information processing method disclosed herein involves using at least one computer to acquire an image including a person to be authenticated in a specified area, sequentially performing authentication processing on the person to be authenticated in the image, determining a priority for notification processing to a monitor monitoring the person to be authenticated based on time series data of the results of the authentication processing, and performing the notification processing based on the priority.

[0007] 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 includes acquiring an image including a person to be authenticated in a specified area, sequentially performing authentication processing on the person to be authenticated in the image, determining a priority of notification processing for a monitor monitoring the person to be authenticated based on time-series data of the results of the authentication processing, and performing the notification processing based on the priority.

[0008] 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a gateless authentication system; FIG. 2 is a top view showing an example of the operation of the gateless authentication system; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a first information processing device, showing a flowchart of the operation flow of the gateless authentication system; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of notification information generation processing by the first information processing device; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a method for determining priority in a second information processing device; FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a method for determining priority in a third information processing device; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a method for determining priority in a fourth information processing device; FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a fifth information processing device; FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of notification information generation processing by the fifth information processing device; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram (part 1) showing an example of a method for determining priority in the fifth information processing device; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram (part 2) showing an example of a method for determining priority in the fifth information processing device.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of an information processing device, an information processing method, and a recording medium will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] First Embodiment A first information processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

[0011] (Configuration of Gateless Authentication System) First, the hardware configuration of a gateless authentication system to which the first information processing device is applied will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the gateless authentication system.

[0012] 1, the gateless authentication system 1 includes a processor 11, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 13, a storage device 14, an input device 15, an output device 16, a user terminal 20, and an authentication device 30. The processor 11, RAM 12, ROM 13, storage device 14, input device 15, output device 16, user terminal 20, and authentication device 30 are all connected via a data bus 17. Note that the data bus 17 may be an interface other than a data bus (for example, a LAN, a USB, etc.).

[0013] 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 gateless authentication system 1 via a network interface. The processor 11 executes the loaded computer program to perform various processes. When the processor 11 executes the loaded computer program, functional blocks related to the processes executed by the gateless authentication system 1 are realized within the processor 11. In other words, the processor 11 may function as a controller that executes each control in the gateless authentication system 1 (in other words, the first information processing device).

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] The storage device 14 stores data that is to be saved long-term by the gateless authentication system 1. The storage device 14 may operate as a temporary storage device for the processor 11. The storage device 14 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.

[0018] The input device 15 is a device that receives input instructions from a user of the gateless authentication system 1. 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 also be, for example, a device that includes a microphone and is capable of voice input.

[0019] The output device 16 is a device that outputs information related to the gateless authentication system 1 to the outside. For example, the output device 16 may be a display device (e.g., a display or a monitor) that can display information related to the gateless authentication system 1. The output device 16 may also be a speaker or the like that can output information related to the gateless authentication system 1 as audio.

[0020] The user terminal 20 is a terminal used by a user (specifically, a monitor) of the gateless authentication system 1. The user terminal 20 includes a display unit 201. The display unit 201 is a display mounted on the user terminal 20. The user terminal 20 may be configured as, for example, an HMD (Head Mounted Display). The HMD may use AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), or MR (Mixed Reality). Note that the user terminal 20 may be a terminal other than an HMD, and may be configured as, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, or the like.

[0021] The authentication device 30 is a device that executes authentication processing in the gateless authentication system 1. The authentication device 30 includes a gateless camera 301. The gateless camera 301 is positioned so as to capture an image of the authentication area through which the person to be authenticated passes. The authentication device 30 executes authentication processing using the image captured by the gateless camera 301. For example, the authentication device 30 detects the person to be authenticated in the image and acquires biometric information from the person to be authenticated. The authentication device 30 then compares the biometric information of the person to be authenticated with pre-registered registration information (i.e., biometric information of registered users) to execute authentication processing for the person to be authenticated. The authentication device 30 may have a function for storing registration information for multiple registered users. Alternatively, the registration information may be stored in an external storage device or the like, and the authentication device 30 may read it to execute authentication processing. The authentication device 30 may execute authentication processing by calculating a score according to the degree of match between the biometric information and the registration information. In this case, the authentication device 30 may determine that the authentication process is successful (i.e., the target and the registered user match) if the score is higher than a predetermined authentication threshold, and may determine that the authentication process is unsuccessful (i.e., the target and the registered user do not match) if the score is lower than the predetermined authentication threshold. The type of biometric information used by the authentication device 30 is not particularly limited, and the authentication process may be performed using biometric information related to the face or iris, for example.

[0022] Each of the components of the gateless authentication system 1 described above may function as a first information processing device. For example, the first information processing device may be configured by the processor 11, RAM 12, and ROM 13 of the components of the gateless authentication system 1. Note that part of the calculation function of the first information processing device may be realized by an external server, a cloud, or the like.

[0023] (Gateless Authentication) Next, an example of the operation of the gateless authentication system 1 to which the first information processing device is applied will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top view showing an example of the operation of the gateless authentication system.

[0024] 2, the gateless authentication system 1 is configured to be able to perform authentication processing (hereinafter referred to as "gateless authentication") for a person to be authenticated 50 passing through an authentication area R. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the person to be authenticated 50 is walking from the left side to the right side of the figure. The authentication area R is set, for example, at the entrance of various facilities, and a person to be authenticated 50 who is successfully authenticated is permitted to enter the facility, and a person to be authenticated 50 who is unsuccessful in authentication is prohibited from entering the facility. There may be multiple people to be authenticated 50 in a given area R. In this case, the gateless authentication system 1 simply performs authentication processing for each of the multiple people to be authenticated 50.

[0025] An authentication device 30 is installed at the end of the authentication area R (specifically, the end ahead in the direction of travel of the person to be authenticated 50). The authentication device 30 is provided with a gateless camera 301, which captures an image of the authentication area R. The gateless camera 301 is installed in a position that includes at least a portion of the authentication area R within its imaging range. Note that although an example in which one gateless camera 301 is installed is given here, multiple gateless cameras 301 may also be installed. In this case, it is preferable that the multiple gateless cameras 301 are installed so as to capture images of the authentication area R from different positions and at different angles.

[0026] At least one monitor 60 is assigned to the authentication device 30. The monitor 60 uses the user terminal 20 to monitor the person to be authenticated 50 who is performing gateless authentication. For example, if there is a person to be authenticated 50 who has not been successfully authenticated (hereinafter referred to as an "unauthenticated person"), information about the unauthenticated person may be displayed on the display unit 201 of the user terminal. Upon seeing this information, the monitor 60 calls out to the unauthenticated person and prohibits them from passing through. The monitor 60 may also guide the unauthenticated person to perform gateless authentication again. In this case, the monitor 60 may instruct the person to face the gateless camera 301.

[0027] (Operation of Gateless Authentication System) Next, the flow of operations of the gateless authentication system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations of the gateless authentication system.

[0028] 3, when the operation of the gateless authentication system 1 is started, the gateless camera 301 first captures an image of the person to be authenticated 50 and acquires an authentication image including the person to be authenticated 50 (step S101). Then, the authentication device 30 detects the person to be authenticated 50 from the authentication image and starts tracking it (step S102). An individual tracking ID is assigned to each person to be authenticated 50 being tracked. Note that the authentication device 30 may detect multiple people to be authenticated 50 from a single image. In this case, the authentication unit 120 may track multiple people to be authenticated 50 simultaneously in parallel.

[0029] The subsequent processing from step S103 onwards is executed for each target. The authentication device 30 first acquires a target ID and a tracking ID for each target (step S201). Then, the authentication device 30 determines whether a new tracking ID has been assigned (step S202). That is, the authentication device 30 determines whether tracking of a new person to be authenticated 50 has begun. Note that if it is determined that a new tracking ID has not been assigned (step S202: NO), the authentication device 30 determines whether the person to be authenticated 50 being tracked has already been authenticated (step S203). That is, the authentication device 30 executes authentication processing for the person to be authenticated 50 being tracked and determines whether the authentication processing has been successful.

[0030] If the person to be authenticated 50 being tracked has already been authenticated (step S203: YES), the authentication device 30 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous authentication process (step S204). The "predetermined time" here refers to a time that is preset as an interval between executions of authentication processes. If the predetermined time has not elapsed since the previous authentication process (step S204: NO), the authentication device 30 determines that the person to be authenticated 50 is allowed to pass (step S205).

[0031] On the other hand, if it is determined that a new tracking ID has been assigned (step S202: YES), if the person being tracked 50 has not been authenticated (step S203: NO), or if a predetermined time has passed since the previous authentication process (step S204: YES), the authentication device 30 executes authentication processing for the person being tracked 50 (step S206). If the authentication process is successful (step S207: YES), the authentication device 30 associates the tracking ID assigned to the person being tracked 50 with the target ID identified by the authentication (i.e., the ID set for each registered user) and stores them (step S208). If the person being tracked 50 is successfully authenticated, the authentication device 30 determines that the person being tracked 50 is allowed to pass (step S205).

[0032] On the other hand, if the authentication process fails (step S207: NO), the authentication device 30 determines whether an alert has already been issued for the person to be authenticated 50 (step S209). An alert is issued, for example, when the number of authentication failures exceeds a predetermined threshold N. Examples of the number of authentication failures include the number of consecutive frames of authentication failure and the duration of consecutive authentication failures. For the person to be authenticated 50 for whom an alert has already been issued (step S209: YES), the authentication device 30 determines that the person to be authenticated 50 is not allowed to pass (step S210). If an alert has not been issued (step S209: NO), the authentication device 30 determines whether the number of consecutive frames of authentication failure exceeds a predetermined threshold N (step S211). If the number of consecutive frames of authentication failure exceeds the predetermined threshold N (step S211: YES), the authentication device 30 issues an alert for the person to be authenticated 50 and determines that the person to be authenticated 50 is not allowed to pass (step S210). On the other hand, if the number of consecutive frames of authentication failure does not exceed the predetermined threshold N (step S211: NO), authentication device 30 continues tracking of user 50 as being under evaluation (step S212).

[0033] When the processing for each object up to step S104 is completed, the first information processing device executes a notification information generation process (step S105). This notification information generation process will be described in detail later.

[0034] Thereafter, the gateless authentication system 1 determines whether or not the input of the image captured by the gateless camera 301 has been completed (step S106). If the input of the image has been completed (step S106: YES), the series of operations ends. On the other hand, if the input of the image has not been completed (step S106: NO), the process is repeated from step S101.

[0035] (Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus) Next, the functional configuration of the first information processing apparatus applied to the above-described gateless authentication system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first information processing apparatus.

[0036] 4, the first information processing device 10 is configured to be able to execute at least a part of the processes executed by the gateless authentication system 1. Specifically, the first information processing device 10 is configured to be able to execute the notification information generation process in the gateless authentication system 1 (i.e., the process of step S105 in FIG. 3). However, the first information processing device 10 may be configured to be able to execute processes other than the notification information generation process in the gateless authentication system 1.

[0037] The first information processing device 10 is configured to include, as components for realizing its functions, an image acquisition unit 110, an authentication unit 120, a priority determination unit 130, and a notification unit 140. Each of the image acquisition unit 110, the authentication unit 120, the priority determination unit 130, and the notification unit 140 may be a processing block realized by the above-mentioned processor 11 (see FIG. 1).

[0038] The image acquisition unit 110 is configured to be able to acquire an image including the person to be authenticated 50 in the predetermined area R. The image acquisition unit 110 acquires an image captured by the gateless camera 301 (see FIG. 2 ). However, the image acquisition unit 110 may also acquire an image captured by a camera other than the gateless camera 301. The image acquisition unit 110 may acquire multiple images that are consecutive in time series (in other words, a video). The image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110 (hereinafter referred to as "authentication image" as appropriate) is configured to be output to each of the authentication unit 120 and the priority determination unit 130.

[0039] The authentication unit 120 is configured to be able to perform authentication processing for the person to be authenticated 50 using the authentication image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110. The authentication processing performed by the authentication unit 120 is the authentication processing performed by the authentication device 30 already described. In other words, the authentication unit 120 may be configured as a part of the authentication device 30. The authentication unit 120 is configured to be able to sequentially perform authentication processing for the person to be authenticated 50. Specifically, as already described in FIG. 3, the authentication unit 120 performs tracking processing for the person to be authenticated 50 and performs authentication processing for the tracked person to be authenticated 50 at predetermined intervals. Therefore, the person to be authenticated 50 passing through the predetermined area R will typically undergo authentication processing multiple times. Note that the authentication unit 120 may be configured to continue performing authentication processing for the person to be authenticated 50 for which the authentication processing has been successful. The authentication results by the authentication unit 120 are configured to be output to each of the priority determination unit 130 and the determination unit 140.

[0040] The priority determination unit 130 is configured to determine the priority of processing for each authentication-subject 50. The priority determination unit 130 determines a priority for each of multiple authentication-subjects 50 present in the predetermined area R. The priority determined by the priority determination unit 130 is a priority for the notification processing executed by the notification unit 140. The priority may affect, for example, the order in which the notification processing is executed or the content of the notification in the notification processing. The priority may be determined using two levels, for example, "high" and "low," or more levels. Alternatively, the priority may be set as a score out of 100 points. The priority determination unit 130 determines the priority based on time-series data of the results of the authentication processing performed by the authentication unit 120. Specifically, the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority based on the results of multiple authentication processings executed sequentially. A more specific method for determining the priority will be described in another embodiment below.

[0041] The notification unit 140 is configured to be able to perform notification processing regarding the notification target. Note that the "notification target" here refers to the authenticated person 50 to whom a notification should be sent to the monitor 60 of the gateless authentication system 1. For example, the notification target may be the authenticated person 50 who is attempting to pass through a predetermined area R despite an unsuccessful authentication process. The notification unit 140 may send a notification to, for example, the user terminal 20 held by the monitor 60. More specifically, the notification unit 140 may display an image or a message informing the user of the presence of the notification target on the display unit 201 of the user terminal 20. Alternatively, the notification unit 140 may output a message or an alert by voice using a speaker or the like mounted on the user terminal 20. The notification sent by the notification unit 140 may include information informing the location of the authenticated person 50 who is the notification target.

[0042] The notification unit 140 is configured to be able to determine the notification target from among multiple authentication-subjects 50 in order to perform notification processing regarding the notification target. Specifically, the notification unit 140 determines the notification target based on the result of the authentication processing by the authentication unit 120. For example, the notification unit 140 may determine that the authentication-subject 50 who is approaching the exit of the specified area R without successful authentication processing is the notification target. On the other hand, the notification unit 140 may determine that the authentication-subject 50 who is near the entrance of the specified area R is not the notification target even if the authentication processing is unsuccessful. Furthermore, the notification unit 140 may determine that the authentication-subject 50 who has failed the authentication processing even once is the notification target. For example, the notification unit 140 may determine that the authentication-subject 50 who has failed the authentication processing a second time after successfully completing the authentication processing the first time is the notification target. Furthermore, the notification unit 140 may determine the notification target based on a preset blacklist (i.e., a list of users who should be prohibited from passing through the specified area R). For example, if the authentication process finds that the authenticated person 50 is the same person as a user included in the blacklist, the notification unit 140 may determine that the authenticated person 50 is the target of notification. Note that the notification process is performed on targets who should be prohibited from passing as described above, but it may also be performed on other authenticated persons. For example, the notification unit 140 may notify an authenticated person 50 for whom the authentication process was successful (i.e., an authenticated person 50 who is permitted to pass through the specified area R) that the authentication process for that authenticated person 50 was successful.

[0043] Once the authentication-subject 50 to be notified has been determined, the notification unit 140 performs notification processing based on the priority determined by the priority determination unit 130. The notification unit 140 may be configured to perform notification processing on a higher-priority notification target before a lower-priority notification target. That is, the notification unit 140 may perform notification processing in descending order of priority. The notification unit 140 may also change the content of the notification according to the priority. For example, the notification unit 140 may notify in a manner that conveys greater urgency (e.g., by using a conspicuous color or larger letters) as the priority increases. Note that the notification unit 140 may perform notification processing regardless of priority when there is only one notification target. That is, the notification unit 140 may perform notification processing based on priority when there are two or more notification targets.

[0044] <Notification Information Generation Process> Next, the notification information generation process executed by the first information processing device 10 (i.e., the process of step S105 in FIG. 3) will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the notification information generation process by the first information processing device.

[0045] 5, when the first information processing device starts the notification information generation process, the notification unit 140 first acquires the results of past authentication processes (i.e., time-series data of the results of authentication processes executed sequentially) (step S11). Then, the notification unit 140 determines the notification target based on the acquired results of past authentication processes (step S12).

[0046] Next, the priority determination unit 130 determines whether there are two or more notification targets (step S13). If there are not two or more notification targets (step S13: NO), the subsequent processing may be omitted. On the other hand, if there are two or more notification targets (step S13: YES), the priority determination unit 130 determines priorities based on the time-series data of the authentication results (step S14).

[0047] Next, the notification unit 140 determines whether the notification content has changed based on the newly determined priority (step S15). If the notification content has changed (step S15), the notification unit 140 transmits the notification information to the monitor 60 (step S16). Note that if the notification content has not changed (step S15: NO), the processing of step S16 is omitted. That is, if the notification content has not changed, the notification unit 140 does not need to transmit the notification information again.

[0048] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the first information processing device 10 will be described.

[0049] As described with reference to Figures 1 to 5, the first information processing device 10 determines the priority of the notification process based on the time-series data of the authentication process results. In this way, it is possible to appropriately execute the notification process for the monitor 60 based on the priority. As a result, the monitor can accurately recognize which authenticated person 50 should be given priority in responding. Therefore, even if, for example, multiple authenticated people 50 pass through the specified area R at the same time, the monitor can appropriately respond to each authenticated person 50.

[0050] Second Embodiment A second information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The second information processing device 1 differs in some configurations and operations from the first information processing device 10 described above, but other parts may be similar to the first information processing device 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.

[0051] (Priority Determination Operation) First, a specific example of the priority determination operation by the second information processing device 10 (i.e., the operation when the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority) will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a method for determining priority in the second information processing device.

[0052] The priority determination unit 130 in the second information processing device 10 uses the number of times the authentication process fails within a predetermined time as time-series data of the authentication result. Here, the "predetermined time" is a period set in advance as a period for counting the number of failures. The predetermined time is set, for example, as a time shorter than the time required for the target to pass through a predetermined area.

[0053] In the example shown in Fig. 6, persons to be authenticated 50A and 50B are present in a predetermined area R. These persons to be authenticated 50A and 50B are moving from the top to the bottom of the figure, and the figure shows authentication results (three authentication results) at a predetermined time.

[0054] After being in the authentication in progress state twice in a row, authentication-subjected person 50A fails authentication on the third attempt. Therefore, the number of authentication failures for authentication-subjected person 50A within the specified time period is "1 time." On the other hand, authentication-subjected person 50B fails authentication three times in a row. Therefore, the number of authentication failures for authentication-subjected person 50B within the specified time period is "3 times."

[0055] As a result of the above, the priority determination unit 130 determines that the priority of the authentication-subjected user 50B is higher than the priority of the authentication-subjected user 50A. For example, the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority of the authentication-subjected user 50A to be "low" and the priority of the authentication-subjected user 50B to be "high." Note that, since the number of authentication failures of the authentication-subjected user 50B is three times that of the authentication-subjected user 50A, the priority of the authentication-subjected user 50B may be three times that of the authentication-subjected user 50A. For example, the priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority of the authentication-subjected user 50A to be "20" and the priority of the authentication-subjected user 50B to be "60."

[0056] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the second information processing device 10 will be described.

[0057] 6, when there is a difference in the number of authentication failures among multiple authentication-subjects 50, the authentication-subject 50 with the greater number of authentication failures is considered to be the one for which the monitor 60 should take action more urgently (i.e., should have a higher priority). Therefore, if the priority is determined using the number of authentication process failures within a predetermined time, it becomes possible to easily and accurately determine the priority of each authentication-subject 50.

[0058] <Third embodiment> A third information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The third information processing device 10 differs in some configurations and operations from the first and second information processing devices 10 described above, but other parts may be similar to the first and second information processing devices 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.

[0059] (Priority Determination Operation) First, a specific example of a priority determination operation by the third information processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a method for determining priorities in the third information processing apparatus.

[0060] In the third information processing device 10, the authentication unit 120 executes authentication processing by calculating an authentication score for each person to be authenticated 50. Specifically, the authentication unit 120 determines that authentication is successful when the authentication score exceeds a predetermined score, and determines that authentication is unsuccessful when the authentication score is below the predetermined score.

[0061] The priority determination unit 130 in the third information processing device 10 uses the number of times that the authentication score exceeds a predetermined score and then falls below the predetermined score as time-series data of the authentication result. That is, the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority by using the number of times that the authentication is determined to be successful and then to be unsuccessful.

[0062] In the example shown in Fig. 7, persons to be authenticated 50C and 50D are present in a predetermined area R. These persons to be authenticated 50C and 50D are moving from the top to the bottom of the figure, and the results of three authentication attempts are shown in the figure.

[0063] After remaining in the authentication in progress state twice, authentication-subject 50C was successful on the third attempt. Therefore, the number of times that authentication-subject 50C's authentication score exceeded the predetermined score and then fell below the predetermined score is "0 times." On the other hand, authentication-subject 50D was determined to be successful on the first attempt, was determined to be unsuccessful on the second attempt, and was again determined to be successful on the third attempt. Therefore, the number of times that authentication-subject 50D's authentication score exceeded the predetermined score and then fell below the predetermined score is "1 time."

[0064] As a result of the above, priority determination unit 130 determines that authentication-subject 50D has a higher priority than authentication-subject 50C. For example, priority determination unit 130 determines the priority of authentication-subject 50C as "low" and the priority of authentication-subject 50D as "high." Note that priority determination unit 130 may determine a higher priority value the more times the authentication score has fallen below a predetermined score after exceeding it. Alternatively, priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority based on whether the authentication score has fallen below the predetermined score after exceeding it (i.e., whether it has happened 0 times, 1 time or more).

[0065] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the third information processing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0066] 7, a person to be authenticated 50 who has been successfully authenticated but then subsequently failed is considered to be in a higher state of urgency for the monitor 60 to respond (i.e., should be given a higher priority) compared to a person to be authenticated 50 who has been successfully authenticated but has not subsequently failed. Therefore, if the priority is determined using the number of times the authentication score has exceeded a predetermined score and then fallen below the predetermined score, it becomes possible to easily and accurately determine the priority of the person to be authenticated 50.

[0067] <Fourth embodiment> A fourth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The fourth information processing device 10 differs in some configurations and operations from the first to third information processing devices 10 described above, but other parts may be similar to the first to third information processing devices 10. Therefore, hereinafter, parts that differ from the embodiments already described will be described in detail, and explanations of other overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate.

[0068] (Priority Determination Operation) First, a specific example of a priority determination operation by the fourth information processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a method for determining priorities in the fourth information processing apparatus.

[0069] In the fourth information processing device 10, similarly to the third embodiment described above, the authentication unit 120 calculates an authentication score for each authentication-subject 50 and performs authentication processing. In particular, the priority determination unit 130 in the fourth information processing device 10 uses the authentication score as time-series data of the authentication result. For example, the priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority using at least one of the average value and the maximum value of multiple authentication scores obtained as multiple authentication results.

[0070] In the example shown in Fig. 8, persons 50E and 50F to be authenticated are present in a predetermined area R. These persons 50E and 50F are moving from the top to the bottom of the figure, and the figure shows three authentication results. It is also assumed that the predetermined score (i.e., the threshold value for determining successful authentication) is set to "80."

[0071] For user 50E, the first authentication score was "50," the second authentication score was "52," and the third authentication score was "55," and authentication was determined to have failed in all cases. On the other hand, for user 50F, the first authentication score was "70," the second authentication score was "77," and the third authentication score was "79," and authentication was determined to have failed in all cases. As described above, users E and F were both determined to have failed authentication in all three authentication processes, but there was a difference in their authentication scores. Specifically, the average authentication score for user 50E was "52.3," and the maximum was "55." Furthermore, the average authentication score for user 50F was "75.3," and the maximum was "79."

[0072] As a result of the above, the priority determination unit 130 determines that the priority of the authentication-subject 50E, whose authentication score is relatively low, is higher than the priority of the authentication-subject 50F, whose authentication score is relatively high. For example, the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority of the authentication-subject 50E as "high" and the priority of the authentication-subject 50F as "low." Furthermore, the priority determination unit 130 may set the priority of the authentication-subject 50 as a value calculated from at least one of the average and maximum authentication scores. For example, the priority determination unit 130 may set the priority of the authentication-subject 50 as "predetermined score - average score" or "predetermined score - maximum score."

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

[0074] As explained in Fig. 8, when there are multiple users 50 who have failed authentication, all of them should be notified, but users 50 with low authentication scores are considered to require a higher level of urgency in the monitor 60's response (i.e., should be given a higher priority) compared to users 50 with high authentication scores. Therefore, if the authentication scores are used to determine the priority, it is possible to easily and accurately determine the priority of each user 50. Furthermore, if the average or maximum value of the authentication scores is used, it is possible to determine the priority by appropriately considering each of the multiple authentication results.

[0075] Fifth Embodiment A fifth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 12. The fifth information processing device 10 differs in some configurations and operations from the first to fourth information processing devices 10 described above, but other parts may be similar to the first to fourth information processing devices 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] (Functional Configuration) First, the functional configuration of the fifth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the fifth information processing device. Note that in Fig. 9, the same elements as those shown in Fig. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0077] 9, the fifth information processing device 10 is configured to include, as components for realizing its functions, an image acquisition unit 110, an authentication unit 120, a priority determination unit 130, and a notification unit 140. In particular, the priority determination unit 130 in the fifth information processing device 10 includes a distance determination unit 135.

[0078] The distance determination unit 135 is configured to be able to determine the distance from the position of the person to be authenticated 50 to the exit of the predetermined area R (hereinafter referred to as the "remaining distance" as appropriate). The distance determination unit 135 may determine the remaining distance by, for example, analyzing the authentication image. If multiple people to be authenticated 50 are present in the predetermined area R, the distance determination unit 133 may determine the remaining distance for each of the multiple people to be authenticated 50.

[0079] The priority determination unit 130 in the fifth information processing device 10 is configured to be able to determine the priority based on the determination result of the distance determination unit 135 described above. That is, the priority determination unit 130 in the fifth information processing device 10 is configured to be able to determine the priority using the remaining distance for each authentication-subject 50 in addition to the time-series data of the authentication result. The priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority by selectively using the time-series data of the authentication result and the remaining distance for each authentication-subject 50 depending on the situation. When using the remaining distance, the priority determination unit 130 may assign a higher priority to the authentication-subject 50 with a shorter remaining distance. A specific method of determining the priority using the remaining distance will be described in detail later.

[0080] <Notification information generation process> Next, the notification information generation process executed by the fifth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the notification information generation process by the fifth information processing device. Note that in Fig. 10, the same processes as those shown in Fig. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0081] 10 , when the notification information generation process by the fifth information processing device starts, the notification unit 140 first acquires the results of past authentication processes (i.e., time-series data of the results of authentication processes executed sequentially) (step S11). Then, the notification unit 140 determines the notification target based on the acquired results of past authentication processes (step S12).

[0082] Next, the priority determination unit 130 determines whether there are two or more notification targets (step S13). If there are not two or more notification targets (step S13: NO), the subsequent processing may be omitted. On the other hand, if there are two or more notification targets (step S13: YES), the priority determination unit 130 determines whether the difference in remaining distance between each notification target is equal to or less than a threshold (step S51). The threshold here is a threshold for determining whether to use the remaining distance or the time-series data of the authentication result to determine the priority.

[0083] If the difference in the remaining distances is equal to or less than the threshold (step S51: YES), the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority based on the time-series data of the authentication results (step S14). On the other hand, if the difference in the remaining distances is not equal to or less than the threshold (step S51: NO), the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority based on the remaining distances (step S52).

[0084] Next, the notification unit 140 determines whether the notification content has changed based on the newly determined priority (step S15). If the notification content has changed (step S15), the notification unit 140 transmits the notification information to the monitor 60 (step S16). Note that if the notification content has not changed (step S15: NO), the processing of step S16 is omitted. That is, if the notification content has not changed, the notification unit 140 does not need to transmit the notification information again.

[0085] <Specific Operation Example> Next, an operation example when the fifth information processing device 10 determines a priority will be described with reference to Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram (part 1) showing an example of a method for determining a priority in the fifth information processing device. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram (part 2) showing an example of a method for determining a priority in the fifth information processing device.

[0086] 11, the remaining distance may be calculated as the distance from the person to be authenticated 50 to gate 35 installed at the exit of predetermined area R. For example, the remaining distance of person to be authenticated 50G is g in the figure. The remaining distance of person to be authenticated 50H is h in the figure.

[0087] 11, the difference between the remaining distance g of the person to be authenticated 50G and the remaining distance h of the person to be authenticated 50H is relatively small, i.e., |g-h|<X (X is a threshold value). Therefore, in this case, the priority is determined using the time-series data of the authentication result. In other words, the priority is determined without using the remaining distance.

[0088] 12, the difference between the remaining distance i of the authentication-subject 50I and the remaining distance j of the authentication-subject 50J is relatively large, i.e., |i-j|>X. In this case, the priority is determined using the remaining distance. For example, the priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority of the authentication-subject 50I, whose remaining distance is long, as "low," and the priority of the authentication-subject 50J, whose remaining distance is short, as "high."

[0089] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the fifth information processing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0090] As described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 , in the fifth information processing device 10, the priority is determined using the remaining distance in addition to the time-series data of the authentication result. This allows for more appropriate priority determination compared to when the remaining distance is not used. For example, by selectively using the time-series data of the authentication result and the remaining distance based on whether the difference in the remaining distance between the authenticated persons is equal to or greater than a threshold, the priority can be determined in an appropriate manner depending on the situation. Specifically, when authenticated persons 50 with similar remaining distances are passing together, the difference in the remaining distances is small, making it difficult to determine the priority based on the remaining distance. In such cases, the priority can be appropriately determined by using the time-series data of the authentication result. On the other hand, when authenticated persons 50 are passing apart from each other, the difference in the remaining distances is large, making it easy to determine the priority using the remaining distance.

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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.

[0093] <Supplementary Notes> The above-described embodiment may be further described as in the following supplementary notes, but is not limited to the following.

[0094] (Appendix 1) The information processing device described in Appendix 1 is an information processing device that includes an acquisition means for acquiring an image including a person to be authenticated in a specified area, an authentication means for sequentially performing an authentication process for the person to be authenticated in the image, a determination means for determining the priority of a notification process for a monitor monitoring the person to be authenticated based on time series data of the result of the authentication process, and a notification means for performing the notification process based on the result of the authentication process and the priority.

[0095] (Supplementary Note 2) The information processing device according to Supplementary Note 2 is the information processing device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the determining unit uses the number of failures in the authentication process within a predetermined time as the time-series data.

[0096] (Appendix 3) The information processing device described in Appendix 3 is the information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the authentication process includes calculating an authentication score for the person to be authenticated and determining whether the authentication score exceeds a predetermined score, and the determination means uses, as the time series data, the number of times the authentication score exceeds the predetermined score and then falls below the predetermined score.

[0097] (Supplementary Note 4) The information processing device according to Supplementary Note 4 is the information processing device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the authentication process includes a process of calculating an authentication score of the person to be authenticated, and the determining means uses the authentication score when the authentication process fails as the time-series data.

[0098] (Supplementary Note 5) The information processing device described in Supplementary Note 5 is the information processing device described in Supplementary Note 4, wherein the determination means uses at least one of an average value and a maximum value of the authentication score when the authentication process fails as the time series data.

[0099] (Appendix 6) The information processing device described in Appendix 6 is the information processing device described in any one of Appendices 1 to 5, wherein the determination means uses, in addition to the time series data, a residual distance, which is the distance of the person to be authenticated to an exit of the specified area.

[0100] (Appendix 7) The information processing device described in Appendix 7 is the information processing device described in Appendix 6, wherein the determination means determines the priority of the first authenticated person and the second authenticated person based on the time series data when a distance difference, which is the difference between the remaining distance of the first authenticated person and the remaining distance of the second authenticated person, is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and determines the priority of the first authenticated person and the second authenticated person based on the remaining distance when the distance difference exceeds the predetermined threshold.

[0101] (Appendix 8) The information processing method described in Appendix 84 is an information processing method in which, by at least one computer, an image including a person to be authenticated in a predetermined area is acquired, an authentication process of the person to be authenticated in the image is sequentially performed, a priority of a notification process for a monitor who monitors the person to be authenticated is determined based on time series data of the results of the authentication process, and the notification process is performed based on the priority.

[0102] (Appendix 9) The recording medium described in Appendix 9 is a recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program that causes at least one computer to execute an information processing method, which includes acquiring images including a person to be authenticated in a predetermined area, sequentially performing authentication processing of the person to be authenticated in the images, determining a priority of notification processing for a monitor monitoring the person to be authenticated based on time-series data of the results of the authentication processing, and performing the notification processing based on the priority.

[0103] (Appendix 10) The computer program described in Appendix 10 is a computer program that causes at least one computer to execute an information processing method, which acquires images including a person to be authenticated in a predetermined area, sequentially performs authentication processing of the person to be authenticated in the images, determines a priority of notification processing for a monitor who monitors the person to be authenticated based on time-series data of the results of the authentication processing, and performs the notification processing based on the priority.

[0104] 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 devices, information processing methods, and recording media that involve such modifications are also included in the technical idea of ​​this disclosure.

[0105] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Information processing device 11 Processor 12 RAM 13 ROM 14 Storage device 15 Input device 16 Output device 17 Data bus 20 User terminal 201 Display unit 30 Authentication device 301 Gateless camera 50 Person to be authenticated 60 Surveillance staff 110 Image acquisition unit 120 Authentication unit 130 Priority determination unit 135 Distance determination unit 140 Notification unit R Authentication area

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring an image including a person to be authenticated in a predetermined area; an authentication means for sequentially performing authentication processing of the person to be authenticated in the image; a determination means for determining the priority of notification processing for a monitor who monitors the person to be authenticated based on time series data of the results of the authentication processing; and a notification means for performing the notification processing based on the results of the authentication processing and the priority.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the determining means uses the number of times the authentication process fails within a predetermined time as the time series data.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication process includes calculating an authentication score for the person to be authenticated and determining whether the authentication score exceeds a predetermined score, and the determination means uses, as the time series data, the number of times the authentication score exceeds the predetermined score and then falls below the predetermined score.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication process includes a process of calculating an authentication score for the person to be authenticated, and the determination means uses the authentication score when the authentication process fails as the time-series data.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein the determining means uses at least one of an average value and a maximum value of the authentication score when the authentication process fails as the time-series data.

6. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the determining means uses a remaining distance, which is the distance of the person to be authenticated to an exit of the predetermined area, in addition to the time series data.

7. The information processing device described in claim 6, wherein the determination means determines the priority of the first authenticated person and the second authenticated person based on the time series data when a distance difference, which is the difference between the remaining distance of the first authenticated person and the remaining distance of the second authenticated person, is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and determines the priority of the first authenticated person and the second authenticated person based on the remaining distance when the distance difference exceeds the predetermined threshold.

8. An information processing method comprising: acquiring, by at least one computer, images including a person to be authenticated in a predetermined area; sequentially performing authentication processing of the person to be authenticated in the images; determining a priority of notification processing for a monitor monitoring the person to be authenticated based on time-series data of the results of the authentication processing; and performing the notification processing based on the priority.

9. A recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for causing at least one computer to execute an information processing method, which comprises acquiring images including a person to be authenticated in a predetermined area, sequentially performing authentication processing of the person to be authenticated in the images, determining the priority of notification processing for a monitor monitoring the person to be authenticated based on time-series data of the results of the authentication processing, and performing the notification processing based on the priority.

Images