Information processing device, information processing method, and recording medium

Abstract

An information processing device according to the present invention comprises an acquisition means that acquires images that include authentication subjects in a prescribed area, an authentication means that performs authentication processing on the authentication subjects in the images, and a determination means that, when there is overlap between authentication subjects on which the authentication processing has been performed and other authentication subjects, determines degrees of priority for processing to be performed on the authentication subjects on the basis of the overlap. This information processing device makes it possible to appropriately perform processing on authentication subjects on the basis of degrees of priority.

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 in the image.

[0003] International Publication No. 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 performing an authentication process for the person to be authenticated in the image, and a determination means for determining the priority of processing for the person to be authenticated based on the overlap, if an overlap occurs between the person to be authenticated and another person to be authenticated after the authentication process.

[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, performing authentication processing on the person to be authenticated in the image, and, if there is overlap between the person to be authenticated after the authentication processing and another person to be authenticated, determining the processing priority for the person to be authenticated based on the overlap.

[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 acquires an image including a person to be authenticated in a specified area, performs an authentication process on the person to be authenticated in the image, and, if an overlap occurs between the person to be authenticated after the authentication process and another person to be authenticated, determines the priority of processing for the person to be authenticated based on the overlap.

[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 operation of the gateless authentication system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a first information processing device. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation of the first information processing device. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation of the gateless authentication system. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a second information processing device. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram (part 1) showing an example of operation of the second information processing device. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram (part 2) showing an example of operation of the second information processing device. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a third information processing device. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of priority determination operation by the third information processing device. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation of the fourth information processing device. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a fifth information processing device. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of operation of the fifth information processing device. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a sixth information processing device. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the distance to a gate used by the sixth information processing device. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of priority determination operation by the sixth information processing device. FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing the distance for each authentication subject group used by the sixth 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 allows voice input, including a microphone.

[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 undergoing 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 is 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. Note that the monitor 60 may also guide the unauthenticated person to undergo gateless authentication again. In this case, the monitor 60 may instruct the person to face the gateless camera 301.

[0027] (Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus) Next, the functional configuration of the first information processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the first information processing apparatus.

[0028] 3, the first information processing device 10 is configured to be able to execute a process of determining a priority for each of the authenticated persons 50 in the gateless authentication system 1. The priority here refers to the priority of various processes executed for the authenticated persons 50 in the gateless authentication system 1. The priority will be explained in detail later. The first information processing device 10 is configured to include an image acquisition unit 110, an authentication unit 120, and a priority determination unit 130 as components for realizing its functions. Note that the image acquisition unit 110, the authentication unit 120, and the priority determination unit 130 may each be a processing block realized by the above-mentioned processor 11 (see FIG. 1).

[0029] 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.

[0030] The authentication unit 120 is configured to be able to perform authentication processing of 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 may be the authentication processing performed by the authentication device 30 described above. That is, the authentication unit 120 may be configured as a part of the authentication device 30. Furthermore, the authentication unit 120 may be configured to be able to perform tracking processing of the person to be authenticated 50 in order to perform the authentication processing of the person to be authenticated 50. For example, after detecting the person to be authenticated 50 included in the authentication image, the authentication unit 120 stores appearance information of the person to be authenticated (e.g., information about the head and whole body). Then, the authentication unit 120 performs a matching process using the stored appearance information to determine the identity of the person to be authenticated 50 included in different images and track the person to be authenticated 50. The authentication unit 120 may be configured to perform authentication processing on unauthenticated persons who have not yet been successfully authenticated among the persons to be authenticated 50 being tracked. The authentication result by the authentication unit 120 is output to the priority determination unit 130 .

[0031] The priority determination unit 130 is configured to determine the processing priority for the authentication-subject 50. Specifically, the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority of the authentication-subject 50 when an overlap occurs between the authentication-subject 50 and another authentication-subject 50 after the authentication process by the authentication unit 120. Here, "overlap" refers to a state in which at least two authentication-subjects 50 overlap in the authentication image (i.e., at least a portion of their bodies overlap and are hidden). The priority determination unit 130 may have a function to detect overlap in the authentication image. In this case, the priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority when it detects overlap. Note that if multiple authentication-subjects 50 exist in the predetermined area R, the priority determination unit 130 may determine a priority for each of the multiple authentication-subjects 50. In this case, the priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority not only for the overlapping authentication-subjects 50 but also for the other authentication-subjects 50 that do not overlap.

[0032] The priority may be determined using two levels, for example, "high" and "low," or may have more levels. Alternatively, the priority may be set as a score out of 100. The priority determination unit 130 determines the priority of the authentication-subject 50 based on overlap. For example, the priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority based on the presence or absence of overlap. Specifically, the priority determination unit 130 may assign a higher priority to an authentication-subject 50 with overlap than to an authentication-subject 50 with no overlap. Alternatively, the priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority based on the degree of overlap (e.g., the area of ​​overlap or the duration of overlap). Specifically, the priority determination unit 130 may assign a higher priority to an authentication-subject 50 with a greater degree of overlap than to an authentication-subject 50 with a smaller degree of overlap. Note that the priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority using other factors in addition to overlap. Examples of determining the priority using other factors will be described in detail in other embodiments below.

[0033] The process to be prioritized (hereinafter referred to as the "target process") is not particularly limited as long as it is a process that the gateless authentication system 1 executes for the authenticatee 50. For example, the target process may be an authentication process executed by the authentication unit 120. Alternatively, the target process may be a matching process executed by the authentication unit 120 (i.e., a process for matching appearance information when tracking the authenticatee 50). The target process may include multiple types of processes. Therefore, both the authentication process and the matching process executed by the authentication unit 120 may be the target process. When multiple target processes are set, priorities may be determined separately for the multiple target processes, or a single common priority may be determined. The target process is executed preferentially for an authenticatee 50 with a high priority compared to an authenticatee 50 with a low priority. For example, the target process may be executed earlier for an authenticatee 50 with a high priority than for an unauthenticated person 50 with a low priority.

[0034] (Flow of Operation) Next, the flow of operation by the first information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation of the first information processing device.

[0035] 4, when the operation of the first information processing device 10 starts, the image acquisition unit 110 first acquires an authentication image (step S11). Then, the authentication unit 120 executes authentication processing for the person to be authenticated 50 using the authentication image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110 (step S12).

[0036] Next, the priority determination unit 130 determines whether or not overlapping occurs on the authentication-subject 50 after the authentication process in the authentication image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110 (step S13). If overlapping occurs (step S13: YES), the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority of the authentication-subject 50 based on the overlapping (step S14). In this case, the target process for the authentication-subject 50 is executed based on the priority.

[0037] On the other hand, if no overlap occurs (step S13: NO), the processing of step S14 is omitted. That is, the priority determination unit 130 does not determine the priority of the authentication-subject 50. Note that if the priority is not determined, the target process may be executed without using the priority. Alternatively, the priority may be set as an initial value, and the target process may be executed based on the priority as the initial value.

[0038] The process of determining the priority in step S14 may be repeated each time it is determined that an overlap has occurred. In this case, the priority determination unit 130 may delete the previously determined priority and determine a new priority. In other words, the priority may be a value that is updated each time an overlap occurs.

[0039] The operation of the first information processing device 10 described above will be described in more detail below, including the operation of the gateless authentication system 1.

[0040] (Operation of Gateless Authentication System) The flow of operations of the entire gateless authentication system 1 to which the above-described first information processing device 10 is applied will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations of the gateless authentication system.

[0041] 5, 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 the image acquisition unit 110 acquires an authentication image including the person to be authenticated 50 (step S101). Then, the authentication unit 120 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 unit 120 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.

[0042] The subsequent processing from step S103 onward is performed for each target. The authentication unit 120 first acquires a target ID and a tracking ID for each target (step S201). Then, the authentication unit 120 determines whether a new tracking ID has been assigned (step S202). That is, the authentication unit 120 determines whether tracking of a new authenticated person 50 has begun. If it is determined that a new tracking ID has not been assigned (step S202: NO), the authentication unit 120 determines whether the authenticated person 50 being tracked has been authenticated (step S203). That is, the authentication unit 120 determines whether authentication processing has been performed on the authenticated person 50 being tracked and whether the authentication processing has been successful. If the authenticated person 50 being tracked has been authenticated (step S203: YES), the authentication unit 120 determines that the authenticated person 50 is allowed to pass (step S204).

[0043] On the other hand, if it is determined that a new tracking ID has been assigned (step S202: YES), or if the person being tracked 50 has not yet been authenticated (step S203: NO), the authentication unit 120 executes authentication processing for the person being tracked 50 (step S205). If the authentication processing is successful (step S205: YES), the authentication unit 120 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 S207). If the person being tracked 50 has been successfully authenticated, the authentication unit 120 determines that the person being tracked 50 is allowed to pass (step S204).

[0044] On the other hand, if the authentication process fails (step S205: NO), the authentication unit 120 determines whether an alert has already been issued for the person to be authenticated 50 (step S208). 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 S208: YES), the authentication unit 120 determines that the person to be authenticated 50 is not allowed to pass (step S209). If an alert has not been issued (step S208: NO), the authentication unit 120 determines whether the number of consecutive frames of authentication failure exceeds a predetermined threshold N (step S210). If the number of consecutive frames of authentication failure exceeds the predetermined threshold N (step S210: YES), the authentication unit 120 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 S209). On the other hand, if the number of consecutive frames of authentication failure does not exceed the predetermined threshold N (step S210: NO), authentication unit 120 continues tracking of the authentication-subject 50 as being under evaluation (step S211).

[0045] When the processing for each target up to step S104 is completed, the priority determination unit 130 executes processing to determine the priority of the authentication-subject 50 (step S105). That is, the priority determination unit 130 determines whether or not there is overlap among the authentication-subject 50 after the authentication processing, and determines the priority if overlap is determined. Thereafter, the gateless authentication system 1 determines whether or not the input of the image captured by the gateless camera 301 is completed (step S106). If the image input is completed (step S106: YES), the series of operations is completed. On the other hand, if the image input is not completed (step S106: NO), the processing is repeated from step S101.

[0046] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the first information processing device 10 will be described.

[0047] As described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 , in the first information processing device 10, when an overlap occurs among the authenticated persons 50 after the authentication process, the priority of the target process is determined. In this manner, the target process can be appropriately executed for the authenticated persons 50. When the authenticated persons 50 overlap, there is a risk that the authenticated persons 50 will be swapped. Such a swap of the authenticated persons 50 after the authentication process can cause unexpected inconvenience. For example, when an authenticated person 50 whose authentication process has been successful is swapped with an authenticated person 50 whose authentication process has been unsuccessful, it may become unclear which authenticated person 50 has been successfully authenticated. As a result, there is a possibility that the authenticated person 50 who failed the authentication process may be unintentionally allowed to pass.

[0048] However, in this embodiment, when an overlap occurs among the authenticated persons 50 (i.e., when there is a possibility of substitution), the priority of the target process is determined. Therefore, for example, when the target process includes an authentication process or a matching process, it is possible to execute the authentication process or the matching process in an appropriate order based on the priority. Specifically, it is possible to execute the authentication process or the matching process for an unauthenticated person preferentially. In this case, by setting the priority of the authenticated person 50 for whom there is an overlap higher than the priority of the authenticated person for whom there is no overlap, it is possible to execute the process preferentially for the authenticated person 50 for whom there is a possibility of substitution, while executing the process later with ample time for the authenticated person 50 for whom there is no substitution.

[0049] Second Embodiment A second information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. 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.

[0050] (Functional Configuration) First, the functional configuration of the second information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the second information processing device. Note that in Fig. 6, the same elements as those shown in Fig. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0051] 6, the second 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. That is, the second information processing device 10 further includes the notification unit 140 in addition to the configuration described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3). Note that the notification unit 140 may be a processing block realized by the above-mentioned processor 11 (see FIG. 1).

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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 predetermined 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 predetermined area R is not the notification target, even if the authentication processing is not successful.

[0054] The priority determination unit 130 according to this embodiment determines the priority of the notification process by the notification unit 140 described above as the target process. In this case, the priority may relate to, for example, the likelihood of being determined as a notification target when determining the notification process. That is, the priority may increase as the target is determined. Specifically, a user 50 to be authenticated with a high priority may be more likely to be determined as a notification target, and a user 50 to be authenticated with a low priority may be less likely to be determined as a notification target. Furthermore, the notification unit 140 may change the content of the notification depending on the priority. For example, the notification unit 140 may notify in a manner that conveys a higher urgency (for example, by using a conspicuous color or large letters) as the priority increases.

[0055] (Specific Operation Example) Next, a specific operation example of the second information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram (part 1) showing an operation example of the second information processing device.

[0056] 7, persons to be authenticated 50A, 50B, and 50C are present in a predetermined area R. It is assumed that these persons to be authenticated 50A to 50C are proceeding from the top to the bottom of the figure.

[0057] The authentication process for person to be authenticated 50A has failed. The authentication process for person to be authenticated 50B has also failed. Persons to be authenticated 50A and 50B overlap after the authentication process, and then move in different directions. On the other hand, the authentication process for person to be authenticated 50C is not executed in the initial stage, but the authentication process is successful midway through. Note that no overlap occurs for person to be authenticated 50C.

[0058] In the situation shown in FIG. 7 , there is an overlap between the authentication-subject 50A and the authentication-subject 50B, so the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority of each of the authentication-subjects 50A to 50C. In particular, the priority determination unit 130 sets the priority of the authentication-subject 50 where there is an overlap higher than the priority of the authentication-subject 50 where there is no overlap and the authentication process is successful. Specifically, the priority determination unit 130 sets the priority of the authentication-subjects 50A and 50B where there is an overlap to "high." On the other hand, the priority determination unit 130 sets the priority of the authentication-subject 50C where there is no overlap and the authentication process is successful to "low." As a result, the authentication-subjects 50A and 50B, whose priority is set to "high," are more likely to be determined as notification targets than the authentication-subject 50C, whose priority is set to "low."

[0059] (Modification) Next, a modification of the operation of the second information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram (part 2) showing an example of the operation of the second information processing device.

[0060] In the modified example shown in Fig. 8, persons to be authenticated 50D and 50E are present in a predetermined area R. Note that the authentication process has already been performed on persons to be authenticated 50D and 50E at the initial stage shown in the figure, and their priorities have also been determined. Specifically, the authentication of person to be authenticated 50D has failed, and their priority has been set to "low." On the other hand, the authentication of person to be authenticated 50E has been successful, and their priority has been set to "high." Persons to be authenticated 50D and 50E overlap each other midway, and then move in different directions.

[0061] In the situation shown in FIG. 7 , there is an overlap between the authentication-subjects 50D and 50E, so once the overlap occurs, the priority determination unit 130 re-determines the priorities of the authentication-subjects 50D and 50E. Here, particularly when authentication-subjects 50 with different priorities overlap, the priority determination unit 130 changes the priorities of the authentication-subjects 50 to align the higher priority of the authentication-subjects 50D and 50E. Specifically, the priority determination unit 130 sets the priorities of both the authentication-subjects 50D and 50E where the overlap occurs to "high." That is, the priority of the authentication-subject 50D, which had a low priority, is raised to align with the authentication-subject 50E, which originally had a high priority. As a result, both authentication-subjects 50D and 50E, whose priorities are set to "high," are more likely to be determined as notification targets.

[0062] Note that an authenticated person 50 with a "high" priority may always be determined to be a notification target. In this case, if an authenticated person 50D whose authentication process has failed overlaps with an authenticated person 50E whose authentication process has been successful, both authenticated people 50D and 50E are determined to be notification targets. In other words, even if an authenticated person 50 has already been successfully authenticated and is unlikely to be determined to be a notification target if it subsequently overlaps with an authenticated person 50 whose authentication process has been unsuccessful, it will be determined to be a notification target.

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

[0064] As explained with reference to Figures 6 to 8, in the second information processing device 10, when there is an overlap of the authenticated persons 50 after the authentication process, the priority for the notification process is determined. In this way, it is possible to appropriately determine the authenticated persons 50 to be notified and perform the notification process. For example, as shown in the example of Figure 7, if the priority of the authenticated persons 50 where there is an overlap is set higher than the priority of the authenticated persons 50 where there is no overlap and the authentication process is successful, the overlapped authenticated persons 50 are more likely to be determined as the notification target. This makes it possible to prevent the authenticated persons 50 who should originally be the notification target from not being determined as the notification target due to a change.

[0065] 8, if two authenticated persons 50 with different priorities overlap, changing the priorities of the authenticated persons 50 to be aligned with the higher priority makes it easier for both of the overlapping authenticated persons 50 to be determined as notification targets. This prevents an authenticated person 50 who should be the notification target from not being determined as the notification target due to a switch. Furthermore, if an authenticated person 50 whose authentication process has been successful and an authenticated person 50 whose authentication process has failed overlap, determining the priorities so that both are the notification target makes it possible to determine all authenticated persons 50 who may have been switched as notification targets. This makes it possible to more appropriately prevent unauthenticated persons from passing through the specified area R.

[0066] <Third Embodiment> A third information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. 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.

[0067] (Functional Configuration) First, the functional configuration of the third information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the third information processing device. Note that in Fig. 9, the same elements as those shown in Fig. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0068] 9, the third information processing device 10 is configured to include, as components for realizing its functions, an image acquisition unit 110, an authentication unit 120, and a priority determination unit 130. In particular, the priority determination unit 130 in the third information processing device 10 includes an overlap determination unit 131.

[0069] The overlap determination unit 131 is configured to be able to determine the area of ​​the overlapping portion when the authenticated persons 50 overlap (hereinafter referred to as the "overlapping area" as appropriate). The overlap determination unit 131 may determine the overlapping area, for example, by performing an analysis process on the authentication image. Furthermore, the overlap determination unit 131 may perform a process to make the areas uniform so that there is no difference in area between when the authenticated persons 50 are far away and when they are close, as viewed from the gateless camera 301 that captures the authentication image. For example, when the overlapping authenticated persons 50 are far away (i.e., when they appear relatively small in the image), the overlapping area calculated from the image may be corrected to be larger. Conversely, when the overlapping authenticated persons 50 are close (i.e., when they appear relatively large in the image), the overlapping area calculated from the image may be corrected to be smaller.

[0070] The overlap determination unit 131 is configured to be able to determine the time during which the authentication-subjects 50 overlap (hereinafter referred to as "overlapping time") For example, the overlap determination unit 131 may determine the overlapping time by counting the time from when it is detected that an overlap has occurred to when it is detected that the overlap has been resolved.

[0071] The priority determination unit 130 in the third information processing device 10 is configured to be able to determine a priority based on the determination result of the overlap determination unit 131 described above (i.e., the overlap area and overlap time). For example, the priority determination unit 130 may increase the priority as the overlap area increases. Similarly, the priority determination unit 130 may increase the priority as the overlap time increases. Furthermore, the priority determination unit 130 may determine whether to determine a priority based on the overlap area or the overlap time. For example, the priority determination unit 130 may determine a priority when the overlap area is equal to or greater than a predetermined area. Furthermore, the priority determination unit 130 may determine a priority when the overlap time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time.

[0072] (Priority Determination Operation) Next, the flow of the priority determination operation in the third information processing device 10 (i.e., the operation when the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority) will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the priority determination operation by the third information processing device.

[0073] 10, when the priority determination operation is started in the third information processing apparatus 10, the overlap determination unit 131 first determines the overlap area (step S31) and the overlap time (step S32).

[0074] Next, the priority determination unit 130 determines whether the overlapping area is equal to or greater than a predetermined area (step S33). If the overlapping area is equal to or greater than the predetermined area (step S33: YES), the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority of the authentication-subject 50 based on the overlapping area and overlapping time (step S34).

[0075] On the other hand, if the overlapping area is not equal to or larger than the predetermined area (step S33: NO), the process of step S34 is skipped.

[0076] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the third information processing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0077] 9 and 10 , in the third information processing device 10, the priority is determined based on the overlap area and overlap time. In this way, it is possible to appropriately determine the priority based on the degree of overlap. Note that, although the example described above describes an example in which the priority is determined based on both the overlap area and the overlap time, the above-described technical effect can be obtained appropriately even when the priority is determined based on only one of the overlap area or the overlap time.

[0078] Furthermore, in the third information processing device 10, a priority is determined when the overlapping area is equal to or greater than a predetermined area. In other words, in the third information processing device 10, a priority is not determined when the overlapping area is less than a predetermined area. In this way, it is possible to prevent a priority from being determined even when the overlapping area is small and switching is unlikely to occur.

[0079] <Fourth embodiment> A fourth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. 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.

[0080] (Operation Flow) First, the operation flow of the fourth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the fourth information processing device. Note that in Fig. 11, the same processes as those shown in Fig. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0081] 11 , when the operation of the fourth information processing device 10 starts, the image acquisition unit 110 first acquires an authentication image (step S11). Then, the authentication unit 120 executes authentication processing for the person to be authenticated 50 using the authentication image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110 (step S12).

[0082] Next, the priority determination unit 130 determines whether or not overlapping occurs among the persons to be authenticated 50 after the authentication process in the authentication image acquired by the image acquisition unit 110 (step S13). If overlapping occurs (step S13: YES), the priority determination unit 130 determines whether or not both of the overlapping persons are persons to be authenticated 50 whose authentication process has been successful (step S41). If neither of the overlapping persons are persons to be authenticated 50 whose authentication process has been successful (step S41: NO), the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority of the persons to be authenticated 50 based on the overlapping (step S14).

[0083] On the other hand, if there is no overlap (step S13: NO) and if both of the overlapping persons are persons to be authenticated 50 who have been successfully authenticated (step S41: YES), the processing of step S14 is omitted. That is, the priority determination unit 130 does not determine the priority of the persons to be authenticated 50.

[0084] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the fourth information processing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0085] If the authentication processes of the overlapping authentication-subjects 50 are all successful, there is little chance of any inconvenience occurring even if a switch occurs. Therefore, by not determining a priority when the authentication-subjects 50 whose authentication processes have been successful overlap, it is possible to prevent the priority from being set unnecessarily high. Note that although an example in which two authentication-subjects 50 overlap has been described here, if three or more authentication-subjects 50 overlap, it is sufficient to not determine a priority when the authentication processes of all authentication-subjects 40 have been successful.

[0086] Fifth Embodiment A fifth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. 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.

[0087] (Functional Configuration) First, the functional configuration of the fifth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the fifth information processing device. Note that in Fig. 12, the same elements as those shown in Fig. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0088] 12, 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, and a priority determination unit 130. In particular, the priority determination unit 130 in the fourth information processing device 10 includes a movement direction determination unit 132.

[0089] The movement direction determination unit 132 is configured to be able to determine the movement direction of the person to be authenticated 50. The movement direction determination unit 132 may determine the movement direction of the person to be authenticated 50, for example, based on a plurality of authentication images captured in time series. Alternatively, the movement direction determination unit 132 may determine the movement direction of the person to be authenticated 50 based on the result of a tracking process performed by the authentication unit 120. When there are a plurality of people to be authenticated 50, the movement direction determination unit 132 may determine the movement direction for each of the plurality of people to be authenticated 50. However, when a plurality of people to be authenticated 50 are moving together, the movement direction determination unit 132 may determine the movement direction of the plurality of people to be authenticated 50 collectively.

[0090] The priority determination unit 130 in the fifth information processing device 10 is configured to be able to determine priorities based on the determination result of the above-mentioned movement direction determination unit 132. That is, the priority determination unit 130 in the fifth information processing device 10 is configured to be able to determine priorities by taking into consideration the movement directions of the authentication-subjects 50 in addition to the overlapping that occurs between the authentication-subjects 50. For example, the priority determination unit 130 may assign a higher priority to the authentication-subjects 50 that are overlapping and whose movement directions are closer to each other.

[0091] (Specific Operation Example) Next, a specific operation example of the fifth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an operation example of the fifth information processing device.

[0092] In the example shown in FIG. 13 , authenticated persons 50F, 50G, 50H, and 50I are present in a predetermined area R. Of these authenticated persons 50, there is an overlap between authenticated persons 50F and 50G. There is also an overlap between authenticated persons 50H and 50I. There is a large difference in the movement direction between authenticated persons 50F and 50G. That is, authenticated persons 50F and 50G are moving in different directions. On the other hand, there is a small difference in the movement direction between authenticated persons 50 and 50I. That is, authenticated persons 50H and 50I are moving in the same direction.

[0093] 13, even if overlapping similarly occurs midway, different priorities are determined based on the movement direction of the authenticated persons 50. Specifically, the priority determination unit 130 assigns a higher priority to the authenticated persons 50 whose movement directions are closer to each other. For this reason, the priorities of the authenticated persons 50F and 50G, whose movement directions differ greatly, are set to "low." Furthermore, the priorities of the authenticated persons 50H and 50I, whose movement directions differ only slightly, are set to "high."

[0094] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the fifth information processing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0095] As described with reference to Figures 12 and 13, in the fifth information processing device 1, the priority is determined based on the movement direction of the person to be authenticated 50. In this way, it is possible to determine a priority that is more appropriate for the situation than when the priority is determined based only on overlap without taking the movement direction into consideration. For example, if there is a large difference in the movement direction of overlapping people to be authenticated 50, they are moving in different directions, so it is unlikely that they will switch places even after they overlap. On the other hand, if there is a small difference in the movement direction of overlapping people to be authenticated 50, they are moving in the same direction, so it is likely that they will switch places after they overlap. Therefore, by determining the priority based on the difference in movement direction, it is possible to determine the priority appropriately, taking into account the likelihood of switching places.

[0096] Sixth Embodiment A sixth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 14 to 17. The sixth information processing device 10 differs in some configurations and operations from the first to fifth information processing devices 10 described above, but other parts may be similar to the first to fifth 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.

[0097] (Functional Configuration) First, the functional configuration of the sixth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the sixth information processing device. Note that in Fig. 14, the same elements as those shown in Fig. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0098] 14, the sixth information processing device 10 is configured to include, as components for realizing its functions, an image acquisition unit 110, an authentication unit 120, and a priority determination unit 130. In particular, the priority determination unit 130 in the sixth information processing device 10 includes a distance determination unit 133.

[0099] The distance determination unit 133 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 133 may determine the remaining distance, for example, by analyzing the authentication image. When there are multiple people to be authenticated 50, the distance determination unit 133 may determine the remaining distance for each of the multiple people to be authenticated 50. However, when multiple people to be authenticated 50 are moving together, the movement direction determination unit 133 may determine the remaining distances of the multiple people to be authenticated 50 together.

[0100] The priority determination unit 130 in the sixth information processing device 10 is configured to be able to determine the priority based on the determination result of the distance determination unit 133. That is, the priority determination unit 130 in the sixth information processing device 10 is configured to be able to determine the priority by taking into consideration the remaining distance between the authentication-subjects 50 in addition to the overlap that occurs between the authentication-subjects 50. For example, the priority determination unit 130 may assign a higher priority to the authentication-subject 50 with a shorter remaining distance.

[0101] (Distance to Gate) Next, the distance to the gate determined by the distance determination unit 133 will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the distance to the gate used by the sixth information processing device.

[0102] 15, the remaining distance may be calculated as the distance from the person to be authenticated 50 to the gate 35 installed at the exit of the predetermined area R. For example, the remaining distance of the person to be authenticated 50J is j in the figure. The remaining distance of the person to be authenticated 50K is k in the figure. The remaining distance of the person to be authenticated 50L is l in the figure.

[0103] In the example shown in FIG. 15 , the remaining distance j of the person to be authenticated 50J is the longest. The remaining distance k of the person to be authenticated 50K is the second longest. And the remaining distance l of the person to be authenticated 50L is the shortest. Therefore, when the priority is determined by the priority determination unit 130, the priority of the person to be authenticated 50J may be the lowest, the priority of the person to be authenticated 50K may be the second lowest, and the priority of the person to be authenticated 50L may be the highest. However, when the people to be authenticated 50J to 50L overlap with other people to be authenticated 50, not only the remaining distance but also the overlap (for example, the overlap area and overlap time described in the third embodiment) is taken into consideration, so the longer the remaining distance, the lower the priority does not necessarily mean.

[0104] (Priority Determination Operation) Next, the flow of the priority determination operation of the sixth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of the priority determination operation by the sixth information processing device. Below, an example will be described in which a priority related to notification processing is set.

[0105] 16, when the priority determination operation in the sixth information processing device 10 is started, the priority determination unit 130 first acquires the past authentication results and the authentication image obtained by the authentication unit 120 (step S61). Then, the priority determination unit 130 determines whether or not there are any notification targets based on the past authentication results (step S62). For example, the priority determination unit 130 may determine that unauthenticated individuals who have not yet been successfully authenticated are notification targets.

[0106] Next, the priority determination unit 130 determines whether there are two or more notification targets and whether the difference in the remaining distance between each of the notification targets is equal to or greater than a threshold value (step S63). Note that the threshold value here is a threshold value for determining whether the remaining distance is short enough to require notification to a security guard.

[0107] If the number of notification targets is less than two, or if the difference in remaining distance between the notification targets is not equal to or greater than the threshold (step S63: NO), the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority based on the remaining distance (step S64). For example, the priority determination unit 130 may assign a higher priority to a target with a shorter remaining distance.

[0108] On the other hand, if there are two or more notification targets and the difference in the remaining distance between each of the notification targets is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S63: YES), or if the priority is determined in step S64, the priority determination unit 130 determines whether or not there are any notification targets due to overlapping (step S65). That is, the priority determination unit 130 determines whether or not there are any authentication targets that have become notification targets due to the occurrence of overlapping between authentication targets.

[0109] If there is an overlapping notification target (step S65: YES), the priority determination unit 130 determines whether there is overlap and the degree of overlap (step S66).The priority determination unit 130 then determines the priority based on the presence or absence and the degree of overlap (step S67).Note that if the priority based on the remaining distance has already been determined in step S64, the priority determination unit 130 may execute a process to correct the priority determined based on the remaining distance based on the presence or absence and the degree of overlap.

[0110] On the other hand, if there is no overlapping notification target (step S65: NO), the process of step S66 described above is omitted. That is, the priority determination unit 130 determines the priority without determining the presence or absence and degree of overlap (step S67). In this case, the priority determination unit 130 may determine the priority determined based on the remaining distance as the final priority. Note that if a priority based on the remaining distance has not been determined, the priority determination unit 130 may not determine a priority.

[0111] After the priority is determined in step S67, the notification unit 140 (see FIG. 6) executes notification processing based on the new priority. However, if the priority remains the same as the previous priority (specifically, if the content to be notified in the notification processing remains the same as the previous priority), the notification processing by the notification unit 140 may be omitted.

[0112] (Specific Operation Example) Next, a specific operation example of the sixth information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram showing distances for each authentication-subject group used by the sixth information processing device.

[0113] In the example shown in FIG. 17, authenticatees 50M, 50N, 50O, and 50P are present in a predetermined area R. Of these authenticatees 50, there is an overlap between authenticatee 50M and authenticatee 50N. There is also an overlap between authenticatee 50O and authenticatee 50P. The overlapping area between authenticatee 50M and authenticatee 50N is relatively small. On the other hand, the overlapping area between authenticatee 50O and authenticatee 50P is relatively large. The remaining distance between authenticatee 50M and authenticatee 50N is mn in the figure, and the remaining distance between authenticatee 50O and authenticatee 50P is op, where mn<op.

[0114] 17, the priority for the notification process may be determined based on the remaining distance. That is, the priority may be determined by determining the urgency of notifying the monitor 60 based on the remaining distance. Specifically, the priority may be set high for the authenticated persons 50M and 50N whose remaining distance mn is relatively short, and the priority may be set low for the authenticated persons 50O and 50PN whose remaining distance op is relatively short.

[0115] Furthermore, the priority for the authentication process or the verification process may be determined based on the degree of overlap. That is, the priority may be determined by determining the possibility of a switch occurring based on the degree of overlap. Specifically, the priority may be set low for the authenticatee 50M and the authenticatee 50N whose overlapping area is relatively small, and the priority may be set high for the authenticatee 50O and the authenticatee 50PN whose overlapping area is relatively large.

[0116] (Technical Effects) Next, technical effects obtained by the sixth information processing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0117] As described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17 , in the sixth information processing apparatus 10, priority is determined based on the remaining distance in addition to overlap. This allows for a priority to be determined that is more appropriate for the situation than when priority is determined based only on overlap without taking the remaining distance into consideration. For example, a person to be authenticated 50 with a long remaining distance is expected to take a relatively long time to leave the predetermined area R. On the other hand, a person to be authenticated 50 with a short remaining distance is expected to take a short time to leave the predetermined area R. Therefore, the shorter the remaining distance, the greater the urgency of processing for the person to be authenticated. For example, the authentication process and the matching process must be performed quickly to determine whether the authentication was successful. Furthermore, the notification process must be performed quickly to notify the monitor 60 and stop the person to be authenticated 50 who should not pass. However, in this embodiment, by using the remaining distance, priority can be determined taking urgency into account. Therefore, processing for the person to be authenticated 50 can be appropriately performed based on priority.

[0118] 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.

[0119] 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.

[0120] <Supplementary Notes> The above-described embodiment may be further described as in the following supplementary notes, but is not limited to the following.

[0121] (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 performing an authentication process for the person to be authenticated in the image, and a determination means for determining the priority of processing for the person to be authenticated based on the overlap when an overlap occurs between the person to be authenticated and another person to be authenticated after the authentication process.

[0122] (Supplementary Note 2) The information processing device according to Supplementary Note 2 is the information processing device according to Supplementary Note 1, in which the processing for the person to be authenticated includes at least one of the authentication processing and a matching processing for tracking the person to be authenticated.

[0123] (Supplementary Note 3) The information processing device described in Supplementary Note 3 is the information processing device described in Supplementary Note 2, wherein the determination means sets the priority of the person to be authenticated in whom the overlap occurs higher than the priority of the person to be authenticated in whom the overlap does not occur.

[0124] (Supplementary Note 4) The information processing device according to Supplementary Note 4 is the information processing device according to Supplementary Note 1, further comprising a notification unit that determines a notification target from among the authenticated person based on a result of the authentication process and performs notification processing regarding the notification target, and the processing for the authenticated person includes the notification processing.

[0125] (Appendix 5) The information processing device described in Appendix 5 is the information processing device described in Appendix 4, wherein the determination means sets the priority of the person to be authenticated in whom the overlap occurred higher than the priority of the person to be authenticated in whom the authentication process was successful without the overlap occurring.

[0126] (Appendix 6) The information processing device described in Appendix 6 is the information processing device described in Appendix 4 or 5, wherein the determination means determines the priority so that both of the overlapping subjects are subject to notification when the authentication process for at least one of the overlapping subjects is not successful.

[0127] (Appendix 7) The information processing device described in Appendix 7 is the information processing device described in any one of Appendices 1 to 6, wherein the determination means determines the priority based on the success or failure of the authentication process up until the overlap occurred, in addition to the overlap.

[0128] (Appendix 8) The information processing device described in Appendix 8 is the information processing device described in any one of Appendices 1 to 7, wherein the determination means, when an overlap occurs between a first authenticated person and a second authenticated person whose priority is lower than that of the first authenticated person, changes the priority of the second authenticated person to the priority of the first authenticated person.

[0129] (Supplementary Note 9) The information processing device according to Supplementary Note 9 is the information processing device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8, wherein the determining means determines the priority based on at least one of an area and a time of the overlap.

[0130] (Supplementary Note 10) The information processing device according to Supplementary Note 10 is the information processing device according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the determining means determines the priority when the area of ​​the overlap is equal to or larger than a predetermined area.

[0131] (Appendix 11) The information processing device described in Appendix 11 is the information processing device described in any one of Appendices 1 to 10, in which the determination means does not determine the priority when there is an overlap between subjects who have successfully completed the authentication process.

[0132] (Supplementary Note 12) The information processing device described in Supplementary Note 12 is the information processing device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 11, wherein the determination means determines the priority based on the movement direction of the person to be authenticated in addition to the overlap.

[0133] (Supplementary Note 13) The information processing device described in Supplementary Note 13 is the information processing device described in any one of Supplements 1 to 12, wherein the determination means determines the priority based on the distance from the position of the person to be authenticated to an exit of the specified area in addition to the overlap.

[0134] (Appendix 14) The information processing method described in Appendix 14 is an information processing method in which at least one computer acquires an image including a person to be authenticated in a specified area, performs authentication processing on the person to be authenticated in the image, and, if there is overlap between the person to be authenticated after the authentication processing and another person to be authenticated, determines the priority of processing for the person to be authenticated based on the overlap.

[0135] (Appendix 15) The recording medium described in Appendix 15 is a recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program that causes at least one computer to execute an information processing method, which acquires an image including a person to be authenticated in a predetermined area, performs an authentication process on the person to be authenticated in the image, and, if an overlap occurs between the person to be authenticated after the authentication process and another person to be authenticated, determines the priority of processing for the person to be authenticated based on the overlap.

[0136] (Appendix 16) The computer program described in Appendix 16 is a computer program that causes at least one computer to execute an information processing method, which acquires an image including a person to be authenticated in a specified area, performs an authentication process on the person to be authenticated in the image, and, if an overlap occurs between the person to be authenticated after the authentication process and another person to be authenticated, determines a processing priority for the person to be authenticated based on the overlap.

[0137] 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.

[0138] 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 131 Overlap determination unit 132 Movement direction determination unit 133 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 specified area; an authentication means for performing an authentication process for the person to be authenticated in the image; and a determination means for determining a processing priority for the person to be authenticated based on the overlapping when the person to be authenticated overlaps with another person to be authenticated after the authentication process.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing for the person to be authenticated includes at least one of the authentication processing and a matching processing for tracking the person to be authenticated.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein said determining means assigns a higher priority to the person to be authenticated in the overlapping state than to the person to be authenticated in the non-overlapping state.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that determines a notification target from among the authenticated person based on the result of the authentication process and performs notification processing regarding the notification target, and the processing for the authenticated person includes the notification processing.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein said determining means assigns a higher priority to the person to be authenticated for whom the overlap occurred than to the person to be authenticated for whom the authentication process was successful without the overlap occurring.

6. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein the determining means determines the priority so that both of the overlapping subjects are subject to notification when the authentication process for at least one of the overlapping subjects is unsuccessful.

7. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the determination means, when there is an overlap between a first authenticated person and a second authenticated person whose priority is lower than that of the first authenticated person, changes the priority of the second authenticated person to the priority of the first authenticated person.

8. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the determining means determines the priority based on at least one of the area and time of the overlap.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8, wherein said determining means determines said priority when the area of ​​said overlap is equal to or larger than a predetermined area.

10. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the determining means does not determine the priority when there is an overlap of persons to be authenticated who have been successfully authenticated.

11. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the determining means determines the priority based on the direction of movement of the person to be authenticated in addition to the overlap.

12. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the determining means determines the priority based on the distance from the position of the person to be authenticated to the exit of the predetermined area in addition to the overlap.

13. An information processing method comprising: acquiring an image including a person to be authenticated in a predetermined area using at least one computer; performing authentication processing on the person to be authenticated in the image; and, if there is overlap between the person to be authenticated after the authentication processing and another person to be authenticated, determining the priority of processing for the person to be authenticated based on the overlap.

14. A recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for causing at least one computer to execute an information processing method, which comprises acquiring an image including a person to be authenticated in a specified area, performing an authentication process for the person to be authenticated in the image, and, if there is an overlap between the person to be authenticated after the authentication process and another person to be authenticated, determining the priority of processing for the person to be authenticated based on the overlap.

Images