JP7509216B2 - Input control device, input system, input control method and input control program - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to an input control device, an input system, an input control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

In recent years, biometric authentication has come to be used in a variety of situations. There are various methods for biometric authentication, such as face authentication, fingerprint authentication, and iris authentication.
Patent Literature 1 discloses a system in which a predetermined gesture by a user is used as a trigger to execute biometric authentication, and if the biometric authentication is successful, a service interface is presented to the user.
Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses an interface device that is installed at the entrance or under the eaves of a house to monitor people (users) who are trying to enter the house. This interface device performs personal authentication of users using face authentication, fingerprint authentication, iris authentication, or the like. For users who are qualified to enter the house, an image representing a password input pad is projected onto the wall of the entrance or the like, and a touch input by the user on the projected image or the wall is accepted. The user can enter the house by inputting the correct password into the image.
In relation to the projection of an image and input to the image, Patent Document 3 discloses a method of virtual user interface interaction based on gesture recognition for an interaction system. In this method, first, two hands are detected in a plurality of images, and the gestures of each hand are recognized. If it is recognized that one hand is making a point gesture and the other hand is making an open gesture, a virtual user interface is projected onto the hand making the open gesture, and the tip of the index finger of the hand making the point gesture is tracked.

JP 2020-503578 A International Publication No. 2015/049866 JP 2020-67999 A

In recent years, due to concerns about infectious diseases, there is a demand to avoid touching objects that may have been touched by other people. In order to meet such demands, it is desirable to use a contactless authentication method such as face recognition. Furthermore, even if authentication is successful, it is desirable for the user to be able to complete subsequent processing without touching the object. The technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 do not take the above points into consideration.

The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide an input control device, an input system, an input control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that enable a user to be properly authenticated and receive services without contacting an object.

The input control device according to the present disclosure includes:
a biometric information acquiring means for acquiring biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
an authentication control means for controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
a receiving means for receiving an input of the user's intention regarding a service to be provided to the user by using a non-contact input method when the biometric authentication is successful;
It is equipped with the following.

The input system according to the present disclosure comprises:
an authentication terminal that acquires biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
an input control device connected to the authentication terminal;
Equipped with
The input control device includes:
Acquiring biometric information of the user from the authentication terminal;
Controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
If the biometric authentication is successful, a non-contact input method is used to accept input of the user's intention regarding the service to be provided to the user.

The input control method according to the present disclosure includes:
The computer
Acquiring biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
Controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
If the biometric authentication is successful, a non-contact input method is used to accept input of the user's intention regarding the service to be provided to the user.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an input control program according to the present disclosure includes:
A biometric information acquisition process for acquiring biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
an authentication control process for controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
If the biometric authentication is successful, the computer is caused to execute a reception process of receiving, using a non-contact input method, an input of the user's intention regarding a service to be provided to the user.

The present disclosure provides an input control device, an input system, an input control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that enable a user to be properly authenticated and provided with services without contacting an object.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an input control device according to a first embodiment; 4 is a flowchart showing a process of the input control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an input system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an authentication device according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a biometric information registration process of the authentication device according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a biometric authentication process of the authentication device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an authentication terminal according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an input control device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a biometric authentication method used in the input system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a message displayed on the authentication terminal according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a message displayed on the authentication terminal according to the second embodiment. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an input method determined by the input system according to the second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an input method determined by the input system according to the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process of an input control device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an input control device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an input control device according to a fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as necessary for clarity of explanation.

<Embodiment 1>
1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an input control device 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the input control device 10 includes a biometric information acquisition unit 11, an authentication control unit 12, and a reception unit .
The biometric information acquiring unit 11 acquires biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner.
The authentication control unit 12 controls biometric authentication using biometric information.
If the biometric authentication is successful, the accepting unit 14 accepts, using a contactless input method, input of the user's intention regarding the service to be provided to the user.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the process performed by the input control device 10 according to the present embodiment.
First, the biometric information acquisition unit 11 acquires biometric information of a specific user from the user in a non-contact manner (S11). Next, the authentication control unit 12 controls biometric authentication using the biometric information (S12). Then, the acceptance unit 14 determines whether the biometric authentication is successful or not (S13). If the biometric authentication is successful (Yes in S13), the acceptance unit 14 accepts input of the user's intention regarding the service provided to the user using a non-contact input method (S14). If the biometric authentication is unsuccessful (No in S13), the input control device 10 ends the process.

As described above, the input control device 10 according to this embodiment acquires biometric information of a user from the user in a non-contact manner and performs biometric authentication using the acquired biometric information. If the biometric authentication is successful, the input control device 10 uses a non-contact input method to accept input of the user's intention regarding the service to be provided to the user. This allows the user to be properly authenticated and receive the service without coming into contact with an object.

The input control device 10 includes a processor, a memory, and a storage device, which are not shown in the figure. The storage device also stores a computer program that implements the processing of the input control method according to this embodiment. The processor then loads the computer program from the storage device into the memory and executes the computer program. In this way, the processor realizes the functions of the biometric information acquisition unit 11, the authentication control unit 12, and the reception unit 14.

Alternatively, the biometric information acquisition unit 11, the authentication control unit 12, and the reception unit 14 may each be realized by dedicated hardware. In addition, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or may be configured by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits, etc., and programs. In addition, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (field-programmable gate array), etc. can be used as the processor.

In addition, when some or all of the components of the input control device 10 are realized by multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc., the multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally arranged or distributed. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, cloud computing system, etc., in which each is connected via a communication network. In addition, the functions of the input control device 10 may be provided in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service).

<Embodiment 2>
The second embodiment is a specific example of the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an input system 1000 according to this embodiment. The input system 1000 includes an authentication device 100, an authentication terminal 400, and an input control device 200. The authentication device 100, the authentication terminal 400, and the input control device 200 are each connected via a network N. Here, the network N is a wired or wireless communication line.

First, an overview of an input system 1000 according to this embodiment will be described.
The input system 1000 performs contactless authentication on the user U, and if the authentication is successful, uses a contactless input method to accept input of the user U's intention regarding the service to be provided to the user U. Furthermore, the input system 1000 determines the input method based on a biometric authentication method, and accepts input of the user U's intention using the determined input method.

The user U performs authentication and inputs his/her intention via the authentication terminal 400 installed at the place where the service is provided. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the user U performs a payment process for purchasing a product using the authentication terminal 400 installed in a hotel shop. The place where the service is provided and the contents of the service are not limited to the above. The present invention can be applied to any process that requires the user U to authenticate and input the user U's intention regarding the service provision depending on the success of the authentication. For example, in the example of a hotel, the present invention can be applied to check-in processing, check-out processing, receiving room service, using a fitness gym, etc. The user U performs authentication when receiving these services, and inputs his/her intention when the authentication is successful. The intention of the user U is, for example, whether or not he/she agrees to receive these services.
The service is not limited to being provided in hotels, but may also be applied to retail stores, restaurants, etc. In addition, the service may be applied to entrance and exit management for condominiums and facilities, and input of the user's intention to enter and exit the facility may be accepted depending on the success of authentication of the user U.

The authentication terminal 400 is an information processing device capable of performing multimodal authentication that combines multiple authentication methods. The authentication terminal 400 is, for example, a digital signage device, and includes a display unit 440 that displays a message prompting the user U to perform biometric authentication and a message showing the authentication result.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that user U performs authentication by face authentication and iris authentication using face information and iris information. Therefore, the authentication terminal 400 can perform authentication by either face authentication or iris authentication. Note that the biometric authentication method is not limited to the above, and various authentication methods such as vein authentication and voice authentication can be used.

The authentication terminal 400 also performs biometric authentication according to the purpose or installation location. For example, high authentication accuracy is required when processing payment at a convenience store, etc., so the authentication terminal 400 performs multimodal authentication on the user U. However, if multimodal authentication is performed in all authentication situations, it may lead to a decrease in convenience for the user U who is authenticated. For example, if the user U is wearing a mask, it is considered that the user U will succeed in iris authentication but fail in face authentication. The user U needs to remove the mask in order to succeed in face authentication, which is particularly inconvenient when the user U is carrying luggage in both hands. Therefore, the authentication terminal 400 performs biometric authentication using a biometric authentication method according to the required authentication accuracy according to the purpose or installation location.

Figure 9 shows an example of a combination of the purpose and installation location of the authentication terminal 400 and the biometric authentication method used to authenticate user U. As shown in Figure 9, the biometric authentication method used varies depending on the installation location or purpose of the authentication terminal 400. For example, only facial authentication is performed at the hotel entrance, so user U can enter the hotel if facial authentication is successful. In addition, when checking out at the counter or purchasing goods at a convenience store, user U needs to succeed in both facial authentication and iris authentication, as this includes payment processing. By succeeding in both facial authentication and iris authentication, user U can check out or purchase goods.

To perform biometric authentication in a hotel, the user U registers personal information in advance in the input control device 200 through the authentication terminal 400, a registration website, etc. The personal information is, for example, the user U's name, credit card information, passcode, etc. The input control device 200 stores a user ID that identifies the user U in association with the personal information. The user U also registers a face image and an iris image of the user U in advance in the authentication device 100 through the authentication terminal 400, a registration website, etc. This allows the user U to use face authentication and iris authentication in processing such as payment. The user U may also register a passcode in the input control device 200 together with the image for use in passcode authentication in conjunction with face authentication or iris authentication. This may allow the user to receive services even if face authentication or iris authentication fails, by succeeding in passcode authentication.

The authentication terminal 400 performs biometric authentication for the user U by comparing the facial image and iris image registered in advance in the authentication device 100 with the facial image and iris image taken at the service providing location by comparing their characteristic information. If the biometric authentication is successful at the authentication terminal 400, the user U can proceed with the procedure to receive the desired service.

When user U performs payment processing, authentication terminal 400 performs facial authentication and iris authentication on user U. For example, authentication terminal 400 can display a message such as "Facial authentication and iris authentication will be performed for payment processing" on display unit 440 to prompt user U to perform facial authentication and iris authentication. In addition, authentication terminal 400 may use a speaker or the like to provide audio guidance to user U along with the above display.

The authentication terminal 400 captures an image of the face and iris of the user U with a built-in camera, and performs biometric authentication of the user U using the captured face image and iris image. Specifically, the authentication terminal 400 transmits a biometric authentication request to the input control device 200. The biometric authentication request includes the captured face image and iris image.

The input control device 200 receives a biometric authentication request from the authentication terminal 400, performs a predetermined process, and transmits the biometric authentication request to the authentication device 100. The authentication device 100 performs biometric authentication upon receiving the biometric authentication request from the input control device 200, and returns the result to the input control device 200. The input control device 200 returns the result to the authentication terminal 400.
Through the above processes, the authentication terminal 400 can receive the result of biometric authentication for the user U. The above processes will be described in more detail later.

When the user U is successful in the face authentication and iris authentication, the authentication terminal 400 displays a message such as "Mr./Ms. XX, face authentication and iris authentication have been successful" on the display unit 440. This allows the user U to know that the biometric authentication has been successful based on the face image and iris image registered in advance.

Furthermore, for user U who has been successfully authenticated, the authentication terminal 400 prompts the user U to make a gesture (action) to complete the payment process. The authentication terminal 400 displays, for example, a message as shown in FIG. 10 on the display unit 440. For example, the display unit 440 displays "The payment amount is XX yen. If you agree to the payment, make a gesture to the right. If you want to go back, make a gesture to the left."

In the above example, if user U agrees to pay, he or she makes a gesture of moving their hands and arms as if drawing the letter "Z" in the space. If user U does not agree to pay and returns to the previous process, user U makes a gesture of moving their hands and arms as if drawing the letter "H" in the space. The authentication terminal 400 photographs user U with its built-in camera, reads the content of the gesture made by user U, and accepts user U's intention to pay. If user U makes a gesture of agreeing to pay, the payment process is carried out. This allows user U to complete the procedure for purchasing the product.

As described above, according to the input system 1000 of the present embodiment, the user U can perform not only the authentication process for identity verification but also the input process of the intention to make a payment without touching any surrounding object. The input process of the intention can also be called an authentication process in a broad sense because it verifies whether the input contents are appropriate. Therefore, in the present embodiment, at least two-factor authentication is performed, which is biometric authentication and authentication based on the input contents of the user's intention.
The same flow is followed for processes other than payment. For processes other than payment, the user U performs biometric authentication according to the purpose or installation location of the authentication terminal 400, and if the authentication is successful, inputs the intention using the input method displayed on the display unit 440. In this embodiment, the user U performs input by making a gesture of drawing letters such as the alphabet in the space, but the input method is not limited to this. For example, the authentication terminal 400 may display a hologram in the space between the display unit 440 and the user U. For example, a "Back" button and a "Payment Agreement" button may be displayed on the hologram, and the user U may touch either of them on the hologram to accept the input of the intention of the user U. In addition, a microphone may be provided in the authentication terminal 400 to accept input by the user U's voice. By using an input method according to the size of the installation location of the authentication terminal 400 and the surrounding environment, the installation space and security can also be taken into consideration.

The above is an overview of the processing performed by the input system 1000 according to this embodiment. Next, the authentication device 100, the authentication terminal 400, and the input control device 200 that constitute the input system 1000 will be described in detail.

The authentication device 100 is an information processing device that, in response to a biometric authentication request received from outside, compares an image of a face, iris, etc., or the biometric feature information of the image, with the biometric feature information of a user U, and returns the comparison result (authentication result) to the request source. The authentication device 100 stores the biometric feature information of multiple users U. The authentication device 100 can also store multiple pieces of biometric feature information for one user U and perform authentication using each piece of biometric feature information. Biometric feature information is feature information of the biometric information used for biometric authentication. Examples of biometric information include face, iris, fingerprint, and veins. In this embodiment, face authentication and iris authentication are used as examples of biometric authentication.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the authentication device 100 according to this embodiment. The authentication device 100 includes a biometric information database (DB) 110, a detection unit 120, a feature point extraction unit 130, a registration unit 140, and an authentication unit 150.

The biometric information DB 110 stores a user ID 111, biometric feature information 112 for the user ID, and a biometric authentication method 113 in association with each other. The biometric feature information 112 is a collection of feature points extracted from a face image or an iris image. The biometric authentication method 113 is information indicating an authentication method such as face authentication, iris authentication, or vein authentication. The authentication device 100 may delete the biometric feature information 112 in the biometric information DB 110 at the request of a registered user U of the biometric feature information 112. Alternatively, the authentication device 100 may delete the biometric feature information 112 after a certain period of time has passed since its registration.

The detection unit 120 detects face and iris areas included in a registration image for registering biometric information, and outputs the areas to the feature point extraction unit 130. The feature point extraction unit 130 extracts feature points from the face area etc. detected by the detection unit 120, and outputs biometric feature information to the registration unit 140. The feature point extraction unit 130 also extracts feature points included in the face image etc. received from the input control device 200, and outputs the biometric feature information to the authentication unit 150.

The registration unit 140 issues a new user ID 111 when registering biometric feature information. The registration unit 140 associates the issued user ID 111 with the biometric feature information 112 extracted from the registration image and registers them in the biometric information DB 110. The authentication unit 150 performs biometric authentication using the biometric feature information 112. Specifically, the authentication unit 150 compares the biometric feature information extracted from a face image or the like with the biometric feature information 112 in the biometric information DB 110. The authentication unit 150 returns a response to the input control device 200 indicating whether or not there is a match in the biometric feature information. The presence or absence of a match in the biometric feature information corresponds to the success or failure of authentication. Note that a match in the biometric feature information (match present) refers to a case where the degree of match is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

Next, the biometric information registration process and authentication process according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the biometric information registration process according to this embodiment. First, the authentication device 100 acquires a registration image included in a biometric information registration request (S21). For example, the authentication device 100 accepts a biometric information registration request from the authentication terminal 400, a registration website, or the like via the network N. Next, the detection unit 120 detects a face area, etc. included in the registration image (S22). Next, the feature point extraction unit 130 extracts feature points from the face area, etc. detected in step S22, and outputs biometric feature information to the registration unit 140 (S23). Finally, the registration unit 140 issues a user ID 111, and associates the user ID 111, biometric feature information 112, and biometric authentication method 113 with each other and registers them in the biometric information DB 110 (S24). The authentication device 100 may receive biometric feature information 112 from a terminal or the like owned by the user U, and register the biometric feature information 112 in the biometric information DB 110 in association with the user ID 111 and the biometric authentication method 113 .

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of biometric authentication processing by the authentication device 100 according to this embodiment. First, the feature point extraction unit 130 acquires a face image for authentication, etc., included in the biometric authentication request (S31). For example, the authentication device 100 receives a biometric authentication request from the input control device 200 via the network N, and extracts biometric feature information from the biometric image included in the biometric authentication request as in steps S21 to S23. Alternatively, the authentication device 100 may receive biometric feature information from the input control device 200.

Next, the authentication unit 150 compares the acquired biometric feature information with the biometric feature information 112 in the biometric information DB 110 (S32). If the biometric feature information matches, that is, if the degree of match of the biometric feature information is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (Yes in S33), the authentication unit 150 identifies the user ID 111 of the user U whose biometric feature information matches (S34). The authentication unit 150 then returns to the input control device 200 a message indicating that the biometric authentication was successful and the identified user ID 111 (S35). If there is no matching biometric feature information (No in S33), the authentication unit 150 returns to the input control device 200 a message indicating that the biometric authentication failed (S36).

Note that in step S32, the authentication unit 150 does not need to attempt matching with all biometric feature information 112 in the biometric information DB 110. For example, the authentication unit 150 can receive the biometric authentication request including the biometric authentication method 113 and perform matching from among those with a matching biometric authentication method 113. Alternatively, the authentication unit 150 may preferentially attempt matching with biometric feature information registered in the period from the day the biometric authentication request was received to several days prior. This can improve the matching speed. Also, if the preferential matching fails, it is advisable to perform matching with all remaining biometric feature information.

Next, the authentication terminal 400 will be described in detail. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the authentication terminal 400 according to this embodiment. The authentication terminal 400 includes a first camera 410, a second camera 411, a memory unit 420, a communication unit 430, a display unit 440, and a control unit 450.

The first camera 410 and the second camera 411 are imaging devices that capture images under the control of the control unit 450. In this embodiment, the first camera 410 captures an image of the face of the user U, and the second camera 411 captures an image of the iris of the user U. The second camera 411 is an infrared camera capable of capturing an image of the iris. In addition, the first camera 410 captures an image of a gesture of the user U.
As described above, the authentication terminal 400 can contactlessly acquire biometric information of the user U. Furthermore, the authentication terminal 400 can contactlessly receive input of the user U's intention regarding the service from the user U.

The storage unit 420 is a storage device in which programs for implementing the various functions of the authentication terminal 400 are stored.
The communication unit 430 is a communication interface with the network N.
The display unit 440 is at least a display device. The display unit 440 may also be an input/output unit including a display device and an input device, such as a touch panel.

The control unit 450 controls the hardware of the authentication terminal 400. The control unit 450 includes a photography control unit 451, a registration unit 452, an authentication control unit 453, and a display control unit 454.

The photographing control unit 451 controls the first camera 410 and the second camera 411 to photograph the registration image, the authentication image, and the gesture image of the user U. The registration image and the authentication image photographed by the first camera 410 and the second camera 411 are images including at least the face area and the iris area of the user U, respectively. In addition, the gesture image of the user U photographed by the first camera 410 photographs an image of an area including at least the gesture of the user U. For example, when the user U draws a character in a space using his/her hand or arm, an image of an area including at least the hand or arm of the user U (such as the upper body) is photographed. Not limited to this, the photographing area of the first camera 410 may be appropriately changed according to the gesture content.
The photography control unit 451 outputs the registration image to the registration unit 452. In addition, the photography control unit 451 outputs the authentication image and the gesture image to the authentication control unit 453.

The registration unit 452 transmits a biometric information registration request including the registration image to the authentication device 100 via the network N.

The authentication control unit 453 transmits a biometric authentication request including an authentication image to the input control device 200 via the network N. The authentication control unit 453 also transmits the biometric authentication request including a location ID for identifying the location where the device is installed and the purpose of the biometric authentication to the input control device 200. The purpose includes, for example, information on whether or not the request includes payment processing or identity verification. The authentication control unit 453 may also transmit the biometric authentication request including a terminal ID for identifying the authentication terminal 400 instead of the location ID to the input control device 200. In that case, the input control device 200 associates the terminal ID of the authentication terminal 400 with the location ID of the location where the authentication terminal 400 is installed, and stores the terminal ID in the storage unit 210 in advance. As a result, the input control device 200 can refer to the storage unit 210 based on the terminal ID included in the received biometric authentication request and obtain the location ID of the authentication terminal 400.

The authentication control unit 453 also receives the result of the biometric authentication from the input control device 200. Furthermore, if the authentication result is successful, the authentication control unit 453 receives from the input control device 200 a message indicating that the biometric authentication was successful, as well as the input method of user U's intention that was determined according to the successful authentication method. If the biometric authentication is successful, the authentication control unit 453 outputs a message indicating that the biometric authentication was successful and the determined input method of intention to the display control unit 454. If the biometric authentication is unsuccessful, the authentication control unit 453 outputs that message to the display control unit 454.

When the user U makes a gesture using the determined intention input method, the authentication control unit 453 receives the gesture image captured by the first camera 410 from the capture control unit 451. The authentication control unit 453 also transmits the gesture image to the input control device 200.

The authentication control unit 453 outputs an instruction signal to a control device for a specific service to execute the service in accordance with the intention of user U input by a gesture. Examples of specific services include execution of payment processing, opening and closing of doors (gates), unlocking of locks, execution of check-in processing, execution of check-out processing, etc. In addition, the specific services include various services that are provided in response to successful authentication of user U and input of the intention of user U. As a result, user U can be provided with the specific service for which authentication is requested, such as payment processing and use of various facilities, in accordance with the results of biometric authentication and the intention of user U input.

The display control unit 454 displays display content according to the biometric authentication result on the display unit 440. For example, the display control unit 454 displays to the user U that the authentication was successful or unsuccessful. The display control unit 454 may also display the biometric authentication method, the name of the user U, etc. on the display unit 440 together with the authentication result. For example, the display control unit 454 displays "Mr. XX, face authentication was successful," "Mr. XX, face authentication and iris authentication were successful," etc. Information such as the name may be hidden or in a format that does not identify the individual as necessary. In addition to these, the display control unit 454 may guide the user U on the actions required for biometric authentication (such as removing a mask or pointing the face toward the authentication terminal 400).

Furthermore, the display control unit 454 displays the determined method for inputting the intention, in addition to the biometric authentication result, on the display unit 440. Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 are diagrams showing an example of the display contents displayed on the display unit 440.
10 is a diagram showing the display content of the display unit 440 when the user U has succeeded in face authentication and iris authentication. The user U can input his/her intention of agreeing to the payment or not to the authentication terminal 400 by making a gesture of "H" or "Z" with his/her hand or arm.
11 is a diagram showing the display content of the display unit 440 when the user U has succeeded in only the iris authentication. Unlike the above example, the user U has succeeded in only the iris authentication, so the user U is required to input a passcode instead of the letter "Z."

In this way, the display control unit 454 displays on the display unit 440 input methods with different ease of input depending on the accuracy of the biometric authentication. Note that when only iris authentication is successful, both face authentication and iris authentication are performed, which also includes cases where face authentication fails.

The display control unit 454 may also display a hologram in the space between the display unit 440 and the user U. For example, the display control unit 454 may display a "Back" button and a "Payment Agreement" button on the hologram, and accept input of the user U's intention when the user U touches either of them on the hologram. The display control unit 454 may also display a keyboard screen for inputting a passcode on the hologram. The user U inputs the passcode by pressing the keys on the hologram. This allows the user U to input his or her intention by a method other than gestures, without touching an object.

Next, the input control device 200 will be described. The input control device 200 is an information processing device that controls the input processing of the user U at a specific authentication terminal 400. The input control device 200 may be made redundant with multiple servers, and each functional block may be realized by multiple computers.

Specifically, first, the input control device 200 receives a biometric authentication request including the biometric information of the user U, the location ID of the authentication terminal 400, and the purpose of the biometric authentication from the authentication terminal 400. Next, the input control device 200 transmits a biometric authentication request including these pieces of information to the authentication device 100. When performing multiple biometric authentications, the input control device 200 acquires multiple pieces of biometric information corresponding to each of the multiple biometric authentication methods, and transmits a biometric authentication request for each biometric authentication method. Here, the input control device 200 controls the biometric authentication according to the purpose or installation location of the authentication terminal 400. The input control device 200 controls the biometric authentication using, for example, a combination of purpose and installation location as shown in FIG. 9. In this embodiment, the input control device 200 acquires biometric information of the face and iris of the user U, and transmits a biometric authentication request including the location ID of the authentication terminal 400 and the purpose of the biometric authentication to the authentication device 100.

The input control device 200 receives the result of the biometric authentication from the authentication device 100. If the biometric authentication is successful, the input control device 200 accepts the input of the user U's intention regarding the service provided to the user U using a non-contact input method. The input control device 200 also determines the non-contact input method of the user U's intention regarding the service provided to the user U based on the successful biometric authentication method. The input control device 200 determines the ease of inputting the user U's intention in the input method according to the accuracy of the successful biometric authentication. For example, as already described, if the intention of the user U includes consent to the payment processing of the service, face authentication and iris authentication are performed. If both face authentication and iris authentication are successful, high authentication accuracy is obtained, so the input control device 200 determines the input method that is easy for the user U to input.

The input control device 200 returns to the authentication terminal 400 a message indicating that the biometric authentication was successful and the determined input method of user U's intention. The input control device 200 then accepts the input of user U's intention using the determined input method. For example, in the example of FIG. 10, if user U makes a "Z" gesture by moving his or her hand or arm, user U's intention to agree to payment is accepted.

Next, the configuration of the input control device 200 will be described in detail. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the input control device 200 according to this embodiment. The input control device 200 includes a storage unit 210, a memory 220, a communication unit 230, and a control unit 240.

The storage unit 210 is a storage device such as a hard disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 210 stores a program 211, input method information 212, authentication method information 213, and user information 214.
The program 211 is a computer program in which the processing of the input control method according to this embodiment is implemented.

The input method information 212 is information that associates an authentication method 2121 with an input method 2122. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the input method information 212. If the face authentication and iris authentication are successful, high authentication accuracy is obtained, and the user U can input using the gestures of "H" or "Z," which are relatively easy to input. If only either the face authentication or the iris authentication is successful, the user U needs to input a passcode that is less easy to input. In this way, the ease of inputting the user U's intention is determined and stored according to the accuracy of the biometric authentication that the user U succeeded in. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of authentication for the user U.

Furthermore, the input method and ease of input are not limited to the above. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, three or more levels of ease of input may be provided depending on the authentication accuracy obtained. In FIG. 13, input of date of birth by gesture is provided as an input method when only iris authentication is successful. User U inputs, for example, an eight-digit number representing date of birth by gesture. Although it is less easy to input than "H" or "Z," it is an easier input method than a passcode that must be registered in advance.

The input method is not limited to gestures. The authentication terminal 400 may be provided with a microphone to pick up the voice of the user U, and the user U's intention may be input using voice recognition.
Furthermore, the authentication method 2121 is not limited to the authentication method in which the user U has succeeded, and may take into consideration an authentication method corresponding to an authentication image registered by the user U. For example, even if the user U has succeeded in iris authentication but failed in face authentication, if the user U has registered face information, the input method may be the same as that in the case where face authentication and iris authentication have succeeded.

The authentication method information 213 is information that associates a location ID 2131, a purpose 2132, and an authentication method 2134. As already described with reference to Fig. 9, the authentication method to be performed on the user U is determined according to the installation location and purpose of the authentication terminal 400. The authentication method information 213 stores these in association with each other.
Note that the combination of authentication methods shown in Fig. 9 is an example, and is not limited to this. For example, the number of authentication methods to be combined may be increased or decreased depending on the accuracy of biometric authentication.

User information 214 is information that associates a user ID 2141 with personal information 2142 of user U. User ID 2141 is identification information that identifies user U. Personal information 2142 is user U's name, credit card information, passcode, etc.

The memory 220 is a volatile storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and is a storage area for temporarily holding information when the control unit 240 is operating.
The communication unit 230 is a communication interface with the network N.

The control unit 240 is a processor, or control device, that controls each component of the input control device 200. The control unit 240 loads the program 211 from the storage unit 210 into the memory 220 and executes the program 211. As a result, the control unit 240 realizes the functions of the biometric information acquisition unit 241, the authentication control unit 242, the determination unit 243, and the reception unit 244.

The biometric information acquisition unit 241 is an example of the biometric information acquisition unit 11 described above. The biometric information acquisition unit 241 acquires biometric information of the user U from a specified authentication terminal 400. When biometric authentication is performed using multiple biometric authentication methods, the biometric information acquisition unit 241 acquires multiple pieces of biometric information corresponding to each of the multiple biometric authentication methods. Specifically, the biometric information acquisition unit 241 acquires the biometric information of the user U from the authentication terminal 400 via the network N. The biometric information is, for example, biometric information of the face and irises of the user U captured by the first camera 410 and the second camera 411. Therefore, the biometric information acquisition unit 241 acquires biometric information from the user U without contact.

The authentication control unit 242 is an example of the authentication control unit 12 described above. The authentication control unit 242 controls biometric authentication using the acquired biometric information. When multiple methods of biometric authentication are performed, the authentication control unit 242 controls the biometric authentication for each method of biometric authentication. The authentication control unit 242 controls the face authentication and iris authentication for each method, for example, using the acquired face information and iris information. Specifically, the authentication control unit 242 transmits a face authentication request and an iris authentication request to the authentication device 100 via the network N. The face authentication request and the iris authentication request include the respective biometric information. These biometric authentication requests may also include information on the respective biometric authentication methods. This can improve the matching speed in the authentication device 100.

The authentication control unit 242 also refers to the authentication method information 213 to control biometric authentication according to the purpose or installation location of the authentication terminal 400. As shown in FIG. 9, the authentication method information 213 stores a location ID, purpose, and authentication method in association with each other. The authentication control unit 242 may control both face authentication and iris authentication, or may first control one and then control the other depending on the success of that. For example, when success of face authentication and iris authentication is required, face authentication may be performed first, and iris authentication may be performed only if face authentication is successful.

When the user U is successful in the biometric authentication, the determination unit 243 determines a contactless input method of the user U's intention regarding the service to be provided to the user U based on the biometric authentication method. In addition, when the biometric authentication is performed using multiple biometric authentication methods, the determination unit 243 determines the input method depending on the method that succeeded in the biometric authentication.

Specifically, the determination unit 243 refers to the input method information 212 to determine a contactless input method of the user U's intention. In the input method information 212, as in the examples shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the authentication method and the input method are stored in association with each other. As shown in these figures, the determination unit 243 determines the ease of inputting the user U's intention in the input method according to the accuracy of the biometric authentication. For example, the user U's intention may include consent to the payment process of the service. Since high authentication accuracy is required for the payment process, the user U needs to succeed in the face authentication and iris authentication. When the user U succeeds in the face authentication and iris authentication, the determination unit 243 determines the gesture of "H" or "Z", which is relatively easy for the user U to input, as the input method. In addition, when only one of the face authentication and the iris authentication is successful, the determination unit 243 determines the gesture input of a passcode, which is less easy to input, as the input method. This makes it possible to improve the authentication accuracy.

Note that the determination unit 243 may determine input by voice as the input method, in addition to gestures. This allows the user U to input his/her intention without touching an object, similar to gestures.
Furthermore, the determination unit 243 may determine the input method in consideration of the authentication method that the user U has succeeded in, and also in consideration of the authentication method that has failed. For example, when the user U is wearing a mask, it is considered that the iris authentication will be successful and the face authentication will be unsuccessful. Even in such a case, when the user U has registered face information, the determination unit 243 may determine the same input method as when the user U has succeeded in face authentication. This allows the process to proceed without reducing the convenience of the user U.

The reception unit 244 is an example of the reception unit 14 described above. When the user U has succeeded in biometric authentication, the reception unit 244 uses a non-contact input method to receive the input of the user U's intention regarding the service provided to the user U. The reception unit 244 also receives the input of the user U's intention using the determined input method. The reception unit 244 receives the input from the user U in a non-contact manner, for example, by a gesture made by the user U in space. Specifically, the user U checks the determined input method on the authentication terminal 400 and makes a gesture according to the input method. The authentication terminal 400 photographs the gesture and transmits it to the input control device 200. The reception unit 244 reads the intention of the user U from the received gesture image and receives the input of the user U's intention. The reception unit 244 also generates an instruction signal for causing a control device of a specific service to execute the service based on the received intention of the user U, and outputs the generated instruction signal to the authentication terminal 400. This allows the user U to receive the desired service.

Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of input control processing performed by the input control device 200 according to this embodiment. First, the biometric information acquisition unit 241 receives a biometric authentication request from the authentication terminal 400, and acquires biometric information acquired from the user in a non-contact manner at the authentication terminal 400 (S401). Next, the authentication control unit 242 requests biometric authentication from the authentication device 100 depending on the purpose or installation location of the authentication terminal 400 (S402). The authentication control unit 242 may request multiple biometric authentications simultaneously, or may request one biometric authentication and then request another biometric authentication depending on the success of the first biometric authentication.

Next, the reception unit 244 receives the result of the biometric authentication from the authentication device 100 and determines whether the biometric authentication was successful (S403). If the authentication is successful (Yes in S403), the determination unit 243 determines the contactless input method of the user U's intention regarding the service provided to the user U according to the successful authentication method (S404). The authentication control unit 242 then replies to the authentication terminal 400 with a message indicating that the authentication was successful and the determined input method (S405).

User U inputs his/her intention regarding the service by gestures or the like in accordance with the display of authentication terminal 400. Accepting unit 244 receives user U's intention from authentication terminal 400 and accepts the input of user U's intention (S406). Based on the accepted intention of user U, accepting unit 244 generates an instruction signal for causing a control device of a specified service to execute the service, and outputs this to authentication terminal 400. By authentication terminal 400 transmitting the instruction signal to the control device of the service, user U can be provided with the desired service.
In step S403, if the authentication is not successful (No in S403), the authentication control unit 242 returns a message to the authentication terminal 400 indicating that the biometric authentication has failed (S407).

As described above, the input system 1000 according to the present embodiment uses a contactless authentication method, so that authentication can be performed without the user U touching an object. In addition, the contactless input method of the user U's intention for the provided service is determined based on the biometric authentication method, so that the input method can be determined according to the authentication accuracy. Furthermore, the input of the user U's intention is performed and accepted by gestures or the like, so that the user U can input his/her intention without touching an object. Therefore, in order to receive the provision of a predetermined service, the user U can complete the process from authentication to input of intention without touching an object.
Furthermore, according to the input system 1000 of the present embodiment, biometric authentication can be performed according to the purpose or installation location of the authentication terminal 400. The input method of the user U's intention can be determined by changing the ease of input according to the successful biometric authentication method. In this way, the input system 1000 of the present embodiment can change the number of elements according to the authentication scene, so that it is possible to appropriately authenticate and provide services to the user U without reducing the accuracy of authentication.

<Embodiment 3>
This embodiment is a modification of the above-described embodiment 2. The input control device 200a according to this embodiment performs authentication processing for a biometric authentication request received from the authentication terminal 400 without going through the authentication device 100, and returns the result to the authentication terminal 400.

Figure 15 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the input control device 200a according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 15, the input control device 200a includes a storage unit 210, a memory 220, a communication unit 230, and a control unit 240. The storage unit 210 stores a program 211, input method information 212, authentication method information 213, user information 214, and further stores biometric information 215.

The biometric information 215 corresponds to the biometric information DB 110 of the authentication device 100 described above, and stores a user ID 2151, biometric feature information 2152, and biometric authentication method 2153 in correspondence with each other.

The biometric information acquisition unit 241a has the functions of the detection unit 120, feature point extraction unit 130, registration unit 140, and authentication unit 150 in the authentication device 100, in addition to the functions described in the second embodiment. That is, the biometric information acquisition unit 241a detects a face area, etc. from an image of a face, etc. included in a biometric information registration request received from the authentication terminal 400, extracts feature information of the face, etc., and issues a user ID. The biometric information acquisition unit 241a also registers in the storage unit 210 the biometric information 215 that associates a user ID 2151 with biometric feature information 2152 and a biometric authentication method 2153.

The authentication control unit 242a controls biometric authentication by comparing feature information extracted from areas of the user U's face, iris, etc. contained in the acquired captured image with the biometric feature information 2152 stored in the memory unit 210.
The configuration other than the above is the same as that of the second embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, the input control device 200a of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of embodiment 2.

<Embodiment 4>
This embodiment is a modification of the above-described embodiment 2. An input control device 200b according to this embodiment has the functions of the authentication terminal 400 described in the embodiment 2.

Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an input control device 200b according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 16, the input control device 200b includes a storage unit 210, a memory 220, a communication unit 230, a control unit 240, a first camera 250, a second camera 251, and a display unit 260.
Furthermore, the control unit 240 can realize the functions of an imaging control unit 245, a registration unit 246, and a display control unit 248 in addition to the functions described in the second embodiment.

The first camera 250, the second camera 251, and the display unit 260 correspond to the first camera 410, the second camera 411, and the display unit 440 in embodiment 2, respectively. That is, the first camera 250 captures, for example, the face of the user U, and the second camera 251 captures the iris of the user U. The first camera 250 also captures the gestures of the user U. The display unit 260 is at least a display device, and may be an output unit including an input device, for example, a touch panel.

The biometric information acquisition unit 241b acquires biometric information of user U from facial images of user U captured by the first camera 250 and the second camera 251.

The photographing control unit 245, the registration unit 246, and the display control unit 248 correspond to the photographing control unit 451, the registration unit 452, and the display control unit 454 described in embodiment 2, respectively. However, the photographing control unit 245 outputs the registration image to the registration unit 246, but outputs the authentication image and the gesture image to the authentication control unit 242b.

The authentication control unit 242b controls biometric authentication depending on the purpose or installation location of the input control device 200b.
The configuration other than the above is the same as that of the second embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, the input control device 200b of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of embodiment 2.

In the above embodiment, the configuration is described as hardware, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Any processing can be realized by causing a CPU to execute a computer program.

In the above example, the program can be stored and supplied to the computer using various types of non-transitory computer readable media. Non-transitory computer readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R/Ws, DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)). The program may also be supplied to the computer by various types of transitory computer readable media. Examples of transitory computer readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The temporary computer-readable medium can supply the program to the computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire or an optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure may be implemented by combining the respective embodiments as appropriate.

A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but is not limited to, the following supplementary notes.
(Appendix 1)
A biometric information acquiring means for acquiring biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
an authentication control means for controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
a receiving means for receiving an input of the user's intention regarding a service to be provided to the user by using a non-contact input method when the biometric authentication is successful;
An input control device comprising:
(Appendix 2)
a determination unit for determining the input method based on the biometric authentication method,
The input control device according to claim 1, wherein the accepting means accepts an input of the user's intention using the determined input method.
(Appendix 3)
the biometric information acquisition means acquires a plurality of pieces of biometric information corresponding to the plurality of biometric authentication methods,
the authentication control means controls the biometric authentication for each of the biometric authentication methods;
The input control device according to claim 2, wherein the determination means determines the input method depending on a method that has resulted in successful biometric authentication.
(Appendix 4)
The input control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the accepting means accepts the input by a motion made by the user in a space.
(Appendix 5)
The input control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the determination means determines the ease of inputting the user's intention in the input method depending on accuracy of the biometric authentication.
(Appendix 6)
The input control device according to any one of appendixes 1 to 5, wherein the user's intention includes consent to a payment process for the service.
(Appendix 7)
the biometric information acquiring means acquires biometric information of the user from a predetermined authentication terminal;
The input control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the authentication control means controls the biometric authentication depending on a purpose or an installation location of the authentication terminal.
(Appendix 8)
The input control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the authentication control means controls the biometric authentication depending on a purpose or an installation location of the input control device.
(Appendix 9)
an authentication terminal that acquires biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
an input control device connected to the authentication terminal;
Equipped with
The input control device includes:
Acquiring biometric information of the user from the authentication terminal;
Controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
If the biometric authentication is successful, the input system accepts, using a non-contact input method, an input of the user's intention regarding a service to be provided to the user.
(Appendix 10)
The input control device includes:
determining the input method based on the biometric authentication method;
The input system according to claim 9, further comprising: receiving an input of the user's intention using the determined input method.
(Appendix 11)
The computer
Acquiring biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
Controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
If the biometric authentication is successful, the input control method accepts, using a non-contact input method, an input of the user's intention regarding a service to be provided to the user.
(Appendix 12)
A biometric information acquisition process for acquiring biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
an authentication control process for controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
a receiving process for receiving, by a non-contact input method, an input of the user's intention regarding a service to be provided to the user, when the biometric authentication is successful;
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an input control program for causing a computer to execute the above.

10 Input control device 11 Biometric information acquisition unit 12 Authentication control unit 14 Reception unit 100 Authentication device 112 Biometric feature information 120 Detection unit 130 Feature point extraction unit 140 Registration unit 150 Authentication unit 200 Input control device 200a Input control device 200b Input control device 210 Storage unit 211 Program 212 Input method information 213 Authentication method information 214 User information 215 Biometric information 220 Memory 230 Communication unit 240 Control unit 241 Biometric information acquisition unit 241a Biometric information acquisition unit 241b Biometric information acquisition unit 242 Authentication control unit 242a Authentication control unit 242b Authentication control unit 243 Determination unit 244 Reception unit 245 Photography control unit 246 Registration unit 248 Display control unit 250 First camera 251 Second camera 260 Display unit 400 Authentication terminal 410 First camera 411 Second camera 420 Storage unit 430 Communication unit 440 Display unit 450 Control unit 451 Photography control unit 452 Registration unit 453 Authentication control unit 454 Display control unit 1000 Input system 2122 Input method 2132 Use 2142 Personal information 2152 Biometric feature information 110 Biometric information DB
111 User ID
2131 Location ID
2141 User ID
2151 User ID
N Network U User

Claims (9)

a biometric information acquiring means for acquiring biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
an authentication control means for controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
a receiving means for receiving an input of the user's intention regarding a service to be provided to the user by using a non-contact input method when the biometric authentication is successful;
a determination means for determining the input method based on the biometric authentication method;
Equipped with
The receiving means receives an input of the user's intention using the determined input method . the biometric information acquisition means acquires a plurality of pieces of biometric information corresponding to the plurality of biometric authentication methods,
the authentication control means controls the biometric authentication for each of the biometric authentication methods;
The input control device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination means determines the input method depending on a method in which the biometric authentication has succeeded. The input control device according to claim 1 , wherein the accepting unit accepts the input by a motion made by the user in a space. The input control device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination means determines the ease of inputting the user's intention in the input method depending on the accuracy of the biometric authentication. The input control device according to claim 1 , wherein the user's intention includes consent to a payment process for the service. the biometric information acquiring means acquires biometric information of the user from a predetermined authentication terminal;
The input control device according to claim 1 , wherein the authentication control means controls the biometric authentication depending on a purpose or an installation location of the authentication terminal. an authentication terminal that acquires biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
an input control device connected to the authentication terminal;
Equipped with
The input control device includes:
Acquiring biometric information of the user from the authentication terminal;
Controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
If the biometric authentication is successful, accepting an input of the user's intention regarding a service to be provided to the user using a contactless input method ;
determining the input method based on the biometric authentication method;
The input system receives the input of the user's intention using the determined input method . The computer
Acquiring biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
Controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
If the biometric authentication is successful, accepting an input of the user's intention regarding a service to be provided to the user using a contactless input method ;
determining the input method based on the biometric authentication method;
The input control method includes accepting the input of the user's intention using the determined input method . A biometric information acquisition process for acquiring biometric information of a predetermined user from the user in a non-contact manner;
an authentication control process for controlling biometric authentication using the biometric information;
a receiving process for receiving, by a non-contact input method, an input of the user's intention regarding a service to be provided to the user, when the biometric authentication is successful;
a determination process of determining the input method based on the biometric authentication method;
Run the following on your computer :
an input control program for receiving an input of the user's intention using the determined input method in the reception process ;

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