IP Library Granted Patent US 7,639,846
Granted Patent B2
US 7,639,846 · App. 10/951,636 · Granted Dec 29, 2009

Authentication system and program

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,639,846
App. No.
10/951,636
Granted
Dec 29, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

An authentication system for authenticating a person-to-be-authenticated, including: a first photographing section, which is provided in a route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated, operable to photograph the person-to-be-authenticated; a first authentication section operable to perform a first authentication of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by the first photographing section; a second photographing section, which is provided at a location through which the person-to-be-authenticated passes, operable to photograph the person-to-be-authenticated, wherein the second photographing section is located downstream of the first photographing section in the route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated; and a second authentication section operable to authenticate the person-to-be-authenticated by comparing an image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by the first photographing section with an image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by the second photographing section.

Claims (52)

1. An authentication system for authenticating a person-to-be-authenticated, comprising:

a first photographing section, which is provided in a route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated, which photographs the person-to-be-authenticated to obtain a first image;

a first authentication section which correlates the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section to a correlation image stored in advance of the person-to-be-authenticated having features distinct from features in the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section and which authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated when the correlation between the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section and the correlation image is greater than a predetermined threshold;

a second photographing section, which is provided at a location through which the person-to-be-authenticated passes, which photographs the person-to-be-authenticated to obtain a second image, wherein said second photographing section is located downstream of said first photographing section in the route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated; and

a second authentication section which authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated by correlating the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section with the second image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said second photographing section,

wherein the features distinct from features in the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated by said first photographing section include features of the person-to-be-authenticated that are changed due to aging of the person-to-be-authenticated,

wherein said first photographing section photographs a first comparison image in which the person-to-be-authenticated is photographed and of which a photographed area of the first comparison image to be photographed is larger than a photographed area of the correlation image stored in advance of the person-to-be-authenticated,

wherein said second photographing section photographs a second comparison image in which the person-to-be-authenticated is photographed and of which a photographed area of the second comparison image is substantially the same as the photographed area of the first comparison image, and

wherein said second authentication section authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated by comparing the first comparison image and the second comparison image.

2. The authentication system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a first gate provided in the route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated;

a second gate provided at the location through which the person-to-be-authenticated passes,

wherein said second gate is located downstream of said first gate in the route; and

wherein:

said first authentication section opens said first gate when said first authentication section authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated as a person who is permitted to pass said first gate, and

said second authentication section opens said second gate when said second authentication section authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated as a person who is permitted to pass said second gate.

3. The authentication system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the correlation image of the person-to-be-authenticated comprises an image of the person-to-be-authenticated stored on an ID card retained by the person-to-be-authenticated.

4. The authentication system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an image storage section storing thereon an image of the person-to-be-authenticated in advance, wherein

said first authentication section authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated by comparing the correlation image of the person-to-be-authenticated stored on said image storage section with the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section.

5. The authentication system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

said first authentication section performs the first authentication based on image of face of the person-to-be-authenticated in the authentication image, and

said second authentication section authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated based on image of face and dress of the person-to-be-authenticated in the first comparison image and the second comparison image.

6. The authentication system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said second authentication section computes lighting conditions when said first photographing section photographs the person-to-be-authenticated based on the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section, and controls the lighting conditions at a time of the second photographing section photographing the person-to-be-authenticated according to the computed lighting conditions.

7. The authentication system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein

said second photographing section comprises a flash section operable to flare flashlight to the person-to-be-authenticated, and

said second authentication section detects brightness of the image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section, and controls a luminous intensity of said flash section based on the detected brightness of the image of the person-to-be-authenticated.

8. The authentication system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said correlation image is photographed prior to the person-to-be-authenticated beginning the route.

9. The authentication system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the features distinct from features in the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated by said first photographing section include features of the person-to-be-authenticated that are changed due to a change in dress of the person-to-be-authenticated.

10. The authentication system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the features of the person-to-be-authenticated that are changed due to a change in dress of the person-to-be-authenticated include facial features of the person-to-be-authenticated that are changed due to makeup.

11. The authentication system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the features distinct from features in the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated by said first photographing section include features of the person-to-be-authenticated that are changed due to a change in weight of the person-to-be-authenticated.

12. A computer-readable storage medium containing a plurality of machine readable instructions for operating an authentication system for authenticating a person-to-be-authenticated, wherein when the instructions are executed, the instructions causes the authentication system to act as:

a first photographing section, which is provided in a route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated, which photographs the person-to-be-authenticated to obtain a first image;

a first authentication section which correlates the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section to a correlation image stored in advance of the person-to-be-authenticated having features distinct from features in the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section and which authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated when the correlation between the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section and the correlation image is greater than a predetermined threshold;

a second photographing section, which is provided at a location through which the person-to-be-authenticated passes, which photographs the person-to-be-authenticated to obtain a second image, wherein said second photographing section is located downstream of said first authentication section in the route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated; and

a second authentication section which authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated by correlating the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section with the second image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said second photographing section,

wherein the features distinct from features in the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated by said first photographing section include features of the person-to-be-authenticated that are changed due to aging of the person-to-be-authenticated,

wherein said first photographing section photographs a first comparison image in which the person-to-be-authenticated is photographed and of which a photographed area of the first comparison image to be photographed is larger than a photographed area of the correlation image stored in advance of the person-to-be-authenticated,

wherein said second photographing section photographs a second comparison image in which the person-to-be-authenticated is photographed and of which a photographed area of the second comparison image is substantially the same as the photographed area of the first comparison image, and

wherein said second authentication section authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated by comparing the first comparison image and the second comparison image.

13. A building equipped with an authentication system for authenticating a person-to-be-authenticated, comprising;

a first gate provided in a route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated;

a first photographing section, which is provided in the mute, which photographs the person-to-be-authenticated to obtain a first image;

a first authentication section which correlates the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section to a correlation image stored in advance of the person-to-be-authenticated having features distinct from features in the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section and which authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated when the correlation between the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section and the correlation image is greater than a predetermined threshold;

a second gate provided at the location through which the person-to-be-authenticated passes, wherein said second gate is located downstream of said first gate in the route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated;

a second photographing section which photographs the person-to-be-authenticated to obtain a second image, wherein said second photographing section is located downstream of said first photographing section in the route passed by the person-to-be-authenticated; and

a second authentication section which authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated by correlating the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said first photographing section with the second image of the person-to-be-authenticated photographed by said second photographing section, wherein

said first authentication section opens said first gate when said first authentication section authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated as a person who is permitted to pass said first gate, and

said second authentication section opens said second gate when said second authentication section authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated as a person who is permitted to pass said second gate,

wherein the features distinct from features in the first image of the person-to-be-authenticated by said first photographing section include features of the person-to-be-authenticated that are changed due to aging of the person-to-be-authenticated,

wherein said first photographing section photographs a first comparison image in which the person-to-be-authenticated is photographed and of which a photographed area of the first comparison image to be photographed is larger than a photographed area of the correlation image stored in advance of the person-to-be-authenticated,

wherein said second photographing section photographs a second comparison image in which the person-to-be-authenticated is photographed and of which a photographed area of the second comparison image is substantially the same as the photographed area of the first comparison image, and

wherein said second authentication section authenticates the person-to-be-authenticated by comparing the first comparison image and the second comparison image.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2007
From: FUJIFILM HOLDINGS CORPORATION (FORMERLY FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.)
To: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018904/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2005
From: YODA, AKIRA
To: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 016699/0745 →