Granted Patent B2

US 12,475,203 · App. 18/524,411 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Inventor: Keisuke Tanaka (Kanagawa, JP)

Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

G06F21/32G06V40/10H04L9/3231H04L9/50

Abstract

Claims (103)

1 . An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

capturing an image of an object to generate an image data item;

detecting biometric information of the object;

acquiring a biometric authentication result indicating whether or not the detected biometric information matches registered biometric information registered in advance;

generating a hash value from the image data item when the biometric authentication result indicates that the detected biometric information and the registered biometric information match;

recording the hash value and the image data item in a recording medium;

transmitting the hash value and the image data item to an external apparatus that performs processing for registering the hash value in a blockchain;

setting a validity start date of the image data item including the object associated with the detected biometric information; and

editing a validity flag indicating validity of the image data item which is associated with the hash value registered in the blockchain and includes the object associated with the detected biometric information, based on the validity start date,

wherein when the image of the object is captured, the biometric information of the object is detected.

2 . The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise recording the biometric authentication result in the recording medium.

3 . The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the biometric authentication result is recorded in a state added to the image data item, and the operations further selecting, when a plurality of image data items are generated by capturing images of the object, at least one image data item to which the biometric authentication result is to be added, from the plurality of image data items.

4 . The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise generating a trimmed image by trimming the image data item, and

wherein the hash value is generated from the trimmed image.

5 . The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the biometric information of the object is detected based on data acquired from a plurality of acquisitions that acquire different types of biometric information, respectively.

6 . The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the biometric information is information associated with at least one of an iris, a fingerprint, and a vocal cord of the object.

7 . The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the detected biometric information to an external authentication apparatus, and

wherein the biometric authentication result is acquired from the authentication apparatus.

8 . The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise setting a number of valid-set image data items, which indicates a number of image data items for which the validity flag is to be validated, and wherein the validity flag is edited based on the validity start date and the number of valid-set image data items.

9 . The image capturing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise setting an order of priority for determining an image data item for which the validity flag is to be validated, and

wherein the validity flag is edited based on the validity start date, the number of valid-set image data items, and the order of priority.

10 . A system comprising a management system that is connected to an image capturing apparatus and a network of a blockchain,

the image capturing apparatus including:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

capturing an image of an object to generate an image data item,

detecting biometric information of the object,

acquiring a biometric authentication result indicating whether or not the detected biometric information matches registered biometric information registered in advance,

generating a hash value from the image data item when the biometric authentication result indicates that the detected biometric information and the registered biometric information match,

transmitting the hash value and the image data item to the management system that performs processing for registering the hash value in the blockchain,

setting a validity start date of the image data item including the object associated with the detected biometric information, and

editing a validity flag indicating validity of the image data item which is associated with the hash value registered in the blockchain and includes the object associated with the detected biometric information, based on the validity start date,

wherein when the image of the object is captured, the biometric information of the object is detected, and

the management system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving the hash value and the image data item; and

registering the hash value in the blockchain.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise the management system generating a second hash value from the received image data item, and

when the received hash value and the generated second hash value match, registering the hash value of the image data item in the blockchain.

12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise the management system:

generating an authenticity guarantee number of the image data item,

issuing a block ID associated with a block via which the hash value is registered in the blockchain, and

managing the image data item in a state associated with the authenticity guarantee number and the block ID.

13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprising the management system:

receiving an image data item and an authenticity guarantee number from a user terminal,

acquiring a block ID associated with the authenticity guarantee number,

accessing a block associated with the acquired block ID, in the blockchain, to acquire the hash value,

generating a third hash value from the received image data item,

comparing the third hash value generated by the third hash value generation section and the acquired hash value acquired by the hash value acquisition section, and

notifying the user terminal of a result of the comparison.

14 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the image capturing apparatus further transmits the biometric authentication result to the management system, and

wherein the biometric authentication result is managed in a state associated with the image data item.

15 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise the image capturing apparatus setting a number of valid-set image data items, which indicates a number of image data items for which the validity flag is to be validated, and

wherein the validity flag is edited based on the validity start date and the number of valid-set image data items.

16 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise the image capturing apparatus setting an order of priority for determining an image data item for which the validity flag is to be validated, and

wherein the validity flag is edited based on the validity start date, the number of valid-set image data items, and the order of priority.

17 . A method of controlling an image capturing apparatus that captures an image of an object to generate an image data item, comprising:

detecting biometric information of the object;

acquiring a biometric authentication result indicating whether or not the detected biometric information matches registered biometric information registered in advance;

generating a hash value from the image data item when the biometric authentication result indicates that the detected biometric information and the registered biometric information match;

transmitting the hash value and the image data item to an external apparatus that performs processing for registering the hash value in a blockchain;

setting a validity start date of the image data item including the object associated with the detected biometric information; and

editing a validity flag indicating validity of the image data item which is associated with the hash value registered in the blockchain and includes the object associated with the detected biometric information, based on the validity start date,

wherein when the image of the object is captured, the biometric information of the object is detected.

18 . A method of controlling a system comprising a management system that is connected to an image capturing apparatus and a network of a blockchain, the method comprising:

by the image capturing apparatus:

capturing an image of an object to generate an image data item,

detecting biometric information of the object,

acquiring a biometric authentication result indicating whether or not the detected biometric information matches registered biometric information registered in advance,

generating a hash value from the image data item when the biometric authentication result indicates that the detected biometric information and the registered biometric information match,

transmitting the hash value and the image data item to the management system that performs processing for registering the hash value in the blockchain,

setting a validity start date of the image data item including the object associated with the detected biometric information, and

editing a validity flag indicating validity of the image data item which is associated with the hash value registered in the blockchain and includes the object associated with the detected biometric information, based on the validity start date,

wherein when the image of the object is captured, the biometric information of the object is detected, and

the method further comprising, by the management system:

receiving the hash value and the image data item; and

registering the hash value in the blockchain.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method of controlling an image capturing apparatus,

wherein the method comprises:

capturing an image of an object to generate an image data item;

detecting biometric information of the object;

acquiring a biometric authentication result indicating whether or not the detected biometric information matches registered biometric information registered in advance;

generating a hash value from the image data item when the biometric authentication result indicates that the detected biometric information and the registered biometric information match;

transmitting the hash value and the image data item to an external apparatus that performs processing for registering the hash value in a blockchain;

setting a validity start date of the image data item including the object associated with the detected biometric information; and

editing a validity flag indicating validity of the image data item which is associated with the hash value registered in the blockchain and includes the object associated with the detected biometric information, based on the validity start date,

wherein when the image of the object is captured, the biometric information of the object is detected.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute of controlling a system comprising a management system that is connected to an image capturing apparatus and a network of a blockchain,

wherein the program comprises code that, when executed, causes the image capturing apparatus to:

capture an image of an object to generate an image data item,

detect biometric information of the object,

acquire a biometric authentication result indicating whether or not the detected biometric information matches registered biometric information registered in advance,

generate a hash value from the image data item when the biometric authentication result indicates that the detected biometric information and the registered biometric information match,

transmit the hash value and the image data item to the management system that performs processing for registering the hash value in the blockchain,

set a validity start date of the image data item including the object associated with the detected biometric information, and

edit a validity flag indicating validity of the image data item which is associated with the hash value registered in the blockchain and includes the object associated with the detected biometric information, based on the validity start date,

wherein when the image of the object is captured, biometric information of the object is detected,

wherein the code, when executed, further causes the management system to:

receive the hash value and the image data item; and

register the hash value in the blockchain.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (23)