JPWO2009016846A1 - Iris authentication device and iris authentication system - Google Patents

Abstract

In the iris authentication device (1), a plurality of iris cameras (2) capable of photographing the iris from a distance are arranged on the side of the user's passage, and the user is photographed from an oblique direction. The illumination unit (7) for iris photography also irradiates the user from an angle. The entire authentication is controlled by the control unit (15) using the user's walking position information from the distance measuring sensor (9) and the user characteristic information from the face camera (11). In the iris authentication system, a plurality of devices (1) are arranged symmetrically across the user's passage. By photographing the iris from an oblique direction by shifting the user's passage or device, the user who is walking can be quickly authenticated.

Description

  The present invention relates to an iris authentication apparatus and an iris authentication system capable of performing an iris authentication process of a user who is walking (authenticated person), for example, in an entrance / exit management system and an identity verification system that require high security and convenience. The present invention relates to an apparatus for confirming whether or not a person is registered in advance or whether or not a person who receives a service is the person himself / herself.

  In recent years, with the rapid development of the information-oriented society, social demands for information security enhancement are increasing. In particular, efforts to strengthen management of personal information and confidential information have become issues that should be tackled by society as a whole, including government agencies, companies, and individuals. As a technique for realizing the problem, a system for verifying the identity at the time of access using biometric information has been proposed. Biometric information includes various parts and actions of the user (authenticated person), such as fingerprints, irises, retinas, faces, veins, handprints, voices, and handwriting. Has been.

  Among them, the authentication method using the iris (iris authentication) has an excellent feature such that the aging of the iris is small, and is particularly applied to applications requiring a high security level. For example, Japanese Patent No. 3307936 discloses such an iris authentication technique.

  Iris authentication is a biometric authentication method that identifies a person by using a difference in a pattern (pattern) on an iris, which is a donut-shaped region between a pupil of a subject's eye and a white eye. Therefore, the conventional iris authentication apparatus includes, for example, an illumination unit that irradiates near-infrared light rays near the eyes of the person to be authenticated, a camera that captures an image near the eyes, and an image captured by the camera. An authentication processing unit for performing iris authentication processing based on the above is provided. The authentication processing unit performs predetermined signal processing on the image captured by the camera, obtains a degree of coincidence between the code information obtained by coding the iris pattern and the code information registered in advance, and a predetermined threshold value To determine whether or not the person to be authenticated is the person himself / herself.

  This iris authentication can be performed in a non-contact manner, and has a great feature in that the iris can be photographed even from a position away from the apparatus. Further, the iris authentication is characterized in that the acceptance rate is low and the authentication accuracy is high, compared to face authentication that is similar in that it can be authenticated without contact.

  In the conventional iris authentication device, an automatic photographing method in which the user's eye position is automatically searched for iris authentication, or a manual method in which the user manually adjusts the camera height while keeping an eye on the device is used. . Further, in the personal authentication device used for entrance / exit management, the iris is photographed at a distance of about 10 to 60 cm from the device. In this case, the user performs an authentication action according to guidance (mirror, voice, etc.) by the device. The common point of these conventional apparatuses is that the user (authenticated person) needs to face front (facing) the camera when photographing the iris.

  However, in the conventional system in which the user faces the camera, it is necessary to place the camera in front of the user. FIG. 12A is a diagram schematically illustrating a user's walking route during authentication. As shown in FIG. 12A, when an authentication device is installed beside the automatic door, the top user (A) 31 stops in front of the iris authentication device to perform iris authentication, Iris authentication is performed by the iris authentication device. When the authentication is successful, the user (A) 31 moves toward the automatic door and passes through the automatic door. Further, while the first user (A) 31 is authenticating, the user (B) 32 coming from behind needs to wait until the user (A) 31 finishes the authentication. Therefore, the user (B) coming from behind may feel annoyed with the operation required for the authentication of the user (A) and the waiting time therefor.

  Further, in an apparatus that performs iris authentication from a distant place, it may be possible to find the eyes of a user (authenticated person) by performing pan / tilt / focus control of the camera. However, in this case, it takes a few seconds to find the user's eyes and take a picture by performing pan / tilt / focus control of the camera, and it is not easy to perform iris authentication while the user is walking. . Therefore, conventionally, even in a device that performs iris authentication from a distance, the user has to temporarily stop for iris authentication.

  The present invention has been made under the above background. The objective of this invention is providing the iris authentication apparatus which can perform iris authentication correctly in a user's natural action.

  An iris authentication apparatus according to the present invention includes an iris camera that captures an iris of a person to be authenticated, an illumination unit that performs illumination for iris photographing, a distance measuring sensor that measures a distance from the person to be authenticated, and an iris of the person to be authenticated. And an iris authentication apparatus comprising a control unit for performing iris authentication processing using the image of the image, the position where the iris camera is arranged is set on the path of the person to be authenticated in the iris authentication apparatus. The shooting angle of the iris camera is set to an angle at which the iris of the person being authenticated can be shot from an oblique direction. With this configuration, even when the iris is photographed obliquely with respect to the authenticated person (user) 's path, the iris authentication can be performed using the iris image photographed as close to the user's front as possible. Therefore, the authentication accuracy of iris authentication is improved, and iris authentication can be performed more smoothly. Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the user's authentication load and improve the usability of the apparatus.

  The iris authentication apparatus includes a plurality of iris cameras, and the plurality of iris cameras are arranged in the vertical direction. With this configuration, iris authentication can be performed using an image of an iris camera corresponding to the height of the person to be authenticated (user). Therefore, the user can perform iris authentication more smoothly without being aware of the height difference.

  In addition, the position where the illumination unit is arranged is set above the iris camera and higher than the person to be authenticated, and the illumination direction of the illumination unit is set downward toward the person to be authenticated. The camera optical axis of the iris camera and the irradiation area of the certification unit are set so as to intersect at the in-focus position of the iris camera. With this configuration, the width of the apparatus can be kept small, and the apparatus can be miniaturized. Further, even when the person to be authenticated wears spectacles, the reflection of illumination by the spectacles can be suppressed, and the authentication accuracy can be improved.

  In addition, the distance measurement range of the distance measurement sensor is expanded in the horizontal measurement area so that iris imaging can be performed obliquely by the iris camera. With this configuration, the distance relationship between the user and the apparatus can be accurately measured even when the iris is photographed obliquely with respect to the route of the person to be authenticated (user). Therefore, it is possible to accurately control the start or stop of the authentication operation by the apparatus, present the guidance information to the user, and the like, and further improve the stability of the authentication operation.

  In addition, the iris authentication device includes a face camera that captures the face of the person to be authenticated while passing, and an information extraction unit that extracts information on the person to be authenticated used for selection of the iris camera from an image captured by the face camera; A data storage unit for storing information on the person to be authenticated. With this configuration, it becomes possible to easily search for user information even later by using information on the person to be authenticated (user).

  Further, the iris authentication device includes a pair of guidance display units arranged symmetrically across the route of the person to be authenticated, and both of the pair of guidance display units are visible from the person to be authenticated on the route of travel. Yes, and one of them is located at a position where it cannot be visually recognized from the person to be authenticated who is off the route. With this configuration, when the person to be authenticated is walking on the passage route, both of the pair of guidance display portions can be visually recognized. When the person to be authenticated is off the passage route, only one of the guidance display portions is visible. Can not do it. As a result, the person to be authenticated can be guided to walk on the passage route, and iris authentication can be performed reliably.

  In addition, a result notification area is provided on the downstream side of the iris authentication area that performs iris authentication on the passage route, and the iris authentication apparatus performs iris authentication for a person who is passing through the result notification area. The result display part which displays a result is provided. With this configuration, the person to be authenticated can know the result of the iris authentication when passing the result notification area already obtained on the downstream side of the iris authentication area after performing the iris authentication. Therefore, the authentication result can be notified to the previous user without obstructing the iris authentication of the next user.

  In addition, the iris authentication apparatus includes an authentication position notifying unit that notifies an authentication target of an authentication position where an iris is captured by an iris camera. With this configuration, the person to be authenticated can recognize the authentication position of the iris camera. As a result, the person to be authenticated can be guided to the authentication position of the iris camera, and the iris authentication can be reliably performed.

  In addition, a re-authentication area is provided in the vicinity of the iris authentication device as an area for re-authentication by the subject to be authenticated who has failed the iris authentication. A second iris camera for photographing the iris and a second illumination unit for performing illumination for iris photographing in the re-authentication area. With this configuration, the person to be authenticated who has failed the iris authentication can perform the iris authentication again in the re-authentication area.

  Further, the iris authentication device includes a door part that can be opened and closed on a person's passage, and a reflecting mirror provided on the door part, and the iris camera is connected to the person to be authenticated through the reflecting mirror. Shoot the iris. With this configuration, it is possible to photograph the iris from the front of the user by using the reflecting mirror provided on the door. Thereby, the authentication accuracy of iris authentication improves.

  An iris authentication system according to the present invention is an iris authentication system using the above-described iris authentication device, and includes a plurality of iris authentication devices and a plurality of iris authentication devices arranged symmetrically across the route of the person to be authenticated. And an interlock control unit for performing the iris authentication process of the person to be authenticated in conjunction. With this configuration, the person to be authenticated (user) walks in the center of the device disposed on both sides of the passage route, thereby reducing blurring from the walk route of the user's walk. Moreover, the iris authentication range is expanded by using a plurality of iris authentication devices. Therefore, the authentication performance of the device is improved and the stability of the authentication accuracy can be increased.

  In addition, the interlock control unit performs control to shift the shooting timing of each iris camera included in the plurality of iris authentication devices. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the user from missing the captured image by shifting the imaging timing of the plurality of iris cameras. Therefore, the authentication performance of the device is improved, and the usability of the device can be improved.

  Further, the irradiation intensity of each illumination unit included in the plurality of iris authentication apparatuses is set to an irradiation intensity that is weaker than the normal irradiation intensity when the iris authentication apparatus is used alone. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the size and power consumption of the illumination unit.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the device can be placed at a position deviated from the travel path of the person to be authenticated (user) and the iris can be photographed obliquely, and the user can be aware of the authentication behavior. It is possible to perform iris authentication. Therefore, according to the iris authentication device of the present invention, the user can quickly perform iris authentication while walking along the traveling path without changing the traveling path (see FIG. 12B). Further, it is possible to cope with iris authentication continuously while a plurality of users are walking, and the usability of the apparatus is improved. Further, the apparatus can be reduced in size, and the apparatus can be installed in a narrow area.

  It should be noted that this disclosure is intended to provide some aspects of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention described and claimed herein.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an iris authentication apparatus according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the iris camera and illumination unit as seen from above. FIG. 3 is an arrangement diagram when the arrangement of the iris camera and the illumination unit is viewed from the lateral direction. FIG. 4 is an arrangement diagram when the arrangement of an iris camera and a plurality of illumination blocks is viewed from the side. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of the face camera. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of distance measuring sensors. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing the measurement range of the distance measurement sensor, and FIG. 7B is a relationship diagram showing the distance measurement direction and distance information of the distance measurement sensor. FIG. 8 is an arrangement diagram when the arrangement of the iris authentication system according to the second embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the iris authentication system of the present invention. FIG. 10A is a timing chart in the case of simultaneous photographing with a plurality of iris authentication apparatuses, and FIG. 10B is a timing chart in the case of time difference photographing with a plurality of iris authentication apparatuses. FIG. 11A is a diagram showing the shape (parallel) of the casing of the iris authentication device, and FIG. 11B is a diagram showing the shape of the iris authentication device (corner cut). 12A is a diagram showing a user's travel path of a conventional iris authentication device, and FIG. 12B is a diagram showing a user's travel route of the iris authentication device of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system of the third embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system according to the third embodiment is viewed from the front side. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system according to the third embodiment is viewed from the rear side. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the fourth embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system of the fifth embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system of the fifth embodiment is viewed from the front side. FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system of the sixth embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system according to the sixth embodiment is viewed from the front side. FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication apparatus according to the seventh embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the seventh embodiment is viewed from the side. FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the eighth embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the ninth embodiment is viewed from the front side. FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the ninth embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device according to the tenth embodiment is viewed from the front side. FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the tenth embodiment is viewed from above.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Iris authentication apparatus 2 Iris camera 3 Image capture part 4 Authentication part 5 Imaging | photography control part 6 Camera control part 7 Illumination part 8 Light emission control part 9 Distance sensor 10 Distance measurement part 11 Face camera 12 User information extraction part 13 Display part 14 Data storage unit 15 Overall control unit 20 User 21 User B
22 User A
40 Induction display LED
41 Result display LED
42 Authentication position notification LED
43 Support bar 44 Authentication position notification LED
45 Second iris camera 46 Result display LED
47 Automatic door 48 Reflector 71, 72, 73 Illumination block 101 Iris authentication device 102 Iris camera 103 Image capture unit 104 Authentication unit 105 Imaging control unit 106 Camera control unit 107 Illumination unit 108 Light emission control unit 113 Display unit 115 Overall control Part

  The detailed description of the present invention will be described below. However, the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings do not limit the invention. Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an iris authentication apparatus. The iris authentication device 1 includes an iris camera 2, an image capture unit 3, an authentication unit 4, an imaging control unit 5, a camera control unit 6, an illumination unit 7, a light emission control unit 8, a distance measurement sensor 9, a distance measurement unit 10, a face A camera 11, a user information extraction unit 12, a display unit 13, a data storage unit 14, and an overall control unit 15 are provided.

  A plurality of iris cameras 2 are arranged vertically and shoot the iris of the user 20. The image capturing unit 3 captures images from the plurality of iris cameras 2 and outputs them to the authentication unit 4. Note that the image capturing unit 3 selects whether one of the images from the plurality of iris cameras 2 is selected and output, or sequentially output to the authentication unit 4. The authentication unit 4 extracts iris feature values from the captured image to generate iris data, and determines whether or not the data matches the registered data. The imaging control unit 5 controls the camera control unit 6 and the light emission control unit 8 in order to synchronize the iris camera 2 and the illumination unit 7. The camera control unit 6 adjusts the shooting timing of the iris camera 2 and the image quality at the time of shooting. The illumination part 7 is an illumination part for iris photography provided with a plurality of light emitting elements (LEDs and light bulbs). The light emission control unit 8 controls the light emission timing and intensity of the illumination unit 7. The distance measuring sensor 9 measures the distance between the user 20 and the iris authentication device 1 and outputs a signal of the measured distance data. The distance measuring unit 10 analyzes the distance data signal from the distance measuring sensor 9 and calculates the position of the user 20. The face camera 11 can shoot at a wide angle and shoots the body and face of the user 20. The user information extraction unit 12 detects the height information of the user 20 and information such as clothes from the video imaged by the face camera 11. The display unit 13 displays the authentication result, the operation status, and the like, and notifies the user 20 of the authentication result, the operation status, and the like. The data storage unit 14 records or stores information of the user 20 that has passed. The overall control unit 15 controls the overall authentication operation of the iris authentication device 1 based on data and information from the authentication unit 4, the distance measurement unit 10, and the user information extraction unit 12.

  Here, the case where the number of iris cameras 2 is three has been described as an example, but the number of iris cameras is not limited to this, and a necessary number (for example, according to the use of the apparatus) The number of cameras that can cope with the height difference of the user may be installed.

  FIG. 2 is an arrangement diagram when the arrangement of the iris camera 2 and the illumination unit 7 is viewed from above. The iris camera 2 is arranged in the casing of the iris authentication device 1 on the side closer to the travel route (traffic route) of the user 20. It is desirable that the iris camera 2 be arranged as close to the end of the housing as possible. The reason is that even when the iris is photographed from an oblique direction, it can be photographed from the front side as much as possible, which is preferable for performing iris authentication. If the iris camera 2 is arranged on the traveling path side of the iris authentication device 1, the angle at the time of shooting becomes shallower than when the iris camera 2 is arranged in the center of the iris authentication device 1, and this is advantageous when performing iris authentication. . The illumination unit 7 may be arranged so as to illuminate the user 20 within the focus range of the iris camera 2.

  If the illumination area of the illumination unit 7 and the shooting range of the iris camera 2 are set to coincide with each other in the focusing range of the iris camera 2 (about 1 m or more), the orientation of the iris camera 2 is the pan direction relative to the illumination unit 7. It will be slightly outward.

  Even when the iris authentication device 1 is arranged on the opposite side across the traveling direction (traffic route) of the user 20, the arrangement of these components is the same.

  The plurality of iris cameras 2 arranged vertically (in the vertical direction) face the same direction with respect to the horizontal direction (pan direction).

  FIG. 3 is an arrangement diagram when the arrangement of the iris camera 2 and the illumination unit 7 is viewed from the lateral direction. In this example, a plurality of iris cameras 2 are arranged vertically to correspond to the height difference of the user 20. Each of the plurality of iris cameras 2 captures a horizontal image at each height. Accordingly, it can be said that the plurality of iris cameras 2 expands the photographing region near the focal point (hatched portion) in the vertical direction. In addition, the illumination unit 7 has an angle (irradiation angle) adjusted so as to irradiate downward from above the iris camera 2. In this case, the illumination unit 7 can just irradiate the front of the focusing area of the iris camera 2. The angle is set.

  As the illumination unit 7, for example, a type in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged in a lattice shape (a type close to surface emission) is used. In the illumination unit 7, if an LED with a narrow irradiation angle is used, illumination close to parallel light can be realized without attaching a condenser lens to the front surface. When the illumination from the illumination unit 7 is close to parallel light, there is little change in illuminance depending on the distance, which is advantageous for irradiating the irradiation range evenly. Further, when an LED is used in the illumination unit 7, there are advantages such as good response of turning on and off, easy control of irradiation timing, and low power consumption.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the illumination unit 7 is described as an integral configuration, but as illustrated in FIG. 4, a plurality of illumination blocks 71, 72, and 73 may be arranged vertically. When a plurality of illumination blocks are arranged vertically, the depth of the illumination unit 7 can be reduced.

  The illumination unit 7 can also be realized by a system that uses point light emission such as a light bulb and controls the irradiation area with a reflecting mirror or lens.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram regarding the arrangement of the face camera 11. The face camera 11 is configured to extract the height or face position of the user 20. The installation location of the face camera 11 is on the path of the user 20 and when a plurality of users 20 pass continuously, the front user (A) 22 and the rear user (B) 21 in the face photographing range. It is desirable that the position is set so as not to hide. The installation height of the face camera 11 is set below or next to the iris camera 2. Furthermore, the face camera 11 is arranged near the path of travel or is located close to the iris camera 2 in order to photograph the face of the user 20 from the front as much as possible.

  Further, the face photographing range is set so as to include the authentication area and cover a slightly distant distance. The face camera 11 captures an image in a state where the person to be authenticated (user 20) is in the face shooting range, and height information of the user 20 is extracted from the image. The height information of the user 20 is used to select an iris camera 2 that can photograph the eyes of the user 20. For extracting height information from a captured image, a method for obtaining the position of the head by pattern matching or the like, a method for detecting eye height, or the like can be used.

  Further, the captured image of the face camera 11 can be stored in the apparatus as image information of the passing person. In addition, information such as the height information and clothes color of the user 20 is also detected and stored in the data storage unit 14 as history information together with passerby person information, so that it can be used as search information. is there.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram regarding the arrangement of the distance measuring sensors 9. The distance measuring sensor 9 measures the approach information of the user 20. The approach information of the user 20 measured by the distance measuring sensor 9 is used for starting / stopping the photographing of the face camera 11 and the iris camera 2 and displaying guidance information on the display unit 7. In a conventional iris authentication device in which the user faces the iris camera as in the conventional case, the distance measuring sensor is arranged approximately at the center of the device. The distance measuring sensor used in the conventional apparatus only needs to be able to perform distance measurement in a certain direction because the user stands in front. Therefore, as a conventional distance measuring sensor, a low-cost reflective distance measuring sensor has been often used. However, in the iris authentication device of the present invention, since the angle to be measured changes as the user 20 moves, the distance measuring sensor 9 that can measure the distance in the horizontal direction is necessary (see FIG. 7A). ). It is desirable that the installation height of the distance measuring sensor 9 is set to a height under which the user can detect the vicinity of the user's torso, below the iris camera 2. The reason is that the body part is larger and easier to detect than the head part, and even a short person can detect it reliably.

  As the distance measuring sensor 9 for measuring the distance on the surface, for example, there is a laser scanning type sensor. The distance measuring sensor 9 may be realized by arranging a plurality of reflective sensors. The distance detecting sensor 9 capable of detecting the surface measures the distance to the object for each detection angle and outputs the measurement data. For example, when two users (user (A) 22 and user (B) 21) are in the distance measuring range of the distance measuring sensor 9, data as shown in FIG. 7B is obtained. In the graph of FIG. 7B, the horizontal axis is the direction of distance measurement, and the vertical axis is the detection distance. The left part (rear part) in this graph shows the distance to the body of the user (B) 21, and the right part (front part) in the graph shows the user (A ) The distance to 22 bodies is shown. In this graph, the measured distance data is large in the distance measuring direction in which the laser does not hit the object to be measured (user). The position information of the user can be detected from the shape (profile) of the detection data of the distance measuring sensor 9 as described above. In FIG. 7B, the iris imaging range is shown as a square area. From this data, the user (B) 21 is located farther than the imaging range, and the user (A) 22 is the imaging range. It is possible to detect that it is located closer to the shooting range after passing through.

  The installation location of the display unit 13 is preferably set in the vicinity of the same height as the iris camera 2, which is the height of the line of sight that the user 20 can easily identify. However, the installation location of the display unit is not limited to this, and the display unit may be arranged anywhere as long as the user can identify it.

  Further, although not shown in FIG. 1, the iris authentication apparatus may be provided with a voice transmission unit. In that case, the result of authentication by voice can be notified. Note that the authentication result notification may use both sound and display.

  The operation of the iris authentication device configured as described above will be described.

  First, when the user 20 approaches the iris authentication apparatus 1 along the traveling path, the distance measuring sensor 9 detects the approach information of the user 20. When the distance measuring unit 10 detects that the user 20 has entered the predetermined operating range from the shape of the distance information (distance data) output from the distance measuring sensor 9, the face camera 11 displays the entire view of the user 20. The captured image is output to the user information extraction unit 12. The user information extraction unit 12 extracts information on the physical feature amount (height, eye position, etc.) of the user 20 from this image. The user information extraction unit 12 may extract clothes color information.

  When the user information extraction unit 12 can detect the height or eye height of the user 20, an iris camera suitable for iris shooting out of the plurality of iris cameras 2 selectively performs a shooting operation. Note that all the iris cameras 2 may perform a photographing operation in parallel.

  The selection of the iris camera is performed by the image capturing unit 3. For example, when only a specific iris camera 2 is selected, the image capturing unit 3 may preferentially transfer the image of the iris camera 2 to the authentication unit 4. When all the iris cameras 2 perform a photographing operation, the image capturing unit 3 sequentially transfers the images of the iris cameras 2 to the authentication unit 4. Further, when the iris camera 2 performs photographing, the camera control unit 6 performs shutter speed and gain control. Further, since it is necessary to turn on the illumination unit 7 in synchronization with the shutter of the iris camera 2, the light emission control unit 8 causes the illumination unit 7 to emit light at a predetermined timing in accordance with the imaging control by the imaging control unit 5. Control light emission. At this time, in the iris camera 2, the camera control unit 6 controls the timing of the shooting trigger signal, whereby the timing of iris shooting is controlled.

  Note that the light emission control unit 8 does not always need to emit all illumination, and may emit only the LED in the irradiation area corresponding to the angle of view of the iris camera 2 that is actually the subject of photographing.

  Since the shutter speed of the iris camera 2 and the illumination light emission are synchronized, stable image shooting is possible.

  Note that when all iris cameras 2 shoot in parallel, shooting with the face camera 11 is not necessarily required, but when improving the function of the entire system, it is better to use shooting with the face camera 11. Good.

  The authentication unit 4 extracts the iris region in detail from the image data transferred from the image capturing unit 3, converts the extracted data into a feature amount to generate iris data, and the iris data registered in advance And verify. If there is matching iris data as a result of the collation, the fact that the person has been identified is output. If there is no data matching the registered data, a message indicating that the person could not be identified is output. As an iris authentication method, for example, an iris authentication technique as described in Japanese Patent No. 3307936 may be used.

  The result of authentication is notified to the user via the display unit 13 and voice. The authentication result is stored in the data storage unit 14 together with user information (information such as face, height, clothes color, etc.) that has already been detected and time information.

  By performing the above operation, the user 20 can specify a person by iris authentication only by passing by the side of the iris authentication device 1.

  As described above, in the iris authentication device of the present embodiment, a plurality of iris cameras are arranged on the traffic side so that iris authentication can be performed by photographing a user from an oblique direction. Thereby, when a user walks and passes by the side of an apparatus, iris authentication can be performed and a user's authentication operation can be made easy.

  In the device of the present embodiment, the user 20 does not necessarily have to pass through the device. In other words, the illumination axis is set to match the optical axis of the camera in the iris shooting range, and the conditions necessary for authentication are secured, so the user stands in the iris authentication range facing the device. It goes without saying that authentication can be performed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, an iris authentication system composed of a plurality of iris authentication devices will be described.

  FIG. 8 shows a case of an iris authentication system in which two iris authentication devices are arranged symmetrically with respect to the travel path of the user 20. As shown in FIG. 8, by disposing the iris authentication device 1 on both sides of the user's travel path, the iris authentication range (shown by hatching in the figure) is compared with the first embodiment. As it spreads out, it looks as if it passes through the gate, so that lateral blurring when the user 20 walks on the traveling path is restricted, and the authentication accuracy of the user 20 is improved.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the iris authentication system. The configuration of the iris authentication device 101, the iris camera 102, the image capturing unit 103, the authentication unit 104, the imaging control unit 105, the camera control unit 106, the illumination unit 107, the light emission control unit 108, the display unit 113, and the overall control unit 115 is as follows. This is the same as in the first embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that the position of the other iris camera 102 is arranged on the opposite side (user travel path side) from the one iris camera 2, the face camera 11, the user information extraction unit 12, Since the distance measuring sensor 9, the distance measuring unit 10, and the data accumulating unit 14 can be used in common if they are on one iris authentication apparatus side, they are not necessary for the other iris authentication apparatus. In order to link the two iris authentication apparatuses, one overall control unit 15 and the other overall control unit 115 are connected. The configuration of the iris authentication apparatus 1 in FIG. 9 is the same as that of the first embodiment in FIG.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described.

  When the user 20 approaches the iris authentication system along the traveling path, for example, the distance measuring sensor 9 of one iris authentication device 1 detects the approach information of the user 20, and the face camera 11 detects the entire view of the user 20. Take a picture. Thus, when one iris authentication device starts the authentication operation, the other iris authentication device 101 starts the authentication operation in conjunction with it. That is, the iris authentication device 1 and the iris authentication device 101 move in conjunction with each other. At this time, designation of the iris camera 2 for photographing the iris, display of the authentication result, and the like are also performed in conjunction with each other. Also, the shooting timings of the two iris authentication devices may be controlled so that they are shot at the same time as shown in FIG. 10A, or the timing between the two iris authentication devices as shown in FIG. 10B. Control may be performed so as to shoot with a shift.

  In the case of shooting at the same timing (simultaneous shooting) as shown in FIG. 10A, both illumination units 7 of the iris authentication devices 1 and 101 are turned on simultaneously, so that the irradiation power in the iris authentication range increases. Therefore, the irradiation power of each illumination part 7 can be lowered. Further, it is possible to change the iris camera shooting conditions without reducing the illumination power of the illumination unit 7 so that high-quality shooting can be performed (for example, increase the shutter speed to reduce image blur, reduce the camera gain, and reduce SN). It is possible to increase the depth of focus by reducing the lens aperture. Alternatively, the imaging conditions of the iris camera can be optimized according to the surrounding conditions at the time of installation.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, when shooting is performed at different timings between the two iris authentication devices (time difference shooting), the number of images shot when the user passes through the iris authentication range increases. This corresponds to the fact that the shooting rate of the camera is increased (doubled), and therefore, the number of shooting opportunities in the iris authentication range can be increased.

  Such control is performed by outputting control signals to the respective imaging control units 5 and 105 in conjunction with the two overall control units 15 and 115. The authentication result is communicated between the two general control units 15 and 115, and when one of the authentication successes is confirmed, the authentication result is notified to the other, and the authentication result is notified to the user. . When the authentication result is notified, each of the two iris authentication devices ends the authentication operation and records the authentication result in the data storage unit.

  FIG. 11 shows a modification of the shape of the housing that houses the iris camera 2 and the illumination unit 7. In FIG. 2, the case where the entire case is rotated and arranged toward the user 20 side is illustrated. However, as shown in FIG. 11A, the case of the iris authentication device appears to be parallel to the user 20 in appearance. In this case, the iris camera 2 and the illumination unit 7 are rotated and stored toward the user inside the housing. Further, as shown in FIG. 11B, the front surface of the iris camera 2 of the housing may be configured to have a shape in which corners are cut so as to be perpendicular to the optical axis of the iris camera 2.

  In addition, the front surface of the iris authentication device 1 (particularly, the front surface of the illumination unit 7 and the front surface of the iris camera 2) needs to be made of a material having optical properties with high light transmittance of the light of the illumination unit 7. In iris authentication, near-infrared illumination (wavelength 700 to 1000 nm) is often used, and it is desirable to use an optical filter that passes light of this wavelength and cuts visible light.

  As described above, in the iris authentication system of the present embodiment, authentication accuracy can be improved by arranging the plurality of iris authentication devices 1 and 101 to face each other. Further, the other iris authentication apparatus 101 can omit a distance measuring sensor, a distance measurement unit, a face camera, a user information extraction unit, and the like. In this case, an iris authentication system is realized with a simpler configuration. be able to. Also, when the iris authentication apparatus 101 is installed in combination with the iris authentication apparatus 1, restrictions on the installation location can be reduced.

  In addition, in the iris authentication system of the present embodiment, by arranging a plurality of iris authentication devices so as to face the user travel path, it is possible to realize an expansion of the shooting range and a higher speed of shooting, thereby improving the authentication accuracy. can do. As a result, the user authentication operation can be further facilitated.

  In the above description, the example in which the iris authentication system is configured by two iris authentication devices has been described. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more iris authentication devices are linked. It is also possible.

  In the above description, the example in which the two iris authentication devices are arranged together has been described. However, when the two iris authentication devices are arranged to face each other, the positions are shifted before and after the moving direction of the user. May be. Thereby, it is possible to lengthen the iris photographing range in which the iris photographing is performed when the user passes, and the photographing opportunities can be increased.

(Third embodiment)
Next, an iris authentication system having a function of guiding a person to be authenticated (user) on a travel route will be described.

  FIGS. 13 to 15 illustrate an iris authentication system in which two iris authentication devices 1 and 101 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a user's path of travel. The configuration of this iris authentication system is almost the same as that of the second embodiment. Here, the iris authentication system according to the present embodiment will be described mainly with respect to differences from the second embodiment.

  FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from above. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the front side (upstream side), and FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the rear side (downstream side). As shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101 each include a guidance display LED 40 and a result display LED 41 on the side surface on the side of the passage (inner side).

  As shown in FIG. 13, the guide display LEDs 40 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the user's passage. And this guidance display LED40 is a position where both a pair of guidance display LED40 can be visually recognized from the user who is located on a traffic route, and only one guidance display LED40 can be visually recognized from the user who remove | deviated from the traffic route. Is arranged.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the guidance display LED 40 is composed of, for example, three green LEDs arranged in the vertical direction (vertical direction) and corresponds to the height of the eyes of the user. Only the LED is controlled to emit light. Information on the eye height of the user can be obtained from data detected by a face camera (not shown) and a distance measuring sensor (not shown) of the iris authentication devices 1 and 101.

  As shown in FIG. 13, an iris authentication area for performing user iris authentication and a result notification area for notifying the user of the result of iris authentication are provided on the passage route. The result notification area includes an iris authentication area. It is provided further downstream. And result display LED41 displays the result of iris authentication with respect to the user who is passing this result notification area.

  For example, the result display LED 41 includes a blue LED indicating authentication OK and a red LED indicating authentication NG. In this case, similarly to the guidance display LED 40, the result display LED 41 (blue LED and red LED) is also arranged in the vertical direction so that only the LED corresponding to the eye height of the user emits light. Is controlled.

  The operation of the iris authentication system configured as described above will be described.

  When the user is walking on the passage when the user approaches the iris authentication system along the passage, both of the guidance display LEDs 40 can be visually recognized from the user. Thereby, the user (illustrated by a white circle in FIG. 13) on the traffic route can grasp that he / she is walking without deviating on the traffic route. On the other hand, when the user deviates from the passage route, only one of the guidance display LEDs 40 can be visually recognized by the user. Thereby, the user (illustrated by a broken white circle in FIG. 13) deviating from the traffic route can recognize that the user has deviated from the traffic route. In this way, the user can be guided to return to a position where both of the guidance display LEDs 40 are visible (that is, on the traffic route), and the reliability of iris authentication is improved.

  After the iris authentication is performed, when the user moves to the result notification area on the downstream side (upper side in FIG. 13) on the passage route, the result display LED 41 is turned on according to the result of the iris authentication. For example, when the authentication result is “authentication OK”, the blue LED is lit, and when the authentication result is “authentication NG”, the red LED is lit. Thereby, the user can know the authentication result. In this case, since the result notification area is provided on the downstream side of the iris authentication area, the previous user can be notified of the authentication result without obstructing the iris authentication of the next user.

  In the above description, the case of the iris authentication system using the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101 has been illustrated, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and instead of one iris authentication device 101. In addition, a display device including the guidance display LED 40 and the result display LED 41 may be used. That is, one iris authentication device 1 may include a display device having the guidance display LED 40 and the result display LED 41.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, the iris authentication device 1 having a function of guiding the person to be authenticated (user) to the authentication position will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device 1 is viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 16, the iris authentication device 1 includes an authentication position notification LED 42 that notifies the user of an authentication position where iris imaging is performed by the iris camera 2.

  The authentication position notification LED 42 is composed of three color LEDs (for example, a yellow LED, a green LED, and a red LED). Each LED has directivity, and the yellow LED is set to be visible to the user only at a position A upstream (downward in FIG. 16) from the authentication position on the passage route. The green LED is set so that the user can see only at the position B which is the authentication position on the passage. In addition, the red LED is set so that the user can visually recognize it only at a position C downstream of the authentication position (upper side in FIG. 16) on the passage route. That is, it can be said that the yellow LED corresponds to the position A, the green LED corresponds to the position B, and the red LED corresponds to the position C.

  The operation of the iris authentication device 1 configured as described above will be described.

  When the user approaches the iris authentication device 1 along the passage route, when the user is walking in the position A upstream from the authentication position, the user can see a yellow LED. Thereby, the user can know that the authentication position has not been reached yet. When the user moves to the authentication position, the user can see the green LED. Thereby, the user can know where the user arrived at the authentication position. If the user accidentally passes the authentication position, the user can see a red LED. As a result, the user can know that the user has passed the authentication position. In this way, the user can be guided back to the position where the green LED can be seen (that is, the authentication position), and the reliability of iris authentication is improved.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, an iris authentication system having a function of guiding a person to be authenticated (user) to an authentication position will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. Here, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described mainly with respect to differences from the second embodiment.

  FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from above, and FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the front side. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, a support bar 43 is passed over the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101, and an authentication position notification LED 44 is attached to the center of the support bar 43. Yes. In addition, the support bar 43 is arrange | positioned in the position higher than a user's height so that a user's passage may not be inhibited.

  The authentication position notification LED 44 is configured by a three-color LED that emits light in three colors (for example, yellow, green, and red) according to the position on the user's passage. For example, when the user is walking at a position A upstream (lower side in FIG. 17) from the authentication position on the passage route, the authentication position notification LED 44 is controlled to emit yellow light. In addition, when the user is walking in the position B that is the authentication position on the passage route, the authentication position notification LED 44 is controlled to emit green light. Further, when the user is walking at a position C downstream (upper side in FIG. 17) from the authentication position on the passage route, the authentication position notification LED 44 is controlled to emit red light. In this case, information on the position of the user on the passage route can be obtained from the distance measuring sensor 9 of the iris authentication devices 1 and 101.

  The operation of the iris authentication system configured as described above will be described.

  When the user approaches the iris authentication system along the passage route, the authentication position notification LED 44 emits yellow light when walking in the position A upstream from the authentication position. Thereby, the user can know that the authentication position has not been reached yet. When the user moves to the authentication position, the authentication position notification LED 44 emits green light. Thereby, the user can know where the user arrived at the authentication position. If the user accidentally passes the authentication position, the authentication position notification LED 44 emits red light. As a result, the user can know that the user has passed the authentication position. In this way, the user can be guided to return to the position where the authentication position notification LED 44 emits green light (that is, the authentication position), and the reliability of iris authentication is improved.

  In the above description, the case of the iris authentication system using the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101 has been illustrated, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and the iris authentication function of the other device 101 is not limited thereto. Is not necessarily required, and can be realized by a single iris authentication apparatus 1.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, another example of an iris authentication system having a function of guiding a person to be authenticated (user) to an authentication position will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. Here, the iris authentication system according to the present embodiment will be described mainly with respect to differences from the fifth embodiment.

  FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from above, and FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the front side. FIG. 20A is an explanatory diagram of a first example of an iris authentication system. As shown in FIG. 20A, in the first example, the support bar 43 is suspended from the ceiling instead of passing the support bar 43 above the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101. Even with such an iris authentication system, it is possible to obtain the same functions and effects as those of the fifth embodiment.

  FIG. 20B is an explanatory diagram of a second example of the iris authentication system. As shown in FIG. 20B, in the second example, the support bar 43 is erected from the ground instead of passing the support bar 43 above the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101. In this case, the support bar 43 is disposed far away from the passage route so as not to hinder the user's passage. Even with such an iris authentication system, it is possible to obtain the same functions and effects as those of the fifth embodiment.

(Seventh embodiment)
Next, an iris authentication device 1 having a re-authentication function for a person (user) who has failed iris authentication will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22. Here, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device 1 is viewed from above, and FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device 1 is viewed from the side. As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the iris authentication device 1 includes a second iris camera 45 that captures the iris of the user who has failed the iris authentication.

  As shown in FIG. 21, a re-authentication area is provided near the iris authentication device 1 for a user who has failed the iris authentication to perform re-authentication. Therefore, the second iris camera 45 for re-authentication is a close-up camera, and the normal iris camera 2 for authentication is a far-field camera. Also, as shown in FIG. 22, when performing re-authentication illumination (short-distance illumination), the lower side of the illumination unit 7 is turned on, and normal iris authentication illumination (distance illumination) is used. When performing, illumination control is performed so that the upper side of the illumination unit 7 is turned on. Therefore, the lower side of the illumination unit 7 corresponds to the second illumination unit of the present invention. In addition, although the case where the one illumination part 7 was shared for two uses (for normal iris authentication and re-authentication) was illustrated here, you may use two or more illumination parts according to each use. Needless to say.

  The operation of the iris authentication device 1 configured as described above will be described.

  First, the user performs normal iris authentication in the iris authentication area. When this normal iris authentication is performed, the upper side of the illumination unit 7 of the iris authentication device 1 is turned on, and the normal authentication iris camera 2 (far-distance camera) is used for photographing. In this way, when the user performs normal iris authentication and authentication fails, the user performs re-authentication in a re-authentication area provided in the vicinity of the iris authentication device 1. When re-authentication is performed, the lower side of the illumination unit 7 of the iris authentication apparatus 1 is turned on, and the re-authentication iris camera 45 (proximity shooting camera) is used for shooting. In this way, a user who has failed iris authentication can perform iris authentication again in the re-authentication area.

(Eighth embodiment)
Next, the iris authentication apparatus 1 provided with the function to display an authentication result for each of a plurality of persons to be authenticated (users) will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device 1 is viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 23, the iris authentication device 1 includes a result display LED 46 that displays the result of iris authentication to the user.

  The result display LED 46 is composed of three LEDs (first to third LEDs) each capable of emitting light in three colors (for example, green, blue, and red). For example, when the user has not performed iris authentication, the result display LED 46 is controlled to emit green light. If the result of the iris authentication by the user is “authentication OK”, the result display LED 46 is controlled to emit blue light. On the other hand, if the result of the iris authentication by the user is “authentication NG”, the result display LED 46 is controlled to emit red light.

  In addition, each LED has directivity, and the first LED is set so that the user can visually recognize it only at the position A on the upstream side of the authentication position (the lower side in FIG. 23) on the passage route. Has been. Further, the second LED is set so that the user can see only at the position B that is downstream of the authentication position (upper side in FIG. 23) on the passage route. Moreover, about 3rd LED, it is set so that a user can visually recognize only in the position C downstream from the position B on a traffic route. That is, it can be said that the first LED corresponds to the position A, the second LED corresponds to the position B, and the third LED corresponds to the position C.

  The iris authentication device 1 has a user tracking function for tracking a user moving on a traffic route. This user tracking is executed based on data obtained by a distance measuring sensor (not shown) and a face camera (not shown) of the iris authentication apparatus 1. Specifically, based on information extracted from the face camera, a user determination is made as to whether or not the user is the same, and the data detected by the distance measuring sensor for the user determined to be the same Based on the above, the position of the user is tracked. With this function, when a certain user is walking in a certain area, the user can be notified of the authentication result for that user by using the result display LED 46 corresponding to that area.

  The operation of the iris authentication device 1 configured as described above will be described.

  When the first user approaches the iris authentication device 1 along the traffic route and is walking in the position A upstream from the authentication position, the user has not yet performed iris authentication. Therefore, in this case, the first LED corresponding to the position A is lit in green.

  Thereafter, when the user performs iris authentication and is walking in the position B downstream of the authentication position, if the authentication result of the user is “authentication OK”, the second corresponding to the position B LED lights up in blue. On the other hand, when the authentication result of the user is “authentication NG”, the second LED corresponding to the position B is lit in red.

  At this time, when the second user approaches the iris authentication device 1 and is walking at the position A upstream from the authentication position, the user has not yet performed iris authentication. Therefore, in this case, the first LED corresponding to the position A is lit in green for the next user.

  Thereafter, when the first user is walking at the position C downstream of the position B, as in the case of the position B, when the authentication result of the first user is “authentication OK”, the position The third LED corresponding to C lights up in blue. On the other hand, when the authentication result of the first user is “authentication NG”, the third LED corresponding to the position C is lit in red.

  At this time, when the second user performs iris authentication and is walking in the position B downstream of the authentication position, the authentication result of the second user is “authentication OK”. The second LED corresponding to the position B is lit in blue. On the other hand, when the authentication result of the second user is “authentication NG”, the second LED corresponding to the position B is lit in red. In this way, in the present embodiment, the authentication result is displayed for each of a plurality of persons to be authenticated (users).

(Ninth embodiment)
Next, an automatic door type iris authentication system will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, the iris authentication system according to the present embodiment will be described mainly with respect to differences from the fifth embodiment.

  FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the front side, and FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from above. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the iris authentication device 1 includes an automatic door portion 47 that can be opened and closed on a user's passage. The automatic door portion 47 opens when the result of iris authentication is “authentication OK” (see FIG. 25B), and does not open when it is “authentication NG” (see FIG. 25A). Is controlled. Therefore, it can be said that the automatic door portion 47 corresponds to a result display portion of the present invention. Here, an example of the “single-open type” in which the automatic door portion 47 is provided only in one iris authentication device 1 has been described, but the automatic door portion 47 is provided in both iris authentication devices 1 and 101. Needless to say, “double door type” may be used. Further, a material having a mirror characteristic may be used as the surface material of the automatic door portion 47, or the surface of the automatic door portion 47 may be mirror-finished. In this case, since the user's face is reflected on the automatic door 47 in front of the user, the user can easily recognize whether he / she is looking straight ahead.

  This automatic door portion 47 is provided with an authentication position notification LED 44 similar to that of the fifth embodiment. Therefore, the same effect as that of the fifth embodiment can be obtained by the iris authentication apparatus 1 as well. In the present embodiment, three authentication position notification LEDs 44 are provided, and only LEDs corresponding to the height of the user's eyes are controlled to emit light. Information on the eye height of the user can be obtained from data detected by a face camera (not shown) and a distance measuring sensor (not shown) of the iris authentication devices 1 and 101.

  In the above description, the case of the iris authentication system using the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101 has been illustrated, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and the iris authentication function of the other device 101 is not limited thereto. Is not necessarily required, and can be realized by a single iris authentication apparatus 1.

(Tenth embodiment)
Next, an automatic door type iris authentication system that performs iris imaging using the reflecting mirror 48 will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described mainly with respect to differences from the ninth embodiment.

  FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the front side, and FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from above. As shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, a reflecting mirror 48 is attached to the automatic door portion 47 of the iris authentication device 1, and the iris camera 2 photographs the user's iris through the reflecting mirror 48. In this way, an iris image can be taken from the front of the user by photographing the iris using the reflecting mirror 48 provided on the automatic door portion 47. Thereby, the authentication accuracy of iris authentication improves.

  Although the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it will be understood that various modifications can be made to the present embodiments and are within the true spirit and scope of the present invention. It is intended that the appended claims include all such variations.

  As described above, the iris authentication device according to the present invention has an effect that the user can quickly perform iris authentication while walking without deviating the travel route, and high security and convenience are required. It is useful for entry / exit management systems and identity verification systems.

  The present invention relates to an iris authentication apparatus and an iris authentication system capable of performing an iris authentication process of a user who is walking (authenticated person), for example, in an entrance / exit management system and an identity verification system that require high security and convenience. The present invention relates to an apparatus for confirming whether or not a person is registered in advance or whether or not a person who receives a service is the person himself / herself.

  In recent years, with the rapid development of the information-oriented society, social demands for information security enhancement are increasing. In particular, efforts to strengthen management of personal information and confidential information have become issues that should be tackled by society as a whole, including government agencies, companies, and individuals. As a technique for realizing the problem, a system for verifying the identity at the time of access using biometric information has been proposed. Biometric information includes various parts and actions of the user (authenticated person), such as fingerprints, irises, retinas, faces, veins, handprints, voices, and handwriting. Has been.

  Among them, the authentication method using the iris (iris authentication) has an excellent feature such that the aging of the iris is small, and is particularly applied to applications requiring a high security level. For example, Japanese Patent No. 3307936 discloses such an iris authentication technique.

  Iris authentication is a biometric authentication method that identifies a person by using a difference in a pattern (pattern) on an iris, which is a donut-shaped region between a pupil of a subject's eye and a white eye. Therefore, the conventional iris authentication apparatus includes, for example, an illumination unit that irradiates near-infrared light rays near the eyes of the person to be authenticated, a camera that captures an image near the eyes, and an image captured by the camera. An authentication processing unit for performing iris authentication processing based on the above is provided. The authentication processing unit performs predetermined signal processing on the image captured by the camera, obtains a degree of coincidence between the code information obtained by coding the iris pattern and the code information registered in advance, and a predetermined threshold value To determine whether or not the person to be authenticated is the person himself / herself.

  This iris authentication can be performed in a non-contact manner, and has a great feature in that the iris can be photographed even from a position away from the apparatus. Further, the iris authentication is characterized in that the acceptance rate is low and the authentication accuracy is high, compared to face authentication that is similar in that it can be authenticated without contact.

  In the conventional iris authentication device, an automatic photographing method in which the user's eye position is automatically searched for iris authentication, or a manual method in which the user manually adjusts the camera height while keeping an eye on the device is used. . Further, in the personal authentication device used for entrance / exit management, the iris is photographed at a distance of about 10 to 60 cm from the device. In this case, the user performs an authentication action according to guidance (mirror, voice, etc.) by the device. The common point of these conventional apparatuses is that the user (authenticated person) needs to face front (facing) the camera when photographing the iris.

Japanese Patent No. 3307936

  However, in the conventional system in which the user faces the camera, it is necessary to place the camera in front of the user. FIG. 12A is a diagram schematically illustrating a user's walking route during authentication. As shown in FIG. 12A, when an authentication device is installed beside the automatic door, the top user (A) 31 stops in front of the iris authentication device to perform iris authentication, Iris authentication is performed by the iris authentication device. When the authentication is successful, the user (A) 31 moves toward the automatic door and passes through the automatic door. Further, while the first user (A) 31 is authenticating, the user (B) 32 coming from behind needs to wait until the user (A) 31 finishes the authentication. Therefore, the user (B) coming from behind may feel annoyed with the operation required for the authentication of the user (A) and the waiting time therefor.

  Further, in an apparatus that performs iris authentication from a distant place, it may be possible to find the eyes of a user (authenticated person) by performing pan / tilt / focus control of the camera. However, in this case, it takes a few seconds to find the user's eyes and take a picture by performing pan / tilt / focus control of the camera, and it is not easy to perform iris authentication while the user is walking. . Therefore, conventionally, even in a device that performs iris authentication from a distance, the user has to temporarily stop for iris authentication.

  The present invention has been made under the above background. The objective of this invention is providing the iris authentication apparatus which can perform iris authentication correctly in a user's natural action.

  An iris authentication apparatus according to the present invention includes an iris camera that captures an iris of a person to be authenticated, an illumination unit that performs illumination for iris photographing, a distance measuring sensor that measures a distance from the person to be authenticated, and an iris of the person to be authenticated. And an iris authentication apparatus comprising a control unit for performing iris authentication processing using the image of the image, the position where the iris camera is arranged is set on the path of the person to be authenticated in the iris authentication apparatus. The shooting angle of the iris camera is set to an angle at which the iris of the person being authenticated can be shot from an oblique direction. With this configuration, even when the iris is photographed obliquely with respect to the authenticated person (user) 's path, the iris authentication can be performed using the iris image photographed as close to the user's front as possible. Therefore, the authentication accuracy of iris authentication is improved, and iris authentication can be performed more smoothly. Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the user's authentication load and improve the usability of the apparatus.

  The iris authentication apparatus includes a plurality of iris cameras, and the plurality of iris cameras are arranged in the vertical direction. With this configuration, iris authentication can be performed using an image of an iris camera corresponding to the height of the person to be authenticated (user). Therefore, the user can perform iris authentication more smoothly without being aware of the height difference.

  In addition, the position where the illumination unit is arranged is set above the iris camera and higher than the person to be authenticated, and the illumination direction of the illumination unit is set downward toward the person to be authenticated. The camera optical axis of the iris camera and the irradiation area of the certification unit are set so as to intersect at the in-focus position of the iris camera. With this configuration, the width of the apparatus can be kept small, and the apparatus can be miniaturized. Further, even when the person to be authenticated wears spectacles, the reflection of illumination by the spectacles can be suppressed, and the authentication accuracy can be improved.

  In addition, the distance measurement range of the distance measurement sensor is expanded in the horizontal measurement area so that iris imaging can be performed obliquely by the iris camera. With this configuration, the distance relationship between the user and the apparatus can be accurately measured even when the iris is photographed obliquely with respect to the route of the person to be authenticated (user). Therefore, it is possible to accurately control the start or stop of the authentication operation by the apparatus, present the guidance information to the user, and the like, and further improve the stability of the authentication operation.

  In addition, the iris authentication device includes a face camera that captures the face of the person to be authenticated while passing, and an information extraction unit that extracts information on the person to be authenticated used for selection of the iris camera from an image captured by the face camera; A data storage unit for storing information on the person to be authenticated. With this configuration, it becomes possible to easily search for user information even later by using information on the person to be authenticated (user).

  Further, the iris authentication device includes a pair of guidance display units arranged symmetrically across the route of the person to be authenticated, and both of the pair of guidance display units are visible from the person to be authenticated on the route of travel. Yes, and one of them is located at a position where it cannot be visually recognized from the person to be authenticated who is off the route. With this configuration, when the person to be authenticated is walking on the passage route, both of the pair of guidance display portions can be visually recognized. When the person to be authenticated is off the passage route, only one of the guidance display portions is visible. Can not do it. As a result, the person to be authenticated can be guided to walk on the passage route, and iris authentication can be performed reliably.

  In addition, a result notification area is provided on the downstream side of the iris authentication area that performs iris authentication on the passage route, and the iris authentication apparatus performs iris authentication for a person who is passing through the result notification area. The result display part which displays a result is provided. With this configuration, the person to be authenticated can know the result of the iris authentication when passing the result notification area already obtained on the downstream side of the iris authentication area after performing the iris authentication. Therefore, the authentication result can be notified to the previous user without obstructing the iris authentication of the next user.

  In addition, the iris authentication apparatus includes an authentication position notifying unit that notifies an authentication target of an authentication position where an iris is captured by an iris camera. With this configuration, the person to be authenticated can recognize the authentication position of the iris camera. As a result, the person to be authenticated can be guided to the authentication position of the iris camera, and the iris authentication can be reliably performed.

  In addition, a re-authentication area is provided in the vicinity of the iris authentication device as an area for re-authentication by the subject to be authenticated who has failed the iris authentication. A second iris camera for photographing the iris and a second illumination unit for performing illumination for iris photographing in the re-authentication area. With this configuration, the person to be authenticated who has failed the iris authentication can perform the iris authentication again in the re-authentication area.

  Further, the iris authentication device includes a door part that can be opened and closed on a person's passage, and a reflecting mirror provided on the door part, and the iris camera is connected to the person to be authenticated through the reflecting mirror. Shoot the iris. With this configuration, it is possible to photograph the iris from the front of the user by using the reflecting mirror provided on the door. Thereby, the authentication accuracy of iris authentication improves.

  An iris authentication system according to the present invention is an iris authentication system using the above-described iris authentication device, and includes a plurality of iris authentication devices and a plurality of iris authentication devices arranged symmetrically across the route of the person to be authenticated. And an interlock control unit for performing the iris authentication process of the person to be authenticated in conjunction. With this configuration, the person to be authenticated (user) walks in the center of the device disposed on both sides of the passage route, thereby reducing blurring from the walk route of the user's walk. Moreover, the iris authentication range is expanded by using a plurality of iris authentication devices. Therefore, the authentication performance of the device is improved and the stability of the authentication accuracy can be increased.

  In addition, the interlock control unit performs control to shift the shooting timing of each iris camera included in the plurality of iris authentication devices. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the user from missing the captured image by shifting the imaging timing of the plurality of iris cameras. Therefore, the authentication performance of the device is improved, and the usability of the device can be improved.

  Further, the irradiation intensity of each illumination unit included in the plurality of iris authentication apparatuses is set to an irradiation intensity that is weaker than the normal irradiation intensity when the iris authentication apparatus is used alone. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the size and power consumption of the illumination unit.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the device can be placed at a position deviated from the travel path of the person to be authenticated (user) and the iris can be photographed obliquely, and the user can be aware of the authentication behavior. It is possible to perform iris authentication. Therefore, according to the iris authentication device of the present invention, the user can quickly perform iris authentication while walking along the traveling path without changing the traveling path (see FIG. 12B). Further, it is possible to cope with iris authentication continuously while a plurality of users are walking, and the usability of the apparatus is improved. Further, the apparatus can be reduced in size, and the apparatus can be installed in a narrow area.

  It should be noted that this disclosure is intended to provide some aspects of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention described and claimed herein.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an iris authentication apparatus according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the iris camera and illumination unit as seen from above. FIG. 3 is an arrangement diagram when the arrangement of the iris camera and the illumination unit is viewed from the lateral direction. FIG. 4 is an arrangement diagram when the arrangement of an iris camera and a plurality of illumination blocks is viewed from the side. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of the face camera. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of distance measuring sensors. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing the measurement range of the distance measurement sensor, and FIG. 7B is a relationship diagram showing the distance measurement direction and distance information of the distance measurement sensor. FIG. 8 is an arrangement diagram when the arrangement of the iris authentication system according to the second embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the iris authentication system of the present invention. FIG. 10A is a timing chart in the case of simultaneous photographing with a plurality of iris authentication apparatuses, and FIG. 10B is a timing chart in the case of time difference photographing with a plurality of iris authentication apparatuses. FIG. 11A is a diagram showing the shape (parallel) of the casing of the iris authentication device, and FIG. 11B is a diagram showing the shape of the iris authentication device (corner cut). 12A is a diagram showing a user's travel path of a conventional iris authentication device, and FIG. 12B is a diagram showing a user's travel route of the iris authentication device of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system of the third embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system according to the third embodiment is viewed from the front side. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system according to the third embodiment is viewed from the rear side. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the fourth embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system of the fifth embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system of the fifth embodiment is viewed from the front side. FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system of the sixth embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system according to the sixth embodiment is viewed from the front side. FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication apparatus according to the seventh embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the seventh embodiment is viewed from the side. FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the eighth embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the ninth embodiment is viewed from the front side. FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the ninth embodiment is viewed from above. FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device according to the tenth embodiment is viewed from the front side. FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device of the tenth embodiment is viewed from above.

  The detailed description of the present invention will be described below. However, the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings do not limit the invention. Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an iris authentication apparatus. The iris authentication device 1 includes an iris camera 2, an image capture unit 3, an authentication unit 4, an imaging control unit 5, a camera control unit 6, an illumination unit 7, a light emission control unit 8, a distance measurement sensor 9, a distance measurement unit 10, a face A camera 11, a user information extraction unit 12, a display unit 13, a data storage unit 14, and an overall control unit 15 are provided.

  A plurality of iris cameras 2 are arranged vertically and shoot the iris of the user 20. The image capturing unit 3 captures images from the plurality of iris cameras 2 and outputs them to the authentication unit 4. Note that the image capturing unit 3 selects whether one of the images from the plurality of iris cameras 2 is selected and output, or sequentially output to the authentication unit 4. The authentication unit 4 extracts iris feature values from the captured image to generate iris data, and determines whether or not the data matches the registered data. The imaging control unit 5 controls the camera control unit 6 and the light emission control unit 8 in order to synchronize the iris camera 2 and the illumination unit 7. The camera control unit 6 adjusts the shooting timing of the iris camera 2 and the image quality at the time of shooting. The illumination part 7 is an illumination part for iris photography provided with a plurality of light emitting elements (LEDs and light bulbs). The light emission control unit 8 controls the light emission timing and intensity of the illumination unit 7. The distance measuring sensor 9 measures the distance between the user 20 and the iris authentication device 1 and outputs a signal of the measured distance data. The distance measuring unit 10 analyzes the distance data signal from the distance measuring sensor 9 and calculates the position of the user 20. The face camera 11 can shoot at a wide angle and shoots the body and face of the user 20. The user information extraction unit 12 detects the height information of the user 20 and information such as clothes from the video imaged by the face camera 11. The display unit 13 displays the authentication result, the operation status, and the like, and notifies the user 20 of the authentication result, the operation status, and the like. The data storage unit 14 records or stores information of the user 20 that has passed. The overall control unit 15 controls the overall authentication operation of the iris authentication device 1 based on data and information from the authentication unit 4, the distance measurement unit 10, and the user information extraction unit 12.

  Here, the case where the number of iris cameras 2 is three has been described as an example, but the number of iris cameras is not limited to this, and a necessary number (for example, according to the use of the apparatus) The number of cameras that can cope with the height difference of the user may be installed.

  FIG. 2 is an arrangement diagram when the arrangement of the iris camera 2 and the illumination unit 7 is viewed from above. The iris camera 2 is arranged in the casing of the iris authentication device 1 on the side closer to the travel route (traffic route) of the user 20. It is desirable that the iris camera 2 be arranged as close to the end of the housing as possible. The reason is that even when the iris is photographed from an oblique direction, it can be photographed from the front side as much as possible, which is preferable for performing iris authentication. If the iris camera 2 is arranged on the traveling path side of the iris authentication device 1, the angle at the time of shooting becomes shallower than when the iris camera 2 is arranged in the center of the iris authentication device 1, and this is advantageous when performing iris authentication. . The illumination unit 7 may be arranged so as to illuminate the user 20 within the focus range of the iris camera 2.

  If the illumination area of the illumination unit 7 and the shooting range of the iris camera 2 are set to coincide with each other in the focusing range of the iris camera 2 (about 1 m or more), the orientation of the iris camera 2 is the pan direction relative to the illumination unit 7. It will be slightly outward.

  Even when the iris authentication device 1 is arranged on the opposite side across the traveling direction (traffic route) of the user 20, the arrangement of these components is the same.

  The plurality of iris cameras 2 arranged vertically (in the vertical direction) face the same direction with respect to the horizontal direction (pan direction).

  FIG. 3 is an arrangement diagram when the arrangement of the iris camera 2 and the illumination unit 7 is viewed from the lateral direction. In this example, a plurality of iris cameras 2 are arranged vertically to correspond to the height difference of the user 20. Each of the plurality of iris cameras 2 captures a horizontal image at each height. Accordingly, it can be said that the plurality of iris cameras 2 expands the photographing region near the focal point (hatched portion) in the vertical direction. In addition, the illumination unit 7 has an angle (irradiation angle) adjusted so as to irradiate downward from above the iris camera 2. In this case, the illumination unit 7 can just irradiate the front of the focusing area of the iris camera 2. The angle is set.

  As the illumination unit 7, for example, a type in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged in a lattice shape (a type close to surface emission) is used. In the illumination unit 7, if an LED with a narrow irradiation angle is used, illumination close to parallel light can be realized without attaching a condenser lens to the front surface. When the illumination from the illumination unit 7 is close to parallel light, there is little change in illuminance depending on the distance, which is advantageous for irradiating the irradiation range evenly. Further, when an LED is used in the illumination unit 7, there are advantages such as good response of turning on and off, easy control of irradiation timing, and low power consumption.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the illumination unit 7 is described as an integral configuration, but as illustrated in FIG. 4, a plurality of illumination blocks 71, 72, and 73 may be arranged vertically. When a plurality of illumination blocks are arranged vertically, the depth of the illumination unit 7 can be reduced.

  The illumination unit 7 can also be realized by a system that uses point light emission such as a light bulb and controls the irradiation area with a reflecting mirror or lens.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram regarding the arrangement of the face camera 11. The face camera 11 is configured to extract the height or face position of the user 20. The installation location of the face camera 11 is on the path of the user 20 and when a plurality of users 20 pass continuously, the front user (A) 22 and the rear user (B) 21 in the face photographing range. It is desirable that the position is set so as not to hide. The installation height of the face camera 11 is set below or next to the iris camera 2. Furthermore, the face camera 11 is arranged near the path of travel or is located close to the iris camera 2 in order to photograph the face of the user 20 from the front as much as possible.

  Further, the face photographing range is set so as to include the authentication area and cover a slightly distant distance. The face camera 11 captures an image in a state where the person to be authenticated (user 20) is in the face shooting range, and height information of the user 20 is extracted from the image. The height information of the user 20 is used to select an iris camera 2 that can photograph the eyes of the user 20. For extracting height information from a captured image, a method for obtaining the position of the head by pattern matching or the like, a method for detecting eye height, or the like can be used.

  Further, the captured image of the face camera 11 can be stored in the apparatus as image information of the passing person. In addition, information such as the height information and clothes color of the user 20 is also detected and stored in the data storage unit 14 as history information together with passerby person information, so that it can be used as search information. is there.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram regarding the arrangement of the distance measuring sensors 9. The distance measuring sensor 9 measures the approach information of the user 20. The approach information of the user 20 measured by the distance measuring sensor 9 is used for starting / stopping the photographing of the face camera 11 and the iris camera 2 and displaying guidance information on the display unit 7. In a conventional iris authentication device in which the user faces the iris camera as in the conventional case, the distance measuring sensor is arranged approximately at the center of the device. The distance measuring sensor used in the conventional apparatus only needs to be able to perform distance measurement in a certain direction because the user stands in front. Therefore, as a conventional distance measuring sensor, a low-cost reflective distance measuring sensor has been often used. However, in the iris authentication device of the present invention, since the angle to be measured changes as the user 20 moves, the distance measuring sensor 9 that can measure the distance in the horizontal direction is necessary (see FIG. 7A). ). It is desirable that the installation height of the distance measuring sensor 9 is set to a height under which the user can detect the vicinity of the user's torso, below the iris camera 2. The reason is that the body part is larger and easier to detect than the head part, and even a short person can detect it reliably.

  As the distance measuring sensor 9 for measuring the distance on the surface, for example, there is a laser scanning type sensor. The distance measuring sensor 9 may be realized by arranging a plurality of reflective sensors. The distance detecting sensor 9 capable of detecting the surface measures the distance to the object for each detection angle and outputs the measurement data. For example, when two users (user (A) 22 and user (B) 21) are in the distance measuring range of the distance measuring sensor 9, data as shown in FIG. 7B is obtained. In the graph of FIG. 7B, the horizontal axis is the direction of distance measurement, and the vertical axis is the detection distance. The left part (rear part) in this graph shows the distance to the body of the user (B) 21, and the right part (front part) in the graph shows the user (A ) The distance to 22 bodies is shown. In this graph, the measured distance data is large in the distance measuring direction in which the laser does not hit the object to be measured (user). The position information of the user can be detected from the shape (profile) of the detection data of the distance measuring sensor 9 as described above. In FIG. 7B, the iris imaging range is shown as a square area. From this data, the user (B) 21 is located farther than the imaging range, and the user (A) 22 is the imaging range. It is possible to detect that it is located closer to the shooting range after passing through.

  The installation location of the display unit 13 is preferably set in the vicinity of the same height as the iris camera 2, which is the height of the line of sight that the user 20 can easily identify. However, the installation location of the display unit is not limited to this, and the display unit may be arranged anywhere as long as the user can identify it.

  Further, although not shown in FIG. 1, the iris authentication apparatus may be provided with a voice transmission unit. In that case, the result of authentication by voice can be notified. Note that the authentication result notification may use both sound and display.

  The operation of the iris authentication device configured as described above will be described.

  First, when the user 20 approaches the iris authentication apparatus 1 along the traveling path, the distance measuring sensor 9 detects the approach information of the user 20. When the distance measuring unit 10 detects that the user 20 has entered the predetermined operating range from the shape of the distance information (distance data) output from the distance measuring sensor 9, the face camera 11 displays the entire view of the user 20. The captured image is output to the user information extraction unit 12. The user information extraction unit 12 extracts information on the physical feature amount (height, eye position, etc.) of the user 20 from this image. The user information extraction unit 12 may extract clothes color information.

  When the user information extraction unit 12 can detect the height or eye height of the user 20, an iris camera suitable for iris shooting out of the plurality of iris cameras 2 selectively performs a shooting operation. Note that all the iris cameras 2 may perform a photographing operation in parallel.

  The selection of the iris camera is performed by the image capturing unit 3. For example, when only a specific iris camera 2 is selected, the image capturing unit 3 may preferentially transfer the image of the iris camera 2 to the authentication unit 4. When all the iris cameras 2 perform a photographing operation, the image capturing unit 3 sequentially transfers the images of the iris cameras 2 to the authentication unit 4. Further, when the iris camera 2 performs photographing, the camera control unit 6 performs shutter speed and gain control. Further, since it is necessary to turn on the illumination unit 7 in synchronization with the shutter of the iris camera 2, the light emission control unit 8 causes the illumination unit 7 to emit light at a predetermined timing in accordance with the imaging control by the imaging control unit 5. Control light emission. At this time, in the iris camera 2, the camera control unit 6 controls the timing of the shooting trigger signal, whereby the timing of iris shooting is controlled.

  Note that the light emission control unit 8 does not always need to emit all illumination, and may emit only the LED in the irradiation area corresponding to the angle of view of the iris camera 2 that is actually the subject of photographing.

  Since the shutter speed of the iris camera 2 and the illumination light emission are synchronized, stable image shooting is possible.

  Note that when all iris cameras 2 shoot in parallel, shooting with the face camera 11 is not necessarily required, but when improving the function of the entire system, it is better to use shooting with the face camera 11. Good.

  The authentication unit 4 extracts the iris region in detail from the image data transferred from the image capturing unit 3, converts the extracted data into a feature amount to generate iris data, and the iris data registered in advance And verify. If there is matching iris data as a result of the collation, the fact that the person has been identified is output. If there is no data matching the registered data, a message indicating that the person could not be identified is output. As an iris authentication method, for example, an iris authentication technique as described in Japanese Patent No. 3307936 may be used.

  The result of authentication is notified to the user via the display unit 13 and voice. The authentication result is stored in the data storage unit 14 together with user information (information such as face, height, clothes color, etc.) that has already been detected and time information.

  By performing the above operation, the user 20 can specify a person by iris authentication only by passing by the side of the iris authentication device 1.

  As described above, in the iris authentication device of the present embodiment, a plurality of iris cameras are arranged on the traffic side so that iris authentication can be performed by photographing a user from an oblique direction. Thereby, when a user walks and passes by the side of an apparatus, iris authentication can be performed and a user's authentication operation can be made easy.

  In the device of the present embodiment, the user 20 does not necessarily have to pass through the device. In other words, the illumination axis is set to match the optical axis of the camera in the iris shooting range, and the conditions necessary for authentication are secured, so the user stands in the iris authentication range facing the device. It goes without saying that authentication can be performed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, an iris authentication system composed of a plurality of iris authentication devices will be described.

  FIG. 8 shows a case of an iris authentication system in which two iris authentication devices are arranged symmetrically with respect to the travel path of the user 20. As shown in FIG. 8, by disposing the iris authentication device 1 on both sides of the user's travel path, the iris authentication range (shown by hatching in the figure) is compared with the first embodiment. As it spreads out, it looks as if it passes through the gate, so that lateral blurring when the user 20 walks on the traveling path is restricted, and the authentication accuracy of the user 20 is improved.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the iris authentication system. The configuration of the iris authentication device 101, the iris camera 102, the image capturing unit 103, the authentication unit 104, the imaging control unit 105, the camera control unit 106, the illumination unit 107, the light emission control unit 108, the display unit 113, and the overall control unit 115 is as follows. This is the same as in the first embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that the position of the other iris camera 102 is arranged on the opposite side (user travel path side) from the one iris camera 2, the face camera 11, the user information extraction unit 12, Since the distance measuring sensor 9, the distance measuring unit 10, and the data accumulating unit 14 can be used in common if they are on one iris authentication apparatus side, they are not necessary for the other iris authentication apparatus. In order to link the two iris authentication apparatuses, one overall control unit 15 and the other overall control unit 115 are connected. The configuration of the iris authentication apparatus 1 in FIG. 9 is the same as that of the first embodiment in FIG.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described.

  When the user 20 approaches the iris authentication system along the traveling path, for example, the distance measuring sensor 9 of one iris authentication device 1 detects the approach information of the user 20, and the face camera 11 detects the entire view of the user 20. Take a picture. Thus, when one iris authentication device starts the authentication operation, the other iris authentication device 101 starts the authentication operation in conjunction with it. That is, the iris authentication device 1 and the iris authentication device 101 move in conjunction with each other. At this time, designation of the iris camera 2 for photographing the iris, display of the authentication result, and the like are also performed in conjunction with each other. Also, the shooting timings of the two iris authentication devices may be controlled so that they are shot at the same time as shown in FIG. 10A, or the timing between the two iris authentication devices as shown in FIG. 10B. Control may be performed so as to shoot with a shift.

  In the case of shooting at the same timing (simultaneous shooting) as shown in FIG. 10A, both illumination units 7 of the iris authentication devices 1 and 101 are turned on simultaneously, so that the irradiation power in the iris authentication range increases. Therefore, the irradiation power of each illumination part 7 can be lowered. Further, it is possible to change the iris camera shooting conditions without reducing the illumination power of the illumination unit 7 so that high-quality shooting can be performed (for example, increase the shutter speed to reduce image blur, reduce the camera gain, and reduce SN). It is possible to increase the depth of focus by reducing the lens aperture. Alternatively, the imaging conditions of the iris camera can be optimized according to the surrounding conditions at the time of installation.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, when shooting is performed at different timings between the two iris authentication devices (time difference shooting), the number of images shot when the user passes through the iris authentication range increases. This corresponds to the fact that the shooting rate of the camera is increased (doubled), and therefore, the number of shooting opportunities in the iris authentication range can be increased.

  Such control is performed by outputting control signals to the respective imaging control units 5 and 105 in conjunction with the two overall control units 15 and 115. The authentication result is communicated between the two general control units 15 and 115, and when one of the authentication successes is confirmed, the authentication result is notified to the other, and the authentication result is notified to the user. . When the authentication result is notified, each of the two iris authentication devices ends the authentication operation and records the authentication result in the data storage unit.

  FIG. 11 shows a modification of the shape of the housing that houses the iris camera 2 and the illumination unit 7. In FIG. 2, the case where the entire case is rotated and arranged toward the user 20 side is illustrated. However, as shown in FIG. 11A, the case of the iris authentication device appears to be parallel to the user 20 in appearance. In this case, the iris camera 2 and the illumination unit 7 are rotated and stored toward the user inside the housing. Further, as shown in FIG. 11B, the front surface of the iris camera 2 of the housing may be configured to have a shape in which corners are cut so as to be perpendicular to the optical axis of the iris camera 2.

  In addition, the front surface of the iris authentication device 1 (particularly, the front surface of the illumination unit 7 and the front surface of the iris camera 2) needs to be made of a material having optical properties with high light transmittance of the light of the illumination unit 7. In iris authentication, near-infrared illumination (wavelength 700 to 1000 nm) is often used, and it is desirable to use an optical filter that passes light of this wavelength and cuts visible light.

  As described above, in the iris authentication system of the present embodiment, authentication accuracy can be improved by arranging the plurality of iris authentication devices 1 and 101 to face each other. Further, the other iris authentication apparatus 101 can omit a distance measuring sensor, a distance measurement unit, a face camera, a user information extraction unit, and the like. In this case, an iris authentication system is realized with a simpler configuration. be able to. Also, when the iris authentication apparatus 101 is installed in combination with the iris authentication apparatus 1, restrictions on the installation location can be reduced.

  In addition, in the iris authentication system of the present embodiment, by arranging a plurality of iris authentication devices so as to face the user travel path, it is possible to realize an expansion of the shooting range and a higher speed of shooting, thereby improving the authentication accuracy. can do. As a result, the user authentication operation can be further facilitated.

  In the above description, the example in which the iris authentication system is configured by two iris authentication devices has been described. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more iris authentication devices are linked. It is also possible.

  In the above description, the example in which the two iris authentication devices are arranged together has been described. However, when the two iris authentication devices are arranged to face each other, the positions are shifted before and after the moving direction of the user. May be. Thereby, it is possible to lengthen the iris photographing range in which the iris photographing is performed when the user passes, and the photographing opportunities can be increased.

(Third embodiment)
Next, an iris authentication system having a function of guiding a person to be authenticated (user) on a travel route will be described.

  FIGS. 13 to 15 illustrate an iris authentication system in which two iris authentication devices 1 and 101 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a user's path of travel. The configuration of this iris authentication system is almost the same as that of the second embodiment. Here, the iris authentication system according to the present embodiment will be described mainly with respect to differences from the second embodiment.

  FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from above. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the front side (upstream side), and FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the rear side (downstream side). As shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101 each include a guidance display LED 40 and a result display LED 41 on the side surface on the side of the passage (inner side).

  As shown in FIG. 13, the guide display LEDs 40 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the user's passage. And this guidance display LED40 is a position where both a pair of guidance display LED40 can be visually recognized from the user who is located on a traffic route, and only one guidance display LED40 can be visually recognized from the user who remove | deviated from the traffic route. Is arranged.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the guidance display LED 40 is composed of, for example, three green LEDs arranged in the vertical direction (vertical direction) and corresponds to the height of the eyes of the user. Only the LED is controlled to emit light. Information on the eye height of the user can be obtained from data detected by a face camera (not shown) and a distance measuring sensor (not shown) of the iris authentication devices 1 and 101.

  As shown in FIG. 13, an iris authentication area for performing user iris authentication and a result notification area for notifying the user of the result of iris authentication are provided on the passage route. The result notification area includes an iris authentication area. It is provided further downstream. And result display LED41 displays the result of iris authentication with respect to the user who is passing this result notification area.

  For example, the result display LED 41 includes a blue LED indicating authentication OK and a red LED indicating authentication NG. In this case, similarly to the guidance display LED 40, the result display LED 41 (blue LED and red LED) is also arranged in the vertical direction so that only the LED corresponding to the eye height of the user emits light. Is controlled.

  The operation of the iris authentication system configured as described above will be described.

  When the user is walking on the passage when the user approaches the iris authentication system along the passage, both of the guidance display LEDs 40 can be visually recognized from the user. Thereby, the user (illustrated by a white circle in FIG. 13) on the traffic route can grasp that he / she is walking without deviating on the traffic route. On the other hand, when the user deviates from the passage route, only one of the guidance display LEDs 40 can be visually recognized by the user. Thereby, the user (illustrated by a broken white circle in FIG. 13) deviating from the traffic route can recognize that the user has deviated from the traffic route. In this way, the user can be guided to return to a position where both of the guidance display LEDs 40 are visible (that is, on the traffic route), and the reliability of iris authentication is improved.

  After the iris authentication is performed, when the user moves to the result notification area on the downstream side (upper side in FIG. 13) on the passage route, the result display LED 41 is turned on according to the result of the iris authentication. For example, when the authentication result is “authentication OK”, the blue LED is lit, and when the authentication result is “authentication NG”, the red LED is lit. Thereby, the user can know the authentication result. In this case, since the result notification area is provided on the downstream side of the iris authentication area, the previous user can be notified of the authentication result without obstructing the iris authentication of the next user.

  In the above description, the case of the iris authentication system using the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101 has been illustrated, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and instead of one iris authentication device 101. In addition, a display device including the guidance display LED 40 and the result display LED 41 may be used. That is, one iris authentication device 1 may include a display device having the guidance display LED 40 and the result display LED 41.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, the iris authentication device 1 having a function of guiding the person to be authenticated (user) to the authentication position will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device 1 is viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 16, the iris authentication device 1 includes an authentication position notification LED 42 that notifies the user of an authentication position where iris imaging is performed by the iris camera 2.

  The authentication position notification LED 42 is composed of three color LEDs (for example, a yellow LED, a green LED, and a red LED). Each LED has directivity, and the yellow LED is set to be visible to the user only at a position A upstream (downward in FIG. 16) from the authentication position on the passage route. The green LED is set so that the user can see only at the position B which is the authentication position on the passage. In addition, the red LED is set so that the user can visually recognize it only at a position C downstream of the authentication position (upper side in FIG. 16) on the passage route. That is, it can be said that the yellow LED corresponds to the position A, the green LED corresponds to the position B, and the red LED corresponds to the position C.

  The operation of the iris authentication device 1 configured as described above will be described.

  When the user approaches the iris authentication device 1 along the passage route, when the user is walking in the position A upstream from the authentication position, the user can see a yellow LED. Thereby, the user can know that the authentication position has not been reached yet. When the user moves to the authentication position, the user can see the green LED. Thereby, the user can know where the user arrived at the authentication position. If the user accidentally passes the authentication position, the user can see a red LED. As a result, the user can know that the user has passed the authentication position. In this way, the user can be guided back to the position where the green LED can be seen (that is, the authentication position), and the reliability of iris authentication is improved.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, an iris authentication system having a function of guiding a person to be authenticated (user) to an authentication position will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. Here, the iris authentication system according to the present embodiment will be described mainly with respect to differences from the second embodiment.

  FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from above, and FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the front side. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, a support bar 43 is passed over the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101, and an authentication position notification LED 44 is attached to the center of the support bar 43. Yes. In addition, the support bar 43 is arrange | positioned in the position higher than a user's height so that a user's passage may not be inhibited.

  The authentication position notification LED 44 is configured by a three-color LED that emits light in three colors (for example, yellow, green, and red) according to the position on the user's passage. For example, when the user is walking at a position A upstream (lower side in FIG. 17) from the authentication position on the passage route, the authentication position notification LED 44 is controlled to emit yellow light. In addition, when the user is walking in the position B that is the authentication position on the passage route, the authentication position notification LED 44 is controlled to emit green light. Further, when the user is walking at a position C downstream (upper side in FIG. 17) from the authentication position on the passage route, the authentication position notification LED 44 is controlled to emit red light. In this case, information on the position of the user on the passage route can be obtained from the distance measuring sensor 9 of the iris authentication devices 1 and 101.

  The operation of the iris authentication system configured as described above will be described.

  When the user approaches the iris authentication system along the passage route, the authentication position notification LED 44 emits yellow light when walking in the position A upstream from the authentication position. Thereby, the user can know that the authentication position has not been reached yet. When the user moves to the authentication position, the authentication position notification LED 44 emits green light. Thereby, the user can know where the user arrived at the authentication position. If the user accidentally passes the authentication position, the authentication position notification LED 44 emits red light. As a result, the user can know that the user has passed the authentication position. In this way, the user can be guided to return to the position where the authentication position notification LED 44 emits green light (that is, the authentication position), and the reliability of iris authentication is improved.

  In the above description, the case of the iris authentication system using the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101 has been illustrated, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and the iris authentication function of the other device 101 is not limited thereto. Is not necessarily required, and can be realized by a single iris authentication apparatus 1.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, another example of an iris authentication system having a function of guiding a person to be authenticated (user) to an authentication position will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. Here, the iris authentication system according to the present embodiment will be described mainly with respect to differences from the fifth embodiment.

  FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from above, and FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the front side. FIG. 20A is an explanatory diagram of a first example of an iris authentication system. As shown in FIG. 20A, in the first example, the support bar 43 is suspended from the ceiling instead of passing the support bar 43 above the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101. Even with such an iris authentication system, it is possible to obtain the same functions and effects as those of the fifth embodiment.

  FIG. 20B is an explanatory diagram of a second example of the iris authentication system. As shown in FIG. 20B, in the second example, the support bar 43 is erected from the ground instead of passing the support bar 43 above the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101. In this case, the support bar 43 is disposed far away from the passage route so as not to hinder the user's passage. Even with such an iris authentication system, it is possible to obtain the same functions and effects as those of the fifth embodiment.

(Seventh embodiment)
Next, an iris authentication device 1 having a re-authentication function for a person (user) who has failed iris authentication will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22. Here, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device 1 is viewed from above, and FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device 1 is viewed from the side. As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the iris authentication device 1 includes a second iris camera 45 that captures the iris of the user who has failed the iris authentication.

  As shown in FIG. 21, a re-authentication area is provided near the iris authentication device 1 for a user who has failed the iris authentication to perform re-authentication. Therefore, the second iris camera 45 for re-authentication is a close-up camera, and the normal iris camera 2 for authentication is a far-field camera. Also, as shown in FIG. 22, when performing re-authentication illumination (short-distance illumination), the lower side of the illumination unit 7 is turned on, and normal iris authentication illumination (distance illumination) is used. When performing, illumination control is performed so that the upper side of the illumination unit 7 is turned on. Therefore, the lower side of the illumination unit 7 corresponds to the second illumination unit of the present invention. In addition, although the case where the one illumination part 7 was shared for two uses (for normal iris authentication and re-authentication) was illustrated here, you may use two or more illumination parts according to each use. Needless to say.

  The operation of the iris authentication device 1 configured as described above will be described.

  First, the user performs normal iris authentication in the iris authentication area. When this normal iris authentication is performed, the upper side of the illumination unit 7 of the iris authentication device 1 is turned on, and the normal authentication iris camera 2 (far-distance camera) is used for photographing. In this way, when the user performs normal iris authentication and authentication fails, the user performs re-authentication in a re-authentication area provided in the vicinity of the iris authentication device 1. When re-authentication is performed, the lower side of the illumination unit 7 of the iris authentication apparatus 1 is turned on, and the re-authentication iris camera 45 (proximity shooting camera) is used for shooting. In this way, a user who has failed iris authentication can perform iris authentication again in the re-authentication area.

(Eighth embodiment)
Next, the iris authentication apparatus 1 provided with the function to display an authentication result for each of a plurality of persons to be authenticated (users) will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the iris authentication device 1 of the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication device 1 is viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 23, the iris authentication device 1 includes a result display LED 46 that displays the result of iris authentication to the user.

  The result display LED 46 is composed of three LEDs (first to third LEDs) each capable of emitting light in three colors (for example, green, blue, and red). For example, when the user has not performed iris authentication, the result display LED 46 is controlled to emit green light. If the result of the iris authentication by the user is “authentication OK”, the result display LED 46 is controlled to emit blue light. On the other hand, if the result of the iris authentication by the user is “authentication NG”, the result display LED 46 is controlled to emit red light.

  In addition, each LED has directivity, and the first LED is set so that the user can visually recognize it only at the position A on the upstream side of the authentication position (the lower side in FIG. 23) on the passage route. Has been. Further, the second LED is set so that the user can see only at the position B that is downstream of the authentication position (upper side in FIG. 23) on the passage route. Moreover, about 3rd LED, it is set so that a user can visually recognize only in the position C downstream from the position B on a traffic route. That is, it can be said that the first LED corresponds to the position A, the second LED corresponds to the position B, and the third LED corresponds to the position C.

  The iris authentication device 1 has a user tracking function for tracking a user moving on a traffic route. This user tracking is executed based on data obtained by a distance measuring sensor (not shown) and a face camera (not shown) of the iris authentication apparatus 1. Specifically, based on information extracted from the face camera, a user determination is made as to whether or not the user is the same, and the data detected by the distance measuring sensor for the user determined to be the same Based on the above, the position of the user is tracked. With this function, when a certain user is walking in a certain area, the user can be notified of the authentication result for that user by using the result display LED 46 corresponding to that area.

  The operation of the iris authentication device 1 configured as described above will be described.

  When the first user approaches the iris authentication device 1 along the traffic route and is walking in the position A upstream from the authentication position, the user has not yet performed iris authentication. Therefore, in this case, the first LED corresponding to the position A is lit in green.

  Thereafter, when the user performs iris authentication and is walking in the position B downstream of the authentication position, if the authentication result of the user is “authentication OK”, the second corresponding to the position B LED lights up in blue. On the other hand, when the authentication result of the user is “authentication NG”, the second LED corresponding to the position B is lit in red.

  At this time, when the second user approaches the iris authentication device 1 and is walking at the position A upstream from the authentication position, the user has not yet performed iris authentication. Therefore, in this case, the first LED corresponding to the position A is lit in green for the next user.

  Thereafter, when the first user is walking at the position C downstream of the position B, as in the case of the position B, when the authentication result of the first user is “authentication OK”, the position The third LED corresponding to C lights up in blue. On the other hand, when the authentication result of the first user is “authentication NG”, the third LED corresponding to the position C is lit in red.

  At this time, when the second user performs iris authentication and is walking in the position B downstream of the authentication position, the authentication result of the second user is “authentication OK”. The second LED corresponding to the position B is lit in blue. On the other hand, when the authentication result of the second user is “authentication NG”, the second LED corresponding to the position B is lit in red. In this way, in the present embodiment, the authentication result is displayed for each of a plurality of persons to be authenticated (users).

(Ninth embodiment)
Next, an automatic door type iris authentication system will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, the iris authentication system according to the present embodiment will be described mainly with respect to differences from the fifth embodiment.

  FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the front side, and FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from above. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the iris authentication device 1 includes an automatic door portion 47 that can be opened and closed on a user's passage. The automatic door portion 47 opens when the result of iris authentication is “authentication OK” (see FIG. 25B), and does not open when it is “authentication NG” (see FIG. 25A). Is controlled. Therefore, it can be said that the automatic door portion 47 corresponds to a result display portion of the present invention. Here, an example of the “single-open type” in which the automatic door portion 47 is provided only in one iris authentication device 1 has been described, but the automatic door portion 47 is provided in both iris authentication devices 1 and 101. Needless to say, “double door type” may be used. Further, a material having a mirror characteristic may be used as the surface material of the automatic door portion 47, or the surface of the automatic door portion 47 may be mirror-finished. In this case, since the user's face is reflected on the automatic door 47 in front of the user, the user can easily recognize whether he / she is looking straight ahead.

  This automatic door portion 47 is provided with an authentication position notification LED 44 similar to that of the fifth embodiment. Therefore, the same effect as that of the fifth embodiment can be obtained by the iris authentication apparatus 1 as well. In the present embodiment, three authentication position notification LEDs 44 are provided, and only LEDs corresponding to the height of the user's eyes are controlled to emit light. Information on the eye height of the user can be obtained from data detected by a face camera (not shown) and a distance measuring sensor (not shown) of the iris authentication devices 1 and 101.

  In the above description, the case of the iris authentication system using the two iris authentication devices 1 and 101 has been illustrated, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and the iris authentication function of the other device 101 is not limited thereto. Is not necessarily required, and can be realized by a single iris authentication apparatus 1.

(Tenth embodiment)
Next, an automatic door type iris authentication system that performs iris imaging using the reflecting mirror 48 will be described.

  Hereinafter, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, the iris authentication system of the present embodiment will be described mainly with respect to differences from the ninth embodiment.

  FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from the front side, and FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram when the iris authentication system is viewed from above. As shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, a reflecting mirror 48 is attached to the automatic door portion 47 of the iris authentication device 1, and the iris camera 2 photographs the user's iris through the reflecting mirror 48. In this way, an iris image can be taken from the front of the user by photographing the iris using the reflecting mirror 48 provided on the automatic door portion 47. Thereby, the authentication accuracy of iris authentication improves.

  Although the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it will be understood that various modifications can be made to the present embodiments and are within the true spirit and scope of the present invention. It is intended that the appended claims include all such variations.

  As described above, the iris authentication device according to the present invention has an effect that the user can quickly perform iris authentication while walking without deviating the travel route, and high security and convenience are required. It is useful for entry / exit management systems and identity verification systems.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Iris authentication apparatus 2 Iris camera 3 Image capture part 4 Authentication part 5 Imaging | photography control part 6 Camera control part 7 Illumination part 8 Light emission control part 9 Distance sensor 10 Distance measurement part 11 Face camera 12 User information extraction part 13 Display part 14 Data storage unit 15 Overall control unit 20 User 21 User B
22 User A
40 Induction display LED
41 Result display LED
42 Authentication position notification LED
43 Support bar 44 Authentication position notification LED
45 Second iris camera 46 Result display LED
47 Automatic door 48 Reflector 71, 72, 73 Illumination block 101 Iris authentication device 102 Iris camera 103 Image capture unit 104 Authentication unit 105 Imaging control unit 106 Camera control unit 107 Illumination unit 108 Light emission control unit 113 Display unit 115 Overall control Part

Claims (13)

An iris camera that captures the iris of the person to be authenticated, an illumination unit that performs illumination for iris photographing, a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance to the person to be authenticated, and an iris that uses an image of the iris of the person to be authenticated In an iris authentication apparatus comprising a control unit for performing authentication processing,
The position where the iris camera is arranged is set on the path of the person to be authenticated in the iris authentication device,
The iris authentication apparatus is characterized in that the imaging angle of the iris camera is set to an angle at which the iris of the person to be authenticated can be photographed obliquely. The iris authentication device includes a plurality of the iris cameras,
2. The iris authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of iris cameras are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. The position where the illuminating unit is arranged is set above the iris camera and higher than the person to be authenticated,
The illumination direction of the illumination unit is set downward toward the person to be authenticated,
The iris authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a camera optical axis of the iris camera and an irradiation area of the certification unit are set so as to intersect at an in-focus position of the iris camera.   The distance measuring range of the distance measuring sensor is expanded in a horizontal measuring area so that the iris camera can be used to take an iris from an oblique direction. Iris authentication device. A face camera for photographing the face of the person to be authenticated in transit;
An information extraction unit for extracting information on the person to be authenticated used for selection of the iris camera from an image photographed by the face camera;
A data storage unit for storing information about the person to be authenticated;
The iris authentication device according to claim 1, further comprising: A pair of guidance display units arranged symmetrically across the route of the person to be authenticated,
The pair of guidance display units are arranged at a position where both are visible from the person to be authenticated on the passage route, and one of them is not visible from the person to be authenticated who is off the passage route. An iris authentication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the iris authentication apparatus is provided. A result notification area is provided on the downstream side of the iris authentication area for performing iris authentication on the passage route,
The said iris authentication apparatus is provided with the result display part which displays the result of the said iris authentication with respect to the said to-be-authenticated person who is passing the said result notification area, The any one of Claim 1 thru | or 6 characterized by the above-mentioned. The iris authentication device according to claim 1.   The iris authentication according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an authentication position notifying unit for notifying the authentication target of an authentication position where the iris camera performs imaging of the iris. apparatus. A re-authentication area is provided in the vicinity of the iris authentication device as an area for a re-authenticated person who has failed the iris authentication,
The iris authentication device includes:
A second iris camera for photographing the subject's iris in the re-authentication area;
A second illumination unit that performs illumination for iris photography in the re-authentication area;
An iris authentication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: A door portion that is openable and closable on the authenticated person's passage route;
A reflector provided in the door portion;
Prepared,
The iris authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the iris camera photographs the iris of the person to be authenticated through the reflector. An iris authentication system using the iris authentication device according to claim 1,
A plurality of the iris authentication devices arranged symmetrically across the route of the person to be authenticated;
An interlock control unit for performing the iris authentication process of the person to be authenticated by interlocking the plurality of iris authentication devices;
An iris authentication system characterized by comprising:   The iris authentication system according to claim 11, wherein the interlock control unit performs control to shift a photographing timing of each iris camera included in the plurality of iris authentication devices.   13. The irradiation intensity of each illumination unit included in the plurality of iris authentication devices is set to an irradiation intensity that is weaker than a normal irradiation intensity when the iris authentication device is used alone. Iris authentication system.