AUTHENTICATION APPARATUS, AUTHENTICATION METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20100134310A1
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: SEGAWA, Eigo, SHIOHARA, Morito, ZHENG, Mingxie
• Granted Patent: US 8,638,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.600
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/25 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

An authentication apparatus includes a registration unit that registers authentication information representing a check target, a first authentication unit that authenticates the check target at the entrance of the check target to a first area, a second authentication unit that authenticates the check target at the entrance of the check target to a second area after being authenticated by the first authentication unit, and a detector that detects a check target present in a detection area and expected to be authenticated by the second authentication unit. The second authentication unit retrieves, from the registration unit, registration information of the check target detected by the detector, and authenticates the check target authenticated by the first authentication unit using the registration information.

Claims

1. An authentication apparatus, comprising:

a registration unit that registers authentication information representing a check target;

a first authentication unit that authenticates the check target at an entrance of the check target to a first area;

a second authentication unit that authenticates the check target at an entrance of the check target to a second area after being authenticated by the first authentication unit; and

a detector that detects a check target present in a detection area and expected to be authenticated by the second authentication unit,

wherein the second authentication unit retrieves, from the registration unit, registration information of the check target detected by the detector and authenticates the check target authenticated by the first authentication unit using the registration information.

2. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a tracking unit that tracks the check target in the first area,

wherein the detector detects, in accordance with tracking information from the tracking unit, that the check target has gotten close to or in physical contact with another check target, and

wherein the second authentication unit retrieves, from the registration unit, registration information of the other check target that the check target has gotten close to or in physical contact with, together with the registration information of the detected check target, and authenticates the check target using the retrieved registration information.

3. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores target information representing the check target authenticated at the entrance of the check target to the first area, and

wherein the second authentication unit authenticates the check target at the entrance of the check target to the second area using the target information stored on the storage unit.

4. The authentication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the authentication information comprises biometric information representing the check target.

5. The authentication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tracking unit monitors whether the authenticated check target gets close to or in physical contact with the other check target based on position information and/or time information of the check target being tracked.

6. An authentication method executed by an authentication apparatus, comprising:

registering, on a registration unit, authentication information representing a check target;

performing a first authentication on the check target at an entrance of the check target to a first area;

detecting a check target present in a detection area and expected to be authenticated in a second authentication, the second authentication to be performed on the check target authenticated in the first authentication at an entrance to a second area; and

performing the second authentication using registration information of the detected check target, the registration information being retrieved from the registration unit.

7. The authentication method according to claim 6, the method further comprising tracking the check target in the first area,

wherein the detecting includes detecting in accordance with tracking information obtained in the tracking that the check target has gotten close to or in physical contact with another check target, and

wherein the second authentication includes retrieving, from the registration unit, registration information of the other check target that the check target has gotten close to or in physical contact with, together with the registration information of the detected check target.

8. The authentication method according to claim 6, the method further comprising storing target information representing the check target authenticated at the entrance of the check target to the first area, and

wherein the second authentication includes authenticating the check target at the entrance of the check target to the second area using the stored target information.

9. The authentication method according to claim 6, wherein the authentication information comprises biometric information representing the check target.

10. The authentication method according to claim 7, wherein the tracking comprises monitoring whether the authenticated check target gets close to or in physical contact with the other check target based on position information and/or time information of the check target being tracked.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having stored a program, the program causing an authentication apparatus to perform a method of the authentication apparatus, the method comprising:

registering, on a registration unit, authentication information representing a check target;

performing a first authentication on the check target at an entrance of the check target to a first area;

detecting a check target present in a detection area and expected to be authenticated in a second authentication, the second authentication to be performed on the check target authenticated in the first authentication at an entrance to a second area; and

performing the second authentication using registration information of the detected check target, the registration information being retrieved from the registration unit.

12. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, the method further comprising tracking the check target in the first area,

wherein the detecting includes detecting in accordance with tracking information obtained in the tracking that the check target has gotten close to or in physical contact with another check target, and

wherein the second authentication includes retrieving, from the registration unit, registration information of the other check target that the check target has gotten close to or in physical contact with, together with the registration information of the detected check target.

13. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, the method further comprising storing target information representing the check target authenticated at the entrance of the check target to the first area, and

wherein the second authentication includes authenticating the check target at the entrance of the check target to the second area using the stored target information.

14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the authentication information comprises biometric information representing the check target.

15. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the tracking comprises monitoring whether the authenticated check target gets close to or in physical contact with the other check target based on position information and/or time information of the check target being tracked.