Biometric authentication apparatus, biometric authentication system and biometric data management method

Abstract

Disclosed is an information processing device including a biometric authentication apparatus, including: an operation unit receiving an instruction from a user; a biometric reading unit reading biometric data; a verification data storage unit storing a plurality of pieces of verification data for verifying against the biometric data; a control unit verifying the biometric data read by the biometric reading unit against the verification data and storing the biometric data as the verification data into the verification data storage unit based on the instruction input through the operation unit; and an information unit informing of a verification result by the control unit, wherein the control unit verifies the biometric data against the verification data before the storage of the biometric data, and when the verification result indicates a disagreement, the control unit stores the biometric data into the verification data storage unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view showing the configuration of a biometric authentication system;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the internal configuration of an image formation apparatus 1 to which a biometric authentication apparatus of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a priority order table stored in a storage unit;

FIG. 4 is a view showing the internal configuration of a biometric data server;

FIG. 5 is a view showing the procedure of verification data registration processing;

FIG. 6 is a view showing the procedure of duplication ascertainment processing in the verification data registration processing in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view showing the procedure of registration processing in the duplication ascertainment processing in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view showing the procedure of verification data deletion processing;

FIG. 9 is a view showing the procedure of biometric authentication processing;

FIG. 10 is a view showing the procedure of deletion processing in the biometric authentication processing in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a view showing the procedure of registration processing in the biometric authentication processing in FIG. 9.

Claims

1. A biometric authentication apparatus, comprising: an operation unit receiving an instruction from a user;a biometric reading unit reading biometric data;a verification data storage unit storing a plurality of pieces of verification data for verifying against the biometric data;a control unit verifying the biometric data read by the biometric reading unit against the verification data and storing the biometric data as the verification data into the verification data storage unit based on the instruction input through the operation unit; andan information unit informing of a verification result by the control unit,wherein the control unit verifies the biometric data against the verification data before the storage of the biometric data, and when the verification result indicates a disagreement, the control unit stores the biometric data into the verification data storage unit.

2. The biometric authentication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information unit informs of a result of the storage of the biometric data by the control unit.

3. The biometric authentication apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user management information storage unit storing user management information including identification information for identifying the user and/or personal identification number peculiar to the user, wherein the control unit stores the biometric data into the verification data storage unit when the user management information input through the operation unit agrees with the user management information stored in the user management information storage unit.

4. The biometric authentication apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when an instruction instructing deletion of specific verification data among the plurality of pieces of verification data stored in the verification data storage unit is input, the control unit deletes the specified verification data from the verification data storage unit.

5. The biometric authentication apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a user management information storage unit storing user management information including identification information for identifying the user and/or personal identification number peculiar to the user, wherein when the user management information input through the operation unit agrees with the user management information stored in the user management information storage unit, the control unit deletes the specified verification data from the verification data storage unit.

6. The biometric authentication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biometric reading unit reads as the biometric data at least one of a fingerprint, a vein, an iris, a retina, a hand shape, a facial configuration, a somatotype and a voice print of the user.

7. A biometric authentication apparatus, comprising: an operation unit receiving an instruction from a user;a biometric reading unit reading biometric data;a verification data storage unit storing a plurality of pieces of verification data for verifying against the biometric data;a control unit verifying the biometric data read by the biometric reading unit against the verification data and storing the biometric data as the verification data into the verification data storage unit based on the instruction input through the operation unit; andan information unit informing of a verification result by the control unit,wherein the information unit gives a notice of urging ascertainment of whether to store the biometric data into the verification data storage unit when a verification result by the control unit indicates a disagreement, andthe control unit stores the biometric data into the verification data storage unit when an instruction allowing the storage of the biometric data into the verification data storage unit is input through the operation unit.

8. The biometric authentication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the information unit informs of a result of the storage of the biometric data by the control unit.

9. The biometric authentication apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a user management information storage unit storing user management information including identification information for identifying the user and/or personal identification number peculiar to the user, wherein the control unit stores the biometric data into the verification data storage unit when the user management information input through the operation unit agrees with the user management information stored in the user management information storage unit.

10. The biometric authentication apparatus of claim 7, wherein when an instruction instructing deletion of specific verification data among the plurality of pieces of verification data stored in the verification data storage unit is input, the control unit deletes the specified verification data from the verification data storage unit.

11. The biometric authentication apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a user management information storage unit storing user management information including identification information for identifying the user and/or personal identification number peculiar to the user, wherein when the user management information input through the operation unit agrees with the user management information stored in the user management information storage unit, the control unit deletes the specified verification data from the verification data storage unit.

12. The biometric authentication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the biometric reading unit reads as the biometric data at least one of a fingerprint, a vein, an iris, a retina, a hand shape, a facial configuration, a somatotype and a voice print of the user.

13. A biometric authentication system comprising: one or a plurality of the biometric authentication apparatus of claim 1, and a biometric data server equipped with a second verification data storage unit storing a plurality of verification data for verifying against biometric data read by the biometric authentication apparatus, the biometric authentication apparatus and the biometric data server connected with each other in a state capable of performing communication with each other, wherein when the control unit of the biometric authentication apparatus stores the biometric data, the control unit transmits the biometric data to the biometric data server, andthe biometric data server is provided with a second control unit storing the biometric data transmitted from the biometric authentication apparatus into the second verification data storage unit as the verification data.

14. The biometric authentication system of claim 13, wherein when the control unit deletes specific verification data from the verification data storage unit, the control unit transmits instruction information instructing deletion of the specific verification data to the biometric data server, and the second control unit deletes the specific verification data from the second verification data storage unit based on the instruction information transmitted from the biometric authentication apparatus.

15. A biometric authentication system comprising: one or a plurality of the biometric authentication apparatus of claim 7, and a biometric data server equipped with a second verification data storage unit storing a plurality of verification data for verifying against biometric data read by the biometric authentication apparatus, the biometric authentication apparatus and the biometric data server connected with each other in a state capable of performing communication with each other, wherein when the control unit of the biometric authentication apparatus stores the biometric data, the control unit transmits the biometric data to the biometric data server, andthe biometric data server is provided with a second control unit storing the biometric data transmitted from the biometric authentication apparatus into the second verification data storage unit as the verification data.

16. The biometric authentication system of claim 15, wherein when the control unit deletes specific verification data from the verification data storage unit, the control unit transmits instruction information instructing deletion of the specific verification data to the biometric data server, and the second control unit deletes the specific verification data from the second verification data storage unit based on the instruction information transmitted from the biometric authentication apparatus.

17. A biometric data management method, comprising: an operation step to receive an instruction from a user;a biometric reading step to read biometric data;a verification data storage step to store a plurality of pieces of verification data for verifying against the biometric data;a control step to verify the biometric data read in the biometric reading step against the verification data, and to store the biometric data as the verification data based on the instruction input in the operation step; andan information step to inform of a verification result in the control step,wherein the control step verifies the biometric data against the verification data before storing the biometric data, and when a verification result indicates a disagreement, the control step stores the biometric data.

18. The biometric data management method of claim 17, wherein the information step informs of a result of the storage of the biometric data in the control step.

19. The biometric data management method of claim 17, wherein further comprising a user management information storage step to store user management information including identification information for identifying the user and/or personal identification number peculiar to the user, wherein the control step stores the biometric data into the verification data storage unit when the user management information input in the operation step agrees with the user management information stored in the user management information storage step.

20. The biometric data management method of claim 17, wherein when an instruction instructing deletion of specific verification data among the plurality of pieces of verification data stored in the verification data storage unit is input, the control step deletes the specified verification data.

21. The biometric data management method of claim 20, further comprising a user management information storage step to store user management information including identification information for identifying the user and/or personal identification number peculiar to the user, wherein when the user management information input in the operation step agrees with the user management information stored in the user management information storage step, the control step deletes the specified verification data.

22. The biometric data management method of claim 17, wherein the biometric reading step reads as the biometric data at least one of a fingerprint, a vein, an iris, a retina, a hand shape, a facial configuration, a somatotye and a voice print of the user.

23. A biometric data management method, comprising: an operation step to receive an instruction from a user;a biometric reading step to read biometric data;a verification data storage step to store a plurality of pieces of verification data for verifying against the biometric data;a control step to verify the biometric data read in the biometric reading step against the verification data, and to store the biometric data as the verification data based on the instruction input in the operation step; andan information step to inform of a verification result in the control step,wherein the information step gives a notice of urging ascertainment of whether to store the biometric data when a verification result in the control step indicates a disagreement, andthe control step stores the biometric data when an instruction allowing the storage of the biometric data is input in the operation step.

24. The biometric data management method of claim 23, the information step informs of a result of the storage of the biometric data in the control step.

25. The biometric data management method of claim 23, wherein further comprising a user management information storage step to store user management information including identification information for identifying the user and/or personal identification number peculiar to the user, wherein the control step stores the biometric data into the verification data storage unit when the user management information input in the operation step agrees with the user management information stored in the user management information storage step.

26. The biometric data management method of claim 23, wherein when an instruction instructing deletion of specific verification data among the plurality of pieces of verification data stored in the verification data storage unit is input, the control step deletes the specified verification data.

27. The biometric data management method of claim 26, further comprising a user management information storage step to store user management information including identification information for identifying the user and/or personal identification number peculiar to the user, wherein when the user management information input in the operation step agrees with the user management information stored in the user management information storage step, the control step deletes the specified verification data.

28. The biometric data management method of claim 23, wherein the biometric reading step reads as the biometric data at least one of a fingerprint, a vein, an iris, a retina, a hand shape, a facial configuration, a somatotype and a voice print of the user.