Authentication device and control program

Abstract

In one embodiment, a customer authentication system includes at least one sensor configured to provide location information of people around a product display section. A customer authentication device is configured to provide customer identification information. A processing device is configured to perform location tracking of the people around the product display section based on the location information from the one or more sensors. The number of people in a predetermined area around the first customer authentication device is then determined based on the location tracking. The processing device enables customer authentication via the customer authentication device if only one person is in the predetermined area and disables customer authentication via the customer authentication device if more than one person is present in the predetermined area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A customer authentication system, comprising:
 a shelf provided in a first predetermined area of a store and having a product display section;   one or more sensors configured to provide location information of one or more persons in the first predetermined area;   a customer authentication device provided in a second predetermined area within the first predetermined area and configured to provide customer identification information; and   a processing device configured to:
 perform location tracking of the one or more persons in the first predetermined area based on the location information from the one or more sensors; 
 based on the location tracking, determine a number of persons in the second predetermined area; 
 enable customer authentication via the customer authentication device when the determined number of persons is one; and 
 disable customer authentication via the customer authentication device, when the determined number of persons is greater than one. 
   
     
     
         2 . The customer authentication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second predetermined area includes an entrance to the store. 
     
     
         3 . The customer authentication system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a display provided in the second predetermined area, wherein   the processing device is further configured to control the display to display an error message when the determined number of person is not one.   
     
     
         4 . The customer authentication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to assign a tracking ID to a person who has entered the first predetermined area, and associate the tracking ID of a person who is in the second predetermined area when the customer authentication is performed with a customer ID obtained through the customer authentication. 
     
     
         5 . The customer authentication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include a camera positioned to capture images of the first predetermined area. 
     
     
         6 . The customer authentication system according to  claim 1 , wherein the customer authentication device comprises a code reader configured to read a code symbol representing the customer identification information. 
     
     
         7 . The customer authentication system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is attached to the shelf. 
     
     
         8 . The customer authentication system according to  claim 1 , wherein no other customer authentication device than the customer authentication device is provided in the second predetermined area.