Authentication apparatus employing image, method of authentication, authentication program product, and storage medium having the program stored therein

A method of authentication effected by a computer performing an authentication process based on a result of comparing image data, comprising the steps of:

• employing a pickup in accordance with a parameter value received to pick up an image of an object and output an image signal of said object;
• receiving and converting said image signal to image data for output;
• in an enrollment mode, determining said parameter value in accordance with said image data output at the step of converting;
• storing said parameter value determined at the step of determining and said image data output at the step of converting in association with each other;
• and
• in an authentication mode, reading said parameter value from said storage and outputting said read parameter value to said pickup, and comparing said image data associated with said parameter read from said storage with said image data output at the step of converting.

A program product causing a computer to perform a method of authentication, comprising:

• computer readable first program code means for causing said computer to operate in accordance with a parameter value received to use a pickup to pick up an image of an object and output an image signal of said object;
• computer readable second program code means for causing said computer to convert to image data said image signal output by said computer readable first program code means, and output said image data;
• computer readable third program code means for causing said computer in an enrollment mode to determine said parameter value as based on said image data output by said computer readable second program code means;
• computer readable fourth program code means for causing said computer to associate said parameter value determined by said computer readable third program code means with said image data output by said computer readable second program code means and thus store said parameter value and said image data to a storage;
• and
• computer readable fifth program code means for causing said computer in an authentication mode to read said parameter value from said storage and output said read parameter value to said pickup, and compare said image data associated with said parameter value read from said storage with said image data output by said computer readable second program code means.