Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Credit or identification card systems
Patent
1996-01-04
1998-10-20
Hajec, Donald T.
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Credit or identification card systems
902 3, 382124, 382127, G06K 300, G06K 900
Patent
active
058250050
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to identifications cards of a type used in many forms and designs by banks, in trade and by the industry. Examples of such cards include: identity cards, check cards, credit cards, proofs of authority for locking units, vaults and the like, other security papers, savings bank deposit books, certificates.
In order to prevent unauthorized use of cards of this type, a wide range of safety measures has already been proposed, e.g. secret numbers and photographs. The former can be easily detected by observation. Photographs become outdated and are not forgery-proof.
Furthermore, it has been proposed to base the identification on one of the fingerprints of the card owner. According to DE 4,218,821 A1, a fingerprint of the card owner is imprinted on the credit card. Upon use, the natural fingerprint of the card owner is compared with the imprint on the card. However, fingerprints are also not forgery-proof and can be imitated and copied together with the credit card.
DE 3,335,678 A1 describes an identification card which stores a fingerprint of an individual in coded form. The codification of the stored fingerprint is effected on the basis of a characteristic code derived from this fingerprint according to a predetermined rule. A clearing signal is triggered only if a comparison shows that the natural fingerprint matches the fingerprint encoded on the identification card.
Codification and decoding as well as comparison of the codification is cumbersome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention is to provide an identification card which permits a codification and checking in a simple manner and which cannot be used by a third party when being stolen or lost.
According to the invention, a method of coding identification cards on the basis of fingerprints is proposed which includes taking of a plurality of fingerprints of the card owner by means of a fingerprint sensor. An imprint of the taken fingerprints is applied as a key code onto the identification card, and a scrambling code is used to select and store at least one of the other fingerprints as identification code.
According to the invention, prints are taken from all the fingers of both hands, including the thumbs, by means of a fingerprint sensor for generating the key code and the identification code. For many people who use the card only infrequently and, in particular, for the elderly, this has the advantage that it becomes unnecessary for them to remember the fingers from which the prints were taken for codification.
There is no need for the owner to know the fingerprint that is selected as key code. Especially for a layman, it will not be realizable, if only a particular part of the fingerprint is used for codification. Knowledge of the finger upon which the key code is based is of little value even to an unauthorized individual because it merely represents the key code which does not yet permit use of the identification card.
The plurality of prints offers greater security for scrambling. Scrambling codes and methods are known.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the key code is made only from prints of specific fingers. If this form of codification is combined with a measure that in a manner known per se renders the card useless if the key code fails to match the natural fingerprint, a further safety mechanism is integrated.
The identification code may be formed from a single fingerprint or from several fingerprints. Security is increased if there are several fingerprints. However, considering the differences between the fingerprints, a single print is in effect also completely sufficient.
According to another proposal of the invention, the method of identifying an identification card that is imprinted with a key code, comprises taking a plurality of fingerprints of the card owner by means of a fingerprint sensor, comparing the fingerprints with the fingerprint key code on the identification card and opening a memory if a natural fingerprint matches the fingerprint key
REFERENCES:
patent: 4338025 (1982-07-01), Engel
patent: 4532508 (1985-07-01), Ruell
patent: 4582985 (1986-04-01), Lofberg
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patent: 5465303 (1995-11-01), Levison et al.
patent: 5509083 (1996-04-01), Abtahi et al.
patent: 5513272 (1996-04-01), Bogosian, Jr.
Feiereisen Henry M.
Hajec Donald T.
Rodriguez Douglas X.
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