Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – System access control based on user identification by... – Using record or token
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-24
2002-11-19
Hayes, Gail (Department: 2766)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
System access control based on user identification by...
Using record or token
C713S182000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06484260
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a personal identification system employing a biometric sensor for allowing access to secure facilities.
Some security systems, such as home security systems and door locks, require a user to enter a fixed code into a device at a host facility before allowing a person access to the facility. Other systems, such as automated teller machines (ATM), require a person to submit an authorized card and also to enter a fixed code that is associated with the person's bank accounts. Automobile alarms, locks, and disabling devices, and garage door openers can be operated by pressing a button on a small remote device to transmit a coded signal to a receiving unit on the automobile or garage.
Each of these security systems can be operated by any person who is in possession of the fixed code, the card or the transmitting device, as the case may be. Therefore, each of these systems is inherently insecure. Where absolute security is essential, some host facilities employ a biometric sensor to measure a biometric trait of a person requesting access to the host facility. The biometric trait is a unique identifier of a person, and can be, for example, a person's fingerprint, voice pattern, iris pattern, or the like. The requesting person also enters other identifying information about himself. The measured biometric trait is compared with stored biometric data associated with the identified person and, if there is a match, the requesting person is allowed entry or access to the host facility.
In presently available biometric systems, each authorized person registers with the host facility by providing a sample of their biometric trait, for example, by having his fingerprint optically scanned into a host system data base. Each host facility must have a biometric sensor, access to the database of registered persons' biometric trait registration data, and a processing system capable of quickly searching the database and conducting the comparison to verify a person's identity. However, if the set of authorized persons is large, such a system would require a huge database to store the fingerprint images of all the authorized persons, and the identification process would become slower as the set of authorized persons increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, a portable personal identification device for providing secure access to a host facility includes a biometric sensor system capable of sensing a biometric trait of a user that is unique to the user and providing a biometric signal indicative thereof. A processing circuit responsive to the biometric signal is adapted to compare the biometric signal with stored biometric data representative of the biometric trait of an enrolled person that is indicative of the identity of the enrolled person. The processor provides a verification signal only if the biometric signal corresponds sufficiently to the biometric data to verify that the user is the enrolled person. The verification signal is indicative of the enrolled person or the device. A communication unit, including a transmitter circuit, is adapted to transmit the verification signal to a remote host system.
The communication unit is preferably adapted for remote communication with the host system via a wireless communication medium. The device can further include a display and a keypad.
The biometric sensor system can include a fingerprint sensor, a voice sensor, or any other type of biometric sensor. The fingerprint sensor can include a platen adapted for placing a finger thereon. The fingerprint sensor can further include an optical image sensor, which may include a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) optical sensor, a charge coupled device (CCD) optical sensor, or any other optical sensor having sufficient resolution to provide a signal indicative of a fingerprint image. In the embodiments with an optical sensor, the platen would include an optical platen, and the biometric sensor may also include a lens focusing light from the platen onto the optical sensor. The fingerprint sensor can alternatively include a direct contact sensor device, such as a capacitive sensor chip or thermal sensor chip. In these embodiments, the platen would be the surface of the sensor chip.
The processing unit can include a processor circuit, a memory and an encoder, wherein the memory stores the biometric data, and wherein the verification signal includes an encrypted signal encrypted by the encoder. In one embodiment, the encoder includes an encoding circuit, and the verification signal further includes an ID code indicative of the enrolled person or the device.
In another embodiment, the encoder comprises an encryption algorithm programmed into the processor. The encryption algorithm employs a private key indicative of the enrolled person or the device. In this embodiment, the communication unit can further include a receiver circuit. The memory can further store an ID code indicative of the enrolled person or the device. The processor unit can be further adapted to first cause the transmitter circuit to transmit an ID code signal indicative of the ID code to the host system. The receiver circuit can be adapted to receive a host response signal transmitted by the host system in response to the ID code signal. The processor unit employs the encryption algorithm and the private key to encrypt the host response signal to create the verification signal, and causes the transmitter circuit to transmit the verification signal to the host system only if the biometric signal corresponds sufficiently to the biometric data to verify that the user is the enrolled person.
In either of these embodiments, the memory can be located in a removable plug-in module, and the personal identification device further includes a socket adapted to receive the module.
According to another aspect of the invention, a portable, hand-held personal identification device for providing secure access to a host facility includes a housing. A fingerprint sensor system in the housing is capable of sensing a fingerprint of a user and providing a fingerprint signal indicative thereof. The fingerprint sensor system includes a platen on a surface of the housing adapted to receive a finger. A communication unit in the housing is adapted for wireless communication with a separate host system. The communication unit includes a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit. A slot in the housing receives a removable smart card that includes a memory. The device can be combined with the smart card. The memory in the smart card stores a fingerprint template representative of the fingerprint of an enrolled person, and an ID code and a personal encryption key being associated with the device. A processing circuit in the device is adapted to cause the ID code signal from memory to be transmitted by the transmitting circuit. The processing circuit is further adapted to cause a host response signal received by the receiving circuit signal from the host system in response to the ID code signal to be encrypted according an encryption algorithm employing the personal encryption key and to cause the encrypted host response signal to be transmitted by the transmitting circuit only if the fingerprint signal corresponds sufficiently to the fingerprint template to verify that the user is the registered person.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of providing secure access to a host facility includes the step of registering one or more persons with the host facility, including storing a unique ID code and a public encryption key for each registered person. The method also includes receiving a first transmission comprising a first user signal at the host facility, generating and then transmitting a random number signal from the host facility only if the first user signal represents one of the stored ID codes, receiving a second transmission comprising a second user signal at the host facility, decrypting the second user signal with the publ
Curtis Terence Patrick
Scott John D.
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Hayes Gail
Identix, Inc.
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