Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – System access control based on user identification by... – Using record or token
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-21
2001-01-30
Swann, Tod R. (Department: 2767)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
System access control based on user identification by...
Using record or token
C713S152000, C380S285000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182221
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates generally to personal identification or verification systems and, more particularly, to systems that automatically verify a person's identity before granting access to valuable information or granting the ability to perform various transactions remotely. Traditionally, keys and locks, or combination locks, have been used to limit access to property, on the theory that only persons with a right to access the property will have the required key or combination. This traditional approach is, of course, still widely used to limit access to a variety of enclosed spaces, including rooms, buildings, automobiles and safe deposit boxes in banks. In recent years, mechanical locks have been supplanted by electronic ones actuated by encoded plastic cards, as used, for example, for access to hotel room doors, or to bank automatic teller machines (ATMs). In the latter case, the user of the plastic card as a “key” to a bank account must also supply a personal identification number (PIN) before access is granted.
A significantly different problem is presented when someone seeks access to information remotely, such as by telephone or through some other type of communication network. Telephone verification of identity is typically accomplished using passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), or words of which only a limited number of people have knowledge. Banks frequently use the customer's mother's maiden name as an access code, sometimes coupled with other codes or numbers theoretically known only to the customer. There are many practical shortcomings to this approach, the most obvious of which is that any of these codes or secret words can be stolen, lost or fall into the wrong hands by other means. Security may be increased by encoding identity data into magnetic stripes on plastic identification cards, which are used in conjunction with telephones that have appropriate card readers. The use of “smart cards” containing even more information on an integrated-circuit TRW chip has also been proposed, but these approaches also have the drawback that the identity cards may be lost or stolen.
Accordingly, there is a widely felt need for a more reliable technique for providing secure access to information and assets, particularly for users who seek this access over a communication system of some kind. Ideally, the technique should positively verify the identity of the person seeking remote access, and should eliminate the need to carry multiple scannable cards, and the need to memorize combinations, passwords and PINs. The present invention satisfies this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention resides in apparatus, and a method for its use, for automatically verifying the identity of a person seeking remote access to a protected property. The protected property may take a variety of forms, but typically includes a remotely located computer to which a user seeks access for reading or writing information. Alternatively, the protected property may be a building or other structure and the user wishes to activate or deactivate an alarm system in the building.
Briefly, and in general terms, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a personal identification device and means for securely communicating identity confirmation to a door that provides access to the protected property upon receipt of the identity confirmation. The personal identification device includes a sensor, for reading biometric data identifying a person seeking access to a protected property, storage means, for storing reference biometric data identifying a person authorized to have access to the protected property, and a correlator, for comparing the stored reference biometric data with the biometric data of the person seeking access and determining whether they match. The apparatus may further comprise a user interface having a first switch to initiate operation of the apparatus in a verification mode, and a second switch, actuation of which places the apparatus in an enroll mode of operation, wherein biometric data from the sensor are stored in the storage means for subsequent retrieval in the verification mode of operation.
In one of the disclosed embodiments of the invention, the sensor, the storage means and the correlator are all integrated into a portable communication device, such as a telephone, which may be a device carried by the person, or some other type of communication device remote from the protected property. In the disclosed embodiments, the means for securely communicating identity confirmation includes means for generating a numerical value from the stored reference biometric data; encryption logic, for encrypting the numerical value; and a communication interface for sending the encrypted numerical value to the door, together with identification data for the person. The door provides the desired access to the protected property upon confirming that the transmitted numerical value is the same as one previously provided by the person during a registration procedure.
The apparatus of the invention may further include a receiver, for receiving an encryption key generated by and transmitted from the door, and means for storing a private encryption key in the identification device. Further, the encryption logic in the device includes means for doubly encrypting the numerical value using the encryption key received from the door and the private encryption key.
The apparatus of the invention may also be defined as a separate device that includes a sensor, for reading fingerprint data identifying a user seeking access to a protected property; a memory for storing a reference fingerprint image of the user during an enrollment procedure and for holding the reference image for future use; an image correlator, for comparing the stored reference image with a fingerprint image of the user seeking access, as obtained from the sensor, and for determining whether the two images match; and means for securely communicating identity confirmation to a door that provides access to the protected property upon receipt of the identity confirmation. More specifically, the means for securely communicating identity confirmation includes means for generating a numerical value from the stored reference fingerprint image; encryption logic, for encrypting the numerical value; and a transmitter for sending the encrypted numerical value to the door, together with user identification data. The door provides the desired access to the protected property upon confirming that the transmitted numerical value is the same as one previously provided by the user during a registration procedure.
In the personal identification device as defined in the previous paragraph, the means for generating a numerical value includes means for generating a cyclic redundancy code from the stored reference fingerprint image. The device further includes a receiver, for receiving an encryption key generated by and transmitted from the door; and means for storing a private encryption key in the device. The encrypticn logic in the device includes means for doubly encrypting the numerical value using the encryption key received from the door and the private encryption key.
In terms of a novel method for automatically verifying the identity of user seeking access to a remotely located, protected computer, the invention comprises the steps of sensing biometric data of a user, through a sensor that is part of a personal identification device carried by the user; comparing the sensed biometric data with reference biometric data previously stored in the personal identification device; determining whether the sensed biometric data match the reference biometric data; if there is a match, securely communicating, through a communication network, an identity confirmation to a door that controls access to the protected computer; and upon confirmation of the identity of the user at the door, providing the desired access to this protected computer. The method further comprises the step of initiating normal operation of
Evans Bruce W.
Hsu Shi-Ping
Ling James M.
Messenger Arthur F.
Darrow Justin
Swann Tod R.
TRW Inc.
Yatsko Michael S.
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