Method of telephone number dialing based on biometric information

• US 20020176565A1
• Filed: 05/24/2001
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Activcard Ireland, Limited (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Activcard Ireland, Limited (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Decrouy, Anne, Freedman, Gordon, Hamid, Larry
• Application Number:
  US09/863,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20020176565A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/355.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27467 Methods of retrieving data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords

Abstract

A telephone is provided with a biometric input sensor for receiving a biometric input. The telephone also includes memory for storing a plurality of phone numbers each associated with unique biometric information template. A comparator compares the biometric input to stored biometric templates in a database. Upon finding a match between the biometric input and the stored biometric templates an associated telephone number is provided to the telephone for dialing.

Claims

1. A method of performing a speed-dial operation on a telephone system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing biometric information to a contact imaging device for providing to the telephone system biometric data in response to the provided biometric information;

processing the biometric data to automatically determine a telephone number associated with the provided biometric information; and

,

automatically dialing the determined telephone number.

9. An auto dialer according to claim 1, wherein the database includes a table having a biometric template and a single telephone number associated therewith.

10. An auto dialer according to claim 9, wherein the database includes a list of recently dialed phone numbers and an associated individual wherein, the individual is provided with their most recently dialed number upon being identified.

11. An auto dialer according to claim 1, comprising a redial button including a contact imaging sensor wherein provision of different fingertips to the redial button results in dialing of different recently dialed telephone numbers.

12. An auto dialer according to claim 11, wherein the database comprises entries for each of a plurality of recently dialed telephone numbers and an association with an individual who dialed them.

14. A method of performing a speed-dial operation on a telephone system forming part of a telephone network according to claim 13, comprising the step of transmitting received biometric data to the processor, the processor co-located with a storage device for storing the database.

15. A method of performing a speed-dial operation on a telephone system forming part of a telephone network according to claim 14, wherein the step of transmitting received biometric data to the processor, is a same step on each of a plurality of locations within the network, and wherein the processor is a central processor for processing biometric data transmitted from each of the plurality of locations.

18. A method of performing an operation on any of a plurality of devices controlled via a same controller as defined in claim 16, comprising the steps of providing a control function and wherein the control signal is indicative of the control function.

19. A method of performing an operation on any of a plurality of devices controlled via a same controller as defined in claim 18, wherein the controller is a wireless controller and wherein the control signal is a wireless control signal for the associated device for performing the control function.

2. A method of performing a speed-dial operation on a telephone system, wherein the telephone system comprises stored biometric templates and wherein the step of determining a telephone number comprises the steps of:

processing the biometric data to determine a biometric template of the stored biometric templates that corresponds to the biometric data within predetermined limits; and

,

determining the telephone number associated with the determined biometric template.

3. A method of performing a speed-dial operation on a telephone system according to claim 2, comprising the step of:

receiving biometric information from a biometric information source other than a biometric information source for which a template is stored;

receiving a telephone number for storage; and

storing a biometric template derived from the biometric information and a telephone number associated therewith.

4. A method of performing a speed-dial operation on a telephone system according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

upon determining a corresponding biometric template, retrieving a telephone number associated with the corresponding biometric template; and

providing the telephone number to the telephone system for dialing.

5. An auto-dialer comprising:

memory for storing at least a database including data relating to biometric templates and telephone numbers and an association therebetween;

a contact-imaging sensor for receiving biometric information; and

,

a processor for comparing the biometric information to stored biometric templates in order to determine a substantial match and for providing a telephone number associated with the biometric template with which the biometric information matches to a system for dialing the provided telephone number.

6. A telephone system according to claim 5, wherein the contact imaging sensor is for sensing fingertip prints.

7. A telephone system according to claim 5, comprising a numeric keypad, wherein the database is additionally for receiving and storing biometric templates and a telephone number entered via the numeric keypad in association therewith.

8. An auto dialer according to claim 5, wherein the database includes sufficient memory for storing each of a plurality of biometric templates and an associated telephone number for each.

13. A method of performing a speed-dial operation on a telephone system forming part of a telephone network comprising a database for storing biometric templates, the method comprising the steps of:

providing biometric information to a contact imaging device in communication with the network for providing biometric data in response to the provided biometric information;

processing the biometric data with a processor to determine a biometric template that corresponds to the biometric data within predetermined limits;

retrieving from the database a telephone number associated with the biometric template; and

,

automatically, dialing the retrieved telephone number.

16. A method of performing an operation on any of a plurality of devices controlled via a same controller comprising the steps of:

providing biometric information to a contact imaging device in communication with the network for providing biometric data in response to the provided biometric information;

processing the biometric data with a processor to determine a device from the plurality of devices with which the template is associated; and

,

providing a control signal to the associated device for controlling a function thereof.

17. A method of performing a speed-dial operation on a telephone system, wherein the telephone system comprises stored biometric templates and wherein the step of processing the biometric data comprises the steps of:

processing the biometric data to determine a biometric template of the stored biometric templates that corresponds to the biometric data within predetermined limits; and

,

determining the device associated with the determined biometric template.

20. An auto-dialer comprising:

memory for storing at least a database including data relating to biometric templates and telephone numbers and an association therebetween;

a contact-imaging sensor for receiving biometric information; and

,

a processor for analysing the biometric information in order to determine a telephone number associated with the biometric information and for providing the telephone number to a system for dialing the provided telephone number.