Removable swipe-imaging device and method for identifying same

• US 20030053665A1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activcard Ireland, Limited (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Activcard Ireland, Limited (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Hamid, Laurence
• Granted Patent: US 7,724,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification

Abstract

A removable swipe-imaging device and a method for identifying the device are disclosed. The removable swipe-imaging device is for limiting access to protected area to authorized individuals. The removable swipe-imaging device comprises a sensing pad with an integrated processor for processing sensed biometric image data; the processor comprising an encoding circuit for encoding the sensed biometric image data in response to a challenge received from a host processor, the encoded sensed image data for being transmitted to the host processor and decoded based on the challenge. The method for identifying the device comprises the steps of: providing a biometric sample to the sensor; capturing a biometric image indicative of the biometric sample for generating biometric image data; generating a challenge, the challenge stored in a storage medium in communication with a host processor; providing the generated challenge to the imaging sensor; encoding the biometric image data within the sensor in dependence upon the challenge; and, transmitting the encoded biometric image data to the host processor.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a sensor comprising the steps of:

a) providing a biometric sample to the sensor;

b) capturing a biometric image indicative of the biometric sample for generating biometric image data indicative of the biometric image;

c) generating a challenge, the challenge stored in a storage medium in communication with a host processor;

d) providing the generated challenge to the imaging sensor;

e) encoding the biometric image data within the sensor in dependence upon the challenge; and

,

f) transmitting the encoded biometric image data to the host processor.

2. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 1 comprising the steps of:

performing with the host processor the steps of;

decoding the encoded image data based on the challenge;

performing one of authorizing the sensor and other than authorizing the sensor; and

,

performing a step of one of authenticating a user and failing to authenticate the user.

3. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 2 wherein the step of performing a step of one of authenticating the user and failing to authenticate the user comprises the step of comparing the decoded image data against stored templates.

4. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 3 comprising the steps of:

retrieving the challenge by the host processor; and

erasing the challenge from the storage medium.

5. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 1 wherein the sensor is a swipe contact imager and comprising the step of swiping a fingertip across the swipe contact imager.

6. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 1 wherein the step of generating a challenge comprises the step of inserting within the challenge data indicative of at least an encoding operation.

7. A method according to claim 1 comprising the step of retrieving from a timing device integrated with the sensor a time value.

8. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 7 wherein the step of encoding the image data comprises the step of inserting data indicative of the time value within the encoded image data.

9. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 8 the step of generating a challenge comprises the step of determining a host time value for the generated challenge for use in determining compatibility between the inserted data and the assigned time value.

10. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 9 wherein the step of determining compatibility comprises the step of evaluating whether a difference between the time value indicated by the inserted data and the determined host time value is within predetermined limits.

11. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 10 wherein the step of determining compatibility is for ensuring synchronization between the host processor and the processor associated with the imaging sensor.

12. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 7 wherein the step of encoding the image data comprises the step of determining an encoding operation based on the time value.

13. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 7 wherein the step of encoding the image data comprises the step of determining further challenge data within the sensor and based on the time value, the further challenge data for being determined independently by the host processor based on a time value retrieved thereby other than from the sensor.

14. A method for identifying a sensor according to claim 1 wherein the step of encoding the image data comprises the step of reversibly encoding the biometric data.

15. A removable swipe-imaging device for generating encoded image data in response to a challenge provided by a host processor, the removable swipe imaging device having:

a first transceiver for receiving a challenge from the host processor and for providing a response thereto;

a sensing pad for sensing a biometric information sample passed thereacross;

a processor integrated with the sensing pad, the processor for receiving sensed biometric image data of the biometric sample and for generating image data based on the biometric image;

the processor comprising;

an encoding circuit for encoding the sensed biometric image data in response to a challenge received at the first transceiver, the encoded sensed image data for being provided to the first transceiver for transmission to the host processor;

wherein absent knowledge of the generated challenge, decoding the encoded image data by the host processor is not capable of being performed.

16. A removable swipe imaging device according to claim 15 wherein he encoding circuit comprising a plurality of individual encoding circuits, the plurality of individual encoding circuits for independent use in dependence upon the challenge.

17. A removable swipe-imaging device according to claim 15 comprising a sensor clock for generating a sensor time value associated with the image data, the sensor time value being different for a different image data and wherein the encoding circuit includes a circuit for encoding the sensor time value within the encoded biometric image data.

18. A removable swipe-imaging device according to claim 15 comprising a sensor clock for generating a sensor time value associated with the image data, the sensor time value being different for a different image data and wherein the encoding circuit comprises individual encoding circuits responsive to the sensor time value for encoding the sensed biometric image data based on the sensor time value wherein some sensor time values result in activation of different individual encoding circuits from others.

19. A removable swipe-imaging device according to claim 15 comprising the host processor wherein the host processor comprises:

a challenge generator for generating a challenge upon reception of data indicative of an imminent use of the removable swipe imaging device;

a transceiver for transmitting the challenge to the processor and for receiving the encoded image data from the processor; and

a storage medium for storing the challenge, the challenge stored for being retrieved for use in the decoding of the encoded image data.

20. A removable swipe-imaging device according to claim 19 comprising a host clock for generating a host time value and for assigning the host time value to the challenge, the host time value being different for a different challenge.

21. A removable swipe-imaging device according to claim 15 comprising a sensor clock for generating a sensor time value associated with the image data, the sensor time value being different for a different image data and wherein the encoding circuit includes a circuit for encoding in a fashion indicative of the sensor time value and wherein the sensor time value and the host time value are for use in verifying synchronization of the sensor and the host processor.

22. A removable swipe-imaging device according to claim 15 comprising a mating connector for facilitating one of removing and engaging the removable swipe imaging device.

23. Two storage media including

a first storage medium having instruction data stored therein for use in authorizing a sensor, the instruction data including instructions for the steps of:

generating a challenge;

storing the challenge in a storage medium in communication with a host processor;

receiving encoded image data;

decoding the encoded image data based on the challenge;

performing one of authorizing the sensor and other than authorizing the sensor; and

,

performing a step of one of authenticating a user and failing to authenticate the user; and

a second storage medium having instruction data stored therein for use in authorizing a sensor, the instruction data including instructions for the steps of;

generating biometric image data indicative of a sensed biometric image;

providing the generated challenge to the imaging sensor encoding the biometric image data within the sensor in dependence upon the challenge; and

,

transmitting the encoded biometric image data to the host processor.