Encrypted biometric encoded security documents

• US 20030116630A1
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: KBA - Giori SA (Koenig & Bauer AG)
• Original Assignee: KBA - Giori SA (Koenig & Bauer AG)
• Inventors: Carey, Martin, Anderegg, Pierre-Yves, Hirsch, Hans-Jorg
• Application Number:
  US10/270,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20030116630A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.09
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06056 the marking comprising a further embedded marking, e.g. a 1D bar code with the black bars containing a smaller sized coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G09C 5/00 Ciphering apparatus or methods not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. involving the concealment or deformation of graphic data such as designs, written or printed messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861

Abstract

A data storage device is provided in which encoded binary machine-readable, digital hierarchical data may be stored. The data is represented by X-nary characters in a matrix. Two different hierarchical 2-D barcodes may be superimposed to increase the data storage capacity. The device is integrated in a system having a scanner, a identifying characteristic reader, a computer, a comparator, a connection device, and a display, all of which being managed by a computer operably connected therebetween. The scanner (a) reads a portable identification carrier onto which is encoded identifying characteristic data of at least one person; (b) sends such identification data to the computer for verification of authenticity of the carrier and (c) extracts a identifying characteristic of a certain identifying characteristic parameter from the identifying characteristic data encoded on the carrier. The identifying characteristic reader reads a same identifying characteristic parameter of the person purported to be identified by the carrier. The comparator compares the encoded identifying characteristic with the extracted identifying characteristic to authenticate the person associated with the carrier. The connection means, if the carrier and at least one person are authenticated, enables the computer to connect to a data storage device of travel permissions associated with that person or type of person. The display displays the user permissions to an authority to aid the authority in determining a disposition with regard to the person. A method of using a user permissions communication interface system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A data storage device in which encoded machine-readable, digital data may be stored, the data being represented as X-nary data in a 2-D matrix, wherein the X-nary data is represented by an X-nary bit comprising a line wherein a characteristic angular displacement from a reference determines the value of the X-nary bit.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the lins carries further data carrying characteristics.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein a data carrying characteristic is a direction indication.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the direction indication is an arrow.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein an angular spacing between adjacent digits necessary to enable storage of a comparable amount of data as that of a matrix of binary bits is equal to the ratio 180/(2 to the power of the number of matrices of binary bits).

6. A user permissions communication interface system comprising a scanner, a identifying characteristic reader, a computer, a comparator, a connection means, and a disposition device,

wherein the connection means operably connects the computer to the scanner, the reader and disposition device,

wherein the scanner reads a portable identification carrier on which is encoded machine-readable, digital identifying characteristic data of at least one person, the data being represented as X-nary data in a 2-D matrix, wherein the X-nary data is represented by an X-nary bit comprising a line wherein a characteristic angular displacement from a reference determines the value of the X-nary bit wherein further the computer has:

(a) transmission means to transmit such scanned identifying characteristic data from the scanner to the computer for verification of the authenticity of the carrier, and

(b) logical extraction means to extract an identifying characteristic of a certain identifying characteristic parameter from the identifying characteristic data encoded on the carrier,

wherein the identifying characteristic reader is adapted to read a same identifying characteristic parameter of the at least one person purported to be identified by the carrier,

wherein the comparator compares the encoded identifying characteristic with the extracted identifying characteristic to authenticate the at least one person associated with the carrier;

wherein the connection means, if the carrier and at least one person are authenticated, enables the computer to connect to a data storage device of permissions associated with that person or type of person; and

wherein the disposition device dispositions the at least one person in a prescribed manner.

7. The user permissions interface device of claim 6, wherein each barcode is each represented in a different color from either the visible or invisible part of the spectrum.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the identifying characteristic reader is chosen from a group of identifying characteristic readers consisting of biometric readers, license readers, travel authorization readers, and custody document readers.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the type of person is determined based on the nationality of the person.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the encoded identifying characteristic data is encrypted prior to being encoded onto the carrier.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the data storage device is integrated into the carrier.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data storage device is a printed graphical representation of the associated identifying characteristic readable by the scanner.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the carrier is a printable substrate.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the substrate is printed with security ink.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the graphical representation is of an encrypted identifying characteristic.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the storage device is a remote database storing permissions in association with persons in a secure manner.

17. The system of claim 6, wherein part of or all of the variable information on the identification carrier is encoded and encrypted in a data storage device on the same carrier.

18. The system of claim 6, wherein identifying characteristic data of at least two persons of which at least one has a legal responsibility for the other, are encoded on the carrier.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein a function is applied to the identifying characteristic data of the at least two persons to define a combined graphical representation of the at least two persons.

20. The system of claim 6, wherein the hierarchical 2-D barcode comprises combinations of primary colors cyan, magenta, and yellow.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the hierarchical 2-D barcode is multi-colored and thus capable of storing the data of a number of persons corresponding to the number of colors in the barcode.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the identifying characteristic data of each of the at least two persons is encoded on the hierarchical 2-D barcode of only a single primary color.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the combined graphical representation is comprised of the superposition of the hierarchical 2-D barcodes of at most three individuals.

24. The system of claim 6, wherein the accessed permissions of the at least two persons relate to responsibilities of one person with respect to another.

25. The system of claim 6, wherein the identifying characteristic data is selected from one of a group of identifying characteristic data consisting of iris scan data, retina scan data, fingerprint data, facial form data, hand form data, and individual DNA data.

26. The system of claim 6, wherein the permissions may be printed by a method selected from one of a group of methods consisting of offset digital, inkjet, bubble jet, laser printing and laser etching.

27. An enhanced data storage device for machine-readable, digital data, for use in a portable identification carrier having at least one application surface onto which at least one layer is applied, the layer comprising encoded X-nary machine-readable, digital identifying characteristic data of at least one person, the data of each person being represented in a different barcode in the at least one layer, each barcode being an hierarchical 2-D barcode in which data is represented in a 2-D matrix, wherein the X-nary data is represented by an X-nary bit comprising a line wherein a characteristic angular displacement from a reference determines the value of the X-nary bit.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the angular offset is equal to the ratio 180/(number of barcodes to be hierarchical 2-D).

29. The device of claim 27, wherein the encoded identifying characteristic data is encrypted prior to being encoded onto the carrier.

30. The device of claim 27, wherein the data storage device is integrated in the carrier.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the data storage device is a printed graphical representation of the associated identifying characteristic readable by the scanner.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the carrier is a printable substrate.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the substrate is printed with security ink.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the graphical representation is of an encrypted identifying characteristic.

35. The device of claim 31, wherein the graphical representation is an hierarchical 2-D barcode.

36. The device of claim 27, wherein the storage device is a remote database storing permissions in association with persons in a secure manner.

37. The device of claim 27, wherein part of or all of the variable information on the identification carrier is encoded and encrypted in a digital storage device on the same carrier.

38. The device of claim 27, wherein identifying characteristic data of at least two persons of which at least one has a legal responsibility for the other, is encoded on the carrier.

39. The device of claim 27, wherein a function is applied to the identifying characteristic data of the at least two persons to define a single graphical representation of the at least two persons.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein the graphical representation is an hierarchical 2-D barcode.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein the two dimensional bar code is comprised of combinations of primary colors cyan, magenta, and yellow.

42. The device of claim 40, wherein the two dimensional bar code is multi-colored and thus capable of storing the data of a number of persons corresponding to the number of colors in the bar code.

43. The device of claim 39 wherein the identifying characteristic data of each of the at least two persons is encoded on an hierarchical 2-D barcode of only a single primary color.

44. The device of claim 41, wherein the combination is comprised of the superposition of the 2D, primary color barcodes of at most three individuals.

45. The device of claim 36, wherein the accessed permissions of the at least two persons relate to responsibilities of one person with respect to another.

46. The system of claim 27 wherein the identifying characteristic data is selected from one of a group of identifying characteristic data consisting of iris scan data, retina scan data, fingerprint data, facial form data, hand form data, and individual DNA data.

47. The device of claim 36, wherein the permissions may be printed by a method selected from one of a group of methods consisting of offset digital, inkjet, bubble jet, laser printing, laser machining, and laser etching.

48. The device of claim 27 wherein the color is selected from either the visible or invisible part of the spectrum.

49. The device of claim 28 wherein any invisible layer extends over portions of the application surface of the carrier which may be printed with visible, non-encoded identifying characteristic data such as a digital photograph.

50. The data storage device of claim 27 wherein at least two persons are defined in a corresponding number of layers and hierarchical 2-D digitally to create a single multicolor image which is applied to a substrate.

51. An identification carrier reading and decoding device which reads and decodes an X-nary 2-D matrix encoded, encrypted identifying characteristic on a portable identification carrier, the device including a scanner, a processor, and a comparator, wherein the scanner reads the encrypted identifying characteristic and transmits the read data to the processor for processing, the processor decrypts the identifying characteristic and transmits the decrypted identifying characteristic on to the comparator, and the comparator compares this data with identifying characteristic data of the same type read by an identification characteristic reader from a person purported to be associated with the carrier, in order to verify the person'"'"'s identity and subsequently, if identity is verified, to permit access to corresponding permission data.

52. The device of claim 51, wherein the identifying characteristic reader is chosen from a group of identifying characteristic readers consisting of biometric readers, license readers, travel authorization readers, and custody document readers.

53. A method of increasing the data storage capacity of a printed data storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

a. optionally encrypting data to be stored;

b. encoding such data into a superimposable, differentiable information layer, each layer of information being differentiated from other such layers through a specific characteristic in its representation, the differentiation permitting separation of the layers during a decoding process;

c. superposing each differentiable layers of encoded data; and

d. printing the superimposed layers on a printable substrate.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein such specific representations are selected from a group of representation types consisting of a color spectru datam, light spectrum, and geometry.