Credit transaction system and method using fingerprint information

• US 20040195314A1
• Filed: 04/06/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cecrop Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cecrop Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Ki Deak
• Application Number:
  US10/818,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20040195314A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• 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: G07F 7/1075 PIN is checked remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1083 Counting of PIN attempts

Abstract

A credit transaction system and a method thereof using fingerprint information strengthen an authentication function of a card user'"'"'s identity. The system includes a terminal for credit transactions which has a function of authenticating the identity of the card user using the fingerprint and transmits transaction particulars and card information of the card user; a transaction approval determining unit for receiving the transaction particulars and the card information from the terminal, confirming a credit status of the card user, and informing an approval/rejection of the transactions to the terminal; and a management server, connected to the terminal, for mutually communicating the fingerprint information and the card information with the terminal.

Claims

1. A credit transaction system using fingerprint information comprising:

a terminal for credit transactions which has a function of authenticating an identity of a card user using a fingerprint and transmits transaction particulars and card information of the card user;

a transaction approval determining unit for receiving the transaction particulars and the card information from the terminal, confirming a credit status of the card user, and informing an approval/rejection of the transactions to the terminal; and

a management server, connected to the terminal, for mutually communicating the fingerprint information and the card information with the terminal.

2. The credit transaction system of claim 1, wherein the terminal for the credit transactions comprises:

a fingerprint recognition unit for scanning the fingerprint of the card user;

a database unit for storing the fingerprint information and the card information of pre-registered card users; and

a control unit for confirming the identity of the card user by comparing the fingerprint of the card user scanned by the fingerprint recognition unit with the fingerprint information stored in the database unit.

3. The credit transaction system of claim 2, wherein the terminal for the credit transactions further comprises:

a card reader for reading information recorded in a card;

a key input unit for inputting the transaction particulars; and

a communication unit for transmitting/receiving data through a communication network.

4. The credit transaction system of claim 1, further comprising a fingerprint registration unit for scanning the fingerprint of the card user in order to register the fingerprint of the card user, and transmitting the fingerprint of the card user and the corresponding card information to the management server.

5. The credit transaction system of claim 1, wherein the management server transmits newly registered fingerprint information and changed card information to the terminal for the credit transactions.

6. A credit transaction method for a credit transaction system having a terminal for credit transactions, a transaction approval determining unit, and a management server, the method comprising:

(a) scanning a fingerprint of a card user using the terminal;

(b) confirming an identity of the card user by comparing the scanned fingerprint of the card user with fingerprint information stored in the terminal;

(c) requesting a transaction approval to the transaction approval determining unit; and

(d) the transaction approval determining unit determining an approval/rejection of the transactions after confirming a credit status of the card user.

7. The credit transaction method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying a message for requesting an input of transaction particulars of the card user on the terminal after confirming the identity of the card user; and

inputting the transaction particulars of the card user through the terminal.

8. The credit transaction method of claim 6, wherein in order to request the transaction approval to the transaction approval determining unit, transaction particulars and card information of the card user are transmitted to the transaction approval determining unit.

9. The credit transaction method of claim 6, wherein at the step of confirming the identity of the card user, if the card of the card user is read out by the terminal, the terminal calls a fingerprint corresponding to the card number of the card user among fingerprint data stored therein and compares the fingerprint with the scanned fingerprint.

10. The credit transaction method of claim 6, wherein at the step of confirming the identity of the card user, if the card of the card user is not read out by the terminal, the terminal judges whether there is a fingerprint which coincides with the scanned fingerprint among fingerprint data stored therein.

11. The credit transaction method of claim 6, further comprising:

the terminal transmitting changed card information of the card user to the management server after the approval/rejection of the transactions is determined; and

updating respective terminals for the credit transactions using data of the management server.

12. A credit transaction system using fingerprint information comprising:

a user authentication unit for authenticating an identity of a card user by comparing a fingerprint of the card user with pre-stored fingerprint information;

a terminal for credit transactions for transmitting transaction particulars and card information of the card user in accordance with a result of the authentication performed by the user authentication unit;

a transaction approval determining unit for receiving the transaction particulars and the card information of the card user from the terminal, confirming a credit status of the card user, and informing an approval/rejection of the transactions to the terminal; and

a management server, connected to the user authentication unit, for mutually communicating the fingerprint information and the card information with the user authentication unit.

13. The credit transaction system of claim 12, wherein the user authentication unit comprises:

a fingerprint recognition unit for scanning the fingerprint of the card user;

a database unit for storing the fingerprint information and the card information of pre-registered card users; and

a control unit for authenticating the identity of the card user by comparing the fingerprint of the card user scanned by the fingerprint recognition unit with the fingerprint information stored in the database unit.

14. The credit transaction system of claim 12, further comprising:

a keyboard for inputting key values; and

a keyboard sharer for selectively transferring the key values of the keyboard to the terminal or the user authentication unit.

15. The credit transaction system of claim 14, wherein the keyboard sharer comprises:

a switch for switching connection of the keyboard to the terminal or the user authentication unit; and

a CPU for controlling the switch.

16. The credit transaction system of claim 14, further comprising a fingerprint registration unit for scanning the fingerprint of the card user in order to register the fingerprint of the card user, and transmitting the fingerprint of the card user and the corresponding card information to the management server.

17. A credit transaction method for a credit transaction system having a user authentication unit, a terminal for credit transactions, a transaction approval determining unit, and a management server, the method comprising:

(a) scanning a fingerprint of a card user using the user authentication unit;

(b) confirming an identity of the card user by comparing the scanned fingerprint of the card user with fingerprint information stored in the user authentication unit;

(c) transmitting card information and transaction particulars of the card user to the transaction approval determining unit;

(d) the transaction approval determining unit determining an approval/rejection of the transactions after confirming a credit status of the card user; and

(e) informing the approval/rejection of the transactions to the terminal.

18. The credit transaction method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying a message for requesting an input of the transaction particulars of the card user on the terminal after authenticating the identity of the card user; and

inputting the transaction particulars of the card user to the terminal.

19. The credit transaction method of claim 17, further comprising:

the user authentication unit transmitting changed card information of the card user to the management server after the approval/rejection of the transactions is reported to the terminal; and

updating data stored in respective user authentication units using data of the management server.

20. The credit transaction method of claim 19, wherein the management server periodically transmits newly registered fingerprint information and changed card information to the user authentication unit.

21. The credit transaction method of claim 19, wherein the management server transmits newly registered fingerprint information and changed card information to the user authentication unit whenever the user authentication unit is logged in the management server.

22. The credit transaction method of claim 17, further comprising reading and providing the corresponding card information stored in the management server to the terminal after the identity of the card user is authenticated.