RFID rag and method of user verification

• US 20040256456A1
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ScriptPro LLC
• Original Assignee: ScriptPro LLC
• Inventors: Knutsen, Bernhard P., Schloemer, David E., Coughlin, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,048,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0334 Ergonomic shaped mouse for vertical grip, whereby the hand controlling the mouse is resting or gripping it with an attitude almost vertical with respect of the working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0336 Mouse integrated fingerprint sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

An identification tag (100) facilitates use of a secure computer system (300). The tag (100) is adapted to be worn on a user'"'"'s wrist and includes an identification and registration circuit (102) that includes an identification component (106), an affiliation component (110), and a light-emitting diode (112). The computer system includes an RF identification tag registration device (302) operable to acquire user physical information and communicate the physical information to a computer (202), wherein the computer verifies that a valid user is wearing the tag (100). The identification and registration device (302) ensures that the physical information communicated to the computer pertains to the user wearing the tag by comparing pulse signals acquired from the user'"'"'s hand and wrist as the device (302) is acquiring physical information. The computer (202) uses the identification information and the affiliation information to log the user into and out of the system (300), and to associate the identification information with a particular user.

Claims

1. A method of verifying a user for access to a secure system or location, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring identification information from an identification tag worn by the user;

(b) validating the identification information;

(c) granting access to the user if the identification information is valid; and

(d) denying access to the user if the identification information is not valid.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the identification information is acquired by interrogating an RF identification component that is embedded in the tag.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the identification information is validated by matching the identification information with information stored in a memory of a computer.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(e) acquiring user biometric information from a registration device;

(f) validating the biometric information; and

(g) associating the biometric information with the identification information.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, step (e) further comprising the steps of:

(e1) acquiring finger pulse information and wrist pulse information; and

(e2) communicating the user biometric information only if the finger pulse information corresponds to the wrist pulse information.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, step (e) further comprising the steps of:

(e3) sensing a tag confirmation signal; and

(e4) communicating the biometric information only if the finger pulse information corresponds to the wrist pulse information.

7. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the biometric information includes fingerprint information.

8. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the biometric information is validated by matching the user biometric information with information stored in a memory of a computer.

9. The method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising the steps of

(h) acquiring affiliation information, wherein the affiliation information indicates whether the identification tag is secured to the user;

(i) confirming the association if the affiliation information indicates that the tag is secured to the user;

(j) abandoning the association if the affiliation information indicates that the tag is not secured to the user;

(k) granting computer access to the user if the association is confirmed; and

(l) denying computer access to the user if the association is abandoned.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the affiliation information is based on a capacitance.

11. A method of verifying a user for access to a secured system or location, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring identification information by interrogating an RF identification tag that is embedded in a wrist tag;

(b) validating the identification information by matching the identification information with information stored in a memory of a computer;

(c) acquiring a user'"'"'s fingerprint information from a fingerprint scanner and pulse information from a finger pulse sensor and a wrist pulse sensor;

(d) if pulse information from the user'"'"'s wrist matches pulse information from the user'"'"'s finger, validating the user'"'"'s fingerprint information by matching the fingerprint information with fingerprint information stored in the memory;

(e) if the fingerprint information is valid, associating the identification information with the fingerprint information;

(f) acquiring affiliation information from the wrist tag, wherein the affiliation information is based on a capacitance and indicates whether the wrist tag is secured to the user;

(g) if the affiliation information indicates that the wrist tag is secured to the user, confirming the association;

(h) if the affiliation information indicates that the wrist tag is not secured to the user, abandoning the association;

(i) if the association is confirmed, granting computer access to the user; and

(j) if the association is abandoned, denying computer access to the user.

12. A method of isolating wireless communications between an RFID tag and a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting an interrogation signal;

(b) detecting response signals transmitted by one or more RFID tags;

(c) determining if more than one response signal was detected;

(d) transmitting an interrogation signal at a lower power if more than one response signal was detected; and

(e) maintaining the power level of the interrogation signal if only one response signal was detected.