Device and method of recognising at least one individual, the corresponding access control device and system and applications thereof

• US 20050012592A1
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atmel Switzerland SARL (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Debelleix, Olivier
• Granted Patent: US 7,255,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.520
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and method for the recognition of at least one individual and to the corresponding access control device and system and application thereof. The inventive recognition device comprises a one-piece integrated circuit which is produced by integrating the following elements on a silicon substrate: at least one biometric information sensor; means of processing said biometric information; cryptographic means which deliver at least one piece of encrypted data that is representative of at least one part of said biometric information and/or a corresponding piece of recognition information; and protection means that block access to data in transit, stored and/or processed in said one-piece integrated circuit in order to create a secure perimeter. In this way, the data exchanged by said sensor(s), processing means and cryptographic means, and particularly the aforementioned biometric information, are only saved in the one-piece integrated circuit and cannot be accessed from outside. Moreover, only encrypted data are delivered to the outside from said one-piece integrated circuit.

Claims

1. Device for recognising at least one individual, characterised in that it comprises in a monolithic integrated circuit obtained via the integration on a same silicon substrate of:

at least one biometric information sensor;

means of processing the said biometric information;

cryptographic means, transmitting at least one piece of encrypted data representing at least one part of the said biometric information and/or one piece of corresponding recognition information; and

means of protection, denying access to the flowing data, stored and/or processed in the said monolithic integrated circuit, to create a secured perimeter,

so that the data exchanged by the said sensor(s), the said means of processing and the said cryptographic means, and notably the said biometric information, is solely kept in the said monolithic integrated circuit, remaining inaccessible from the outside, and that only the encrypted data is transmitted to the outside of the said monolithic integrated circuit.

2. Device for recognising at least one individual according to claim 1, characterised in that the said means of protection deny access to data comprising at least one of the means belonging to the group comprising:

means of monitoring the mains supply of the said monolithic integrated circuit;

means of monitoring the characteristics of a clock synchronising the operating of the said device;

means of controlling the temperature of the said monolithic integrated circuit;

means of scrambling the electromagnetic interference induced by the internal processing of the device;

means of anti-radiation protection;

means of electromagnetic field shielding;

means of physical shielding intended to prevent and/or detect any physical and/or electric attempt at interfering with the device;

means of scrambling flowing information, processed and/or stored in the device.

3. Device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the said biometric information belongs to the group comprising:

fingerprints;

voiceprints;

eye imprints;

morphologic characteristics;

behavioural characteristics

4. Device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the said sensor(s) belong to the group comprising:

heat sensors;

pressure sensors;

light sensors;

movement detectors;

radiation detectors;

electric characteristic sensors;

physical entity sensors.

5. Device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the said means of processing comprise means of formatting at least one signal transmitted by at least one of the said sensors and means of extracting the said formatting signal of at least one pertinent character, creating a digital signature making it possible to identify an individual in a unique manner.

6. Device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the said cryptographic means provide a cryptographic signature, calculated with the help of at least one key stored in a storage unit of the said monolithic integrated circuit.

7. Device for recognising at least one individual according to claim 8, characterised in that the said cryptographic signature also takes into account at least one random parameter generated and communicated by means independent of the said monolithic integrated circuit.

8. Device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that it comprises means of recognising at least one individual, according to the reference data stored in the said monolithic integrated circuit.

9. Device for recognising at least one individual according to claim 8, characterised in that the said means of recognition transmit a piece of recognition information, indicating if an individual is or is not recognised, the said recognition information being encrypted before being transmitted to the outside of the said monolithic integrated circuit.

10. Device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the said monolithic integrated circuit comprises a storage unit comprising at least one of the elements belonging to the group comprising:

at least one cryptographic key;

at least one secured processing mechanism of cryptographic keys;

at least one piece of reference data representative of an individual;

data and/or programmes necessary for the implementation of the means present in the said monolithic integrated circuit.

11. Device for recognising at least one individual according to claim 10, characterised in that the said storage unit comprises at least one digital data memory.

12. Device for recognising at least one individual according to claim 11, characterised in that the said digital data memory(ies) belong to the group comprising the flash, the EEPROM, the EPROM, the ROM, the RAM, the FERAM, the MRAM and the magnetic memories.

13. Device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that the said monolithic integrated circuit comprises a fingerprint sensor, transmitting an imprint image, means of processing the generated image and means of extracting details on the processed image.

14. Device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that the said cryptographic means implement at least one equipment calculation booster.

18. Access monitoring device comprising means of access authorisation or refusal to at least one piece of data, at least one object and/or at least one site, characterised in that it comprises means for receiving and processing encrypted data provided by at least one device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

19. System for monitoring access to at least one piece of data, at least one object and/or at least one site, characterised in that it comprises at least one device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 to 14 and at least one access monitoring device according to claim 18.

20. Application of a device for recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 1 to 14 and/or a method of recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 15 to 17 to at least one of the fields belonging to the group comprising:

physical access monitoring;

computer data access monitoring;

identifying of the holder of the said device;

implementing of mobile objects;

banking services;

electronic signatures.

15. Method of recognising at least one individual, characterised in that it comprises the following stages, integrally implemented on the inside of a monolithic integrated circuit:

obtaining biometric information of the said individual, with the help of at least one sensor integrated into the said monolithic integrated circuit;

processing the said biometric information;

encrypting at least a part of the said biometric information and/or a piece of corresponding recognition information;

transmitting the encrypted data to the outside,

so that the data exchanged by the said sensor(s), the said means of processing and the said cryptographic means, and notably the said biometric information, is solely kept in the said monolithic integrated circuit, remaining inaccessible from the outside, and that only encrypted data is transmitted to the outside of the said monolithic integrated circuit.

16. Method of recognising at least one individual according to claim 15, characterised in that the said monolithic integrated circuit defines a secured perimeter, by implementing means of protection denying access to the flowing data, stored or processed in the said monolithic integrated circuit.

17. Method of recognising at least one individual according to any one of claims 15 or 16, characterised in that it implements at least one recognition device comprising the said monolithic integrated circuit and at least one access monitoring device linked up to the said recognition device, capable of receiving and processing encrypted data transmitted by the said recognition device(s), and consequently of authorising or refusing access to at least one piece of data, at least one object and/or at least one site.