User identification method and device

• US 20050021340A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Steinbiss, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 8,301,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/10 Multimodal systems, i.e. based on the integration of multiple recognition engines or fusion of expert systems

Abstract

A user identification method is described in which, in a first identification procedure, identification data (ID1) of a first type belonging to a target individual to be identified are determined and are compared with previously stored user identification data (ND1) of the first type assigned to an authorized user. In addition, identification data (ID2) of a second type that belong with a certain probability to the same target individual are automatically determined. After a successful confirmation of the identify of the target individual with the authorized user from the identification data (ID1) of the first type, user identification data (ND2) of the second type are stored for the respective authorized user using the determined identification data (ID2) of the second type in order to use said data in a subsequent identification procedure. In addition, a corresponding user identification device is disclosed.

Claims

1. A user identification method in which, in a first identification procedure identification data (ID₁) of a first type belonging to a target individual to be identified are determined and the identification data (ID₁) determined of the first type are compared with previously stored user identification data (ND₁) of the first type assigned to an authorized user, and in which, given a coincidence present at least to a certain extent of the logged identification data (ID₁) with the stored user identification data (ND₁), the identity of the target individual with the authorized user is established, characterized in that identification data (ID₂) of a second type that belong with a certain probability to the same target individual as the identification data (ID₁) of the first type are additionally automatically determined, and in that, after successfully establishing the identity of the target individual with the authorized user, on the basis of the identification data (ID₁) of the first type for the respective authorized user, user identification data (ND₂) of the second type are stored using the identification data (ID₂) of the second type determined for use in a subsequent identification procedure that takes place optionally on the basis of identification data (ID₁) of the first type determined during said identification procedure and/or identification data (ID₂) of the second type of said target individual.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the identification data (ID₂) of the second type are automatically determined using an input channel of a service system that the respective target individual uses and for which the target individual is identified.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the identification data (ID₁, ID₂) of at least one of the types comprises biometric data of the target individual.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the identification data (ID₂) of at least one of the types comprise speaker-characteristic data obtained from voice signals (S) of the target individual.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the identification data of the first type and of the second type are detected simultaneously with different measuring devices (4, 6).

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the identification data (ID₁, ID₂) of the first type and of the second type are determined in a mutually correlated manner.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that at least the face of a speaking target individual is detected optically and voice signals (S) are simultaneously detected acoustically, and whether the voice signals (S) originate from the optically detected target individual is confirmed from the optical data (O) and the voice signals (S) obtained in this process, and the identification data (ID₂) of the one type comprise speaker-characteristic data and the identification data (ID₁) of the other type comprise data for identifying a target individual from optical features of at least one part of the target individual.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that during the determination of the identification data (ID₂) of the second type, a probability value is determined that is a measure of the probability with which the identification data (ID₂) of the second type belong to the same target individual as the identification data (ID₁) of the first type.

9. A user identification device for performing a method according to claim 1, comprising first identification detection means (6, 7, 9, 9a, 9b) for determining identification data (ID₁) of a first type belonging to a target individual to be determined, comprising a memory (3a) that contains user identification data (ND₁) of the first type assigned to an authorized user, and comprising a comparison device (9b) that compares the identification data (ID₁) determined of the first type with the stored user identification data (ND₁) and, in the case of a coincidence, present at least to a certain extent, of the detected identification data (ID₁) with the stored user identification data (ND₁), confirms the identity of the target individual with the authorized user, characterized by second identification data detection means (4, 5, 8, 8a, 8b) for determining automatically identification data (ID₂) of a second type belonging to the same target individual, and means (10, 8b, 3b) for storing user identification data (ND₂) of the second type after a successful confirmation of the identity of the target individual with the authorized user on the basis of the identification data (ID₁) of the first type for the respective authorized user using the detected identification data (ID₂) of the second type.

10. A service system comprising a user identification device according to claim 9.

11. A computer program comprising program code means for executing all the steps of a method according to claim 1 if the program is executed on a computer.