METHOD FOR BIOMETRIC SECURITY USING A SMARTCARD

• US 20060000892A1
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Bonalle, David S., Salow, Glen
• Granted Patent: US 7,341,181 B2
• 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 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/26 using a biometric sensor integrated in the pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for facilitating biometric security in a smartcard-reader transaction system by proffering a biometric. The biometric may be proffered to a biometric sensor communicating with the smartcard-reader system. Proffering the biometric initiates verification of the biometric sample and facilitates authorization of a transaction.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating biometric security in a smartcard transaction system comprising:

receiving a proffered biometric at a biometric sensor configured on a smartcard to form a proffered biometric sample;

initiating verification of said proffered biometric sample, wherein said proffered biometric sample is associated with at least two accounts, wherein each of said at least two accounts includes at least one of;

a charge card account, a credit card account, a debit card account, a savings account, a private label account and a loyalty point account; and

facilitating authorization of a smartcard transaction using at least one of said at least two accounts.

2. The method for of claim 1, further comprising registering said proffered biometric sample with an authorized sample receiver.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of registering includes at least one of:

contacting said authorized sample receiver, proffering said proffered biometric sample to said authorized sample receiver, associating said proffered biometric sample with user information, verifying said proffered biometric sample, and storing said proffered biometric sample upon verification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving a said proffered biometric further includes at least one of:

storing, comparing, and verifying said proffered biometric sample.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving said proffered biometric further includes processing database information, wherein said database information is contained in at least one of said smartcard, a smartcard reader, said biometric sensor, a remote server, a merchant server and said smartcard system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving said proffered biometric further includes comparing said proffered biometric sample with a stored biometric sample.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of comparing includes comparing said proffered biometric sample to said stored biometric sample by using at least one of a third-party security vendor device and a local CPU.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving said proffered biometric further includes at least one of detecting, processing and storing a second proffered biometric sample.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of initiating verification of said proffered biometric sample further includes using a secondary security procedure, said secondary security procedure including sending a signal to said smartcard to notify that an established rule for said smartcard is being violated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving said proffered biometric at said biometric sensor includes receiving said proffered biometric at at least one of a:

a retinal scan sensor, an iris scan sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a hand print sensor, a hand geometry sensor, a voice print sensor, a vascular sensor, a facial sensor, an ear sensor, a signature sensor, a keystroke sensor, an olfactory sensor, an auditory emissions sensor, and a DNA sensor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of initiating verification of said proffered biometric sample includes verifying whether said proffered biometric sample is associated with a preset transaction limit on at least one of:

said charge card account, said credit card account, said debit card account, said savings account, said private label account and said loyalty point account.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least two accounts are unassociated accounts.