Communication card for mobile network devices and authentication method for users of mobile network devices

• US 20060080552A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings SAS (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Lauper, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,151,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards

Abstract

A removable communication card for mobile network devices, respectively a corresponding authentication method, which communication card includes a network interface module for bidirectional transmission of data with a network, an identification module for storing identification data for users, a measurement device for capturing biometric features of a user, and an analysis module with a processor unit for comparison with the stored identification data for the user.

Claims

1. A removable communication card for a network device, the communication card comprising:

a network interface module for bidirectional transmission of data between the network device and the communication card;

an identification module configured to store identification data for users, the identification data comprising at least data for authentication of a user in the network;

a measurement device configured to capture biometric features of the user; and

an analysis module having a processor unit, the analysis module being configured to compare or assign at least one biometric feature of the user to the stored identification data of the user, wherein

the identification data further comprises a PIN code, which is entered by the user via input elements of the network device for initialization of the identification data.

2. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the removable communication card is connected to the network device by a contact interface.

3. The removable communication card according to claim 2, wherein the measurement device is configured to capture the at least one biometric feature of the user when the contact interface is connected to the network device.

4. The removable communication card according to claim 2, wherein the measurement device comprises a scanning unit configured to capture fingerprints, the scanning unit being installed such that when the contact interface is connected to the network device, the scanning unit captures fingerprints of the user.

5. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the removable communication card is configured to be connected to the network device by a contactless interface.

6. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the network interface module comprises an interface that is configured to connect to the network wireless and/or by a wire.

7. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the measurement device is configured to capture a plurality of biometric features, and at least one further biometric feature of the user is captured by the measurement device when the at least one biometric feature is not able to be assigned unambiguously by the analysis module to the user.

8. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the identification data further comprises a PIN code which is usable by the user as a fallback and is entered by the user via input elements of the network device when the at least one biometric feature is not unambiguously assignable by the analysis module to the user.

9. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the identification module comprises a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).

10. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the identification module comprises a smart card.

11. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the authentication data of the user in the network comprises at least IMSI and/or MSISDN.

12. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the measurement device is integral with the identification module.

13. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the measurement device is configured to capture dynamic values of the user.

14. The removable communication card according to claim 13, wherein the dynamic values include movements of a finger of the user.

15. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the communication card is a PC card or a PCI card.

16. The removable communication card according to claim 1, wherein the measurement device further comprises sensors configured to capture one or more individual physical measurement values for the user when the contact interface is connected to the network device.

17. The removable communication card according to claim 16, wherein the one or more individual physical measurement values include at least one of body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and electric current on the body surface of the user.

18. An authentication method for users of network devices using stored identification data for at least one user, the identification data comprising at least data for authentication of the at least one user in the network, the method comprising:

identifying the user by a PIN code via input elements of the network device upon a first-time capturing of the at least one biometric feature of a user;

capturing the at least one biometric feature by a measurement device of a communication card of the user and transmitting the at least one biometric feature to an analysis module of the communication card;

comparing the at least one biometric feature of the user with stored biometric identification data for the user by a processor unit of the analysis module, and assigning the at least one biometric feature of the user to the identification data for the user; and

authenticating the user in the network upon a successful matching of the captured at least one biometric feature of the user with the stored biometric information data by a network interface module of the communication card, and transmitting data bidirectionally between the mobile network device and the communication card.

19. The authentication method according to claim 18, wherein the removable communication card is connected to the network device by a contact interface.

20. The authentication method according to claim 19, wherein the measurement device is installed on the communication card and is configured to capture the at least one biometric feature of the user when the contact interface is connected to the network device.

21. The authentication method according to claim 19, further comprising:

capturing fingerprints of the user by a scanning unit of the measurement device when the contact interface is connected.

22. The authentication method according to claim 18, further comprising:

connecting the removable communication card to the network device by a contactless interface.

23. The authentication method according to 18, further comprising:

connecting the communication card and the network by at least one of a wireless interface and a wired interface.

24. The authentication method according to claim 18, further comprising:

capturing at least one further biometric feature of the user by the measurement device when the analysis module does not unambiguously assigns the at least one biometric feature and comparing the at least one further biometric feature with the stored identification data.

25. The authentication method according to claim 18, further comprising:

authenticating the user by a PIN code entered via input elements of the network device if the at least one biometric feature is not able to be assigned unambiguously by the analysis module.

26. The authentication method according to claim 18, further comprising:

identifying the user by a PIN code entered via input elements of the network device upon a first-time capturing of the at least one biometric feature of the user.

27. The authentication method according to claim 18, wherein the identification module is a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).

28. The authentication method according to claim 18, wherein the identification module is a smart card.

29. The authentication method according to claim 18, wherein the authentification data of the user in the network is at least the IMSI.

30. The authentication method according to claim 18, wherein the measurement device is integral with the identification module.

31. The authentication method according to claim 18, wherein the measurement device comprises means for capturing dynamic values of the user.

32. The authentication method according to claim 31, wherein the dynamic values include movements of the finger of the user.

33. The authentication method according to claim 18, wherein the communication card is at least one of a card according to the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) standard and a card according to the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) standard.

34. The authentication method according to claim 18, further comprising:

capturing one or more individual physical measurement values of the user based on sensors of the measurement device installed on the communication card.

35. The authentication method according to claim 34, wherein the one or more individual physical measurement values of the user include at least one of body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and electric currents on the body surface of the user.