Secure biometric authentication system and method of implementation thereof

• US 20060123240A1
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaiken, Alison
• Application Number:
  US11/008,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20060123240A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot

Abstract

A biometrically authenticatable system is disclosed. The system includes a Basic Input Output System (BIOS), an operating system and a biometric authentication mechanism logically coupled in-between the BIOS and the operating system.

Claims

1. A secure biometric authentication system comprising:

a Basic Input Output System (BIOS);

an operating system; and

a biometric authentication mechanism logically coupled in-between the BIOS and the operating system.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a write-once memory component wherein the write-once memory component includes biometric data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the biometric authentication mechanism comprises and iris authentication mechanism.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the biometric authentication mechanism comprises a fingerprint type authentication mechanism.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a laptop computer.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a personal digital assistant.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a cellular telephone.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein the iris authentication mechanism is attention based.

9. A method of biometrically authenticating a system comprising:

initiating a BIOS;

performing a biometric authentication process; and

accessing an operating system within the system based on the performance of the biometric authentication process.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein performing a biometric authentication process further comprises:

implementing an iris based authentication process.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein performing a biometric authentication process further comprises:

implementing a fingerprint based authentication process.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein performing a biometric authentication process further comprises:

accessing a write-once memory component to retrieve biometric data.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the system comprises a laptop computer.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the system comprises a personal digital assistant.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the system comprises a cellular telephone.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the iris based authentication process is attention based.

17. A computer program product for authenticating a system, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program means for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

initiating a BIOS;

performing a biometric authentication process; and

accessing an operating system within the system based on the performance of the biometric authentication process.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein performing a biometric authentication process further comprises:

implementing an iris based authentication process.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein performing a biometric authentication process further comprises:

implementing an fingerprint based authentication process.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein performing a biometric authentication process further comprises:

accessing a write-once memory component to retrieve biometric data.

21. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the system comprises a laptop computer.

22. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the system comprises a personal digital assistant.

23. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the system comprises a cellular telephone.

24. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein iris based authentication process is attention based.

25. A secure biometric authentication system comprising:

a Basic Input Output System (BIOS);

an operating system;

a biometric authentication mechanism logically coupled in-between the BIOS and the operating system; and

means for storing biometric information coupled to the biometric authentication mechanism.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the means for storing biometric information comprises a write-once programmable memory.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein logically coupling the biometric authentication mechanism in-between the BIOS and the operating system means that the biometric authentication mechanism is implemented after the initiation of the BIOS and before the operating system can be accessed.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the biometric information further comprises information related to an iris.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the biometric information further comprises information related to a fingerprint.