Method and apparatus for characterizing and estimating the parameters of histological and physiological biometric markers for authentication

• US 20070016088A1
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HALO Wearables LLC
• Original Assignee: Ensign Holdings Limited (Co-Operative Group Limited)
• Inventors: Hinton, Clark, Pettit, Matthew, Grant, J., Murakami, Rick
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/10 by analysing the shape of a waveform, e.g. extracting parameters relating to peaks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1341 Sensing with light passing through the finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/14 Vascular patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method in a computer system for individualizing a heartbeat signal for use as a biometric marker. The invention is carried out by acquiring a plurality of electronic heartbeat signals from an individual in an electronic signal form. The signals are measured to obtain an actual measurement of a plurality of variable features of the electronic signals relating to the heartbeats. The measurements are mathematically analyzed to provide the probability of divergence of each actual measurement. Using the calculated probability of divergence, subsequently received waveform measurements are analyzed for authentication purposes.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for individualizing a heartbeat signal for use as a biometric marker comprising the steps of:

acquiring a plurality of electronic heartbeat signals from an individual in an electronic signal form;

for each electronic signal, measuring, a plurality of pre-selected features;

for each of said features, calculating the measurement'"'"'s average;

subtracting the measurement'"'"'s average from each of the measurements to yield a centroid value;

calculating a standard deviation of each measurement;

dividing the centroid value by the standard deviation for each measurement to give a quotient value; and

calculating the probability of divergence of each measurement using the quotient value in a T-distribution analysis.

2. A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to individualize a heartbeat electronic signal for use in biometric authentication, by:

acquiring a plurality of electronic heartbeat signals from an individual in an electronic signal form;

for each electronic signal, measuring, a plurality of pre-selected features;

for each of said features, calculating the measurement'"'"'s average;

subtracting the measurement'"'"'s average from each of the measurements to yield a centroid value;

calculating a standard deviation of each measurement;

dividing the centroid value by the standard deviation for each measurement to give a quotient value; and

calculating the probability of divergence of each measurement using the quotient value in a T-distribution analysis.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 2 where said measurements are made on only one variable per observation.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 2 where said measurements are made on two variables per observation.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 2 where said measurements are made on a plurality of variables per observation.

6. A method for individualizing heartbeat waveform comprising the steps of:

capturing and recording a number of heartbeat waveforms;

extracting particular univariate and multivariate features from the waveforms;

individualizing measurements of the univariate and bivariate features of the waveform; and

calculating probabilities for measurements of the univariate and bivariate features.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of individualizing further comprises the steps of:

subtracting each univariate measurement from the average value of the univariate measurement to yield a centroid;

dividing each centroid by the standard deviation of the univariate feature to yield a quotient;

determining the probability of the quotient using a distribution calculation; and

selecting a threshold minimum probability.