Biometric identification device

• US 20070050303A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Schroeder, Dale, Nishimura, Ken, Wenstrand, John, Panotopoulos, Georgios
• Application Number:
  US11/210,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20070050303A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• 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: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0866 involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861

Abstract

A biometric identification device includes a biometric sensor, an encryption factor, and a microprocessor. The biometric sensor is operable to sense a biometric characteristic from a user and to generate data representing the biometric characteristic. The microprocessor is coupled to the biometric sensor and is operable to generate a user key based on the biometric characteristic and the encryption factor.

Claims

1. A biometric identification device, comprising:

a biometric sensor operable to sense a biometric characteristic of a user and to generate data representing the biometric characteristic;

an encryption factor; and

a microprocessor coupled to the biometric sensor and operable to generate a user key based on the data representing the biometric characteristic and the encryption factor.

2. The biometric identification device of claim 1, further comprising a device identification code that differentiates the biometric identification device from other biometric identification devices.

3. The biometric identification device of claim 1, wherein the encryption factor is time dependent.

4. The biometric identification device of claim 1, wherein the user key is part of a user private/public key pair, and the processor is operable to generate the user private/public key pair based on the biometric characteristic and the encryption factor.

5. The biometric identification device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is further operable to generate a symmetrical key.

6. The biometric identification device of claim 5, wherein the microprocessor is operable to randomly generate the symmetrical key.

7. The biometric identification device of claim 1, further comprising:

a symmetrical key generator coupled with the microprocessor and operable to generate a symmetrical key.

8. The biometric identification device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is operable to encrypt a symmetrical key with the user key.

9. The biometric identification device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory storing the encryption factor and a host system public key for at least one host system.

10. The biometric identification device of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor is operable to encrypt a symmetrical key with the host system public key and the user key.

11. A biometric identification device, comprising:

means for sensing a biometric characteristic of a user;

means for generating a user private key based on the biometric characteristic and for encrypting a message with the user private key.

12. The biometric identification device of claim 11, wherein the means for sensing the biometric characteristic of the user comprises a fingerprint sensor.

13. A method of user communication with a host system, the method comprising:

sensing a biometric characteristic of the user and generating data representing the biometric characteristic;

generating a user private key based on the data representing the biometric characteristic;

encrypting a message using the user private key; and

sending the message to the host system after the encrypting.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

registering the user and a biometric identification device with the host system, including;

sensing a biometric characteristic of the user;

generating data representative of the sensed biometric characteristic;

generating a user private key and a corresponding user public key based on the data;

transmitting the user public key and a device identification code of the biometric identification device to the host system.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the user private key is additionally based on an encryption factor.

16. A method of communicating with a user, the method comprising:

registering a user key with a device identification code;

receiving an encrypted verification message and the device identification code;

decrypting the encrypted verification message with the user key, wherein decrypting includes determining the user key based on the device identification code;

determining whether the decrypting has successfully decrypted the encrypted verification message; and

communicating with the user when the decrypting has been determined have successfully decrypted the encrypted verification message.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the encrypted verification message includes an encrypted symmetrical key, decrypting the encrypted verification message includes decrypting the encrypted symmetrical key, and communicating with the user includes:

using the decrypted symmetrical key to encrypt a message sent to the user and to decrypt a message received from the user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the encrypted verification message is a doubly-encrypted verification message, and decrypting the encrypted verification message includes decrypting the doubly-encrypted verification message using the user public key and a host system private key.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein registering the user includes storing the user public key linked to the identification code.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein decrypting the encrypted verification message includes:

retrieving the user public key linked to the identification code;

at least partially decrypting the encrypted verification message using the user public key; and

authenticating the user when the user public key successfully at least partially decrypts the encrypted verification message.