BIOMETRICALLY ACTIVATED RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TAG

• US 20070069010A1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Picon, Joaquin, Secondo, Pierre, Mestres, Jean-Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 8,875,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07354 by biometrically sensitive means, e.g. fingerprint sensitive fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/12; biometrically activated access control G07C9/25

Abstract

A biometrically activated radio frequency identification (RFID) tag including a fingerprint detection matrix, an antenna control circuit, and a biometric identification chip. The fingerprint detection matrix acquires biometric data indicative of a user'"'"'s identity and passes it to the biometric identification chip. The biometric identification chip compares the biometric data acquired by the fingerprint detection matrix to biometric data stored thereupon. The antenna control circuit activates the RFID tag selectively dependent upon the result of the comparison of the acquired and stored biometric data.

Claims

1. A method of activating a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

acquiring biometric data indicative of an identity of a user at the RFID tag;

comparing the acquired biometric data with biometric data of an authorised user; and

activating the RFID tag selectively, dependent upon results of the comparison of the acquired biometric data with the biometric data of the authorised user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the biometric data of the authorised user on the RFID tag.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing the acquired biometric data with the stored biometric data of the authorised user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scanning the acquired biometric data at the RFID tag.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively enabling an antenna of the RFID tag to selectively activate the RFID tag.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired biometric data comprises at least one of:

fingerprint biometric data, DNA biometric data, voice biometric data, and retina biometric data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired biometric data comprises fingerprint biometric data, the method further comprising:

scanning the fingerprint biometric data at the RFID tag.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the biometric data of the authorised user to the RFID tag; and

storing the biometric data of the authorised user on the RFID tag.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the biometric data of the authorised user by scanning the biometric data of the authorised user at the RFID tag.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the biometric data of the authorised user by downloading the biometric data of the authorised user to the RFID tag.

11. A biometrically activated radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:

input means arranged to acquire biometric data indicative of an identity of a user; and

processing means arranged to control an activation or deactivation of the biometrically activated RFID tag selectively, dependent upon the acquired biometric data.

12. The RFID tag according to claim 11, further comprising:

a biometric scanner.

13. The RFID tag according to claim 12, wherein the biometric scanner comprises a fingerprint scanner.

14. The RFID tag according to claim 12, wherein the biometric scanner is provided on the RFID tag.

15. The RFID tag according to claim 11, wherein the processing means is further arranged to compare the acquired biometric data with biometric data of an authorised user to control the activation or deactivation of the biometrically activated RFID tag.

16. The RFID tag according to claim 15, further comprising:

storage means arranged to store the biometric data of the authorised user on the RFID tag.

17. The RFID tag according to claim 11, wherein the processing means is further arranged to disable or enable an antenna of the RFID tag to selectively activate the RFID tag.

18. The RFID tag according to claim 11, wherein the processing means further comprises:

an RFID chip arranged to selectively enable or disable the RFID tag.

19. The RFID tag according to of claim 11, wherein the acquired biometric data comprises at least one of:

fingerprint biometric data, DNA biometric data, voice biometric data, and retina biometric data.

20. A computer program for activating a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag when the computer program is executed on a computer system, the computer program comprising program code for:

acquiring biometric data indicative of an identity of a user at the RFID tag;

comparing the acquired biometric data with biometric data of an authorised user; and

activating the RFID tag selectively, dependent upon results of the comparison of the acquired biometric data with the biometric data of the authorised user.