METHOD OF ACTIVATING A FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION PROCESS OF A SMART CARD ACCORDING TO A GIVEN CONDITION AND A DEVICE THEREOF

• US 20080296371A1
• Filed: 04/09/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Feitian Technologies Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Feitian Technologies Company Limited
• Inventors: Yu, Huazhang, LU, Zhou
• Granted Patent: US 7,819,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a given condition and a device thereof. The present invention uses a contactless smart card as a carrier of the fingerprint identification technology and incorporates user identification during use of the card to make the transaction or access process more secure and efficient. The invention provides the steps of how to determine whether the fingerprint identification process of the smart card should be activated to verify the validation of the user before the transaction according to the comparison result between the transaction amount and the preset conditional value.

Claims

1. A method of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a given condition, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

1) setting a conditional value for activating the fingerprint identification process of the smart card;

2) reading a command from a card reader by the smart card;

3) determining by the smart card whether the command obtained in step

     2) from the card reader is a command for activating the fingerprint identification process, according to the conditional value obtained in step

     1) for activating the fingerprint identification process of the smart card;

4) accordingly, activating the fingerprint identification process of the smart card for verifying a fingerprint input of a user to authenticate the user if the fingerprint identification process of the smart card is determined in the step

     3), and executing the command obtained in the step

     2) from a card reader if the user is a legitimate user, or rendering an error message if the user is not a legitimate user;

or executing the command obtained in the step

     2) from a card reader directly if the fingerprint identification process of the smart card is not determined in the step

     3).

2. A method of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a given condition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conditional value of activating the fingerprint identification process of the smart card is an access level for secure entrance or a threshold value of a transaction amount.

3. A method of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a given condition as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the fingerprint identification process is activated if the value in the command sent by the card reader is greater than the conditional value;

otherwise, the fingerprint identification process is not activated.

4. A method of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a given condition as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the smart card is a contactless smart card.

5. A method of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a given condition as claimed in claim 4, wherein the threshold value of the access level for secure entrance or the transaction amount is set up by a user or a distribution center of the contactless smart card.

6. A method of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a given condition as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the verification process for the fingerprint information input by the user is performed within the smart card.

7. A device of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a conditional value, the device comprising a smart card, the smart card comprising a control unit, an induction unit, a wireless communication unit, a data storage unit, a fingerprint acquisition unit, and a fingerprint identification unit, wherein the device further comprises a command determination unit for determining whether a command from a card reader should activate the fingerprint identification process of the smart card according to the conditional value.

8. A device of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a conditional value as claimed in claim 7, wherein the smart card is a contactless smart card.

9. A device of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a conditional value as claimed in claim 8, wherein the induction unit of the contactless smart card consists of induction coils.

10. A device of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a conditional value as claimed in claims 7, 8, or 9, wherein the said fingerprint acquisition unit for acquiring the fingerprint of the user is a fingerprint scanner or sensor.

11. A device of activating a fingerprint identification process of a smart card according to a conditional value as claimed in claims 7, 8, or 9, wherein the said fingerprint identification unit for comparing the acquired fingerprint with the fingerprint template of the user determines whether the acquired fingerprint is effective.