APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR SEQUENCED BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION

• US 20100158327A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kangas, Regina Dawn, Kangas, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 8,605,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/75 Organisation of the matching processes, e.g. simultaneous or sequential comparisons of image or video features; Coarse-fine approaches, e.g. multi-scale approaches; using context analysis; Selection of dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1335 Combining adjacent partial images (e.g. slices) to create a composite input or reference pattern; Tracking a sweeping finger movement
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/14 With a sequence of inputs of different identification information
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for multi-factor authentication using a biometric scanner. The apparatus includes an input module that receives a biometric scan and a verification sequence that are entered by a user using a biometric reader. The verification sequence may be a fingerprint scanned at multiple angles, or can be a series of symbols entered using the biometric scanner. A matching module compares the biometric scan with authenticated biometric scans stored in a data store and determines whether or not there is a matching authenticated biometric scan. The matching module also compares the verification sequence with an authenticated verification sequence that is stored in the data store. If both the biometric scan and the verification sequence match, an authentication module authenticates the user to the system. The user may enter the verification sequence by linearly or angularly displacing his finger on the biometric reader.

Claims

1. An apparatus for authenticating a user using a biometric reader, the apparatus comprising:

an input module that receives a biometric scan and a verification sequence entered by a user through a biometric reader, wherein the verification sequence comprises one of a set of biometric scans at multiple angles and a set of symbols entered using the biometric reader;

a matching module that validates the user entering the biometric scan, wherein validation comprises;

comparing the biometric scan with one or more authenticated biometric scans stored in a data store and validating the biometric scan in response to the biometric scan matching at least one authenticated biometric scan;

comparing the verification sequence with an authenticated verification sequence stored in the data store and validating the verification sequence in response to the verification sequence matching the authenticated verification sequence; and

an authentication module that authenticates the user to a system in response to the matching module validating the verification sequence against the authenticated verification sequence and further in response to the matching module validating the biometric scan against the authenticated biometric scan.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biometric scan is a fingerprint and the biometric reader is a fingerprint reader further configured to measure displacement of a finger on the biometric reader.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the biometric reader is one of an area fingerprint reader and a swipe fingerprint reader.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the user enters the verification sequence through displacement of a finger on the biometric reader.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein displacement is one of angular displacement of the finger from a neutral position on the biometric reader and linear displacement of the finger from the neutral position on the biometric reader.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a feedback module that associates a plurality of symbols with a plurality of angular displacements, and wherein the verification sequence comprises a set of symbols entered by the user through angular displacement.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a feedback module that associates a plurality of symbols with a plurality of linear displacements, and wherein the verification sequence comprises a set of symbols entered by the user through linear displacement.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a feedback module that inserts a symbol associated with a particular displacement into the verification sequence in response to one of a change in direction of displacement and a completion of an interval with no change in the direction of displacement.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the symbols are one of numbers, letters, and icons.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modules are implemented at the device driver level of a host computer.

11. An apparatus for authenticating a user using a sequence of biometric scans, the apparatus comprising:

an input module that receives a verification sequence comprising a plurality of biometric scans at variable angular displacements entered by a user using an area biometric reader;

a matching module that validates the verification sequence against a authenticated verification sequence comprising a plurality of biometric scans at variable angular displacements for an authorized user, wherein validation comprises;

comparing each biometric scan and its angular displacement in the verification sequence with a corresponding biometric scan and its angular displacement in the authenticated verification sequence;

determining that the verification sequence matches the authenticated verification sequence in response to each biometric scan and its angular displacement in the verification sequence matching each biometric scan and its angular displacement in the authenticated verification sequence; and

an authentication module that authenticates the user in response to the matching module validating the verification sequence of biometric scans against the authenticated verification sequence of biometric scans.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein validating the verification sequence further comprises determining that the number of biometric scans in the verification sequence is equal to the number of biometric scans in the authenticated verification sequence.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the biometric scan is a fingerprint image received from the area biometric reader.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the authenticated verification sequence comprises one of a plurality of distinct fingerprint images and a single fingerprint image at multiple angular displacements.

15. A system for authenticating a user using a biometric reader, the system comprising:

a biometric reader that obtains a biometric scan and a verification sequence entered by a user, wherein the verification sequence comprises one of a set of biometric scans at multiple angles and a set of symbols;

an input module that receives the biometric scan and the verification sequence entered by the user;

a matching module that validates the user entering the biometric scan, wherein validation comprises;

comparing the biometric scan with one or more authenticated biometric scans stored in a data store and validating the biometric scan in response to the biometric scan matching the authenticated biometric scan;

comparing the verification sequence with an authenticated verification sequence stored in the data store and validating the verification sequence in response to the verification sequence matching the authenticated verification sequence; and

an authentication module that authenticates the user to a system in response to the matching module validating the verification sequence against the authenticated verification sequence and further in response to the matching module validating the biometric scan against the authenticated biometric scan.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a feedback module configured to provide at least one of audio and visual feedback to the user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the system further comprises a monitor for providing visual information and one or more speakers for providing audio feedback.

18. A method for authenticating a user using a biometric reader, the method comprising:

receiving a biometric scan and a verification sequence entered by a user through a biometric reader, wherein the verification sequence comprises one of a set of biometric scans at multiple angles and a set of symbols entered using the biometric reader;

comparing the biometric scan with one or more authenticated biometric scans stored in a data store;

validating the biometric scan in response to the biometric scan matching the authenticated biometric scan;

comparing the verification sequence with an authenticated verification sequence stored in the data store;

validating the verification sequence in response to the verification sequence matching the authenticated verification sequence; and

authenticating the user to a system in response to validating the verification sequence against the authenticated verification sequence, and further in response to validating the biometric scan against the authenticated biometric scan.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the user enters the verification sequence through displacement of a finger on the biometric reader.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein displacement is one of angular displacement of the finger from a neutral position on the biometric reader and linear displacement of the finger from the neutral position on the biometric reader.