SYSTEM, METHOD AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR ASSOCIATING A BIOMETRIC REFERENCE TEMPLATE WITH A RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TAG

• US 20100201498A1
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Griffin, Phillip H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,289,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.520
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints

Abstract

A system, method and program product for associating a biometric reference template with a RFID tag embedded in or attached to a physical object. The method includes coupling a RFID tag having a unique tag identifier to a physical object to be associated with an individual, providing a reference template having a unique reference template identifier that uniquely identifies biometric data pertaining to the individual and forming an association between the reference template and the tag, where the association provides a relationship, including a relationship type, between the object and the individual. In an embodiment, the forming step includes creating a biometric attribute in the tag for identifying the template identifier for the reference template or creating a tag attribute in the reference template, where the biometric attribute created in the tag and the tag attribute in the biometric application form an association between the object and the reference template.

Claims

1. A method for associating a biometric reference template with an identification tag for a physical object, said method comprising the steps of:

coupling an identification tag having a unique tag identifier to a physical object to be associated with an individual, said identification tag including stored data and information pertaining to said physical object;

providing a biometric reference template having a unique biometric reference template identifier that uniquely identifies biometric data pertaining to said individual; and

forming an association between said biometric reference template and said identification tag, wherein said association provides a relationship between said physical object and said individual, and wherein said association includes a type of relationship.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said forming step further comprises the step of:

creating a biometric attribute in said identification tag for identifying said unique biometric reference template identifier for said biometric reference template belonging to said individual, wherein said biometric attribute created in said identification tag supplies an association between said physical object and said biometric reference template of said individual.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said forming step further comprises the step of:

creating a tag attribute in said biometric reference template for identifying said unique tag identifier for said physical object, wherein said tag attribute created in said biometric reference template supplies an association between said physical object and said biometric reference template of said individual.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

cryptographically binding said biometric attribute to said identification tag, wherein said biometric attribute is cryptographically bound to said identification tag using at least one of;

a hash, a digital signature, message authentication code (MAC) and encryption.

5. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

cryptographically binding said tag attribute to said biometric reference template, wherein said tag attribute is cryptographically bound to said identification tag using at least one of;

a hash, a digital signature, message authentication code (MAC) and encryption.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

cryptographically binding said tag attribute to said biometric reference template, wherein said tag attribute is cryptographically bound to said identification tag using at least one of;

a hash, a digital signature, message authentication code (MAC) and encryption; and

cryptographically binding said biometric attribute to said identification tag, wherein said biometric attribute is cryptographically bound to said identification tag using at least one of;

a hash, a digital signature, message authentication code (MAC) and encryption.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said identification tag comprises a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tag, and wherein said biometric data comprises at least one of physiological traits and behavioral traits.

8. A computer system for associating a biometric reference template with an identification tag for a physical object, said computer system comprising:

a network communications channel;

an identification tag system having a central processing unit and coupled to said network communications channel, said identification tag system coupling at least one identification tag to a physical object, said identification tag having a unique tag identifier for identifying said physical object;

a biometric system having a central processing unit and coupled to said network communications channel, said biometric system creating a biometric reference template having a unique biometric reference template identifier that uniquely identifies biometric data pertaining to an individual;

an attribute tool for creating one or more attributes for said biometric reference template and for said identification tag; and

an association tool for forming an association between said biometric reference template and said identification tag, wherein said association provides a relationship between said physical object and said individual, and wherein said association includes a type of relationship.

9. The computer system according to claim 8, further comprising:

an authentication tool for signing said one or more attributes created for said biometric reference template and said identification tag.

10. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein said unique biometric reference template identifier for said biometric reference template belonging to said individual is identified in a biometric attribute created in said identification tag, and wherein said biometric attribute created in said identification tag supplies an association between said physical object and said biometric reference template of said individual.

11. The computer system according to claim 10, wherein said unique tag identifier for said physical object is identified in a tag attribute created in said biometric reference template, and wherein said tag attribute created in said biometric reference template supplies an association between said physical object and said biometric reference template of said individual.

12. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein said tag attribute is cryptographically bound to said biometric reference template using at least one of:

a hash, a digital signature, message authentication code (MAC) and encryption, and wherein said biometric attribute is cryptographically bound to said identification tag using at least one of;

a hash, a digital signature, message authentication code (MAC) and encryption.

13. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein said at least one identification tag comprises a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tag, and wherein said biometric data comprises at least one of physiological traits and behavioral traits.

14. The computer system according to claim 13, wherein an instance of said identification tag is associated with one or more instances of said biometric reference template, and where an instance of said biometric reference template is associated with one or more instances of said identification tag.

15. A computer program product for associating a biometric reference template with an identification tag for a physical object, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to couple an identification tag having a unique tag identifier to a physical object to be associated with an individual, said identification tag including stored data and information pertaining to said physical object;

second program instructions to provide a biometric reference template having a unique biometric reference template identifier that uniquely identifies biometric data pertaining to said individual; and

third program instructions to create an association between said biometric reference template and said identification tag, wherein said association provides a relationship between said physical object and said individual, wherein said association includes a type of relationship, and wherein said first, second and third program instructions are recorded on said computer readable storage medium.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein said third program instructions further include instructions to create a biometric attribute in said identification tag for identifying said unique biometric reference template identifier for said biometric reference template belonging to said individual, wherein said biometric attribute created in said identification tag provides said relationship between said physical object and said individual.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein said third program instructions further include instructions to create a tag attribute in said biometric reference template for identifying said unique tag identifier for said identification tag coupled to said object, wherein said tag attribute created in said biometric reference template provides said relationship between said physical object and said individual.

18. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein said third program instructions further include instructions to create a biometric attribute in said identification tag for identifying said unique biometric reference template identifier for said biometric reference template belonging to said individual and to create a tag attribute in said biometric reference template for identifying said unique tag identifier for said identification tag coupled to said object, wherein said biometric attribute created in said identification tag provides said relationship between said physical object and said individual, and wherein said tag attribute created in said biometric reference template provides said relationship between said physical object and said individual.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein said third program instructions include instructions to cryptographically bind said biometric attribute to said identification tag, wherein said biometric attribute is cryptographically bound to said identification tag using at least one of:

a hash, a digital signature, message authentication code (MAC) and encryption.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said third program instructions include instructions to cryptographically bind said tag attribute to said biometric reference template, wherein said tag attribute is cryptographically bound to said biometric reference template using at least one of:

a hash, a digital signature, message authentication code (MAC) and encryption.

21. A process for deploying computing infrastructure comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein said code in combination with said computing system is capable of performing a process for associating a biometric reference template with an identification tag for a physical object communicating data and information, said process comprising:

coupling an identification tag having a unique tag identifier to a physical object to be associated with an individual, said identification tag including stored data and information pertaining to said physical object;

providing a biometric reference template having a unique biometric reference template identifier that uniquely identifies biometric data pertaining to said individual;

forming an association between said biometric reference template and said identification tag; and

storing said association in a storage, wherein said association provides a relationship between said physical object and said individual, and wherein said association includes a type of relationship.

22. The process according to claim 21, wherein said forming step further comprises the step of:

creating a tag attribute in said biometric reference template for identifying said unique tag identifier for said physical object, wherein said tag attribute created in said biometric reference template supplies an association between said physical object and said biometric reference template of said individual.

23. The process according to claim 22, wherein said forming step further comprises the step of:

creating a biometric attribute in said identification tag for identifying said unique biometric reference template identifier for said biometric reference template belonging to said individual, wherein said biometric attribute created in said identification tag supplies an association between said physical object and said biometric reference template of said individual.

24. The process according to claim 22, further comprising the step of:

cryptographically binding said tag attribute to said biometric reference template, wherein said tag attribute is cryptographically bound to said identification tag using at least one of;

a hash, a digital signature, message authentication code (MAC) and encryption.

25. The process according to claim 23, further comprising the step of:

cryptographically binding said biometric attribute to said identification tag, wherein said biometric attribute is cryptographically bound to said identification tag using at least one of;

a hash, a digital signature, message authentication code (MAC) and encryption.