Anonymous association system utilizing biometrics

• US 20100321156A1
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dignity Health (CommonSpirit Health (Illinois))
• Original Assignee: Dignity Health (CommonSpirit Health (Illinois))
• Inventors: Partovi, Shahram, Rosati, Kristen B., Pitt, Alan M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.82
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231

Abstract

Various exemplary embodiments are a device and a related method for interaction with an anonymous database system, the device including: a biometric input; a communicator configured to retrieve a key stored in a first enrollment process, retrieve an institution identifier and a user identifier stored in a second enrollment process, and retrieve user data from an institution database corresponding to the institution identifier; and a display that displays the retrieved user data. Furthermore, various exemplary embodiments are a system and related method including: a plurality of biometric nodes in communication with one another, each of the plurality of biometric nodes comprising a biometric input; at least one central database in communication with the plurality of biometric nodes; and a plurality of institution databases in communication with the plurality of biometric nodes.

Claims

1. A device for interaction with an anonymous database system, the device comprising:

a biometric input that receives biometric data from a user;

a communicator configured to;

retrieve, using the biometric data, a key stored in a first enrollment process,

retrieve, using the key, an institution identifier and a user identifier stored in a second enrollment process, and

retrieve user data from an institution database corresponding to the institution identifier; and

a display that displays the retrieved user data.

2. The device for interaction with an anonymous database system according to claim 1, the device further comprising a card slot.

3. The device for interaction with an anonymous database system according to claim 2, wherein the card slot receives a card identifying at least one of the user data to be retrieved from the institution database.

4. The device for interaction with an anonymous database system according to claim 2, wherein the card slot receives a card indicating that the user is authorized to retrieve the user data from the institution database.

5. The device for interaction with an anonymous database system according to claim 2, wherein the card slot receives a card indicating the institution identifier.

6. The device for interaction with an anonymous database system according to claim 1, wherein the biometric input is a removable module.

7. The device for interaction with an anonymous database system according to claim 1, the device further comprising a biometric indicator that indicates a current status of the biometric input.

8. The device for interaction with an anonymous database system according to claim 1, further comprising a connection indicator that indicates a current status of a connection between the communicator and at least one central database.

9. A method of enrolling a user in an anonymous database system, the method comprising:

performing a first enrollment process by interacting with a user, the first enrollment process comprising;

receiving first biometric data from the user, and

storing, in a first database, the first biometric data in association with a key; and

performing a second enrollment process by interacting with an institution, the second enrollment process comprising;

verifying the identity of the user at the institution,

receiving second biometric data from the user,

retrieving the key from the first database using the second biometric data, and

storing, in a second database, the key, an identifier uniquely identifying the institution, and an identifier uniquely identifying the user at the institution.

10. The method of enrolling a user in an anonymous database system according to claim 9, wherein the first enrollment process further comprises receiving an alphanumeric key from the user.

11. The method of enrolling a user in an anonymous database system according to claim 9, wherein the step of verifying the identity of the user at the institution comprises at least one of verifying a photo identification, obtaining personal information, and obtaining a signature.

12. The method of enrolling a user in an anonymous database system according to claim 9, wherein the step of verifying the identity of the user at the institution comprises verifying credentials entered by the user to access a web-based account at the institution.

13. The method of enrolling a user in an anonymous database system according to claim 9, wherein the step of verifying the identity of the user at the institution is performed at a proxy institution.

14. The method of enrolling a user in an anonymous database system according to claim 9, wherein the identifier uniquely identifying the institution is embedded into a component selected from the group consisting of a chip of a biometric node located at the institution and a card inserted into a card slot of the biometric node.

15. The method of enrolling a user in an anonymous database system according to claim 9, wherein the identifier uniquely identifying the institution is manually entered by an agent of the institution.

16. An anonymous database system, the system comprising:

a plurality of biometric nodes in communication with one another, each of the plurality of biometric nodes comprising a biometric input that receives biometric data from a user;

at least one central database in communication with the plurality of biometric nodes; and

a plurality of institution databases in communication with the plurality of biometric nodes,

wherein a first node of the plurality of biometric nodes is configured to receive a message from a second node of the plurality of biometric nodes, the message requesting authorization of data access by the second node.

17. The anonymous database system according to claim 16, wherein the at least one central database comprises a database that stores a set of data, each entry in the set of data comprising biometric data and a key identifying a corresponding user.

18. The anonymous database system according to claim 16, wherein the at least one central database comprises a database that stores a set of data, each entry in the set of data comprising a key identifying a user and a corresponding alphanumeric code.

19. The anonymous database system according to claim 16, wherein the at least one central database comprises a database that stores a set of data, each entry in the set of data comprising a key identifying a user, an identifier uniquely identifying an institution, and an identifier uniquely identifying the user at the institution.

20. The anonymous database system according to claim 16, wherein the at least one central database comprises a database that stores a set of data, each entry in the set of data comprising an identifier uniquely identifying an institution, a name of the institution, and a digital address identifying the location of an associated institution database.

21. A method for performing an action requiring multiple levels of authentication, the method comprising:

receiving a request to perform an action from a first user operating a first biometric node;

receiving biometric data from the first user;

determining, using the biometric data, whether additional authorization is required to allow the requested action to proceed;

sending a request for additional authorization to a second biometric node when additional authorization is required;

receiving authorization data at the second biometric node; and

allowing the requested action to proceed.

22. The method for performing an action requiring multiple levels of authentication according to claim 21, where the requested action is selected from the group consisting of aggregating data associated with the first user, gaining access to a restricted area, and transferring funds.

23. The method for performing an action requiring multiple levels of authentication according to claim 21, further comprising accessing security clearance information to identify the second biometric node that will receive the request for additional authorization.

24. The method for performing an action requiring multiple levels of authentication according to claim 21, wherein the authorization data is second biometric data obtained from a second user.

25. The method for performing an action requiring multiple levels of authentication according to claim 21, wherein the authorization data is received from a card inserted into a card slot of the second biometric node.