Method and apparatus for access control using dual biometric authentication

• US 20110205016A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Domain Standard Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Domain Standard Incorporated
• Inventors: Al-Azem, Samer, Behar, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 8,952,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• 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

A biometrically authenticated access control in which a wireless authentication signal is provided from a primary instrumentality of access, only after a dual-stage biometric verification of the user'"'"'s identity is performed. In one embodiment, an accessing device includes memory for storing a device identification code and an authentication code, along with first and second biometric templates corresponding to biometric samples from a user. In another embodiment, an accessing device includes memory for storing a device identification code and more than one authentication code, for separate users, along with first and second biometric templates corresponding to biometric samples from multiple users. In order to gain access to a secured resource, a user undergoes first and second biometric sampling to generate biometric data to be compared with the first and second biometric templates. Upon authentication of the user by positive matches with said first and second biometric samples, the accessing device communicates the accessing device identification code and authentication code to a remote station controlling access to the secured resource. A central server maintains a central database of records each establishing a correlation between an enrolled accessing device'"'"'s identification code and an authentication code assigned to that accessing device.

Claims

1. An access control system, comprising:

a remote station for restricting access to a secured resource, said remote station being responsive to at least one predetermined authentication code to permit access to a secured resource by an authorized user;

an accessing device, including;

a first biometric input system for obtaining a first biometric sample from a user;

a second biometric input system for obtaining a second biometric sample from said user;

control and processing circuitry, coupled to said first biometric input system and said second biometric input system and selectively responsive to said first and second biometric samples to verify the identity of said user as an authorized user, and in the event that said user is identified to be an authorized user, to communicate said at least one predetermined authentication code to said remote station.

2. An access control system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a primary instrumentality of access, coupled to said processing circuitry, for communicating a user identification to said remote station.

3. An access control system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a memory in said accessing device for storing said predetermined authentication code.

4. An access control system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said memory further stores a first biometric template for comparison to said first biometric sample and a second biometric template for comparison to said second biometric sample.

5. An access control system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a central server for maintaining a database of records each establishing a correlation between an enrolled accessing device identification code and an enrolled accessing device authentication code.

6. An access control system in accordance with claim 5, further comprising a communications link for communicating at least one of said records in said database of records to said remote station.

7. An access control system in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a memory in said remote station for storing said at least one of said records communicated from said central server.

8. An access control system in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

processing circuitry in said remote station responsive to receipt of an identification code and an authentication code from an accessing device to retrieve from said memory in said remote station a record corresponding to said received accessing device identification code.

9. An access control system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said processing circuitry in said remote station is responsive to said retrieved record to compare said received authentication code with an authentication code contained in said retrieved record.

10. An access control system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said remote station is responsive to a match between said received authentication code and said authentication code contained in said retrieved record to permit access to said secured resource.

11. An access control system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said primary instrumentality of access comprises an access card.

12. An access control system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said primary instrumentality of access comprises a keypad for entry of a predetermined access code.

13. An access control system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said primary instrumentality of access comprises an electromagnetic transmitter.

14. A method for controlling access to a secured resources, comprising:

providing a remote station for restricting access to a secured resource, said remote station being responsive to at least one predetermined authentication code to permit access to a secured resource by an authorized user;

providing an accessing device, including;

a first biometric input system for obtaining a first biometric sample from a user;

a second biometric input system for obtaining a second biometric sample from said user;

control and processing circuitry, coupled to said first biometric input system and said second biometric input system and selectively responsive to said first and second biometric samples to verify the identity of said user as an authorized user, and in the event that said user is identified to be an authorized user, to communicate said at least one predetermined authentication code to said remote station.

15. A method for controlling access to a secured resource by communicating at least one predetermined access code to a remote station, comprising:

(a) obtaining a first biometric sample from a user using an accessing device;

(b) obtaining a second biometric sample from said user using said accessing device;

(c) comparing said first and second biometric samples to previously stored templates to verify the identity of said user as an authorized user; and

(d) only in the event that said user is identified to be an authorized user, communicating said at least one predetermined authentication code from said accessing device to said remote station.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

prior to said step (d) of communicating said at least one predetermined authentication code to said remote station in the event that said user is identified to be an authorized user, communicating a user identification to said remote station using a primary instrumentality of access.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

storing said predetermined authentication code in memory in said accessing device.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17, further comprising:

storing in said memory a first biometric template for comparison to said first biometric sample and a second biometric template for comparison to said second biometric sample.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, further comprising:

maintaining in a central server a database of records each establishing a correlation between an enrolled accessing device identification code and an enrolled accessing device authentication code.