Method and apparatus for restrospectively identifying an individual who had engaged in a commercial or retail transaction or the like

• US 5,577,120 A
• Filed: 05/01/1995
• Issued: 11/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Penzias, Arno A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAYADIAN, HRAYR
• Application Number:
  US08/431,732
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/49, 380/51, 380/55
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1066 PIN data being compared to data on card
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853

Abstract

Individuals are provided with a transaction card which is to be presented for at least certain classes of transactions, e.g., truck rentals, purchases of chemicals, etc. Encoded electronically within the card are a) physical verification information and b) identity information. The identity information is encrypted, to create an encrypted identity file, using an "identity encryption key." The matching "identity decryption key" is held in secret by an appropriate government agency or agencies. The encrypted identity file and the physical verification information are then commingled and encrypted together using the "public encryption key" of a so-called public key encryption/decryption pair to create a composite encrypted file. The matching "public decryption key" is distributed to the society at large and is, in particular, stored at points-of-sale/transaction.

When a transaction is entered into, the purchaser presents his/her transaction card to the vendor as a requirement for the completion of the transaction. The composite encryption file stored in the card is decrypted, yielding a) a "clear text" version of the physical identification information and b) the encrypted identity file, which is saved along with information about the transaction. The encrypted identity file can be decrypted only under court order at such time as an item or substance involved in a crime is traced back to the transaction in question. Even though the purchaser'"'"'s identity information has been captured by the point-of-sale/transaction terminal, his/her privacy is maintained because the vendor cannot decrypt that information and therefore cannot actually read or display the information.

Claims

1. A transaction device which has stored thereon electronically readable data, said data comprising

a composite encrypted file comprised of a) physical verification information about an individual and b) an encrypted identity file, said composite encrypted file having been created by encrypting, together, said physical verification information and said encrypted identity file using a public key encryption key whose matching decryption key is publicly known,

said encrypted identity file including identity information relative to said individual, said encrypted identity file having been created by encrypting said identity information with an encryption key whose matching decryption key is not publicly known.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said physical verification information includes a fingerprint of said individual.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said physical verification information includes an iris image.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said identity information includes the name and address of said individual.

5. A method comprising the steps of

receiving a transaction device having stored thereon electronically readable data, said data including a composite encrypted file comprised of a) physical verification information about an individual and b) an encrypted identity file, said composite encrypted file having been created by encrypting, together, said physical verification information and said encrypted identity file using a public key encryption key whose matching decryption key is publicly known, said encrypted identity file including identity information relative to said individual, said encrypted identity file having been created by encrypting said identity information with an encryption key whose matching decryption key is not publicly known and is maintained in a state of secrecy,

reading said composite encrypted file from said device,

decrypting the composite encrypted file information thus read,

isolating a clear text version of said physical verification information from the file thus decrypted,

comparing said clear text version of said physical verification information to at least one corresponding physical characteristic of a presenting individual to determine if said presenting individual is the same person as said particular individual, and

if the result of said comparing is that said presenting individual is the same person as said particular individual, then isolating said encrypted identity file from the decrypted composite encrypted file and storing said isolated encrypted identity file in association with information stored about a transaction being entered into by said presenting individual.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said information about said transaction includes the identification of goods or services purchased by said presenting individual.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said physical verification information includes a fingerprint of said individual.

8. The invention of claim 6 wherein said physical verification information includes an iris image.

9. The invention of claim 6 comprising the further steps of

retrieving said stored encrypted identity file,

obtaining a release of said non-publicly known decryption key from said state of secrecy, and

using the thus-released non-publicly-known decryption key to decrypt said stored encrypted identity file,

whereby the individual who was engaged in said transaction can be identified after said goods or services have been associated with a crime scene, while the identity information of individuals who have not been involved in criminal activity remains undecrypted.