Personal identification system for use with fingerprint data in secured transactions

• US 5,648,648 A
• Filed: 02/05/1996
• Issued: 07/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Finger Power Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Finger Power Incorporated
• Inventors: Tang, Ruey-Long, Chou, Ken W.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Application Number:
  US08/596,570
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/382
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• 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

Abstract

A personal identification system for use with fingerprint data in security sensitive transactions is disclosed. The systems performs according to the following steps: generating an access file for specifying a plurality of different comparison ratio ("CR") levels with each level corresponding to an acceptable transaction; receiving the requester fingerprint data and its accompanying request parameters; comparing the requester fingerprint data with one of a plurality of fingerprint data in a master file corresponding to the account upon which a transaction is requested; generating an AR/RR based on result of comparison; evaluating the request for transaction and the AR/RR using the access file; if the AR/RR is acceptable for the requested transaction, granting the request after successfully passing additional authentication tests, and if the AR/RR is not acceptable for the transaction, entering at least one exception routine for additional authentication.

Claims

1. In a transaction-based system for conducting secured-data transactions, comprising:

at least one fingerprint recognition device for recognizing and generating fingerprint data of a requester in a predefined format,

master files and libraries for initially storing a plurality of fingerprint data corresponding to a plurality of users of said system, and

a data processing unit coupled to said master files and libraries for maintaining preestablished criteria maintained in said master files and libraries for said request by comparing said fingerprint data from said requester with a corresponding entry in said master file and libraries using said predetermined criteria, a method of personal identification for said system to conduct secured-data transactions using said fingerprint data of said requester, comprising the steps of;

a) generating and maintaining, for each account, an access file for specifying a plurality of different AR/RR levels with each level corresponding to an acceptable transaction such that a transaction is allowed when an AR level is met, or rejected when it falls below an RR level;

b) receiving fingerprint data of a requester and its accompanying request for a transaction and account information;

c) generating a CR for said requester'"'"'s fingerprint data;

d) comparing said fingerprint data of said requester with one of said plurality of fingerprint data in said master file pertaining to said account;

e) evaluating said CR of transaction request against said AR/RR, using said access file;

f) if said AR is acceptable for said transaction, granting said request; and

if said CR is not acceptable for said transaction, entering at least one exception routine for additional authentication.

2. A method according to claim 1, said Step f) further comprising a step of entering at least one exception condition for additional acceptance testing as previously defined by the account user.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step f) of entering at least one exception routine comprises at least one of the following steps:

a) evaluating a predetermined set of exception rules to supplement authentication;

b) requesting additional information from said requester to supplement authentication;

c) requesting a third party to intervene to supplement authentication.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said step f) of entering at least one exception routine comprises at least one of the following steps:

a) evaluating a predetermined set of exception rules to supplement authentication;

b) requesting additional information from said requester to supplement authentication;

c) requesting a third party to intervene to supplement authentication.

5. A personal identification system for facilitating secured-data transactions, comprising:

input means for receiving a transactions request from a requester, said transaction request being accompanied by said requester'"'"'s fingerprints being generated from a fingerprint recognition system for recognizing said requester'"'"'s fingerprints to generate said requester'"'"'s fingerprint data in a predetermined format;

libraries and master files for storing a plurality of fingerprint data in connection with a plurality of account holders, said master files also registering a plurality of security levels required for a plurality of transactions as initially specified for each account holder;

data processing means coupled to said libraries master files and said input means for comparing said requester'"'"'s fingerprint data with an entry in said master files corresponding to said account, said data processing means generating a comparison ratio ("CR") based on predefined comparison criteria;

request evaluation means coupled to said master files for determining whether said CR meets predefined security criteria required for said transaction request and if so, granting said request after successfully passes at least one predefined exceptions test;

exception processing means coupled to said request evaluation means for generating a predefined acceptance rules, if said CR does not meet said predefined security criteria, for additional authentication, said exception processing means also generating a predefined set of rejection rules if said CR does not meet said predefined security level for additional authentication.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said exception processing means further comprises at least one of the following:

means for alerting an offsite party for intervention;

means for alerting an onsite party for intervention;

means for requesting said user to submit additional information to supplement authentication;

means for said institution to establish customized automated exception rules and procedures to supplement authentication.

7. A system according to claim 6, further comprising:

user define means coupled to said input means and data processing means for defining a plurality of predefined processing functions when a request is not granted.

10. The computer program according to claim 5, wherein said exception processing means also generates additional predetermined acceptance rules, if the CR meets said predetermined security, wherein said additional predetermined acceptance rules requires the account holder to provide additional verification.

8. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for implementing a personal identification system for conducting secured transactions between a front end and a back end,

the front end comprising a fingerprint recognition unit for reading an user'"'"'s fingerprints to generate fingerprint data in a predetermined format and an input unit for receiving the user'"'"'s fingerprint data and transaction requests for an account maintained at the back end, the account being initially set up with the user'"'"'s fingerprint data,

the back end comprising a data storage and processing unit for maintaining said account and comparing the fingerprint data from the front end with fingerprint data of said account identified by the transaction requests, the back end generating a comparison ratio ("CR") by comparing the fingerprint data received by the front end and the fingerprint data associated with the account, the method steps comprising:

a) establishing a multi-level access file for the account, the access file indicating a plurality of security criteria required for a plurality of allowable transactions;

b) providing at least one level of at least one exception processing to the multi-level access file, the exception processing being invokable when said CR is below what is required for an allowable transaction, the exception processing generating a plurality of user-defined functions and activities when invoked;

c) storing the multi-level access file and the exception processing at the back end such that the access file and the exception processing may be invoked when the back end receives a transaction request and an user'"'"'s fingerprint data from the front end.

9. The computer program according to claim 8, wherein the exception processing comprises at least one of the following steps:

a) requesting the user for additional information to supplement authentication;

b) notifying a local third party to intervene;

c) notifying a remote third party to intervene.