Method of personal verification for an in-resident system for administrating course material

• US 5,700,149 A
• Filed: 06/03/1994
• Issued: 12/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: I Drive Safely, LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: U. S. Interactive, LP
• Inventors: Owens, Marschall S., Johnson, Oscar R. III
• Primary Examiner(s): CLARK, JEANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US08/254,086
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 434/169, 434/322, 434/323, 434/336, 434/350, 434/362, 380/23, 380/25
• US Class Current: 434/322
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

An in-resident system for administering a course of study using a central data processor having access to a program and using residential/business scale equipment including a terminal and screen that can communicate with the program or a portion of the program, at a remote in-resident location and time the system including a method for personal validation of the remote student and for administering the course of study remotely.

Claims

1. A method for personal validation of a remote student comprising:

soliciting a first datum of information from a student by an equipment distributor at a first place and time;

communicating with at least one database, created by a person/agency independent of the equipment distributor before the step of soliciting, to determine an independent preexisting correlation of the first datum with at least one second datum of information contained in database;

formulating a question based upon the second datum;

communicating the question to a student at a second place and time;

receiving an answer to the question in a data processor;

predicting, based upon the answer, whether the student at the second place and time is the student at the first place and time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first datum comprises a drivers license number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one database comprises a motor vehicle registration database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one database comprises a credit report database.

5. The method of claim 1 that includes correlating the first datum with a plurality of second data;

formulating a plurality of personal validation questions; and

communicating a plurality of personal validation questions.

6. The method of claim 1 that includes comparing the student appearance at the first place and time with a drivers license picture.

7. The method of claim 1 that includes comparing a signature of the student at the first place and time with a signature on a drivers license.

8. The method of claim 1 that includes checking out course material to a student at the first place and time;

recording the student'"'"'s signature;

checking in course material from a student at the first place and at a third time;

recording the return student'"'"'s signature; and

comparing an appearance and a signature of the student at the first time and at the third time with a picture and a signature on a drivers license.

9. The method of claim 1 that includes soliciting drivers license information from a student without permitting reference by the student to a drivers license and that includes comparing the information solicited with information on a drivers license.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the questions and receiving the answers is performed using a phone line, and that includes:

soliciting an in-resident phone number from the student at the first place and time; and

checking the in-resident number against the phone line used.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the communicating with at least one database utilizes a data processor.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the communicating the question to a student utilizes a data processor.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the question to a student at a second place and time includes communicating from a program originating in a central data processor to portable residential/business scale terminal screen equipment, and wherein the question comprises a personal validation question.

14. The method of claim 13 that includes measuring an elapsed time between said communicating the question and said receiving an answer to the question and wherein said predicting is based on said elapsed time.

15. The method of claim 14 that includes deaccessing the program by the portable equipment and reaccessing the program by the portable equipment and wherein deaccessing the program after the communication of the question and before the receiving of an answer to the question causes communicating a second question upon reaccessing.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said accessing includes using a phone line.