Method and apparatus for securely handling data in a database of biometrics and associated data

• US 5,790,668 A
• Filed: 12/19/1995
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bioscrypt, Inc. (Advent International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mytec Technologies Inc (Advent International Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomko, George J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US08/574,724
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 380/3, 380/4, 380/9, 380/21, 380/23, 380/25, 380/49, 380/50
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

A person wanting an entitlement, such as welfare, typically inputs his fingerprint to a database. On a match with a fingerprint already in the database, a profile of the person with the matching fingerprint is retrieved to guard against double dipping. There is a concern for the privacy of the information in the database. To assure privacy, the profile associated with each fingerprint in the database is encrypted so that when a new person attempts to enroll and a matching fingerprint is found in the database, the associated profile returned is encrypted. In order to access this encrypted profile, PINs are required from one or two authorized operators. The PIN of an authorized operator is stored on a card in an encrypted fashion such that it may be recovered by the authorized operator inputting his fingerprint to the system. One or both PINs are needed to decipher the profile.

Claims

1. A method for the secure handling of data, comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring a database of personal identifiers and data comprising, repetitively;

(i) acquiring a person identifier;

(ii) acquiring data;

(iii) encrypting said data with an encryption key such that said encrypted data has a decryption key;

(iv) associating said encrypted data with said personal identifier in said database;

(v) encrypting said decryption key utilising a personal identifier;

(b) comparing a personal identifier of a given individual with the database and, on a match with a personal identifier in said database, obtaining encrypted data associated with said matching personal identifier;

(c) obtaining a decryption key for the encrypted data with the following steps;

(i) obtaining an encrypted version of said decryption key from storage;

(ii) performing a decryption operation on said encrypted decryption key utilising said personal identifier of step (a)(v);

(d) performing a decryption operation on the encrypted data with the key obtained in step (c)(ii).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said personal identifier of step (a)(v) comprises a personal identifier of an operator.

3. The method of claim 2 including the step of encrypting said decryption key and storing said encrypted decryption key and wherein sub-step (ii) of step (c) comprises utilising said operator personal identifier to obtain a first key for use in decrypting said encrypted decryption key.

4. The method of claim 3 including the step of storing a personal identifier encoded PIN and said first key and wherein sub-step (ii) of step (c) comprises utilising said operator personal identifier to decode said personal identifier encoded PIN and utilising said PIN to access said first key.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said operator is a first operator and said operator personal identifier is a first personal identifier, wherein the step of encrypting said decryption key comprises doubly encrypting said decryption key and storing said doubly encrypted decryption key, and wherein sub-step (ii) of step (c) comprises performing a decryption operation on said doubly encrypted decryption key utilising a second personal identifier of a second operator desiring access to said encrypted data as well as said first personal identifier of said first operator.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said personal identifier encoded PIN is a first personal identifier encoded PIN and including the step of storing a second personal identifier encoded PIN and a second key for said encrypted decryption key and wherein sub-step (ii) of step (c) comprises utilising said second personal identifier to decode said second personal identifier encoded PIN and utilising said second PIN to access said second key, said second key for, along with said first key, decrypting said doubly encrypted decryption key.

7. The method of claim 6 including the step of initially encrypting said decryption key with a first public key to obtain an initially encrypted decryption key and further encrypting said initially encrypted decryption key with a second public key to obtain said doubly encrypted decryption key.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein sub-step (c)(ii) comprises:

retrieving said doubly encrypted decryption key from storage;

decrypting said doubly encrypted decryption key utilising said first key as a private key to obtain said initially encrypted decryption key;

decrypting said initially encrypted decryption key utilising said second key as a private key to obtain said decryption key.

9. The method of claim 8 including the step of storing said doubly encrypted decryption key with said encrypted data.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the sub-step (i) of step (a) comprises acquiring a representation of a biometric and wherein sub-step (ii) of step (c) comprises performing a decryption operation on said doubly encrypted decryption key utilising a representation of a first biometric of said first operator and utilising a representation of a second biometric of said second operator.

11. The method of claim 9 including the step of initially encrypting said decryption key with a parameter to obtain an initially encrypted decryption key and further encrypting said initially encrypted decryption key with a public key to obtain said doubly encrypted decryption key.

12. The method of claim 11 including the step of encrypting said parameter with a public key and storing said public key encrypted parameter and wherein sub-step (c)(ii) comprises:

retrieving said public key encrypted parameter from storage;

decrypting said public key encrypted parameter utilising said second key to obtain said parameter;

retrieving said doubly encrypted decryption key from storage;

decrypting said doubly encrypted decryption key utilising said first key as a private key to obtain said initially encrypted decryption key;

decrypting said initially encrypted decryption key utilising said parameter.

13. The method of claim 12 including the step of storing said doubly encrypted decryption key and said public key encrypted parameter with said encrypted data.

14. The method of claim 2 wherein said operator is a first operator and said operator personal identifier in a first personal identifier and wherein sub-step (ii) of step (c) comprises performing a decryption operation on said encrypted decryption key utilising a second personal identifier of a second operator desiring access to said encrypted data as well as said first personal identifier of said first operator.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein step (a) comprises acquiring a database of personal identifiers and data such that said encrypted data associated with each personal identifier is in the nature of an encrypted address, said encrypted address, when decrypted, pointing to further data and wherein step (b) comprises comparing a personal identifier of a given individual with the database and, on a match with a personal identifier in said database, obtaining the encrypted address associated with said matching personal identifier.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises acquiring a database of personal identifiers such that each personal identifier has an associated address pointing to associated encrypted data and wherein step (b) comprises comparing a personal identifier of a given individual with the database and, on a match with a personal identifier in said database, obtaining the address associated with said matching personal identifier to retrieve encrypted data associated with said matching personal identifier.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein step (a) comprises encoding said associated address with said each personal identifier such that when a personal identifier of a given individual matches a personal identifier in said database of personal identifiers, the associated address is returned from the personal identifier encoded address corresponding to said matching personal identifier.

18. A method for the secure handling of data for a database of biometrics and associated data, comprising the steps of:

a) acquiring a database of biometric representations and data comprising, repetitively;

(i) acquiring a biometric representation;

(ii) acquiring data;

(iii) encrypting said data with an encryption key such that said encrypted data has a decryption key;

(iv) storing said encrypted data at an address;

(v) associating an address pointer pointing to said address with said biometric representation;

b) comparing a biometric representation of a given individual with the database of biometric representations and, on a match with a biometric representation in said database, obtaining the address pointer associated with said matching biometric representation to retrieve encrypted data associated with said matching biometric representation;

c) obtaining said decryption key for the encrypted data;

d) performing a decryption operation on the encrypted data with said encrypted decryption key.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein step (a) comprises encoding said associated address pointer with each said biometric representation such that when a biometric representation of a given individual matches a biometric representation in said database of biometric representations, the associated address pointer is returned from the biometric representation encoded address pointer corresponding to said matching biometric representation.

20. Apparatus for the secure handling of data in a database of biometrics and data comprising the following:

(a) a database of biometric representations and data with each biometric representation in said database being associated in the database with data and at least a portion of the data associated with each biometric representation being encrypted;

(b) an input for a biometric of a given individual;

(c) means responsive to said given individual biometric input for comparing a biometric representation of a given individual with the database of biometric representations and, on a match with a biometric representation in said database, for retrieving both encrypted data associated with said matching biometric representation and an encrypted version of a decryption key for said encrypted data;

(d) an input for a biometric of an operator desiring access to said encrypted data;

(e) means responsive to said operator biometric input for obtaining a decryption key for said encrypted decryption key;

(f) means responsive to said means for obtaining a decryption key for said encrypted decryption key for performing a decryption operation on said encrypted decryption key; and

(g) means responsive to said means for performing a decryption operation on said encrypted decryption key for performing a decryption operation on the encrypted data.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said operator biometric input is a first operator biometric input and including an input for a biometric of an second operator desiring access to said encrypted data and wherein said means responsive to said first operator biometric input is also responsive to said second operator biometric input.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said means reponsive to said first operator biometric input and said second operator biometric input comprises a first docking station for reception of a first storage and processing card and a second docking station for reception of a second storage and processing card.

23. A method for the secure handling of data, comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring a database of representations of biometrics and data comprising, repetitively;

(i) acquiring a representation of a biometric;

(ii) acquiring data;

(iii) encrypting said data with an encryption key such that said encrypted data has a decryption key;

(iv) associating said encrypted data with said representation of a biometric in said database;

(v) encrypting said decryption key utilising a personal identifier of an operator;

(b) comparing a representation of a biometric of a given individual with the database and, on a match with a representation of a biometric in said database, obtaining encrypted data associated with said matching representation of a biometric;

(c) obtaining a decryption key for the encrypted data with the following steps;

(i) obtaining an encrypted version of said decryption key from storage;

(ii) performing a decryption operation on said encrypted decryption key utilising a representation of a biometric of said operator;

(d) performing a decryption operation on the encrypted data with the key obtained in step (c)(ii).

24. The method of claim 23 including the step of encrypting said decryption key and storing said encrypted decryption key and wherein sub-step (ii) of step (c) comprises utilising said operator biometric representation to obtain a first key for use in decrypting said encrypted decryption key.

25. The method of claim 24 including the step of storing a biometric representation encoded PIN and said first key and wherein sub-step (ii) of step (c) comprises utilising said operator biometric representation to decode said biometric representation encoded PIN and utilising said PIN to access said first key.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said operator is a first operator and said operator biometric representation is a first biometric representation, wherein the step of encrypting said decryption key comprises doubly encrypting said decryption key and storing said doubly encrypted decryption key, and wherein sub-step (ii) of step (c) comprises performing a decryption operation on said doubly encrypted decryption key utilising a second biometric representation of a second operator desiring access to said encrypted data as well as said first biometric representation of said first operator.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein said operator is a first operator and said operator biometric representation is a first biometric representation and wherein sub-step (ii) of step (c) comprises performing a decryption operation on said encrypted decryption key utilising a second biometric representation of a second operator desiring access to said encrypted data as well as said first biometric representation of said first operator.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein step (a) comprises acquiring a database of biometric representations such that each biometric representation has an associated address pointing to associated encrypted data and wherein step (b) comprises comparing a biometric representation of a given individual with the database and, on a match with a biometric representation in said database, obtaining the address associated with said matching biometric representation to retrieve encrypted data associated with said matching biometric representation.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein step (a) comprises encoding said associated address with said each biometric representation such that when a biometric representation of a given individual matches a biometric representation in said database, the associated address is returned from the biometric representation encoded address corresponding to said matching biometric representation.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein step (a) comprises acquiring a database of biometric representations and data such that said encrypted data associated with each biometric representation is in the nature of an encrypted address, said encrypted address, when decrypted, pointing to further data and wherein step (b) comprises comparing a biometric representation of a given individual with the database and, on a match with a biometric representation in said database, obtaining the encrypted address associated with said matching biometric representation.

31. A method for the secure handling of data comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring a database of biometric representations and data comprising, repetitively;

(i) acquiring a biometric representation and storing said biometric representation;

(ii) acquiring data and storing said data;

(iii) associating said data with said biometric representation by way of an address pointer between said biometric representation and said data;

(iv) encrypting said pointer utilizing said biometric representation as an encryption key and associating said encrypted address pointer with said biometric representation;

(b) comparing a biometric representation of a given individual with said database and, on a match with a biometric representation in said database, obtaining said encrypted address pointer associated with said matching biometric representation;

(c) decrypting said encrypted address pointer utilizing said biometric representation of said given individual;

(d) retrieving data utilizing said address pointer associated with said matching biometric representation.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said retrieved data is encrypted and including the steps of:

(e) obtaining a decryption key for the encrypted data with the following steps;

(i) obtaining an encrypted version of said decryption key from storage;

(ii) performing a decryption operation on said encrypted decryption key utilizing a biometric representation of an operator desiring access to said encrypted data;

(f) performing a decryption operation on the encrypted data with the key obtained in sub-step (ii) of step (e).