System and method for remote, wireless positive identity verification

• US 6,040,783 A
• Filed: 11/10/1997
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Image Data Corporation, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: Image Data Corporation
• Inventors: Houvener, Robert C., Schappler, Joseph, Hoenisch, Ian P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEANGLAUDE, JEAN BRUNER
• Application Number:
  US08/966,520
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.34, 340/825.31, 380/23, 380/25, 380/24, 382/115, 235/380
• US Class Current: 340/5.53
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• 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 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1075 PIN is checked remotely

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method of providing system integrity and positive audit capabilities to a positive identification system. The use of access authority information units to gain access to the positive identification system solves the problems of open, unsecured and unauditable access to data for use in point of use identification systems and enables the system to be implemented in a mobile embodiment, which would expand system uses to applications using wireless communications links between the point of identification terminal and a remote identification database. In order to secure the rights to the data that is needed to make mass identification systems operate, it must be shown that records will be closed and secure, as well as that there will be an audit trail of access that is made to the data. This system solves those problems through the use of a system and method for identification with biometric data and/or personal identification numbers and/or personalized devices embedded with codes unique to their assigned users.

Claims

1. A mobile positive identification system comprising:

at least one remote database site having stored therein a database comprising a plurality of access authority information units corresponding to authorized users of the system and a database comprising a plurality of digital photographic images of persons to be identified;

a mobile point of identification terminal having an access authority information unit input for inputting an access authority information unit presented by a user of the system, an identifying information input for accepting identifying information presented by a person to be positively identified at said mobile point of identification terminal and a display device for displaying digital photographic images of persons to be identified;

a communications link, linking said mobile point of identification terminal to said at least one remote database, wherein said communications link is comprised, at least in part, of a wireless communications link;

a means for verifying that said point of identification terminal is authorized to access said remote database site; and

a means for verifying that said user of said system has compared the digital photographic images displayed on the display means with the physical appearance of the person being identified at the point of identification terminal and that a match exists between at least one of said digital photographic images and the physical appearance of said person being identified.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for verifying that said point of identification terminal is authorized to access said remote database site comprises a software key included in said point of identification terminal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless communications link comprises a wireless transceiver incorporated into said point of identification terminal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless communications link is selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone communications links, Radio Frequency (RF) communications links, microwave communications links, or satellite communications links.

5. A method of positively identifying individuals, said method comprising the steps of:

registering a plurality of system users by assigning at least one unique access authority information unit to each of said system users;

storing said assigned access authority information units in a valid system user database at a remote database site;

storing a plurality of digital photographic images of persons to be identified in an identification database as said remote database site, each said stored digital photographic image corresponding to at least one identification information unit;

logging a system user onto the system by inputting at least one access authority information unit assigned to said system user into a point of identification terminal;

accepting an identification information unit presented by a person to be positively identified at said point of identification terminal and inputting said identification information unit into said point of identification terminal;

establishing communications between said point of identification terminal and said remote database over a communications link comprising, at least in part, of a wireless communications link;

verifying that the point of identification terminal is authorized to access said remote database site;

transmitting said access authority information unit input into said point of identification terminal to said remote database site and comparing said access authority information unit with said access authority information units stored in said valid user database;

granting access to said identification database at said remote database site if a match exists between said access authority information unit input into said identification terminal and a valid access authority information unit stored in the valid system user database and said point of identification terminal is verified to be an authorized device;

transmitting said input identification information unit to said remote database site;

retrieving at least one of said digital photographic images corresponding to said identification information unit transmitted to said remote database site;

transmitting at least one of said digital photographic images over said communications link, including said wireless communications link, to said point of identification terminal;

displaying at least one of said digital photographic images received from said remote database site on a display device at said positive identification terminal;

comparing said displayed digital photographic image with the physical appearance of the person being identified at the point of identification terminal;

indicating that the system user has compared the displayed digital photographic images with the physical appearance of the person being identified matches at least one of the displayed digital photographic images by inputting a key stroke sequence into the positive identification terminal; and

storing, at the remote database site, a transaction record including identifying information for said person being identified and said system user for recall should a positive identification transaction be questioned at a later date.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of registering said plurality of system users comprises assigning a unique personal identification number to each system user as said unique access authority information unit.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of registering said plurality of system users comprises assigning a unique electronic key to each system user as said unique access information unit, wherein each said electronic key comprises a unique code to be read by said system.

8. The method of claim 7, whereas the step of registering said plurality of system user'"'"'s further comprises assigning a personal identification number to to each system user in addition to said assigned electronic key.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of analyzing transactions off-line to identify out of norm patterns in order to identify potentially fraudulent transactions.