Method of gathering biometric information

• US 6,072,891 A
• Filed: 07/24/1997
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Activcard Ireland, Limited
• Original Assignee: DEW Engineering and Development Limited (Trelleborg AB)
• Inventors: Hamid, Laurence, Borza, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Au, Amelia
• Assistant Examiner(s): AHMED, SAMIR ANWAR
• Application Number:
  US08/899,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/116, 382/124, 382/127, 382/225, 340/825.31, 340/825.34
• US Class Current: 382/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/14 With a sequence of inputs of different identification information
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

In the past, user authorization based on biometric information was conducted by correlating a single instance of biometric information against a template. By using this method, a percentage of the population is difficult to authenticate. Further, due to skin damage and injuries, sometimes biometric information is not suited to identification. A sore throat affecting voice information and scraped finger tips affecting fingerprint information are two examples of common problems with authorization in dependence upon biometric information. A method of authenticating a user in dependence upon biometric input information is disclosed. The method allows a user to select biometric information sources and a number of repetitions for each source in order to customize the process of biometric user authentication.

Claims

1. A method of registering biometric information of an individual comprising the steps of:

a) providing a first biometric information sample from a biometric source of the individual to a biometric input device in communication with a host processor;

b) using the host processor, registering the first biometric information sample with a first template to produce a first registration value;

c) when the first registration value is within predetermined limits, identifying the individual;

d) when the first registration value is within other predetermined limits, providing a current biometric information sample from a different biometric source of the individual to a biometric input device in communication with the host processor;

e) using the host processor, registering the current biometric information sample with a second template to produce a current registration value;

f) when the first registration value relates to a security levels below a predetermined threshold value and a combination of at least the first registration value and the current registration value relates to a security level above a same predetermined threshold, identifying the individual, wherein the first registration value when taken in isolation, if the individual were authorised or identified, would result in a security level below a predetermined minimum allowable security level; and

g) when the first registration value and the current registration value are within second other predetermined limits, repeating steps (d) through (g).

2. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 1 comprising the step of when the registration values are within third predetermined limits, recommencing the method.

3. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 1 comprising the step of identifying a biometric source of a biometric sample.

4. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of when the first registration value and the current registration value are within second other predetermined limits, repeating steps (d) through (g) comprises the steps of:

the host processor determining a biometric information source for provision to the biometric input means; and

,

prompting the individual for further biometric information from the determined biometric information source.

5. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 4 wherein the biometric information sources are determined at random.

6. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 4 wherein the biometric information sources are determined in dependence upon at least one of previous biometric information samples provided from the individual, the first registration value, the current registration values, and a provided identity for the individual.

7. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 1 wherein determining when registration values based on different biometric samples provided from a same individual are within predetermined limits is performed by the step of:

determining if a point in a multidimensional probability distribution and having coordinates corresponding to the registration values falls within a multidimensional probability range determined in dependence upon a predetermined false acceptance rate.

8. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 1 comprising the step of providing an indication of user identity corresponding to the individual.

9. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined limits are based on a false acceptance rate.

10. A method of registering biometric information of an individual in dependence upon stored templates of biometric information as defined in claim 1 wherein the first template and the second template are a same composite template.

23. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 1 wherein the biometric information sources of an individual forms further data for use in determining the security level of the combination of the plurality of registration values.

24. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 1 wherein all registration values are below the predetermined threshold and the combined registration values are above a same predetermined threshold.

11. A method of registering biometric information of an individual comprising the steps of:

a) providing a first biometric information sample, S₁, from a biometric source of the individual to a biometric input device in communication with a host processor;

b) using the host processor registering the first biometric information sample with a first template to produce a first registration value, R₁ ;

c) when the first registration value, R₁, is within predetermined limits, identifying the individual;

d) when the first registration value, R₁, is within other predetermined limits, providing a current biometric information sample, S_n, from a different biometric source of the individual to a biometric input device in communication with the host processor, where n is of the sequence 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . and n=1 for the first sample and the first registration value associated therewith;

e) using the host processor, registering the current biometric information sample with a second template to produce a current registration value, R_n ;

f) when the first (n-1) registration value relates to a security levels below a predetermined threshold value and a combination of the n registration values relates to a security level above a same predetermined threshold, providing an indication, wherein the first registration value when taken in isolation, if the individual were authorised or identified, would result in a security level below a predetermined minimum allowable security level and wherein the first n-1 registration values when taken as a group, if the individual were authorised or identified, would result in a security level below a predetermined minimum allowable security level; and

g) when the first n-1 registration values are within second other predetermined limits, repeating steps (d) through (g).

12. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 11 wherein the step of providing an indication includes the step of identifying the individual.

13. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 11 comprising the step of:

when a registration value is below a predetermined threshold, providing another biometric information sample of a same source;

replacing the current biometric information sample, S_n, with the other biometric information sample of a same source;

e) using the host processor, registering the other biometric information sample with a second template to produce another registration value; and

,

replacing the current registration value, R_n, with the other registration value.

14. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 13 wherein the step (f) comprises the steps of:

determining if a point in a multidimensional probability distribution and having coordinates corresponding to the registration values, R₁ . . . R_n, falls within a multidimensional probability range determined in dependence upon a predetermined false acceptance rate.

15. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

the host processor determining biometric information sources for provision to the biometric input means; and

,

prompting the individual to provide biometric information from each source.

16. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 15 wherein the biometric information sources are determined in dependence upon at least one of previous biometric information from the individual, previous registration values, and a provided identity for the individual.

17. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 11 comprising the step of providing an indication of user identity corresponding to the individual.

25. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 11 wherein the biometric information sources of an individual forms further data for use in determining the security level of the combination of the plurality of registration values.

26. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 11 wherein all registration values are below the predetermined threshold and the combined registration values are above a same predetermined threshold.

18. A method of registering biometric information of an individual in dependence upon stored templates of biometric information comprising the steps of:

a) providing an indication of the individual'"'"'s identity;

b) providing biometric information from a known biometric information source of the individual to a host processor;

c) registering the biometric information against a template of biometric information from the same source to determine a registration value using the host processor;

d) determining if a point having coordinates in an n-dimensional probability distribution, n having an integer value greater than 1, and having coordinates corresponding to the determined registration values falls within an n-dimensional probability range determined in dependence upon a predetermined false acceptance rate corresponding to a security level above a predetermined threshold wherein a point having co-ordinates in an (n-1)-dimensional probability distribution corresponding to n-1 of the registration values relates to a security level below the predetermined threshold;

e) identifying the individual when the point falls within the n-dimensional probability range corresponding to the predetermined false acceptance rate; and

,

f) repeating steps (b) through (f) when the point falls within a second other n-dimensional probability range.

19. A method of registering biometric information of an individual in dependence upon stored templates of biometric information as defined in claim 18 wherein each time the step (f) is repeated, the value of n is incremented by one.

20. A method of registering biometric information of an individual in dependence upon stored templates of biometric information as defined in claim 18 comprising the step of

g) returning to step (a) and recommencing the process of registering biometric information when the point falls outside the first other n-dimensional probability range and outside the second other n-dimensional probability range.

21. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 18 wherein the biometric information sources of an individual forms further data for use in determining the security level of the combination of the plurality of registration values.

22. A method of registering biometric information of an individual as defined in claim 18 wherein all registration values are below the predetermined threshold and the combined registration values are above a same predetermined threshold.