Method and system for biometric recognition based on electric and/or magnetic properties

• US 6,507,662 B1
• Filed: 09/11/1998
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GR Intellectual Reserve LLC
• Original Assignee: QUIP Technology Limited
• Inventors: Brooks, Juliana H. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bali, Vikkram
• Application Number:
  US09/151,581
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/118, 382/128, 382/124-126, 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 902/3, 902/4, 902/5, 902/6, 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 735/79, 735/85, 735/87, 128/746, 128/920, 128/630, 128/647, 128/660.01, 600/559, 600/506
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/001 Model-based coding, e.g. wire frame
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/412 Layout analysis of documents structured with printed lines or input boxes, e.g. business forms or tables
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

A method and apparatus for biometric recognition of an individual living organism uses electric and/or magnetic or acoustic energy. A biometric recognition system measures at least one bio-electrical and/or biomagnetic property to recognize of an individual living organism'"'"'s identity. In one embodiment, an individual'"'"'s hand is tested to provide a ratio of internal electric and/or magnetic properties of the fingers. This provides a biometric signature that is placed in memory for later comparison with a measured ratio of a presented hand to validate the individual'"'"'s identity. The method and apparatus can be used to enable operation of a computer, or provide secure communication between an individual at a first location and a second location.

Claims

1. A method for biometric recognition of an individual living organism using one or more biometric patterns, comprising the steps of

measuring unique, internal electric and/or magnetic properties of a plurality of different segments of a body part of the organism,

calculating a ratio of said measurements to provide a reference biometric pattern,

measuring unique, internal electric and/or magnetic properties of a plurality of different segments of a later presented body part of an organism,

calculating a ratio of said presented body part measurements to provide a present biometric pattern, and

comparing the present biometric pattern with the reference biometric pattern to determine if the patterns are substantially similar and;

recognizing the organism when the patterns are substantially similar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of providing the reference and present biometric patterns each include the steps of

transmitting electric and/or magnetic energy into each of said plurality of different segments of a body part of the organism, and

detecting the acoustic energy generated by each transmission of electromagnetic energy into each of said segments.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of biometric patterns for the organism are used, each pattern comprising a ratio of measurements made using a different frequency and/or different waveform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference and present biometric patterns of said segments of the body part are provided by the steps comprising

a) applying input electric and/or magnetic energy to a first segment of the body part,

b) measuring output electric and/or magnetic energy resulting from interaction of the input electric and/or magnetic energy with, at least one material component of the first body part segment,

c) performing steps a) and b) on at least a second segment of the body part, the second segment being sufficiently different from the first segment to provide a second output signal different from the first, and

d) determining the ratio of the output energy measurements to provide said biometric patterns.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step a) of applying energy applies electromagnetic radiation into the organism;

and step b) of measuring energy measures the electric and/or magnetic energy resulting from the interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with the organism.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the electric and/or magnetic energy applied is selected from the group consisting of an electrical field, magnetic field and electromagnetic field.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric and/or magnetic energy is applied to the body part segment by a method selected from the group consisting of contacting the body part segment and non-contacting the body part segment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing said biometric patterns comprises the steps:

a) contacting at least a first and second area of a presented body part segment with at least two electrodes, the first and second area being separated a distance sufficient to enable measuring at least one internal biometric characteristic in the body segment between the electrodes;

b) applying an input electrical energy to the electrodes, the input electrical energy having at least one frequency sufficient to penetrate the presented body part segment;

c) measuring output electrical energy in the segment, the output energy representing input energy altered by interaction with the body part segment;

d) converting measured output electrical energy to a working signal;

e) saving the working signal in a microprocessor;

f) performing steps a)-e) on at least a second segment of the presented body part that is sufficiently different from the first segment to provide a second output signal different from the first to provide a different second working signal; and

g) calculating a ratio of said plurality of working signals to provide said patterns.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein

the measuring step includes measuring unique, internal electric and/or magnetic properties of a plurality of different segments of a body part of a plurality of different organism,

the calculating step includes calculating a ratio of said measurements to provide a reference biometric pattern for each organism,

the storing step includes storing the reference patterns of the plurality of organisms in a data bank, and

the comparing step includes comparing the present biometric pattern with the plurality of reference biometric patterns to determine substantial similarity to any of the reference biometric patterns.

10. The method of claim 1, including the further step of authorizing an action by the organism upon recognition.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the action is access to a computer.

12. The method for claim 10, wherein the action is secure communication between an individual living organism at a first location and a second location.

13. A non-invasive method for biometric recognition of a testing individual using one or more biometric patterns pattern comprising a ratio of a plurality of measured internal bioimpedances of a presented body part that is unique to the individual, the method comprising the steps:

a) providing a reference pattern for the body part of the testing individual, the reference pattern determined by the following steps;

i) contacting at least two electrodes to first and second areas of a first body part segment, the first and second areas being separated a distance sufficient to enable the measuring at least one bioelectrical characteristic in the first body part segment between the electrodes;

ii) applying a low amperage current to the electrodes, the low amperage current having at least one frequency sufficient to penetrate the first body part segment;

iii) detecting a first voltage differential value between the at least two electrodes;

iv) converting the detected first voltage differential to a working signal measurement;

v) saving the working signal measurement in a microprocessor;

vi) performing steps i)-v) on at different second segment of the presented body part, the second segment being positioned a sufficient distance from the first segment of step i) to provide a different second working signal;

vii) generating the reference pattern by calculating a ratio of the plurality of working signals;

b) storing the reference pattern in at least one memory storage system;

c) performing step a) on the same type body part presented by the testing individual to generate a present biometric pattern for the same type body part of the testing individual that was used to generate the reference pattern;

d) comparing the present biometric pattern with the reference biometric pattern; and

e) recognizing the testing individual if the biometric and reference patterns are substantially similar within an acceptable error range.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the presented body part is a hand of the testing individual which has at least three distinct body part segments for producing working signals.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the voltage differential is produced by a first pair of electrodes which apply the constant current, and a second pair of electrodes which detect the voltage differential caused by the body part segment positioned between the first pair of electrodes.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the working signal measurement is a bioelectrical characteristic selected from the group consisting of resistance, reactance, phase angle and impedance.

17. Apparatus for the biometric recognition of an individual living organism by comparing biometric patterns, comprising:

means for generating a biometric pattern for the organism including means for measuring unique, internal electric and/or magnetic properties of a plurality of different segments of a body part of the organism, and means for calculating a ratio of said measurements to provide a biometric pattern of the body part,

means for storing a generated biometric pattern for the organism as a reference pattern, and

means for comparing a later generated biometric pattern with said reference pattern to determine substantial similarity for purposes of recognition.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the storage means has the capacity for storage of reference patterns for a plurality of different living organisms, and the comparing means include means for comparing said later generated biometric pattern with said reference patterns to determine substantial similarity to any of said reference patterns.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the measuring means comprise

means for transmitting electric and/or magnetic energy into the organism to interact with the organism and generate acoustic energy; and

means for detecting the acoustic energy generated in the organism by the electric and/or magnetic energy after it has interacted with the organism.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the generating means comprise

means applying input electric and/or magnetic energy to said plurality of different segments of the presented body part, and

means measuring output electric and/or magnetic energy resulting from interaction of the input electric and/or magnetic energy with each different body part segment and generating output signals to the calculating means.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the applying means include a frequency generator and an electric field and/or magnetic field transmitter connected to the frequency generator, and the measuring means include an electric field and/or magnetic field receiver disposed adjacent to the electric field and/or magnetic field transmitter and defining a test zone with the electric field and/or magnetic field transmitter in which body part segment is placed for sensing the electric and/or magnetic properties of the individual organism, and a detector connected to the electric field and/or magnetic field receiver and the microprocessor.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the measuring means measures one of phase, amplitude, frequency or waveform of the electric field and/or magnetic field that extends through said test zone.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the applying means include means for applying a plurality of predetermined different frequencies and/or different waveforms to generate a plurality of different patterns for the same body part for storage as reference patterns, and the comparing means include means for comparing a plurality of different patterns, resulting from application of the same predetermined different frequencies and/or different waveforms to a later presented body part of the organism, with said reference patterns to determine substantial similarity for purposes of recognition.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the applying and comparing means process a sufficient number of different patterns for the same body part to determine substantial similarity with an accuracy of greater than one in one billion.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the measuring means include a mechanism for forming matrices corresponding to the properties of the organism having at least four-dimensions to establish the biometric pattern.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the applying means include a mechanism for applying electromagnetic radiation into the segments.