Advanced personal identification systems and techniques

• US 6,580,356 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1998
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eckhard Alt, Juergen Jaekel
• Original Assignee: Eckhard Alt, Juergen Jaekel
• Inventors: Alt, Eckhard, Jaekel, Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US09/186,577
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.8, 340/5.7, 340/573.1, 340/10.41, 340/10.6, 340/5.61, 340/5.81, 342/357.07, 342/51, 342/42, 342/44, 713/182
• US Class Current: 340/5.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/23 using manual input of alphanumerical codes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/252 Fingerprint recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body

Abstract

A method for identifying a person authorized to enter into a secured transaction, including implementing a security system to receive a coded signal that purports to identify as an authorized person the wearer of a device generating the coded signal through a transmission link constituting the body of the wearer, upon physical contact between an input terminal of the security system and the body of the wearer. After purported identification of the wearer as an authorized person for the transaction, data stored in a memory of the device is delivered to assist in processing the transaction by access through the security system. Data stemming from the transaction is retrieved for updating data stored in the memory, usable in a subsequent transaction by the wearer. When a higher level of security is required for entry into the transaction, a predetermined physical characteristic of the wearer is scanned at the time the received coded signal purports to identify the wearer as an authorized person; and the scanned physical characteristic is then compared with a stored representation of the physical characteristic of the actual person identified by the coded signal to evaluate if a match exists. A personal identifier for a security system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A personal identification system for automatically verifying a procedure to be performed on a patient in a health care facility based upon recognition of the identity of a user as the patient on whom the procedure is to be performed, comprising a signal transmission unit adapted to be carried by the user and including a signal generator for generating a signal encoded with a selected unique descriptor of the user;

said signal transmission unit including a portion configured for interaction with the body of the user when carried by the user, whereby the natural electrical conductivity of the body will serve as a communication link for transmission of said encoded signal from said signal transmission unit to an identity recognition system of the health care facility when touched by the user to initiate reception of the encoded signal for evaluation of said selected unique descriptor by the identity recognition system to positively identify the user as the patient on whom said procedure is to be performed; and

a memory in said signal transmission unit for storing data pertaining to the user to be automatically downloaded for verifying the accuracy of the procedure to be performed on the user by comparison of the downloaded data with records of the health care facility after the user is identified as the patient, said memory being adapted to store updated data reflecting said procedure to replace at least some of the data previously stored therein, to conform to updated records of the health care facility.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said signal transmission unit is embodied in an article of jewelry.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said article of jewelry is a wristwatch.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said signal transmission unit is embodied in an article is an aid to one of the human senses of the wearer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said signal transmission unit is adapted to be implanted in the body of the wearer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said signal transmission unit includes means for automatically activating and deactivating the signal transmission unit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said means for automatically activating and deactivating said signal transmission unit includes an activity sensor for activation upon detection of movement of the user and for deactivation to a sleep mode upon detection of a lack of movement of the user over a threshold interval of time.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said means for automatically activating and deactivating said signal transmission unit includes means for detecting when the body of the user is positioned to provide said transmission link for the signal to said recognition system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said detecting means includes means for sensing a predetermined change in electrical impedance of said communication link indicative of establishment of an electrical connection with respect to said recognition system, for initiating activation of said signal transmission unit.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said detecting means includes means for sensing a predetermined change in electrical impedance of said communication link indicative of termination of an electrical connection with respect to said recognition system, for initiating deactivation of said signal transmission unit.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein said means for automatically activating and deactivating said signal transmission unit includes means for deactivating said signal transmission unit upon passage of a predetermined time interval following activation of said signal transmission unit.

12. A method for automatically verifying a procedure to be performed on a patient in a health care facility by recognizing the identity of a user as the patient on whom the procedure is to be performed, said method comprising the steps of providing an electrical signal transmission unit to be worn on the body of the user for generating a signal to be transmitted through a communication link created by the natural electrical conductivity of the body;

encoding the generated signal so as to identify a selected unique descriptor of the user;

providing an identity recognition system responsive to touching by the user to elicit reception of the encoded generated signal transmitted via the user'"'"'s body for evaluation of said selected unique descriptor to positively identify the user as the patient on whom said procedure is to be performed, and, upon such identification, automatically downloading stored data from memory in the signal transmission unit to verify the accuracy of the procedure to be performed on the identified patient by comparison of the downloaded data with records of the health care facility; and

thereafter loading updated data in connection with said procedure into said memory to replace at least some of the previously stored data therein to conform to updated records of the health care facility.