Personal identification authenticating with fingerprint identification

• US 6,636,620 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hoshino, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): AHMED, SAMIR ANWAR
• Application Number:
  US09/200,981
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/124, 382/125, 235/380, 235/492, 704/246, 704/273, 902/3, 902/4, 902/25, 340/825.3, 340/825.34, 283/68, 356/71, 705/1, 705/26, 705/42
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• 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 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A personal identification authenticating system for a client terminal in communication with a server. The server includes a computer and a database. The server performs a service whose uses are limited. The client terminal plays a role of an IC card authorizing device, while the server plays a role of an approval center. The database stores personal information of the service users. The stored personal information on the database includes information related to fingerprints and ID numbers of the service users. A client terminal user impresses one'"'"'s fingerprint on a fingerprint sensor and puts one'"'"'s IC card into a card reader. The IC card stores personal information of a card owner. The stored personal information on the IC card includes information related to a fingerprint and an ID number of the card owner. The client terminal includes an authenticator, which provides an authenticating signal if the sensed fingerprint information of the client terminal user matches stored fingerprint information of the card owner. The client terminal transmits the stored personal information of the card owner to the, server upon occurrence of the authenticating signal which transmits an authorizing signal to the client terminal if the transmitted personal information of the card owner matches the stored personal information on the database. Upon receiving the authorizing signal, the client terminal user is authorized to access into the computer of the server.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating personal identification, comprising:

a server including a computer whose users are limited, said server having a database storing information related to ID numbers assigned to said users and information related to fingerprints of said users;

an IC card storing personal information including information related to an ID number of the card owner and information related to a fingerprint of the card owner;

a client terminal in communication with said server, said client terminal including a card reader for reading the stored personal information on said IC card, and a fingerprint sensor for sensing a fingerprint of the client terminal user;

said client terminal comprising;

an authenticator that compares the sensed fingerprint information of the client terminal user with the stored fingerprint information of the card owner and produces an authentication signal if the sensed fingerprint information matches the stored fingerprint information; and

a transmitter that transmits personal information including the sensed fingerprint information and the authentication signal to said server only if the authentication signal is produced by the authenticator; and

said server comprising;

an authorizer that compares the transmitted personal information of the card owner with the stored personal information on the database and produces an authorization signal if the transmitted personal information matches the stored information on the database, thereby to give the client terminal user an access to said computer of said servers

wherein said server does not receive any information from the client terminal if the authenticator determines that the sensed fingerprint information of the client terminal user does not match with the stored fingerprint information of the card owner.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said server performs both an exclusive service whose users are limited and an open service whose users are unlimited.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stored fingerprint information on the IC card is encrypted.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fingerprint sensor is a semiconductor fingerprint sensor.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a network that communicatively connects the server and the client terminal,

wherein traffic over the network is minimized by data only being sent from the client terminal to the server if the authenticator produces the authentication signal.

5. A method of authenticating personal identification for a client terminal in communication with a server that includes a computer and a database, the method comprising the steps of:

storing into the database information related to identification numbers and fingerprints of users who are allowed to access into the computer of the server;

storing into an IC card information related to an identification number and a fingerprint of each of the users;

presenting descriptive screen to a client terminal user to give instructions to the client terminal user;

sensing a fingerprint of the client terminal user;

reading the stored information on the IC card;

comparing the sensed fingerprint information with the stored fingerprint information of the card owner;

transmitting the sensed fingerprint information of the client terminal and the stored information of the card owner to the server from the client terminal only if the sensed fingerprint information matches the stored fingerprint information of the card owner;

comparing the transmitted information with the stored information on the database; and

authorizing the client terminal user to access into the computer if the transmitted information matches the stored information on the database.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of:

presenting access reject message to the client terminal user if the sensed fingerprint information fails to match the stored fingerprint information of the card owner.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the server performs both an exclusive service whose users are limited and an open service whose users are unlimited.