Method, system and devices for authenticating persons

• US 6,657,538 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1999
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ipr Partner Ag
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Ritter, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US09/402,054
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.81, 340/5.83, 340/5.8, 340/5.82, 340/5.84, 340/5.85, 382/115, 382/118, 380/247, 455/410, 455/411, 713/186, 705/44
• US Class Current: 340/5.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/26 using a biometric sensor integrated in the pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

In a method for authenticating persons, video information of certain body features associated with a user or a user group is recorded in a point of presence (POP). Such recorded video information is processed to derive biometric keys, which are stored in tables of a biometric server and in a SIM-card of the user. Each biometric key in the tables is assigned to a respective user. When the user inserts the SIM-card containing a personal biometric key into a communication terminal device, video information describing current body feature of the user is recorded via a video sensor that is not in the communication terminal device. The recorded current video information is then transmitted from the video sensor to the communication terminal device. To authenticate the user, the recorded current video information is processed to derive current biometric keys and compared with pre-stored biometric keys. The authenticity of the user is ensured if the comparison yield a positive result.

Claims

1. A method for determining the authenticity of a user or a user group of a communication terminal device, comprising:

recording video information of body features associated with said user or said user group in a point of presence (POP);

processing said video information to derive specific features as biometric keys;

storing said biometric keys in tables of a biometric server and in a SIM-card of said user or said user group, at least one of said biometric keys being assigned in a table to a respective user;

inserting said SIM-card into a communication terminal device by said user, said SIM-card containing at least one personal biometric key;

recording current video information of at least one body feature associated with said user via a video sensor located outside said communication terminal device, wherein said current video information is transmitted from said video sensor to said communication terminal device for further processing;

processing said current video information to derive at least one specific feature as a current biometric key;

determining the authenticity of said user by comparing said current biometric key of said user to said stored biometric keys, wherein the authenticity is ensured if the comparison is positive and the authenticity is not ensured if the comparison is negative.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said video sensor further registers movement which is used in said determining the authenticity.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said SIM-card is capable of storing said current video information, processing said current video information to derive current biometric keys, and determining the authenticity of said user by comparing said current biometric keys with said stored biometric keys.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein secure Trusted Third Party (TTP) services (TTP services) are used to transmit at least certain messages to ensure confidentiality, authenticity, integrity and non-deniable origin of the data exchanged via a communication network as well as the authenticity of the sender of the data thereby exchanged.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said TTP services record additional security information in said POP and store said additional security information in tables of said biometric server and in said SIM-card, said additional security information being assigned to respective users or user groups in said tables and being used in said determining the authenticity.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said additional security information comprises security levels.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said additional security information comprises information about the duration of validity.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein said additional security information comprises location information.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein said additional security information comprises passwords.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein existing information associated with respective users or user groups can be updated in said POP via said TTP services.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said biometric keys stored in said tables of said biometric server and in said SIM-card of a communication terminal device can be updated directly from said communication terminal device via said TTP services.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said biometric keys include facial features.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said biometric keys include eye patterns.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said biometric keys include fingerprints.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said biometric keys further include, in addition to visual features, recorded voice features.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein a video sensor located in said communication terminal device records said current video information.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said current video information is transmitted to said communication terminal device by induction via a coil in a SIM-card.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein said current video information is transmitted to said communication terminal device by means of infrared.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said current video information is transmitted to said communication terminal device by means of short messages.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein said current video information is transmitted to said communication terminal device using said TTP services.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein communication between said SIM-card in said communication terminal device and said biometric server is conducted by means of special messages via a SIM server.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein a user is permitted to use said communication terminal device if the authenticity of said user is ensured and said user is not permitted to use said communication terminal device if the authenticity of said user is not ensured.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein said video information is transmitted from said video sensor to said communication terminal device through wireless transmission.