Checking of right to access

• US 6,719,200 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Precise Biometrics AB (Precise Biometrics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Precise Biometrics AB (Precise Biometrics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wiebe, Linus
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US10/048,211
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382, 235/382.5, 340/5--, 382/115
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• 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 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• 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 system for checking the right to access to sensitive information is described, said checking being based on current biometric data of a person whose right to access to the sensitive information is to be checked. The system comprises a data carrier and a processing unit. The data carrier comprises a memory containing sensitive information, a signal processing means and a communication means. The processing unit is adapted to receive the current biometric data from the person and comprises a memory, a signal processing means and a communication means. The process of the processing unit preprocesses the current biometric data and transfers the same to the processor of the data carrier via the communication means. The process of the data carrier compares the received preprocessed biometric data with biometric reference data stored in advance in the memory of the data carrier to determine whether the right to access to the sensitive information exists. A data carrier, a processing unit and a method of checking, based on current biometric data of a person, the right to access to sensitive information stored on a data carrier are also described.

Claims

1. A system for checking the right to access to information, the checking being based on current fingerprint data of a person whose right to access to the information is to be checked, the system comprising

a portable data carrier comprising a signal processing means for processing signals, a communication means for performing communications and a memory containing the information, feature reference data of a fingerprint of a person who has the right to access to the information and fingerprint reference data in the form of a digital representation of at least a partial area of the fingerprint of the person who has the right to access to the information, and

a processing unit, which is adapted to receive the current fingerprint data from the person whose right to access to the information is to be checked, comprising a memory, a signal processing means for processing signals and a communication means for communicating,

wherein the signal processing means of the processing unit is adapted to pre-process the current fingerprint data, the pre-processing comprising extracting features from the current fingerprint data and comparing them with the feature reference data which has been transferred from the data carrier to the processing unit, and to transfer the pre-processed current fingerprint data to the signal processing means of the data carrier via the communication means of both the data carrier and the processing unit, and

wherein the signal processing means of the data carrier is adapted to compare the received pre-processed fingerprint data with the fingerprint reference data stored in advance in the memory of the data carrier to determine whether the right to access to the sensitive information exists.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pre-processed fingerprint data and the fingerprint reference data consist of digital images.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the signal processing means of the processing unit is, in the pre-processing, adapted to perform a binarisation of the digital image representing the current fingerprint data.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing means of the data carrier is adapted to perform a two-dimensional comparison of said at least a partial area of the fingerprint of the person who has the right to access to the sensitive information and at least a partial area of the pre-processed fingerprint data.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing means of the data carrier is further adapted to determine, in case of correspondence between the pre-processed fingerprint data and the fingerprint reference data, which operations the processing unit is allowed to carry out on the sensitive information.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data carrier is a smart card.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing means of the processing unit is adapted to determine the rotation as well as the translation of the current fingerprint data relative to the fingerprint reference data.

8. A portable data carrier comprising a signal processing means for processing signals, a communication means for communicating and a memory containing sensitive information, feature reference data for a fingerprint of a person, who has the right to access to the sensitive information, and fingerprint reference data in the form of a digital representation of at least a partial area of the fingerprint of the person who has the right to access to the sensitive information;

wherein the signal processing means is adapted to transfer the feature reference data to a processing unit for pre-processing of current fingerprint data for a person whose right to access to the sensitive information is to be checked;

wherein the communication means is adapted to receive the pre-processed current fingerprint data from the processing unit and transfer the same to the signal processing means; and

wherein the signal processing means is adapted to compare the received pre-processed current fingerprint data with the fingerprint reference data stored in the memory to determine whether the right to access to the sensitive information exists.

9. A portable data carrier according to claim 8, wherein the signal processing unit is adapted to perform a two-dimensional comparison of said at least a partial area of the fingerprint of the person who has the right to access to the sensitive information and at least a partial area of the pre-processed current fingerprint data.

10. A portable data carrier according to claim 9, wherein the data carrier is a smart card.

11. A portable data carrier according to claim 8, wherein the data carrier is a smart card.

12. A processing unit for use when checking the right to access to sensitive information stored on a portable data carrier, said checking being based on current fingerprint data of a person whose right to access to the sensitive information is to be checked, the processing unit, which is adapted to receive the current fingerprint data, comprising a memory, a signal processing means for processing signals and a communication means for communicating;

wherein the signal processing means is adapted to pre-process the current fingerprint data, the pre-processing comprising extracting features from the current fingerprint data and comparing them with feature reference data for a fingerprint of a person who has the right to access to the sensitive information, which feature reference data has been transferred from a data carrier to the processing unit, and to transfer the pre-processed current fingerprint data, which comprises a digital image of a fingerprint of the person whose right to access to the sensitive information is to be checked, to the data carrier, where the pre-processed current fingerprint data is to be compared with fingerprint reference data stored on the data carrier in order to determine whether the right to access to the sensitive information exists.

13. A processing unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal processing means is further adapted to perform operations on the sensitive information, based on rights assigned to the processing unit by the data carrier.

14. A processing unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the processing unit is further provided with a sensor for recording the current fingerprint data of the person, whose right to access to the sensitive information is to be checked, in the form of a digital representation.

15. A processing unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processing unit is further provided with a sensor for recording the current fingerprint data of the person, whose right to access to the sensitive information is to be checked, in the form of a digital representation.

16. A processing unit as claimed in claim 15, wherein the digital representation is a digital image.

17. A processing unit as claimed in claim 16, wherein the signal processing means in the pre-processing is adapted to carry out a binarisation of the digital image which represents the current fingerprint data.

18. A processing unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal processing means is adapted to determine the rotation as well as the translation of the current fingerprint data relative to the fingerprint reference data.

19. A method of checking the right to access to sensitive information, stored on a portable data carrier, the checking being based on current fingerprint data of a person, whose right to access to sensitive information is to be checked, comprising the steps of

receiving, in a processing unit, the current fingerprint data from the person whose right to access to sensitive information is to be checked;

receiving, in the processing unit, from the data carrier, feature reference data for a fingerprint for a person who has the right to access to the sensitive information;

pre-processing, in the processing unit, the current biometric data, said pre-processing comprising extracting features from the current fingerprint data and comparing them with the feature reference data;

transferring the pre-processed fingerprint data from the processing unit to the data carrier;

comparing, on the data carrier, the pre-processed fingerprint data with fingerprint reference data stored on the data carrier in the form of a digital representation of at least a partial area of the fingerprint of the person who has a right to access to the sensitive information; and

in case of correspondence between the pre-processed fingerprint data and the fingerprint reference data, granting access to the sensitive information.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the step of determining, with the aid of signal processing means of the data carrier, which operations the processing unit is allowed to perform on the sensitive information in case of correspondence between the pre-processed fingerprint data and the fingerprint reference data.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the step of recording, by means of the processing unit, the current fingerprint data of the person whose right to access to the sensitive information is to be checked.

22. A method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the step of recording, by means of the processing unit, the current fingerprint data of the person whose right to access to the sensitive information is to be checked.

23. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the step of comparing the transferred pre-processed fingerprint data with the fingerprint reference data comprises the step of comparing two digital representations.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the digital representations are digital images.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the step of pre-processing the current fingerprint data in the processing unit comprises the step of binarising the digital image which represents the current fingerprint data.

26. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the step of comparing the pre-processed fingerprint data with fingerprint reference data comprises the step of

carrying out a two-dimensional comparison of said at least a partial area of the digital representation of the fingerprint of the person who has the right to access to the sensitive information and at least a partial area of the pre-processed fingerprint data.

27. A method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the step of determining, in the processing unit, the rotation as well as the translation of the current fingerprint data relative to the fingerprint reference data.

28. A method in a portable data carrier for checking the right to access to sensitive information stored in a memory of the data carrier, comprising the steps of

transferring feature reference data of a fingerprint of a person who has the right to access to the sensitive information from the data carrier to a processing unit for pre-processing of current fingerprint data from a person, whose right to access to the sensitive data is to be checked;

comparing the received pre-processed current fingerprint data with fingerprint reference data stored in a memory on the data carrier in the form of a digital representation of at least a partial area of the fingerprint of the person who has the right to access to the sensitive information; and

determining whether the right to access to the sensitive information exists.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the step of comparing comprises performing a two-dimensional comparison of said at least a partial area of the fingerprint of the person who has the right to access the sensitive information and at least a partial area of the pre-processed fingerprint data.

30. A computer program, comprising program code, which when executed in a processor, performs the steps of the method according to claim 29.

31. A computer program, comprising program code, which when executed in a processor, performs the steps of the method according to claim 28.

32. A method in a processing unit in connection with the checking of right to access to sensitive information, stored on a portable data carrier, the checking being based on current fingerprint data of a person, whose right to access to sensitive information is to be checked, comprising the steps of

receiving the current fingerprint data from the person whose right to access to sensitive information is to be checked;

receiving from the data carrier, feature reference data for a fingerprint for a person who has the right to access to the sensitive information;

pre-processing the current fingerprint data, said pre-processing comprising extracting features from the current fingerprint data and comparing them with the feature reference data; and

transferring the pre-processed current fingerprint data, which comprises a digital image of the fingerprint of the person whose right to access is to be checked, to the data carrier, where the pre-processed current fingerprint data is to be compared with reference fingerprint data stored on the data carrier in order to determine whether the right to access to the sensitive information exists.

33. A method according to claim 32, further comprising the step of determining the rotation as well as the translation of the current fingerprint data relative to the fingerprint reference data.

34. A computer program, comprising program code, which when executed in a processor, performs the steps of the method according to claim 33.

35. A computer program, comprising program code, which when executed in a processor, performs the steps of the method according to claim 32.