System and method for verification of identity

• US 6,871,287 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edentify, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Edentify, Inc.
• Inventors: Ellingson, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US09/489,111
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 713/155, 713182-186, 713200-202, 340/5.52, 340/5.54, 340 582- 585, 382115-119, 382/124, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/207.13, 379/903, 700/237, 725/30, 705/18, 705/72, 705/39, 705/44, 705 1- 6, 902/3
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]

Abstract

A system and method for the identification and verification of a user is provided. The disclosed invention has an enrollment system which includes (i) an alphanumeric input device; (ii) a biometric input device; (iii) a header file database having a plurality of identities; (iv) a search engine in communication with the header file database that searches the database for identifies that match alphanumeric data input by a user according to a predetermined first set of criteria; (v) a processor to score the set of identities matched by the search engine according to a predetermined second set of criteria, and determine that the user'"'"'s input alphanumeric data based on the score is not suspicious; and (vi) an identity escrow database which receives an approved identity data signal based on the acceptability of the score, and is capable of receiving a biometric identity data signal input by the user to the biometric input device, the escrow database further capable of creating at least one subfile within the escrow database for each user comprising the approved identity data signal and the biometric data signal.

Claims

1. A system for the identification and verification of a user, comprising:

(a) an enrollment system for ensuring the user represents a person authorized to enroll in the system comprising;

(i) at least one alphanumeric input device;

(ii) at least one biometric input device;

(iii) at least one header file database having a plurality of identities;

(iv) at least one search engine, said search engine in communication with said header file database such that said search engine receives an alphanumeric data signal associated with identity data input into said alphanumeric input device by the user, and then searches said database for identities that match the alphanumeric data according to a predetermined first set of criteria;

(v) a processor to generate a score for each identity found by said search engine to match the identity data according to a predetermined second set of criteria based on objective data, said processor capable of determining that said user'"'"'s identity data is not suspicious based on said score prior to authorizing enrollment;

(vi) an identity escrow database which is in communication with said processor and receives from said processor an approved identity data signal based on the user'"'"'s identity data, said escrow database additionally in communication with said biometric input device capable of receiving at least one enrollment biometric data signal input by the user to said biometric input device only after the processor has determined that said user'"'"'s identity data is not suspicious, said escrow database further comprising means for coupling the approved identity data signal and the received enrollment biometric data signal to create at least one subfile within the escrow database for each user comprising the approved identity data signal and the received enrollment biometric data signal; and

(b) a verification system for verifying the identity of said user after the processor has determined that said user'"'"'s identity data is not suspicious and the user has enrolled in the enrollment system comprising;

(i) means for processing a live biometric data signal input by the user to the biometric input device to match the user'"'"'s received enrollment biometric data in said escrow database according to a predetermined third set of criteria; and

(ii) an output device for transmitting to a third party whether a match was located within said escrow database for said user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said header file database contains bank account opening data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined second set of criteria is mathematically correlated to the per capita rate of fraud arrests in the United States.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for interfacing with the internet so the user and third parties can conduct e-commerce transactions using the system.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for ensuring that the at least one received enrollment biometric data signal and the live biometric data signal meet the appropriate standard of sensitivity for the live biometric input device employed by the user.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said ensuring means comprise communication with a Central Biometric Authority database.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for providing the user with a warranty against identity theft.

8. A system for creating an identity escrow subfile for a user, comprising:

(a) at least one alphanumeric input device;

(b) at least one biometric input device;

(c) at least one header file database having a plurality of identities;

(d) at least one search engine, said engine in communication with said header file database such that said engine receives an alphanumeric data signal associated with identity data input into said alphanumeric input device by the user, and then searches said database for identities that match the alphanumeric data according to a predetermined first set of criteria;

(e) a processor to generate a score for each identity found by said search engine to match the identity data according to a predetermined second set of criteria based on objective data, said processor capable of determining that said user'"'"'s identity data is not suspicious based on said score prior to creating the identity escrow file; and

(f) an identity escrow database which is in communication with said processor and receives from said processor an approved identity data signal based on the user'"'"'s identity data, said escrow database additionally in communication which said biometric input device capable of receiving at least one enrollment biometric data signal input by the user to said biometric input device only after the processor has determined that said user'"'"'s identity data is not suspicious, said escrow database further comprising means for coupling the approved identity data signal and the received enrollment biometric data signal to create at least one subfile within the escrow database for each user comprising the approved identity data signal and the received enrollment biometric data signal.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising storage means for the user to store other electronic data in said escrow database coupled to said approved identity data signal and the received enrollment biometric data signal.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising means for accessing said subfile within the escrow database.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising means for linking said escrow database to third party providers of information specific to said user to be stored in connection with the approved identity data signal and the received enrollment biometric data signal.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said third party providers are selected from the group consisting of banks, hospitals, doctors, lawyers, and financial services entities.

13. A method for identifying and verifying a user, comprising:

(a) Obtaining alphanumeric identity data from the user;

(b) Searching the alphanumeric identity data against data in a header file database for matching data according to a predetermined first set of criteria;

(c) scoring said matching data according to a predetermined second set of criteria based on objective data to determine if the alphanumeric identity data is not suspicious;

(d) only after the alphanumeric identity data is determined to be not suspicious, creating an approved identity data signal and receiving an enrollment biometric exemplar from the user;

(e) Coupling the approved identity data signal to the received enrollment biometric exemplar to form a subfile within an escrow database;

(f) Processing a live biometric exemplar to match the user'"'"'s received enrollment biometric exemplar in the escrow database and coupled to said approved identity data signal; and

(g) Outputting an approved signal to a third party upon the match of the received enrollment biometric exemplar and the live biometric exemplars.

14. A system for the identification and verification of an identity of a user, comprising:

(a) an enrollment system for ensuring the user represents a person authorized to enroll in the system comprising;

(i) at least one alphanumeric input device;

(ii) at least one biometric input device;

(iii) at least one header file database having a plurality of identities;

(iv) at least one search engine, said search engine in communication with said header file database such that said search engine receives an alphanumeric data signal associated with identity data input into said alphanumeric input device by the user, and then searches said database for identities that match the alphanumeric data according to a predetermined first set of criteria;

(v) a processor to generate a score for each identity found by said search engine to match the identity data according to a predetermined second set of criteria based on objective data, said processor capable of determining that said user'"'"'s identity data is not suspicious based on said score prior to authorizing enrollment;

(vi) an identity escrow database which is in communication with said processor and receives from said processor an approved identity data signal based on the user'"'"'s identity data, said escrow database additionally in communication with said biometric input device capable of receiving at least one enrollment biometric data signal input by the user to said biometric input device only after the processor has determined that said user'"'"'s identity data is not suspicious, said escrow database further comprising means for coupling the approved identity data signal and the received enrollment biometric data signal to create at least one subfile within the escrow database for each user comprising the approved identity data signal and the received enrollment biometric data signal;

(b) a verification system for verifying the identity of said user after the processor has determined that said user'"'"'s identity data is not suspicious and the user has enrolled in the enrollment system comprising;

(i) means for processing a live biometric data signal input by the user to the biometric input device to match the user'"'"'s received enrollment biometric data in said escrow database according to a predetermined third set of criteria; and

(ii) an output device for transmitting to a third party whether a match was located within said escrow database for said user; and

(c) means for activating the escrow database other than the live biometric data signal to send a signal to the output device and then to the third party.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the means for activating the escrow database is a personal identifier (PIN).

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the PIN is a shared PIN.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for adjusting the criteria of sensitivity necessary for the live biometric data signal to activate the escrow database to send an approved signal to the output device for different e-commerce transactions.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for obtaining warranty insurance coverage against identity theft.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said warranty means is a warranty computer linked to the system via the internet.

20. The system of claim 15 further comprising a plurality of enrollment and verification systems running in parallel.