Biometric certifying authorities

• US 7,318,050 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2000
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Corporate Services Group Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Musgrave, Clyde
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/567,453
• Time in Patent Office: 2,801 Days
• Field of Search: 435/6, 536/24.2, 705/35, 705 38- 39, 705 40- 44, 382/181, 382115-116, 235379-382, 380/255, 340/5.2, 713/186
• US Class Current: 705/44
• 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 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]

Abstract

A biometric certifying authority (BCA) management system and method provide and maintain a hierarchical relationship among biometric certifying authorities in the issuance of biometric certificates. Biometric certificates may be used in all electronic transactions requiring authentication of the participants, based on the accuracy and uniqueness of the biometric, which allows the electronic transaction to be insured to provide global standards for all electronic commerce. The BCA management system includes a transaction request parser which extracts a biometric certificate signal and transaction-type data from a electronic transaction request. A biometric verification processor verifies the biometric certificate signal against previously stored biometric data in a database. The biometric verification processor generates a verification message corresponding to the authenticity or fraudulent status of the biometric certificate signal. A transaction type classifier receives the electronic transaction request, and generates a classification message according to the transaction-type data. A certifying authority processor generates an access-or-denial message to indicate the status of the electronic transaction, and to report the classification of the transaction request.

Claims

1. An apparatus for authenticating an electronic transaction comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store a program to control the processor, the processor being operative with the program to;

receive a request to authenticate an electronic transaction, the request comprising a transaction code to indicate a transaction type classified within a predetermined hierarchy of different transaction types and biometric data corresponding to a party of the electronic transaction, said hierarchy including;

a root biometric certifying authority (BCA), an electronic fund transfer BCA, an insurance fund transfer BCA, a business purchase BCA and a physical security BCA,

determine an authenticity of the biometric data based on previous biometric data corresponding to the party,

determine a billing rate based on the indicated transaction type,

determine a security level based on the indicated transaction type and not on the biometric data and the previous biometric data,

generate an access-or-denial message based on the authenticity of the biometric data, and

generate a bill for the authentication.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the billing rate is determined based on a transaction type corresponding to the transaction data.

3. A method for authenticating an electronic transaction, comprising:

receiving a request to authenticate an electronic transaction, the request including a transaction code to indicate a transaction type classified within a predetermined hierarchy of different transaction types and biometric data corresponding to a party of the electronic transaction, said hierarchy including, a root biometric certifying authority (BCA), an electronic fund transfer BCA, an insurance fund transfer BCA, a business purchase BCA and a physical security BCA;

verifying the biometric data based on previously stored biometric data corresponding to the party;

determining a security level based on the indicated transaction type and not on the biometric data and the previously stored biometric data; and

authenticating the electronic transaction based on the verification and the security level.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the authenticating includes:

generating a report indicating a level of confidence in the authentication.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the authenticating includes:

generating an access-or-denial message based on the authentication.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a billing rate for performing the authentication; and

generating a bill for the authentication based on the billing rate.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining an amount involved in the electronic transaction; and

generating a bill for the authentication based on the determined amount.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the verifying includes:

comparing the biometric data with the previously stored biometric data, and

generating a verification signal based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating a verification signal includes:

generating the verification signal based on a number of similarities between the biometric data and the previously stored biometric data.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining includes:

identifying a type of the transaction data, and

identifying a security level based on the type of the transaction data.

11. A system for authenticating an electronic transaction comprising:

means for receiving a request to authenticate an electronic transaction, the request including a transaction code to indicate a transaction type classified within a predetermined hierarchy of different transaction types and biometric data corresponding to a party of the electronic transaction, said hierarchy including;

a root biometric certifying authority (BCA), an electronic fund transfer BCA, an insurance fund transfer BCA, a business purchase BCA and a physical security BCA;

means for verifying the biometric data based on previously obtained biometric data corresponding to the party;

means for identifying a security level based on the indicated transaction type and not on the biometric data and the previously obtained biometric data; and

means for authenticating the electronic transaction based on the verification and the security level.

12. A computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by at least one processor to perform a method for authenticating an electronic transaction involving a party, comprising:

determining an authenticity of biometric data received with a request to authenticate an electronic transaction;

determining a security level based on a transaction code included in the received request and not on the received biometric data, the code indicating a transaction type classified within a predetermined hierarchy of different-in-kind transaction types; and

authenticating the electronic transaction based on the authenticity of the biometric data and the security level.

13. A method for authenticating an electronic transaction, comprising:

receiving a request to authenticate an electronic transaction, the request including a transaction code to indicate a transaction type classified within a predetermined hierarchy of different transaction types and biometric data corresponding to a party of the electronic transaction, said hierarchy including a root biometric certifying (BCA), an electronic fund transfer BCA, an insurance fund transfer BCA, a business purchase BCA and a physical security BCA;

verifying the biometric data based on previously stored biometric data corresponding to the party;

identifying the transaction type;

determining a billing rate based on the identified transaction type;

determining a security level based on the identified transaction type and not on the biometric data and the previously stored biometric data;

authenticating the electronic transaction based on the verification of the biometric data; and

generating a bill for the authentication based on the determined billing rate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the authenticating includes:

generating a report indicating a confidence in the authentication.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the authenticating includes:

generating an access-or-denial message corresponding to the authentication.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the verifying includes:

comparing the biometric data with the previously stored biometric data, and generating a verification signal based on the comparison.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the generating a verification signal includes:

generating the verification signal based on a number of similarities between the biometric data and the previously stored biometric data.

18. A system for authenticating an electronic transaction, comprising:

means for receiving a request to authenticate an electronic transaction, the request including a transaction code which indicates a transaction type classified within a predetermined hierarchy of different-in-kind transaction types and biometric data corresponding to a party of the electronic transaction;

means for determining an authenticity of the biometric data based on previously obtained biometric data corresponding to the party;

means for identifying the transaction type;

means for determining a billing rate based on the identified transaction type;

means for determining a security level based on the identified transaction type and not on the biometric data and the previously obtained biometric data;

means for authenticating the electronic transaction based on the authenticity of the biometric data; and

means for generating a bill for the authentication based on the determined billing rate.

19. A computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by at least one processor to perform a method for authenticating an electronic transaction involving a party, comprising:

determining an authenticity of biometric data corresponding to the party and received with a request to authenticate the electronic transaction;

identifying a transaction type corresponding to a transaction code included in the received request, the code indicating that the identified transaction type is classified within a predetermined hierarchy of different-in-kind transaction types;

determining a billing rate based on the identified transaction type;

determining a security level based on the identified transaction type and not on the biometric data;

authenticating the electronic transaction based on the authenticity of the biometric data; and

generating a bill for the authentication based on the determined billing rate.

20. An apparatus for authenticating an electronic transaction, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store a program to control the processor, the processor being operative with the program to;

receive a request to authenticate an electronic transaction, the request comprising a transaction code to indicate a transaction type classified within a predetermined hierarchy of different transaction types and biometric data corresponding to a party of the electronic transaction, said hierarchy including a root biometric certifying authority (BCA), an electronic fund transfer BCA, an insurance fund transfer BCA, a business purchase BCA and a physical security BCA,

determine an authenticity of the biometric data based on previous biometric data corresponding to the party,

determine a security level based on the indicated transaction type and not on the biometric data and the previous biometric data, and

generate an access-or-denial message based on the authenticity of the biometric data and the security level.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the security level is determined based on a transaction type corresponding to the transaction data.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the authenticity comprises a percentage of the biometric data that corresponds to the previous biometric data.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the security level comprises a requirement that the authenticity be at least equal to a predetermined percentage for the transaction to be authenticated.