Portable device having biometrics-based authentication capabilities

• US 7,549,161 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2001
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: S-Com System (Singapore) PTE Limited
• Original Assignee: Trek 2000 International Limited (Trek Technology Singapore PTE Limited)
• Inventors: Poo, Teng Pin, Lim, Lay Chuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise; Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gelagay; Shewaye
• Application Number:
  US09/898,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,905 Days
• Field of Search: 713/186, 713/202, 713/201, 713/189, 726/5
• US Class Current: 726/5
• 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 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/26 using a biometric sensor integrated in the pass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861

Abstract

Apparatus and method for implementing biometrics-based access control to a restricted resource. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is realized using a portable device. Specifically, in one embodiment, the portable device includes a microprocessor, a non-volatile memory coupled thereto, and a biometrics-based authentication module controlled by the microprocessor. Preferably, the biometrics technology used is fingerprint authentication technology. The authentication module is capable of registering a fingerprint upon first use of the portable device, storing an encoded version of the fingerprint in the non-volatile memory. Subsequently, the authentication module can read a person'"'"'s fingerprint and reliably determine whether the fingerprint matches the registered fingerprint stored in the non-volatile memory. If a match is found, access to the restricted resource is granted to that person; otherwise, access is denied. Embodiments of the present invention thus provide a highly convenient, secured and reliable method and system for user authentication and access control which was not achievable in prior art password-based authentication approaches.

Claims

1. A unitary portable biometrics-based access control device which can be directly plugged into a universal serial bus (USB) socket communicatively coupled to a restricted resource, the device comprising:

a housing;

a microprocessor housed within the housing;

a non-volatile memory coupled to the microprocessor and configured for storing user data and having a minimum of 8 MB of capacity;

a USB plug integrated into the housing without an intervening cable and configured for coupling the unitary portable access control device directly to the USB socket; and

a biometrics-based authentication module coupled to and controlled by the microprocessor, at least a portion of the biometrics-based authentication module being housed within the housing, wherein said biometrics-based authentication module is configured to grant access to the restricted resource provided that the biometrics-based authentication module authenticates the user'"'"'s identity and wherein access to the restricted resource is denied to the user otherwise; and

further wherein

said biometrics-based authentication module is configured to grant access to the user data stored in the non-volatile memory provided that the biometrics-based authentication module authenticates the user'"'"'s identity and wherein access to the user data stored in the non-volatile memory is denied to the user otherwise,

wherein the microprocessor is configured to provide a bypass mechanism for authentication upon a determination of authentication failure by the biometrics-based authentication module.

2. A biometrics-based access control system for controlling access to a restricted resource, comprising:

a portable device which can be directly plugged into a universal serial bus (USB) socket communicatively coupled to the restricted resource and which includes

a housing;

a non-volatile memory housed within the housing and having a minimum of 8 MB of capacity;

a USB plug integrated into the housing without an intervening cable and configured for coupling the portable device directly to the USB socket; and

a biometrics-based authentication module coupled to the non-volatile memory,

wherein the biometrics-based authentication module is configured to (1) capture a first biometrics marker, (2) store the first biometrics marker in the non-volatile memory;

(3) capture a second biometrics marker; and

(4) determine whether the second biometrics marker can be authenticated against the first biometrics marker, and wherein access to the restricted resource is granted upon a determination of successful authentication and wherein access to the restricted resource is denied otherwise,

wherein a bypass mechanism for authentication is provided upon a determination of authentication failure by the biometrics-based authentication module.

3. A biometrics-based access control method for controlling access to a restricted resource and implemented using a portable device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) directly plugging the portable device into a universal serial bus (USB) socket communicatively coupled to the restricted resource, wherein the portable device includes a housing;

a memory having a minimum of 8 MB of capacity;

a biometrics sensor; and

a USB plug integrated into the housing without an intervening cable and configured for coupling the portable device directly to the USB socket;

(b) obtaining a first biometrics marker from a user with the biometrics sensor of the portable device;

(c) retrieving a registered biometrics marker from the memory of the portable device, the registered biometrics marker having been stored therein during a registration process;

(d) comparing the first biometrics marker against the registered biometrics marker; and

(e) granting the user access to the restricted resource provided that a match is identified in said step (d), and

providing the user with a bypass authentication procedure provided that a match is not identified in said step (d).