Apparatus and methods for verifying identity using biometric information collected during a pre-enrollment phase

• US 7,995,802 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Russell, Gregory F., Zimmerman, Thomas G., Hu, Jianying
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter; Aaron W
• Application Number:
  US11/625,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20080175445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 382115-127, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.52, 340/5.53, 340 58- 586, 356/71, 713/186, 902/3
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/10 Pre-processing; Data cleansing

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for verifying identity using a plurality of biometric samples collected during a pre-enrollment phase, where the plurality of biometric samples concern one or more biometric measures. In one embodiment, the biometric measure comprises an individual'"'"'s signature, samples of which are collected over a period of time prior to an enrollment procedure. Collecting signatures over a period of time prior to an enrollment procedure allows a more robust signature model to be developed since the signature model will reflect natural, statistically significant, variations that occur over time. During an enrollment procedure, the user then attests to the validity of the signatures collected during the pre-enrollment phase. Valid signatures are used to construct a signature model that will be used to authenticate signatures provided during later transactions. Apparatus and methods of the invention additionally encompass collecting biometric samples of other biometric measures such as, for example, facial appearance, during a pre-enrollment phase.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

during a pre-enrollment phase collecting a plurality of samples of at least one biometric measure from an individual;

saving the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure;

deciding that an enrollment phase may be initiated upon detecting satisfaction of at least one predetermined criterion;

informing the individual who provided the samples of the at least one biometric measure collected during the pre-enrollment phase that the individual may proceed with the enrollment phase;

upon activities associated with the enrollment phase being initiated, discontinuing the pre-enrollment phase;

prior to or during the enrollment phase, retrieving the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure collected from the individual;

during the enrollment phase selecting valid samples of the at least one biometric measure from the plurality of samples collected from the individual, where the valid samples reflect statistically significant variations in the at least one biometric measure;

generating, by a biometric measure authentication model generation apparatus, an authentication model of the at least one biometric measure using the valid samples of the at least one biometric measure; and

using the authentication model of the at least one biometric measure to authenticate a sample of the at least one biometric measure provided during an identity verification even by a person claiming to be the individual who provided the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure collected during the pre-enrollment phase.

2. The method of claim 1 where the predetermined criterion comprises at least one selected from the group of:

time of day when the samples were collected;

time of week when the samples were collected;

time of month when the samples were collected;

time of year when samples were collected;

number of samples collected;

types of mechanisms used to collect samples;

sample characteristic analysis.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to the pre-enrollment phase, selecting a time period for the pre-enrollment phase, wherein the time period is of sufficient duration so that samples collected during the time period are expected to reflect statistically significant variations in the biometric measure.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

during the pre-enrollment phase, examining samples of the biometric measure collected up to the time of the examination to determine whether the samples reflect statistically significant variations in the biometric measure.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

if as a result of the examination it is determined that a set of samples have been collected which do not reflect statistically significant variations in the biometric measure, continuing the pre-enrollment phase until a collection of samples have been collected which do reflect statistically significant variations in the biometric measure.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

during the enrollment phase collecting additional samples of the biometric measure until the samples collected during the pre-enrollment and enrollment phases reflect statistically significant variations in the biometric measure.

7. The method of claim 1 where the biometric measure comprises a signature.

8. The method of claim 1 where the biometric measure comprises facial appearance.

9. The method of claim 1 where the biometric measure comprises hand geometry.

10. The method of claim 1 where selecting valid samples of the at least one biometric measure further comprises using a predetermined criterion.

11. The method of claim 1 where selecting valid samples of the at least one biometric measure further comprises asking the individual who provided the samples of the at least one biometric measure which samples accurately reflect likely variations in the at least one biometric measure for the individual.

12. The method of claim 1 where valid samples of the biometric measure are selected using, at least in part, an automated statistical process.

13. The method of claim 1 where collecting a plurality of samples during a pre-enrollment phase further comprises:

each time a sample is collected, collecting at least one additional form of identification and associating the additional form of identification with the sample.

14. The method of claim 13 where retrieving the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure further comprises using the at least one additional form of identification to retrieve the plurality of samples.

15. The method of claim 13 where selecting valid samples of the at least one biometric measure further comprises using the at least one additional form of identification associated with the samples collected during the pre-enrollment phase to aid in selecting valid samples of the biometric measure.

16. The method of claim 1 where retrieving the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure during an enrollment phase further comprises collecting a sample of the at least one biometric measure from the individual during the enrollment phase, and using the sample of the at least one biometric measure collected during the enrollment phase to retrieve the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure collected from the individual during the pre-enrollment phase.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

during or before the pre-enrollment phase, accessing a database of samples of the at least one biometric measure collected during prior transactions; and

using the samples collected during the prior transactions to authenticate the samples of the at least one biometric measure collected during the pre-enrollment phase.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein generating an authentication model of the at least one biometric measure further comprises using the samples of the at least one biometric measure collected during transactions prior to the pre-enrollment phase to generate the authentication model.

19. A memory tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus of a computer system to perform operations for verifying identity of an individual using at least one biometric measure, the operations comprising:

during a pre-enrollment phase, collecting from an individual a plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure;

storing the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure in a database;

deciding that an enrollment phase may be initiated upon detecting satisfaction of at least one predetermined criterion;

informing the individual who provided the samples of the at least one biometric measure collected during the pre-enrollment phase that the individual may proceed with the enrollment phase;

upon activities associated with the enrollment phase being initiated, discontinuing the pre-enrollment phase;

retrieving the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure from the database;

during the enrollment phase receiving input identifying certain samples contained in the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure as valid samples;

detecting an identity verification event involving a person claiming to be the individual who provided the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure during the pre-enrollment phase;

receiving a sample of the at least one biometric measure provided during the identity verification event by the person; and

using the valid samples of the at least one biometric measure to authenticate the sample provided by the person during the identity verification event, wherein authentication of the sample verifies that the person providing the sample of the at least one biometric measure during the identity verification event is the individual who provided the plurality of samples during the pre-enrollment phase, where using the valid samples of the at least one biometric measure to authenticate the sample further comprises generating, by a biometric measure authentication model generation apparatus, a biometric measure authentication model using the valid samples, and using the biometric measure authentication model to authenticate the sample provided during the identity verification event.

20. The memory of claim 19 where the biometric measure comprises a signature.

21. The memory of claim 19 where valid samples of the at least one biometric measure are selected during the enrollment phase using, at least in part, an automated statistical process.

22. A system comprising:

a biometric measure sample collection apparatus configured to collect samples of at least one biometric measure from an individual during a pre-enrollment phase and configured to access a database of samples of the at least one biometric measure collected during prior transactions during or before the pre-enrollment phase;

an enrollment apparatus configured to identify during an enrollment phase valid samples contained in the plurality of samples of the at least one biometric measure collected from the individual during the pre-enrollment phase, wherein upon activities associated with an enrollment phase being initiated, the pre-enrollment phase is discontinued;

an identity verification apparatus configured to verify during an identity verification event identity of a person claiming to be the individual who provided the samples of the at least one biometric measure during the pre-enrollment phase, where identity verification is performed using a biometric measure authentication model created using the valid samples of the at least one biometric measure; and

a biometric measure authentication model generation apparatus coupled to the biometric measure sample collection apparatus, enrollment apparatus and identity verification apparatus, the biometric measure authentication model generation apparatus configured to generate the biometric measure authentication model using the valid samples of the at least one biometric measure,

wherein the system is configured to use the samples collected during the prior transactions to authenticate the samples of the at least one biometric measure collected during the pre-enrollment phase.