Systems and methods for online identity verification

• US 8,862,891 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CompletelyOnline.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Geosimonian, Armen
• Primary Examiner(s): Chai, Longbit
• Application Number:
  US14/072,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20140056492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 713/186
• US Class Current: 713/186
• 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: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/45 Detection of the body part being alive
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0866 involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics
• 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

A system controlling online access to a study course verifies the identity of an individual taking a study course over a global computer network from a first computer at a node of the network. The first computer has a biometric identification program and communicates over the network with a second computer that is at a network node other than a node of the first computer. The second computer includes study program material. The first computer operates a biometric reader, which obtains a first set of biometric data from the individual and a second set of biometric data from the individual while access is granted to course material. The biometric identification program compares the first set of data with the second set of data to make a verification of the identity of the individual and communicates the verification to the second computer.

Claims

1. A computerized method for administering a program to an individual over a computer network, the method comprising:

configuring at least one processor device(s) to perform steps of;

receiving a request from a web browser or computer program launched by a computer used by the individual for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

obtaining a first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data in response to said request for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

allowing the individual to access the program material over the network either before or during obtaining the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data;

obtaining continuously or periodically one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data while the individual is accessing the program material;

correlating the one or more additional sets of biometric data with the first set of biometric data; and

denying access to the program material if one or more of the additional sets of biometric data does not match the first set of biometric data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a certificate of program completion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the program comprises a traffic study course.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the biometric data comprises images of the individual'"'"'s face, the method further comprising:

obtaining an identification card or a copy of an identification card of the individual; and

comparing the identification card or the copy thereof with one of the sets of biometric data to verify the identity of the individual.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identification or the copy thereof is obtained after the individual completes the program.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the identification or the copy thereof is obtained before the individual completes the program.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the comparison of the identification or the copy thereof with one of the sets of biometric data is performed manually.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the comparison of the identification or the copy thereof with one of the sets of biometric data is performed using a biometric data recognition program.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting changes in the biometric data of the individual to confirm that the individual'"'"'s biometric data is live.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data is an image obtained by imaging an identification card of the individual.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data is obtained before access to the program material is provided to the individual.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data is obtained after access to the program material is provided to the individual.

13. A computerized method for administering a program to an individual over a computer network, the method comprising:

configuring at least one processor device(s) to perform steps of;

receiving a request from a web browser or computer program launched by a computer used by the individual for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

obtaining a first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data in response to said request for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

allowing the individual to access the program material over the network either before or during obtaining the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data;

obtaining continuously or periodically one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data while the individual is accessing the program material;

correlating one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data with another one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data; and

denying access to the program material if one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data does not match another one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a certificate of program completion.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the program comprises a traffic study course.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the biometric data comprises images of the individual'"'"'s face, the method further comprising:

obtaining an identification card or a copy of an identification card of the individual; and

comparing the identification card or the copy thereof with one of the sets of biometric data to verify the identity of the individual.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identification or the copy thereof is obtained after the individual completes the program.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the identification or the copy thereof is obtained before the individual completes the program.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the comparison of the identification or the copy thereof with one of the sets of biometric data is performed manually.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the comparison of the identification or the copy thereof with one of the sets of biometric data is performed using a biometric data recognition program.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting changes in the biometric data of the individual to confirm that the individual'"'"'s biometric data is live.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data is an image obtained by imaging an identification card of the individual.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data is obtained before access to the program material is provided to the individual.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data is obtained after access to the program material is provided to the individual.

25. A computerized method for administering a program to an individual over a computer network, the method comprising:

configuring at least one processor device to perform the steps of;

receiving a request from a web browser or computer program launched by a computer used by the individual for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

providing the individual with access to program material over the network;

obtaining a first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data in response to said request for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

allowing the individual to access the program material over the network either before or during obtaining the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data;

obtaining continuously or periodically said one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data while the individual is accessing the program material;

correlating the one or more additional sets of biometric data with the first set of biometric data; and

receiving a value from the computer, wherein the value is an access value if a biometric reader that communicates with the computer is activated and wherein the value changes to a decline value if one or more of the additional sets of biometric data does not match the first set of biometric data.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the value is not an access value if the biometric reader is not activated.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the correlation is performed in real-time and the value changes from an access value to a decline value in real-time.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the biometric reader comprises a camera, a fingerprint reader, a microphone, an eye scanner, a signature pad, or a hand scanner.

29. A computerized method for administering a program to an individual over a computer network, the method comprising:

configuring at least one processor device to perform the steps of;

receiving a request from a web browser or computer program launched by a computer used by the individual for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

providing the individual with access to program material over the network;

obtaining a first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data in response to said request for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

allowing the individual to access the program material over the network either before or during obtaining the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data;

obtaining continuously or periodically said one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data while the individual is accessing the program material;

correlating one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data with another one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data; and

receiving a value from the computer, wherein the value is an access value if a biometric reader that communicates with the computer is activated and wherein the value changes to a decline value if one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data does not match another one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the value is not an access value if the biometric reader is not activated.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the correlation is performed in real-time and the value changes from an access value to a decline value in real-time.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the biometric reader comprises a camera, a fingerprint reader, a microphone, an eye scanner, a signature pad, or a hand scanner.

33. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and having a computer-executable instructions recorded on said storage medium for performing a method comprising:

receiving a request from a web browser or computer program launched by a computer used by an individual for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

providing the individual with access to the program material;

obtaining a first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data in response to said request for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

allowing the individual to access the program material over the network either before or during obtaining the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data prior to obtaining one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data;

obtaining continuously or periodically said one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data while the individual is accessing the program material;

correlating the one or more additional sets of biometric data with the first set of biometric data; and

denying access to the program material if one or more of the additional sets of biometric data does not match the first set of biometric data.

34. The program product of claim 33, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing a method further comprise associating a value correspond to a result of the correlation step with the web page or computer program.

35. The program product of claim 33, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing a method further comprise transmitting a verification failure message to the web page comprising the program material.

36. The program product of claim 33, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing a method further comprise shutting down the web browser.

37. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and having a computer-executable instructions recorded on said storage medium for performing a method comprising:

receiving a request from a web browser or computer program launched by a computer used by an individual for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

providing the individual with access to the program material;

obtaining a first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data in response to said request for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

allowing the individual to access the program material over the network either before or during obtaining the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data prior to obtaining one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data;

obtaining continuously or periodically said one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data while the individual is accessing the program material;

correlating one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data with another one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data; and

denying access to the program material if one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data does not match another one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data.

38. The program product of claim 37, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing a method further comprise associating a value correspond to a result of the correlation step with the web page or computer program.

39. The program product of claim 37, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing a method further comprise transmitting a verification failure message to the web page comprising the program material.

40. The program product of claim 37, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing a method further comprise shutting down the web browser.

41. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and having a computer-executable instructions recorded on said storage medium for performing a method comprising:

receiving a request from a web browser or computer program launched by a computer used by an individual for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

providing the individual with access to the program material;

obtaining a first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data in response to said request for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

allowing the individual to access the program material over the network either before or during obtaining the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data prior to obtaining one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data;

obtaining continuously or periodically said one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data while the individual is accessing the program material;

correlating the one or more additional sets of biometric data with the first set of biometric data; and

receiving an access value or a decline value from the computer, and denying access to program material if the value is a decline value, wherein the value is a decline value if one or more of the additional sets of biometric data does not match the first set of biometric data.

42. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and having a computer-executable instructions recorded on said storage medium for performing a method comprising:

receiving a request from a web browser or computer program launched by a computer used by an individual for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

providing the individual with access to the program material;

obtaining a first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data in response to said request for access to a web page or computer program comprising program material;

allowing the individual to access the program material over the network either before or during obtaining the first set of the individual'"'"'s biometric data prior to obtaining one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data;

obtaining continuously or periodically said one or more additional sets of the individual'"'"'s biometric data while the individual is accessing the program material;

correlating one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data with another one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data; and

receiving an access value or a decline value from the computer, and denying access to program material if the value is a decline value, wherein the value is a decline value if one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data does not match another one of the one or more additional sets of biometric data.