Secure biometric verification of identity

• US 8,904,187 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IVI Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: IVI Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Tamio, Drizin, Wayne, Aida, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFFMAN, BRANDON S
• Application Number:
  US11/864,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20080019578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,622 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07354 by biometrically sensitive means, e.g. fingerprint sensitive fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/12; biometrically activated access control G07C9/25
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A high security identification card includes an on-board memory for stored biometric data and an on-board sensor for capturing live biometric data. An on-board processor on the card performs a matching operation to verify that the captured biometric data matches the locally stored biometric data. Only if there is a positive match is any data transmitted from the card for additional verification and/or further processing. Preferably, the card is ISO SmartCard compatible. In one embodiment, the ISO SmartCard functions as a firewall for protecting the security processor used for storing and processing the protected biometric data from malicious external attack via the ISO SmartCard interface. In another embodiment, the security processor is inserted between the ISO SmartCard Interface and an unmodified ISO SmartCard processor and blocks any external communications until the user'"'"'s fingerprint has been matched with a previously registered fingerprint. Real-time feedback is provided while the user is manipulating his finger over the fingerprint sensor, thereby facilitating an optimal placement of the finger over the sensor. The card may be used to enable communication with a transactional network or to obtain physical access into a secure area.

Claims

1. An identification card comprising:

an on-board memory for storing reference data;

an on-board sensor for capturing live biometric data;

an on-board microprocessor for comparing the captured biometric data with corresponding stored reference data within a predetermined threshold and for generating a verification message only if there is a match within the predetermined threshold;

means for encrypting the verification message according to an encryption key generated by the identification card, the encryption key being substantially unique to the identification card; and

means for communicating the encrypted verification message to an external network.

2. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the verification message includes at least excerpts from the stored reference data.

3. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the on-board processor is configured to perform matching of the captured biometric data with corresponding stored reference data completely, such that the captured biometric data is not required to be transmitted to the external network in order to complete the matching.

4. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the means for communicating comprises an interface and wherein the verification message includes at least excerpts from the captured biometric data, the verification message being transmitted to a remote authentication system for additional verification using reference data which is different from the reference data stored on the on-board memory.

5. The identification card of claim 4, wherein the on-board microprocessor uses a different matching algorithm than that used at the remote authentication system.

6. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the identification card is ISO SmartCard compatible.

7. The identification card of claim 6, wherein the on-board processor is a security processor for storing and processing the protected biometric data, and wherein the identification card further comprises an ISO SmartCard processor.

8. The identification card of claim 7, wherein the security processor is functionally separated from the ISO SmartCard processor by a firewall, such that any communications between the external network and either of the security processor or the ISO SmartCard processor pass through the firewall.

9. The identification card of claim 7, wherein the security processor comprises:

a first connection used for loading data during a loading process; and

a second connection connected to the external network.

10. The identification card of claim 9, wherein the first connection is configured to be permanently disabled after the loading process has been completed.

11. The identification card of claim 7, wherein the identification card comprises a magnetic stripe region and an embossed region, wherein the biometric sensor comprises a fingerprint sensor, and wherein the security processor, the ISO SmartCard processor, and the fingerprint sensor are located in a middle region between the magnetic stripe region and the embossed region.

12. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the biometric data includes fingerprint data, the on-board sensor is a fingerprint sensor that captures data from a user'"'"'s finger placed on the fingerprint sensor, and the identification card provides real-time feedback for finger placement while the user is manipulating his or her finger over the fingerprint sensor, thereby facilitating an adequate placement of the finger over the fingerprint sensor.

13. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the biometric data includes fingerprint data, the sensor is a fingerprint sensor that captures data from a user'"'"'s finger placed on the fingerprint sensor, and wherein the on-board microprocessor is configured to use a hybrid matching process in comparing the captured biometric data with corresponding stored reference data, wherein the hybrid matching process depends on both minutiae and overall spatial relationships in the fingerprint data.

14. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the biometric data includes fingerprint data, the on-board sensor is a fingerprint sensor that captures data from a user'"'"'s finger placed on the fingerprint sensor, and wherein the fingerprint sensor further comprises a sheet of crystalline silicon supported by a backing plate.

15. The identification card of claim 14, wherein the backing plate comprises a glass epoxy layer between two metal layers and the backing plate is reinforced by a carrier frame surrounding the sheet of crystalline silicon.

16. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the card further comprises means for restricting use of the identification card to a predetermined location.

17. The identification card of claim 1, wherein at least some of the captured biometric data and the reference data are transmitted to a separate authentication server, as part of the encrypted verification message, for secure verification of a user'"'"'s identity prior to any grant of on-line access to an application server for processing of secure financial transactions involving that user.

18. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the on-board microprocessor generates the verification message as a function of the live biometric data.

19. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the encryption key is generated as a function of the live biometric data.

20. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the encryption key is generated as a function of the stored reference data.

21. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the encryption key is generated as a function of at least one of:

a user identification code, a uniquely assigned code of the on-board sensor, present contents of a predetermined memory location, or an assigned password.

22. The identification card of claim 1, wherein the means for encrypting comprise means for encrypting the verification message according to a Data Encryption Standard (DES) or Two Fish encryption protocol.

23. A method for identifying a user of an intelligent identification card, the intelligent identification card including an on-board memory storing reference data and an on-board biometric sensor, the method comprising:

capturing live biometric data using the on-board sensor;

comparing the captured biometric data with corresponding reference data stored in the on-board memory within a predetermined threshold;

generating a verification message only if there is a match within the predetermined threshold;

encrypting the verification message according to an encryption key generated by the intelligent identification card, the encryption key being substantially unique to the intelligent identification card; and

communicating the encrypted verification message to an external network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein a matching process used in the identification card is different from a matching process used by the remote authentication system.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

transmitting at least some of the captured biometric data and the reference data to a separate authentication server for secure verification of a user'"'"'s identity prior to any grant of on-line access to an application server for processing of secure financial transactions involving that user.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a match request relating to a particular logon attempt at a particular application server; and

executing, if a positive match is produced at an authentication server in response to the match request, a secure three-way authentication protocol, the authentication protocol including;

a) sending a challenge character sequence from the authentication server to the identification card;

b) generating, at the identification card, a challenge response based on the challenge character sequence and the match request;

c) forwarding the challenge response to the application server;

d) forwarding the challenge response from the application server to the authentication server; and

e) verifying, at the authentication server, whether the challenge response is valid.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the verification massage includes at least excerpts from the captured biometric data, and further comprising:

additionally verifying the user at a remote authentication system using reference data which is different from the reference data stored on the on-board memory.

28. An apparatus for identifying a user of an intelligent identification card, the intelligent identification card including an on-board memory storing reference data and an on-board biometric sensor, the apparatus comprising:

means for capturing live biometric data using the on-board sensor;

means for comparing the captured biometric data with corresponding reference data stored in the on-board memory within a predetermined threshold;

means for generating a verification message only if there is a match within the predetermined threshold; and

means for encrypting the verification message according to an encryption key generated by the intelligent identification card, the encryption key being substantially unique to the intelligent identification card; and

means for communicating the encrypted verification message to an external network.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the verification message is transmitted to a remote authentication system for decryption according to a remotely stored decryption key that is different from the encryption key.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the verification message includes at least excerpts from the captured biometric data; and

the verification message is transmitted to a remote authentication system for additional verification using remotely stored reference data which is different from the local reference data stored on the on-board memory.