Biometrically enhanced digital certificates and system and method for making and using

• US 20030115475A1
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: I-Control Transactions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: I-Control Transactions Incorporated
• Inventors: Russo, Anthony P., Howell, Mark J., McCoy, Peter A., Roske, Thorsten
• Application Number:
  US10/194,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115475A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1335 Combining adjacent partial images (e.g. slices) to create a composite input or reference pattern; Tracking a sweeping finger movement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/08 Randomization, e.g. dummy operations or using noise
• 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

The present invention provides biometrically enhanced certificates or other data structure or data item containing biometric information, by adding fields containing biometric information derived from a user to a conventional Public Key Certificate. A biometrically enhanced certificate, therefore, provides a digital identity that binds a public key not just to a name, but to a physical property or properties of the person or entity who is the subject of the certificate. In one embodiment, biometric certificate fields comprising biometric data are incorporated into private extensions of an X.509 identity certificate. In another embodiment, biometric certificate fields comprising biometric data are incorporated into an X.509 attribute certificate.

Claims

1. A digital certificate for use in a public key infrastructure, said certificate comprising:

a public key field comprising a public key; and

a biometric certificate field comprising biometric data;

wherein said public key and said biometric data are associated with a same entity.

2. A certificate according to claim 1, wherein said biometric data comprises processed biometric data.

3. A certificate according to claim 2, wherein said biometric data comprises a biometric template.

4. A certificate according to claim 2, wherein said biometric data comprises a hash value.

5. A certificate according to claim 1, wherein said biometric data comprises a raw biometric data sample.

6. A certificate according to claim 1, wherein said certificate is an X.509 certificate comprising private extensions, and wherein said private extensions comprise said biometric information.

7. A certificate according to claim 1, wherein said certificate is an X.509 certificate associated with an X.509 attribute certificate containing said biometric information.

8. A certificate according to claim 6, wherein said biometric information comprises a biometric template.

9. A certificate according claim 7, wherein said biometric information comprises a biometric template.

10. A certificate according to claim 6, wherein said biometric information comprises a hash value.

11. A certificate according to claim 7, wherein said biometric information comprises a hash value.

12. A certificate according to claim 1, wherein said biometric data is based on a biometric data sample.

13. A certificate according to claim 12, wherein said biometric data sample comprises a fingerprint scan.

14. A certificate according to claim 12, wherein said biometric data sample comprises a facial image.

15. A certificate according to claim 12, wherein said biometric data sample comprises an iris scan.

16. A certificate according to claim 12, wherein said biometric data sample comprises a voice recording.

17. A method for generating a biometrically enhanced certificate comprising:

obtaining a biometric data sample;

processing said biometric data sample to yield processed biometric information;

generating biometric certificate fields utilizing said compressed biometric information; and

submitting certificate information including said biometric certificate fields to at least one third-party authority.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

generating a public/private key pair.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein said processing comprises applying a hash function to said biometric data sample and said processed biometric data comprises a hash value.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein said processing comprises extracting a biometric template from said biometric data sample.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said processing further comprises encrypting said biometric template with said public key.

22. A method according to claim 17, wherein said generating biometric certificate fields comprises generating private extensions for an X.509 identity certificate, wherein said private extensions comprise processed biometric data.

23. A method according to claim 17, wherein said generating biometric certificate fields comprises generating an attribute certificate corresponding to an X.509 base certificate, wherein said attribute certificate comprises processed biometric data.

24. A method according to claim 17, further comprising receiving a signed certificate.

33. A method for generating a biometrically enhanced certificate according to claim 17, wherein the biometrically enhanced certificate comprises a digital biometrically enhanced certificate for use in a public key infrastructure comprising:

a public key field comprising a public key;

a biometric certificate field comprising scan sampled biometric data including processed biometric data, a biometric template, and a hash value;

wherein said public key and said biometric data are associated with a same entity;

said certificate is an X.509 certificate comprising private extensions, and wherein said private extensions comprise said biometric information; and

said biometric data sample comprises a biometric data sample selected from the group consisting of a fingerprint scan, a facial image, an iris scan, a retinal scan, a voice recording, a DNA sample, a saliva sample, and combinations thereof.

25. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system having at least one processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism, comprising:

a program module that directs the computer to function in a specified manner to generate a biometrically enhanced certificate, the program module including instructions for;

obtaining a biometric data sample;

processing said biometric data sample to yield processed biometric information;

generating biometric certificate fields utilizing said compressed biometric information;

submitting certificate information including said biometric certificate fields to at least one third-party authority; and

receiving a signed certificate.

26. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the program module further including instructions for:

generating a public/private key pair.

27. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the program module further including instructions for applying a hash function to said biometric data sample and said processed biometric data comprises a hash value.

28. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the program module further including instructions for extracting a biometric template from said biometric data sample.

29. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the program module further including instructions for encrypting said biometric template with said public key.

30. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the instructions for generating biometric certificate fields comprises instructions for generating private extensions for an X.509 base certificate, wherein said private extensions comprise processed biometric data.

31. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein said instructions for generating biometric certificate fields comprises instructions for generating an attribute certificate corresponding to an X.509 base certificate, wherein said attribute certificate comprises processed biometric data.

32. A digital certificate for use in a public key infrastructure, said certificate comprising:

a public key field comprising a public key;

a biometric certificate field comprising scan sampled biometric data including processed biometric data, a biometric template, and a hash value;

wherein said public key and said biometric data are associated with a same entity;

said certificate is an X.509 certificate comprising private extensions, and wherein said private extensions comprise said biometric information; and

said biometric data sample comprises a biometric data sample selected from the group consisting of a fingerprint scan, a facial image, an iris scan, a retinal scan, a voice recording, a DNA sample, a saliva sample, and combinations thereof.