Positive identity verification system and method including biometric user authentication

• US 6,424,249 B1
• Filed: 02/11/1999
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Image Data Corporation, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: Image Data Corporation
• Inventors: Houvener, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shimizu, Matsuichiro
• Application Number:
  US09/249,277
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.8, 340/5.81, 340/5.82, 340/5.83, 340/5.84
• US Class Current: 340/5.82
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1075 PIN is checked remotely

Abstract

A system and method of providing system integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system is disclosed. In the preferred embodiment, the system uses biometric access authority information units and a biometric comparison system at a remote database site to permit authorized system users to access the positive identification system. The system also utilizes secondary access authority information units to permit authorized system users to access the system in the event that one or more authorized system users cannot be authenticated using the biometric comparison system.

Claims

1. A system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system comprising:

a point of identification terminal including a system user biometric access authority information unit scanner, an identifying information unit input device for accepting information presented by a person to be identified at a point of identification, and a photographic image display device for displaying digital photographic images of persons to be identified at said point of identification;

at least one remote database site having stored therein a system user biometric database comprising a plurality of system user biometric access authority information units, each said system user biometric access authority information unit associated with a single authorized system user, and a photographic image database comprising a plurality of digital photographic images of persons to be identified;

a communications link, linking said point of identification terminal to said at least one remote database site to allow information to be transmitted therebetween;

a system user biometric comparator for verifying that a scanned system user biometric access authority information unit matches at least one of said plurality of system user biometric access authority information units stored in said system user biometric database;

a system user selectable input indicating that said system user has compared the digital photographic images displayed on said photographic image display device with the physical appearance of said person being identified at said point of identification and that a match exists between at least one of said displayed digital photographic images and the appearance of said person being identified.

2. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of transaction records stored at at least one of said remote database sites, each said transaction record comprising information identifying said person being identified and information identifying said system user verifying the identity of said person being identified at said point of identification.

3. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a means for verifying that said point of identification terminal is authorized to access said remote database site.

4. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said biometric access authority information units associated with said plurality of authorized system users comprise digital images of fingerprints of said system users and wherein said biometric scanner comprises a fingerprint scanner.

5. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of secondary access authority information units stored in a secondary access authority information unit database at said remote database site said secondary access authority information units corresponding to said plurality of authorized system users and wherein said point of identification terminal further comprises a means for accepting a secondary access authority information unit provided by a system user.

6. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said secondary access authority information unit comprises a personal identification number (PIN) and wherein said means for accepting said PIN is a keypad.

7. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said keypad is included in said positive identification terminal.

8. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said keypad is included in a separate device located at said point of identification and wherein said separate device communicates said PIN to said point of identification terminal.

9. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said secondary access authority information unit comprises an electronic key-based personal identification number.

10. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biometric access authority information unit comprises a digital image of a retina of an authorized system user and wherein said biometric scanner comprises a retinal scanner.

11. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biometric access authority information unit comprises a voiceprint of an authorized system user and wherein said biometric scanner comprises an audio input device.

12. The system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biometric access authority information unit comprises a derivative of said scanned biometric access authority information unit.

13. A method of providing system integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system including at least one point of identification terminal having a plurality of input devices, including a biometric scanner and an identification information unit input and at least one display device including a photographic image display device, and at least one remote database site including a system user biometric database and an identification database comprising identification information units for a plurality of persons to be identified and at least one digital photographic image of a person corresponding to each identification information unit, said method comprising the steps of:

registering a plurality of authorized system users by accepting and storing at least one system user biometric access authority information unit and identification information from each authorized system user in said system user biometric database;

logging a system user onto said positive identification system by scanning a system user biometric identifier into said at least one point of identification terminal;

establishing communications between said point of identification terminal and said at least one database site;

transmitting said scanned system user biometric identifier to said at least one remote database site and comparing, at said at least one remote database site, said transmitted biometric identifier with said biometric identifiers stored at said system user biometric database at said remote database site;

granting access to said system user if a match exists between said transmitted biometric identifier and a stored biometric identifier;

accepting an identification information unit from a person being identified at said point of identification terminal and inputting said identification information unit into said said point of identification terminal;

transmitting said input identification information unit to said at least one remote database site;

searching said database of digital photographic images of person to be identified, retrieving at least one digital photographic image associated with said identification information unit transmitted to said remote database site and transmitting said at least one retrieved digital photographic image to said point of identification terminal;

displaying said at least one digital photographic image on said photographic image display device at said point of identification terminal;

comparing said at least one displayed digital photographic image with a physical characteristic of said person being identified;

acknowledging the verification of the identity of the person being identified if a match exists between at least one displayed digital photographic image and said physical characteristic of said person being identified; and

storing an indicator of the identity of the system user and an indicator of the identity of the person being identified in a transaction record.

14. The method of providing system integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said step of registering authorized system users comprises obtaining a digital image of at least one fingerprint of each said authorized system user as said biometric access authority information unit and wherein said step of inputting a biometric identifier comprises scanning at least one fingerprint of said system user.

15. The method of providing system integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said step of registering a plurality of authorized system users further comprises assigning a unique secondary access authority information unit to each authorized system user and storing said secondary access authority information units in a secondary access authority information unit database at said at least one remote database site.

16. The method of providing system integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system as claimed in claim 15 wherein:

said step of logging a system user onto said positive identification system further comprises inputting said secondary access authority information unit into said positive identification system;

said step of transmitting said biometric access authority information unit to said at least one remote database site further comprises transmitting said secondary access authority information unit to said at least one remote database site and comparing said transmitted secondary access authority information unit with said secondary access authority information units stored in said secondary access authority information unit database; and

said step of granting access to said system user further comprises granting access if a match exists between said transmitted secondary access authority information unit and one of said stored secondary access authority information units.

17. A method of providing system integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system comprising the steps of:

registering a plurality of authorized system users by accepting a biometric identifier and identification information from each authorized system user;

logging a system user onto said positive identification system by inputting a biometric access authority information unit into said positive identification system;

establishing communications between a point of identification terminal and at least one database site, said database site including a database of biometric identifiers accepted from authorized system users and a plurality of biometric identifiers associated with persons to be identified, each of said plurality of biometric identifiers associated with at least one identification information unit identifying said persons to be identified;

transmitting said biometric access authority information unit input into said positive identification system to said at least one remote database site and comparing, at said at least one remote database site, said transmitted biometric access authority information unit with said biometric identifiers stored at said remote database site;

granting access to said system user if a match exists between said transmitted biometric access authority information unit and a biometric identifier stored at said remote database site;

accepting an identification information unit from a person being identified and inputting said identification information unit into said positive identification system;

transmitting said input identification information unit to said at least one remote database site;

searching said database of biometric identifiers of person to be identified and retrieving at least one biometric identifier associated with said identification information unit;

comparing said at least one retrieved biometric identifier with a physical characteristic of said person being identified;

acknowledging the verification of the identity of the person being identified if a match exists between said retrieved biometric identifier and said physical characteristic of said person being identified; and

storing a pointer to at least said identification information for said system user and a pointer to said identification information unit accepted from said person being identified in a transaction record.