Abstract:
A method, apparatus and system that allows an individual to authenticate his identity by storing his or her biometric profile and other information in a smart device. The smart device is always under the control of the owner during and after enrollment. The smart device holder&#39;s identity is authenticated by matching the stored fingerprint template against the live fingerprint of the smart device holder scanned on the smart device. When an enrolled smart device is within the proximity of a system radio frequency identification reader, the associated application via the radio frequency identification reader interacts with the smart device to authenticate the identity of the person holding the device. The smart device can also be attached to a personal computer, without a radio frequency identification reader via a wired interface. The application performs the applicable transaction only when the identity of the smart device holder is successfully authenticated.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to a method, apparatus and system for enabling individuals to control the access and storage of their biometric attributes that are required to authenticate their identity, before such individuals are allowed to execute a financial or other transaction. In particular, it relates to all forms of electronic transactions and activities by commercial or non-commercial institutions and entities whereby an individual&#39;s identity is required to be verified before that individual can execute a financial or other transaction.  
         [0002]     Many of the available biometric-based authentication methods require the storage of an individual&#39;s biometric information in a smart card or a back-end host server. Storage of the biometric information of an individual, for example the individual&#39;s fingerprint, iris, facial contour, etc., that involves transmittal of the biometric information over a communication media is a security concern to the individual. The individual that provides his fingerprint is concerned over the lack of control that he has over the finger templates once the templates are electronically transmitted to a third party. This worry stems from the fact that the individual&#39;s biometric characteristic, for example his fingerprints can be transferred or sold to a third party such as law enforcement agencies without the individual&#39;s authorization or notification. Also, electronic transfer and storage of an individual&#39;s biometric attributes is viewed as an invasion of privacy issue. As a result, in most countries, persons hesitate to subscribe to any service that requires providing one&#39;s fingerprint to authenticate their identity.  
         [0003]     Also, storage of an individual&#39;s biometric attributes on a smart card involves the risk of the loss of the smart card, or compromise of the network communication between the smart card and the personal computer or back-end server. Although the smart card on which an individual&#39;s biometric attribute is stored is generally of no use to a third party that finds the smart card that is lost or stolen, the real issue is intentional use, collaboration or sharing of information contained on the smart card between the service provider and a third party.  
         [0004]     There is an unmet market need to provide a system and method to biometrically authenticate the identity of an individual where the individual is in control of his biometric attributes and where the service provider does not have access to, or a copy of, the individual&#39;s biometric attribute.  
         [0005]     In this application, by way of example, the biometric attribute of the individual used for authentication of the individual will be his or her fingerprints. However this invention is applicable to any other biometric attribute, for example, the individual&#39;s iris, facial contour, etc. Furthermore, the personal and account information stored in the smart device may also include other identification of the individual, for example, the photo image of the individual.  
         [0006]     The present invention uses special hardware and accompanying software that stores an individual&#39;s fingerprint template in a smart device controlled by the individual. The smart device holder&#39;s identity is authenticated by matching the stored fingerprint template against the live fingerprint of the smart device holder scanned on the smart device which is under the control of the smart device holder. The present invention assures that an individual&#39;s fingerprint cannot be accessed by or compromised by a third party even if the smart device is lost or stolen. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1A  is a schematic block diagram that illustrates how the smart device holder authenticates that he or she is the owner of the smart device.  
         [0008]      FIG. 1B  illustrates the method for the authentication of the smart device holder by the host application.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a block diagram that shows the method for a smart device holder to enroll in the biometric authentication system and become the smart device owner.  
         [0010]      FIGS. 2B and 2C  are logic flow diagrams that show how a smart device holder enrolls in the biometric authentication system and becomes the smart device owner  
         [0011]      FIG. 3A  is a diagram that illustrates the hardware set-up required for the smart device holder to authenticate himself or herself as the smart device owner using the smart device.  
         [0012]      FIGS. 3B and 3C  show the logic flow diagram for the smart device holder to authenticate himself or herself as the smart device owner using the smart device.  
         [0013]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are logic flow diagrams that illustrate how the host application uses the RFID reader to request authentication of the smart device holder and to retrieve the authentication result from a smart device.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is the flow diagram illustrating how the host application requests for the authentication of the smart device holder and retrieves the result of the authentication. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     The following definitions will be used in this specification. The smart device is the hardware device that is used to obtain and store fingerprint templates and personal/account information of the smart device owner, and for authenticating that the holder of the smart device is the owner of that smart device. The smart device holder is an individual who holds a smart device. Once the identity of the smart device holder is authenticated by a successful enrollment with the smart device, the smart device holder is thereafter referred to as the smart device owner. The software application running on a personal computer that communicates with the radio frequency identification (RFID) reader or smart device is referred to as the host application.  
         [0016]     At any point in time, a smart device is in one of two following hardware states: enrolled or un-enrolled. Every newly manufactured or re-initialized smart device is in an un-enrolled state. After a smart device is acquired by an a smart device holder and following the enrollment of the smart device holder on the smart device as described below, the smart device is placed in an enrolled state.  
         [0017]     The smart device  201  is an owner controlled, integrated device consisting of a biometric scanner and a radio frequency identification card with a shared flash memory area. The shared flash memory area is used to store information for the RFID reader status area  205 , the RFID reader information area  206 , the fingerprint templates area  207 , personal information area  208  and the reserved area  209 . The shared flash memory area of the smart device  201  is also used to store communication data between the biometric scanner  202  and the host application. The biometric scanner  202  component located in the smart device  201  is used to scan and obtain the smart device holder&#39;s  200  or smart device owner&#39;s biometric profile data. The RFID card  204  component holds an RFID tag and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). The smart device  201  communicates with the remote RFID reader  302  that is in communication with a personal computer running the host application. The smart device  201  can also be directly connected to a personal computer  210  via a wired communication interface. The smart device  201  may be a stand-alone device, or embedded in a cellular phone or any other portable communication device.  
         [0018]     The smart device  201  contains a small light emitting diode (LED) and a depressible biometric scanning area on the scanner  202 . When the scanner area is depressed, the LED blinks a red color if the smart device  201  is in un-enrolled state, yellow if it is in an enrolled state, and orange during enrollment. After a successful enrollment, a smart device holder  200  becomes the smart device owner.  
         [0019]     The smart device  201  is powered by an internal rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery or solar energy.  
         [0020]     The utilization of this invention requires the implementation of following two processes: enrollment of the smart device holder  200 , and authentication of the identity of the smart device holder  200 .  
         [0021]     During enrollment, the host application collects, formats, encrypts and transmits the personal and account information via a wire-line communication to the smart device  201 . When an RFID reader  302  is available during authentication, the host application directs the RFID reader  302  that is in wireless communication with the smart device  201 , to retrieve the authentication result. When a RFID reader  302  is not available during authentication as shown in  FIG. 2A , the smart device  201  is connected directly\ to the personal computer  210  and the host application communicates directly with the smart device  201  to retrieve the authentication result.  
         [0022]      FIGS. 1A and 3A  illustrates how the smart device holder  200  authenticates  100  that he or she is the owner of the smart device  201 . The smart device holder  200  scans  101  his/her live fingerprint by depressing the scanner  202  area on the smart device  201 . The verifier  203  on the smart device  201  matches the live fingerprint with the stored fingerprint template  102  of the smart device holder  200  and stores the result in the RFID reader information area  206 . The verifier  203  module can modify the shared memory area and is capable of determining whether there is any RFID reader  302  is within range using radio frequency detection. Then the smart device  201  checks the shared memory area on the smart device  201  to determine if a RFID reader  302  or host application is requesting for an authentication  103  of the smart device holder  200 . If any RFID reader or host application requests an authentication, the smart device  201  generates the biometric profile data of the device holder by formatting and encrypting the matching fingerprint result, RFID tag and RFID reader identification (ID), or host application identification (ID) and stores the data  104  in the RFID reader information area  206 . An RFID reader  302  or host application reads the RFID reader information area  206 , extracts the matching fingerprint result and authenticates  105  the smart device holder  200  as the owner of the smart device  201 .  
         [0023]      FIGS. 1B and 3A  illustrates the method for the authentication of the smart device holder  200  by the host application. The smart device  201  communicates with the host application on the personal computer  210  via wired communication channel  211 , for example, an universal serial bus (USB) or a serial connection. The host application reads the RFID reader status area  205  on the smart device  201  and compares the value read  107  with its RFID reader  302  identification (ID) or host application identification (ID). If no other RFID reader  302  or host application is requesting authentication from the smart device  201 , then the host application writes  108  its RFID reader ID or host application ID in the RFID reader status area  205 . At periodic intervals, the host application reads the RFID reader information area  104  of the smart device, decrypts the biometric profile data read, and extracts  109  the RFID reader ID or host application ID. The host application then compares  110  the RFID reader ID or host application ID with data read from the RFID reader information area  206 . If the extracted RFID reader ID or host application ID matches the RFID reader ID or host application ID, then the host application extracts  111  the RFID tag that represents the smart device  201  and the smart device owner from the biometric profile data in the RFID reader information area  206  and authenticates  112  the smart device holder  200  as the owner of the smart device.  
         [0024]      FIGS. 2A, 2B  and  2 C illustrate how a smart device holder  200  enrolls in the biometric authentication system and becomes the smart device owner after a successful enrollment. A smart device holder  200  acquires the smart device  201  from the biometric authentication system. To use the smart device, smart device holder  200  and depresses  212  the scanner  202  area with his fingers which activates the smart device  201 . The smart device  201  checks  213  if it enrolled. If the smart device  214  is enrolled, it proceeds to authenticate the smart device holder  200  as shown in  FIG. 3B . If the smart device  201  is in un-enrolled state, the LED on the smart device  201  will show a red color for a few seconds after which it will start blinking orange and the enrollment process is started  215 . The smart device  201  scans and acquires the fingerprint templates  216  of the smart device holder  200 . Once the fingerprint templates have been successfully acquired by the smart device  201 , the fingerprint templates are stored  217  in the fingerprint template storage area  207 , the RFID reader status area  205  is cleared, and the LED light changes to green  218 . If the smart device holder  200  removes his or her finger from the scanner  202  area before the LED light changes to green, the enrollment is aborted and the smart device  201  remains in the un-enrolled state. After a successful enrollment, the smart device  201  automatically starts  219  the host application. The host application displays a form on the personal computer  210  to enter personal and account information  220  and the LED of smart device  201  starts blinking green  220   a . The smart device holder  200  enters his/her personal and account information  221 . The host application then formats and encrypts the personal and account information  222 , and saves  223  the personal and account information in personal information storage area  208  and the reserved area  209  of the smart device  201 . Also, any other application or vendor specific information is stored in reserved area  209  of the smart device  201 .  
         [0025]      FIGS. 3A, 3B  and  3 C show the hardware set-up and logic flow diagram for the smart device holder to authenticate himself or herself as the smart device owner using the smart device. In order to use the smart device, the smart device owner  200  must have subscribed to a biometric authentication service, or enrolled with an RFID reader device associated with a biometric authentication service. For the smart device holder  200  to authenticate himself or herself as the smart device owner, the smart device holder  200  depresses  303  the scanner area  202  with his fingers which activates the smart device  201 . The smart device  201  checks if the smart device is enrolled  304  in the biometric authentication system. If the current state of the smart device  201  is un-enrolled, then it blinks red for 3 seconds and starts the enrollment process  308  of the smart device holder  200  as shown in  FIG. 2B . If the current state of the smart device  201  is enrolled, then the LED blinks orange, and the authentication process continues if the scanner  202  area is still depressed by the fingers. The smart device  201  clears  305  the RFID reader status area  205 . The smart device holder  200  scans  306  his or her fingerprints on the scanner  202  area; the acquired fingerprint templates are thereafter stored temporarily in the designated fingerprint template storage area  207  of the smart device  201 . The smart device  201  then compares  307  the live fingerprint templates of the smart device holder  200  with the stored fingerprint templates of the smart card owner. If the smart device holder  200  releases his or her finger from the scanner area  202  during the authentication process, the smart device  201  becomes inactive. The smart device  201  then reads the content of the RFID reader status area  205  to check  309  if any RFID reader  302  or host application has requested for smart device holder  200  authentication. The smart device  201  communicates with the RFID reader  302  via a wireless communication channel  300  and communicates with the host application personal computer  210  via a wired communication channel  211 . If the information in the RFID reader status area  205  indicates that no RFID reader or host application needs service, then smart device  201  will periodically re-check the area as long as smart device  201  is activated. If the information in the verifier  203  indicates that an RFID reader  302  or host application has requested service, then the smart device  201  creates the biometric profile data by formatting and encrypting the RFID reader ID extracted from the RFID reader status area  205  or the host application ID  310 , the RFID tag obtained from the RFID card  204 , and the authentication result and stores the information  311  in the RFID reader information area  206 . After updating the RFID reader information area  206 , the LED color changes to solid orange  312  as long as the smart device scanner  202  area is depressed by the finger. When the scanner area is released, the power to smart device  201  is cut off  313  and the smart device is inactivated.  
         [0026]      FIGS. 4A, 4B  and  4 C illustrate how a host application uses its associated RFID reader to request for the authentication  400 ,  401  of a smart device holder  200  and to retrieve the authentication result from the smart device  201 . When the host application requests the RFID reader  302  to obtain  402  an authentication result that is displayed on the personal computer  210 , the host application requests the RFID reader  302  to scan and position  403  a RFID card  204  within range. The RFID reader  302  then lists  404  the available RFID cards  204 . Using an application controlled criterion, one of the RFID cards is selected  405  by the host application. The host application then requests  406  the RFID reader  302  to log into the selected RFID card  204 , read the content of the RFID reader status area  205  for the host application and check if the data in RFID reader  302  belongs  409  to this RFID reader  302 . If the current value of the RFID reader status area  205  indicates  407  that a different RFID reader  302  or host application is currently using the smart device  201 , then a retry is made at periodic intervals controlled by the host application. If no other RFID reader  302  is currently using the smart device  201 , then the host application requests the current RFID reader to write  408  its data, for example, RFID reader ID, etc., into the RFID reader status area  205 . Periodically, the host application reads  410  the contents of RFID reader information area  206  from the smart device  201 . On a successful read  411  of the RFID reader information area  206 , the host application decrypts, extracts and compares  412  its RFID reader IDs or host application IDs with the RFID reader ID in the data read from the smart device  201 . If the RFID reader IDs or host application IDs match  413 , the host application then extracts  414  the authentication result and checks if the authentication was successful  415  from the data read from the smart device  201 . If the authentication indicates a match, the host application then extracts  416  the RFID tag representing the smart device  201  and the smart device owner. The host application then allows the transaction to be processed  417 . If the smart device holder  200  releases his or her fingers from the scanner  202  area at any time during this process, the smart device  201  is deactivated and communication between the RFID reader  302  or host application with the smart device  201  is discontinued.  
         [0027]      FIG. 5  illustrates how a host application that communicates with a smart device  201  via a wire-line channel  211  to a personal computer  210  requests for the authentication of the smart device holder  200  and retrieves the authentication result from the smart device. When the host application needs the authentication result  500  to allow the transaction processing to proceed, it logs into the smart device  201  associated with the communication interface  211 ,  FIG. 3A  and reads  501  the RFID reader status area  205 . If the current value read indicates that a different RFID reader  302  or host application is currently using the smart device  502 , then a retry is made at periodic intervals controlled by the host application. If no other RFID reader  302  is currently using the smart device  201 , then the host application writes  503  its data, for example, host application ID, installation ID, etc., into the RFID reader status area  205 . The host application transmits the transaction code in encrypted form to a remote back-end sever for transaction processing. Periodically, the host application reads  504  the contents of the RFID reader information area  206 . The host application decrypts the data read  505  and extracts the host application ID and compares it  506  with the host application ID. The unique data generated from the tag identification of the RFID reader may be used as the record indexing key. If the host application IDs match, the host application then extracts and checks  507  the authentication result. If the check indicates a match, the host application then extracts the RFID tag representing the device and device owner  508 . The host application then allows the transaction processing  509  to proceed. If the fingerprint scanner  202  area is released by the smart device holder  200  at any time during this process, the smart device  201  is deactivated and communication between the host application and the smart device  201  is discontinued.  
         [0028]     The following example describes how a smart device holder is authenticated as the smart device owner. Mr. Doe plans to have dinner at Biometrics Restaurant and pay for the dinner using his smart device. At the checkout counter, Ms. Biomoney, cashier, pulls up Mr. Doe&#39;s bill on the personal computer and asks Mr. Doe how he would like to pay for the dinner. Mr. Doe replies that the method of payment is with a credit card and a smart device. Ms. Biomoney requests and obtains the credit card information from Mr. Doe and enters the information in a check-out application form on the personal computer. She then starts the host application, enters the credit card number, requests for authentication, and asks Mr. Doe to scan his fingerprint on the smart device. The host application communicates with the RFID reader, which communicates with the smart device to obtain the authentication result, or the host application communicates with the smart device via a wired communication interface to obtain the authentication result. If the authentication was successful, the host application retrieves the account information from the smart device and verifies that the credit card information exists in the account information. If the verification is successful, then a transaction code is generated by the host application which is then entered into the check-out application by Ms. Biomoney. She then completes the check-out application transaction.  
         [0029]     The following example describes the method that a smart device holder uses to enroll in the biometric authentication system and become the smart device owner. Mr. John Doe purchases a smart device with a host application software, manual document, and driver software in a CD-ROM, and a USB interface and cable. He plugs in the smart device into one of the USB ports on his personal computer. He then installs the driver of the smart device as instructed in the manual, which automatically installs the host application. To start the enrollment process, Mr. Doe puts one of his fingers on the scanner liquid crystal display (LCD) area of the smart device and depresses the LCD area, which activates the smart device. The smart device determines that it is in un-enrolled state and shows a red light in its LED aperture for 3 seconds. The smart device LED then starts blinking an orange color while it scans and acquires the fingerprint templates of Mr. Doe. When the smart device has finished acquiring the fingerprint templates, it encrypts and stores them and the LED light changes to green. The smart device then starts the host application which displays a form on the personal computer for Mr. Doe to enter his personal and account information. The smart device LED light starts blinking green. Mr. Doe may cancel this information entry activity if he so desires; however, following each successful authentication, Mr. Doe will be reminded by the host application that his personal and account information is missing in the smart device. Mr. Doe fills out the display form and submits the information. The host application formats and encrypts the personal and account information and sends it to the smart device where the information is stored in the personal information storage area and reserved area. When the information is stored in the smart device or the information entry activity canceled, the LED light changes to solid green indicating the successful enrollment of Mr. Doe in the biometric authentication system.