Abstract:
A personal identification and security system including a personal identification verification system, a controlled substance detection and identification system and an alarm indicator responsive to outputs of the personal identification verification system and the controlled substance detection and identification system for providing an alarm indication in response to fulfillment of alarm criteria in at least one of the outputs.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of security identification, and more specifically to the area of personal security identification. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Personal identification and security checks form an integral portion of maintaining security in a wide variety of environments, ranging from transportation terminals, such as airports, to controlled access environments, such as military installations. A variety of systems and methods exist in the art for providing personal identification, such as photo identification tags, which are scanned for entry, and biometric personal identification systems that compare personal biometric information to previously stored biometric information. Additionally, a variety of systems and methods are known in the art for controlled substance detection and identification. 
     The following U.S. Pat. Nos. are believed to represent the current state of the art: 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,518,584; 5,818,047; 5,483,601 and 5,255,067. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention seeks to provide enhanced personal identification and security systems and methodologies. 
     There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a personal identification and security system including a personal identification verification system, a controlled substance detection and identification system and an alarm indicator responsive to outputs of the personal identification verification system and the controlled substance detection and identification system for providing an alarm indication in response to fulfillment of alarm criteria in at least one of the outputs. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the personal identification verification system is a biometric information comparison system. 
     In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention the controlled substance detection and identification system is a spectroscopic controlled substance detection and identification system. Additionally, the spectroscopic controlled substance detection and identification system is a laser activated spectroscopic controlled substance detection and identification system. 
     In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention the personal identification verification system and the controlled substance detection and identification system perform personal identification verification and controlled substance detection and identification substantially simultaneously. 
     In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention a person having their identity verified by the personal identification verification system is unaware of the presence of the controlled substance detection and identification system. 
     There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention a personal identification and security method including providing personal identification verification, simultaneously detecting and identifying controlled substances and providing an alarm indication in response to fulfillment of alarm criteria in at least one of the providing personal identification verification and the detecting and identifying controlled substances. 
     Preferably, the providing personal identification verification includes providing biometric based personal identification verification. Additionally or alternatively, the detecting and identifying controlled substances includes spectroscopically detecting and identifying controlled substances. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a simplified pictorial illustration of a personal identification and security system combining biometric and spectroscopic components, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is a simplified flowchart illustrating operation of the personal identification and security system of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 1 , which is a simplified pictorial illustration of a personal identification and security system, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , a personal identification screening system is shown, it being appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but rather may be employed in any other suitable personal security identification environment. 
     As seen in  FIG. 1 , a person seeking entrance to a secure area presents a body portion  100  suitable for biometric personal identification verification, such as a hand, at personal identification and security station  102 . In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the body portion  100  presented for biometric personal identification verification includes one or more fingers. The personal identification and security station  102  preferably includes a biometric personal identification verification system for identification verification and a spectroscopic controlled substance detection and identification system to scan for the possible presence of controlled substances, such as explosives or drugs, on the body portion  100 . It is appreciated that the personal identification and security station  102 , from the perspective of the person seeking entrance, is preferably similar in appearance to a conventional biometric personal identification verification system. The spectroscopic controlled substance detection and identification system may include any of the embodiments of the spectroscopic controlled substance detection system which are disclosed in the assignee&#39;s copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/428,398, titled “CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM”, filed May 2, 2003, incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the controlled substance detection and identification system can be a non-spectroscopic controlled substance detection and identification system. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the personal identification and security station  102  includes a transparent substrate  104  upon which the body portion  100  is placed. Preferably, the biometric personal identification verification and the spectroscopic detection and identification are performed, preferably simultaneously, while body portion  100  is resting on the transparent substrate  104 . Preferably, the transparent substrate  104  is made of a material that does not exhibit characteristic Second Harmonic (SH), Raman Scattering (RS) and Luminescence (LE) under the parameters defined for use in identifying controlled substances. Even more preferably, the substrate  104  is coated with a thin layer of a substance that may exhibit Surface Enhanced Raman Spectrum (SERS), such as silver, gold or copper, having a suitably roughened surface. With such an appropriate surface, molecules of controlled substances, such as explosives or drugs, may exhibit SERS, which increases the visibility of the RS by a factor of 10 or more. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the biometric personal identification verification system includes a biometric information collector that captures biometric information from body portion  100  and transmits the information to a biometric information comparison device, such as a computer  106 . The biometric information comparison device then compares the information captured by the biometric information collector with stored biometric information to verify the identity of the person seeking entrance. The stored biometric information may be stored on any conventional device that is in communication with the biometric information comparison device or may be contained within the biometric information comparison device. 
     In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the identification information is stored on an identification document  108 , such as a digital identification document or smart card, which is presented by the person and scanned by an identification document reader  110 . The identification information scanned from the identification document  108  is transmitted to the biometric information comparison device, which then compares the identification information scanned from the identification document  108  with the information captured by the biometric information collector. 
     In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the personal identification and security station  102  may also include a biometric imager (not shown), which transmits the biometric information as an image of the body portion  100  to computer  106 . Computer  106  is operative to generate the biometric information, such as finger length or other suitable biometric information or measurement, by processing the image of body portion  100 . Additionally, the stored identification information may be stored as a corresponding image of body portion  100 . Additionally, the imager may generate a printed image  112  for use by security personnel. It is appreciated that any suitable biometric information comparison system, either with or without an imager, may be utilized. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the spectroscopic system of the personal identification and security station  102  employs at least one light source, such as a laser  120 . An output beam of laser  120  impinges on one or more scanning elements  122 , such as mirrors, which are driven in rotational motion by one or more motors  124  in synchronization with the pulsed output of laser  120  in response to synchronization signals, such as signals provided by computer  106 . 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, laser  120  is preferably a Nd:YAG pulsed laser emitting first, second, third and forth harmonics having peak wavelengths at 1064, 532, 355 and 266 mm. Alternatively, multiple lasers, preferably Nd:YAG pulsed lasers, may be provided. It is appreciated that wavelengths in the range of 200 nm to 10 microns may be employed. 
     The output beam of laser  120  is thus scanned over the body portion  100 , inducing SH, RS and LE by certain materials, including controlled substances, such as explosives and drugs, should those materials be present on the scanned surfaces of the body portion  100 . The emitted and scattered light is detected by one or more detector assemblies  126 , preferably including collecting optics, a notch filter, a spectral filter, a polychromator and a gated detector, such as a photodiode, photo multiplier, CCD or CMOS. 
     Preferably, a laser wavelength of 1064 nm is used for SH generation and the spectral filter, such as a filter having a narrow passband centered on 532 nm, is used for SH detection. Preferably, a laser wavelength of 532 nm is used for RS generation and the notch filter, such as a narrowband filter centered on 532 nm, is used for RS detection. The polychromator preferably has a spectral range from 360 to 900 nm. 
     Preferably, the gating interval for SH and RS detection coincides with duration of the laser pulse, while the interval for LE detection starts with the beginning of the laser pulse and continues beyond the end of the pulse for a time period based on the decay time of the luminescence emission. Alternatively, the detector need not be gated, although this is not preferred. 
     Alternatively, the polychromator may be replaced by a spectroscopic system employing several filters for RS and LE detection. The following Raman shifts relative to the laser excitation wavelength are preferably provided, each by a different spectral filter: 
     880-885 cm −1    
     1360-1365 cm −1    
     1270-1290 cm −1    
     2980-3000 cm −1 . 
     The following spectral ranges are preferably provided for LE detection, each by a different spectral filter and corresponding to the following gate intervals: 
     400-430 nm—100 nanoseconds 
     450-540 nm—10 nanoseconds. 
     If more than threshold amounts of any of SH, RS and LE are received by any one or more gated detector during the corresponding time interval and in its spectral range, an alarm indication is provided by computer  106 , typically at a display  130 . Alternatively, for some controlled substances, the spectroscopic scanning system of personal identification and security station  102  may require a positive response from at least two or more of the spectroscopic identifiers for an alarm indication to be provided. This alarm indication indicates that a controlled substance having certain spectroscopic characteristics may be present on the body portion  100 . Additionally, if the biometric information captured by the biometric information collector of personal identification and security station  102  from body portion  100  do not correspond to the stored identification information, scanned from the identification document  108  or retrieved from the stored location, an alarm indication is provided by computer  106 , typically at display  130 . This alarm indication indicates that the biometric information comparison device was unable to identify the person. 
     It is noted that, even though the embodiments described hereinabove describe the spectroscopic system including detector assemblies, imaging optics, filters, polychromator, detector assemblies, any suitable configuration of components, such as incorporating a fiber optic link for remote detection, may be used for collecting and analyzing the scattered output from the laser. Additionally, the spectroscopic system may be a non-laser activated spectroscopic system. 
     In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the personal document reader  110  of personal identification and security station  102  is also operative to spectroscopically analyze identification document  108 . In this embodiment, the spectroscopic system of the personal identification document reader  110  preferably employs at least one light source, such as a laser  140 . An output beam of laser  140  impinges on one or more scanning elements  142 , such as mirrors, which are driven in rotational motion by one or more motors  144  in synchronization with the pulsed output of laser  140  in response to synchronization signals, such as signals provided by computer  106 . 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, laser  140  is preferably a Nd:YAG pulsed laser emitting first, second, third and forth harmonics having peak wavelengths at 1064, 532, 355 and 266 nm. Alternatively, multiple lasers, preferably Nd:YAG pulsed lasers, may be provided. It is appreciated that wavelengths in the range of 200 nm to 10 microns may be employed. 
     The output beam of laser  140  is thus scanned over the identification document  108 , inducing SH, RS and LE by certain materials, including controlled substances, such as explosives and drugs, should those materials be present on the scanned surfaces of the identification document  108 . The emitted and scattered light is detected by one or more detector assemblies  146 , preferably including collecting optics, a notch filter, a spectral filter, a polychromator and a gated detector, such as a photodiode, photo multiplier, CCD or CMOS. 
     Preferably, a laser wavelength of 1064 nm is used for SH generation and the spectral filter, such as a filter having a narrow passband centered on 532 nm, is used for SH detection. Preferably, a laser wavelength of 532 nm is used for RS generation and the notch filter, such as a narrowband filter centered on 532 nm, is used for RS detection. The polychromator preferably has a spectral range from 360 to 900 nm. 
     Preferably, the gating interval for SH and RS detection coincides with duration of the laser pulse, while the interval for LE detection starts with the beginning of the laser pulse and continues beyond the end of the pulse for a time period based on the decay time of the luminescence emission. Alternatively, the detector need not be gated, although this is not preferred. 
     Alternatively, the polychromator may be replaced by a spectroscopic system employing several filters for RS and LE detection. The following Raman shifts relative to the laser excitation wavelength are preferably provided, each by a different spectral filter: 
     880-885 cm −1    
     1360-1365 cm −1    
     1270-1290 cm −1    
     2980-3000 cm −1 . 
     The following spectral ranges are preferably provided for LE detection, each by a different spectral filter and corresponding to the following gate intervals: 
     400-430 nm—100 nanoseconds 
     450-540 nm—10 nanoseconds. 
     If more than threshold amounts of any of SH, RS and LE are received by any one or more gated detector during the corresponding time interval and in its spectral range, an alarm indication is provided by computer  106 , typically at display  130 . This alarm indication indicates that a controlled substance having certain spectroscopic characteristics may be present on the identification document  108 . 
     It is noted that, even though the embodiments described hereinabove describe the spectroscopic system including detector assemblies, imaging optics, filters, polychromator, detector assemblies, any suitable configuration of components, such as incorporating a fiber optic link for remote detection, may be used for collecting and analyzing the scattered output from the laser. 
     In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the identification document  108  is made from a material that does not exhibit characteristic SH, RS and LE under the parameters defined for use in identifying controlled substances. Even more preferably, the identification document  108  is coated with a thin layer of a substance that may exhibit Surface Enhanced Raman Spectrum (SERS), such as silver, gold or copper, having a suitably roughened surface. With such an appropriate surface, molecules of controlled substances may exhibit Surface Enhanced Raman Spectrum (SERS), increasing the visibility of the RS by a factor of 10 or more. 
     It is appreciated that, even though the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1  shows the identification document reader  110  including laser  140 , scanning elements  142 , motors  144  and detector assemblies  146 , identification document reader  110  may also utilize any or all of laser  120 , scanning elements  122 , motors  124  and detector assemblies  126  from scanning and recognition station  102 . 
     It is appreciated that the operational parameters for the spectroscopic systems of the scanning and recognition station  102  and identification document reader  110  are preferably selected so as to provide optimal contrast between the substances being identified and the background. 
     It is further appreciated that, while in a preferred mode of the present invention the spectroscopic systems of the scanning and recognition station  102  and identification document reader  110  scan for SH, RS and LE, spectroscopic analysis of body portion  100  and/or identification document  108  may include any combination of one or more of these or other spectroscopic analysis methods. Additionally, these spectroscopic analysis methods may include methods not requiring a laser or a light source, but utilizing ambient light, such as measuring optical absorption spectra, optical reflection spectra or ATR. 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 2 , which is a simplified flowchart illustrating operation of the scanning and recognition station  102  shown in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a body portion, such as body portion  100  of  FIG. 1 , is presented for biometric personal identification verification. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the image of the body portion  100  is transmitted to a biometric information comparison device, such as a computer  106  of  FIG. 1 , which generates the biometric information from the transmitted image. The computer  106  is then operative to retrieve stored identification information for comparison. In the embodiment described in  FIG. 2 , the stored identification information is retrieved from an identification document, such as identification document  108  of  FIG. 1 , preferably also in the form of an image of the body portion  100 . Computer  106  is then operative to generate biometric information from the stored image, and comparing that information to the information generated from the image of body portion  100  presented by the person for personal identification verification. Alternatively, computer  106  is operative to compare the stored image of body portion  100  with the image transmitted by the biometric information collector of scanning and recognition station  102 . 
     It is appreciated that the biometric information comparison device may generate any conventional biometric information that is deemed suitable for identification. It is also appreciated that any suitable biometric personal identification verification system may be utilized. 
     If the biometric information generated by the biometric information collector of scanning and recognition station  102  from body portion  100  do not correspond to the stored identification information, an alarm indication is provided by computer  106 . 
     Alternatively, the stored identification information may be located on a storage device in communication with computer  106 , or on a storage device forming part of computer  106 . In this embodiment, the person presenting body portion  100  also enters an identification code to enable computer  106  to locate the corresponding stored identification information. Additionally, the computer  106  may confirm that the identification code was correctly entered. 
     The body portion  100 , presented for biometric information recognition as described hereinabove, is also examined for the possible presence of controlled substances, such as explosives or drugs, thereon. Body portion  100  is preferably illuminated by laser radiation, as described in  FIG. 1 , and is subject to detection of second harmonic scattering, time-resolved detection of luminescence and time-resolved detection of Raman scattering to provide identification of controlled substances. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, controlled substances are detected and identified using a combination of second harmonic scattering, time-resolved luminescence and time-resolved Raman scattering. If controlled substances are detected, as described in assignee&#39;s copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/428,398, titled “CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM”, filed May 2, 2003, on the body portion  100  an alarm indication is provided by computer  106 . 
     It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the specification and which are not in the prior art.