Abstract:
A mobile communications device includes a fingerprint scanner for generating a scanned fingerprint output data responsive to a scanned fingerprint. The scanned fingerprint output is compared to a reference fingerprint pattern such that a code memo application containing a plurality of data entries each having an associated identifier may be temporarily accessed during a selected period of time if the scanned fingerprint output data matches the reference fingerprint pattern. During the selected period, one of the plurality of data entries may be selected and inserted into a dialog.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION(S)  
       [0001]    This application claims priority from and incorporates herein by reference the entire disclosure of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/291,052 filed May 14, 2001. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to the use of personal information such as PIN codes, and more particularly, to a system and method for controlling access to PIN codes using fingerprint scanner technology.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    An increasing problem for users of services provided via the Internet is the large amount of personal information required to access particular websites or information. Personal information such as a user name, addresses or user IDs are rather long alphanumeric strings that are cumbersome to enter by means of a mobile telephone or other computing device. The increasing number of personal information enabled accesses to data requires a user to remember many PIN numbers, passwords or user names in order to access a particular website or particular type of information.  
           [0004]    A PIN may be used to open up files within a memory area on a secure token such as a SIM, WIM, or smart card. Additionally, a PIN may provide access to services within a network. In the case of utilizing a PIN to open a file within a memory area on a secure token, the secure token typically stores a private key to be used in a digital signature operation or with other types of data requiring a high degree of protection. For each type of secure token, an associated security policy states the rules for providing access to individual files within memory on the secure token. The security policy may impose rules requiring entry of a PIN each time the information is accessed. Another rule may require the PIN for the private key used for a digital signature to be different from the PIN used for other operations such as client authorization. Thus, the effect of the security policy may require the end user to remember a set of different PINs required to be entered on a rather frequent basis. With the introduction of WAP, Internet technologies and open execution environments within the MExE framework, there has become an increased demand for user friendly management of numerous PINs within a mobile station or other computing device. A user friendly and secure feature for automatically form filling personal information would assist with entry of this information. There is a need for secure and user friendly manner of managing and making use of a large number of PINS within the mobile station or other computing device.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention overcomes the foregoing and other problems with a system for controlling access to personal information. A device includes a fingerprint scanner for scanning the fingerprint of a user and generating scanned fingerprint output data. This scanned fingerprint output data is compared to a reference fingerprint pattern to determine whether or not they match. If the scanned fingerprint output data and the reference fingerprint pattern match, access is provided for a selected period of time to a listing of data entries each having associated text identifiers. During the selected time period, one of the data entries may be selected. The selected data entry is inserted into a dialog which has been generated in response to a request for the data entry from an application or outside device.  
           [0006]    The selection may occur by display of the text identifiers on a user interface of the mobile communication device and selection of one of the text identifiers by the user of the mobile communication device. Alternatively, the selection of the data entry may be made by identifying a tag within the request for the data entry and automatically selecting a data entry associated with that tag. Furthermore, in addition to the text labels, the data entries may have associated therewith specific applications with which the data entry is associated. The application making a request for a data entry is determined, and the data entry associated with the identified application selected and inserted within the dialog.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    A more complete understanding of the method and apparatus of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the system of the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is an illustration of a memory storing PIN numbers having associated text labels;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 illustrates a memory with PIN numbers having associated text labels and applications;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 illustrates interaction between a mobile station implementing the system of the present invention and an application located in the mobile station;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 illustrates a mobile station implementing the system of the present invention interacting with a PC;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 illustrates a request including a tag for accessing a particular PIN number, and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of a system of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a mobile station  10  including a code memo application  15  accessed via a fingerprint scanner  20 . While the present discussion describes a system implemented within a mobile station  10  of a wireless communications network, it should be realized that the system and method of the present invention may be implemented within any computing device requiring the entry of personal information such as PIN codes, user IDs, passwords or other types of similar information. The code memo application  15  may be implemented within hardware and software of the mobile station  10  and form an integral portion of the mobile station  10  itself Alternatively, the code memo application  15  may be implemented on a secure token such as a SIM or WIM on a removable card or a smart card. The term “secure token” is used as a generic term for any type of security element that is used in relation to the mobile station  10  and where the implementation of the element is based on smart card technology. Examples of such security elements are a SIM, a WIM, or any other type of chip card  
         [0016]    The code memo application  15  includes a reference fingerprint pattern  25  of a user consisting of data from a fingerprint scan and may comprise a scan of an entire fingerprint, selected reference points from the fingerprint, etc. The reference fingerprint pattern  25  is used for accessing a PIN code memory  30 , or other user related data such as user IDs, passwords, etc. stored the code memo application  15 . The PIN code memory  30  which is more fully illustrated in both FIGS. 2 and 3 may be configured in a number of fashions In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, a plurality of PIN numbers  35  associated with a particular user are stored in a first memory location. Associated with each of the PIN  35  in a second memory location are user designated text labels  40 . When a user is selecting a particular PIN number as will be more fully described in a moment, the user designated text labels  40  are displayed to and selected by the user through a user interface  45 . Multiple PIN numbers  35  may be stored in either an encoded format or in a protected file on a secure token. Control/opening of the PIN code memory  30  is accomplished using the fingerprint scanner  20  and control logic  50  within the code memo application  15  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, the PIN codes  35 , in addition to being associated with a particular text label  40 , may also have association therewith a particular application  55  or a specific PIN input dialog within the application. In this case, access of the code memo application  15  by a particular application triggers automatic provision of a PIN number  35  associated with the application after accessing of the PIN code memory  30  by verification of a scanned fingerprint input. Thus, the user does not have to scroll through and select a particular PIN.  
         [0017]    The control logic  50  controls the procedure by which access is provided to information stored within the PIN code memory  30 . The control logic  50  consists of a verification function  60 , display function  65 , insertion function  70  and management function  75 . These functions are implemented in hardware, software, or firmware or a combination thereof The verification function  60  controls comparison of the reference fingerprint pattern  25  to a scanned fingerprint output received from the fingerprint scanner  20 . If the scanned fingerprint output data, which may comprise an entire fingerprint scan, selected reference points or any other technique known for representing scanned fingerprint data, received from the fingerprint scanner  20  matches the reference fingerprint pattern  25 , the PIN code memory  30  is accessible for a selected period of time, and the display function  65  utilizes the user interface  45  to display a list of text labels that are associated with PIN numbers of a user. A user, utilizing the user interface  45 , selects a particular text label  40  associated with one of the PIN numbers  35 . The display function  65  and verification function  60  only keeps the PIN codes open to be accessed by the user for a selected period of time. If a user does not select a particular text label  40  within the selected period of time, access to the PIN code memory  30  is ended and the user must reaccess the PIN codes by again having their fingers scanned by the fingerprint scanner  20 . The insertion function  70  inserts the selected PIN number  35  within the PIN dialog associated with information a user is attempting to access.  
         [0018]    The management function  75  enables the user to alter information stored within the PIN code memory  30  and the reference fingerprint pattern  25 . The management  75  function which is also accessible using the fingerprint scanner  20  enables PIN numbers  35  in the PIN code memory  30  to be specified, deleted or changed. Additionally, text labels  40  may be added or changed, and a length of a time before which access to the PIN memory code  30  is discontinued after a successful opening may also be controlled. The reference fingerprint pattern also may be changed to accommodate different users.  
         [0019]    One time password generator  80  may be related to a particular PIN name  35 /text label  40 . When a text label  40  is selected, a one time password is automatically generated and inserted into the PIN dialog by the insertion logic  70 . The one time password generator  80  is useful if the PIN code/password should be sent to a server/receiver other than the mobile station  10 . The one time password generator  80  implies an encryption of the password over the communication channel may not be required The password generator provides additional security for transmitted passwords by using a password only a single time.  
         [0020]    Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there are illustrated manners in which the control logic  50  would be initiated to display the text labels  40  for various PIN numbers  35  to a user via a user interface  45 . In a first embodiment, an application  85  requests at  90  a PIN number from the mobile station  10 . The application  85  resides internally of the mobile station  10 . In response to the request, a dialog screen requests input of certain user information, and the user provides a fingerprint scan of their fingerprint to the fingerprint scanner  20  in an attempt to access the PIN memory code  30  to provide this information. If successful PIN code memory access is achieved, a response  35  including the required PIN code information is transmitted back to the application  85 .  
         [0021]    In another embodiment of the invention, the PIN dialog provided to the user may be invoked not by an application  85  associated with the mobile station but by a signal received externally from another device as an AT command received through a Bluetooth interface  115  or serial interface  120  (FIG. 1). An example of one configuration is illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein a PC  100  may be running, for example, an E-commerce application. When an application on the PC  100  requests a PIN code via a dialog, the PC application transmits an AT command  105  to the mobile station  10  over a Bluetooth or serial connection. The PIN input dialog appears on the mobile station user interface  45 , and a response  110  including a PIN  35  is transmitted over an external interface as an AT command back to the PC  100  after a text label is selected by a user. Since the PIN is transmitted over an external interface, the PIN is preferably related to a one time password generated by the password generator  80 .  
         [0022]    In a further embodiment of the invention, the PIN information requested by an application may be related to a specific tag included in an application protocol. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the request transmitted for information in a PIN dialog would include the request  130  and the associated tag  135 . The tag  135  is generic such that the code memo application  15  may relate the specific tag to information saved within the PIN code memory  30  and enable it to be generated automatically. An example of such technology is the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) standard referred to as ECML (E-commerce Markup Language). The ECML standard specified main fields for markup language, such as WMT (Wireless Markup Language) and XHTML (Extended Hypertext Markup Language), such that markup language forms could be automatically filled in.  
         [0023]    Referring now to FIG. 7, there is illustrated a flow diagram describing the operation of the system illustrated in FIG. 1 and discussed above. An application requiring a particular PIN number for a PIN dialog requests at step  140  a PIN input. In response to the PIN request, a further input must be received at step  145  from a user consisting of a fingerprint scan from the fingerprint scanner  20 . This is accomplished by a user placing the appropriate finger over the fingerprint scanner  20  associated with the mobile station  10  and having a scan made of the fingerprint. Inquiry step  150  determines if the proper fingerprint scan has been received by comparing it with the reference fingerprint pattern  25 . If the incorrect fingerprint scan is received, the procedure ends at step  160 . Otherwise, the PIN code memory  30  is open to access at step  165  for a selected period of time. After the PIN code memory  30  is opened, inquiry step  170  determines if a text label associated with a particular PIN number has been input. If not, inquiry step  175  determines if the time period for maintaining open access to the PIN code memory  30  has expired. If not, control passes back to step  170  to continue monitoring for input of a selected text label Upon expiration of the timer, inquiry step  125  closes the PIN code memory  30  at step  155  and ends the process at step  160 . If a selected text label is received at step  170 , the PIN number associated with the selected text label is inserted into the appropriate PIN dialog at step  180 .  
         [0024]    While the foregoing discussion has specifically been described with respect to a system requiring a PIN input to a PIN dialog, it should be realized that the system is equally applicable to any system requiring the input of particular user information such as name, user ID, password, address, etc. that the user may wish to protect but may be periodically required to be entered by the user in response to a particular dialog input request from various applications.  
         [0025]    The previous description is of a preferred embodiment for implementing the invention, and the scope of the invention should not necessarily be limited by this description. The scope of the present invention is instead defined by the following claims.