Patent Publication Number: US-2004049686-A1

Title: Fingerprint identification applied data storage system and method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of Invention  
       [0002] The invention relates to a data access (storage/retrieval) system and method. More particularly, it is a kind of system and method applied to a plug and play (PnP) portable data storage device utilizing fingerprint identification technology for processing confirmation of user identification. Moreover, it is a system and method that provides the mechanism of biometric control.  
       [0003] 2. Related Art  
       [0004] With the coming of the age of mobile commerce, mobile commodities such as mobile phones, hand-held personal digital assistants (PDA) and portable laptops emphasize the need for small and lightweight size, full-functions and portability. The development of these personal mobile commodities does not remain stagnant, but make great progress toward pluralistic applications. One of the hottest topics among currently developing mobile commodities is the portable data storage device, which, relying on its convenience of usage to users, plays an indispensable role in today&#39;s mobile commerce and further creates another new trend in the m-commerce world.  
       [0005] For providing the function of complete convenience of usage, currently used portable data storage devices usually employ their PnP characteristic to enable users to easily connect with another PC terminal for further data access. Therefore, there is no particular prevention mechanism for controlling data security. Some portable data storage devices apply data methods such as encrypting, encoding and compressing during data storage to prevent data from being obtained from others in case the device is lost or misplaced. These methods maintain some security, but they still cause considerable inconvenience for users accessing data. For instance, it is inefficient for a user to have to pass through complicated data procedures like decrypting, decoding, decompressing, and strict mechanisms of declassifying passwords before s/he is allowed to retrieve the required data. There have been some troublesome problems of conventional password mechanisms hindering users from data access work, such as having the same passwords as others, passwords being forgotten and/or stolen, etc. This causes inconvenience to a user, as s/he needs to memorize groups of passwords that correspond to various password mechanisms. It also causes a user to be unwilling to use portable data storage devices and decreases their popularity in the market.  
       [0006] Therefore, utilizing advanced computer software/hardware technology with current portable data storage devices with matured and simplified identity recognition technology to establish a complete and secure data access control mechanism of the portable data storage devices will heighten usage willingness and popularization of portable data storage devices.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] In view of the aforementioned problems, the object of the invention is to provide a data storage system and method with fingerprint identification technology. The invention aims at establishing the security control mechanism of data access on a plug and play (PnP) portable data storage device and increasing the security of data access through biometric fingerprint identification technology.  
       [0008] The invention also aims at solving the inconvenience of password methods by utilizing simplified fingerprint identification technology to replace conventional complicated password mechanisms.  
       [0009] To achieve the aforementioned objects, the disclosed data storage system and method with fingerprint identification consists of: a data storage module, a transmission interface module, a fingerprint identification module, and a control module.  
       [0010] Furthermore, the data storage system and method with fingerprint identification technology consists of the following steps: firstly, connecting the data storage device with a PC terminal, processing a self-test by the data storage device to enter into a receiving/inputting mode, receiving a fingerprint-sensed image for executing the identification operation, transferring a control command to allow access transfer after the identification operation is completed, and finally, processing the corresponding transfer of selected data by the user through the said transmission interface.  
       [0011] The detailed content and technology of the invention is depicted by the following figures and descriptions. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is the systematic structure of the disclosed data storage system and method with fingerprint identification technology according to the invention;  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is the main flowchart of the disclosed data storage system and method with fingerprint identification technology; and  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is the flowchart for identifying authorization of the disclosed data storage system and method with fingerprint identification technology. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0015] The invention is a kind of data storage system and method with applied fingerprint identification technology. It applies fingerprint identification to the data storage device  200 , which connects to an external PC terminal  100  for identity recognition. It enables a user to process data transfer from the data storage device  200  via the connected PC terminal  100  after the user passes through the identity recognition operation.  
     [0016] The operational flowchart is shown in FIG. 2, which illustrates the main flow of the disclosed data storage system and method. The systematic structure of the process is depicted in FIG. 1, which illustrates the systematic structure of the disclosed data storage system and method. Details are provided as follows:  
     [0017] First, the data storage device  200  must connect with another connected PC terminal  100  (step  300 ) before a user can process data access from the data storage device  200 . After connection, the data storage device  200  automatically performs a self-test procedure to ensure that the connection between the data storage device  200  and the said PC terminal  100  works. The self-test procedure consists of the operational tests of a transmission interface module  210 , a control module  220 , and a fingerprint module  230 . If there is any abnormal situation during the self-test procedure, the data storage device  200  automatically displays relevant error messages to the user; otherwise, the fingerprint module  230  enters into the receiving/inputting mode to wait for inputting fingerprint data by the user (step  400 ). The user then processes the fingerprint-sensed input on the sensor module  233  of the fingerprint module  230 . After receiving the fingerprint from the user, the system carries out the identification process through an identification module  232  of the fingerprint module  230  (step  500 ), i.e., retrieve stored recognized data from a data module  231  as contrasted with the user&#39;s fingerprint data. After the identity recognition process is completed and the user is verified as an authorized user, the fingerprint module  230  further generates an access control command, allowing the user to access data and transferring the message to the control module  220 . When the control module  220  receives a command, it automatically starts up the “enable” function for data transfer, and the user is able to access data to the data storage module  240  (step  600 ). Meanwhile, the user is able to select data content in the data storage device  200  through the PC terminal  100  and process transfer and access of corresponding data through the transmission interface module  210  of the data storage device  200  via the transmission interface module  110  of the PC terminal  100  (step  700 ). The main flow of processing data access applies fingerprint identification technology to the data storage device  200  and is completed herein.  
     [0018] The process of fingerprint identification authorization is further described as shown in FIG. 3. The details are as follows.  
     [0019] Firstly, the identification module  232  retrieves an inputted fingerprint image through the sensor module  233  (step  510 ). The characteristic of the inputted fingerprint image are retrieved through fingerprint identification technology (step  520 ), and stored identification data in the data module  231  is also retrieved (step  530 ) for processing the characteristic contrasts (step  540 ). After the identification process is completed, the identification module verifies if the user is an authorized user (step  550 ). If NO, it shows relevant error message (step  560 ) to the user; otherwise, it generates an access control command to the control module  220 , allowing the user to process data access (step  570 ).  
     Achievements of the Invention  
     [0020] The present invention is a kind of a data storage system and method with applied fingerprint identification technology. It applies to plug and play (PnP) portable data storage devices utilizing fingerprint identification technology for processing user identity recognition. It increases security and confidentiality of stored data in the data storage devices through the unique fingerprint identification data.  
     [0021] Furthermore, the invention largely simplifies conventional recognition procedures of using passwords to verify user identity. Therefore a user does not need to waste time memorizing password data in respective applied systems, and does not need to worry about possible password stealing and exposure, which have a huge impact on the security of data storage.  
     [0022] An invention in the form of a data storage system and method with applied fingerprint identification technology is disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various forms. This and its variations, which will be understood by those skilled in the art, are within the intended scope of the invention as claimed below.