Patent ID: 7440929

Claim:
A method of authorizing a transaction, comprising: enrolling at least two biometric specimens, a first one of the specimens being a first type, and a second one of the specimens being a second type; determining a false acceptance ratio (“FAR”) for each of the specimens, wherein at least one of the false acceptance ratios is determined using the following equation FAR = P Type ⁢ ⁢ I = P ⁡ ( x ∈ R Au | Im ) = ∫ R Au ⁢ f ⁡ ( x | Im ) ⁢ ⅆ x ; identifying authorization options, each option requiring a match to one or more of the biometric specimens; calculating a cost value for at least one of the options to provide a calculated cost value (“CCV”), wherein the CCV is a function of the FAR(s) of the specimen(s) corresponding to the option; identifying an acceptable cost value range (“ACV range”); comparing the CCV to the ACV range; determining whether the CCV is in the ACV range; selecting the option if the CCV is in the ACV range; providing a set of biometric sample(s) (the “sample set”), the sample set having biometric sample(s) of the same type(s) as those corresponding to the selected option; comparing the biometric sample(s) to the biometric specimen(s); determining whether the biometric sample(s) match the biometric specimen(s); and if the biometric sample(s) match the biometric specimen(s), then authorizing the transaction.