Patent ID: 7376839

Claim:
A system for providing controlled access to a secured area, the system comprising: a secured device for allowing access into the secured area upon receiving at least one access control signal; an identification device for providing identification data corresponding to a biometric measurement by the identification device; an access card having at least one block of memory comprising: application data corresponding to biometric data of an access card holder; and at least one application security key comprising an application read key; and an access reader for outputting the at least one access control signal for controlling the secured device, the access reader comprising: a memory means for storing configuration data and at least one valid security read key; an RF interface for reading the application data from the access card if the at least one valid security read key is the same as the application read key, the at least one valid security read key providing an authenticated reading of the application data from the access card; at least one input data line for receiving the identification data from the identification device; and a processor means for comparing the application data to the identification data and for outputting the at least one access control signal upon a match between the application data and the identification data.