Patent ID: 8838991

Claim:
One or more computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable instructions for providing biometric identity services to one or more clients, the computer-executable instructions directed to steps comprising: receiving information regarding a first biometric sensor; obtaining exclusive control over the first biometric sensor; instantiating a first factor-specific service provider based on a biometric sensor type of the first biometric sensor, wherein all biometric sensors of a same biometric sensor type as the first biometric sensor will interface exclusively with the first factor-specific service provider; creating a first biometric unit, exclusively controlled by the first factor-specific service provider, the first biometric unit comprising computer-executable instructions for: receiving biometric samples from the first biometric sensor, providing the received biometric samples to computer-executable instructions directed to processing received biometric samples, providing, from a template database, biometric templates to the computer-executable instructions directed to processing received biometric samples, and storing, in the template database, biometric templates generated by the computer-executable instructions directed to processing received biometric samples; receiving information regarding a second biometric sensor that is independent of the first biometric sensor; instantiating a second factor-specific service provider, different than the first factor-specific service provider, only if the second biometric sensor is of a different biometric sensor type than the first biometric sensor; creating a second biometric unit, exclusively controlled by the second factor-specific service provider, for receiving biometric samples from the second biometric sensor, only if the second biometric sensor is of a different biometric sensor type than the first biometric sensor; and creating a second biometric unit, exclusively controlled by the first factor-specific service provider, for receiving the biometric samples from the second biometric sensor, only if the second biometric sensor is of the same biometric sensor type as the first biometric sensor.