Patent ID: 8538881

Claim:
A system for authenticating identities of a plurality of users, the system comprising: a first handheld device including: a first processor, the processor programmed to authenticate a user of the first handheld device based on authentication information; and a first wireless transceiver coupled to the first processor and programmed to transmit via a network a first wireless signal including the authentication information of the user of the first handheld device; and a second device including: a second processor; a display; a user interface coupled to the second processor, the user interface and the second processor configured for operation by a user of the second device; a second wireless transceiver coupled to the second processor, and a second memory coupled to the second processor and configured to store respective information for a first plurality of users, wherein the first plurality of users includes the user of the first handheld device; wherein the first handheld device is programmed to transmit the authentication information of the user of the first handheld device to the second device via the network, wherein the second processor is configured to: receive the authentication information of the user of the first handheld device, and is configured to perform one of: retrieve biometric information of the user of the first handheld device from stored biometric information of the first plurality of users stored in the second memory of the second device, and receive biometric information of the user of the first handheld received by the second wireless receiver, and wherein the second processor is also configured to combine at least a portion of the authentication information with the biometric information to provide combined information, and to use the combined information to authenticate an identity of the user of the first handheld device.