Patent ID: 6957771

Claim:
Apparatus for allowing only an authorized person to activate an instrumentality capable of performing action desired by a person who is the user of said apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a Personalized Authenticated Controller means (hereafter“PAC”), communicating with said instrumentality, for authenticating identity of said user as said authorized person and for allowing activation of said instrumentality only by said authorized person for performance of said action, said PAC comprising: a user information input means, for allowing input of information into said PAC; a data storage means, for storing data received by said PAC; and a PAC microprocessor means, communicating internally with all PAC components, for transferring and formatting data, said PAC microprocessor means further comprising an authorized person identification means, communicating with said data storage means, for continually determining whether said user is said authorized person, through analysis of the most recently received data identifying said user and through comparison of same with reference data identifying said authorized person; and for providing for output from said PAC, of an authorized person identity authentication signal, if and only if said user is said authorized person; a communication means, for allowing communication between said PAC and said instrumentality; and a portion of said instrumentality, comprising: an authorized person recognition means, communicating with said PAC, for allowing said instrumentality to carry out said action sought by said user only upon receipt by said authorized person recognition means, of said authorized person identity authentication signal, wherein said PAC's authorized person identification means further comprises a periodic challenge means, to require periodic reentry by said user, into said user information input means, of data identifying said user as said authorized person, prior to issuance of any said authorized person identity authentication signal after a time at which said reentry of said data is required by said periodic challenge means.