Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ActivCard Ireland Ltd
Original Assignee
DEW Engineering and Development ULC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by DEW Engineering and Development ULCfiledCriticalDEW Engineering and Development ULC
Publication of CA2198993A1publicationCriticalpatent/CA2198993A1/en
G06F21/00—Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
G06F21/30—Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
G06F21/31—User authentication
G06F21/32—User authentication using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
G—PHYSICS
G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
G07C9/00—Individual registration on entry or exit
G07C9/30—Individual registration on entry or exit not involving the use of a pass
G07C9/32—Individual registration on entry or exit not involving the use of a pass in combination with an identity check
G07C9/37—Individual registration on entry or exit not involving the use of a pass in combination with an identity check using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
H—ELECTRICITY
H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
H04L9/00—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
H04L9/32—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
H04L9/3226—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN
H04L9/3231—Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina
1. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, comprising the steps of: providing a digital representation of the biometric information; processing the digital representation of the biometric information to provide data in dependence thereon; encoding the data within an image frame comprising an array of pixels; transmitting the image frame to the computer.
2. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, as defined in claim 1 wherein the digital representation of the biometric information is a digital representation of an image of a biometric source and the encoded image frame comprises a digital representation of the biometric information;
3. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, as defined in claim 1 wherein the data is encoded as the least significant bit of predetermined pixels within the image frame.
4. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, as defined in claim 1 wherein the data is encoded in predetermined locations within the image frame.
5. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, as defined in claim 1 wherein the data is encoded in header information within the image frame.
6. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, as defined in claim 1 wherein the data is related to an encryption or decryption key,
7. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, as defined in claim 1 wherein the data is used to form an encryption and/or decryption key,
8. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of transmitting further image frames to the computer in succession.
9. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting the image frame to the computer is performed a plurality of times and is performed at predetermined intervals.
10. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of transmitting other image frames to the computer at predetermined intervals when an absence of biometric information is detected.
11. A method of providing data, in dependence upon biometric information, to a computer, as defined in claim 1 comprising the step of capturing a digital representation of the biometric information using one of a contact imager and an optical detector.
12. A fingerprint sensing device for providing data in dependence upon biometricinformation to a computer comprising: an imaging means for capturing a fingerprint image; means for processing the fingerprint image to provide associated data; means for encoding the associated data into an image frame; and, means for providing the image frame comprising the associated data to the computer.
13. A fingerprint sensing device for use with a computer as defined in claim 12 wherein the associated data comprises at least part of an encryption and/or decryption key; and, wherein the means for processing the image to provide associated data comprises:electronic non-volatile storage means for storing at least some biometric data and at least an encryption and/or decryption key; means for characterising the captured fingerprint image and for comparing the characterised captured fingerprint image with the stored biometric data; means for providing the encryption and/or decryption key in dependence upon the comparison.
14. A fingerprint sensing device for use with a computer as defined in claim 12 wherein the image frame comprises the captured fingerprint image encoded with the associated data.
15. A fingerprint sensing device for use with a computer as defined in claim 12 wherein the means for providing the image frame comprising the associated data to the computer is a means for providing a video signal to a computer.
16. A fingerprint sensing device for use with a computer as defined in claim 15 wherein the video signal is a digital video signal.
17. A fingerprint sensing device for use with a computer as defined in claim 12 wherein the device is removable from the computer.
18. A fingerprint sensing device for use with a computer as defined in claim 12 further comprising encryption and decryption means.
19. A fingerprint sensing device for use with a computer comprising: an imaging means; electronic non-volatile storage means for storing biometric data;
comparison means for comparing data provided by the imaging means and biometric data relating to each of the at least one authorised user; and output means for providing at least an image frame to the computer wherein provision of said image is dependent upon detection of an authorised user.
20. A fingerprint sensing device for use with a computer as defined in claim 19 further comprising: an encoding means for encoding the biometric data within the image frame.
CA002198993A1996-03-071997-03-03Biometric input with encryptionAbandonedCA2198993A1 (en)
Data storage device that is protected with biometric parameters, has a serial computer bus interface and is portable, and method for its own biometric registration.