Biometric identification process and system

Claim 1

An individual recognition system comprising: a storage medium storing as biometric data a plurality of physical characteristics of a user; reading means for extracting from the user biometric data representing one of the physical characteristics stored by said storage medium; comparison means for determining whether or not the extracted biometric data represents the same physical characteristic as corresponding stored biometric data obtained from said storage medium; and control means for instructing said reading means to extract from the user additional biometric data representing a different physical characteristic stored by said storage medium, depending on the determination by said comparison means.

Claim 35

A method for identifying one person from a plurality of persons, said method comprising the steps of: gathering identification data from the plurality of persons; storing the gathered data; and providing apparatus for repeatedly obtaining different identification data from a person presenting himself or herself and comparing obtained identification data with stored data until the obtained identification data matches stored identification data.

Claim 38

A method for biometrically verifying the identity of a card user, using a card, a card reader, a fingerprint scanner and a processing unit, the user carrying card onto which has been recorded fingerprint data into a memory of the card, the fingerprint data including specific characteristics of a plurality of fingerprints of the user comprising the following steps: successively and sequentially requiring each of a plurality of randomly selected fingers to be placed onto the fingerprint scanner until a match is found, the process comprising, for each fingerprint, the following steps: randomly selecting a finger of the user for placement onto the fingerprint scanner; scanning the randomly selected fingerprint of the user using the fingerprint scanner; generating an image of the scanned fingerprint of the user; converting the user fingerprint image to an electronic fingerprint signal; coding the electronic scanned fingerprint signal; extracting, from the coded scanned fingerprint signal, specific characteristics of the user fingerprint; accessing recorded fingerprint data of the user from the card reader by virtue of the manual placement of the card onto or into the card reader; comparing, using the processing unit, the recorded fingerprint data with the specific extracted characteristics, a match being declared and identification confirmed if the recorded fingerprint data corresponds to the specific extracted characteristics of the scanned user fingerprint; whereby the use of more than one fingerprint facilitates higher degrees of correlation, assuring the highest level of security for accurate identification.

Claim 41

A method for verifying that a card possessor is the authorized card owner through the recognition of fingerprint information, using an optical card, an optical card reader/writer, a fingerprint scanner and a central processing unit, the card possessor carrying an optical card onto which has been recorded authorized card owner fingerprint data, pertaining to the inner three fingers on each of the card owner's hands, into a memory of the card, the fingerprint data including specific characteristic features of the plurality of fingerprints of the card owner,comprising the following steps: inserting the card into the optical card reader/writer; randomly selecting one or more fingers of the card possessor for placement onto the fingerprint scanner, wherein the finger randomly selected for placement onto the fingerprint scanner must be one of the three inner fingers of either hand; successively and sequentially inserting a plurality of fingers onto the fingerprint scanner until a match is found, the process comprising, for each fingerprint, the following steps: scanning an image of a fingerprint of the card possessor on the fingerprint scanner; converting the scanned user fingerprint image to an electronic fingerprint signal; coding the electronic scanned fingerprint signal; extracting, from the coded scanned fingerprint signal, specific characteristics of the card possessor fingerprint; accessing the recorded authorized fingerprint data of the card owner from the optical card reader by virtue of the manual placement of the card onto or into the optical card reader/writer; comparing, using the central processing unit, the recorded authorized fingerprint data with the specific extracted characteristics, a match being declared and identification of the card possessor confirmed to be that of the card owner if the recorded authorized fingerprint data corresponds to the specific extracted characteristics of the scanned fingerprint; whereby the use and random selection of more than one fingerprint facilitates higher degrees of correlation, assuring the highest level of security for accurate identification.

Claim 43

A method for biometrically verifying the identity of the holder of an identity card having a memory, using at least one fingerprint scanner, a card reader and a processing unit, the method comprising the following steps: scanning with a fingerprint scanner each of a plurality of fingers of the user; converting the plurality of fingerprint scans into a plurality of data signals each signal corresponding to data relating to a single fingerprint of the user; recording the fingerprint data of the user in the memory of the card; each verification of the identity of the card user requiring: placing the card into the card reader; successively and sequentially requiring each of a plurality of randomly selected fingers to be placed onto the fingerprint scanner until a match is found, the process comprising, for each fingerprint, the following steps: randomly selecting finger of the user for placement on the fingerprint scanner; scanning the randomly selected fingerprint of the user using the fingerprint scanner; converting the scanned image to a data signal corresponding to the fingerprint scanned; comparing the data signal of the randomly selected fingerprint with the fingerprint data on the card; signaling when a match has been achieved; whereby a comparison of a plurality of fingerprints permits utilization of a higher correlation of similarity for each fingerprint compared while allowing a higher degree of successful identification because of the number of comparisons that are made.