Positive identity verification system and method including biometric user authentication

Claim 1

A system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system comprising: a point of identification terminal including a system user biometric access authority information unit scanner, an identifying information unit input device for accepting information presented by a person to be identified at a point of identification, and a photographic image display device for displaying digital photographic images of persons to be identified at said point of identification; at least one remote database site having stored therein a system user biometric database comprising a plurality of system user biometric access authority information units, each said system user biometric access authority information unit associated with a single authorized system user, and a photographic image database comprising a plurality of digital photographic images of persons to be identified; a communications link, linking said point of identification terminal to said at least one remote database site to allow information to be transmitted therebetween; a system user biometric comparator for verifying that a scanned system user biometric access authority information unit matches at least one of said plurality of system user biometric access authority information units stored in said system user biometric database; a system user selectable input indicating that said system user has compared the digital photographic images displayed on said photographic image display device with the physical appearance of said person being identified at said point of identification and that a match exists between at least one of said displayed digital photographic images and the appearance of said person being identified.

Claim 2

A system for providing access integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system comprising: a point of identification terminal including a system user biometric access authority information unit scanner, an identifying information unit input device for accepting information presented by a person to be identified at a point of identification, and a photographic image display device for displaying digital photographic images of persons to be identified at said point of identification; at least one remote database site having stored therein a system user biometric database comprising a plurality of system user biometric access authority information units, each said system user biometric access authority information unit associated with a single authorized system user, and a photographic image database comprising a plurality of digital photographic images of persons to be identified; a communications link, linking said point of identification terminal to said at least one remote database site to allow information to be transmitted therebetween; a system user biometric comparator for verifying that a scanned system user biometric access authority information unit matches at least one of said plurality of system user biometric access authority information units stored in said system user biometric database; a system user selectable input indicating that said system user has compared the digital photographic images displayed on said photographic image display device with the physical appearance of said person being identified at said point of identification and that a match exists between at least one of said displayed digital photographic images and the appearance of said person being identified.

Claim 14

A method of providing system integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system including at least one point of identification terminal having a plurality of input devices, including a biometric scanner and an identification information unit input and at least one display device including a photographic image display device, and at least one remote database site including a system user biometric database and an identification database comprising identification information units for a plurality of persons to be identified and at least one digital photographic image of a person corresponding to each identification information unit, said method comprising the steps of: registering a plurality of authorized system users by accepting and storing at least one system user biometric access authority information unit and identification information from each authorized system user in said system user biometric database; logging a system user onto said positive identification system by scanning a system user biometric identifier into said at least one point of identification terminal; establishing communications between said point of identification terminal and said at least one database site; transmitting said scanned system user biometric identifier to said at least one remote database site and comparing, at said at least one remote database site, said transmitted biometric identifier with said biometric identifiers stored at said system user biometric database at said remote database site; granting access to said system user if a match exists between said transmitted biometric identifier and a stored biometric identifier; accepting an identification information unit from a person being identified at said point of identification terminal and inputting said identification information unit into said said point of identification terminal; transmitting said input identification information unit to said at least one remote database site; searching said database of digital photographic images of person to be identified, retrieving at least one digital photographic image associated with said identification information unit transmitted to said remote database site and transmitting said at least one retrieved digital photographic image to said point of identification terminal; displaying said at least one digital photographic image on said photographic image display device at said point of identification terminal; comparing said at least one displayed digital photographic image with a physical characteristic of said person being identified; acknowledging the verification of the identity of the person being identified if a match exists between at least one displayed digital photographic image and said physical characteristic of said person being identified; and storing an indicator of the identity of the system user and an indicator of the identity of the person being identified in a transaction record.

Claim 15

A method of providing system integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system including at least one point of identification terminal having a plurality of input devices, including a biometric scanner and an identification information unit input and at least one display device including a photographic image display device, and at least one remote database site including a system user biometric database and an identification database comprising identification information units for a plurality of persons to be identified and at least one digital photographic image of a person corresponding to each identification information unit, said method comprising the steps of: registering a plurality of authorized system users by accepting and storing at least one system user biometric access authority information unit and identification information from each authorized system user in said system user biometric database; logging a system user onto said positive identification system by scanning a system user biometric identifier into said at least one point of identification terminal; establishing communications between said point of identification terminal and said at least one database site; transmitting said scanned system user biometric identifier to said at least one remote database site and comparing, at said at least one remote database site, said transmitted biometric identifier with said biometric identifiers stored at said system user biometric database at said remote database site; granting access to said system user if a match exists between said transmitted biometric identifier and a stored biometric identifier; accepting an identification information unit from a person being identified at said point of identification terminal and inputting said identification information unit into said said point of identification terminal; transmitting said input identification information unit to said at least one remote database site; searching said database of digital photographic images of person to be identified, retrieving at least one digital photographic image associated with said identification information unit transmitted to said remote database site and transmitting said at least one retrieved digital photographic image to said point of identification terminal; displaying said at least one digital photographic image on said photographic image display device at said point of identification terminal; comparing said at least one displayed digital photographic image with a physical characteristic of said person being identified; acknowledging the verification of the identity of the person being identified if a match exists between at least one displayed digital photographic image and said physical characteristic of said person being identified; and storing an indicator of the identity of the system user and an indicator of the identity of the person being identified in a transaction record.

Claim 19

A method of providing system integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system comprising the steps of: registering a plurality of authorized system users by accepting a biometric identifier and identification information from each authorized system user; logging a system user onto said positive identification system by inputting a biometric access authority information unit into said positive identification system; establishing communications between a point of identification terminal and at least one database site, said database site including a database of biometric identifiers accepted from authorized system users and a plurality of biometric identifiers associated with persons to be identified, each of said plurality of biometric identifiers associated with at least one identification information unit identifying said persons to be identified; transmitting said biometric access authority information unit input into said positive identification system to said at least one remote database site and comparing, at said at least one remote database site, said transmitted biometric access authority information unit with said biometric identifiers stored at said remote database site; granting access to said system user if a match exists between said transmitted biometric access authority information unit and a biometric identifier stored at said remote database site; accepting an identification information unit from a person being identified and inputting said identification information unit into said positive identification system; transmitting said input identification information unit to said at least one remote database site; searching said database of biometric identifiers of person to be identified and retrieving at least one biometric identifier associated with said identification information unit; comparing said at least one retrieved biometric identifier with a physical characteristic of said person being identified; acknowledging the verification of the identity of the person being identified if a match exists between said retrieved biometric identifier and said physical characteristic of said person being identified; and storing a pointer to at least said identification information for said system user and a pointer to said identification information unit accepted from said person being identified in a transaction record.

Claim 20

A method of providing system integrity and audit capabilities to a positive identification system comprising the steps of: registering a plurality of authorized system users by accepting a biometric identifier and identification information from each authorized system user; logging a system user onto said positive identification system by inputting a biometric access authority information unit into said positive identification system; establishing communications between a point of identification terminal and at least one database site, said database site including a database of biometric identifiers accepted from authorized system users and a plurality of biometric identifiers associated with persons to be identified, each of said plurality of biometric identifiers associated with at least one identification information unit identifying said persons to be identified; transmitting said biometric access authority information unit input into said positive identification system to said at least one remote database site and comparing, at said at least one remote database site, said transmitted biometric access authority information unit with said biometric identifiers stored at said remote database site; granting access to said system user if a match exists between said transmitted biometric access authority information unit and a biometric identifier stored at said remote database site; accepting an identification information unit from a person being identified and inputting said identification information unit into said positive identification system; transmitting said input identification information unit to said at least one remote database site; searching said database of biometric identifiers of person to be identified and retrieving at least one biometric identifier associated with said identification information unit; comparing said at least one retrieved biometric identifier with a physical characteristic of said person being identified; acknowledging the verification of the identity of the person being identified if a match exists between said retrieved biometric identifier and said physical characteristic of said person being identified; and storing a pointer to at least said identification information for said system user and a pointer to said identification information unit accepted from said person being identified in a transaction record.