KR20030022776A - Anti-fraud charge/data card - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a charge / data card 10 usable under the cardholder's authentication. The charge / data card includes a first data storage medium 12 for storing information including stored biometric information of the card holder, a second repeatedly recordable data storage medium 14, and a verification assembly 16. And the verification assembly includes a power supply unit 18 for supplying power to the verification assembly, a bio-verification interface for inputting temporary bio-identification information recorded on the second data storage medium, and the stored bio-information. And a processor 22 for authorizing the use of the charge / data card when matched with the temporary biometric information.

Description

Fraud prevention charge / data card {ANTI-FRAUD CHARGE / DATA CARD}

In recent years, a charge / data card carrying magnetic stripes or other means of interfacing with a card reader may be used as a credit card, debit card, automatic teller machine (ATM) card, telephone payment card, and authentication card (e.g., For example, for connection authentication) and the like are widely used.

In general, magnetic stripe cards have nearly 200 alphanumeric characters, equivalent to 200 bytes of data in computer languages. The magnetic stripe is erased, read and recorded by various kinds of commercial devices. In addition, smart cards and power supplies with chips and memory and using various port configurations are already well known in the art.

Several methods have been used to enhance the stability of these cards to prevent card forgery and / or fraudulent use of the cards.

For example, in the case of a magnetic card, a hologram is attached to the card so that card forgery is difficult. To prevent fraudulent use, a color image of the registered cardholder's face is attached to the card and used to verify that the person holding the card is a legitimate owner. In order to verify the cardholder before making a cash payment to the person with the card, a personal identification number (PIN) is stored by the cardholder and entered into terminals such as an ATM terminal of a bank.

Despite all the anti-fraud methods currently in use, losses from fraudulent use of magnetic stripe cards can range from hundreds of millions to $ 1 billion annually. These fraudulent methods involve a variety of techniques. Many magnetic stripe cards are stolen, the stolen cards are found and used, and are also forged. Thus, someone may apply for a card in the name of another person who is qualified to issue a credit card, and may also have a card so registered in the name of another person. The PIN number can be known to others by observing the ATM machine user entering his or her PIN number in the lost wallet. In recent years, theft of Internet card numbers has also increased very rapidly.

Thus, many methods for preventing forgery or misuse of a card are described in the prior art.

For example, US Pat. No. 4,614,861 (Pavlov et al.) Describes cards that are unitary and self-contained, which prevents confidential information contained on the card from being monitored. There is no need for interaction with the fixed terminal device. The unitary / magnetic storage card described in the US patent has a function of verifying a personal identification number (PIN) that allows a user to directly access the card using only a keyboard without using an external terminal. Once the code is verified, a transaction identification code is generated, which changes each time a transaction is made with the card and can then be verified to validate the transaction. The card stores registration and expiration dates, credit limits, and other card transaction data. The card can be used in conjunction with a verification system having provisions for verifying information recorded on magnetic indicia. The card may also be used with peripherals used to verify the validity of a transaction from transaction identification information.

This card design reduces fraud or counterfeiting, but the use of code or multiple codes for activation still allows for abuse because anyone can access the code and use the card.

To solve this problem, US Pat. No. 5,457,747 (Drexler et al.) Describes a system that prevents fraudulent use of wallet size cards at local benefit dispensing terminals. The system includes a permanent data storage medium and a temporary data storage medium on each card. The first card recording apparatus includes means for obtaining biological information from an individual and means for recording a template of the information on a permanent storage medium. The verification terminal has similar means for obtaining biological information from the cardholder, and has means for reading the biological information from the card's permanent storage medium. When biological information is input from the card and the cardholder, the verification terminal compares these information and writes data to the card's temporary data storage medium, which allows a limited benefit if they match each other. This data is read by a number of profit dispensers at different locations, such as an automatic dispenser, to allow the profit dispenser to pay profits authorized by the data. Profit restrictions and repeated verification requirements increase the stability of the card and benefit payment system.

This card system uses biological information for cardholder verification, thereby minimizing the possibility of card fraud or counterfeiting. However, for activation of this card, an execution terminal that makes the card more difficult to use must be used.

Therefore, there is a need for widespread use of charge / data cards with self-contained authentication assemblies that solve the above-mentioned problems.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to tamper resistant charge / data cards, and in particular, to prevent unauthorized tampering that is made available only to legitimate card owners by providing a verification assembly that compares biometric information stored on the card with biological identification information obtained from the card owner. It relates to the charge / data card.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The features shown in the drawings are by way of example in order to make the description of the embodiments of the invention and the principles and scope of the invention more useful and easy to understand. In this regard, the basic understanding of the present invention and the configuration of the present invention are only for showing the details and no other intention, and the description according to the drawings enables those skilled in the art to implement various embodiments of the present invention. .

In the drawing:

1 is a perspective view of an tamper resistant charge / data card in accordance with the present invention.

Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a charge / data card usable under the cardholder's authentication is a first data storage medium for storing information, including the stored biometric information of the cardholder, and a second repetitively recordable. A data storage medium, and a verification assembly, wherein the verification assembly includes a power supply for supplying power to the verification assembly, a bio-validation interface for inputting temporary biological identification information recorded in the second data storage medium, and And a processor for permitting use of the charge / data card when the stored biological information is compared with the temporary biological information.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for authorizing use of a card by a charge / data card owner comprises: obtaining biometric information from the charge / data card owner to occupy the biometric information; A first step of storing in the storage medium, a second step of comparing the stored biometric information with the next biometric information obtained through a biometric interface included inside or on the surface of the charge / data card, and the stored And if the biological identification information and the next biological identification information coincide with each other, a third step of allowing use of the charge / data card.

According to another feature of embodiments of the present invention, the third step is performed by a processor included in the charge / data card.

According to another feature of embodiments of the present invention, the stored biometric information is input to the charge / data card via the biometric verification interface.

According to another feature of embodiments of the invention, the processor is characterized in that the use of the charge / data card for a limited time.

According to another feature of embodiments of the present invention, the processor is characterized in that it permits the use of a charge / data card only within a limited form of transaction.

According to another feature of embodiments of the invention, the processor is characterized in that it permits the use of a charge / data card up to a limited amount.

According to another feature of embodiments of the present invention, the first data storage medium and the second data storage medium are each selected from the group consisting of a magnetic stripe, an optical record and a memory chip.

According to another feature of embodiments of the present invention, the stored biometric information and the temporary biometric information are each selected from the group consisting of fingerprint, retina scan, voice print and signature.

According to another feature of embodiments of the invention, the first storage medium and the second storage medium is characterized in that a single storage medium.

The present invention solves the problems in conventional known configurations by providing an tamper resistant charge / data card comprising a verification assembly to allow the card to be used only by the legitimate card owner.

The present invention relates to an tamper resistant charge / data card with a verification system that is only available to legitimate cardholders. In particular, the present invention obtains biometric identification information from the owner of the charge / data card and compares the information with the biometric information stored permanently in the card to limit or release the use of the charge / data card so that it is legally charged. Only the card owner can use the card.

The principles and operation of the present invention will be more readily understood by reference to the drawings and the detailed description that follows.

Prior to describing at least one embodiment in accordance with the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the construction and design of the description or drawings described herein. Other embodiments of the invention can also exist and can be implemented or carried out in various ways. Also, the terminology described below is used only for describing the specification and should not be regarded as a limitation on the invention.

Here, the term "charge / data card" refers to all cards that are capable of credit transactions or credit payments, and examples thereof include credit cards, membership cards, and all personal identification / authentication cards. The charge / data card gives the owner the right to benefit or access. The charge / data card will include, but is not limited to, any device that interfaces with card readers, such as magnetic or optical stripes, and / or other data ports. Preferably, the charge / data card of the present invention is similar in shape and size and thickness to a standard wallet size credit card.

As used herein, the term “biological identification information” includes personal features such as fingerprints, voice-prints, retinal scans or signatures, and the like, which are unique to each individual.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the tamper resistant charge / data card according to the present invention, hereinafter the tamper resistant charge / data card will be described as a card 10.

The card 10 includes a first data storage medium 12 for permanently storing information including biometric information of the cardholder, which information is compressed or recorded in the form of a template. Such information may be entered into the card by the card supplier or by the cardholder using the biometric information described below.

The storage medium 12 is for storing additional information of the cardholder which can be accessed by the interface card reader terminal, such as, for example, a bank account number when using the card. Storage medium 12 may be an optical or magnetic stripe, which may be recorded by a magnetic or laser recording device and may be read by the recording device or other device upon retrieval of stored information. . The storage medium 12 may be an non-erasable memory such as a semiconductor chip recorded in a programmable ROM (PROM). Any other medium that can suitably store large amounts of information in a thin area that can be recorded and subsequently retrieved can be used as the storage medium 12. The storage medium 12 can directly write or read when it has a magnetic or optical stripe, but when it is a semiconductor chip, the storage medium 12 can communicate with a data port inside or on the surface of the card 10. Thus, a suitable card reader having a similar port can read information from or write information to the data storage medium 12.

Since the storage medium 12 is divided into various storage areas for separating and storing the biological identification information and the other personal information described above, the card reader terminal can access only the stored personal information, for example. Identification information cannot be accessed. One example of a storage medium suitable for using a charge / data card is described in US Pat. No. 4,683,371, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The card 10 includes a second data storage medium 14. The second data storage medium 14 is not only capable of being repeatedly recorded as described below, but also used to temporarily store biological information obtained from the card holder as described below.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the storage medium 14 is preferably a read / write storage device such as a RAM chip, but is not necessarily limited to the RAM chip.

The card 10 of the present invention further includes a verification assembly 16 used to verify the identity of the card owner.

The verification assembly 16 includes a power supply 18 for supplying power to the assembly 16. This power source is preferably a small battery having a suitable size and thickness so that it can be applied to the card 10. One example of a suitable power supply 18 is described in US Pat. No. 5,652,043 which teaches a thin film flexible battery. The teachings of US Pat. No. 5,652,043 are incorporated herein by reference.

The verification assembly 16 further includes a biometric verification interface 20 in communication with the data storage medium 14. The interface 20 allows the cardholder to record the biometric information on the data storage medium 14, where the data storage medium 14 preferably temporarily stores the information. The interface 20 may include any device designed to be thin enough to be integrated into the card 10 and capable of recording biometric information.

For example, the interface 20 may include a microphone that is compact and flat in shape. Examples of such a microphone include a microphone used for a listening aid or a microphone described in US Pat. No. 5,490,220, which records a voice-print in a data storage medium 14. can do. Alternatively, interface 20 may include a miniature camera for recording retinal images. Such cameras are preferably based on planar optical technology and general purpose CCD devices to meet the thin and planar features of the card 10. Alternatively, interface 20 may include a small flat touch screen capable of recording electronic signatures or fingerprints for biological identification. The use of digitally encoded finger information is described in US Pat. No. 5,053,608, incorporated herein by reference. Detailed descriptions of biological characterization, including hand and face geometry, can be found on the websites "Biometricgroup.com" and "biometric.ca", which are incorporated herein by reference.

Assembly 16 includes a processor 22, which is used to process the stored and temporarily obtained biometric information. Processor 22 communicates with data storage media 12 and 14 so that biological information is available to processor 22.

The processor 22 compares the biological identification information stored in the data storage medium 12 and the biological identification information temporarily stored in the data storage medium 13 with biological identification information obtained from the card holder. In order to make this comparison effective, it is desirable for the processor 22 to have a suitable software program stored in the memory chip of the processor 22. This software program allows the processor 22 to compare the biometric information stored on the data storage media 12, 14 to match the feature parameters. For example, if the biological information is a voice print, the frequency, pitch and / or waveform of the voice print may be compared by the processor 22. Voice verification techniques are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. 4,468,204, and 4,100,370, which are incorporated herein by reference. The US patent discloses many methods for voice verification. Similarly, software for comparing signatures (US Pat. Nos. 5,892,824 and 5,838,815), eye-scans (US Pat. No. 5,973,731), and fingerprints (US Pat. No. 5,999,637) is disclosed in the US. Patent Nos. 5,892,824, 5,838,815, 5,973,731 and 5,999,637, which are incorporated herein by reference.

If the identity of the cardholder is verified by matching the biometric information stored on the data storage medium 12 with the information obtained from the card holder, the processor 22 loads the charge / data card 10 into the data storage medium 14. Write down the permission code to execute. This implementation is preferably done by any of a variety of methods. For example, if the card 10 includes a magnetic or optical stripe that interfaces with a card reader, the authorization code allows the card readers to access the personal information contained in the stripe. Alternatively, if the card contains data ports of the smart card, this authorization code executes the port and allows access of personal information.

In this case, the authorization code permits limited use, where card use is limited in terms of amount, time, form, geographic area, and type of interface reader. For example, the authorization code may allow the credit card to interface with an ATM machine other than a credit card reader, or may include a combination of these restriction elements. For example, the activation code allows benefits to be paid from the local benefit payer for one day, one week, or one month from the start time. On the other hand, the executable code can be paid for only $ 100, or up to a month after it is verified. The restriction on the benefit made from the card 10 before revalidation places a maximum limit on the benefit that can be obtained negatively. In addition, the card 10 may be designed for use by multiple users, such as family members, for a single user in a manner similar to that described above, with each user comparing the stored biological information with the temporary biological information. Is identified through. Other restrictions may apply to other users of the multiusers card 10.

Accordingly, the present invention describes an tamper resistant charge / data card comprising a verification assembly for verifying the identity of the cardholder.

As described herein, the charge / data card containing the verification assembly does not require a separate stationary or mobile verification assembly, which is advantageous for both the user and the service or card provider. The reason is that the separate verification assembly not only imposes a separate cost on the card provider or the cardholder, but also seriously complicates card execution, which in itself seriously degrades the usefulness of the card.

On the other hand, in the description of the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, various modifications by those skilled in the art are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the scope of the following claims, but also by those equivalent to the scope of the claims. All documents mentioned in the present invention are incorporated herein by reference. References in the present invention are by reference only and do not necessarily mean that the prior art of the present invention.

Claims (18)

A charge / data card usable under the cardholder's certificate, (a) a first data storage medium for storing information including stored biometric information of the cardholder; (b) a second data storage medium that is repeatedly recordable, and (c) includes a verification assembly, (i) the verification assembly (ii) a power supply for supplying power to the verification assembly, a biometric verification interface for inputting temporary biometric information recorded on the second data storage medium, and (iii) a processor for permitting use of the charge / data card when comparing the stored biological information with the temporary biological information and matching each other. The charge / data card of claim 1, wherein the stored biometric information is input to the charge / data card via the biometric verification interface. The charge / data card of claim 1, wherein the processor permits use of the charge / data card for a limited time. 10. The charge / data card of claim 1, wherein the processor permits use of the charge / data card only within a limited transaction form. The charge / data card of claim 1, wherein the processor permits use of the charge / data card only up to a limited amount. 2. The charge / data card of claim 1, wherein the first data storage medium and the second data storage medium are each selected from the group consisting of magnetic stripes, optical recordings, and memory chips. The charge / data card of claim 1, wherein the stored biometric information and the temporary biometric information are selected from a group consisting of a fingerprint, a retina scan, a voice print, and a signature, respectively. The charge / data card of claim 1, wherein the first storage medium and the second storage medium are a single storage medium. In a method for authorizing a charge / data card owner, (a) a first step of obtaining biological identification information from a charge / data card owner and storing the biological identification information in a first storage medium of the charge / data card, (b) a second step of comparing the stored biometric information with the next biometric information obtained through a biometric interface contained within or on the surface of the charge / data card, and and (c) a third step of authorizing use of the charge / data card if the stored biometric information and the next biometric information coincide with each other. . 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said stored biometric information is obtained by said biometric verification interface. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said third step is performed by a processor contained within a charge / data card. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said processor authorizes use of the charge / data card for a time limit. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor permits use of the charge / data card only in a limited transaction form. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor permits use of the charge / data card only up to a limited amount. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the next biometric information is temporarily stored on a second storage medium. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first storage medium and said second storage medium are each selected from the group consisting of magnetic stripes, optical recordings, and memory chips. 10. The charge / data card owner of claim 9, wherein the stored biometric information and the next biometric information are each selected from the group consisting of fingerprint, retina scan, voice print and signature. Way. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first storage medium and said second storage medium are single storage media.