WO2001091057A2

WO2001091057A2 - Fingerprint activated remote input device for personal id recognition and access authentication

Info

Publication number: WO2001091057A2
Application number: PCT/US2000/030451
Authority: WO
Inventors: Takeshi Harada; Wayne T. Okubo
Original assignee: Takeshi Harada; Okubo Wayne T
Priority date: 2000-05-23
Filing date: 2000-11-06
Publication date: 2001-11-29
Also published as: WO2001091057A3; AU2001224245A1

Abstract

A fingerprint activated remote input device (12) for personal identification and access authentication, which uses an individual's fingerprint to activate a remote control input device. The remote control input device contains local memory (36), isolated from any network, which records and stores the fingerprint information. When a user activates the device by placing a finger on a sensor (14), the user's fingerprint data is authenticated. The remote control device then outputs a personal ID# corresponding to the particular individual. The personal ID# allows the user to access or activate other devices, such as television or Internet access, which may have many pre-established settings corresponding to the user's ID#. The remote input device thus does not require the user to repeatedly enter access data each time a controlled device is accessed. Also, the fingerprint data is not accessible from outside of the device, and therefore the user's personal biometric data is safe from disclosure.

Description

FINGERPRINT ACTIVATED REMOTE INPUT DEVICE FOR PERSONAL ID RECOGNITION AND ACCESS AUTHENTICATION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of personal identification and verification, and more particularly to a fingerprint activated remote input device for personal identification and access authentication.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

People are always looking to make their lives easier with the use of pre- established settings such as favorite channel settings for television viewing, favorite "bookmarks" in a Web browser, or seat, mirror and steering wheel settings in an automobile, etc. Many other "smart" devices are now available that allow many types of customizable user configuration. In fact, many smart devices are becoming commonplace, requiring a user to have some type of access control. In an office environment, it is common for each personal computer user to use a personal ID# (or a "login" name linked to a password) to limit access to personal files, in order to protect their business property or trade secrets from intruders. The personal ID# also permits each user to have a custom operating environment, which is automatically configured each time the user logs in to the system. In more casual environments, it is possible to use a similar personal ID authentication scheme, but such a system would not be very convenient. One reason is that it is difficult for users to remember numerous personal ID#s and/or passwords for each device. Also, not every device can be configured to allow for convenient data input. Thus, it would be desirable to have an easy method for providing a unique ID# to devices, without requiring a user to remember numerous codes, but that is also very secure. One solution is to use biometric data, such as a fingerprint or retina scan. However, for the identification of an the individual, the fingerprint or retina information was traditionally sent via a network to a master database in order to authenticate the match. This type of procedure may be suitable for electronic commerce applications, but not for casual personal identification for access to devices. Because of concerns over the ability of others to obtain personal "biometric" data if it is transmitted over a network, many users are reluctant to use such systems.

More recently, applications have been developed in which fingerprint template data is stored on smart cards. Fingerprint matching operations are performed entirely on the smart card itself, unlike previous finger print authentication methods which required the template data to be transferred to a local computer or server for matching. Thus, a user's fingerprint data never leaves the smart card. These systems are more suited for access to personal devices, but there is still a problem as to how to provide easy access authentication with such a system, particularly to shared devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, the present invention uses an individual's fingerprint to activate a remote control input device. The remote control input device contains local memory, isolated from any network, which records and stores the fingerprint information. When a user activates the device by placing a finger on a sensor, the user's fingerprint data is authenticated. The remote control device then outputs a personal ID# corresponding to the particular individual. The personal ID# allows the user to access or activate other devices, such as television or Internet access, which may have many pre-established settings corresponding to the user's ID#. The fingerprint data is not accessible from outside of the device, and therefore the user's personal biometric data is safe from disclosure. The present invention is especially suited for accessing television or Internet programming through a common terminal, wherein each family member has different access privileges. The present invention may also be used to control other custom settings, such as adjustable features in an automobile. Optionally, the remote control input device may be connected to a personal computer or local area network (such as through an infrared or USB link), in order to receive complex programming, thus reducing the amount of manual data entry required. In an alternate embodiment, the fingerprint storage and processing functions may be performed on a smart card or other similar memory device. Also, the remote control input device can store multiple ID#s associated with each fingerprint, such that a user can select different devices to control, and the remote control input device outputs different ID#s and associated data depending on the selected controlled device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the use of the present invention to authenticate a user for access to network services;

Figure 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a block diagram of the functional blocks of one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for programming the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for verifying a user's personal identity and providing an access ID# output according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the basic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a finger print activated remote input device for personal identification and access authentication.. Any and all such modifications, equivalents and alternatives are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In general, the present invention uses an individual's fingerprint to activate a remote control input device. The remote control input device contains local memory, isolated from any network, which records and stores the fingerprint information. As illustrated by Figure 1 , when a user 10 activates the device 12 by placing a finger on the sensor 14, the user's fingerprint data is authenticated. The remote control device 12 then outputs a personal ID# corresponding to this particular individual. The personal ID# allows the user 10 to access or activate other devices, such as television 16 or Internet access, which may have many pre-established settings corresponding to the user's ID#. The fingerprint data is not accessible from outside of the device, and therefore the user's personal biometric data is safe from disclosure.

As mentioned above, one application of the present invention is for remote control devices to control television programming or Internet access. Each user may have a separate account number , within a single household, such that each user is allowed to view different content. Instead of requiring each user to manually enter an account number and password each time, each user merely uses the fingerprint sensor to generate a unique personal ID#, which can be used to access the various functions of the system. The personal settings may either by stored locally on the remote control input device, or stored in the device or network, as desired for a particular system. This greatly simplifies the use of a system in which each user has different access privileges. The remote control device can also be configured to control many other household functions, such as climate control or music selections.

The remote control device can also be provided with a menu of available services. A user can then scroll through the menu to select a desired service, such as a particular television programming service. This may include pay-per- view, premium channels, etc. Each service may have a unique access ID#, and by simply selecting the desired service and using a finger on the fingerprint sensor, the corresponding ID# is outputted to the television. In other words, the remote control input device may store numerous ID# for each individual corresponding to different services. Alternatively, the service selection may be performed using an on-screen menu, instead of a menu on the remote control input device.

Another application of the present invention is to incorporate the device into an automobile. Each operator can pre-configure custom settings for the mirrors, seat, steering wheel, radio options, and climate control. An operator merely uses the control device, which in turn generates a personal ID# corresponding to the operator's fingerprint. The device may also store the custom settings associated with the individual and automatically updates the automobile's settings accordingly. Similarly, the automobile may contain its own memory in which to store the custom settings corresponding to each unique personal ID#.

A simple block diagram of a remote control input device 12 constructed according to the present invention is shown in Figure 2. The device includes a fingerprint sensor 14, an alpha-numeric keypad 22 for data entry, an on/off switch 20, and an signal output transmitter 24. A display 26 shows the data as it is entered from the keypad 22, and may also be used to display a menu of available services. This allows the user to output different ID#s, and corresponding configuration data, for different services. The remote control input device 12 may use infrared, LED, laser, RF or any other method known in the art to transmit the ID# to a controlled device. The fingerprint sensor 14 may be a CMOS-based image sensor, or any other type of sensor known in the art. In a preferred embodiment, the finger print activated remote input device comprises the following buttons: Finger print sensor Standard buttons:

Power button Arrow keys Alpha/numeric keypad Enter key Delete

Backspace For multi-function usage, the following optional keys may be included: Function keys - for selecting TV, CATV, Internet, music, lighting, climate control settings, security, etc. Set-up key

Volume up/down Channel up/down Play /fast -forward/fast-rewind Record Other standard "universal remote" keys

A simple block diagram 30 of the functional blocks of the remote control input device is illustrated in Figure 3. The remote control input device comprises a fingerprint sensor block 40 for reading in fingerprint data, a processor block 38 for processing the fingerprint matches and for performing authentication other programmable system functions, and an EEPROM 36 for storing the fingerprint data and any associated user configuration data. A system ROM 34 stores any system code needed to operate the remote control input device, and an I/O block 32 includes the display, data entry, and ID# signal output functions. A system bus 42 allows the various blocks to communicate internally in the device. A procedure to input the fingerprint information is shown in Figure 4. The procedure is initiated at step 50 with a user selecting a new entry function on the device, and a user enters an ID# that is required by a controlled device at step 52. The user then inputs fingerprint data via the fingerprint sensor at step 54. Any additional information associated with the personal ID# may also be entered into the device at step 56, such as password data, or a user's custom settings data, and then all the information is stored into memory at step 58. If there are more ID#s to enter, then the procedure repeats, otherwise the programming procedure is complete (step 62). Note that the device may be programmed to accept the data in a different order, or the associated data may be stored on the controlled device, instead of the remote control input device.

Figure 5 illustrates a procedure to operate the remote control input device. A user turns on the device at step 70, and places a finger on the fingerprint sensor at step 72. The fingerprint is read in and compared to the fingerprints stored in memory at step 74. If there is not a match (step 76), the device returns to the ready state in order to read in another fingerprint. If there is a match, the remote control input device outputs the corresponding personal ID#, and any associated data to the controlled device at step 78. Note that the present invention is not limited to any particular data format or signal encoding scheme, but may be advantageously used with any I/O scheme required by the controlled devices.

Optionally, the remote control input device may be connected to a personal computer or local area network (such as through an infrared or USB link), in order to receive complex programming, thus reducing the amount of manual data entry required. In an alternate embodiment, the fingerprint storage and processing functions may be performed on a smart card or other similar memory device. Also, the remote control input device can store multiple ID#s associated with each fingerprint, such that a user can select different devices to control, and the remote control input device outputs different ID#s and associated data depending on the selected controlled device. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED:

1 . An access control device comprising: a fingerprint sensor; a memory storing at least one fingerprint template and one corresponding personal ID#; a processor; and a signal output transmitter; wherein the memory stores fingerprint data and a personal ID# corresponding to each fingerprint, such that when a user places a finger on the fingerprint sensor, the signal output transmitter outputs the personal ID# corresponding to a matching fingerprint.

2. The access control device of Claim 1 , wherein the memory also stores personal configuration data associated with each personal ID#.

3. The access control device of Claim 2, wherein the signal output transmitter outputs the personal configuration data along with the personal ID#.

4. The access control device of Claim 1 , wherein the processor compares fingerprint data generated by the fingerprint sensor with fingerprint data stored in the memory.

5. The access control device of Claim 1 , wherein the memory and processor comprise a smart card.

6. The access control device of Claim 1 , wherein the memory stores a plurality of personal ID#s associated with each fingerprint, such that a user can select a different ID# for different controlled device.

7. A fingerprint activated remote input device for personal identification and access authentication comprising: a fingerprint sensor; a memory storing at least one fingerprint template and one corresponding personal ID#; a processor; a data input keypad; and a signal output transmitter.

8. The remote input device of Claim 7, wherein the memory also stores personal configuration data associated with each personal ID#.

9. The remote input device of Claim 8, wherein the signal output transmitter outputs the personal configuration data along with the personal ID#.

10. The remote input device of Claim 7, wherein the processor compares fingerprint data generated by the fingerprint sensor with fingerprint data stored in the memory.

1 1 . The remote input device of Claim 7, wherein the memory and processor comprise a smart card.

12. The remote input device of Claim 7, wherein the memory stores a plurality of personal ID#s associated with each fingerprint, such that a user can select a different ID# for different controlled devices.

13. The remote input device of Claim 7, further comprising an input/output (I/O) link for connecting the device to a computer or network in order to program the device.

14. A method for personal identification and device access authentication, the method comprising: reading a user's fingerprint image from a fingerprint sensor; comparing the fingerprint image with stored fingerprint images; outputting a personal ID# corresponding to a matched fingerprint to a device; and authenticating the user based on the output personal ID#.

15. The method of Claim 14, further comprising outputting a password corresponding to the matched fingerprint.

16. The method of Claim 15, further comprising outputting configuration data corresponding to the matched fingerprint.

17. The method of Claim 15, further comprising storing custom user configuration data on a device to be accessed, such that when a user is authenticated, a user environment is configured according to the custom user configuration data.

18. The method of Claim 14, wherein the device comprises a television system.

19. The method of Claim 14, wherein the device comprises an Internet access device.

20. The method of Claim 17, wherein the device is an automobile, and the custom user configuration data includes one of mirror settings, seat position, steering wheel position, climate control settings, and radio settings.