System and method for creating an account using biometric information

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING AN ACCOUNT USING BIOMETRIC INFORMATION

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/562,147 filed on Apr. 14, 2004, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. This application is also a continuation-in-part of a U.S. Patent Application, filed on Apr. 8, 2005 and bearing attorney docket number 4101 P 017, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The invention relates to a biometric credential system. More specifically, the invention is directed to a system and method for creating a user account, wherein the account is created based on biometric credential information provided by the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Several types of systems for creating new user accounts are known. In one such system, information regarding the user, such as the user's name, address, phone number and the like is received and input into a storage, such as a file cabinet or computer memory, for later recall.

[0004] Some user account creation systems require the identity of the user to be verified before the user account is created. For example, the creating authority, such as a bank, may require the user to present an identification card such as a driver's license to verify the user's identity. In some such systems, information provided by the user is checked against stored information regarding the user; for example, the user's driver's license number may be checked against a database to determine whether the user has a criminal history. In another variation, historical information regarding the user, such as a credit report, may be analyzed to determine whether to create a user account.

[0005] Those systems are reliant on the authenticity of the information provided by the user. For instance, a forged identification card can result in the creation of a user account based on a false identity. Likewise, a lost identification card can result in unauthorized access to a user account. Moreover, prior art systems often require the retrieval of information from disparate data sources that typically require different types of authentication information and therefore require significant time for the recall of data. Lastly, prior art systems also typically require a human attendant for the receipt and entry of user information; that human element introduces the likelihood of human error and further exacerbates the amount of time required for the creation of the user account.

[0006] Administrative access systems for use with a biometrically protected system are known in the prior art. One such system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/051,259, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. The administrative access system described therein is capable of interface with the system of the present invention, and vice versa.

[0007] The present invention is provided to solve the problems discussed above and other problems, and to pro

vide advantages and aspects not provided by prior account creation systems of this type. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A system and method for creating a user account based on biometric information is provided. A biometric credential is received from a user, and the biometric credential is verified against a database of biometric information, thereby providing for the verification of the user's identity. Non-biometric information is received from the user, and is verified against information stored in a database. Anew account record for the user is created based on at least the non-biometric information.

[0009] In one embodiment, the account record is based on both the non-biometric information and the biometric credential, allowing for later retrieval of the user account based on either the non-biometric information or the biometric credential. In another embodiment, if the received nonbiometric information is not accurate, an alert is generated indicating the inaccuracy of the non-biometric information. In another embodiment, the non-biometric information is updated and thereby brought to accuracy.

[0010] Historical information regarding the user is analyzed, and an advisory determination is generated based on the analysis of the historical information. In a preferred embodiment, the biometric credential and non-biometric information are stored in separate databases; in another embodiment, those data are stored in the same database.

[0011] Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart illustrating the steps and elements of a process embodying the principles of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a screen capture image of a computer software program configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a selection window, whereby a user of the software program indicates whether a prospective user is a new or existing customer of a verifying institution.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a screen capture image of a computer software program configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a new customer information window, whereby a user of the software program enters non-biometric information into the software, to be stored in the non-biometric database.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a screen capture image of a computer software program configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a non-biometric information identification window, whereby a user of the software program selects the type of non-biometric information is used by the prospective user to identify herself. [0017] FIG. 5 is a screen capture image of a computer software program configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a biometric credential input utility window, whereby a prospective user enters biometric credential data into the account creation system to verify her identity.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a screen capture image of a computer software program configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a account information selection window, whereby a user of the software program selects whether she desires to enter new account information data.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a screen capture image of a computer software program configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a new account data window, whereby a user of the software program enters new account information to the system.

[0020] FIG. 8 is a screen capture image of a computer software program configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a customer notes window, whereby a user of the software program enters commentary regarding a user to a database configured to store information regarding the user.

[0021] FIG. 9 is a screen capture image of a computer software program configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a co-owner selection window, whereby a user of the software program indicates whether she desires to add information to the system regarding a co-owner of a newly created account.

[0022] FIG. 10 is a screen capture image of a computer software program configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a co-owner entry window, whereby a user of the software program enters non-biometric information regarding a co-owner of a newly created account.

[0023] FIG. 11 is a screen capture image of a computer software program configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, illustrating a biometric credential and non-biometric information input window, whereby a user of the software program supplies both a biometric credential and non-biometric information to the system for later identification of the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic flowchart is provided illustrating the steps and elements of a system 100 for the creation of a user account based on biometric information. The present invention will be described in the setting of a bank, and the creation of a new user account will, for illustrative purposes, be described as the creation of a new bank account for a user. However, it will be understood that the principles of the present invention are not limited to

a bank environment, and can be used for the creation of any type of new user account, such as a new driver's license, tax identity, insurance account, investment account, website access account, facility access account and the like. The principles of the present invention allow for the creation of a new user account in any setting in which the creation of a new user account based on biometric information is desirable.

[0026] Initially and as illustrated at step 101, a new user desires the creation of a new user account. The user provides a biometric credential in step 102. The biometric credential can be a fingerprint scan, retinal scan, biorhythm datum, DNA sample, blood sample, hair follicle, user image or any other data obtained biometrically from the user and highly corresponding to a unique identity of the user. The provision of the biometric credential, step 102, can be performed under the attendance of a supervision authority such as a personal banker or other attendant, or can be performed without an attending authority.

[0027] The biometric credential information is transmitted to a biometric database 103, which stores records of biometric credential information. A search query is generated comprising at least the biometric credential, such as the image created by the fingerprint scan. Additional information can be added to the search query, such as the new user's name, telephone number, social security number or other identifying information. The biometric database 103 is searched with the search query to determine whether the user's biometric information exists in the database 103. If no match for the user is found in the database 103, the new user's information is stored, in step 105, as a new biometric record in the database 103.

[0028] The biometric database 103 can be located centrally, such as in a bank database local to the bank premises. The database 103 can also be located remotely, such as a remote database capable of communication with multiple bank branches and multiple facilities. The database 103 can be populated with biometric information available from a variety of sources, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint database, local and state police fingerprint databases, employer biometric databases, and the like. The system thus allows for the matching of biometric information from the new user against biometric information provided to a different authority, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation; thereby, the user's biometric information can be used to verify the identity of the user even if the party seeking verification, such as a bank, is entirely unfamiliar with the user.

[0029] Next and as illustrated in step 106, non-biometric information is received. In a preferred embodiment, the non-biometric information is received from the user. For example, the user may be asked to provide a driver's license, social security card or social security number, birth certificate, tax return, residential or commercial lease, user name, password or other non-biometric information identifying herself. The user's purported identity, provided through the provision of the non-biometric information in step 106, is analyzed in step 107 to determine its authenticity.

[0030] The comparison between the biometric information recalled in step 104, and the non-biometric information presented in step 106, is to verify the accuracy of the information presented in step 106. For example, the user