WO2000010125A1 - Electronic authentication system and its card - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic authentication system uses an electronic authentication card having a memory where personal data are stored. The card further has a data input section for inputting recognition data, a comparison calculation section for comparing the recognition data inputted through the data input section with data stored in the memory, and a control section connected to the data input section and comparison calculation section and adapted to output signals to the memory and comparison calculation section according to the signal inputted through the data input section. In registering, the control section stores the recognition data in the memory. In checking, the comparison calculation section compares the recognition data with the data stored in the memory. When the recognition data coincides with the data in the memory, an electronic device is rendered usable. Thus, the authentication is performed independently of the external device (or solely).

Description

 Description Electronic authentication system and its technical fields

 According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic authentication card having a connection unit for exchanging data with an external device, for authenticating a card with a personal identification number or the like, and then exchanging data via the connection unit. Regarding improvement. Background art

 Conventionally, as an electronic authentication card of this type, a card such as a bank card or credit card is inserted into a cash slot (ATM) of a cash slot (hereinafter simply referred to as a slot). By entering a personal identification number, it was possible to withdraw cash or transfer money to another bank account.

 In that case, the card usually has a connection unit for exchanging data with an external device and a memory storing a personal identification number or the like as personal data, and detects a connection state with the connection unit. Thereafter, recognition data such as a password stored in the memory in advance is read through the connection unit. Then, the recognition data is compared with recognition data such as a password input from a keyboard or the like, and when the respective recognition data match, various personal data can be extracted from an external device. . However, with the conventional card described above, for example, when cash is withdrawn or transferred from a bank account using a cash card, it is determined whether or not the cash card holder is the person who actually deposits cash into the bank account or the like. Do not authenticate. In other words, anyone who has a cash card and knows the PIN can withdraw or transfer cash, except for the card holder.

For this reason, the password of a cash card or the like may be known to others or carelessly. If they did, accidents and crimes could occur where others were abused.

 This has a problem from the viewpoint of security protection in a card system using a cash card or a credit card.

 In addition, when registering and storing unique body pattern information such as a fingerprint of a cardholder in an ATM machine of a bank, the fingerprint itself is a kind of privacy information, which is a problem from the viewpoint of privacy protection. In addition, cash cards have the property that they can be easily accessed via a connection unit and a communication line, etc., in a personal computer such as a card holder's bank account, which is stored in an external computer. Have. Therefore, if another person possesses the card holder's cash card, etc. and knows the PIN, the other person can freely access the personal data of the power holder, and from the viewpoint of privacy protection There was a problem. Disclosure of the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connection unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external device, and a memory for storing personal data. An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic authentication card which detects a connection state of an external device and retrieves personal data from the memory, and an electronic authentication system for performing an authentication operation using the electronic authentication card. The electronic authentication card (hereinafter, simply referred to as a card) includes a data input unit for inputting the recognition data, a recognition data input from the data input unit, and the data stored in the memory. A comparison operation unit for comparing and comparing the data with the data, a control connected to the data input unit and the comparison operation unit, and outputting a signal to the memory and the comparison operation unit based on a signal input from the data input unit The control unit stores the recognition data in the memory at the time of registration, and compares the recognition data with the recognition data stored in the memory at the time of collation. When the data match, force is used. Thereby, the control unit stores the recognition data such as the unique body pattern information in the memory first, and when the recognition data is input from the data input unit, the recognition data and the memory The authentication operation that the recognition data stored in the storage device is compared with the external device is completely and independently performed (or independently) by the card side alone. If the two recognition data match, the card can be used only each time, and if the respective recognition data does not match, the card cannot be used. It cannot be deducted from or transferred from such a place. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a front view of an electronic authentication card according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the electronic authentication card.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic authentication power authentication system. FIG. 4 is a front view of an electronic authentication card provided with a password input means in the card body. FIG. 5A is a front view of an electronic authentication card according to another embodiment of the present invention. Is a side view thereof.

FIG. 6A is a front view of still another electronic authentication card, and FIG. 6B is a side view thereof. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

 Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electronic authentication card according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1

FIG. 1 shows a cash card as an IC card, which is an example of an electronic authentication card as recognition data authentication means according to the present invention. The name of the card holder (JOHN SMITH) 2 is embossed on the card body 1. ing. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the cash card. The card body 1 has a connection unit 4 for sending and receiving data to and from an external device 3 and an authentication data such as unique body pattern information. A memory 5 for storing the information as electronic information is provided. The connection state between the connection unit 4 and the external device 3 is detected, and the personal data and the like are taken out from the memory 5. Here, the external device 3 is an ATM machine or the like having a slot for inserting cards and the like. The connection unit 4 and the memory 5 are connected to a control unit 8 including a RAM 6 and a ROM 7 for temporarily storing data and the like. The control unit 8 is connected to a comparison operation unit 9 for comparing two types of data and comparing them.

 Further, the card body 1 has a recognition data input unit 10 for inputting unique body pattern information (fingerprint, voice, retinal pattern, iris pattern, facial features, DNA pattern, etc.). . By the way, the data input unit 10 has a configuration in which a scanner, a pressure-sensitive sensor, a camera, or a microphone for recognizing the fingerprint, voice, etc. of the card holder based on the unique body pattern information is incorporated in the card body 1. Consists of

 The control unit 8 is connected to the data input unit 10 and the comparison operation unit 9, and outputs a signal to the memory 5 and the comparison operation unit 9 based on the signal input from the data input unit 10. It has become. As a result, the control unit 8 stores the recognition data input from the data input unit 10 in the memory 5 at the time of registration, and stores the recognition data and the memory 5 in the comparison operation unit 9 at the time of comparison. The obtained recognition data is compared, and when the two recognition data match, the card is made usable.

 The control section 8 is connected to a display section 12 for displaying data on the liquid crystal display section 11 of the card body 1, and displays information such as a card number, a bar code, and an error display on the liquid crystal display section 1. 1 is displayed. Reference numeral 13 denotes a main switch including an evening sensor provided on the card body 1.

 Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.

First, when the main switch 13 is turned ON, as shown in FIG. Here, recognition data such as body pattern information is input from the data input unit 10. Then, the process proceeds to step S2, where it is determined whether or not the input is the first recognition data.

 If it is the first input, the recognition data is stored in the memory 5 in step S3. At that time, when registering the cardholder's fingerprint on the card, the fingerprint can be registered by touching the fingerprint panel constituting the data input unit 10 with a finger. Incidentally, when the recognition data is not registered, an insulating sheet or the like is stuck on the fingerprint input panel to prevent an accidental registration by another person. On the other hand, in the above step S2, if there is an input of recognition and recognition for the second and subsequent times, the process proceeds to step S4, and in step S4, the recognition data is stored in the basic data, that is, the memory 5. It is compared and collated with the stored recognition data.

 These recognition data are compared, and if they match, the process proceeds to step S5, where an activation signal is sent to the external device 3, and in step S6, the card is brought into the normal card function, ON state. That is, when the authenticated card is inserted into an external device 3 such as an ATM machine, it is possible to pay money and the like, and the card can play its original role. At this time, the external device 3 may read numbers, bar codes, and the like displayed on the liquid crystal display section 11 of the card, and may read the card number and the like from communication means built in the card. Information may be extracted.

 On the other hand, if the result of comparison of the recognition data in step S4 is that they do not match, an error is displayed on the liquid crystal display section 11 and then the procedure returns to step S1. At this stage, the card does not play a role as a card, and even if it is inserted into an ATM machine or the like, money cannot be paid and received, and the card cannot be used.

In this way, the card that has been authenticated by inputting the recognition data to the card functions as a card for the external device once for one authentication, and the authentication after the first This is performed for the input of the recognition data after the second time. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the authentication is performed every time independently of the external device (or independently). This is done only on the card side.

 As shown in FIG. 4, a keyboard 14 for inputting numerical values can be provided on the card body 1, and the key board 14 is provided not from the external device 3 but from the card body 1. And a password or the like.

 Therefore, in the above embodiment, when a card is used, the card cannot be used unless the holder is a valid holder. That is, even if the card is obtained, the fingerprint cannot be verified without entering the password using the keyboard 14, and even if the password of the card is accidentally known, the card 1 If the unique body pattern information registered and recorded in the memory 5, for example, the fingerprint does not match the fingerprint input from the data input unit 10, an error message is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 11, and the card must be used. Can not. Therefore, the input of the personal identification number using the keyboard 14 applies double security, thereby improving the security function of the card.

 Also, for example, an electronic authentication card having a function of enabling payment of money, such as a debit card or a credit card, can be prepared, and a keyboard 14 for inputting a numerical value can be provided on this card. In this case, the user can enter the payment amount after authentication, insert the card into the communication terminal of the payee, read the payment amount, and play the role of performing the payment. Furthermore, if a key called balance inquiry is set on this kind of card, for example, a bank account balance can be input through a bank ATM machine or the like, and the bank account balance can be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 11. it can.

In the embodiment described above, recognition data such as body pattern information is input from the data input section 10 of the card, and the card is inserted into the slot of the ATM machine after the card becomes usable. Although authentication was performed, according to another second embodiment, a card is inserted halfway into the slot first, and for example, a fingerprint or the like is input to the data input unit 10 in this state. Can also be configured. In other words, input of recognition data is performed at that time before authentication is required. That is, the input and the authentication of the recognition data are performed on the card side in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment, but the recognition data is inserted in a state where the card is inserted at least partially or half before the slot. Input and authenticate. Since this procedure requires that the cardholder be present in front of the ATM machine, it provides even more secure security assurance. Here's the background to strong authentication.

As described above, in the present invention, various personal information, particularly, personal property information (deposits and deposits of each bank, etc.) are registered in the IC card, so that the IC card can be conveniently and collectively managed. However, in such a case, the concern is the card itself, which means the property itself, and the security of the card holder. Explain the meaning of personal safety. As is the case with the embodiment described above, it is desirable for the card to be convenient, but on the other hand, a fraudster attempting to misuse such a card will have the entire property of the holder in the card. It seems inevitable to pay attention to the fact that there are cards that can be withdrawn. If the card can be used only by inputting the body pattern information, the executor must cause the card holder to execute cash withdrawal or the like. In such a case, as a countermeasure on the ATM machine side, as in the second embodiment, inserting a half card into the slot of the ATM machine, and then inputting a fingerprint or the like, the procedure described above can be executed. This creates an unnatural situation in which a consumer needs to act with the cardholder near the bank's ATM machine. Nevertheless, surveillance cameras are still installed in banks, but such suspicious behavior is more noticeable on the part of the ATM installers, and the possibility of fraud is increased. Therefore, the present embodiment has an effect of suppressing such misconduct. By the way, for example, if one ATM machine is installed in a space where only one person can enter the space, the executor and the card holder cannot enter the space at the same time. However, only one card holder enters the ATM machine installation space, and the executor stands by in the vicinity, and not only does the card become unusable, but at this time the card holder makes an opportunity to make an emergency call. Can get Wear. As described above, the ATM machine can respond, and the crucial effect of protecting the cardholder's property and personal safety can be achieved. As described above, in the present invention, all the authentication of personal information is performed via the card, and the card is owned by the holder. The advantages of the configuration unique to the present invention mainly reside in privacy protection and reduction of the system load. Of these, privacy protection has been described slightly, but will be described in more detail. As described above, personal information such as fingerprints is privacy information, so if you register it on a bank ATM, for example, the personal information may be leaked to the outside, so it is easy to register it. I couldn't do it. In other words, fingerprints and other body patterns belong to the privacy of individuals.For example, providing an input device for personal authentication on the ATM machine side of a bank or credit company means that the host computer of the bank or credit company Since this is nothing more than registering your fingerprints, etc., such privacy information is intentionally or diverted to other purposes, such as by negligence, accident, or intruder's intrusion into the host computer. Means that there is a possibility that

 Therefore, according to the present invention, since all authentication actions are performed on the card side, there is no need to register privacy information at the bank or credit company side, and thus such information may be diverted. Absent. In other words, in the above two embodiments, unique body pattern information such as a fingerprint is stored and stored in the forceps body 1, so that the card holder can manage the card and register easily. Therefore, there is no problem in terms of privacy protection.

Next, reduction of the system load or minimization of troubles will be described. In the authentication activities targeted by the present invention, if the fingerprints of all the owners of the registered users are registered with the host computer of the bank or credit company, the amount of data will be enormous. In addition, if these devices transmit and receive data between terminals through various communication networks, the overnight traffic will increase abnormally. In such a case, it takes a long time to communicate overnight, and the card holder has to wait a long time in front of the terminal. And convenience is greatly reduced.

 Therefore, if authentication can be performed on the card side, there is no need to store and manage an enormous amount of data in the host computer, which is advantageous in operation. For example, if the host computer goes down, all cardholders who have registered fingerprints and other data in the host computer will not be able to use the card, but according to the present invention, the card will be destroyed. There is a big advantage in that the card can no longer be used even if it has been destroyed, because only the owner of the broken card needs to do so. Also, large-scale data communication via various communication networks is not required if authentication is performed on the card side, so that the card holder may have to wait a long time in front of the terminal to wait for authentication. There is no.

 Further, in the above embodiment, the case of paying money with a cash card or the like has been described as an example.However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to an authentication system for opening and closing a car door, and can provide the same operation and effect as the above embodiment.

 It should be noted that a function such as a password may be used in combination with the electronic authentication system as in the past.

Embodiment 2

 5A and 5B show an IC card 1 which is an example of an electronic authentication code as a recognition data authentication unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the case where a fingerprint is used as a body pattern for authentication has been described.However, by replacing the data input section of the IC card of the first embodiment with a small camera 21 such as a CMOS image sensor, The iris pattern of the eye can be used for authentication. In the following description, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be described. The points that are not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

At the time of the present application, the small image sensor 21 as described above has about 100,000 pixels, but has a size of about 10 mm ² and a thickness of about 6 mm. Such a small image In order to mount the sensor 21 on the IC card 1, the thickness of the portion where the optical lens 21 a is provided can be increased and the IC card 1 can be integrally formed. The IC card shown in FIG. 5A is provided with a CMOS image sensor 21. By further reducing the size of this image sensor, it is possible to fit it all into a force with a thickness of about 3 mm.

 Regarding the IC card of any thickness, a method of performing authentication by inserting only a part of the IC card into the slot as in the case of the first embodiment is possible. In other words, the structure of the card slot on the ATM machine side is obliquely inserted from the top to the bottom so that the camera shown in the figure faces upward from the front, and only a part of the card is inserted into the slot. While opening a, the lens 21a of the camera can capture the scene in which the card holder is proceeding. Of course, a part of the card may be inserted into the slot after authentication.

 Next, it is possible to achieve a configuration that allows smoother iris image acquisition, and this configuration will be described. The IC card 1 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is provided with a visible light irradiation LED 22 and a near infrared irradiation LED 23 in addition to the small image sensor 21. This IC card 1 has a chip-type near-infrared irradiation LED (light-emitting diode) 22 embedded in the card so that the light receiving sensitivity area of the small image sensor 21 includes a near-infrared region. It is configured. With such a configuration, an image can be acquired even if the iris has black eyes. At the same time, a visible light LED 23 is provided to illuminate the card holder's eyes when the card holder performs authentication, adjust the size of the pupil, widen the iris, and acquire many images . In addition, a filter (not shown) for blocking visible light can be provided on the optical lens 21a to cut off extra image information. Near-infrared radiation means A near-infrared radiation method such as LED23 should be installed with consideration given to suppressing reflection on the iris. In other words, the light is emitted at an angle that fits within the pupil.

When acquiring body pattern information with the small image sensor 21 as described above, The input data changes depending on the positional relationship of the angle between the lens 21a and the iris to be authenticated. With respect to this change, the image sensor 21 can transfer an image of about 30 frames per second, so that the image of the body pattern information falls within a predetermined angle and the inner and outer circumferences of the iris are circular. When a circle whose shape is close to the shape at the time of registration is found, a comparison operation for authentication is performed.

 Further, the input data at a predetermined angle may be stored in a plurality of memories to detect a change in the size of the pupil or the shape of the eyelid, and by detecting these, the subject is a living body. You can also confirm that. As a result, even if a photograph of the iris is placed in front of the image sensor, authentication cannot be performed, and the reliability of the authentication operation is further improved.

 In such a comparison operation, 100,000 pixels can be set in about 8 bits per pixel and 256 grayscale gradations can be set. Only about 100 kilobytes of arithmetic processing is required. If the image is binarized and stored when performing the comparison operation, the data capacity can be reduced to about 13 kilobytes, and the operation process is easier.

 At this time, the following algorithm for matching can be used. That is, the threshold value for binarization is set, and the image is rotated so that the center of the pupil is the center point and matches the shape of the eyelids in the registration data while changing the threshold value up and down, and the image is close to the registration data Correct to image. After that, the corrected image is divided into several blocks, and the pass / fail rate of comparison is calculated as a percentage for each of the blocks. Only when the pass / fail rate of the verification for each block exceeds a predetermined value, the user is authenticated. By dividing an image into blocks and performing collation as described above, an error in the collation operation can be reduced.

If the input is not performed properly, for example, when the camera 21 is out of focus, a message such as “Please bring the lens closer to the eyes” is displayed on the LCD 11 Display, possibly accompanied by a beep, and By prompting the user to input data, the input can be facilitated when the power holder inputs the data overnight.

 As described above, when the iris pattern of the eye is used for authentication, the input of the physical information pattern is not an input that requires contact as in the case of a fingerprint, but an indirect input that does not require contact. This makes it possible to perform input that does not depend on the magnitude of the contact pressure of pressing a finger or a finger against the input unit, and has the advantage of improving authentication accuracy.

 As is clear from the above description of the embodiment, the present invention is characterized in that the authentication action is completed only on the IC card side, so that the present invention is applicable to the case where other personal information such as voice input is used. However, the same effect can be obtained by changing the form of the data input unit and performing a comparison operation according to the type of personal information.

 As described above, according to the present invention, the data input unit for inputting the recognition data, the recognition data input from the data input unit, and the data stored in the memory are stored in the electronic authentication card. A comparison operation unit for comparing with the data processing unit; and a signal connected to the data input unit and the comparison operation unit, and outputs a signal to the memory and the comparison operation unit based on a signal input from the data input unit. A control unit for storing the recognition data in the memory at the time of registration, and comparing the recognition data with the recognition data stored in the memory at the comparison operation unit at the time of comparison. Then, when the respective recognition data match, the card is made usable. As a result, each authentication operation can be performed completely independently of the external device (or independently) on the card side alone, and the recognition data input from the data input unit can be recorded in advance. If the stored recognition data does not match, the card cannot be used even if the user possesses the card and knows the PIN of the card. Therefore, the security function of the card is significantly improved. Also, since the unique body pattern information is only stored in the memory of the card body, it can be managed by the card holder himself, and the information is not leaked outside. Therefore, it is also excellent from the viewpoint of privacy protection.

Claims

The scope of the claims 1. The recognition data consisting of the unique body pattern information is input to the recognition data authentication means, and the recognition data authentication means compares the recognition data with pre-stored recognition data, and performs each recognition. Various types of electronic devices can be used when data is matched and authentication is performed, and when they do not match, various electronic devices are disabled and played a role as a switch for various electronic devices. An electronic authentication system, characterized in that: 2. The electronic authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the body pattern information is a fingerprint.  3. The electronic authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the body pattern information is a voice.  4. The electronic authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the body pattern information is an iris pattern.  5. An electronic authentication card that has a connection unit for exchanging data with an external device and a memory for storing personal data, and retrieves personal data from the memory. An input unit, a comparison operation unit for comparing and recognizing the recognition data input from the data input unit with the data stored in the memory, and connected to the data input unit and the comparison operation unit; A control unit that outputs a signal to the memory and the comparison operation unit based on a signal input from the input unit, and stores the recognition data in the memory at the time of registration by the control unit; At the time of collation, the comparison operation unit compares the recognition data with the recognition data stored in the memory, and when both the recognition data match, puts the card in a usable state. Electronic authentication card to.  6. The electronic authentication code according to claim 5, wherein the data input unit comprises a scanner for inputting the recognition data. 7. The control unit is connected to a display unit for displaying personal data. The electronic authentication card described in claim 5.  8. When the recognition data is not registered in the memory, the recognition unit stores the first recognition data in the memory when the recognition data is input from the data input unit, and stores the second and subsequent recognition data in the memory. 6. The electronic authentication method according to claim 5, wherein the information is compared with the recognition data stored in the memory. 9. An electronic authentication method comprising: inserting at least a part of the electronic authentication card according to claim 5 into the external device; and inputting the recognition data to the electronic authentication card to perform authentication.