Patent Application
20090159679
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to conducting financial transactions, and more particularly to an ultra low-power device adapted to authenticate users desiring to conduct a financial transaction.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Financial transactions, such as banking functions performed at an automated teller machine (ATM) or point-of-sale transactions using payment cards or radio frequency identification (RFID) payment technology, such as a MasterCard® PayPass™ device, or smartcard are controlled by at least two conflicting requirements. One is that the transaction be completed in the shortest possible time and as conveniently as possible to satisfy the needs of the customer. The other requirement concerns the security of the transaction and includes user authentication or verification. As the security of the transaction is increased the time required to complete the transaction ordinarily increases. Conversely, as the duration of the transaction is reduced, its security may be compromised.
Accordingly, there is a need to both reduce the duration of financial transactions while retaining or increasing the corresponding level of security of such transaction.
A low-power device adapted to authenticate a user desiring to conduct a financial transaction formed in accordance with one form of the present invention, which incorporates at least some of the preferred features includes an input device, a computing device, and a power source. The input device is adapted to input user information. The computing device is operatively coupled to the input device, adapted to compare the input user information to stored user information, and adapted to authenticate the user based on the comparison. The power source is adapted to provide power to the input device and to obtain power from thermal energy, light energy, and/or electromagnetic energy. The thermal energy, light energy, and electromagnetic energy is obtained from at least one of the user and an ambient environment.
The power source may also be adapted to provide power to the computing device. The device may also include a secondary storage device operatively coupled to the computing device and adapted to store the stored user information. The power source may provide power to the secondary storage device. The input user information may include biometric information and/or a personal identification number (PIN). The low-power device may be adapted to be incorporated in a smart card and/or an RFID payment device.
A method of authenticating a user desiring to conduct a financial transaction in accordance with one form of the present invention, which incorporates at least some of the preferred features includes inputting input user information, comparing the input user information to stored user information, authenticating the user based on the comparison, and performing the inputting using power obtained from thermal energy, light energy, and/or electromagnetic energy. The thermal energy, light energy, and/or electromagnetic energy is obtained from the user and/or an ambient environment.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.
The device 10 is preferably coupled to the primary circuitry 43 of a smart card or an RFID payment device, which includes a primary computing device 28, such as a central processing unit (CPU). The primary computing device 28 is operatively coupled to a primary storage device 30. A low-power primary power source 45 preferably provides power to both the primary computing device 28 and storage device 30, which is derived from electrical energy 32 and/or RF field energy 34 provided when the card is in proximity with the financial terminal. The primary circuitry 43 preferably includes the primary computing device 28, low-power primary power source 45, and primary storage device 30. It is to be understood that the various components shown in
In a first embodiment, the secondary computing device 18 preferably receives user information from the input device 12, which it may reformat in a form suitable to be received by the primary computing device 28 and provides this information as secondary sensor signal 36. The primary computing device 28 then compares the user information received from the computing device 18 with information in a profile for the user authorized to complete the financial transaction, which is preferably stored in the storage device 30 and either proceeds or aborts the financial transaction based on this comparison.
In a second embodiment, the computing device 18 preferably inputs user information from the input device 12 and compares the user information received to the profile information concerning the user authorized to perform the financial transaction, which is preferably stored in a secondary storage device 38. The secondary storage device 38 is operatively coupled to the secondary computing device 18. The secondary storage device 38 is also preferably powered by the ultra low-power secondary power source 20. The computing device 18 then preferably outputs an authentication signal 40 to the primary computing device 28, which indicates whether the user has been authenticated. The primary computing device 28 then proceeds to complete or abort the financial transaction based on the authentication signal 40.
In a third embodiment, the input device 12 preferably provides the user information to the primary computing device 28 as a user information signal 42. The primary computing device 28 then preferably proceeds to complete or abort the financial transaction based on the user information signal 42. It is anticipated that in any of the embodiments of the present invention that information output by the device 10 can be stored by the device 10 until the remaining primary circuitry 43 on the card is powered up or otherwise ready to accept the information.
In the second embodiment, following step 46, the secondary computing device preferably compares the user information received from the input device to the authorized user's profile stored in the secondary storage device in step 56. The secondary computing device then outputs the authentication signal to the primary computing device to indicate whether the authentication was successful in step 58. The primary computing device then determines whether to continue or abort the financial transaction based on the authentication signal in step 54.
In the third embodiment, following step 44, the input device preferably outputs a user information signal to the primary computing device in step 60. The primary computing device then compares the user information signal to the authorized user's profile stored in the primary storage device in step 52. The primary computing device then determines whether to continue or abort the financial transaction based on this comparison in step 54.
The computing devices 18, 40 may be implemented using a microprocessor, digital signal processor, microcontroller, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), gate array, programmable logic, and/or alternative means well known in the art. The storage devices 38, 30 may be implemented using static random access memory (SRAM), read only memory (ROM), non-volatile RAM, Flash memory, dynamic RAM (DRAM, and/or alternative means well known in the art.
Thus, the device formed in accordance with the present invention effectively shortens the overall time required to complete a financial transaction by performing authorization functions using, for example, biometric information or a PIN, as the user is approaching the financial terminal and/or before the user comes into contact with or enters the RF field associated with the financial terminal.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that various other changes and modifications may be affected herein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, and that it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.
