WE ARE SEEKING to build and market the products described –- and explore other ways to commercialize the technology. Patent rights have been preserved in key markets. Also, additional U.S. Applications have been and are being filed to further protect new variations of this technology.
BACKGROUND CNN reports that the three items that most Americans carry with them at all times are their keys, a wallet, and a phone. But soon, the wallet and keys may be left at home. New uses for cell phones are becoming a reality in countries like South Korea and Japan. A recent survey by Forrester Research found that 15% of cell-phone users in Japan make payments and purchase products in stores with their phones (see "Wallet of the Future - Your Mobile Phone": August 13, 2009).
A U.N. report published in March 2009 states that 60% of the world's population now has a cell phone subscription. The driving growth trend is coming from poor, developing countries. This 60% figure is up from just under 15% in 2002.
And, there is still considerable room for growth in the smart phone segment, since only about 100 million of the 4 billion cellphones are smart phones (see "Cellphone Makers Hope For Blockbuster Summer": New York Times: May 17, 2009).
And, the global economic recession has only delayed the shift to a global phone-centric payment network.
TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY A fingerprint sensor is mounted in a conventional headset (or a head covering or eye-covering that is compatible with the headset), using Bluetooth, restricting access to a cellphone, pda, or virtually any other electronic device where authentication is needed. Once the system for the electronic device has been adapted, authentication requires the user to touch or sweep a finger along the sensor in response to a voice prompt. Once identity is confirmed, the rest is hands free. Authentication can be bimodal, or even multimodal.
Applications include:
Mobile Networking - have staff meetings with all your people, anytime.
Mobile Banking (or MBanking) - trade and transact business anywhere, anytime.
Memory Bank - be able to recall facts and data that you have entered in your pda by voice.
Purchase of Goods or Services - with a credit or debit card at point-of-sale or off-site.
Law Enforcement – only authorized persons can access audio transmissions.
Health Care – only authorized persons can access/update patient records.
Physical Access - to a vehicle, garage, home, office, or any secure area.
Time and Attendance – provides a date time stamp for all communications.
CELLPHONES & PDAS WITH A BUILT-IN FINGERPRINT SENSOR
According to our market research, many cellphone manufacturers and PDAs have already incorporated a fingerprint sensor. The list of such manufacturers includes: Acer, Atrua, Casio, CECT, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, Lenovo, LG TeleCom, Motorola, Sagem, Samsung, Sharp, Siemens, Sony, and Toshiba (see Market Research).
These devices are currently being marketed in Asia and Europe and will soon be introduced in the U.S.
WHY “HANDS-FREE”?
No longer is the telephone solely associated within the home or the office. The automobile was one of the next environments to become widely populated by cellphones, allowing people to keep in touch while on the move, or while stuck in traffic. Due to the obvious dangers of holding a cellphone in one hand and driving with the other, many of the developed countries either strongly recommend or legally enforce “hands-free” phone operation in all moving vehicles.
Laws in many developed countries (e.g. - China, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Ukraine, South Korea, Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, Israel, and Egypt) and several states (California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, as well as the District of Columbia) now ban the driver from using a handheld cellphone. While many new cars are equipped with “hands-free” units, most cars already on the road are not. The headset allows the user to have fingerprint security for phone conversations while driving, while enabling the wearer alone to hear the cellphone messages being received.
“Hands-free” technology also allows people to multi-task in comfort, resulting in increased productivity. You can talk on the phone at the same time while you accomplish another important task, such as, working at your computer, holding the hands of your children while walking, paying the bills, or doing anything else that is better done with both hands.
ADVANTAGES
The technology is moving in our direction. As the power supplies become smaller and longer lasting, the headsets will become even more commonplace. Also, as new forms of video displays become available, the handset becomes unnecessary.
- Hands-free and Eyes-free.
- Is worn on the ear, face or head – there is no need to search for a ringing handset.
- Fingerprint certainty with the touch or sweep of a finger.
- Can be used for (a) physical access; (b) data retrieval; and (c) financial transactions.
- Sensors currently cost less than $5/unit (in bulk supplies).
- Provides a date-time stamp for all communications.
WHY FINGERPRINTS, AND NOT VOICEPRINTS?
Anil K. Jain and Sharath Pankanti recently conducted a study comparing voiceprint-based systems and fingerprint-based systems. They concluded that the distinctiveness of the voiceprint is “low” and the fingerprint is “high;” the permanence of the voiceprint is “low” and the fingerprint is “high;” and the difficulty in spoofing the trait for voice-based systems is “low” and for fingerprint-based systems is “high.”
And, perhaps even more importantly, the false-reject rate is from 5 to 10% and the false-accept rate is from 2 to 5% for voice-based systems. This compares to a false-reject rate of 0.4% and a false-accept rate of 0.1% for fingerprint-based systems (see "Beyond Fingerprinting": Scientific American: September 2008: beginning at page 78).
THE COMPETITION Various mobile fingerprint sensor units are being marketed.
1. DATASTRIP provides handheld ID verification solutions that work in mission-critical environments around the world. These products allow identification and verification applications to be deployed in arenas that require the flexibility of a mobile identity solution using a modular, biometric-enabled handheld device.
2. BLACKDOG has developed a small portable pocket-size Linux server. Users can plug the unit into a host computer’s USB port and then use the host machine’s monitor, keyboard, mouse, and Internet connection during their computer sessions.
3. CROSS MATCH mobile fingerprint devices enhance identity verification programs for federal government, law enforcement and similar applications. These compact handheld solutions enable users to access data in challenging environments, such as national border control areas, and military theatres.
NOVELTY A dual-purpose headset provides essentially “hands-free” fingerprint authentication through a conventional cellphone. The user touches a fingerprint sensor in a head covering or eyeglasses when prompted. The head covering or eyeglasses deploy a short-distance wireless communication technology – such as Bluetooth via the headset.
NOVELTY Incorporate “fingerprint certainty” into conventional devices (such as an ATM, a desktop computer, or even keyless car access) through the headset. The user touches a fingerprint sensor in the head covering or the eyeglasses that has a wireless connection to the headset. Once user identity is authenticated, access is allowed to the ATM, the desktop, or the car. Also, the sensor can also be located in the headset.
