System and method for personal identification
View Patent ↗A personal identification system includes local computer systems to be operated by authorized users, a remote computer system having common resources (data, hardware, etc.) to be accessed from the local computer systems, and a personal verification system having a database section which stores passwords of each authorized user and physical characteristics data corresponding to each password. When a user made a request to a local computer system for the use of the common resources of the remote computer system, physical characteristics (a fingerprint etc.) of the user is scanned by a scanning section of the local computer system, and characteristics data generated based on the scanned physical characteristics is sent to the personal verification system. The personal verification system searches the database section for a password using the received characteristics data as a key, and sends the searched password to the local computer system. The local computer system which received the password sends the password to the remote computer system for personal identification of the user. Passwords of the authorized users are managed solely by the personal verification system, thereby the user is allowed to make access to the common resources of the remote computer system easily and freely without the need of memorizing and inputting a complicated password.
1. A personal identification system for an information processing system including two or more local computers and a remote computer having common resources which can be accessed by each of the local computers, comprising:
a personal verification system as common equipment for the local computers, including a database for storing passwords of each authorized user and physical characteristics data corresponding to each password,
wherein each of the local computers is provided with a physical characteristics scanning/sending means for scanning physical characteristics of a user when the user makes a request to one of the local computers for the use of the common resources of the remote computer, the physical characteristics scanning/sending means generating characteristics data based on the scanned physical characteristics of the user, and, the physical characteristics scanning/sending means sending the characteristics data to the personal verification system, and
wherein the personal verification system which receives the characteristics data from the physical characteristics scanning/sending means of the one of the local computers, searches the database for a password using the received characteristics data as a key, and sends the searched password to the one of the local computers, and
wherein the one of the local computers, which receives the password from the personal verification system, sends the received password to the remote computer for user identification, and
wherein the personal verification system includes a computer that searches the database and that sends the searched password to the one of the local computers, the computer of the personal verification system being separate and distinct from the remote computer.
2. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the remote computer includes a user personal identification means for executing personal identification of the user by use of the password which is sent from the one of the local computers.
3. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local computers, the remote computer and the personal verification system are connected together by a communication network.
4. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication network is an Ethernet LAN.
5. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication network is a wireless LAN.
6. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a fingerprint of the user is scanned by the physical characteristics scanning/sending means as the physical characteristics of the user.
7. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an iris pattern of the user is scanned by the physical characteristics scanning/sending means as the physical characteristics of the user.
8. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a retina pattern of the user is scanned by the physical characteristics scanning/sending means as the physical characteristics of the user.
9. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a voiceprint of the user is scanned by the physical characteristics scanning/sending means as the physical characteristics of the user.
10. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein only the remote computer determines whether or not a user of the one of the local computers is permitted or denied access to the common resources that corresponds to data stored at the remote computer.
11. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the user desires to access common resources that are stored at the remote computer, and
wherein the remote computer makes the sole determination, based on the received password, as to whether or not to grant the user access to the common resources, and
wherein, when the user is granted access to the common resources, a user-requested portion of the common resources are sent to the one of the local computers of the user by way of the remote computer.
12. A personal identification system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the personal verification system is disposed remotely from the local computers and remotely from the remote computer.
13. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein only the remote computer determines whether or not a user of the one of the local computers is permitted or denied access to the common resources that corresponds to data stored at the remote computer.
14. A personal identification method for an information processing system including two or more local computers and a remote computer having common resources which can be accessed by each of the local computers, comprising the steps of:
scanning, by one of local computer computers, physical characteristics of a user when the user makes a request to the one of the local computers for the use of the common resources of the remote computer;
generating, by the one of the local computers, characteristics data based on the scanned physical characteristics of the user;
sending, by the one of the local computers, the characteristics data to a personal verification system which is provided to the information processing system as common equipment for the local computers and which includes a database for storing passwords of each authorized user and physical characteristics data corresponding to each password;
receiving, by the personal verification system, the characteristics data sent from the one of the local computers;
searching, by the personal verification system, the database for a password using the received characteristics data as a key;
sending, by the personal verification system, the searched password to the one of the local computers;
receiving, by the one of the local computers, the password sent from the personal verification system; and
sending, by the one of the local computers, the received password to the remote computer for user identification,
wherein the personal verification system includes a computer that searches the database and that sends the searched password to the one of the local computers, the computer of the personal verification system being separate and distinct from the remote computer.
15. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising a user personal identification step in which the remote computer executes personal identification of the user by use of the password which is sent from the one of the local computers.
16. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the local computers, the remote computer and the personal verification system are connected together by a communication network.
17. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the communication network is an Ethernet LAN.
18. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the communication network is a wireless LAN.
19. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein a fingerprint of the user is scanned in the physical characteristics scanning/sending step as the physical characteristics of the user.
20. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein an iris pattern of the user is scanned in the physical characteristics scanning/sending step as the physical characteristics of the user.
21. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein a retina pattern of the user is scanned in the physical characteristics scanning/sending step as the physical characteristics of the user.
22. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein a voiceprint of the user is scanned in the physical characteristics scanning/sending step as the physical characteristics of the user.
23. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the user desires to access common resources that are stored at remote computer, and
wherein the remote computer makes the sole determination, based on the received password, as to whether or not to grant the user access to the common resouces, and
wherein, when the user is granted access to the common resources, a user-request portion of the common resources are sent to the one of the local computer of the user by way of the remote computer.
24. A personal identification method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the personal verification system is disposed remotely from the local computers and remotely from the remote computer.