SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR STORING DATA TO A HANDHELD DEVICE
A portable, biometrically-secured device for facilitating various different types of in-person and online transactions. For example, the portable, biometrically-secured device can be used to safely perform in-person financial transactions, such as credit card transactions, in which the user's identity is biometrically authenticated. The portable, biometrically-secured device can also be used for performing biometrically-secured online transactions. For example, the portable, biometrically-secured device can be used to create a secure platform from which to make the online transactions by loading a secure operating system from the device to a host computer's volatile memory. Biometrically-secured online transactions can then be performed using the host computer. In one embodiment, the portable, biometrically-secured device facilitates online financial transactions that can be performed without transmitting a user's financial information to the online merchant.
1 . A system for storing data on a handheld device, the system comprising:
a handheld device comprising:
an interface configured to couple to a host computer,
a biometric sensor configured to receive biometric information from a user,
a memory configured to store operating system instructions for execution by the host computer, and
a processor coupled to the memory and the biometric sensor, the processor being configured to load the operating system instructions to the host computer for controlling the operation thereof;
one or more storage devices configured to store user data; and
a server coupled to the host computer via a network, the server configured to:
receive the biometric information from the handheld device via the host computer, the host computer operating under the control of the operating system instructions,
authenticate the biometric information, and
access and transmit the user data to the handheld device upon authentication of the biometric information.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user data comprises financial data.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user data comprises backup data.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the biometric sensor comprises a fingerprint sensor.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises a read-only memory.
6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the memory comprises a first memory and a second memory, the second memory comprising a read/write memory configured to store the user data transmitted to the handheld device by the server.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the server and the one or more storage devices are coupled by a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the biometric information comprises a portion of a first unique identifier derived from a user's biometric signature and wherein the server is configured to:
receive the portion of the first unique identifier,
compare the portion of the first unique identifier with a portion of a second unique identifier stored at the server, and
access the user data if the portion of the first unique identifier corresponds to the portion of the second unique identifier.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the server is configured to receive and store the portion of the second unique identifier during a process of registering the handheld device.
10 . A method for storing data on a handheld device, the method comprising:
receiving biometric information of a user over a network from a host computer in communication with the first handheld device, the host computer operating under the control of operating system instructions loaded to the host computer from the first handheld device;
authenticating the biometric information; and
transmitting user data over the network to the first handheld device via the host computer if the biometric information is successfully authenticated.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising disabling access to the user data by a second handheld device previously associated with the user data.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein disabling access to the user data by a second handheld device is performed in response to receiving a unique identifier of the second handheld device after having determined that the first handheld device is a new handheld device.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising issuing a command to delete user data stored on the second handheld device.
14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining if the first handheld device is a new handheld device by receiving a unique device identifier from the first handheld device.
15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the biometric information comprises at least a portion of a first unique identifier derived from the user's biometric signature and authenticating the biometric information comprises comparing the portion of the first unique identifier with a portion of a second unique identifier.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving and storing the portion of the second unique identifier during a process of registering the handheld device.
17 . A system for storing data on a handheld device, the system comprising:
means for receiving biometric information over a network from a host computer in communication with the first handheld device, the host computer operating under the control of operating system instructions loaded to the host computer from the first handheld device;
means for authenticating the biometric information; and
means for transmitting user data over the network to the first handheld device via the host computer if the biometric information is successfully authenticated.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the operating system instructions are configured to control the host computer independently of a native operating system of the host computer.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the operating system instructions are configured to prohibit access by the host computer to non-volatile memory of the host computer.