Document and bearer verification system

1. A method for verifying biometric and/or other information obtained from persons and/or from documents to verify the identity of the persons and/or the validity of the documents, while protecting the privacy of the persons, where there are a plurality of databases with information about the persons and the documents, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying the ones of the plurality of databases that contain information necessary for verifying the obtained information;

comparing the information from the identified databases with the obtained information to verify the latter without disclosing database information to anyone; and

providing an indication whether or not the obtained information matches the information from the identified databases.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the obtained information is obtained from a source and further comprising the step of forwarding the information match indication to the source.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the step of forwarding the obtained information to a remote location where the information comparing step takes place.

4. The method in accordance with claim 2 wherein a person provides the obtained information in order to obtain a document, and the obtained information is verified during the information comparing step to verify the identity of the last mentioned person before the last mentioned document is issued to that person.

5. The method in accordance with claim 2 wherein a person provides an issued document and the obtained information to be verified is obtained from that person and from the issued document they provide.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein a person provides the obtained information in order to obtain a document, and the obtained information is verified during the information comparing step to verify the identity of the last mentioned person before the last mentioned document is issued to that person.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein a person provides an issued document and the obtained information to be verified is obtained from that person and from the issued document they provide.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein a person provides an issued document and the obtained information to be verified is obtained from that person and from the issued document they provide.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 8 further comprising means for obtaining the information from persons and documents and wherein the information match indication provided by said indication providing means is forwarded to the database identifying means that in turn forwards the information match indication to the information obtaining means that provided the obtained information.

10. Apparatus for verifying biometric and/or other information obtained from persons and/or from documents, to verify the identity of the persons and/or the validity of the documents, while protecting the privacy of the persons, where there are databases with information about the persons and the documents, said apparatus comprising:

means for identifying the databases that contain information necessary for verifying the obtained information;

means for comparing the information from the identified databases with the obtained information to verify the latter without disclosing database information to anyone; and

means for providing an indication whether or not the obtained information matches the information from the identified databases.

11. The invention in accordance with claim 10 further comprising means for obtaining the information from persons and documents and wherein the information match indication provided by said indication providing means is forwarded to the database identifying means that in turn forwards the information match indication to the information obtaining means that provided the obtained information.

12. The invention in accordance with claim 11 wherein the comparison means is located remote from the database identifying means.

13. The invention in accordance with claim 10 wherein a person provides the obtained information in order to obtain a document, and the obtained information is verified by the comparing means to verify the identity of the last mentioned person before the last mentioned document is issued to them.

14. The invention in accordance with claim 13 further comprising means for obtaining the information from persons and documents and wherein the information match indication provided by said indication providing means is forwarded to the database identifying means that in turn forwards the information match indication to the information obtaining means that provided the obtained information.

15. A method for verifying biometric and/or other information obtained from persons and/or from documents to verify the identity of the persons and/or the validity of the documents, while protecting the privacy of the persons, where there are databases with information about the persons and the documents, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining information from persons and/or from documents from at least one terminal;

identifying the databases that contain information necessary for verifying the obtained information;

forwarding the obtained information to one or more servers that have access to the information in the identified databases;

comparing the information from the identified databases with the obtained information in the server to verify the obtained information without disclosing database information to anyone;

providing an indication whether or not the obtained information matches the information from the identified databases; and

returning the match indications to the terminal from which the obtained information that was compared to database information was originally sent.

16. The method in accordance with claim 15 wherein a person at a terminal provides the obtained information in order to obtain a new document, and the obtained information is verified during the information comparing step to verify the identity of the last mentioned person before the new document is issued to that person.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 wherein the databases are locations remote from the terminals.

18. The method in accordance with claim 15 wherein a person at a terminal provides an issued document and the obtained information to be verified is obtained from that person and from the issued document they provide.

19. The method in accordance with claim 18 wherein the databases are locations remote from the terminals.

20. Apparatus for verifying biometric and/or other information obtained from persons and/or from documents, to verify the identity of the persons and/or the validity of the documents, while protecting the privacy of the persons, where there are databases with information about the persons and the documents, said apparatus comprising:

at least one terminal at which information is obtained from persons and/or from documents;

an information verification server for identifying the databases that contain information necessary for verifying the information obtained at ones of the terminals;

at least one trust authority server associated with at least one of the databases, and the obtained information is forwarded via the information verification server to the trust authority server associated with the identified databases, and the trust authority server compares the obtained information forwarded to it to verify the obtained information without disclosing database information to anyone; and

wherein the trust authority server provides an indication whether or not the obtained information matches the information from the identified databases, and the information match indication is returned via the information verification server to the terminal from which the obtained information was originally sent for verification.

21. The invention in accordance with claim 20 wherein a person at a terminal provides the obtained information in order to obtain a new document, and the obtained information is verified by the trust authority server before the new document is issued to that person.

22. The invention in accordance with claim 20 wherein a person at a terminal provides an issued document and the obtained information to be verified is obtained from that person and from the issued document they provide.

23. A method for verifying biometric and/or other information obtained from persons and/or from documents to verify the identity of the persons and/or the validity of the documents, while protecting the privacy of the persons, where there are multiple databases with information about the persons and the documents, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying the ones of the multiple databases that contain information necessary for verifying the obtained information;

forwarding the obtained information to one or more servers that have access to the information in the identified databases to verify the obtained information without disclosing database information to anyone; and

receiving an indication from the one or more servers indicating whether or not the obtained information matches the information in the identified databases.

24. A method for verifying biometric and/or other information obtained from persons and/or from documents to verify the identity of the persons and/or the validity of the documents, while protecting the privacy of the persons, where there are multiple databases with information about the persons and the documents, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request at one or more servers that have access to information in ones of the multiple databases needed to verify the information obtained from the persons and/or from the documents without disclosing database information to anyone;

comparing the obtained information with information in the last mentioned ones of the multiple databases at the one or more servers to verifying the obtained information; and

forwarding an indication from the one or more servers whether or not the obtained information matches the information in any of the multiple databases.

25. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions for verifying biometric and/or other information obtained from persons and/or from documents to verify the identity of the persons and/or the validity of the documents, while protecting the privacy of the persons, where there are multiple databases with information about the persons and the documents, the executable program instructions comprising program instructions for:

identifying ones of the multiple databases that contain information necessary for verifying the obtained information;

comparing the information from the identified databases with the obtained information to verify the latter without disclosing database information to anyone; and

providing an indication whether or not the obtained information matches the information from the identified databases.

26. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions for verifying biometric and/or other information obtained from persons and/or from documents to verify the identity of the persons and/or the validity of the documents, while protecting the privacy of the persons, where there are multiple databases with information about the persons and the documents, the executable program instructions comprising program instructions for:

obtaining information from persons and/or from documents from at least one terminal;

identifying the ones of the multiple databases that contain information necessary for verifying the obtained information;

forwarding the obtained information to one or more servers that have access to the information in the identified databases;

comparing the information from the identified databases with the obtained information in the server to verify the obtained information without disclosing database information to anyone;

providing an indication whether or not the obtained information matches the information from the identified databases; and

returning the match indications to the terminal from which the obtained information that was compared to database information was originally sent.