Methods for Person's Verification Using Photographs on Identification Documents

Abstract

One embodiment of a method of present invention provides for collecting personal information from a requester, obtaining a digital copy of a photo ID from the requester, isolating requester's photograph from the photo ID, obtaining images from computer network information sources, comparing requester's photograph with the images obtained from computer network information sources, and calculating a statistical rating of a likelihood that requester's photograph and images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources display the same person.

1 . A method, comprising the steps of:
 a) collecting a personal information from a requester via a web-based graphical user interface, wherein said web-based graphical user interface is achieved by a first computer-readable code on a server computer and by a second computer-readable code on a remote computer, and wherein said server computer and said remote computer are communicatively connected via a computer network,   b) obtaining a digital copy of an identification document from said requester, wherein said identification document contains a requester's photograph,   c) isolating said requester's photograph from said digital copy of said identification document,   d) obtaining one or more images from one or more computer network information sources, wherein said one or more images are selected from a plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources as a function of said personal information,   e) comparing said requester's photograph with said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources using a predetermined algorithm, and   f) calculating a statistical rating of a likelihood that said requester's photograph and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources display the same person.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said personal information contains a name of said requester. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said personal information contains a mailing address of said requester. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said personal information contains a home address of said requester. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said personal information contains an electronic mail address of said requester. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said personal information contains a telephone number of said requester. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said personal information contains a date of birth of said requester. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said personal information contains a login name of said requester to a social network website. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said personal information contains a password of said requester to a social network website. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said computer network contains the Internet. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said identification document comprises a government issued identification document. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said identification document comprises a driver's license. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said identification document comprises a passport. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said identification document comprises a state identification card. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said isolating said requester's photograph from said digital copy of said identification document comprises analyzing said digital copy of said identification document using an optical face detection algorithm and identifying an area of said digital copy of said identification document containing facial features. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said isolating said requester's photograph from said digital copy of said identification document comprises identifying a type of said identification document and extracting said requester's photograph from a predetermined area of said digital copy of said identification document corresponding to said type of said identification document. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more computer network information sources comprises a website. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more computer network information sources comprises a webpage. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more computer network information sources comprises an online blog. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more computer network information sources comprises a social network website. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more computer network information sources comprises an image sharing website. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said function for selecting said one or more images from said plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources comprises selecting an image posted onto said one or more computer network information sources from an account of said requester. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said function for selecting said one or more images from said plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources comprises selecting an image tagged with a name of said requester. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said function for selecting said one or more images from said plurality of all images in said one or more computer network information sources comprises selecting an image appearing in a social network account of said requester. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 g) extracting a first set of facial features from said requester's photograph isolated from said digital copy of said identification document.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 g) extracting a second set of facial features from said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined algorithm for comparing said requester's photograph with said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources comprises comparing a first set of facial features extracted from said requester's photograph isolated from said digital copy of said identification document with a second set of facial features extracted from said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said statistical rating is calculated as a real number in a range from 0 to 1, wherein value 0 indicates the lowest likelihood and value 1 indicates the highest likelihood that said requester's photograph and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources display the same person. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said statistical rating of value 0.5 and above indicates that said requester's photograph and said one or more images obtained from said one or more computer network information sources display the same person. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said statistical rating is calculated as an integer number of 0 or 1.