Personal authentication

Abstract

A method and system of authenticating a person is disclosed. The authentication may include verifying authenticity of the person when interacting with a point of sale system or other authenticating requesting device according to whether biometric information collected proximate in time to the authentication request sufficiently correlates with biometric information previously collected from trust sources.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A personal authentication system comprising:
 a biometric signature device having a non-transitory computer-readable medium with a plurality of biometric signature instructions executable with a processor, wherein the plurality of biometric signature instructions are for:
 i) determining device originating biometric information from a plurality of devices; 
 ii) generating biometric signatures from the device originating biometric information for a plurality of users associated with the plurality of devices; 
   a biometric authentication device having a non-transitory computer-readable medium with a plurality of biometric authentication instructions executable with a processor, wherein the plurality of biometric authentication instructions are for:
 i) determining point-of-authentication originating biometric information from a point-of-authentication device, the point-of-authentication device originating biometric information biometrically characterizing a first user interacting with the point-of-authentication device; and 
 ii) identifying the first user interacting with the point-of-authentication device as one of the plurality of users having a one of the biometric signatures most closely correlated with the point-of-authentication device originating biometric information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the point-of-authentication device is a point of sale (POS) system; and 
 the plurality of biometric authentication instructions are for identifying a name or other identifier of the first user for use in facilitating purchase of a product through the POS system. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of biometric authentication instructions are for associating the name or other identifier identified for the first user with an authentication score, the authentication score representing a probability of the first user being the one of the plurality of users having the most closely correlated biometric signature. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the plurality of biometric authentication instructions are for indicating the authentication score as one of low, medium and high. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of biometric authentication instructions are for associating the name or other identifier identified for the first user with an authentication score, the authentication score representing one or more of:
 an account balance; 
 an authorized spending limit; 
 billing information; and 
 a clearance level. 
 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the point-of-authentication device is a point of sale (POS) system; and 
 the plurality of biometric authentication instructions are for identifying a pecuniary limit of the first user for use in facilitating purchase of a product through the POS system. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the point-of-authentication device is an entry system to a secure area; and 
 the plurality of biometric authentication instructions are for:
 i) determining the first user to be verified when permitted access to the secure area and to be unverified when not permitted access to the secure storage area; 
 ii) instructing the entry system to permit the first user access to the secure area when verified and to deny the first user access to the secure area when unverified. 
 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the point-of-authentication device is a computer operating a web browser for purposes of attempting to log into to a website through a secure portal; and 
 the plurality of biometric authentication instructions are for:
 i) determining the first user to be verified when permitted to log into the secure portal and the be unverified when not permitted to log into the secure storage portal; and 
 ii) instructing the secure portal to permit log in of the first user when verified and to deny log in of the first user when unverified. 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of biometric signature instructions are for determining the device originating biometric information from device originating audio recordings captured with the plurality of devices while being controlled using verbal commands issued from a corresponding one of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of non-transitory instructions executable with a processor for authenticating a purchaser attempting to make a purchase through a point of sale system, the non-transitory instructions for:
 determining one or more devices;   generating biometric signatures for users from device originating biometric information, the device originating biometric information biometrically characterizing users associated with the one or more devices;   receiving point of sale originating biometric information from the point of sale system, the point of sale originating biometric information biometrically characterizing purchaser interaction with the point of sale system; and   authenticating the purchaser as the user having the biometric signature most closely correlated with the point of sale originating biometric information.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10  further comprising the non-transitory instructions for:
 generating the device originating biometric information as a function of voice commands issued by the users to control one or more of the devices; and 
 receiving the point of sale originating biometric information as verbal answers of the purchaser spoken at the point of sale system in response to one or more test questions. 
 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory instructions for of  claim 11  further comprising the non-transitory instructions for:
 receiving a provisional identification of the purchaser from the point of sale system; 
 instructing the point of sale device to administer the one or more test questions to the purchaser, including selecting the one or more test questions to be administered from a plurality of test questions associated with the biometric signature most closely correlated with the point of sale originating biometric information. 
 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10  further comprising the non-transitory instructions for:
 generating the device originating biometric information as a function of voice samples collected from the users; 
 selecting a plurality of words recorded within the voice samples; and 
 instructing the point of sale system to prompt the purchaser to speak one or more of the plurality of words, the point of sale originating biometric information including voice sample recordings of the spoken one or more of the plurality of words. 
 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10  further comprising the non-transitory instructions for generating an authentication score for the user, the authentication score representing on a relative scale how closely the most closely correlated of the point of sale originating biometric information matches with the biometric signature of the purchaser. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18  further comprising the non-transitory instructions for associating a purchase limit amount with the purchaser, the purchaser limit amount recommending a pecuniary limit for the purchaser based on the authentication test score such that the pecuniary limit is greater for higher authentication test scores than for lower authentication test scores. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of non-transitory instructions executable with a processor for authenticating a purchaser attempting to make a purchase through a point of sale system, the non-transitory instructions for:
 collecting point of sale originating biometric information with the point of sale system, the point of sale originating biometric information biometrically characterizing the purchaser when interacting with the point of sale system;   transmitting the point of sale originating biometric information to an authentication entity, the authentication entity:
 i) determining device originating biometric information from a plurality of devices operating independently of the point of sale system; 
 ii) generating biometric signatures from the device originating biometric information for a plurality of users associated with the plurality of devices; 
 iii) identifying an identity of the purchaser as one of the plurality of users having a one of the biometric signature most closely correlated with the point of sale originating biometric information; and 
 iv) transmitting the identity to the point of sale system; and 
   authenticating the purchaser to make the purchase as a function of the identity received from the authentication entity.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16  further comprising the non-transitory instructions for:
 generating the point of sale originating biometric information as a function of voice samples collected from the purchaser; 
 selecting a plurality of words to be spoken by the purchaser for recording as at least part of the voice samples as a function of spoken word instructions received from the authentication entity, the spoken word instructions identifying the plurality of words; and 
 prompting the purchaser to speak one or more of the plurality of words. 
 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16  further comprising the non-transitory instructions for:
 generating a provisional identity for the purchaser based at least in part on the point of sale originating biometric information; 
 transmitting the provisional identity to the authentication entity prior to receiving the identity therefrom, the authentication entity thereafter determining the plurality of words to be spoken from audio recordings associated with the biometric signature most closely correlated with the provisional identity; and 
 receiving the spoken word instructions from the authentication entity after transmitting the provisional identity thereto. 
 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16  further comprising the non-transitory instructions for:
 facilitating purchaser interaction with a website used to purchase the product through a secure portal of the point of sale system; 
 granting the purchaser log into the secure portal when the identity is verified; and 
 denying the purchaser log into the secure portal when the identity is unverified. 
 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16  wherein the point of sale system is an automated teller machine (ATM) configured to distribute cash to the purchaser and the non-transitory instructions are for:
 determining a pecuniary limit for the purchaser as a function of the identity provided from the authentication entity; and 
 permitting the purchaser to withdraw cash from the ATM up to the pecuniary limit.