[ltp] credit fingerprint

[David A. Desrosiers]

> just thought of something, might even be available as we speak, but 
> couldn't banks use fingerprint technologies so we could get rid of 
> the 10 credit cards in our pockets? or better yet. this could be 
> used anywhere. no wallet at all :)

	I've proposed this back in 1999 (yep, 6 years ago) as part of 
a series of research papers I crafted at my former employer.

	Basically my idea was that you would have a credit-card sized 
device (thickness and dimensions) that had a biometric "fingerplate" 
on it (based on the fingerchip, which is about 0.4mm x 14 mm in size 
@500dpi[1], but was made by a different company back in 1999).

	On the front of the card were several reprogrammable 
"silkscreen" buttons. You would tap a button and be asked to enter a 
pin number (unique to the service, not the physical "multicard" 
itself). Then you would validate that service and pin with your 
fingerprint. The combination of pin + fingerprint would "complete" the 
unlock process for that specific capability of the card (which 
satisfies CFR 21:11 [Something you have, something you know, something 
you are]).

	For example, you would tap the "Visa" button, and be asked to 
enter a pin and swipe your fingerprint across the card's fingerchip. 
Once validated, you could then use the magstrip (or dynamically 
created barcode) on the back of the card *AS* a real Visa card. After 
the magstrip was swiped, the card goes back to "generic" mode where it 
is nothing more than a pocket calculator.

	If you wanted to use it as your ATM card, the same process 
applies. Tap the ATM button on the front, enter your unique pin, swipe 
your finger across the surface, and slide into the ATM card slot.

	The great thing about the fingerchip is that it relies upon 
the heat, pressure, and "style" of your fingerswipe (much like 
someone's handwriting. No two people press down the same way on the 
paper with a pen, and no two people dot their I's and cross their T's 
the same way). 

	If you swipe fast, it grabs 'n' datapoints, if you swipe slow, 
it grabs 'n + z' datapoints (i.e. more resolution). You can't just 
chop off someone's finger and swipe it, that won't work because their 
heat signature won't be similar enough. You also can't take a wax 
print or tape imprint to fake the fingerprint. Its pretty slick stuff.

	Unfortunately, we've never seen it in the multicard... yet. 


[1] http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=2602

David A. Desrosiers
desrod@gnu-designs.com
http://gnu-designs.com