Biometrically secured control system for preventing the unauthorized use of a vehicle
US5867802A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 2, 1996 |
| Grant date | Feb 2, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 2, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07C9/26
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and system are provided for restricting the use of a vehicle such as an automobile to a person or persons whose fingerprints match biometric data stored within a memory in the vehicle's control system. A user's digitized fingerprints are stored in a non-volatile permanent ROM in the BIOS of a microcontroller on in a ROM accessed by a microprocessor. The microprocessor's primary task is that of executing instructions related to the operation of the vehicle, such as regulating the fuel flow rate, and performing other such tasks. Before the microprocessor can execute its instructions related to its primary task it, must complete and exit a conditional loop of instructions that relate to validating a user's "real-input" biometric data. Real scanned fingerprints must be compared with fingerprint(s) stored in ROM. If the result of the compare is a true, i.e. is a match, then the conditional loop is satisfied and the microprocessor can execute its instructions relating to operating the vehicle.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.