BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to methods and systems for verifying the validity of biometric data, and more particularly, to a method of host-directed illumination for verifying the validity of biometric data captured from a user at a remote location and a system for conducting such host-directed illumination.

Typically, during network-based biometric authentication transactions conducted with a user at a remote location, the user requesting authentication provides a claim of identity and biometric data. However, imposters have been known to impersonate users during remotely conducted network-based biometric authentication transactions by providing a false claim of identity supported by fraudulent biometric data in an effort to deceive an authenticating entity into concluding that the imposter is the person they claim to be. Such impersonations are known as spoofing.

Impostors currently use many methods to obtain or create fraudulent biometric data of others that can be submitted during authentication transactions. For facial biometric data imposters have been known to obtain two-dimensional pictures of others, from social networking sites such as Facebook, which can be presented to a camera during authentication to support a false claim of identity. Imposters have also been known to create fraudulent biometric data by making a physical model of a biometric modality, such as a fingerprint using gelatin or a three-dimensional face using a custom mannequin. Moreover, imposters have been known to eavesdrop on networks during legitimate network-based biometric authentication transactions to surreptitiously obtain genuine biometric data of users. The imposters then use the obtained biometric data for playback during fraudulent network-based authentication transactions. Such fraudulent biometric data are known to be difficult to detect using known liveness detection methods. Consequently, accurately conducting network-based biometric authentication transactions with biometric data captured from a user at a remote location depends on verifying the physical presence of the user during the authentication transaction as well as accurately verifying the identity of the user with the captured biometric data. Verifying that the biometric data presented during a network-based biometric authentication transaction conducted at a remote location is from a live person at the remote location, is known as liveness detection or anti-spoofing.

Methods of liveness detection have been known to use structure derived from motion of a biometric modality, such as a face, to distinguish a live user from a photographic image. Other methods have been known to detect sequential images of eyes or eyeblink techniques to determine if face biometric data is from a live user. However, such methods may not detect spoofing attempts that use high definition video playback to present fraudulent biometric data, and therefore do not provide high confidence liveness detection support for entities dependent upon accurate biometric authentication transaction results.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, a method of host-directed illumination for verifying the validity of biometric data of a user is provided that includes capturing biometric data from a user with an authentication device during authentication, and directing illumination of the biometric data during the capturing operation from a host authentication system. Moreover, the method includes comparing illumination characteristics of the captured biometric data against illumination characteristics expected to result from the directing operation, and determining that the user is a live user when the illumination characteristics of the captured biometric data match the illumination characteristics expected to result from the directing operation.

In another aspect, a computer system for verifying the validity of biometric data presented by a user during authentication transactions is provided. The computer system includes a service provider system associated with a business engaged in controlling access to resources and that contains a data base. The service provider system is configured to control access to resources relating to users enrolled therein and to conduct transactions. Moreover, the computer system includes a host authentication system that includes an authentication database. The host authentication system is configured to communicate with the service provider system over a network, to randomly select instructions stored therein to be executed while capturing biometric data, to store at least enrollment biometric data of a plurality of users, to determine the liveness of a user requesting to conduct a transaction requiring access to the resources stored in the service provider system, and to authenticate users determined to be live users. Furthermore, the computer system includes an authentication device configured to communicate with the service provider system and the host authentication system over the network, to illuminate the biometric modality presented by the user, and to capture biometric authentication data.

The host authentication system is further configured to direct the authentication device to illuminate the presented biometric modality, compare illumination characteristics of captured biometric data against illumination characteristics expected to result from illuminating the presented biometric modality, and determine that the user is a live user when the illumination characteristics of the captured biometric data match the illumination characteristics expected to result from illuminating the presented biometric modality.

In yet another aspect, a computer program recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, included in an authentication computer system, for verifying the validity of biometric data presented by a user attempting to conduct a network-based transaction is provided. The computer program causes the authentication computer system to execute at least randomly selecting at least one instruction stored in a host authentication system and transmitting the at least one instruction to an authentication device. Moreover, the computer program causes the authentication computer system to execute the at least one instruction with the authentication device while capturing biometric data from the user with the authentication device. The biometric data is captured as a sequence of photographic images that each include a captured biometric data component and captured illumination characteristics. Furthermore, the computer program causes the authentication computer system to transmit the captured biometric data to the host authentication system, and to compare each of the captured illumination characteristics against corresponding expected illumination characteristics. When the captured illumination characteristics match the corresponding expected illumination characteristic the computer program causes the authentication computer system to determine that the user is a live user.

