A biometrically enabled transaction token was devised at the UK National Physical Laboratory as long ago as the late 1980s. It was then envisaged that the use of this electronic token in, e.g. payment transactions, would be enabled by automatic personal identification methods. The methods suggested included the measurement of biometric characteristics such as `written signatures, fingerprint and vein scanning'. It was suggested that the PIN be retained as a supplementary check on identity. Particular emphasis was given to the prospects for vein scanning as the basis of a new biometric.

Chapter Contents:

• 18.1 Introduction
• 18.2 The main challenges
• 18.2.1 Realising the promised utility and convenience of biometric authentication despite ageing
• 18.2.2 Some generic requirements set by the context
• 18.2.3 Standards compliance
• 18.3 Why is it timely to plan for use of robust biometric authentication on a much wider scale than now?
• 18.4 Choice of biometric sub-systems
• 18.5 Guiding principles
• 18.5.1 Laws of identity
• 18.5.2 Encryption methods
• 18.5.3 Secure hardware
• 18.5.4 Location - where am I now? At home or 1000 miles away?
• 18.6 Scope for the independent IMS provider to operate a profitable business - the business case
• 18.7 The role of the smart phone as a biometric token
• 18.8 Applications requiring enablement by biometrics - a proposed taxonomy
• 18.9 Conclusions
• References

Inspec keywords: vein recognition; geriatrics

Other keywords: UK national physical laboratory; systems delivery; written signatures; biometrically enabled transaction token; automatic personal identification methods; biometric characteristics; payment transactions; fingerprint scanning; ageing tolerant biometrics; supplementary identity check; PIN; vein scanning; electronic token

Subjects: Computer vision and image processing techniques; Image recognition