초록 ▼

A lock (19) which by physical or logical means controls human access to an objective (29) such as a restricted area or a computer system is controlled by a data processing system (10) which has access to a store of authorised users (14) and a store of complex images (15), specifically images of huma

A lock (19) which by physical or logical means controls human access to an objective (29) such as a restricted area or a computer system is controlled by a data processing system (10) which has access to a store of authorised users (14) and a store of complex images (15), specifically images of human faces. Each authorised user knows certain ones of the complex images, and these key images are linked to an identity statement unique to that user. On receipt of an identity statement signifying an authorised user, a matrix of images including the key images is presented to the user on a display (12), and by means of a suitable input device (20) the user must identify which images are his key images in order to confirm authorisation and be permitted access. The user and image stores (18) may be carried in credit card form as a section of an optical disk. The high security of the system results from the inability of a person to communicate adequately to another the ability to recognise a third person or other complex image.

대표청구항 ▼

A personal identification device comprising a store of personal identity statements and a store of complex images including key complex images linked with personal identity statements and false complex images not associated with personal identity statements, a complex image being an image that is re

A personal identification device comprising a store of personal identity statements and a store of complex images including key complex images linked with personal identity statements and false complex images not associated with personal identity statements, a complex image being an image that is recognizable when already known but not readily capable of unique description to a person to whom it is not known so that when a particular complex image is included in a set of similar but not identical complex images, the particular complex image is distinguishable from other complex images in the set, by the human senses of a person familiar with the particular complex image, within a predetermined time interval when the whole set is displayed, but it is not readily possible to describe the particular complex image in terms which are sufficiently precise that another human being unfamiliar with the particular complex image can subsequently identify it among other complex images of the set using normal unaided human senses to discern the particular image, and within a time interval similar to the predetermined time interval, and provided that reference to and comparison with other complex images of the displayed set is not permitted as part of a description.