IDEX patents biometric enrollment tech as leading payment scheme demos contactless cards

IDEX Biometrics has been granted a pair of comprehensive patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for on-card enrollment to biometric smart cards without a connection. The same innovation is covered by pending IDEX patents in other jurisdictions, as well.

The solution created by IDEX consists of a small receptacle with an embedded power source, which can be shipped in the mail. The biometric smart card is inserted in the sleeve, the user touches the fingerprint sensor area of the card several times, and an LED lights up to indicate the process has been successfully completed. This eliminates the need for enrollment in-branch or at a kiosk, as is the established conventional method, according to the announcement, but also avoids the need for the card-issuer to provide devices compatible with the enrollment process.

“We are extremely pleased to have been granted these broad patents in the US and we also have a number of international patents pending for global coverage. This is an important part of IDEX’s competitive strategy to provide complete end-to-end biometric solutions,” says IDEX Biometrics Chief Innovation Officer Fred Benkley. “There’s no need to involve any other device, no apps, no wireless pairing and no compatibility problems to worry about. Our enrollment invention not only addresses privacy concerns, it potentially aids financial inclusion by offering a cost-effective, practical solution for developing countries. We expect unconnected enrollment will champion over connected methods.”

IDEX has also announced that a leading Asian payment scheme is demonstrating dual interface biometric payment cards featuring the company’s fingerprint sensors at the 2nd Digital China Summit this week in Fuzhou, China.

The demonstration is the result of collaboration between IDEX and previously announced partners in the Chinese smart card ecosystem, and is manufactured by Hengbao.

IDEX notes that ABI Research has predicted the number of smart cards for payments shipped annually in Asia is expected to grow by 500 million from 2017 to 2022.

“This is an exciting milestone for the biometric payment card market, both in China and beyond,” comments IDEX Biometrics CEO Stan Swearingen. We are very proud that our dual-interface sensor is featuring on this card from Hengbao and being demonstrated by one of the biggest payment schemes in the world.”

Swearingen recently wrote in a Biometric Update guest post that the rest of the world will follow Asia’s lead in biometric fingerprint payment card adoption as both consumers and financial institutions are educated about the technology.

IDEX will announce its first quarter 2019 results on May 9, 2019, the same day as its AGM.

Article Topics

biometric cards  |  biometric enrollment  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint authentication  |  Idex Biometrics  |  patents