Method and apparatus for automatic control of access

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling access of individuals to a service, device or location in order to restrict access to members of a particular age and/or gender category, by machine-sensing a predetermined biometric characteristic of the individual indicative of the particular age and/or gender category and utilizing the machine-sensed characteristic for automatically controlling access of the individual. The method and apparatus are particularly suited to controlling access of children to age-inappropriate Internet sites.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of controlling access of an individual to a service, device or location in order to restrict access to members of a particular category, comprising: 
 machine-sensing at least one predetermined biometric characteristic of the individual indicative of said particular category; and    utilizing said machine-sensed characteristic for automatically controlling access of the individual to said particular service, device or location.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said particular category is an age category.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said particular category is a gender category.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said machine-sensed biometric characteristic is the degree of ossification of an examined bone of the individual.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said degree of ossification of the bone of the individual is determined by sensing the presence or absence of a bone growth-plate in the examined bone.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said examined bone is a phalanx of a finger or toe in the hand or foot of the individual.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said examined bone is a wrist bone in the wrist of the individual.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the gender of the individual is also utilized, in addition to said degree of ossification of said examined bone, for automatically controlling the access of the individual to said particular service, device or location.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein facial characteristics of the individual are machined-sensed by a camera to determine the individual's gender.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said machine-sensed biometric characteristic of the individual is a facial characteristic sensed by a camera.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said machine-sensed biometric characteristic of the individual is a voice characteristic sensed by a microphone.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the access controlled is access to an electronic medium.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for controlling access of an individual to a service, device or location in order to restrict access to members of a particular category, comprising: 
 at least one sensor for sensing at least one predetermined biometric characteristic of said individual indicative of said particular category; and    a data processor for receiving the sensed biometric characteristic, comparing the biometric characteristic to reference data that correlates the biometric characteristic to the particular category, and outputting a signal indicating whether or not access to said particular service, device or location is permitted.    
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said reference data correlates the sensed biometric characteristic to an age category.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said reference data correlates the sensed biometric characteristic to a gender category.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said predetermined biometric characteristic sensed by said sensor is the degree of ossification of an examined bone of the individual.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said sensor senses the degree of ossification of an examined bone of the individual by sensing for the presence or absence of a bone growth-plate.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said sensor is an ultrasonic sensor constructed for examining a phalanx of a finger or toe in the hand or foot of said individual.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said sensor is an ultrasonic sensor constructed for examining a wrist bone in the wrist of the individual.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said reference data also correlates the gender of the individual together with the degree of ossification of the examined bone to said particular age category for automatically controlling the access of the individual to said particular service, device or location.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said sensor is a camera for sensing the face of the individual.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said sensor is a microphone for sensing the voice of the individual.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said sensor is housed in a manual control member of an electronic medium.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said sensor is housed in an electronic medium.  
     
     
         25 . A memory device storing in an installable format a software application for analyzing at least one biometric characteristic of an individual to determine if said individual belongs to a particular category; and for automatically controlling access of the individual to a service, device or location in order to restrict access according to said particular category.  
     
     
         26 . The memory device of  claim 25 , wherein said particular category is an age and/or gender category.  
     
     
         27 . The memory device of  claim 25 , wherein said biometric characteristic is the presence or absence of a bone growth-plate.  
     
     
         28 . A hardware storing in an executable format an application for analyzing at least one biometric characteristic of an individual to determine if said individual belongs to a particular category; and for automatically controlling access of the individual to a service, device or location in order to restrict access according to said particular category.  
     
     
         29 . The hardware of  claim 28 , wherein said particular category is an age and/or gender category.  
     
     
         30 . The hardware of  claim 28 , wherein said biometric characteristic is the presence or absence of a bone growth-plate.  
     
     
         31 . An apparatus for to restricting access or use to individuals being members of a particular category, comprising, housed therein, a sensor for sensing a predetermined biometric characteristic of said individuals indicative of said particular category.  
     
     
         32 . A method of conducting business comprising: 
 upgrading a user client to perform a biometric age and/or gender classification; and    selling or licensing to a service provider and/or content provider an access control package operably communicating with said user client.