Systems and methods for reading a security clearance card

Abstract

The security clearance card, system, and method include a card that stores data to verify the identity of an owner of the card. In addition to other types of information, the card stores biometric data of the owner and other identity data. Different portions of the data may be encrypted with different encryption techniques based upon a predetermined level of security assigned to the portions of the stored data. Reader elements are then capable of reading at least a portion of the encrypted data stored on the security clearance card, and receiving at least one biometric from an individual. The biometric stored in the card is then compared with the biometric of the individual presenting the security clearance card to verify that the holder of the card is the owner of the card.

1 . A method for restricting access to a data portion stored on a security clearance card, the method comprising:
 at a card reader, reading at least two data portions from the security clearance card, wherein each data portion is encrypted using a different encryption key;   at a computing system, communicating with the card reader, wherein the computing system has an associated security level indicative of data portions that the computing system is authorized to access from among the at least two data portions;   attempting to decode the at least two data portions via at least one associated security key, wherein data portions that were encrypted with the associated security key are decoded and read by the computing system, while other data portions encrypted using another security key not accessible by the computing system are not decoded by the computing system,   wherein access by the computing system is restricted to some data portions read from the security clearance card.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, when the security clearance card is presented to the card reader element:
 reading the data portions stored on the card; and   decoding data portions that were encrypted with the associated security key.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving the data portions read by the card reader; and   decoding those data portions having an associated security level specified for access by a security clearance value associated with the computing system.   
     
     
         4 . A method for restricting access to a data portion stored on a security clearance card, the method comprising:
 reading data portions from at least one security clearance card, wherein each security clearance card has data portions including at least a first data portion and a second data portion, and wherein the first data portion is encrypted using a first encryption key, and the second data portion is encrypted using a second encryption key;   associating a first computing system with a first security clearance value indicative of data portions the first computing system is authorized to access on the at least one security clearance card, wherein the first computing system has a first security key corresponding to the first encryption key;   associating a second computing system with a second security clearance value indicative of data portions the second computing system is authorized to access on the at least one security clearance card, wherein the second computing system has a second security key corresponding to the second encryption key;   at the first computing system, attempting to decode the data portions via the first security key, wherein the first computing system decodes the first data portion; and   at the second computing system, attempting to decode the data portions via the second security key, wherein the second computing system decodes the second data portion.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 reading the data portions stored on the security clearance card; and   decoding the data portions corresponding to a security clearance value.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first data portion has a first security level value and the second data portion has a second security level value, the method further comprising:
 at a card reader, reading the first data portion and the second data portion from the security clearance card, wherein the card reader has a security clearance value indicative of authorization to decode data having the first security level value, and wherein the card reader decodes data having the first security level value; and   at a respective computing system, reading the first data portion and the second data portion from the security clearance card, wherein the respective computing system has a security clearance value indicative of authorization to decode both data having the first security level and data having the second security level value, and wherein the respective computing system decodes both the first data portion and the second data portion.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising altering the first security clearance value, wherein the data portions accessible by the respective computing system is changed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising operating a plurality of respective computer systems, wherein each respective computer system has associated therewith a security clearance value indicative of a security level corresponding to accessible data portions. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising associating a plurality of secure locations with respective card readers, wherein each secure location has a security level value associated therewith. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each secure location is one of a facility, a location of an item, and a location of a data file. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each security clearance card has an associated security clearance value indicative of a security level for secure locations that an owner of the security clearance card may access, such that an owner may only access selected secure locations. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising altering the security clearance value associated with a security clearance card to change specific secure locations accessible by the owner of the security clearance card. 
     
     
         13 . A method for restricting access to a data portion stored on a security clearance card, the method comprising:
 storing data within the security clearance card, wherein the security clearance card includes at least a first data portion and a second data portion;   encoding the first data portion within a data storage medium within the security clearance card, wherein the first data portion has an associated first security level accessible when decoded and read by a corresponding first reading device; and   encoding the second data portion within the data storage medium within the security clearance card, wherein the second data portion has an associated second security level accessible when decoded and read by a corresponding second reading device.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising encoding within the data storage medium a bar code containing data for verifying an identity of a holder of the security clearance card. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising storing at least three types of data on a security clearance card having at least two data storage mediums, wherein the at least three types of data include identity data, field data, and other data, and wherein identity data is data used to verify an owner of the security clearance card, field data is data associated with the owner of the security clearance card, and other data is data of interest stored on the security clearance card, and wherein one data storage medium may include all three types of data stored therein and at least one other data storage medium may include only identity and field data stored therein. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 storing a plurality of data portions in the security clearance card, wherein at least one of the plurality of data portions comprises at least one biometric identifier of an owner of the security clearance card; and   associating each data portion with a security level from among a plurality of different security levels.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising logging a record of at least one event related to creation of the security clearance card and modification of data on the security clearance card. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising storing a validity date corresponding to a date that the card becomes valid for use.