Systems and methods for storage of user information and for verifying user identity

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for maintaining user profile information and allowing for biometric verification of the user's identity. The user stores or links to personal, financial, etc. information in a web page. The user can limit the types of information that is available to others. The information can be downloaded to a portable device. The information can be used for financial transactions, where the financial information is transmitted to a web site, an ATM, credit card machine, etc. for financial approval. The information can also be used to find other users with similar interest. The user stores selected characteristics that they would like to find in other users, which are compared with other user's profiles. Matching users are aided in locating one another, where they may then prove their identity to each other by biometrically verifying that they are the owner of the user profile.

1 . A system for comparing user profiles to determine users having matching interests and biometrically verifying the identity and information of the matching users to each other as part of a comparison of user profile information, comprising:
 a storage device comprising a user profile database comprising user profile information for a plurality of users;   a user device associated with said storage device, said user device comprising a user interface for receiving user profile information from the users;   a biometric verification interface for biometrically verifying each user to the user's associated profile information stored in said user profile database; and   a processing element in communication with said user interface, biometric interface, and storage device, wherein said processing element:
 receives user profile information input by each user via said user interface, including user preferences regarding other users; 
 stores the user profile information for each user in the user profile database, wherein one or more of the user profile information for each user is biometrically associated with a respective third party institution and can be verified by the third party institution, wherein the user profile information associated with third party institutions is stored in both the user profile database and a third party database associated with the respective third party institution, where the user profile database and the third party database associated with the third party institution are separate databases; 
 performs a user profile information pre-verification for each user by contacting third party institutions associated with the respective user profile information to verify the user profile information stored in the user profile database, such that the user profile information is verified by the third party institution prior to use; 
 compares user preferences for each user stored in the user's profile information with the user preferences of the other of the plurality of users; 
 returns only those user profiles for users having matching user preferences, so that only users are indicated in the comparison that have common interests; and 
 allows via the user interface each of the users that were indicated as matching to access user profile information stored in the user profile database for the other user, including access to the user profile information verified by the third party institution prior to use, such that mutual access by the users to the other user's verified user profile information is provided; 
 wherein the system biometrically links all users to each other and to their respective institutions so that their associated biometrically verified information is permitted to be searched by others to find the best mutual matches for any enquiring user; and 
 wherein the biometrically linking comprises storing a user's biometric on the user's own device and on the other user's devices and requiring a user to have their biometric scanned by and verified by the other user's device to protect against tampering. 
   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the user profile information comprises at least one clickable/selectable direct electronic link to user profile information associated with the user that is stored on a third party database of a third party institution, such that the user profile information associated with the user may be verified by accessing the clickable/selectable direct electronic link. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said storage device is a central storage device accessible via a network. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein portions of at least some of the user profile information stored in said user profile database is designated as information that can be accessed by other users. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the user profile information stored in said user profile database is stored in a web page that includes links to biometrically verified information regarding the user. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said user device comprises a plurality of user devices each associated with a respective user and each comprising a network interface for communicating with said storage device via a network. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein said biometric interface comprises a plurality of biometric interfaces each located in a respective user device. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein said user device is one of a cell phone, personal digital assistant, or personal computer. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein said user device comprises a GPS device for tracking the location of said user interface. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 9 , wherein said GPS device comprises a transceiver for transmitting a location of said user interface. 
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said processing element further performs a user profile comparison with other users and providing a list of one or more second users having user profile information that matches user profile information associated with the first user, and wherein said processing element allows each user to create different user profiles to be used in the searches. 
     
     
         12 . A system according to  claim 11  further comprising a transceiver associated with each user device, wherein said transceiver transmits user profile information in a geographic area surrounding the user device and receives user profile information from other user devices in the geographic area, and wherein said processing element compares user profile information received from another user device with selected search criteria set by the user of the user device, and indicates a match if there is a match between the user profile information received from another user device with the selected search criteria.