Independent biometric identification system

A method of independent biometric identification of a user comprising the steps of:

• receiving an access request from a user's system;
• when the access request is received, forwarding the user's system to an independent remote biometric identification server, wherein the independent remote biometric identification server
• i) obtains the user's biometric characteristics using a capture device connected to the user's system,
• ii) creates an access token after successfully identifying the user by comparing said obtained biometric characteristics to templates stored in a database, and
• iii) subsequently provides the access token to the user's system;
• receiving from the user's system the access token created by the independent remote biometric identification server;
• requesting from the independent remote biometric identification server information associated with the access token received from the user's system;
• receiving from the independent remote biometric identification server the information associated with the access token;
• and
• deciding whether to grant the request from the user's system for access based on the information associated with the access token,
• wherein the steps are performed sequentially.

A method of independent biometric identification of a user comprising the steps of:

• receiving an access request from an application server, which is independent from a user's system, by an independent remote biometric identification server;
• the independent remote biometric identification server providing the user's system with a software component that captures the user's biometric characteristics with a capture device connected to the user's system;
• receiving the captured user's biometric characteristics from the user's system by the independent remote biometric identification server;
• the independent remote biometric identification server comparing the received user's biometric characteristics with templates stored in a database in order to identify the user;
• if the user is successfully identified, the independent remote biometric identification server providing an access token to the user's system, wherein the user's system subsequently provides the access token to the application server in order for the application server to send the access token to, and request information associated with the access token from, the independent remote biometric identification server;
• and
• upon receipt of the access token from the application server, the independent remote biometric identification server providing the application server with information associated with the access token to allow the application server to decide whether to grant access to resources to the user.