Personal verification in a commercial transaction system

A personal identification key comprising:

• a. a hollow tube to receive a light scanner;
• b. a print film on top of the tube;
• c. an optical data film for permanently storing encoded fingerprint data;
• and
• d. a cover to partially enclose the tube, the print film, and the optical data film.

A method of personal identification comprising the steps of:

• a. permanently storing encoded finger print data on an optical data film;
• b. mounting the optical data film in a windowed key in which the encoded fingerprint data is not scannable from outside the key, the key comprising:
• i. a hollow tube to receive a laser light scanner;
• ii. a print film on top of the tube;
• iii. an optical data film for permanently storing the encoded fingerprint data;
• and
• iv. a cover to partially enclose the tube, the print film, and the optical data film;
• c. simultaneously scanning the encoded finger print data and a finger print with a laser light;
• d. receiving light reflected from the optical data film and the finger print;
• e. processing the received light to determine coincidence between the encoded finger print data and the finger print;
• f. upon a threshold degree of coincidence in step e., indicating a satisfactory scan;
• and
• g. upon failure of a threshold degree of coincidence in step e., indicating an unsatisfactory scan.