BIO-key International, an innovative provider of identity and access management (IAM) solutions powered by biometrics, announced that the company has been issued patent # 10,984,085 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its invention titled “Biometric Recognition for Uncontrolled Acquisition Environments.” The patent will protect BIO-key's method of enabling next-generation continuous and passive biometric user experiences with its process for enrollment and continuous authentication. The patent expands BIO-key's portfolio to a total of 18 IAM and biometric patents.The patent provides an important asset for the company to leverage for its own authentication platforms and to license to mobile device and laptop manufacturers, along with associated security software providers to enhance their security capabilities. The patent's methods are expected to be particularly valuable deployed in mobile devices with in-screen fingerprint sensors, cameras and microphones generating a continuous stream of partial biometric samples of fingerprints, faces or voices over time. With BIO-key's patented approach, this initially imperfect sample stream is assembled into a full and complete biometric template that can be used to complete the end-user's enrollment or authentication in a seamless and efficient manner. BIO-key's intelligent data pre-processing and transformation algorithms sort through these varying samples of biometric data, making reliable and accurate connections between samples of different sizes, resolution qualities and points of view. In this manner, it supports continuous authentication assurance of a user's identity during ongoing activity.Historically, biometric enrollment and authentication were event-based. Users enrolled into a biometric system which captured their data through a regimented process to create their enrollment record. Likewise, authentication was a discrete sample capture-and-compare event which produced a yes or no answer at a point in time. As biometric security evolved, BIO-key identified a need for more adaptable, passive and continuous enrollment and authentication methods to establish and maintain confidence that the device user remains the same over time.”This patent extends BIO-key's leadership in innovating unobtrusive methods to protect individual identities for next-generation biometrics systems,” said Mira LaCous, Chief Technology Officer, BIO-key International. “With enterprises and end users asking for less-intrusive means to assure and protect identities, this technology is a valuable weapon in the fight against identity theft and account takeover, while making it easier for end users to get things done.”