IDEX Biometrics has increased the potential scope of its on-card enrollment solution with new patents in the United States and Germany. The patents detail alternative ways to register a user’s fingerprint to a biometric smart card, and expand on the company’s existing biometric enrollment system.

That system was patented in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom over the course of 2019, and has already been licensed to a number of different card manufacturers, including Chutian Dragon and IDEMIA. The self-contained system does not need to be connected to an external network, and allows users to link a fingerprint to a new card on their own, negating the need for another device or a trip to a physical establishment like a bank.

The updated patents will theoretically improve on that utility. They describe a disposable, stick-on power source that can be peeled off and discarded once the registration is complete.

“On-card enrollment solutions are the de-facto standard for biometric smart card enrollment worldwide and we continue to expand our patent coverage in key geographies,” said IDEX CEO Stan Swearingen.

The news comes shortly after IDEX received EMVCo Certification. The distinction is expected advance the company’s efforts to mass produce components for biometric smart cards.