Automatic Payer Authentication Using BLE and Facial Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned payment stations require cumbersome authentication processes for customers, such as swiping credit cards and entering user IDs, which are inconvenient and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing Near Field Communication (NFC) and facial recognition, combined with Bluetooth proximity, to automatically authenticate customers for hands-free payments, including facial profile generation and verification through a payment service provider's server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional authentication methods (swiping credit card, entering user ID and password) are used at unmanned payment stations, then payment security is maintained, but the authentication process becomes cumbersome and inconvenient for customers
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-registering customer facial profiles and storing them in a database before the actual payment transaction occurs. When a customer approaches the payment station, the system already has the facial recognition capability ready to immediately identify and authenticate the customer without requiring them to perform manual authentication steps
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/manual authentication system (swiping cards, typing passwords) with an automated optical recognition system using facial recognition technology. The camera captures the customer's face, compares it against stored profiles, and automatically authenticates them, eliminating the need for physical card handling and manual input
2Productivity
If automatic facial recognition authentication is implemented, then authentication speed and convenience are improved, but system complexity increases due to requirements for cameras, databases, and recognition algorithms
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by using a single camera-based facial recognition mechanism that can authenticate multiple different customers without requiring separate authentication protocols for each user. The same hardware and software infrastructure handles all customer identifications, making the system scalable without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the physical customer to present their actual credit card or ID, the system creates and stores a digital copy (facial profile) of the customer's face. This digital copy serves as the authentication credential, simplifying the physical infrastructure needed while enabling rapid automated verification during transactions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables quick and accurate customer identification at unmanned payment stations, reducing the need for manual authentication and enhancing the payment process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A system utilizing Near Field Communication (NFC) and facial recognition, combined with Bluetooth proximity, to automatically authenticate customers for hands-free payments
Implementation Method 2
facial profile generation and verification through a payment service provider's server
Implementation Method 3
combined with Bluetooth proximity, to automatically authenticate customers
Data Source
AI summary
A system or method may be provided to facilitate automatic user authentication for electronic transactions. In particular, the system or method may automatically authenticate a customer such that the customer may make complete hands free payments without the intervention of the customer or the merchant. The automatic authentication may include a check-in process and a payment authentication process. When a customer enters a designated area of a merchant, a BLE beacon device of the merchant may automatically check in the customer at the designated area of the merchant. After the customer is checked in at the merchant's designated area, the merchant may identify the customer who is about to make a payment from a plurality of other customers who also are checked in at the merchant via Bluetooth proximity and facial recognition in parallel. Thus, the customer may automatically be authenticated to make payments by facial recognition or Bluetooth proximity.