Biometric Key Encryption Using Redundant Multi-Key Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing encryption methods require exact key information for both encryption and decryption, which is impractical with noisy biometric data, as they often result in data loss due to key mismatches.

Innovation Solution

The method employs a redundant representation of data using multiple encryption and decryption keys, where each key is an estimate of an encryption/decryption key pair, allowing data recovery even if some keys are incorrect, by distributing data content across groups and using error-detecting codes to compensate for errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If exact key information is used for encryption and decryption, then data security is maintained, but the system becomes impractical with noisy biometric data resulting in data loss

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoidcompatibility with noisy biometric data

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the data into multiple groups and assigns different encryption keys to each group. This segmentation allows the system to tolerate noise in biometric data by encrypting only the necessary portions, enabling flexible decryption even when the biometric key is imperfect.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the key parameter from requiring exact matches to accepting approximate matches. By using multiple keys derived from noisy biometric data and combining them through logical operations, the system achieves reliable decryption without exact key information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If multiple encryption keys are used to handle noisy biometric data, then data recovery capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata recovery capabilityVSAvoidencryption key management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple encryption keys and multiple decryption keys through logical operations (AND/OR) to achieve successful data recovery. This merging approach allows the system to handle noisy biometric data by combining the strengths of multiple keys while distributing the complexity across multiple operations rather than requiring a single complex key management system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20090208019A1Method and apparatus for encrypting/decrypting data

Publication Date: 2009.08.20 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for encrypting data (105) by means of a first key (115), and a method and apparatus for decrypting encrypted data by means of a second key (185). The present invention alleviates the need for exact key information by allowing encryption of data (105) by means of a first key (115) and subsequent decryption of the encrypted data by means of a second key (185) without the need for the first key (115), provided that the first key (115) and the second key (185) form a sufficient estimate of an encryption/decryption key pair. During encryption, multiple encryption keys (135), at least in part based on the first key (115), are used to encrypt a redundant representation (122) of the data (105). The encrypted data (124) may subsequently be decrypted by using multiple decryption keys (165) based on the second key (185), without the need for the first key (115), provided that the second key (185) forms a sufficient estimate of the first key (115).