Biometric Seed Reconstruction for Secure HD Wallet Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for generating seeds for private keys in blockchain technology require users to remember and store the seed, which is cumbersome and prone to loss or theft, and current protocols struggle with secure sharing of hierarchical deterministic wallets.
Innovation Solution
A biometric-based method for generating a seed by translating minutia features from multiple biometric readings into a binary string, allowing secure and user-friendly generation and reconstruction of private keys, including shared wallets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seed is generated as a random bit-sequence for HD key management, then security is improved, but usability deteriorates because users must remember and store the raw bit-sequence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a biometric copy (fingerprint template) that can be used to regenerate the seed without storing the actual seed or requiring users to memorize it. The biometric template serves as a secure copy that can be processed to reproduce the original cryptographic material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manually storing and remembering seed sequences with a biometric system. Instead of relying on human memory and physical storage, the system uses fingerprint-based generation to automatically recreate the seed when needed.
2Reliability
If seed entropy is increased to enhance security, then the number of random words in the mnemonic phrase increases, making it increasingly difficult or infeasible to memorize
Solution Approach 1:
The biometric system performs the security function automatically without requiring users to manually manage high-entropy data. The fingerprint template itself serves as the security mechanism, eliminating the need for users to memorize long mnemonic phrases while maintaining high security standards.
3Ease of operation
If biometric readings are used to generate seeds, then usability is improved by eliminating manual storage, but new challenges arise in ensuring the biometric data can be reliably reconstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing of biometric data during enrollment to create a stable template that can be reliably reconstructed later. The template is prepared in advance with error correction and normalization to ensure consistent regeneration of the seed across multiple readings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates error tolerance and variability compensation into the biometric template creation process. By anticipating potential variations in biometric readings, the system builds in buffers and correction mechanisms that allow reliable seed reconstruction even when biometric conditions vary slightly.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer-implemented method of generating a seed for deriving one or more private keys, wherein the method comprises: obtaining one or more biometric readings; and for each of the one or more biometric readings: identifying a plurality of biometric features; generating a plurality of respective first binary representations, wherein at least some of the first binary representations are generated based on respective sets of the plurality of biometric features, and wherein the first binary representations preserves physical differences between the biometric features; and generating a respective second binary representation, each respective second binary representation being generated based on the respective first binary representations; wherein the method further comprises generating a seed based on the respective second binary representations.