Biometric Template Caching for Smart Card Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing biometric authentication systems for secure device access are inefficient as they often require repeated extraction of biometric templates from smart cards during authentication processes, which can be time-consuming and vulnerable to security threats.

Innovation Solution

A method where a smart card reader extracts and transmits a biometric template to a user computing device, which stores it in a cache for efficient retrieval, while ensuring security through encryption using a content protection key and optional additional keys, and implements multi-factor authentication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If biometric templates are extracted from smart cards during each authentication process, then security is maintained through centralized storage, but authentication time increases and efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidauthentication time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and stores biometric templates from smart cards in advance into a local cache database on the authentication device, so that subsequent authentication operations can retrieve templates locally without repeated smart card access, thereby reducing authentication time while maintaining security through controlled extraction processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If biometric templates are stored in plain text for fast retrieval, then authentication efficiency improves, but security against attacks deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication efficiencyVSAvoidvulnerability to attacks

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms biometric template data from plain text format into encrypted format using encryption algorithms, changing the data representation parameters so that templates can be stored and processed efficiently while remaining secure against unauthorized access and attacks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If multiple encryption keys are used to protect biometric templates, then security against hardware-based attacks improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity against attacksVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the protection mechanism into multiple layers by using different encryption keys for different aspects: a first encryption key protects the biometric template data itself, while a second encryption key protects the cache database structure, creating segmented security zones that collectively defend against hardware-based attacks without overwhelming system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2590101B1Authentication using stored biometric data

Publication Date: 2017.09.27 BLACKBERRY LTD

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AI summary

A method is provided for storing a biometric template extracted a smart card for use on a user computing device. The biometric template is extracted from the smart card using a smart card reader. The biometric template is encrypted using a content protection key. The content protection key is encrypted using at least one of a device password or a smart card password. The password may be hashed. The encrypted biometric template, the encrypted content protection key and the hashed password may then be stored in a cache. A method for using the stored biometric template to access the user computer device is also provided.