Biometric Thin Card Reader with Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Card-not-present fraud remains unaddressed by existing technologies, as EMV chips do not provide protection in remote transactions, and biometric sensors on credit cards require external power sources, making them costly and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A thin card reader integrated into a wallet, powered by an RF source or energy harvester, using piezoelectric bimorph springs to generate electricity, which includes biometric sensors for authentication, reducing the need for external power and enabling secure transactions without additional hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If biometric sensors are integrated directly into credit cards with all electronics and RF communications, then card-not-present fraud can be reduced, but the cost of the credit card increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the biometric authentication functionality into two separate components: a lightweight credit card containing only the biometric sensor and a separate external reader containing the electronics, power source, and RF communication capabilities. This segmentation allows the credit card to remain simple and low-cost while the reader handles the complex functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The external reader acts as an intermediary device that bridges the credit card and the transaction system. The reader provides the necessary power, processing, and communication infrastructure, allowing the credit card to authenticate users without needing its own power source or complex electronics.
2Reliability
If biometric sensors on credit cards are powered by external power sources or batteries, then authentication can be performed, but the device becomes cumbersome requiring cables or charging
Solution Approach 1:
The external reader is designed to be self-powered through energy harvesting mechanisms that capture ambient energy (such as kinetic energy from handling the device or RF energy from the environment). This eliminates the need for batteries or cable connections, making the reader convenient to use without requiring charging or power sources.
3Reliability
If EMV chips are used for card-present transactions, then counterfeit fraud is reduced, but card-not-present fraud remains unprotected
Solution Approach 1:
The biometric sensor integrated into the credit card provides universal authentication capability that works for both card-present and card-not-present transactions. The same biometric data captured on the card can be used to verify identity in person or remotely, making the authentication method adaptable to different transaction types and eliminating the need for separate protection mechanisms.
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
The thin card reader effectively reduces card-not-present fraud by authenticating users through biometric data stored on the device, providing secure transactions in remote locations while reducing the cost and complexity of biometric-enabled credit cards.
Implementation Method 1
A thin card reader integrated into a wallet, powered by an RF source or energy harvester, using piezoelectric bimorph springs to generate electricity
Data Source
AI summary
A thin card reader (TCR) designed to reduce card-not-present fraud, in credit card transactions, and other applications where security verification is needed in remote locations. The TCR is powered by external RF power, or through a battery. Further, the TCR uses energy from an energy harvester, which converts the mechanism energy used to insert the credit card into the TCR. Energy harvesting allows the TCR to be a self-powered device, alleviating the need to charge the TCR or connect a cable thereto. TCR shifts the burden of the electronics from the card to the TCR, reducing the cost of credit cards with a biometric sensor. One TCR can be used per consumer (with many cards), reducing costs and resulting in substantial savings. The TCR also allows remote enrollment of biometrically enabled credit cards where the new card can be entered into a TCR when placed in a self-enrollment mode.