Anonymous Authentication via Blinded Biometric Tokens

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current communication systems face challenges in balancing the accuracy of information with individual privacy, particularly in healthcare settings, where patients' anonymity is often compromised to access sensitive data, hindering healthcare providers' ability to obtain accurate and up-to-date records.

Innovation Solution

The system employs anonymous authentication methods by generating biometric templates, tokens, and signatures, which are blinded and encrypted, allowing verification without revealing personal information, enabling healthcare providers to access accurate records while maintaining patient privacy through secure storage and verification processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If anonymous authentication is implemented to protect patient privacy, then patient anonymity is preserved, but the ability to verify unique identities and access accurate records is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepatient anonymityVSAvoididentity verification accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces biometric templates as an intermediary between the patient's identity and the authentication system. These templates are extracted from biometric data, stored encrypted in a database, and used for verification without revealing the patient's actual identity. The template acts as a mediator that enables unique identification while preserving anonymity, as it contains only the essential verification information needed for authentication without exposing personal identifiers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a copy of the biometric information in the form of a template that can be stored and processed separately from the original biometric data. This template copy contains the essential features needed for verification but is stripped of identifying information. The system uses this copied template for authentication purposes while the original biometric data remains protected, allowing verification without exposing the actual identity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Object-affected harmful factors

If biometric templates are stored encrypted in a database to protect privacy, then patient information security is improved, but the complexity of the authentication system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation securityVSAvoidauthentication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the authentication system into distinct functional components: biometric data acquisition, template extraction, encryption, database storage, and verification. Each component handles a specific task in the authentication process. The biometric template is further segmented from the original biometric data, storing only the essential verification features. This segmentation reduces overall system complexity by making each component independent and manageable while maintaining security through encrypted storage of the segmented template data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If traditional authentication methods are used to verify patient identities, then accurate information access is enabled, but patient privacy and anonymity are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentity accuracyVSAvoidpatient privacy
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential verification information from the complete biometric data to create a condensed template. This template contains solely the features necessary for authentication while removing all personally identifiable information. By taking out only what is needed for verification and leaving out the identifying details, the system enables accurate identity verification without compromising patient privacy or exposing sensitive personal information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9202083B2Systems and methods for verifying uniqueness in anonymous authentication
Publication Date: 2015.12.01 PARTNET INC
  • US9202083B2 patent drawing
  • US9202083B2 patent drawing
  • US9202083B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A method for anonymous authentication by an electronic device is described. The method includes obtaining biometric data. The method also includes generating a token. The method also includes blinding the token to produce a blinded token. The method also includes sending the blinded token and biometric information based on the biometric data to a verifier. The method also includes receiving a signature of the blinded token from the verifier if corresponding biometric information is not stored by the verifier.