Contactless Card Positioning for Continuous Digital Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing user authentication methods for digital services require frequent re-authentication, leading to undue user attention and decreased experience, and existing contactless card technologies do not provide continuous authentication based on proximity.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing a contactless card that provides continuous authentication by generating encrypted data based on a cryptographic algorithm and a diversified key, activated by proximity to a client device, with periodic status messages to verify card activity, ensuring ongoing authorization as long as the card remains active.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If continuous re-authentication is required to maintain security, then security is improved, but user experience deteriorates due to undue attention and effort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication securityVSAvoiduser experience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication by verifying the contactless card's presence and validity before granting access to the digital service. Once authenticated, the card remains validated for a session period, eliminating the need for repeated authentication actions by the user while maintaining security through continuous card presence verification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If authentication duration is extended to reduce re-authentication frequency, then user experience is improved, but security deteriorates due to increased risk window

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication continuityVSAvoidsecurity risk window
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous feedback by periodically verifying the contactless card's presence and validity during the authentication session. The card reader and application exchange status messages to confirm the card remains active and未被移除, allowing the system to maintain extended authentication duration while continuously monitoring security conditions and terminating access if the card is removed or becomes invalid.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If contactless card proximity authentication is implemented, then user experience is improved by reducing repeated input, but device complexity increases due to card reader and continuous verification requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication convenienceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The contactless card serves itself as the authentication credential, containing its own encrypted data and cryptographic keys. The card reader simply needs to read the card's presence and exchange verification messages without requiring complex user interactions or additional authentication devices. The card's embedded security elements perform self-verification, reducing the burden on the client device's complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4000237B1Continuous authentication for digital services based on contactless card positioning
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 CAPITAL ONE SERVICES LLC
  • EP4000237B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4000237B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4000237B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Various embodiments are generally directed to continuous authentication of a user to a digital service based on activity of a contactless card positioned proximate to a computing device on which the digital service operates. For example, a series of periodic status messages may be provided between a client device and the contactless card to verify whether the contactless card remains active, wherein authorization to access the digital service continues while the contactless card is active, and terminates when the contactless card is inactive.