Driver IC Encryption for Display Panel Fingerprint Sensors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fingerprint information transmitted from fingerprint sensors in mobile devices is often unencrypted, making it vulnerable to interception and exposure to unintended parties during user registration and authentication processes.

Innovation Solution

A display device and method that integrate a fingerprint sensor and driver IC to detect and encrypt fingerprint information within the display panel, using various encryption options such as flip, location change, brightness change, noise mix, hashing, and filtering techniques, before transmitting the encrypted data to the application processor.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If fingerprint information is transmitted without encryption from the fingerprint sensor to the application processor, then the transmission process is simple and fast, but the security of fingerprint data is compromised and vulnerable to interception

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity of fingerprint dataVSAvoidcomplexity of encryption process
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing encryption of fingerprint data immediately after acquisition from the sensor, before the data leaves the display panel. The driver IC encrypts the fingerprint information during the transmission preparation phase, ensuring security is established beforehand rather than attempting to secure already-transmitted data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The driver IC serves as an intermediary component between the fingerprint sensor and the application processor. It receives unencrypted fingerprint data from the sensor, performs encryption processing, and then transmits the encrypted data to the application processor, thereby protecting the data during transmission without requiring the application processor to handle raw unencrypted data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If fingerprint information is encrypted after transmission to the application processor, then the transmission can be simple, but the fingerprint data is exposed during transmission and can be intercepted by unintended parties

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveefficiency of data transmissionVSAvoidrisk of data interception
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The encryption operation is performed in advance within the driver IC before the fingerprint data is transmitted to the application processor. This preliminary encryption ensures that the data is protected during the entire transmission process, eliminating the security vulnerability that would exist if encryption were delayed until after transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If multiple encryption options are applied to fingerprint data within the display panel, then the security level is enhanced, but the processing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity level of fingerprint dataVSAvoidprocessing time for encryption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The encryption process is segmented into multiple independent options that can be selectively applied to different portions or aspects of the fingerprint data. The system can choose from various encryption methods (such as different algorithms or parameter sets) and apply them in a modular fashion, allowing flexible security levels without requiring all encryption operations to be executed simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements partial action by allowing selective application of encryption options based on security requirements. Not all encryption methods need to be applied to all fingerprint data in all situations - the system can apply appropriate encryption levels selectively, balancing security needs with processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3525470B1Display device
Publication Date: 2022.09.07 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP3525470B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3525470B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3525470B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

A display device (10) includes a plurality of pixels, a plurality of gate signal lines extending in a first direction and connected to the plurality of pixels, and a plurality of data signal lines extending in a second direction and connected to the plurality of pixels. The second direction crosses the first direction. The display device (10) further includes a fingerprint sensor (200) configured to detect fingerprint information, and a driver integrated circuit (IC) (61) configured to transmit a plurality of scan signals to the pixels via the gate signal lines, transmit a plurality of data signals to the pixels via the data signal lines, receive the fingerprint information from the fingerprint sensor, and encrypt the received fingerprint information. The display device (10) further includes an application processor (62) configured to receive the encrypted fingerprint information from the driver IC (61).