EMV Smart Card Authentication via Mobile Tap and Card Network
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing payment processing systems face challenges in authenticating users securely without the need for dedicated hardware on transaction cards, as two-factor authentication methods may be inconvenient and vulnerable to fraud when the card number and device are compromised.
Innovation Solution
Utilize the existing Europay-Mastercard-Visa (EMV) transaction infrastructure to perform user authentication by tapping a smart card to a mobile device, incorporating a graphical user interface to request and verify user identity, leveraging the existing payment processing infrastructure to facilitate user authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two-factor authentication is used to verify user authenticity, then security is improved, but convenience deteriorates and the system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the authentication function with the existing EMV payment card infrastructure. The smart card already present in the user's possession is used for both payment and authentication purposes, eliminating the need for separate authentication devices or steps. The card reader performs both payment processing and authentication verification through the same infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The EMV smart card and card reader infrastructure is made multi-functional, serving both as a payment mechanism and an authentication tool. The card can be used to authenticate users for various purposes (access control, device login, transaction authorization) without requiring dedicated hardware for each function, thereby improving convenience while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If specialized transaction card hardware is added to perform authentication functionalities, then authentication capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing EMV card infrastructure universal by enabling it to perform authentication functions in addition to payment processing. No specialized authentication hardware is added to the card or reader; the same chip and communication protocols are reused to provide both payment and authentication capabilities, thereby avoiding increased manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the card's existing cryptographic capabilities and the reader's current processing power to perform authentication. The authentication function leverages resources already present in the EMV infrastructure rather than requiring additional dedicated hardware components, making the system self-sufficient with respect to authentication needs.
3Reliability
If two-factor authentication requiring separate device interaction is implemented, then security is improved, but the system becomes more vulnerable to fraud when card number and device are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a card reader as an intermediary device that physically reads the smart card and verifies authentication through the EMV infrastructure. This intermediary mechanism ensures that even if the card number is known, the physical card must be presented and read through the secured EMV channel, adding a layer of security that prevents fraud when card numbers are compromised.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces traditional mechanical or physical authentication methods (such as separate authentication devices or steps) with an electronic cryptographic verification process through the EMV infrastructure. The card reader electronically verifies the card's authenticity and authentication status through cryptographic protocols, making the system more secure against fraud while maintaining ease of use.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed embodiments may include a method for authenticating a user. The method may include receiving first information at a card network from a mobile device. The mobile device may have received the first information from a smart card. The method may include determining, at the card network, that the first information includes an authentication flag. The method may include authenticating, by the card network, an identity of the user by comparing the first information to second information associated with the user and stored in a database. The method may further include transmitting, from the card network, identity information associated with the first information to the mobile device.