Face Authentication With Selective Secondary Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing face authentication systems are vulnerable to impersonation by third parties due to similarities in facial features, leading to insufficient security enhancements.

Innovation Solution

An authentication system that includes first and second authentication processes, where the first process determines potential impersonation by comparing input and registered authentication information, and the second process verifies the authenticity of processed authentication information to ensure a higher similarity match with registered data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If face authentication is performed based on similarity between registered face photographs with multiple patterns and input face photograph, then authentication speed is improved, but security deteriorates due to possible impersonation by third parties with similar facial features

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication speedVSAvoidsecurity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The authentication process is divided into two distinct stages: first authentication using pattern-matched face photographs for rapid identification, and second authentication using additional user information for verification. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high speed in the first stage while ensuring security through the second stage, resolving the contradiction between authentication speed and security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary authentication using face photograph patterns before requiring additional user information. By conducting the face similarity comparison first, the system quickly narrows down potential matches and only then requests additional verification, thereby maintaining speed while progressively ensuring security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If additional user information is requested when multiple users match authentication criteria, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to additional authentication steps

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidease of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies additional authentication requirements selectively rather than universally. When only one user matches the face photograph, authentication completes without additional steps. When multiple users match, additional user information is requested. This partial application of excessive action maintains security when needed while preserving ease of operation when not needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the first authentication result to determine whether second authentication is necessary. If the face similarity comparison yields a unique match, no further action is required. If multiple matches are found, the system feedbacks the need for additional user information, thereby adapting the authentication process to the specific situation and balancing security with ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If face authentication relies solely on facial feature similarity, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to vulnerability to impersonation attacks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidauthentication accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges two authentication methods: face photograph pattern matching and additional user information verification. By combining these approaches, the system maintains the ease of operation provided by automatic face recognition while adding the reliability of secondary verification when needed, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and authentication accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3885944B1Authentication system, authentication device, authentication method, and program
Publication Date: 2025.08.06 RAKUTEN GROUP INC
  • EP3885944B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3885944B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3885944B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

First authentication means (101) of an authentication system (S) performs, based on input authentication information that has been input and registered authentication information that has been registered, authentication of a user to be authenticated. Determination means (102) determines whether there is a possibility that the user is authenticated as another user. Acquisition means (103) acquires, when it is determined that there is the possibility that the user is authenticated as another user, processed authentication information obtained by processing at least one of the input authentication information or the registered authentication information. Second authentication means (104) performs, when it is determined that there is the possibility that the user is authenticated as another user, the authentication based on the processed authentication information.