Secure Biometric Authentication via Memory Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Biometric information used for user authentication in electronic devices is vulnerable to leakage, leading to irreversible damage if compromised, especially during wireless communication with external devices, as it cannot be changed once leaked.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a biometric sensor, memory, and processor initiates a transaction with a server, receives an authentication request, retrieves a biometric template from a secure memory, captures a biometric sample, compares it with the stored template, and transmits a comparison outcome to the server, ensuring secure biometric authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If biometric information is transmitted during wireless authentication transactions, then user authentication capability is improved, but security risk increases due to potential leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the biometric template from the general memory space and stores it in a dedicated secure portion of the memory. This separation isolates the sensitive biometric data from potential attack vectors in the main system, allowing authentication functionality while protecting against unauthorized access and information leakage during transactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an authentication manager as an intermediary component that controls access to the biometric template and manages the authentication process. This mediator ensures that biometric data is only accessed through controlled, secure channels during authentication transactions, preventing direct exposure and reducing leakage risks while maintaining authentication capability.
2Reliability
If biometric template is stored in secure memory portion, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the memory into distinct portions: a secure portion for storing biometric templates and a general portion for other data. This segmentation provides security through physical or logical separation while using standard memory structures, thereby enhancing biometric data protection without requiring entirely new or complex storage technologies.
Solution Approach 2:
The secure portion of the memory serves multiple functions: it stores biometric templates, controls access during authentication transactions, and provides a secure enclave for sensitive operations. By making this memory segment multi-functional, the patent achieves high security without adding separate dedicated hardware components for each function, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.
3Speed
If biometric authentication is performed locally, then processing speed is improved, but security risk increases if local storage is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares for potential security compromises by implementing beforehand protective measures: storing only encrypted templates in secure memory, using secure authentication protocols during transactions, and designing the system so that even if the device is compromised, the biometric data remains protected. This cushioning approach allows fast local processing while mitigating the risks of local storage compromise.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device is provided including a biometric sensor, a memory, and a processor configured to: initiate a transaction with a server; receive an authentication request from the server; retrieve a biometric template stored in a secure portion of the memory in response to the authentication request; capturing a biometric sample using the biometric sensor; comparing the biometric template with the biometric sample; and transmitting to the server a message indicating an outcome of the comparison.