Smart Card Multi-Service Authentication via Security Element Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smart cards require multiple cards for different services, leading to complex user authentication and ambiguity about which account or service is intended when the card is used.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a smart card that associates multiple operations with respective information elements, each authenticated using a corresponding security element such as a personal identification number, password, or biometric information, eliminating the need for separate operation selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate smart cards are used for different services (banking, payment, access control), then each service can be securely accessed with dedicated authentication, but the user must carry and manage multiple cards, increasing complexity and inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple authentication functions and security elements into a single smart card. The card contains multiple information elements (IE1, IE2, IE3) each associated with different security elements (SE1, SE2, SE3) for different operations (O1, O2, O3). This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate cards while maintaining dedicated authentication for each service.
Solution Approach 2:
The smart card is designed as a universal authentication device that can handle multiple different operations and services. Each information element is specifically configured for a particular operation type (e.g., banking, payment, access control), allowing the single card to perform multiple functions that previously required separate dedicated cards.
2Ease of operation
If a single smart card provides access to multiple services, then card management is simplified, but the authentication process becomes more complex as the system must determine which account or service the user intends to access
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation of the user's input against multiple security elements before completing authentication. The card reader validates the input sequentially or in parallel against SE1, SE2, SE3 associated with different information elements, determining the intended operation before final authentication. This preliminary validation step automates the service identification process, reducing perceived complexity for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The smart card system automatically determines which service or account the user intends to access by autonomously validating the input against multiple security elements and selecting the appropriate information element. The system self-manages the disambiguation process without requiring explicit user selection, thereby simplifying the user interface while handling the complexity internally.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple information elements are stored on a single smart card for different operations, then a single card can authenticate multiple services, but the card's security structure becomes more complex with multiple security elements and associations
Solution Approach 1:
The smart card security structure is segmented into distinct information elements (IE1, IE2, IE3) each paired with their own security elements (SE1, SE2, SE3). This segmentation allows each service to have its own dedicated authentication pathway while maintaining a unified card structure. The modular organization manages complexity by creating clear boundaries between different service authentications.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method of authenticating an operation using a smart card, the smart card comprising respective information elements for authenticating respective ones of plural operations, each information element being associated with a respective security element, the method comprising (a) receiving an input from a user, (b) attempting to validate the input for each of the respective security elements, and (c) upon successful validation with one of the respective security elements, authenticating the operation using the information element for the one of the plural operations with which said one of the respective security elements is associated. Also a device, a smart card and a computer program.