SECURE DATA VERIFICATION VIA BIOMETRIC INPUT

• US 20080155268A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Spansion LLC (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Jazayeri, Mehdi, Madhav, Kiran, Werner, Jeremy Isaac Nathaniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861

Abstract

An architecture is presented that controls access to secure data via biometric verification. The system comprises a memory module that communicates with biometric data to establish a heightened level of security for controlling access to data stored in the non-volatile memory. The memory module includes a security processor, non-volatile memory, and volatile memory. The security processor provides for concurrent processing of security protocols, provides a secure execution environment within the memory module to evaluate and store biometric data, communicates with the biometric data sensors to fetch the biometric data, and analyzes the biometric data to control access to data stored in the non-volatile memory. Specifically, biometric data is input and communicated to the security processor, then compared against the existing biometric templates stored in the non-volatile memory. If the data matches, verification is sent to the external processor and the user is granted access to the secure assets.

Claims

1. A machine implemented system that controls access to secure data via biometric verification, comprising:

non-volatile memory that stores the secure data;

biometric data taken from a user; and

a security processor that compares the biometric data against existing biometric templates stored in the non-volatile memory, the security processor provides access controls to the non-volatile memory.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external processor that communicates with the security processor to obtain access to the secure data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric data comprises at least one of iris data, face data, fingerprint data and Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising volatile memory used for primary storage that communicates with the external processor, wherein the security processor, the non-volatile memory and the volatile memory are integrated to form a memory module that uses biometric user authentication to establish a heightened level of security for controlling access to the secure assets stored in the non-volatile memory.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the security processor, the external processor and the non-volatile memory are incorporated to form a mobile device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the mobile device comprises one of a multimedia player, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cell phone, and a hand held computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory is flash memory.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the flash memory is NOR and/or NAND flash memory.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric data is converted via a software application that identifies specific points of data as match points, the match points are stored as a template and used by the security processor to authenticate a user.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the security processor collects a user'"'"'s biometric information through a direct connection with a biometric sensor.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the security processor and biometric sensor communicate through an encrypted channel.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the encrypted channel is enabled through the use of a common secret key.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the security processor compares a user'"'"'s biometric data against the templates stored in the non-volatile memory for user identification or verification, notice of verification is then made available to the external processor and the user or application is allowed to access the secure data.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric data controls access to a user'"'"'s account information, such that when the user makes a mobile payment via a mobile device, biometric information is used to authenticate the user prior to transferring account information.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the user'"'"'s biometric data is transferred via the mobile device to a server via the payment terminal.

16. A method of controlling access to secure data via biometric verification, comprising:

providing non-volatile memory that stores the secure data;

inputting biometric data taken from a user;

converting the biometric data into specified match points;

processing the match points into a numeric value;

comparing the biometric data against existing biometric templates stored in the non-volatile memory;

making available notice of verification to an external processor; and

allowing the user or application to access the secure data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a security processor is used to compare the biometric data against the existing biometric templates stored in the non-volatile memory

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the biometric data is converted into specified match points via a software application that identifies specific points of data as match points, the match points are stored as a template and used by the security processor to authenticate a user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the external processor communicates with the security processor to obtain access to the secure data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the security processor, non-volatile memory and volatile memory are incorporated to form a memory module that uses biometric user authentication to establish a heightened level of security for controlling access to the secure assets stored in the non-volatile memory.

21. A method of controlling access to user account information via biometric data, comprising:

selecting a payment application on a mobile device to make a purchase;

selecting an account to use, wherein the account details are stored in non-volatile memory;

using biometric data to authenticate a user prior to transferring account information;

placing the mobile device within range of a transaction terminal;

verifying the mobile device and completing the transaction; and

viewing a digital receipt received.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the account comprises at least one of a credit account, a debit account and a pre-paid cash account.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the biometric data is obtained from at least one of an iris scanner, a fingerprint reader, a face scanner and DNA.