SECURE BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION

• US 20160321441A1
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Tonoyan, Smbat
• Application Number:
  US14/985,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20160321441A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints

Abstract

Systems and methods for configuring an authenticator to provide a secure user authentication to an application processing a task requesting the authentication are provided. The authenticator performs the biometric authentication upon receiving a match request from an application processing the task. Subsequently, the authenticator generates a match score based on a comparison between biometric input data captured by a sensor associated with the authenticator and stored enrollment data in order to determine a match result based on the match score. The authenticator then determines a level of confidence in the match result and provides the match result and the level of confidence to the application processing the task. Additionally, systems and methods provide a secure way to communicate the match result and the level of confidence over an untrusted communication channel.

Claims

1. A method for an authenticator to provide a secure biometric authentication for a task, the method comprising:

receiving a match request from an application processing the task;

generating a match score based on a comparison between biometric input data captured by a sensor associated with the authenticator and stored enrollment data;

determining a match result based on the match score;

determining a level of confidence in the match result; and

providing the match result and the level of confidence to the application processing the task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the level of confidence is the match score.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein both determining the match result and the level of confidence comprises comparing the match score to a threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the comparison between the match score and the threshold to determine the level of confidence is represented as a percentage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a random challenge from the application at the same time as the match request.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating an identifier relating to a user of the authenticator, wherein the providing the match result and the level of confidence to the application processing the task comprises:

combining the match result, the level of confidence, the random challenge and the identifier into system data;

signing the system data with a signature key to obtain signed system data; and

providing the signed system data to the application.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the identifier provides an identification of the user of the authenticator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the signature key is an asymmetric key.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the random challenge is a random sequence.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the application is implemented in an embedded secure element.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticator is provided by a secure processor of a device associated with the authenticator, and the device includes an application processor separate from the secure processor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the secure processor controls the sensor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticator is provided by a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) of an application processor of a device hosting the authenticator.

14. A device for providing a secure biometric authentication for a task, the device comprising:

a biometric sensor; and

a processing system including an authenticator configured to;

receive a match request from an application processing the task;

generate a match score based on a comparison between biometric input data captured by a sensor associated with the authenticator and stored enrollment data;

determine a match result based on the match score;

determine a level of confidence in the match result; and

provide the match result and the level of confidence to the application processing the task.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the level of confidence is determined by comparing the match score with a threshold.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the processing system includes an application processor and a secure processor separate from the application processor and the secure processor provides the authenticator and controls the biometric sensor.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the processing system includes an application processor and the application processor includes a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) that provides the authenticator.

18. A system providing a secure biometric authentication for a task, the system comprising:

an application processing the task; and

an authenticator, wherein the authenticator is configured to;

receive a match request from the application;

generate a match score based on a comparison between biometric input data captured by a sensor associated with the authenticator and stored enrollment data;

determine a level of confidence in the match score; and

provide the level of confidence to the application.

19. The system of claim 19, wherein the level of confidence is determined by comparing the match score with the threshold.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the application is implemented in an embedded secure element of a host device for the application, and the task is a payment transaction.