Cryptographic key generation using biometric data
First Claim
1. A method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
- receiving a fingerprint;
extracting minutiae from the fingerprint;
creating a message based on the minutiae of the fingerprint, comprising;
creating ghost points not corresponding to features of the fingerprint;
creating a template including the features and the ghost points;
subtracting the features from the template, leaving a ghost template, the ghost template being the message; and
storing the template;
applying a message digest function to the message to create a cryptographic key.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for generating a cryptographic key using biometric data is provided. A fingerprint is received, and features are extracted from the fingerprint. These features may include one or more of the following: A message is created based on the features of the fingerprint. For one embodiment, the message is a template including the features. For another embodiment, the message is a subset of features not included in a template. For another embodiment, the message is ghost points not corresponding to the features in the template. A message digest function is applied to the message to create a cryptographic key.
Another embodiment of the present invention uses features of the fingerprint image to generate a digital certificate. The public key used for the digital certificate is based on a fingerprint image. In one embodiment, the digital certificate contains a template including the fingerprint image or the features extracted from the fingerprint image. Verification of this template provides additional security to the validity of the digital certificate.
358 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
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receiving a fingerprint; extracting minutiae from the fingerprint; creating a message based on the minutiae of the fingerprint, comprising; creating ghost points not corresponding to features of the fingerprint; creating a template including the features and the ghost points; subtracting the features from the template, leaving a ghost template, the ghost template being the message; and storing the template; applying a message digest function to the message to create a cryptographic key. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 24, 25)
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9. A method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
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receiving a fingerprint; extracting features from the fingerprint; creating a template of the features of the fingerprint; extracting additional features from the fingerprint, the additional features comprising the message; applying a message digest function to the message to create a cryptographic key; wherein the message is not stored; and in order to retrieve the cryptographic key, performing the steps of; receiving a new fingerprint; extracting the features from the new fingerprint; creating a new template of the features of the new fingerprint; extracting the additional features from the new fingerprint; comparing the new template to the stored template; and if the features match the stored template, applying the message digest function to the additional features to create a new cryptographic key, the new cryptographic key identical to the cryptographic key previously generated. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
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receiving a fingerprint; extracting a first set of features from the fingerprint; extracting a second set of features from the fingerprint; creating a template of the first set of features; applying a message digest function to the second set of features to create a cryptographic key; and storing the template with the first set of features. - View Dependent Claims (15, 21, 22, 23)
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16. A method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
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receiving a fingerprint; extracting a set of features from the fingerprint; generating ghost points, not corresponding to actual features of the fingerprint; creating a template of the set of features and the ghost points; subtracting the set of features from the template, generating a ghost template; applying a message digest function to the ghost template to create a cryptographic key; and storing the template. - View Dependent Claims (17, 26)
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18. A method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
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a certifying authority receiving a public key corresponding to a private key generated based on a user'"'"'s fingerprint; including the public key and the user'"'"'s fingerprint template in a digital certificate; signing the digital certificate with a private key of the certifying authority. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification