Self-authentication apparatus and method

• US 6,185,316 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1997
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Buffam, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHTA, BHAVESH M
• Application Number:
  US08/969,210
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 178/89, 283/17, 283/73, 382/115, 382/124, 382/125, 382/100, 382/232, 380/54, 380/282, 380/55, 713/186, 340/825.33, 705/50, 705/71
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/008 Public Key, Asymmetric Key, Asymmetric Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• 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 apparatus, method, and computer program for providing authenticating indicia and verifying the image thereby. One particular embodiment is a biometric application such as a fingerprint-based authentication system. The apparatus includes an image receiver for receiving the original image with true image point, a false image point generator providing false image points, and a transient template generator that selectively combines the true image points and the false image points. The apparatus can also constrain false image points to be non-coinciding plausible impostors of the true image points. The apparatus can include a claimant image receiver, a transient template receiver and a comparator for comparing the claimant image points with the template image points and producing an authentication signal. The method can employ a hashing technique to produce an encoding key from the non-coincident plausible impostor false image points, and preselected encryption techniques to produce ciphertext from plaintext with the encoding key. The method can include extracting claimant image points from template image points and iteratively constructing candidate decoding keys from the post-extraction residual points. Authentication is indicated if the decoding key successfully produces a matching plaintext from the ciphertext.

Claims

1. An apparatus for encoding an original image for authentication, the apparatus comprising:

a. an image receiver for receiving the original image, the image having true image points associated therewith;

b. a false image point generator providing false image points;

c. a key generator that generates a substantially random encoding key from the false image points using a preselected key generation technique;

d. an encryptor that encrypts a plaintext using the generated encoding key to produce a ciphertext; and

e. a transient template generator operably connected with the image receiver, the encryptor, and the false image point generator, the template generator providing a transient template by selectively combining the false image points, the ciphertext, and a preselected portion of the true image points.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the false image point generator constrains false image points such that

a. the false image points are plausible impostors of the true image points; and

b. the false image points are not coincident with true image points.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the image receiver provides a master template from the original true image points.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preselected key generation technique includes a hashing technique.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image receiver provides a master template from the original true image points and further comprising a master template database operably connected to the image receiver, the master template database receiving the master template from the image receiver.

15. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein in addition to the false image points, the ciphertext, and the preselected portion of the true image points, the transient template generator also combines the plaintext on the transient template.

6. A method for providing authenticating indicia in an original image having information points associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

a. selecting true image points from the plurality of information points, the true image points being representative of the original image;

b. providing false image points;

c. generating a substantially random encoding key from the false image points using a preselected key generation technique;

d. encrypting a plaintext using the generated encoding key to produce a ciphertext; and

e. forming a transient template by selectively combining the false image points, the ciphertext, and a preselected portion of the true image points.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the false image points are plausible impostors of the true image points.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the preselected key generating technique includes a hash technique, and wherein said encrypting step is performed using one of a symmetric encryption technique, and an asymmetric encryption technique with a private key having an arbitrary value.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

a. creating a master template from the true information points, the master template being a unique representation of the original image; and

b. storing the master template.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the image is a biometric image.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the biometric image is a fingerprint, the true information points are fingerprint minutiae, the preselected key generating technique includes a hashing technique, and said encrypting step is performed using one of a symmetric encryption technique, and an asymmetric encryption technique with a private key of arbitrary value.

16. The method recited in claim 6, wherein said forming step comprises selectively combining the false image points, a preselected portion of the true image points, the plaintext, and the ciphertext.

12. A method for producing a self-authentication code for an n-dimensional image having true image points, the method comprising the steps of:

a. receiving the true image points;

b. synthesizing false image points;

c. generating a substantially random encoding key from the false image points using a preselected key generation technique;

d. encrypting a plaintext using the generated encoding key to produce a ciphertext; and

e. forming a transient template by selectively combining the false image points, the ciphertext, and a preselected portion of the true image points.

17. The method recited in claim 12, wherein said forming step comprises selectively combining the false image points, a preselected portion of the true image points, the plaintext, and the ciphertext.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for providing a method for self-authentication, the method comprising the steps of:

a. receiving true image points;

b. synthesizing false image points;

c. generating a substantially random encoding key from the false image points using a preselected key generation technique;

d. encrypting a plaintext using the generated encoding key to produce a ciphertext; and

e. forming a transient template by selectively combining the false image points, the ciphertext, and a preselected portion of the true image points.

14. The product of claim 13, wherein the method embodied on the computer-readable medium further comprises:

a. creating a unique master template from the true data points of the original image; and

b. storing the master template.

18. The article of manufacturing recited in claim 13, wherein said forming step comprises selectively combining the false image points, a preselected portion of the true image points, the plaintext, and the ciphertext.