Method for secure biometric authentication/identification, biometric data input module and verification module

• US 7,194,632 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Girault, Marc, Guerin, Didier
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr.; Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sandoval; Kristin D.
• Application Number:
  US10/312,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• 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

A secure biometric authentication method, comprising communication of biometric data to a verification module. The invention is characterized in that it consists in encrypting the biometric data with a cryptographic algorithm and in introducing for each cryptographic operation carried out a different diversification value.

Claims

1. A secure biometric authentication method including communication of biometric data enciphered by at least one biometric data input module not holding a secret key to a verification module, the method comprising the steps of:

for the biometric data input module;

inputting data of a user,

concatenating to the data a diversification value,

enciphering the concatenated data,

transmitting the enciphered data to the verification module; and

for the verification module;

deciphering the received data by a sole secret key to verify that the diversification value has been taken into account in the enciphering,

wherein a separate diversification value is generated by the verification module and communicated to the biometric data input module.

2. The secure biometric authentication method according to claim 1, wherein the diversification value is a random data element.

3. The secure biometric authentication method according to claim 1, wherein the diversification value is the result of a counting.

4. The secure biometric authentication method according to claim 1, wherein the diversification value is a time data element (date, hour).

5. The secure authentication method according to claim 1, wherein the enciphering algorithm is a public key enciphering algorithm.

6. The secure biometric authentication method according to claim 5, wherein the public key of the verification module is communicated to the input module(s) by said verification module on each request for authentication.

7. The secure biometric authentication method according to claim 5, wherein the public key is stored in the biometric data input module.

8. The secure biometric authentication method according to claim 5, wherein the key stored in the input module is a verification key of a certificate, said certificate being the public key of the verification module and being communicated by the verification module to the input module.

9. The secure authentication method according to claim 1, wherein the enciphering algorithm is a secret key symmetrical algorithm.

10. The secure authentication method according to claim 9, wherein the secret key is generated by the input module.

11. The secure authentication method according to claim 9, wherein the secret key is enciphered by an asymmetrical algorithm and the result of the enciphering is communicated to the verification module to enable the verification module to decipher the biometric data.

12. A biometric data authentication system including a biometric data input module not holding any secret key and a biometric data verification module, wherein the biometric data input module comprises means to carry out cryptographic operations to encipher the biometric data end introduce a different diversification value generated by the verification module for each cryptographic operation according to claim 1.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the biometric data verification module comprises means to carry out cryptographic operations for deciphering with the aid of a secret key which the biometric data verification module is the only one to hold, the enciphered biometric data received via a communication network, the biometric data having been concatenated to a diversification value, the diversification value being different for each enciphered biometric data element.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the biometric data verification module is connected by the communication network to a plurality of biometric data input modules.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the biometric data verification module is connected by a non-secure or unprotected communication network to the biometric data input modules.