Personal Digital Key Initialization And Registration For Secure Transactions
Patent No. US11182792 (titled "Personal Digital Key Initialization And Registration For Secure Transactions") was filed by Proxense Llc on Jun 4, 2020.
What is this patent about?
’792 is related to the field of electronic authentication, specifically addressing the need for secure and efficient transaction processing and access control. Traditional methods like magnetic cards and PINs have inherent security flaws and usability issues. Biometric authentication offers a potential solution, but conventional approaches often require users to release sensitive biometric data to third parties, creating privacy risks and enrollment complexities.
The underlying idea behind ’792 is to provide a secure authentication system using a Personal Digital Key (PDK) that stores a user's biometric profile in a tamper-proof memory. The PDK wirelessly transmits identification information and the biometric profile to a reader device. The reader then compares the received biometric profile with a biometric input obtained from the user at the point of transaction, enabling secure authentication without storing sensitive biometric data in a central database.
The claims of ’792 focus on a reader device determining the presence of a portable electronic device (PDK) within a proximity zone and establishing a wireless communication channel. The reader receives device identification information from the PDK and determines its validity locally, without a remote lookup. Based on whether the transaction amount is below a threshold, the reader either automatically performs the transaction or requests profile authentication from the PDK.
In practice, the PDK is initialized and registered using a trusted programming device, potentially under the supervision of a trusted Notary, to ensure the integrity of the stored biometric profile. The reader device, upon detecting a PDK within range, performs device authentication to verify the PDK's validity. If the transaction amount is below a predefined threshold, the transaction is automatically processed. For higher-value transactions, the reader requests profile authentication, such as biometric verification, from the PDK to further enhance security.
This approach differs from prior solutions by eliminating the need for PINs or passwords and avoiding the storage of personal biometric information in external databases. The local validation of the PDK's identity by the reader, without requiring a remote lookup for low-value transactions, significantly speeds up the authentication process. The use of a tamper-proof memory in the PDK and the optional involvement of a trusted Notary during initialization and registration further enhance the security and reliability of the system.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the mid-2000s when ’792 was filed, at a time when secure transactions were typically implemented using magnetic stripe cards or early contactless technologies. Systems commonly relied on PINs or passwords for authentication, and biometric authentication, while recognized for its potential, faced challenges related to data security and enrollment complexity. Hardware or software constraints made secure storage and transmission of biometric data non-trivial.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner allowed the claims because the prior art, including Gauthier, Doyle, and Cockrill, either individually or in combination, did not teach or make obvious the claimed invention. Specifically, the prior art failed to teach establishing communication for a transaction based on the proximity of a wireless device, performing device-based authentication for low-value transactions, and using biometric profile-based authentication for high-value transactions, all without requiring the reader/authenticator device to perform a remote lookup.
Claims
This patent contains 20 claims, of which claims 1 and 11 are independent. The independent claims are directed to a method and a system for performing a transaction using a portable electronic device located within a proximity zone of a reader device. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and refine the method and system described in the independent claims, adding details regarding profile authentication, secure communication channels, types of transaction information, validation processes, and specific devices.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
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Date
Description
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US11182792
- Application Number
- US16893155
- Filing Date
- Jun 4, 2020
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- May 5, 2027
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents