BIO-key Patents New Multimodal Continuous Authentication System

The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted BIO-key a patent for a new continuous authentication system. The patent covers “Biometric Recognition for Uncontrolled Acquisition Environments,” and describes a solution that collects partial biometric samples to build a reliable profile of a user over time.

BIO-key is planning to deploy the system in connected devices that support multiple biometric modalities, whether through fingerprint sensors or through cameras and microphones that enable face and voice recognition, respectively. The system will gather partial samples from all three biometric input channels during a user session, and analyze that information to verify that person’s identity on an ongoing basis. The algorithm itself is robust enough to account for different resolutions, sample sizes, and viewing angles.

According to BIO-key, the new system is an improvement over traditional authentication systems that ask the user to verify their identity when they log in. Such systems only provide proof of identity at a single point in time, and therefore do not provide organizations with any insight or assurances beyond that initial authentication event.

Now that it is backed up with a patent, BIO-key is hoping to license its solution to device manufacturers and software providers. The company now holds a total of 18 patents that address biometrics and identity and access management in some capacity.

“This patent extends BIO-key’s leadership in innovating unobtrusive methods to protect individual identities for next-generation biometrics systems,” said BIO-key CTO Mira LaCous. “With enterprises and end users asking for less-intrusive means to assure and protect identities, this technology is a valuable weapon in the fight against identity theft and account takeover, while making it easier for end users to get things done.”

BIO-key patented a separate continuous mobile authentication system that leverages face and fingerprint recognition back in 2018. The company has recently been promoting its PortalGuard IDaaS Platform, which provides organizations with streamlined single sign-on capabilities. It also released three new fingerprint sensors earlier in April.  

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April 28, 2021 – by Eric Weiss