Methods and apparatus for authentication in an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10691780-B2
Application number	US-201715667849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2017
Priority date	Aug 3, 2016
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

An electronic device, comprising one or more input devices, for receiving biometric input from a user and generating one or more biometric input signals; an applications processor; a mixer configurable by the applications processor to provide a first signal path between one or more of the input devices and the applications processor; and a biometric authentication module coupled to the one or more input devices via a second signal path that does not include the mixer, for performing authentication of at least one of the one or more biometric input signals.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
one or more input devices, for receiving biometric input from a user and generating one or more biometric input signals;
an applications processor;
a mixer configurable by the applications processor to provide a first signal path between one or more of the input devices and the applications processor; and
a biometric authentication module coupled to the one or more input devices via a second signal path that does not include the mixer, for performing authentication of at least one of the one or more biometric input signals.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the biometric authentication module is configured to perform an authentication algorithm based on stored identification characteristics of the user, and a signal received at an input of the biometric authentication module.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the second signal path is configured such that the signal received at the input of the biometric authentication module is based solely on the at least one of the one or more biometric input signals.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a gating block, coupled between the one or more input devices and the mixer, for disabling the first signal path upon receipt of one or more control signals.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more control signals comprise a first control signal provided to the gating block upon entry to a biometric authentication mode.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein the first control signal is provided via a control link between the gating block and the applications processor.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein the control link is between the gating block and a trusted execution environment of the applications processor.

8. The electronic device according to claim 5 , further comprising an authentication block for authenticating the first control signal.

9. The electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more control signals comprise a second control signal generated upon initial detection of biometric input activity by the one or more input devices.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9 , further comprising a signal processor coupled in the second signal path between the one or more input devices and the biometric authentication module, for generating the second control signal upon initial detection of biometric input activity by the one or more input devices.

11. The electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein the gating block is operable as a dual-throw switch coupled to the first signal path and the second signal path.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the gating block is coupled to both the first signal path and the second signal path and is operable as a dual-throw switch with output poles coupled to the first signal path and the second signal path respectively.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more input devices comprise one or more microphones, wherein the biometric input signal comprises an audio biometric input signal, and wherein the biometric authentication module is a voice biometric authentication module.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the biometric authentication module is configured to provide an authentication result to the applications processor.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14 , wherein the authentication result is configured according to a FIDO protocol.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is at least one of: a portable device; a battery-powered device; a mobile telephone; an audio player; a video player; a personal digital assistant; a wearable device; a mobile computing platform; a laptop computer; a tablet computer; a games device; a remote control device; a toy; a domestic appliance or controller thereof; a domestic temperature or lighting control system; a security system; and a robot.

17. A method in an electronic device, comprising:
receiving biometric input from a user at one or more input devices of the electronic device and generating one or more biometric input signals;
configuring a mixer to provide a first signal path between one or more of the input devices and an applications processor of the electronic device;
providing a second signal path between one or more of the input devices and a biometric authentication module of the electronic device, wherein the second signal path does not include the mixer; and
in the biometric authentication module, performing authentication of at least one of the one or more biometric input signals.

18. An integrated circuit comprising:
a first set of one or more inputs for receiving biometric input signals from one or more input devices;
a second set of one or more inputs for receiving other input signals;
a first data interface, coupled to both sets of inputs via a first, configurable signal path, for outputting the biometric input signals or the other input signals from the integrated circuit; and
a second data interface, coupled to the first set of inputs via a second signal path, for outputting only the biometric input signals from the integrated circuit.

19. The integrated circuit according to claim 18 , further comprising a mixer coupled in the first signal path.

20. The integrated circuit according to claim 18 , further comprising one or more signal processors selectively configurable into the first signal path.

21. The integrated circuit according to claim 18 , further comprising a gating block, coupled between the first set of one or more inputs and the first data interface, for disabling the first signal path upon receipt of one or more control signals.

22. The integrated circuit according to claim 21 , wherein the one or more control signals comprise a first control signal provided to the gating block upon entry to a biometric authentication mode.

23. The integrated circuit according to claim 22 , further comprising a control interface upon which the first control signal is provided.

24. The integrated circuit according to claim 22 , further comprising a data authentication block for authenticating the first control signal.

25. The integrated circuit according to claim 21 , wherein the one or more control signals comprise a second control signal generated upon initial detection of biometric input activity by the one or more input devices.

26. The integrated circuit according to claim 25 , further comprising a signal processor coupled in the second signal path between the first set of one or more inputs and the second data interface, for generating the second control signal upon initial detection of biometric input activity at the first set of one or more inputs.

27. The integrated circuit according to claim 21 , wherein the gating block is operable as a dual-throw switch coupled to the first signal path and the second signal path.

28. The integrated circuit according to claim 27 , wherein the gating block is coupled to both the first signal path and the second signal path and is operable as a dual-throw switch with output poles coupled to the first signal path and the second signal path respectively.

29. An electronic device comprising:
an integrated

Assignees

• Cirrus Logic Int Semiconductor Ltd
• Cirrus Logic Inc

Inventors

• Saunders Sunil
• Rand Robert David
• Hatfield Robert James
• Pennock John Laurence

Classifications

• H04L63/0861 Primary

  using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231) · CPC title

• H04L9/3231

  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) · CPC title

• G10L17/22

  Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces · CPC title

• G10L15/28

  Constructional details of speech recognition systems · CPC title

• G06F21/32 Primary

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title