# US 10,121,144 B2 · Using biometric authentication for NFC-based payments

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,121,144 B2
- Document ID: US10121144B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/474,803
- Filed: 2014-09-02
- Published: 2015-05-07
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-04
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Ahmer A. Khan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121144B2

## CPC

- G06Q 20/3829: {involving key management}
- G06Q 20/20: Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
- G06Q 20/3227: {using secure elements embedded in M-devices}
- G06Q 20/326: {Payment applications installed on the mobile devices}
- G06Q 20/3278: {RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices}
- G06Q 20/40145: {Biometric identity checks}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

In order to validate a user to facilitate conducting a high-valued financial transaction via wireless communication between an electronic device (such as a smartphone) and another electronic device (such as a point-of-sale terminal), the electronic device may authenticate the user prior to the onset of the high-valued financial transaction. In particular, a secure enclave processor in a processor may provide local validation information that is specific to the electronic device to a secure element in the electronic device when received local authentication information that is specific to the electronic device (such as a biometric identifier of the user) matches stored authentication information. Moreover, an authentication applet in the secure element may provide the local validation information to an activated payment applet in the secure element. This may enable the payment applet to conduct the high-valued financial transaction via wireless communication, such as near-field communication.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic device, comprising:
a secure element comprising: an authentication applet and a plurality of payment applets;
a processor, comprising a secure enclave processor configured to securely communicate with the secure element using one or more encryption keys;
wherein the secure enclave processor is configured to:
receive a first local authentication information specific to the electronic device, wherein the first local authentication information is associated with an activated payment applet of the plurality of payment applets;
perform a first comparison with the first local authentication information and a first stored authentication information;
determine that the first comparison satisfies a first match;
in response to the first match, request second local authentication information;
in response to the request, receive a second local authentication information specific to the electronic device;
perform a second comparison with the second local authentication information and a second stored authentication information;
determine that the second comparison satisfies a second match; and
in response to the second match, provide local validation information (LVI) and an authentication-complete indicator to the authentication applet; and
wherein the authentication applet is configured to:
based at least on the LVI, set an LVI flag of the activated payment applet;
based at least on the authentication-complete indicator, set a global authentication-complete flag in an operating system of the secure element that enables a subset of the plurality of payment applets; and
request LVI from the subset of the plurality of payment applets enabled,
wherein the secure element conducts a financial transaction without further validation with a second electronic device based at least on the LVI flag and the global authentication-complete flag, wherein the financial transaction exceeds a predetermined financial value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:
an antenna; and
an interface circuit, coupled to the antenna, the secure element and the secure enclave processor, wherein the interface circuit is configured to communicate with the second electronic device, wherein the financial transaction is conducted via wireless communication.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a biometric sensor coupled to the secure enclave processor; wherein the second local authentication information includes a biometric identifier acquired by the biometric sensor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second local authentication information includes a passcode for unlocking at least some functionality of the electronic device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second electronic device includes a point-of-sale terminal that provides the predetermined financial value.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second electronic device includes a point-of-sale terminal;
wherein the wireless communication with the point-of-sale terminal is via nearfield communication; and
wherein the financial transaction is initiated by positioning the electronic device proximate to the point-of-sale terminal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:
prior to the secure enclave processor performing the second comparison with the second local authentication information:
provide an activation command to the secure element via the secure enclave processor, wherein the activated payment applet is configured to conduct the financial transaction after receiving the activation command and based at least on the LVI;
receive an activation response from the secure element via the secure enclave processor; and
request the second local authentication information based at least on the activation response.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:
prior to providing the activation command, receive from a user, a selection of the activated payment applet for the financial transaction, wherein the selection is made using a top-level user interface in a user-interface hierarchy.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the authentication applet is further configured to:
in response to the request for the LVI, receive a confirmation from the activated payment applet of the subset of the payment applets enabled.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the secure element is further configured to:
prior to the electronic device being positioned proximate to the second electronic device, provide a confirmation that the activated payment applet of the subset of the payment applets enabled is allowed to conduct the financial transaction that exceeds the predetermined financial value, without further validation.

### Claim 11

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing first instructions and second instructions;
wherein the first instructions, when executed by a secure enclave processor in a processor of an electronic device, cause the secure enclave processor to perform first operations comprising:
receiving a first local authentication information specific to the electronic device, wherein the first local authentication information is associated with an activated payment applet of a plurality of payment applets;
performing a first comparison with the first local authentication information and a first stored authentication information;
determining that the first comparison satisfies a first match;
in response to the first match, requesting second local authentication information;
in response to the requesting, receiving a second local authentication information specific to the electronic device;
performing a second comparison with the second local authentication information and a second stored authentication information;
determining that the second comparison satisfies a second match; and
in response to the second match, providing local validation information (LVI) and an authentication-complete indicator to an authentication applet stored on a secure element of the electronic device; and
wherein the second instructions, when executed by the secure element of the electronic device cause the authentication applet to perform second operations comprising:
based at least on the LVI, setting an LVI flag of the activated payment applet;
based at least on the authentication-complete indicator, setting a global authentication-complete flag in an operating system of the secure element that enables a subset of the plurality of payment applets; and
requesting LVI from the subset of the plurality of payment applets enabled, wherein the secure element conducts a financial transaction without further validation with a second electronic device based at least on the LVI flag and the global authentication-complete flag wherein the financial transaction exceeds a predetermined financial value.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second local authentication information includes a biometric identifier.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second local authentication information includes a passcode for unlocking at least some functionality of the electronic device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the financial transaction is conducted when the electronic device is positioned proximate to the second electronic device a single time.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further storing third instructions, which when executed by the processor of the electronic device, cause the processor to perform third operations comprising:
prior to the secure enclave processor receiving the second local authentication information:
providing an activation command to the secure element via the secure enclave processor, wherein the activated payment applet is configured to conduct the financial transaction after receiving the activation command and based at least on the LVI;
receiving an activation response from the secure element via the secure enclave processor; and
requesting the second local authentication information based at least on the activation response.

### Claim 16

A processor-implemented method for, conducting a financial transaction at an electronic device, comprising a secure element and a secure enclave processor, with another electronic device, wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by the secure enclave processor, a first local authentication information specific to the electronic device, wherein the first local authentication information is associated with an activated payment applet of a plurality of payment applets;
performing a first comparison, by the secure enclave processor, on the first local authentication information and a first stored authentication information,
determining, by the secure enclave processor, that the first comparison satisfies a first match;
in response to the first match, requesting, by the secure enclave processor, second local authentication information;
in response to the requesting, receiving, by the secure enclave processor, a second local authentication information specific to the electronic device;
performing a second comparison, by the secure enclave processor, on the second local authentication information and a second stored authentication information;
determining, by the secure enclave processor, that the second comparison satisfies a second match;
in response to the second match, providing, by the secure enclave processor, local validation information (LVI) and an authentication-complete indicator to an authentication applet stored on the secure element;
based at least on the LVI, setting, by the authentication applet, an LVI flag of the activated payment applet;
based at least on the authentication-complete indicator, setting, by the authentication applet, a global authentication-complete flag in an operating system of the secure element to enable a subset of the plurality of payment applets; and
requesting, by the authentication applet, LVI from the subset of the plurality of payment applets enabled, wherein the secure element conducts a financial transaction without further validation with a second electronic device based at least on the LVI flag and the global authentication-complete flag, wherein the financial transaction exceeds a predetermined value.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The processor-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:
prior to receiving the second local authentication information, providing an activation command to the secure element via a secure enclave processor, wherein the activated payment applet is configured to conduct the financial transaction after receiving the activation command and based at least on the LVI;
receiving an activation response from the secure element via the secure enclave processor; and
requesting the first local authentication information based at least on the activation response.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The processor-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the setting the LVI flag of the activated payment applet comprises:
transmitting an encrypted token to the authentication applet, wherein the encrypted token includes the LVI.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The processor-implemented method of claim 18, further comprising:
decrypting, by the authentication applet, the encrypted token; and
communicating, by the authentication applet, the LVI to the activated payment applet via a sharable interface object,
wherein the authentication applet executes in a master security domain and the activated payment applet executes in a supplemental security domain.