System and method for biometric template security with password

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• in an enrollment phase:
• receiving a user-specified password;
• receiving one or more first images comprising at least one biometric characteristic of the user for enrollment and verification;
• identifying a plurality of interest points based on the one or more first images and descriptors for the region around each interest point to generate an initial template;
• generating obfuscating data points;
• generating an augmented template having both interest data points and obfuscating data points;
• encoding a secret key in a first version of the augmented template that is reconstructible in a successful verification process requiring a strong match corresponding to at least k1 original points;
• and
• encoding the secret key in a second version of the augmented template that is encrypted by a user specified password that is reconstructible in response to receiving the user-specified password from the user in combination with a successful verification process requiring a weak match to at least k2 original points, where k2 is less than k1, wherein the additional constraint of matching the user-specified password results in an entropy level comparable to the strong match condition;
• and
• in a verification phase:
• receiving a biometric image of a user;
• determining whether the strong match exists to the augmented template matching at least k1 image points;
• if the strong match exists, authenticating the user;
• if the strong match doesn't exist, determining if the weak match exists having at least k2 image points, requesting the user provide the user-specified password, and determining if the weak match is satisfied and the user-specified password matches.

A system, comprising:

• one or more computers programmed to perform operations including:
• receiving one or more first biometric images comprising at least one biometric characteristic of an individual for enrollment and verification;
• identifying a plurality of interest points based on the one or more first biometric images and descriptors a the region around each interest point to generate an initial template;
• generating obfuscating data points:
• generating a biometric enrollment template having both interest data points and obfuscating data points;
• encoding a secret key in a first augmented biometric enrollment template, with the secret key being reconstructible in a first verification process corresponding to a strong match to plurality of interest points;
• encoding the secret key in a second augmented biometric enrollment template with the secret key being reconstructible in a second verification process in response to the combination of a user-specified password and a weak match to plurality of interest points, wherein the second augmented biometric enrollment template is encrypted by the user-specified password to generate an encrypted version of the second augmented biometric enrollment template to permit reconstructing the secret key in response to a combination of a weak match and a user-specified password;
• and
• wherein a two-stage verification process authenticates a user from a received biometric image in which the first verification process verifies a user in response to the strong match for the biometric image and if the strong match is not satisfied transitions to the second verification process in which a determination is made if the weak match is satisfied, the user is requested to provide their user-specified password, with the second verification process authenticating the user in response the user-specified password being received and there is the weak match to the biometric image.