Description:The embodiments of the present invention generally relate to the domain of secure authentication systems, particularly to biometric identification technologies used in electronic and digital financial environments. More specifically, the invention pertains to a biometric authentication device designed to verify user identity in real-time during financial transactions, ensuring enhanced security and minimizing risks associated with unauthorized access or fraudulent activities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The following description of related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.

Biometric authentication has emerged as a reliable method for securing digital systems, as it relies on unique physiological or behavioral traits that are difficult to replicate. Financial institutions are increasingly adopting biometric solutions to improve transaction security, streamline user experiences, and mitigate fraud. However, despite advancements in biometric technologies, challenges remain in developing a universally adaptable and secure device specifically tailored for financial transactions.

Traditional authentication systems such as PINs and passwords are still widely used but are inherently insecure due to their vulnerability to theft, guessing, or social engineering attacks. Users often reuse passwords across platforms or choose weak credentials, leading to compromised accounts and unauthorized access to sensitive financial data.

While some financial platforms have integrated biometric features within mobile applications, the effectiveness of such solutions is limited by inconsistent hardware standards across devices, potential exposure to malware, and lack of tamper-proof processing environments for biometric data.

Moreover, existing biometric devices often transmit raw biometric data to remote servers for processing, increasing the risk of interception and misuse. This approach raises significant concerns around data privacy, compliance with regulatory standards like GDPR, and long-term user trust.

Another issue lies in the lack of interoperability and integration flexibility in current solutions. Most biometric systems are proprietary or locked to specific ecosystems, making it difficult for financial service providers to implement them across diverse platforms and infrastructures.

Therefore, there exists a need for a robust, standalone biometric authentication device that performs on-device processing, ensures secure storage and transmission of data, and is easily integrated into various financial systems—ranging from ATMs and POS terminals to online banking and mobile payment platforms.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies are listed herein below.

The primary objective of the present invention is to develop a secure and reliable biometric authentication device specifically designed to enhance the safety of financial transactions by verifying user identity based on unique biometric characteristics.

Another objective is to eliminate the dependence on passwords and PINs by enabling real-time, on-device biometric authentication that cannot be easily stolen or replicated, thereby minimizing the risk of fraud and unauthorized access.

It is also an objective to ensure that biometric data is never transmitted in its raw form and is securely encrypted and stored within the device, maintaining strict compliance with data protection and privacy regulations.

A further objective is to provide a biometric device that supports multiple modes of authentication such as fingerprint, facial recognition, or iris scan, offering redundancy and increased reliability in identity verification.

The invention aims to support seamless integration with existing financial infrastructure, including ATM systems, POS terminals, online platforms, and mobile payment gateways, using standardized APIs and secure communication protocols.

The invention intends to include a compact, modular, and user-friendly design that can function as a standalone device or be embedded into existing financial hardware systems, thus promoting flexibility and broad applicability.

Finally, the invention seeks to build user trust by offering a transparent and privacy-preserving solution that enhances consumer confidence in digital financial platforms and helps financial institutions reduce security incidents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This section is provided to introduce certain objects and aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In an aspect, the invention discloses a biometric authentication device configured for secure identity verification during financial transactions. The device comprises one or more biometric sensors, a secure processing module, encrypted memory storage, and a communication interface. The biometric data is captured and processed locally within a tamper-resistant hardware module, where it is matched against pre-stored, encrypted biometric templates. Only the authentication result (i.e., success/failure token) is transmitted to the financial transaction system using end-to-end encryption.
In one embodiment, the device is designed to support multiple biometric modalities and function in standalone or embedded configurations. Its compact and interoperable architecture allows integration with a wide range of financial systems. The device ensures that biometric data is securely handled throughout the process, from acquisition to transmission, thereby reducing vulnerabilities and complying with regulatory data protection standards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that invention of such drawings includes the invention of electrical components, electronic components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary biometric authentication device for financial transactions, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “an instance” or “one instance” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The present invention provides a secure and compact biometric authentication device configured specifically for financial transactions. The device integrates biometric sensing technology, secure processing, encrypted storage, and a communication interface to authenticate users based on unique biological traits such as fingerprints, facial features, or iris patterns. The authentication result is securely transmitted to a financial transaction system, enabling or denying the transaction accordingly.

The main components of the device include a biometric sensor module, a secure processing unit (SPU), a cryptographic memory module, and a communication interface. The biometric sensor captures user data and forwards it to the SPU, which performs real-time biometric matching against encrypted templates stored locally in the device’s secure memory. The SPU operates within a tamper-resistant environment and employs hardware-based encryption engines to prevent any unauthorized access or reverse engineering.

The cryptographic memory module is responsible for storing biometric templates in an encrypted format. Advanced encryption standards such as AES-256 or elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) may be used to safeguard biometric data. The memory module may also include a key management system (KMS) that ensures access to biometric templates is tightly controlled and auditable. The device supports template enrollment, periodic re-authentication, and template updating procedures, all secured by access control policies.

The communication interface supports wired or wireless connectivity options such as USB, NFC, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. The interface is responsible for transmitting only the authentication result or token (e.g., cryptographic hash of success/failure) to the transaction system, not the raw biometric data. Communication is secured using SSL/TLS or custom end-to-end encryption protocols, ensuring data confidentiality and integrity during transfer.

To enhance usability and security, the device may include a user interface module—such as a display, LED indicators, or audio cues—to provide feedback on authentication status, guide the user through biometric capture, or alert the user in case of failed attempts or suspicious activities. Some versions may also incorporate fallback authentication options like PIN entry or QR-code verification to support multimodal authentication.

The device is designed for flexibility and can be used in various forms: as a standalone USB/NFC token, an embedded module in payment terminals or ATMs, or as a wearable accessory for contactless authentication. Its modular architecture ensures easy firmware updates, scalability, and compatibility with multiple financial transaction standards and platforms.
In first embodiment, the biometric authentication device is configured as a USB dongle integrated into ATM terminals. The device includes a fingerprint sensor on its surface. When a user initiates a cardless withdrawal, they are prompted to place their finger on the sensor. The biometric data is matched against the user’s enrolled template stored securely within the dongle’s encrypted memory.

Upon successful matching, the secure processing unit generates a transaction authorization token and transmits it to the ATM’s software through the USB interface. The ATM software then communicates with the bank's server to complete the transaction. Since biometric data never leaves the dongle and only a result token is transmitted, user privacy is preserved, and transaction fraud is significantly reduced.

This embodiment also includes anti-spoofing mechanisms such as temperature sensing and liveness detection to ensure that only genuine biometric inputs are accepted.

Second embodiment describes a wearable biometric device, such as a smartwatch or wristband, embedded with a facial recognition camera and NFC module. During a point-of-sale (POS) transaction, the user aligns their face with the device’s miniature camera. The system captures facial biometric features and performs local verification.

Once the facial data is authenticated, the device uses its NFC module to transmit a one-time-use transaction token to the POS terminal. The POS terminal verifies the token with the payment server to process the transaction. This provides a seamless and contactless user experience while maintaining high levels of security.

The wearable also includes gesture-based controls and can sync with the user’s smartphone for dual-layer authentication or remote biometric locking in case of theft or loss.
In third embodiment, the biometric authentication device is embedded within a mobile banking platform in the form of a secure microcontroller (secure enclave) integrated with a smartphone’s hardware. It supports multi-modal biometric inputs including fingerprint scans (via capacitive sensors) and facial recognition (via front camera), both routed through a secure processing path.

When a user attempts a high-value transaction within the banking app, the app invokes the embedded authentication module. The selected biometric modality is used to verify the user’s identity. The matching process occurs within the secure enclave, and only a digital confirmation token is shared with the banking app.

The application then sends the confirmation to the bank’s server for final transaction approval. No biometric data is stored or transmitted outside the device, thus ensuring full compliance with data protection regulations and enhancing customer trust.

While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented merely as illustrative of the invention and not as limitation.
, Claims:1. A biometric authentication device for financial transactions comprising:
at least one biometric sensor configured to capture biometric data from a user;
a secure processing unit configured to process and match the biometric data with pre-stored encrypted biometric templates;
a secure memory configured to store biometric templates in encrypted form; and
a communication interface configured to transmit authentication confirmation to a financial transaction system,
wherein the biometric data is processed and verified within the device before transmitting only authentication results, thereby ensuring secure financial transaction authentication.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the biometric sensor is a fingerprint scanner with liveness detection.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the secure processing unit performs real-time biometric matching and rejects unauthorized access attempts.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface includes encrypted Bluetooth or NFC for wireless connectivity to point-of-sale terminals.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the secure memory uses AES-256 encryption for storage of biometric templates.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a visual indicator to display authentication status to the user.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the biometric authentication is combined with a secondary PIN or password for multi-factor authentication.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is embedded into an ATM, payment terminal, or mobile phone.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device supports multiple biometric modalities selected from the group consisting of fingerprint, iris, facial recognition, and voice recognition.