Smart Mobile Identity Revolutionizing biometric identity verification
Introduction Mobile devices are poised to transform the biometric industry and greatly broaden the use of biometrics for identity verification. Stationary iris-based biometric systems currently are used for specific applications, such as border control and airport security, and are well suited to high throughput environments. Smart Mobile Identity from AOptix will enable far more people to stay safe and connected by delivering the first mobile, easyto-use, accurate, and connected identity verification devices achieved through a union of biometrics and smartphones. What is Smart Mobile Identity? We define Smart Mobile Identity as: a new class of biometrics-based hardware and software products and services that leverage the computational horsepower, storage space, software development tools, communication interfaces, and multi-sensor capabilities available in leading-edge smartphones and other mobile devices. Smart Mobile Identity delivers sophisticated authentication capability in a way that is highly intuitive, portable, and connected. Because of these attributes, Smart Mobile Identity will be used in many areas where biometric identity verification previously was impractical, cost prohibitive, or impossible. These potential applications include travel, banking, national and civil ID programs, healthcare, disaster relief and humanitarian aid, law enforcement and homeland security. Smartphone Technology and Relevance to Biometric Identity Verification Smartphone Technology Sensors Processors Memory User Interface Today, smartphones are fitted with cameras that rival the best point-and-shoot devices; they include 4G radios that transfer data at rates exceeding many wired broadband connections; they come equipped with large, bright high-definition screens that make everything from video conferencing to watching movies a pleasure; they have access to app stores that provide streamlined, customized capability for nearly any application. And, perhaps most importantly, they are truly easy to use. Smartphones provide an ideal foundation for the deployment of biometric systems because of the way in which they combine a multitude of advanced technologies. Sensors: High resolution, auto-focus cameras with superior low-light performance; microphones with active noise cancelling; GPS; accelerometers; compasses; touch screens AOptix White Paper Smart Mobile Identity 2
The overarching need to sample physical features and convert them into digital representations means that biometric verification by nature is a sensor-centric business. Face, iris, and certain fingerprint sensor technologies are based on the use of CMOS imaging sensors. Voice recognition is based on the use of audio microphones, which are a type of sensor. In many cases, geographic positioning is a critical piece of information related to biometric identity. Processors: Highly efficient multi-core processors with GPU acceleration can deliver advanced computation and image processing with minimal power consumption. Biometric identification relies on the successful conversion of captured imagery, audio, or other inputs into a digital representation (i.e. Template ) that can be effectively compared against another such representation. Fingerprint images, for example, can be converted into a vector map representing the location, orientation, and type of important features. It is these two maps, not the fingerprint itself, that are compared to each other. Advanced processing power means that biometric templates can be created more quickly, or in a more sophisticated manner, and can be compared with greater speed and accuracy. Memory: The explosion of flash memory capacity enables implementation of large, complex databases and file repositories on the smartphone itself. Biometric identity verification is a database-centric business. In some use cases, the database holds biometric information to be used as a reference point for identity verification. This is especially useful for applications where it must be determined that an individual is who he claims to be (a form of one-to-one matching ), and has not previously been enrolled under a different identity (a form of one-to-many matching ). In other use cases, the database holds private information, whether it be financial information, email, personal photos and videos, or otherwise. In this case, the database does not enable the biometric functionality. It demands the use of biometric verification to secure the private information itself. User Interface: Well-supported smartphone Software Development Kit (SDKs) with strong UI conventions deliver a consistent, intuitive touch screen experience that provides an easy development platform. Biometric identity verification has long been challenged by poorly executed, nonintuitive sensor interfaces. It has also been challenged by the deployment of proprietary systems that do not follow standard UI conventions and do not allow for straightforward development of custom functionality. The feature-rich SDKs offered with leading smartphone operating systems enable a complete reversal of these historical trends. These SDKs allow for development of intuitive and graphically elegant biometric applications and have enabled creation of a vast array of apps, many of which demand biometric verification. AOptix White Paper Smart Mobile Identity 3
Benefits and Uses of Smart Mobile Identity Benefits of Smart Mobile Identity Ease of Use Portability Versatility Constant Improvement Consumerization Connectivity Benefits The defining features of Smart Mobile Identity will revolutionize the biometric industry. Intuitive, accurate, portable and highly connected means of identity verification will unlock the true potential of conventional biometric applications while making feasible a wide variety of new applications. Ease of use: These devices can be deployed by a wide range of users. Through the combination of familiar UI conventions, and simple, intuitive graphical design, no technical expertise will be necessary to perform accurate authentication. Portability: Biometric verification can be conducted by users on the move in a wide range of environments and circumstances. Versatility: Rather than delivering single-purpose biometric functionality, biometric systems based on smartphones enable users to access a phenomenal range of related applications, from communications to navigation to translation, reference, and beyond. Smart Mobile Identity products are not merely mobile biometric systems they are entire mobile platforms with advanced biometric capability. Constant improvement: In contrast with previous generation biometric devices, which would often remain unchanged for five years or more, Smart Mobile Identity products will evolve at the state of the mobile industry blazingly fast. Advances in smartphones and tablets, whether they be hardware features like cameras, touch screens, and highbandwidth wireless connections, software features like speech-to-text, 3D mapping, and streaming video, or enterprise-readiness tools like mobile device management, app stores, and secure mobility applications, all will benefit the biometric industry. Consumerization: Because Smart Mobile Identity products are based on consumer / enterprise platforms, they not only are easier to use, but also provide a natural bridge for biometric identity verification from traditional government markets to consumer and enterprise applications. Connectivity: Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G and beyond: all are natively supported by smartphone platforms, and all key enablers for deployment of biometrics identity verification in mobile settings. AOptix White Paper Smart Mobile Identity 4
Classes of Smart Mobile Identity Products We envision two main classes of Smart Mobile Identity products: Those which rely on the smartphone or tablet hardware itself to collect biometric data, and those which use additional hardware to collect particular biometric modalities that cannot effectively be captured with the smartphone itself. A Smart Mobile Identity solution which relies on face recognition could simply use the phenomenal camera capabilities of leading smartphones in conjunction with custom smartphone software. However, a Smart Mobile Identity solution which relies on highquality fingerprint and / or iris recognition typically would require additional specialized sensors for these modalities. Applications Travel Banking National and Civil ID Programs Healthcare Disaster Relief Law Enforcement Applications for Smart Mobile Identity With both of these classes of products in mind, the following kinds of applications will benefit from Smart Mobile Identity: Travel: Smart Mobile Identity will enable fast, effortless transit through border crossings and security areas. It will also enable Immigration processing in remote environments or in transit situations (such as on a cruise ship, train, or airplane). Banking: Access to mobile banking will be more efficient and secure with biometric identity verification. In many places, remote banking from high value transactions to delivery of credit cards and other services could benefit from or rely on Smart Mobile Identity for employee and / or customer authentication. National and Civil ID Programs: Governments increasingly are turning to biometric identity verification as a means of delivering and securing social, financial, and government services. Smart Mobile Identity will provide these programs with highly portable, cost effective, and easy-to-use solutions to optimize the use of their biometric infrastructure. Healthcare: Because the healthcare industry provides critical services and collects a wide range of private information, the opportunities for Smart Mobile Identity are vast, whether in the hospital, at remote care clinics, or at home. Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Aid: In circumstances where infrastructure has been decimated, standard identity credentials are unavailable, and people need immediate access to healthcare, financial and other disbursements, as well as access to restricted areas, Smart Mobile Identity can help limit fraud, build situational understanding, and efficiently connect people with the services they critically need. Law Enforcement and Homeland Security: Smart Mobile Identity will enable law enforcement and homeland security forces to be connected, efficient, and equipped with sophisticated tools for rapid identity verification in challenging, threatening, and / or highly remote locations. AOptix White Paper Smart Mobile Identity 5
Conclusion Smart Mobile Identity is poised to turn biometric identity verification on its head. No longer will biometric technology be confined to a role as gatekeeper in a fixed location. The rapid innovation and adoption of smartphones provide a rich platform for mobile biometric identification. A platform which is portable, easy-to-use, accurate and connected. One which can be used in the field to allow access to services, to accelerate processes and to enable new ways of working which were previously not possible. Smart Mobile Identity brings trust to where it s needed on a timely basis. As a result, Smart Mobile Identity sits at the heart of AOptix s mission to keep people safe and connected. About AOptix AOptix Technologies Inc. is helping the world stay safe and connected with its identity verification and wireless communications solutions. Through the combination of iris recognition and other biometrics techniques, the company s identity solutions deliver fast, easy and accurate identification and verification for a wide range of applications including automated boarding and immigration at airports and international borders. Its communications solutions deliver reliable, long-range, ultra-high bandwidth wireless communications to alleviate mobile backhaul congestion and other network chokepoints. Its solutions are derived from the company s patented optical technologies originally developed for scientific research and further developed with DARPA for advanced defense applications. AOptix is a privately held company based in Campbell, Calif., with sales offices in Washington D.C. as well as Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. www.aoptix.com For more information please contact: Joseph Pritikin, Director of Product Marketing jpritikin@aoptix.com AOptix Technologies, Inc. 675 Campbell Technology Parkway Campbell, CA, USA 95008 T 408 558 3300 www.aoptix.com Copyright 2012 AOptix Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. AOptix and AOptix logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of AOptix Technologies, Inc. or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. All product information is subject to change without notice.