Method and apparatus for processing biometric information in electronic device

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing biometric information in an electronic device including a processor that operates at a normal mode or at a secure mode, the method comprising, detecting a biometric input event from a biometric sensor module at normal mode, creating biometric data based on sensed data from the biometric sensor module at the secure mode, performing biometric registration or biometric authentication based on the created biometric data at the secure mode, and providing result information of biometric registration or biometric authentication at the normal mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable communication device comprising:
 a fingerprint sensor; and   a processor operable, at least with respect to the fingerprint sensor, in a rich execution environment (REE) supported under a first operating system (OS) or a trusted execution environment (TEE) supported under a second OS more secure than the first OS, the processor configured to:
 while the processor is operated in the REE under the first OS, receive a signal from the fingerprint sensor in response to a fingerprint object being sensed via the fingerprint sensor, 
 switch from the first OS to the second OS in response to the signal, and 
 while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS, obtain fingerprint image data from the fingerprint sensor, the fingerprint image data accessible by the processor while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS. 
   
     
     
         2 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 as at least part of the switching, transition from the REE to the TEE.   
     
     
         3 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is operably coupled with the fingerprint sensor via a normal interface and a secure interface, and wherein the processor is configured to:
 perform the receiving via the normal interface, and   perform the obtaining via the secure interface.   
     
     
         4 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS, generate biometric data based at least in part on the fingerprint image data.   
     
     
         5 . The portable communication device of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS, perform biometric authentication based at least in part on the biometric data.   
     
     
         6 . The portable communication device of  claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 while the processor is operated in the REE under the first OS, display an outcome of the biometric authentication via a touchscreen display.   
     
     
         7 . The portable communication device of  claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 switch from the second OS to the first OS after the performing of the biometric authentication and before the displaying of the outcome.   
     
     
         8 . The portable communication device of  claim 4 , further comprising memory including a secure zone accessible by the processor while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS and inaccessible while the processor is operated in the REE under the first OS, wherein the processor is configured to:
 while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS, store the biometric data in the secure zone.   
     
     
         9 . The portable communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 refrain from accessing the fingerprint image data while in operation in the REE under the first OS.   
     
     
         10 . A portable communication device comprising:
 a touchscreen display;   a biometric sensor; and   a processor operable, at least with respect to the biometric sensor, in a rich execution environment (REE) supported under a first operating system (OS) or a trusted execution environment (TEE) supported under a second OS more secure than the first OS, the processor configured to:
 detect an input associated with an external object while the processor is operated in the REE under the first OS, 
 obtain, using the biometric sensor, biometric image data corresponding to the input associated with the external object while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS, 
 perform, using the biometric sensor, biometric authentication based at least in part on one or more biometric characteristics of the biometric image data while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS such that the biometric image data and the one or more characteristics of the biometric image data are accessible by the processor, and 
 display, via the touchscreen display, an outcome of the biometric authentication while the processor is operated in the REE under the first OS such that the biometric image data or at least one of the one or more characteristics of the biometric image data is inaccessible by the processor. 
   
     
     
         11 . The portable communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive a touch input as the input via the touchscreen display.   
     
     
         12 . The portable communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the biometric sensor includes a camera, and wherein the processor is configured to:
 perform the obtaining of the biometric image data using the camera.   
     
     
         13 . The portable communication device of  claim 10 , further comprising memory including a secure zone accessible by the processor while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS and inaccessible while the processor is operated in the REE under the first OS, wherein the processor is configured to:
 while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS, generate biometric data indicative of the one or more characteristics of the biometric image data and store the biometric data in the secure zone before the performing of the biometric authentication.   
     
     
         14 . The portable communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the biometric sensor includes a fingerprint sensor, wherein the biometric image data includes fingerprint image data, and wherein the processor is configured to:
 as at least part of the performing of the biometric authentication, perform fingerprint authentication based at least in part on the fingerprint image data.   
     
     
         15 . The portable communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the biometric sensor includes a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, a retina sensor, or a vein pattern sensor. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer including a touchscreen display, a biometric sensor, and a processor, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
 the processor operable, at least with respect to the biometric sensor, in a rich execution environment (REE) supported under a first operating system (OS) or a trusted execution environment (TEE) supported under a second OS more secure than the first OS, the processor configured to:
 detect an input associated with an external object while the processor is operated in the rich execution environment (REE) under the first operating system (OS), 
 obtain, using the biometric sensor, biometric image data corresponding to the input associated with the external object while the processor is operated in the trusted execution environment (TEE) under the second OS more secure than the first OS, 
 perform, using the biometric sensor, biometric authentication based at least in part on one or more biometric characteristics of the biometric image data while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS such that the biometric image data and the one or more characteristics of the biometric image data are accessible by the processor, and 
 display, via the touchscreen display, an outcome of the biometric authentication while the processor is operated in the REE under the first OS such that the biometric image data or at least one of the one or more characteristics of the biometric image data is inaccessible by the processor. 
   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a touch input as the input via the touchscreen display.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the biometric sensor includes a camera, and wherein the obtaining of the biometric image data is performed using the camera. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the computer further comprises memory including a secure zone accessible by the processor while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS and inaccessible while the processor is operated in the REE under the first OS, and wherein the operations further comprises:
 while the processor is operated in the TEE under the second OS, generating biometric data indicative of the one or more characteristics of the biometric image data, and   storing the biometric data in the secure zone before the performing of the biometric authentication.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the biometric sensor includes a fingerprint sensor, wherein the biometric image data includes fingerprint image data, and wherein the performing of the biometric authentication includes performing fingerprint authentication based at least in part on the fingerprint image data.