According to a recent report, biometric technology is expected to secure $5.6 trillion in mobile payments transactions by 2020. Because of the sheer volume of these types of transactions, the need to further secure this segment has become crucial. To address this, ultrasound biometric technology company Sonavation, Inc., announced SonicTouch, an advanced authentication solution for digital and device security.

The device is a Fast ID Online (FIDO)-ready ultrasound biometric authenticator system-in-package module that delivers the next-generation of identity security and ease of integration into mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Sonavation is currently finalizing design-in specifications and launch schedules with three global, tier-one mobile device manufacturers.

Secure transaction platforms

SonicTouch features a Match-In-Sensor architecturally flexible design, and this 3D ultrasound sensor offers what Sonavation claims is the industry’s first full-stack solution with the highest level end-to-end encryption architecture, providing a fully encapsulated locked-down module. Combined with upgradable anti-spoofing and Level 3+ matching systems, secure transaction platforms can be deployed by mobile and IoT device manufacturers, mobile network operators and application developers.

With SonicTouch, a user’s singularly unique acoustic fingerprint signature is captured, encrypted and never leaves the device. SonicTouch provides a high accuracy extract and match and allows authentication despite moisture, dirt or lotion that might be present on a user’s finger. Because device protective glass integrity is of utmost importance, SonicTouch was purposefully designed to eliminate the need to etch out or cut into the protective display glass, thus keeping the full strength of the glass intact. For device manufacturers, this is a critical element to reducing device costs while providing a positive end-user experience.

“The digital and connected world is at our doorstep and is already beginning to touch every aspect of life,” Sonavation CEO Karl Weintz stated. “This makes biometric security a critical component and evolving authority that demands our attention.”

This technology aims to empower OEMs, allowing them to implement biometric security in more devices, ultimately increasing security, but at a lower cost.

An ultrasound biometric sensor compatible with Corning Gorilla Glass

Earlier this year, Sonavation also announced that is developing and bonding an ultrasound biometric sensor that is compatible with Corning Gorilla Glass, providing a high-resolution 3D fingerprint image. Corning Gorilla Glass is utilized on nearly 4 billion devices and used by more than 40 major brands worldwide.

Sonavation’s ultimate goal is to help OEMs deliver mobile devices equipped with a display that can read fingerprints, with no need for specialized buttons or sensors, as the whole screen will act as a fingerprint scanner.

Photo by CPOA