Electronic writing instrument with fingerprint scanner

• US 20030062202A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Parry, Travis J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,828,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor

Abstract

An electronic writing instrument includes a finger pad that supports a user'"'"'s finger when the user is using the writing instrument. The user'"'"'s finger rests on the finger pad in such a way that a fingerprint of the user'"'"'s finger can be scanned by a fingerprint scanner located in the writing instrument to obtain fingerprint data. The fingerprint data is transmitted to a computing device where the fingerprint data is converted into a private key code. Alternatively, the fingerprint data is converted into the private key code in the writing instrument and the private key code is transmitted to the computing device. The transmission may be through a wired or wireless link. The private key code is used to create a public key code, which is incorporated into an electronic signature. The electronic signature may then be affixed to an electronic document to verify that the user signed the document.

Claims

1. An electronic writing instrument, comprising:

a body;

a nib located at an end of the body for applying writing strokes on a surface;

a finger pad on the length of the body on which a fingerprint of a user'"'"'s finger rests when the user is holding the writing instrument in a writing position;

a fingerprint scanner configured to scan the fingerprint when the user'"'"'s finger is resting on the finger pad to identify fingerprint features on the user'"'"'s fingerprint; and

wherein the fingerprint features are convertible into a code that can be mapped to the fingerprint features to uniquely identify the user.

2. The electronic writing instrument as recited in claim 1, further comprising a ball point pen cartridge, and wherein the nib further comprises a ball on an end of the ball point pen cartridge.

3. The electronic writing instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein the code further comprises a computer code.

4. The electronic writing instrument as recited in claim 1, further comprising a converter configured to convert the fingerprint features into the code.

5. The electronic writing instrument as recited in claim 1, further comprising an output port configured to output data from the writing instrument to a computing device.

6. The electronic writing instrument as recited in claim 1, further comprising a wireless transmitter configured to transmit data from the writing instrument to a wireless receiver located remote from the writing instrument.

7. The electronic writing instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein the code is a private key code that can be used to create a public key code that uniquely identifies the user by identifying the fingerprint features.

8. The electronic writing instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein the code is used to create at least a part of an electronic signature.

9. A method, comprising:

scanning a fingerprint to obtain fingerprint data related to fingerprint features;

transforming the fingerprint data into a private key code; and

creating a public key code from the private key code.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising incorporating the public key code into an electronic signature.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the scanning a fingerprint further comprises scanning a fingerprint of a person who is using an electronic writing instrument while the person is using the electronic writing instrument.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving fingerprint data;

transforming the fingerprint data into a private key code uniquely identifying the fingerprint;

deriving a public key code from the private key code; and

incorporating the public key code into an electronic signature.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the receiving fingerprint data further comprises scanning a fingerprint from an electronic writing instrument to obtain the fingerprint data.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising affixing the electronic signature to an electronic document.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the affixing the electronic signature to an electronic document further comprises scanning a document to create a corresponding electronic document and affixing the electronic signature to the corresponding electronic document.

16. One or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following steps:

scanning a fingerprint of a writing instrument user to obtain fingerprint data that uniquely identifies the fingerprint; and

transmitting the fingerprint data to a computing device that uses the fingerprint data to create an electronic signature that is uniquely associated with the user.

17. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, further comprising converting the fingerprint data into a private key code, and wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting the private key code to a computing device that uses the private key code to create the electronic signature.

18. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting the fingerprint data to the computing device over a wireless link.

19. One or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following steps:

receiving fingerprint data from an electronic writing instrument; and

creating an electronic signature using the fingerprint data.

20. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the fingerprint data further comprises fingerprint data that uniquely identifies fingerprint features included in the fingerprint.

21. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 20, further comprising converting the fingerprint data into a public key code that can be uniquely mapped to the fingerprint related to the fingerprint data.

22. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the fingerprint data further comprises a private key code derived from the fingerprint data.

23. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the creating an electronic signature further comprises directly incorporating the fingerprint data into the electronic signature.

24. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the creating an electronic signature further comprises:

converting the fingerprint data into a private key code; and

incorporating the private key code into the electronic signature.

25. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 19, wherein the creating an electronic signature further comprises:

converting the fingerprint data into a private key code;

creating a public key code from the private key code; and

incorporating the public key code into the electronic signature.