Method and apparatus for signature validation

• US 20040203594A1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alberth, William P., Kotzin, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/217,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203594A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/95 structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for authenticating a signature are disclosed. A disclosed method includes receiving a signature at a wireless mobile station. The received signature has a first characteristic. The first characteristic of the received signature is compared to a first characteristic of a stored signature. The stored signature is stored in a memory of the wireless mobile station. If the first characteristic of the received signature matches the first characteristic of the stored signature, a signal is transmitted. The signal verifies the authenticity of the received signature. A disclosed apparatus includes a memory that stores a signature having a first characteristic, a receiver to receive a signature having a first characteristic, a comparator that compares the first characteristic of the stored signature to the first characteristic of the received signature, and a transmitter that transmits a signal verifying the authenticity of the received signature if the first characteristics of the stored signature and the received signature match.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating a signature comprising:

receiving a signature at a wireless mobile station;

comparing a first characteristic of the received signature to a first characteristic of a signature stored in a memory of the wireless mobile station; and

transmitting a signal verifying the authenticity of the received signature if the first characteristic of the received signature matches the first characteristic of the stored signature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the signature comprises receiving a signal indicative of the received signature at the wireless mobile station from a signature input device other than the wireless mobile station.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising encrypting the signal indicative of the received signature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless mobile station comprises a signature input device and wherein receiving a received signature comprises receiving the received signature from the signature input device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the stored signature are encrypted.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising locking up the wireless mobile station if the first characteristic of the received signature does not match the first characteristic of the stored signature.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing a second characteristic of the received signature to a second characteristic of the stored signature.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising preventing receiving of any further signatures if the first characteristic of the received signature matches the first characteristic of the stored signature and the second characteristic of the received signature does not match the second characteristic of the stored signature.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing the received signature in the memory if the first characteristic of the received signature matches the first characteristic of the stored signature and the second characteristic of the received signature does not match the second characteristic of the stored signature.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting the signal verifying the authenticity of the received signature if at least one of the first and second characteristics of the received signature respectively match the first and second characteristic of the stored signature.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing an account if the first characteristic of the received signature matches the first characteristic of the stored signature.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory is a subscriber identity module (SIM).

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the receiver comprises a touch-sensitive pad.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the comparator comprises a handwriting recognition routine.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the signal verifying the authenticity of the received signature is one of an infrared signal and a radiowave signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a wireless mobile station comprises at least one of the memory, the receiver, the comparator and the transmitter.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the characteristic of the received signature comprises the received signature and the characteristic of the stored signature comprises the stored signature.

12. An apparatus for authenticating a signature comprising:

a memory arranged to store a signature having a characteristic;

a receiver arranged to receive a signature having a characteristic;

a comparator cooperating with the memory and the receiver to compare the characteristic of the stored signature to the characteristic of the received signature; and

a transmitter cooperating with the comparator to transmit a signal verifying the authenticity of the received signature if the characteristic of the stored signature matches the characteristic of the received signature.

19. A method of doing business comprising:

receiving a customer'"'"'s signature at a wireless mobile station;

reading at least one characteristic of the customer'"'"'s signature from a signature input device;

comparing the at least one characteristic of the customer'"'"'s signature to at least one characteristic of a stored signature;

transmitting a verification signal from the wireless mobile station if the first characteristic of the received signature matches the first characteristic of the stored signature

completing a transaction upon receipt of the verification signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein completing a transaction comprises transferring funds from the customer'"'"'s account.