GESTURE-BASED SIGNATURE CAPTURE

• US 20160224962A1
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Herwig, Nathaniel Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,445,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/37 based only on signature signals such as velocity or pressure, e.g. dynamic signature recognition

Abstract

A customer engages in a transaction at a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal, which necessitates obtaining a signature from the customer to complete the transaction. A device integrated or interfaced to the POS terminal electronically captures one or more gestures made by the customer in the air representing a signature of the customer. The device processes one or more images or video representing the gestures into the signature and records the signature to complete the transaction.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

capturing, by a capture device, a gesture that is made without touching the capture device and capturing the gesture in response to audible information communicated over speakers interfaced to the capture device and instructions for providing the gesture;

translating the gesture into a signature; and

recording the signature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing further includes communicating, via an output device, an instruction to a customer to place at least a portion of a customer'"'"'s hand in a field of view of the capture device before the customer initiates the gesture within the field of view.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein communicating further includes providing, via the output device, a confirmation that the portion of the customer'"'"'s hand is detected in the field of view and another instruction to initiate the gesture.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein communicating further includes providing the instruction as the audio information outputted from a speaker and visual information rendered to a screen of a display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing further includes initiating the capturing in response to an indication that a customer-provided signature is necessitated to complete a transaction with a customer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing further includes initiating the capture device as a motion detection device integrated into a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein translating further includes isolating a portion of a hand that makes the gesture as one of:

images and a video.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein isolating further includes forming a single image from one of:

the images and the video, wherein the single image represents the signature.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein translating further includes converting the signature into a format that is compatible with standard electronic signature capture devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein converting further includes associating the signature to a transaction and obtaining attributes of the signature associated with a customer-provided signature of a customer that made the gesture to complete the transaction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining further includes verifying a second signature by the customer when the customer makes a second gesture during a second transaction and verifying by comparing the attributes with second attributes obtained for the second signature.

12. A method, comprising:

activating a capture device during a transaction with a customer at a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal;

capturing, by the capture device, a gesture made by the customer in air as a series of images and capturing the gesture in response to audible information communicated over speakers interfaced to the capture device as instructions for providing the gesture;

converting the series of image into a signature image representing a signature of the customer; and

assigning the signature image to a portion of the transaction to complete the transaction at the POS terminal with the customer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein activating further includes automatically triggering, by the POS terminal, activation of the capture device in response to a command indicating the signature is necessitated by the portion of the transaction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein automatically triggering further includes processing an interface to interact with the customer to calibrate the capture device for at least one of:

a finger and a hand of the customer.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising, rendering the signature image within a screen of a display interfaced to the POS terminal.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising, capturing, by the capture device, a second gesture and converting the second gesture to a second signature image representing a different version of the signature when the customer indicates through an interface that the signature image is unacceptable to the customer for use with the portion of the transaction.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising, recording the signature image in a profile assigned to the customer as the signature of the customer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein recording further includes extracting selective features of the signature image and recording the selective features in the profile.

19. A Point-Of-Sale (POS) system, comprising:

a POS terminal;

a capture device interfaced to the POS terminal and configured to capture a gesture of a customer made in air as a series of electronic images; and

a gesture-based signature manager configured to;

i) execute on the POS terminal, ii) translate the electronic images into a single signature image for a customer during a transaction being conducted by the customer at the POS terminal, and iii) record the single signature image as a customer signature for the customer to satisfy a portion of the transaction in response to audible information communicated over speakers interfaced to the capture device as instructions to provide the customer signature.

20. The POS system of claim 19, wherein the capture device is one of:

integrated into a customer-facing bezel of a display interfaced to the POS terminal, integrated into a rear-side of a scanner interfaced to the POS terminal, and interfaced to the gesture-based signature manager as an independent device that is oriented to capture the gesture of the customer while the customer is at the POS terminal conducting the transaction.