Signature verification and authentication systems

• US 4,202,626 A
• Filed: 02/24/1978
• Issued: 05/13/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Transaction Sciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: A PATENT PARTNERSHIP
• Inventors: Schick, John D., Mayer, George L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wintercorn, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US05/880,805
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 355/52, 355/133, 355/77, 355/45, 355/46, 346/107 R, 346/76 L, 354/120, 354/123, 283/11, 283/7, 283/17, 340/146.3 F, 340/146.3 G, 340/146.3 P, 340/146.3 Z, 340/146.3 SY, 340/149 A, 350/3.77
• US Class Current: 356/71
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/247 electronically, e.g. by comparing signal of hand-writing with a reference signal from the pass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

Signature verification and authentication systems are disclosed which include documents each of which bears a cryptographic representation of at least one property of a signature of an authorized user thereof modified in accordance with at least one of a set of indicia identifying the document with its authorized user. Apparatus are disclosed whereby said cryptographic representations can be decrypted and authenticated, using said indicia as a key. Apparatus are disclosed for producing such cryptographic representations on documents, which apparatus include cryptographic means for producing cryptographic representations of signatures and means for modifying the operation of these cryptographic means in accordance with one or more of said indicia. Methods of signature verification and authentication using documents bearing such cryptographic representations are disclosed. Both passive systems in which the decrypting of said cryptographic representations is performed by eye with the help of passive optical elements, and active systems in which electronic means are used for the decrypting of said cryptographic representations are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of signature verification and authentication comprising the step of reproducing on a document a cryptographic representation of at least one property of a signature of an authorized user thereof modified in accordance with at least one indicium identifying said user with said document.

45. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 1 in which said cryptographic representation is a cryptoeidograph of a composite image consisting of a representation of said signature and a representation of said at least one indicium merged therewith.

2. A method of signature verification and authentication, comprising the steps of:

reproducing on a document indicia identifying said document with an authorized user therof; and

reproducing on said document a cryptographic representation of at least one property of a signature of said authorized user modified in accordance with at least one of said indicia.

3. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 2 in which said indicia are the symbols of an account code designation.

4. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 2 in which said indicia are the symbols of a personal identification code designation.

5. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

decrypting said cryptographic representation of at least one property of a signature of said authorized user, using said at least one of said indicia as a key; and

comparing said at least one property of a signature of said authorized user with at least one corresponding property of a signature made by said authorized user when using said document.

6. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 5 in which said indicia are the symbols of an account code designation.

7. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 6 in which said signature made by said authorized user when using said document is made on said document.

8. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 7 in which said document is a bank check and said authorized user is a drawer thereof.

9. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 5 in which said indicia are the symbols of a personal identification code designation.

10. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 9 in which said document is an identification card.

11. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 9 in which said document is a credit card.

12. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 2 in which said at least one property of a signature of said authorized user is a cryptographic transformation of said signature.

13. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

decrypting said cryptographic transformation of said signature, using said at least one of said indicia as a key; and

comparing said signature as decrypted with a signature made by said authorized user when using said document.

14. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 13 in which said signature made by said authorized user when using said document is made on said document.

15. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 14 in which said document is a bank check and said authorized user is a drawer thereof.

16. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 2 in which said at least one property of a signature of said authorized user is a dynamic property thereof.

17. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 16 in which said document is an identification card.

18. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 16 in which said document is a credit card.

19. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 2 in which said cryptographic representation consists of a plurality of symbols resulting from the modification in accordance with said at least one of said indicia of a plurality of symbols representing said at least one property of a signature of said authorized user.

20. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 2 in which said cryptographic representation is a collocation of elements having diverse optical properties resulting from the recollocation in accordance with said at least one of said indicia of a collocation of such elements representing said at least one property of a signature of said authorized user.

21. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 2 in which said cryptographic representation is a hologram of said signature of said authorized user and said at least one of said indicia.

46. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 2 in which said cryptographic representation is a cryptoeidograph of a composite image consisting of a representation of said signature and a representation of said at least one of said indicia merged therewith.

22. Signature verification and authentication apparatus comprising cryptographic means for decrypting a cryptographic representation borne by a document of at least one property of a signature of an authorized user of said document, modified in accordance with at least one of a plurality of indicia identifying said document with said user.

23. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 22 in which said cryptographic means comprises a multi-lenticular optical array.

24. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 23 in which said multi-lenticular optical array is a substantially regular array composed of substantially congruent optical elements.

25. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising reading means for reading said at least one of a plurality of indicia and providing signals for controlling the operation of said cryptographic means in accordance therewith.

26. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 25 in which said at least one property of a signature of an authorized user is a dynamic property thereof.

27. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 25 in which said at least one property of a signature of an authorized user is a cryptographic transform thereof.

28. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 27 in which said cryptographic transform is a hologram.

29. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising comparing means for comparing said at least one property of a signature of said authorized user with at least one corresponding property of a signature made by said authorized user when using said document.

30. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 29 in which said signature made by said authorized user when using said document is made on said document.

31. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 30 in which said document is a bank check.

32. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 29 in which said document is a passbook.

33. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 29 in which said document is a credit card.

34. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 29 in which said document is an identity card.

47. Signature verification and authentication apparatus as claimed in claim 22 in which said cryptographic representation is a cryptoeidograph of a composite image consisting of a representation of said signature and a representation of said at least one of a plurality of indicia merged therewith.

35. Apparatus for reproducing on a document a cryptograph to be used in verifying and authenticating a signature of an authorized user thereof, comprising:

cryptographic means for producing said cryptograph; and

modifying means for modifying the operation of said cryptographic means in accordance with at least one of a plurality of indicia identifying said document with said authorized user.

36. Apparatus as claimed in claim 35 in which said cryptographic means comprises a multi-lenticular optical array and said modifying means comprises a representation of said at least one of a plurality of indicia.

37. Apparatus as claimed in claim 36 in which said representation of said at least one of a plurality of indicia is in part coincident with a representation of a signature of said authorized user.

38. Apparatus as claimed in claim 35 in which said modifying means comprises a representation of at least one graphic symbol representing said at least one of a plurality of indicia and said at least one symbol coincides in part with a representation of a signature of said authorized user and a representation of the corresponding one of said indicia.

48. Apparatus as claimed in claim 35 in which said cryptograph is a cryptoeidograph of a composite image consisting of a representation of said signature and a representation of said at least one of a plurality of indicia merged therewith.

39. A document, bearing:

indicia identifying said document with an authorized user thereof; and

a cryptographic representation of at least one property of a signature of said user modified in accordance with at least one of said indicia.

40. A document as claimed in claim 39 in which said indicia are the symbols of an account code designation.

41. A document as claimed in claim 39 in which said indicia are the symbols of a personal identification code designation.

42. A document as claimed in claim 39 in which said at least one property of a signature is a count of the number of points at which that signature changes direction.

43. A document as claimed in claim 39 in which said at least one property of a signature is a dynamic property of said user'"'"'s mode of writing said signature.

44. A document as claimed in claim 39 in which said at least one property of a signature is a cryptographic transformation thereof.

49. A document as claimed in claim 39 in which said cryptographic representation is a cryptoeidograph of a composite image consisting of a representation of said signature and a representation of at least one of a plurality of indicia merged therewith.

50. A method of signature verification and authentication, comprising the steps of:

reproducing on a document indicia identifying said document with an authorized user thereof;

reproducing on said document a unitary cryptograph of a representation of at least one property of a signature of said authorized user modified in accordance with at least one of said indicia so that any decryption of a part only of said unitary cryptograph will be detectably different from said modified representation;

decrypting said cryptograph; and

comparing said representation with a corresponding representation of a signature made by said authorized user when using said document.

51. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 50 in which said indicia are the symbols of an account code designation.

52. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 51 in which said signature made by said authorized user when using said document is made on said document.

53. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 52 in which said document is a bank check and said authorized user is a drawer thereof.

54. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 50 in which said indicia are the symbols of a personal identification code designation.

55. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 54 in which said document is an identification card.

56. A method of signature verification and authentication as claimed in claim 54 in which said document is a credit card.