Method of signature verification and device for carrying out the method

• US 4,856,077 A
• Filed: 01/14/1988
• Issued: 08/08/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eric Rothfjell
• Original Assignee: Eric Rothfjell
• Inventors: Rothfjell, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Daley, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US07/138,031
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 382/3, 382/13, 382/59, 382/9, 340/707, 340/708, 235/472
• US Class Current: 382/123
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/247 electronically, e.g. by comparing signal of hand-writing with a reference signal from the pass

Abstract

A method and a device for signature verification, where an electric pulse train individual for every person in question is caused to be generated in that said person is allowed to move a pen comprising at its nib a light-emitting member and a light-sensitive member over a background, whereby an electric pulse train is caused to be emitted from the light-sensitive member in response to patterns on said background, and where said pulse train generated at a certain occasion is caused by means of a computer, processor or corresponding device to be compared with pulse trains generated earlier.

The invention is characterized in that said pen at its nib comprises a writing pen or a ballpoint pen capable to bring about a line when the pen is moved on a support capable to write on, such as a paper document, and said pulse train is generated when the person at the writing of his/her signature with the pen nib crosses lines written earlier during the writing with the pen, and that the signature being in writing constitutes said background.

Claims

1. A method of signature verification, at which an electric pulse train individual for every person in question is generated in that said person is allowed to move a pen, which includes at its nib a light-emitting member and a light-sensitive member, over a background, whereby an electric pulse train is caused to be emitted from the light-sensitive member in response to patterns on said background, and said pulse train generated at a certain occasion is caused by means of a computer, processor or corresponding device to be compared with pulse trains generated earlier, comprising said pen (1) including at its nib a writing pen (14) or a ballpoint pen arranged to leave behind a line that forms said background when the pen is moved against a support capable to write on, such as a paper document, and that said pulse train is generated as a binary pulse train, derived solely from crossover points in said signature when the person at the writing of his/her signature with the pen nib (14) crosses over lines written earlier at the writing with the pen of said signature, such that the signature being written constitutes said background.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that a number of signatures in the form of pulse trains generated by the same person by means of the pen (1) in a first phase are stored in said computer (10;

16), which thereby is caused to compare the same and thereby select portions of said pulse trains,, which to a predetermined degree are alike each other, and thereby store said like portions in a memory (13;

17) for in a second phase when the person writes his/her signature comparing the pulse train then generated with corresponding said stored portions.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said computer (16), processor or corresponding device is positioned in said pen (1) together with necessary memories (17), whereby the pen (1) is caused to carry out signature verification without assistance by any external computer.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the pen (1) is connected to an external computer (10), processor or corresponding device, in which in a first phase a great number of pulse trains are stored, which are generated by the person with the pen, whereafter said external computer (10) is caused to compare these trains and thereby select portions of said pulse trains, which to a predetermined degree are alike each other, and that the external computer (10) is arranged to store the like portions in a memory (17) provided in the pen (1), and in a second phase when the person writes his/her signature an internal computer, processor or corresponding device provided in the pen (1) is caused to compare the pulse train then generated with corresponding portions stored in the memory (17).

5. A method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said computer (10;

16), processor or corresponding device, when a generated pulse train to a predetermined degree agrees with said stored portions, is caused to emit a signal to an indication device (15;

20,21), such as a light emitting diode.

6. A device for signature verification capable to generate an electric pulse train individual for each person in question, including a pen, which at its nib includes a light-emitting member and a light-sensitive member, whereby said pen is arranged to emit said pulse train to a computer, processor or corresponding device when the pen by the person in question is moved over a background comprising light and dark portions, where said computer is arranged to compare a pulse train generated at one occasion with pulse trains generated earlier, comprising said pen (1) at its nib including a writing pen (14) or a ballpoint pen arranged to bring about a line that forms said background when the pen is moved on a support capable to write on, such as a paper document, and that the pen (1) is arranged to emit an electric pulse when the person at the writing of the signature with the pen nib (14) crosses over lines written earlier at the writing with the pen (1) of said signature forming a binary pulse train derived solely from crossover points in said signature, such that the signature being written constitutes said background.

7. A device as defined in claim 6, characterized in that said computer (10;

16) is arranged in a first phase to store a number of signatures in the form of pulse trains, which are generated by the same person by means of the pen (1), and to compare the same and thereby to select portions of said pulse trains which to a predetermined degree are alike each other, and thereby to store the like portions, which computer (10;

     16) is arranged in a second phase when the person writes the signature to compare the pulse train then generated with corresponding stored portions.

8. A device as defined in claim 6, characterized in that said computer (16), processor or corresponding device is located in said pen (1) together with necessary memories (17), whereby the pen (1) is capable to carry out signature verification without assistance by any external computer.

9. A device as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the pen (1) can be connected to an external computer (10), processor or corresponding device, to which the pen (1) in a first phase is arranged to emit a number of pulse trains, which are generated by the same person by means of the pen (1), that the external computer (10) is arranged to compare these pulse trains and thereby to select portions of said pulse trains which to a predetermined degree are alike each other, and the external computer (10) thereafter is arranged to store the like portions in a memory (17) located in the pen (1), and in a second phase when the person writes his/her signature an internal computer (16), processor or corresponding device located in the pen is arranged to compare the pulse train then generated with corresponding portions stored in said memory (17).

10. A device as defined in claim 6, characterized in that said computer (10), processor or corresponding device is arranged, when a generated pulse train to a predetermined degree agrees with said stored portions, to emit a signal to an indication device (15;

20,21), such as a light emitting diode.

11. A method of signature verification comprising:

A. generating at least one electric binary pulse train individual to a signature of a given person and derived solely from crossover points in said signature, formed by said person moving a pen over a desired surface, said pen having at its nib a light-emitting member, a light-sensitive member, and a writing pen for producing an image on said surface, said pulse train being generated by said person writing said person'"'"'s signature on said surface to form a background on said surface so that when said person crosses over lines written earlier in said signature by said writing pen, said light-sensitive member emits said pulse train in response to the pattern of said background;

B. storing said at least one electric binary pulse train in a computer or the like;

C. generating a second electric binary pulse train by said person in the manner of step A; and

D. comparing said second electric binary pulse train to said at least one stored pulse train for said verification.