Document and signature verification system and method

• US 5,818,955 A
• Filed: 05/20/1997
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PenOp Ltd (Isign Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PenOp Ltd (Isign Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Newman, Jeremy Mark, Smithies, Christopher Paul Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W.
• Application Number:
  US08/859,626
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 382/119, 382/120, 382/121, 382/122, 382/123, 382/232, 382/115, 382/116, 382/117, 382/118, 178/18, 340/825.3, 340/825.33, 340/825.34, 283/70, 283/75, 380/23
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/94 Hardware or software architectures specially adapted for image or video understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/35 by means of a handwritten signature

Abstract

A computer-based method and system for capturing and verifying a handwritten signature. The handwritten signature may relate to a document, such as an electronically stored document. An image of the document is displayed. A user signs the document electronically, and the handwritten signature is electronically captured. A set of measurements relating to the handwritten signature is determined and stored in a signature envelope. Optionally, a checksum of a checksum of the document can be determined and stored in the signature envelope. The claimed identity of the signatory can also be stored in the signature envelope. The signature envelope is encrypted. The signature envelope can be communicated to another application or computer platform, or stored for later verification. The signature envelope is decrypted, and the set of measurements stored in the signature envelope are compared against a known set of handwritten signature measurements to verify the identity of the signatory. The system includes a database of signature templates storing verified signature information. The verified set of signature measurements are compared with the set of measurements stored in the signature envelope to obtain a similarity score. The present invention includes a gravity prompt feature to alert the signatory as to the nature, seriousness and/or contents of what is being signed. The gravity prompt can be stored in the signature envelope as part of the record of the signing event.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for verification of a handwritten signature that relates to a document, comprising the steps of:

at a first computer processor, signing a document by electronically capturing a handwritten signature of a signatory;

at the first computer processor, storing in a signature envelope a visual representation of the handwritten signature;

at the first computer processor, creating a checksum of the document;

at the first computer processor, storing the checksum in the signature envelope;

at the first computer processor, storing in the signature envelope a claimed identity of the signatory;

at the first computer processor, encrypting the signature envelope to create an encrypted signature envelope; and

providing the encrypted signature envelope to a second computer processor.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

at the second computer processor, decrypting the encrypted signature envelope;

at the second processor, creating a second checksum of an electronic document; and

comparing the second checksum to the checksum stored in the signature envelope to determine if the electronic document is a true representation of the document that was signed at the first computer processor.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, at the first computer processor, creating an integrity checksum of the signature envelope and storing in the integrity checksum in the signature envelope prior to encryption of the signature envelope.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of, at the second computer processor, decrypting the encrypted signature envelope and utilizing the integrity checksum to determine if the signature envelope has been modified.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of electronically displaying an image of the document at the first computer processor.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of electronically displaying a prompt summarizing the first document and storing the prompt in the signature envelope.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

at the second computer processor, decrypting the encrypted signature envelope; and

at the second computer processor, retrieving the prompt from the signature envelope.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the prompt summarizing the first document displays an indication of an importance of the first document and the indication includes an amount of money.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of electronically displaying a prompt which indicates the importance of the document and storing the prompt in the signature envelope.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the document evidences a transaction in which an amount of money is to be exchanged and the indication of the importance of the document includes an amount of money of the transaction.

11. A computer-based method for verification of a handwritten signature that relates to a document, comprising the steps of:

signing a document by electronically capturing a handwritten signature of a signatory;

storing in a signature envelope a visual representation of the handwritten signature;

creating a checksum of the document;

storing the checksum in the signature envelope;

storing in the signature envelope a claimed identity of the signatory; and

encrypting the signature envelope to create an encrypted signature envelope.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

decrypting the encrypted signature envelope;

creating a second checksum of an electronic document; and

comparing the second checksum to the checksum stored in the signature envelope to determine if the electronic document is a true representation of the document that was signed.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

decrypting the encrypted signature envelope;

retrieving a signature template of a person having the claimed identity as stored in the signature envelope, the signature template comprising information relating to one or more genuine handwritten signatures of said person; and

comparing the information stored in the signature template with the electronically captured handwritten signature as stored in the signature envelope to obtain a similarity score representative of a degree of similarity between the handwritten signature captured upon signing the document and the one or more genuine handwritten signatures.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

creating a second checksum of an electronic document; and

comparing the second checksum to the checksum stored in the signature envelope to determine if the electronic document is a true representation of the document that was signed.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of outputting the visual image of the handwritten signature.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of electronically displaying a prompt which indicates the importance of the document and storing the prompt in the signature envelope.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the document evidences a transaction in which an amount of money is to be exchanged and the indication of the importance of the document includes the amount of money of the transaction.

18. A computer-implemented biometrics authentication method, comprising the steps of:

displaying a gravity prompt;

capturing biometrics information;

analyzing the biometrics information to obtain measurements relating to the biometrics information;

storing said measurements and said gravity prompt in an envelope;

encrypting the envelope;

decrypting the envelope; and

comparing said measurements with a set of statistics of genuine biometrics information to obtain a similarity score.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of outputting the stored gravity prompt.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of displaying the gravity prompt displays a gravity prompt indicating a specific amount of money.

21. The method of claim 20 comprising the further step of:

comparing a biometric comparison success value, that is based on the amount of money displayed by the gravity prompt against the similarity score to determine the success or failure of the biometrics authentication.

22. The method of claim 18 where the biometrics information captured in the capturing step is voice print information and the genuine biometrics information in the comparing step is voice print information.

23. The method of claim 18 where the biometrics information captured in the capturing step is eye pattern information and the genuine biometrics information in the comparing step is eye pattern information.

24. The method of claim 18 where the biometrics information captured in the capturing step is fingerprint information and the genuine biometrics information in the comparing step is fingerprint information.

25. The method of claim 18 where the biometrics information captured in the capturing step is handwritten signature information and the genuine biometrics information in the comparing step is handwritten signature information.

26. A computer-based method for verification of a biometrics information that is related to a document, comprising the steps of:

at a first computer processor, approving a document by electronically capturing biometric information of a user;

at the first computer processor, storing in an envelope a set of measurements relating to the biometric information;

at the first computer processor, creating a checksum of the document;

at the first computer processor, storing the checksum in the envelope;

at the first computer processor, storing in the envelope a claimed identity of the user;

at the first computer processor, encrypting the envelope to create an encrypted envelope; and

providing the encrypted envelope to a second computer processor.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

at the second computer processor, decrypting the encrypted envelope;

at the second computer processor, retrieving a set of statistics relating to genuine biometrics information of a person having the claimed identity as stored in the envelope; and

at the second computer processor, comparing the set of statistics with the set of measurements stored in the envelope to obtain a similarity score.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the steps of:

at the second processor, creating a second checksum of an electronic document; and

comparing the second checksum to the checksum stored in the envelope to determine if the electronic document is a true representation of the document that was approved at the first computer processor.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of providing the similarity score to the first computer processor.

30. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

at the second processor, creating a second checksum of an electronic document;

at the second computer processor, decrypting the encrypted envelope; and

comparing the second checksum to the checksum stored in the envelope to determine if the electronic document is a true representation of the document that was approved at the first computer processor.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

at the first computer electronically displaying a prompt which indicates the importance of the document where the document evidences a transaction for the exchange of an amount of money and the prompt indicates the amount of money involved in the transaction; and

at the first computer storing the prompt in the envelope.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the steps of:

at the second computer processor, decrypting the encrypted envelope;

at the second computer processor, retrieving a set of statistics relating to genuine biometrics information of a person having the claimed identity as stored in the envelope;

at the second computer processor, comparing the set of statistics with the set of measurements stored in the envelope to obtain a similarity score; and

at the second computer, comparing a biometrics comparison success value that is based on the amount of money displayed by the prompt against the similarity score to determine the success or failure of the verification of the biometrics information.

33. The method of claim 26 where the biometrics information captured in the capturing step is voice print information and the genuine biometrics information in the comparing step is voice print information.

34. The method of claim 26 where the biometrics information captured in the capturing step is eye pattern information and the genuine biometrics information in the comparing step is eye pattern information.

35. The method of claim 26 where the biometrics information captured in the capturing step is fingerprint information and the genuine biometrics information in the comparing step is fingerprint information.

36. The method of claim 26 where the biometrics information captured in the capturing step is handwritten signature information and the genuine biometrics information in the company step is handwritten signature information.