Mechanism for storing authenticity information about a written or printed document

• US 7,357,333 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gilfix, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, STEVEN SANGYUL
• Application Number:
  US11/126,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20060255123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 235/494, 235/380, 235/491, 382/115, 345/179
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0813 Specific details related to card security
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/122 Online card verification

Abstract

A mechanism for storing authenticity information about a written or printed document. This authenticity information may be stored in a publicly-accessible database. When a document patterned with electronic ink is to be verified, the verifier examines the electronic ink under magnification. The verifier locates start and end pattern markers within the ink, and extracts the pattern from the ink. Once the pattern is obtained, the verifier performs a lookup of the pattern in the database. If the pattern is found, the verifier obtains information associated with the pattern from the database. The verifier may then use this information to verify the authenticity of the document.

Claims

1. A method for verifying authenticity of a physical document, the method comprising:

examining a handwritten signature in the physical document formed in patterned electronic ink;

extracting a microscopic pattern embedded in the handwritten signature formed in the patterned electronic ink;

obtaining information associated with the extracted microscopic pattern from a database; and

verifying the authenticity of the handwritten signature in the physical document using the information obtained from the database;

wherein the pattern embedded in the handwritten signature is visible to a user only under magnification.

2. A method for verifying authenticity of a physical document, the method comprising:

examining a handwritten signature in the physical document formed in patterned electronic ink;

extracting a microscopic pattern embedded in the handwritten signature formed in the patterned electronic ink;

obtaining information associated with the extracted microscopic pattern from a database; and

verifying the authenticity of the handwritten signature in the physical document using the information obtained from the database;

wherein the document is examined under magnification.