Device, system, and method for registering and authenticating handwritten signatures and archiving handwritten information
First Claim
1. An electronic pen device configured to be used with a remote secure server for registering handwritten signatures, said remote secure server comprising an authentication database storing authentication information in connection with pre-registered users and a signature registration database for registering handwritten signatures, the electronic pen device comprising:
- a body in the form of a pen enclosing an input/output (I/O) interface;
a memory;
a tip and a sensor connected thereto for capturing handwritten signatures;
a network interface configured to be connected to a data network, and a processing unit connected to said I/O interface, to said sensor, to said memory and to said network interface;
where said electronic pen device is configured to;
establish a remote data communication with the remote secure server via the data network and a communication with a user desiring to sign a document via the I/O interface for approving a content of the document;
obtain personal identification information from the user via the I/O interface;
authenticate said user by inquiring said remote secure server if the user is an authentic pre-registered user among the pre-registered users, said authentication comprising determining if there is a match between the personal identification information specified by the user and the authentication information stored in the remote secure server in connection with the user;
receive a notification of successful or unsuccessful authentication from the remote secure server via the data network based on the match determination;
receive a request from the user to sign a document;
reject said request from the user to sign a document in case of receipt of a notification of unsuccessful authentication from the remote secure server;
accept said request from the user to sign a document only if and subsequent to a receipt of a notification of successful authentication by the electronic pen device from the remote secure server, said acceptance comprising transmitting a handwritten signature handwritten by said user in association with the document handwritten signature, approving the content of the document, from the electronic pen device to the remote secure server for storage inside the signature registration database;
subsequent to the storage of the handwritten signature in the remote secure server, receive from the remote secure server via the data network and communicate to the user via the I/O interface a unique signature identifier generated by the remote secure server and stored inside the signature registration database in connection with the stored handwritten signature, wherein said unique signature identifier is sent to the user by the electronic pen device for association with the document that has been signed and wherein said unique signature identifier is for the purpose of indication on the document together with the handwritten signature for use as a reference during future authentication of said document comprising determining if there is an exact match between the signature stored in the remote secure server and the signature appearing on said document.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is provided an electronic pen device configured to be used with a remote secure server for registering handwritten signatures, the secure server comprising an authentication database storing authentication information in connection with pre-registered users and a signature registration database for registering handwritten signatures, the electronic pen device comprising: an input/output (I/O) interface; a memory; a tip and capturing means connected thereto for capturing handwritten signatures; a network interface adapted to be connected to a data network, and a processing unit connected to the I/O interface, to the capturing means, to the memory and to the network interface. As another aspect of the invention, there is further provided a system for registering handwritten signatures. As another another aspect of the invention, there is further provided a method of authenticating handwritten signatures. As a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of signing a document by a plurality of contracting user. As a further further aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic pen device configured to be used with a remote server for archiving handwritten information.
25 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An electronic pen device configured to be used with a remote secure server for registering handwritten signatures, said remote secure server comprising an authentication database storing authentication information in connection with pre-registered users and a signature registration database for registering handwritten signatures, the electronic pen device comprising:
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a body in the form of a pen enclosing an input/output (I/O) interface;
a memory;
a tip and a sensor connected thereto for capturing handwritten signatures;
a network interface configured to be connected to a data network, and a processing unit connected to said I/O interface, to said sensor, to said memory and to said network interface;where said electronic pen device is configured to; establish a remote data communication with the remote secure server via the data network and a communication with a user desiring to sign a document via the I/O interface for approving a content of the document; obtain personal identification information from the user via the I/O interface; authenticate said user by inquiring said remote secure server if the user is an authentic pre-registered user among the pre-registered users, said authentication comprising determining if there is a match between the personal identification information specified by the user and the authentication information stored in the remote secure server in connection with the user; receive a notification of successful or unsuccessful authentication from the remote secure server via the data network based on the match determination; receive a request from the user to sign a document; reject said request from the user to sign a document in case of receipt of a notification of unsuccessful authentication from the remote secure server; accept said request from the user to sign a document only if and subsequent to a receipt of a notification of successful authentication by the electronic pen device from the remote secure server, said acceptance comprising transmitting a handwritten signature handwritten by said user in association with the document handwritten signature, approving the content of the document, from the electronic pen device to the remote secure server for storage inside the signature registration database; subsequent to the storage of the handwritten signature in the remote secure server, receive from the remote secure server via the data network and communicate to the user via the I/O interface a unique signature identifier generated by the remote secure server and stored inside the signature registration database in connection with the stored handwritten signature, wherein said unique signature identifier is sent to the user by the electronic pen device for association with the document that has been signed and wherein said unique signature identifier is for the purpose of indication on the document together with the handwritten signature for use as a reference during future authentication of said document comprising determining if there is an exact match between the signature stored in the remote secure server and the signature appearing on said document. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15)
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8. A system for use with an electronic pen device for receiving and registering handwritten signatures, the system comprising:
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a remote secure server configured to be in remote data communication with the electronic pen device, the remote secure server comprising an authentication database comprising authentication information associated with pre-registered users, a signature registration database for registering handwritten signatures received from pre-registered users in association with signed documents, and a network interface configured to be connected to a data network; the remote secure server being configured to; receive a request from the electronic pen device for registering a handwritten signature comprising personal identification information associated with a user requesting to sign a document using the electronic pen device; authenticate the user by verifying if the user is an authentic pre-registered user among the pre-registered users using the authentication information and said personal identification information, said authentication comprising determining if there is a match between the personal identification information specified by the user and the authentication information stored in the remote secure server in connection with the user; in case of an unsuccessful authentication, send a notification of unsuccessful authentication to the electronic pen device for rejecting the request to sign the document; only in case of and subsequent to a successful authentication, send a notification of successful authentication to the electronic pen device for accepting the request to sign the document, receive a signature handwritten by said user in association with the document, generate a unique signature identifier associated with said document, store said handwritten signature inside said signature registration database in association with the unique signature identifier, and transmit said unique signature identifier to said electronic pen device for indication on the document in order to be used as a reference during future authentication of the document; where said future authentication of said document comprises retrieving the unique signature identifier as indicated on the document;
querying the remote secure server using this unique signature identifier to retrieve the stored signature associated with the unique signature identifier and determining if there is an exact match between the signature stored in the remote secure server and the signature appearing on said document. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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16. A method of authenticating handwritten signatures, the method comprising:
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receiving, at an electronic pen device, a request from a user for signing a document, the request comprising personal identification information associated with said user; automatically authenticating, the user by said electronic pen device, using said personal identification information by inquiring a remote secure server comprising an authentication database storing authentication information in connection with pre-registered users, said authentication of the user comprising determining if there is a match between the personal identification information specified by the user and the authentication information stored in the remote secure server in connection with the user, in case of an unsuccessful authentication, automatically transmitting by the remote secure server to the electronic pen device a notification of unsuccessful notification, and said electronic pen device rejecting the request for signing the document; in case of and subsequent to a successful authentication, automatically transmitting by the remote secure server to the electronic pen device a notification of successful authentication and said electronic pen device accepting the request to sign the document, receiving by the electronic pen device and transmitting to the remote secure server a handwritten signature of the user approving a content of the document, automatically storing by the remote secure server said handwritten signature inside a signature registration database, automatically generating by said remote secure server a unique signature identifier and associating said unique signature identifier to said handwritten signature, and automatically communicating said unique signature identifier to said electronic pen device, and communicating said unique signature identifier by the electronic pen device to the user for indication on the document in order to be used as a reference during future authentication of said document; during authentication of the document, providing access to said signature registration database for enabling an authenticating party to authenticate said document, where said authentication of said document comprises retrieving the unique signature identifier as indicated on the document;
querying the remote secure server using this unique signature identifier to retrieve the stored signature associated with the unique signature identifier and determining if there is an exact match between the signature stored in the remote secure server and the signature appearing on said document.
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Specification