Method and apparatus for online signature verification using proximity touch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9280700-B2
Application number	US-201414484746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2014
Priority date	Sep 12, 2013
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A method and apparatus for verifying an input signature are provided. The method includes generating signature data based on a real touch event and a proximity touch event that occur on a touch input unit of and apparatus, extracting a feature of the input signature based on the signature data, and determining whether to authenticate the input signature based on a similarity between the feature of the input signature and a corresponding feature of a previously stored reference signature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of verifying an input signature made, the method comprising:
receiving a touch event and a proximity touch event that occur on a touch input unit of an apparatus;
extracting features of the input signature, the features including a touch feature associated with the touch event, and a proximity touch feature associated with the proximity touch event; and
determining whether to authenticate the input signature based on a first similarity between the touch feature of the input signature and a corresponding touch feature of a previously stored reference signature, and a second similarity between the proximity touch feature and a corresponding proximity touch feature of the previously stored reference signature, wherein the second similarity is given more weight than the first similarity in determining whether to authenticate the input signature.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing at least one of coordinates at which the touch event occurs, a time at which the touch event occurs, and an amount of pressure applied to the touch input unit when the touch event occurs, as a point that corresponds to the touch event and represents a trace of the input signature, and
storing at least one of coordinates at which the proximity touch event occurs and time at which the proximity touch event occurs, as a point that corresponds to the proximity touch event and represents the trace of the input signature.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining whether to authenticate the input signature comprises:
calculating a similarity between the input signature and the reference signature based on a feature of each point; and
determining whether to authenticate the input signature based on the similarity.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the feature of each point comprises at least one of coordinates of the point, a pressure applied to the touch input unit of the apparatus at the point, a speed of the trace of the input signature at the point, an acceleration of the trace of the input signature at the point, a curvature of the trace of the input signature at the point, and a type of touch event for the point.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extracting the features of the input signature comprises extracting a touch feature of a touch stroke which is a trace of touch events that occur between a touch down event and a touch up event, and a proximity touch feature of a proximity touch stroke which is a trace of proximity touch events that occur between a proximity touch entering event and proximity touch concluding event.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the touch feature of the touch stroke or the proximity touch feature of the proximity touch stroke comprises at least one of a direction of the touch stroke or the proximity touch stroke, a length of the touch stroke or the proximity touch stoke, a duration of the touch stroke or the proximity touch stroke, and a type of touch event by which the touch stroke or the proximity touch stoke is generated.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the touch event and the proximity touch event comprises displaying, on a display of the apparatus, a trace of the touch event except for the proximity touch event from among the touch event and the proximity touch event.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving at least one touch event and at least one proximity touch event that occur on the touch input unit of the apparatus;
extracting features of the reference signature, the features including a touch feature associated with the touch event, and a proximity touch feature associated with the proximity touch event; and
storing the feature of the reference signature in correspondence to a user.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
displaying a trace of the at least one touch event on a display of the apparatus; and
displaying a trace of the at least one proximity touch event such that the trace is distinguished from the trace of the at least one touch event.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying, on a display of the apparatus, a user interface for selecting whether to verify the input signature based on the proximity touch event.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program that is executable by a computer to perform the method of claim 1 .

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the extracted features of the input signature include a beginning proximity touch feature corresponding to the beginning of the input signature, and an ending proximity touch feature corresponding to the ending of the input signature, and
determining whether to authenticate the input signature is further based on a third similarity between the beginning proximity touch feature and a corresponding beginning proximity touch feature of the previously stored reference signature and a fourth similarity between the ending proximity touch feature and a corresponding ending proximity touch feature of the previously stored reference signature, wherein the third similarity and the fourth similarity are given more weight than the first similarity and the second similarity in determining whether to authenticate the input signature.

13. An apparatus for verifying an input signature, the apparatus comprising:
a touch input unit configured to receive a touch event and a proximity touch event that occur on the touch input unit of an apparatus;
a controller configured to extract features of the input signature, the features including a touch feature associated with the touch event, and a proximity touch feature associated with the proximity touch event; and
the controller further configured to determine whether to authenticate the input signature based on a first similarity between the touch feature of the input signature and a corresponding touch feature of a previously stored reference signature, and a second similarity between the proximity touch feature and a corresponding proximity touch feature of the previously stored reference signature, wherein the second similarity is given more weight than the first similarity in determining whether to authenticate the input signature.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , the apparatus further comprising a storage configured to:
store at least one of coordinates at which the touch event occurs, a time at which the touch event occurs, and an amount of pressure applied to the touch input unit when the touch event occurs, as a point that corresponds to the touch event and represents a trace of the input signature, and
store at least one of coordinates at which the proximity touch event occurs and a time at which the proximity touch event occurs, as a point that corresponds to the proximity touch event and represents the trace of the input signature.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a similarity between the input signature and the reference signature based on a feature of each point, and determine whether to authenticate the input signature based on the similarity.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the feature of each point comprises at least one of coordinates of the point, a pressure applied to the touch input unit of the device at the point, a speed of the trace of the input signature at the point, an acceleration of the trace of the input signature at the point, a curvature of the trace of the input signature at the point, and a type of touch event for the point.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein
the controller is configur

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Do-Hyeon
• Lee Dong-Hyuk
• Hwang Seong-Taek

Classifications

• G06F3/04883 Primary

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06K9/00167 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06V40/37 Primary

  based only on signature signals such as velocity or pressure, e.g. dynamic signature recognition · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title