Methods, systems and devices for electronic notary with signature and biometric identifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9734386-B2
Application number	US-201414485590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2014
Priority date	Sep 12, 2014
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A method, system and device are provided for authenticating a signature made by a signer. When the signer is making the signature a biometric quantity associated with the signer may be sampled. The sampling generates a sequence of biometric samples of the biometric quantity. Continuity of generated sequence of biometric samples of the biometric quantity is validated. Each of the biometric samples of the biometric quantity in the generated sequence is validated. The signature of the signer may be authenticated when the generated sequence of biometric samples is validated, and a continuity of the biometric samples is validated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for authenticating a signature made by a signer, comprising:
generating a sequence of biometric samples of a biometric quantity by continuously sampling the biometric quantity associated with the signer in successive sampling intervals while the signer is making the signature, wherein each biometric sample includes identifying information associated with a source or format of the biometric sample;
validating a continuity of the generated sequence of biometric samples, wherein validating the continuity of the generated sequence of biometric samples comprises:
comparing the identifying information associated with the source or format of each biometric sample in the generated sequence to the identifying information of a previous biometric sample in the generated sequence;
determining, based on the comparison of the identifying information associated with the source or format of each biometric sample, whether a condition indicating an interruption in the source or format of the generated sequence of biometric samples is detected during one or more of the successive sampling intervals; and
validating the continuity of the generated sequence of biometric sample in response to determining that no condition indicating an interruption in the source or format of the generated sequence of biometric samples is detected;

validating that each biometric sample in the generated sequence of biometric samples corresponds to the signer; and
authenticating the signature of the signer in response to determining that each biometric sample in the generated sequence of biometric samples is validated and that the continuity of the sequence of biometric samples is validated.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising not authenticating the signature of the signer when at least one of the following occurs:
one or more biometric samples in the generated sequence of biometric samples is not validated; and
continuity of the sequence of biometric samples is not validated.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising validating the signature made by the signer while the signer is making the signature by:
continuously sampling the signature while the signer is making the signature to generate a sequence of signature samples; and
validating the generated sequence of signature samples generated during the sampling of the signature.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the sequence of biometric samples of the biometric quantity by continuously sampling the biometric quantity associated with the signer comprises taking a first biometric sample during a first sampling interval to generate a first one of the sequence of biometric samples and taking a second biometric sample during a second sampling interval immediately following the first sampling interval to generate a second one of the sequence of biometric samples.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein validating the continuity of the generated sequence of biometric samples of the biometric quantity further comprises:
not validating the continuity of the generated sequence of biometric samples in response to determining that no condition indicating an interruption in the source or format of the generated sequence of biometric samples is detected.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the condition indicating an interruption includes at least one of a sequence number condition or a code condition.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting when the signer is making the signature by detecting movement of one of:
an ink pen;
an electronic pen;
a physical implement;
a body part; or
a fingertip on a touch sensitive surface.

8. A system for authenticating a signature made by a signer, comprising:
a biometric sensor; and
a processor coupled to the biometric sensor, the processor configured with processor readable instructions for performing operations comprising:
generating a sequence of biometric samples of a biometric quantity by continuously sampling the biometric sensor for the biometric quantity associated with the signer in successive sampling intervals while the signer is making the signature, wherein each biometric sample includes identifying information associated with a source or format of the biometric sample;
validating a continuity of the generated sequence of biometric samples of the biometric quantity, wherein validating the continuity of the generated sequence of biometric samples comprises:
comparing the identifying information associated with the source or format of each biometric sample in the generated sequence to the identifying information of a previous biometric sample in the generated sequence;
determining, based on the comparison of the identifying information associated with the source or format of each biometric sample, whether a condition indicating an interruption in the source or format of the generated sequence of biometric samples is detected during one or more of the successive sampling intervals; and
validating the continuity of the generated sequence of biometric sample in response to determining that no condition indicating an interruption in the source or format of the generated sequence of biometric samples is detected;

validating that each biometric sample in the generated sequence of biometric samples of the biometric quantity corresponds to the signer; and
authenticating the signature of the signer in response to determining that each biometric sample in the generated sequence of biometric samples is validated, and the continuity of the sequence of biometric samples is validated.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured with instructions for performing operations further comprising not authenticating the signature of the signer when at least one of the following occurs:
one or more biometric samples in the generated sequence of biometric samples is not validated; and
continuity of the sequence of biometric samples is not validated.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a signature sensor coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured with instructions for performing operations comprising validating the signature made by the signer while the signer is making the signature by:
continuously sampling the signature sensor while the signer is making the signature to generate a sequence of signature samples; and
validating the generated sequence of signature samples generated during the sampling of the signature sensor for the signature.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured with instructions for performing operations such that generating the sequence of biometric samples of a biometric quantity by continuously sampling the biometric sensor for the biometric quantity associated with the signer comprises taking a first biometric sample from the biometric sensor during a first sampling interval to generate a first one of the sequence of biometric samples and taking a second biometric sample from the biometric sensor during a second sampling interval immediately following the first sampling interval to generate a second one of the sequence of biometric samples.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured with instructions for performing operations such that validating the continuity of the generated sequence of biometric samples of the biometric quantity further comprises:
not validating the continuity of the generated sequence of biometric samples in response to determining that no condition indicating an interruption in the source or format the generated sequence of biometric samples is detected.

13. The system of claim 8 ,
wherei

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Sprigg Stephen Alton
• Kenagy Jason Borthwick

Classifications

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06V40/394

  Matching; Classification · CPC title

• G06V10/17

  using hand-held instruments · CPC title

• G06K9/00174

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00892

  Physics · mapped topic