GB1595243A - Apparatus for modifying a signature and a signature verification procedure - Google Patents

Apparatus for modifying a signature and a signature verification procedure Download PDF

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Publication number
GB1595243A
GB1595243A GB12409/77A GB1240977A GB1595243A GB 1595243 A GB1595243 A GB 1595243A GB 12409/77 A GB12409/77 A GB 12409/77A GB 1240977 A GB1240977 A GB 1240977A GB 1595243 A GB1595243 A GB 1595243A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
signature
data
read
order
modified
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
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GB12409/77A
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EMI Ltd
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EMI Ltd
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Publication date
Application filed by EMI Ltd filed Critical EMI Ltd
Priority to GB12409/77A priority Critical patent/GB1595243A/en
Publication of GB1595243A publication Critical patent/GB1595243A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09C—CIPHERING OR DECIPHERING APPARATUS FOR CRYPTOGRAPHIC OR OTHER PURPOSES INVOLVING THE NEED FOR SECRECY
    • G09C5/00—Ciphering apparatus or methods not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. involving the concealment or deformation of graphic data such as designs, written or printed messages
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
    • G07C9/00—Individual registration on entry or exit
    • G07C9/20—Individual registration on entry or exit involving the use of a pass
    • G07C9/22—Individual registration on entry or exit involving the use of a pass in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
    • G07C9/24—Individual registration on entry or exit involving the use of a pass in combination with an identity check of the pass holder by means of a handwritten signature

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Collating Specific Patterns (AREA)

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR MODIFYING A SIGNATURE AND SIGNATURE VERIFICATION PROCEDURE (71) We E M I LIMITED, a British company of Blyth Road, Hayes, Middlesex, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to apparatus for modifying a signature and to a signature verification procedure.
It is known that the forging of a signature is relatively easy when the forger has in front of him a copy of the genuine signature he intends to forge. This is the case, for example, with travellers cheques, credit cards and bank cards, and it renders these forms of document particularly susceptible to use in fraudulent manner in the event that their owner loses them or if he is robbed.
In order to make such fraudulent use more difficult, it has been proposed that the authorised signature is applied to such documents in a manner which renders the signature obscure. For example, the document may be signed while it is moving so that the signature becomes modified, e.g. expanded or compressed, depending upon the speed of movement and the relative direction of the movement with respect to the writing instrument used in making the signature. At a verification station, a person using the document to obtain cash or goods is required to sign a document which is moved in the same way as was the original document when the authorised signature was applied. This renders difficult the forger's task in reproducing the modified signature because he does not know how the authorised signature was written.This procedure, therefore, reduces considerably the risk of fraudulent use of travellers cheques, credit cards, bank cards and the like.
It is an object of this invention to reduce said risk even further.
According to the invention from one aspect there is provided a signature verification procedure comprising the steps of: a) deriving electrical signals representing the spatial locations of components of an authorised signature written on a medium, b) deriving data indicative of the components from the signals and storing the data in a first order in a data storage means, c) reading the data out of the storage means in a second order, different to the first order, so as to cause the data read-out in the second order to represent a modified signature in which the said components have a spatial relationship different to that in the authorised signature written on the medium, d) causing the data read-out in the second order to be applied in visible form to a document as the modified signature, and e) verifying the authenticity of a signature presented at a transaction, by performing at least steps a) to c) in respect of the presented signature and comparing the data representing the modified presented signature with the data representing the modified authorised signature.
According to the invention from another aspect there is provided apparatus for modifying a signature written on a medium, the apparatus comprising: means for deriving electrical signals representing the spatial locations of components of the signature written on the medium, data storage means having data storage locations, means for receiving the said signals and for causing data derived therefrom and indicative of the components to be stored, in a first order, in the storage locations, and read-out means for reading the data out of the storage means in a second order, different to the first order, so as to cause the data read-out in the second order to represent a modified signature in which the said components have a spatial relationship different to that in the signature written on the medium.
In order that the present invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawing filed with the provisional specification, the single figure of which shows in block diagrammatic form, a circuit arrangement for scanning a signature, modifying it and printing the modified signature onto a document such as a cheque card, a travelier's cheque or a credit card.
Referring now to the drawing, a suitable medium, for example a sheet 1 of paper, is signed and then moved to a scanning station, which is shown generally at 2.
The paper 1 is disposed between the illuminating and receiving components 3, 4 of a flying spot scanner of known form. The light spot produced by the component 3 is swept over the paper in a raster scan format and sufficient light penetrates the paper, except where components of the signature exist, to actuate the receiving component 4.
Thus the receiving component 4 provides, in known manner, a serial stream of data indicative of the presence or absence of a component of the signature at each resolveable element of the region of the paper scanned by the light spot.
The scanning of the light spot over the paper is effected under the control of a master timing circuit 5, the operation of which can be initiated and terminated by means of a START/STOP control 6.
The circuit 5 also controls the distribution of the data from component 4 among the storage addresses of a digital store 7 which contains at least as many storage addresses as there are resolveable elements in the aforementioned region of the paper scanned by the light spot. The data provided by the component 4 is digitised in an analogue-to-digital converter 8 which operates, under the control of the timing circuit 5, at a rate commensurate with the resolution of the flying spot scanner so that, for each resolveable element of the scanned region of the paper, there is produced a binary '0' or '1' signal indicative of the absence or presence of a component of the signature at the location in question.
The digitised data are written into the store 7, in synchronism with their arrival at the store, such that a row of data derived from the flying spot scan is deposited among a respective row of the addresses of the store. Thus, once the scan has finished, the information relating to the signature, and written into the store 7, is stored therein in similar format to the original disposition of the signature on the paper 1.
If, therefore, the data were derived from the store 7 in the same order as they were inserted therein, and the data so derived were used to modulate a recording means arranged to produce a visible record of the modulation on a suitable medium such as paper, the visible record would comprise, subject to the accuracies of the various data conversion processes described hereinbefore, a replica of the signature which was scanned by the flying spot scanner 3, 4. However, in accordance with this example of the invention, the data are not derived from the store 7 in the same order as they were inserted therein, but instead they are derived, under the influence of a programmable interrogating circuit 9 which is controlled by the timing circuit 5, in a different order as determined by the programme entered in circuit 9.In principle the order could be a random, or pseudo random, order but it is desirable to withdraw the data in groups relating to rows or columns of the aforementioned resolveable elements and to transpose the groups. Additionally groups of data relating to successive ones of said columns could be repeated on read-out so that the signature is apparently stretched or, conversely, the signature can be effectively compressed by causing groups of data relating to adjacent columns to be coalesced.
In any event the data derived from the store 7 are applied to a suitable printer 10 where the signature (now modified, by the acion of reading data out of store 7 in an order which differs from the order of entry of said data into the store) is printed onto a document such as a traveller's cheque, bank card or credit card.
When the document, containing the modified signature, is presented at a business transaction to obtain cash, goods or services, the person presenting the document has to apply his usual signature to a suitable medium. This signature is then scanned and stored and modified, using the identical programme as was used in the circuit 9 described hereinbefore, and printed out for comparison by eye with the modified signature printed on the document. Alternatively the rearranged data representing the modified signature may be automatically compared in a suitable comparator with reference data representing a modified reference signature.
It will be appreciated that the invention resides in the effective scrambling or modification of a signature applied to a medium, and that alternative arrangements can be devised to achieve the invention without departing from the scope thereof. For example, the original signature need not be scanned by means of a flying spot scanner to obtain the data for entry in the store.
A piezo-electric data entry pad having position sensitivity could be used instead, and such an arrangement would have the advantage that a pressure waveform could be developed at the same time as the positional data. This pressure waveform could be used to provide further security if desired. Other forms of position sensitive data entry pads, such as are well known in the computing and pattern recognition arts, could be used as further alterantives if desired.
It is not necessary to use a single store 7 and to effect the modification or scrambling by timed selection of data from the store.
Instead, two stores could be used if desired, one acting as an input store and the other as an output store and the data being transferred from one store to the other in dependence upon a selected programme.
The invention allows computer-controlled or other automatic authenticity checking of signatures to be effected by means of tests less sophisticated than those currently needed. It is thus of particular value in situations where small local terminals are checking the authenticity of a credit card (for example) against its claimed holder. The tests which are needed are required primarily to determine the number of breaks in the writer's flow.
In a further embodiment, security could be increased by causing the original signature to be written on to a moving medium and then scrambling or re-arranging the signature which would be already modified by the action of writing on a moving medium as described hereinbefore.
WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for modifying a signature written on a medium, the apparatus comprising: means for deriving electrical signals representing the spatial locations of components of the signature written on the medium, data storage means having data storage locations, means for receiving the said signals and for causing data derived therefrom and indicative of the components to be stored, in a first order, in the storage locations, and read-out means for reading the data out of the storage means in a second order, different to the first order, so as to cause the data read-out in the second order to represent a modified signature in which the said components have a spatial relationship different to that in the signature written on the medium.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a further data storage means for receiving and storing the data read-out of the first-mentioned storage means in the said second order and further read-out means for reading the data out of the further storage means in a preset order to represent the said modified signature.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first-mentioned read-out means is operable to read the data out in a preset random order.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the first-mentioned read-out means is operable to read the data out in a preset pseudo-random order.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 wherein the first-mentioned read-out means is operable to read out groups of data which groups are transposed.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first-mentioned read-out means is operable to read-out a said group a plurality of times.
7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first-mentioned read-out means is operable to cause groups of data to be coalesced on read-out.
8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the means for deriving electrical signals comprises means for scanning the written signature.
9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the deriving means comprises means responsive to the position of a writing instrument as the signature is written to produce the electrical signals during writing of the signature.
10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the deriving means comprises means sensitive to pressure to produce a signal representing the pressure exerted during writing of the signature.
11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for moving the medium as the signature is written.
12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for comparing the data representing the modified signature with reference data representing a modified reference signature.
13. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, comprising means responsive to the data representing the modified signature to produce the modified signature on a further medium in visible form.
14. Apparatus for modifying a signature written on a medium, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing filed with the provisional specification.
15. A signature verification procedure comprising the steps of: a) deriving electrical signals representing the spatial locations of components of an authorised signature written on a medium, b) deriving data indicative of the components from the signals and storing the data in a first order in a data storage means, c) reading the data out of the storage means in a second order, different to the first order, so as to cause the data read-out in the second order to represent a modified signature in which the said components have a spatial relationship different to that in the authorised signature written on the medium, d) causing the data read-out in the
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (16)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. such as are well known in the computing and pattern recognition arts, could be used as further alterantives if desired. It is not necessary to use a single store 7 and to effect the modification or scrambling by timed selection of data from the store. Instead, two stores could be used if desired, one acting as an input store and the other as an output store and the data being transferred from one store to the other in dependence upon a selected programme. The invention allows computer-controlled or other automatic authenticity checking of signatures to be effected by means of tests less sophisticated than those currently needed. It is thus of particular value in situations where small local terminals are checking the authenticity of a credit card (for example) against its claimed holder. The tests which are needed are required primarily to determine the number of breaks in the writer's flow. In a further embodiment, security could be increased by causing the original signature to be written on to a moving medium and then scrambling or re-arranging the signature which would be already modified by the action of writing on a moving medium as described hereinbefore. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:
1. Apparatus for modifying a signature written on a medium, the apparatus comprising: means for deriving electrical signals representing the spatial locations of components of the signature written on the medium, data storage means having data storage locations, means for receiving the said signals and for causing data derived therefrom and indicative of the components to be stored, in a first order, in the storage locations, and read-out means for reading the data out of the storage means in a second order, different to the first order, so as to cause the data read-out in the second order to represent a modified signature in which the said components have a spatial relationship different to that in the signature written on the medium.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a further data storage means for receiving and storing the data read-out of the first-mentioned storage means in the said second order and further read-out means for reading the data out of the further storage means in a preset order to represent the said modified signature.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first-mentioned read-out means is operable to read the data out in a preset random order.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the first-mentioned read-out means is operable to read the data out in a preset pseudo-random order.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 wherein the first-mentioned read-out means is operable to read out groups of data which groups are transposed.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first-mentioned read-out means is operable to read-out a said group a plurality of times.
7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first-mentioned read-out means is operable to cause groups of data to be coalesced on read-out.
8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the means for deriving electrical signals comprises means for scanning the written signature.
9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the deriving means comprises means responsive to the position of a writing instrument as the signature is written to produce the electrical signals during writing of the signature.
10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the deriving means comprises means sensitive to pressure to produce a signal representing the pressure exerted during writing of the signature.
11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for moving the medium as the signature is written.
12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for comparing the data representing the modified signature with reference data representing a modified reference signature.
13. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, comprising means responsive to the data representing the modified signature to produce the modified signature on a further medium in visible form.
14. Apparatus for modifying a signature written on a medium, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing filed with the provisional specification.
15. A signature verification procedure comprising the steps of: a) deriving electrical signals representing the spatial locations of components of an authorised signature written on a medium, b) deriving data indicative of the components from the signals and storing the data in a first order in a data storage means, c) reading the data out of the storage means in a second order, different to the first order, so as to cause the data read-out in the second order to represent a modified signature in which the said components have a spatial relationship different to that in the authorised signature written on the medium, d) causing the data read-out in the
second order to be applied in visible form to a document as the modified signature, and e) verifying the authenticity of a signature presented at a transaction, by performing at least steps a) to c) in respect of the presented signature and comparing the data representing the modified presented signature with the data representing the modified authorised signature.
16. A signature verification procedure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing filed with the provisional specification.
GB12409/77A 1978-03-22 1978-03-22 Apparatus for modifying a signature and a signature verification procedure Expired GB1595243A (en)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB12409/77A GB1595243A (en) 1978-03-22 1978-03-22 Apparatus for modifying a signature and a signature verification procedure

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GB12409/77A GB1595243A (en) 1978-03-22 1978-03-22 Apparatus for modifying a signature and a signature verification procedure

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1985003155A1 (en) * 1984-01-09 1985-07-18 The De La Rue Company Plc Sign verification
FR2576696A1 (en) * 1985-01-25 1986-08-01 Kapferer Brigitte Method of authenticating documents

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1985003155A1 (en) * 1984-01-09 1985-07-18 The De La Rue Company Plc Sign verification
EP0150927A2 (en) * 1984-01-09 1985-08-07 The De La Rue Company Plc Sign verification
EP0150927A3 (en) * 1984-01-09 1985-08-21 The De La Rue Company Plc Sign verification
US4680801A (en) * 1984-01-09 1987-07-14 The De La Rue Company Plc Sign verification
FR2576696A1 (en) * 1985-01-25 1986-08-01 Kapferer Brigitte Method of authenticating documents

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