Method and device for registering a handwritten personal signature and for recognizing the authenticity of the signature

Method for registering a handwritten personal signature and for judging its authenticity by comparison with previously registered measured values and data derived therefrom and stored in memory by registering a signature handwritten on a surface by a three-dimensional inertial sensing system having at least one rate-of-rotation sensor and at least one linear acceleration sensor extended along directions in space, and by storing in memory and/or forwarding for further data processing measured acceleration values and values measured by the rate-of-rotation sensor thereby determined or data derived therefrom, the measured data stored in memory and/or processed forming the basis for comparison with other handwritten signatures which have also been registered for this purpose, the method comprising:

• calculating supplementary measured variables from values measured by the sensing system, the values including measured acceleration values and values measured by the rate-of-rotation sensors, which measured variables form the basis for the comparison with other handwritten signatures, and defining a plurality of characteristics for each measured variable and combining the characteristics of each measured variable as a vector for the comparison of two signatures, comparing the vectors of the respective measured variables with each other to determine their similarity.