Abstract: An embedded trace capacitive signet is described. The embedded trace capacitive signet provides for authentication and validation through interaction with a touch screen of a computing device such as a smart phone. The embedded trace capacitive signet has a substrate such as a card, a plurality of conductive circle points affixed to the substrate, a user conductive area that allows a user to provide capacitance to the conductive circle points, and thin traces connecting each circle point to the user conductive area. Placing the circle points in different locations produces unique cards that can be detected by a touch screen of a computing device to initiate a software based application.

Abstract: A socket security and authentication device is disclosed that has a socket configured to receive a verification module or plug, where the verification module or plug may include, but is not limited to, RFID and Near Field Communications (NFC), QR codes, bar codes, bluetooth communications, magnetic stripe, magnetic memory, fingerprint and biometric identification, as well as capacitively patterned stamps and devices. The socket may have a cradle for receiving and retaining the verification module or plug. The socket may also have a shell for mechanical retention as well as aesthetics.

Abstract: An embedded trace capacitive signet is described. The embedded trace capacitive signet provides for authentication and validation through interaction with a touch screen of a computing device such as a smart phone. The embedded trace capacitive signet has a substrate such as a card, a plurality of conductive circle points affixed to the substrate, a user conductive area that allows a user to provide capacitance to the conductive circle points, and thin traces connecting each circle point to the user conductive area. Placing the circle points in different locations produces unique cards that can be detected by a touch screen of a computing device to initiate a software based application.

Abstract: A punched card capacitive touch stamp is disclosed along with systems and methods for authentication using the punched card capacitive touch stamp. The punched card capacitive touch stamp provides for authentication and validation through interaction with a capacitive touch sensor of a computing device such as a smart phone. The punched card capacitive touch stamp has a substrate such as a card, and a plurality of punched holes through this substrate with either clearance for a user's fingers to directly contact the capacitive touch sensor or containing electrically conductive inserts allowing users to indirectly make electrical contact with the capacitive touch sensor. Contact with the capacitive touch sensor in a unique spatial pattern is transferred simultaneously, or in a sequential combination, and is captured by the electronic device and transmitted to an external server to be decoded and authenticated.

Abstract: An embedded trace capacitive signet is described. The embedded trace capacitive signet provides for authentication and validation through interaction with a touch screen of a computing device such as a smart phone. The embedded trace capacitive signet has a substrate such as a card, a plurality of conductive circle points affixed to the substrate, a user conductive area that allows a user to provide capacitance to the conductive circle points, and thin traces connecting each circle point to the user conductive area. Placing the circle points in different locations produces unique cards that can be detected by a touch screen of a computing device to initiate a software based application.

Abstract: A method for hardware-tool-based authentication includes detecting a first set of capacitive contact points and a second set of capacitive contact points, computing, from the first set of capacitive contact points, a first set of parametric descriptors, generating a first comparison of the first set of parametric descriptors and a set of known parametric descriptors, generating a second comparison of the first set of capacitive contact points and the second set of capacitive contact points, and performing an event on the electronic device based on analysis of the first and second comparisons.

Abstract: A method for authorizing an electronic device to perform an action includes detecting interaction data from an interaction between a hardware sensor and an identity-augmented tangible object; wherein data of the first set of interaction data is intrinsically dependent on physical characteristics of the identity-augmented tangible device; computing parametric descriptors from the interaction data; transmitting the parametric descriptors and supplementary data to a remote database system; generating, on the remote database system, identity data from a comparison of parametric descriptors with a known set of parametric descriptors; and authorizing, in response to both of the identity data and the supplementary data, the electronic device to perform a first action.

Abstract: A method for authorizing an electronic device to perform an action includes detecting interaction data from an interaction between a hardware sensor and an identity-augmented tangible object; wherein data of the first set of interaction data is intrinsically dependent on physical characteristics of the identity-augmented tangible device; computing parametric descriptors from the interaction data; transmitting the parametric descriptors and supplementary data to a remote database system; generating, on the remote database system, identity data from a comparison of parametric descriptors with a known set of parametric descriptors; and authorizing, in response to both of the identity data and the supplementary data, the electronic device to perform a first action.

Abstract: A method for authorizing an electronic device to perform an action includes detecting interaction data from an interaction between a hardware sensor and an identity-augmented tangible object; wherein data of the first set of interaction data is intrinsically dependent on physical characteristics of the identity-augmented tangible device; computing parametric descriptors from the interaction data; transmitting the parametric descriptors and supplementary data to a remote database system; generating, on the remote database system, identity data from a comparison of parametric descriptors with a known set of parametric descriptors; and authorizing, in response to both of the identity data and the supplementary data, the electronic device to perform a first action.

Abstract: A method for hybrid hardware authentication includes at a first electronic system having a capacitive touch sensor, detecting a capacitive hardware interaction between the hybrid hardware tool and the capacitive touch sensor; generating capacitive identification data based on the detected capacitive hardware interaction; at a second electronic system communicatively coupled to the first electronic system, detecting a short-range wireless interaction between the hybrid hardware tool and the second electronic system; generating wireless identification data based on the detected short-range wireless interaction; and at a third electronic system communicatively coupled to the first and second electronic systems, performing a first action based on a combination of the wireless identification data and the capacitive identification data.

Abstract: A method for authorizing an electronic device to perform an action includes detecting interaction data from an interaction between a hardware sensor and an identity-augmented tangible object; wherein data of the first set of interaction data is intrinsically dependent on physical characteristics of the identity-augmented tangible device; computing parametric descriptors from the interaction data; transmitting the parametric descriptors and supplementary data to a remote database system; generating, on the remote database system, identity data from a comparison of parametric descriptors with a known set of parametric descriptors; and authorizing, in response to both of the identity data and the supplementary data, the electronic device to perform a first action.

Abstract: A method for hybrid hardware authentication includes at a first electronic system having a capacitive touch sensor, detecting a capacitive hardware interaction between the hybrid hardware tool and the capacitive touch sensor; generating capacitive identification data based on the detected capacitive hardware interaction; at a second electronic system communicatively coupled to the first electronic system, detecting a short-range wireless interaction between the hybrid hardware tool and the second electronic system; generating wireless identification data based on the detected short-range wireless interaction; and at a third electronic system communicatively coupled to the first and second electronic systems, performing a first action based on a combination of the wireless identification data and the capacitive identification data.

Abstract: A method for authorizing an electronic device includes: detecting, with a capacitive touch sensor, a first set of interaction data from an interaction between the electronic device and a capacitively interactive hardware tool; computing a first set of parametric descriptors from the first set of interaction data; transmitting the first set of parametric descriptors to a remote database system; generating, on the remote database system, a first set of identity data from a comparison of the first set of parametric descriptors with a known set of parametric descriptors; and authorizing, in response to the first set of identity data, the electronic device to perform the action.

Abstract: This invention relates to a hardware tool for interacting with an “intelligent device” such as a “smart phone,” e.g., Apple Corporation's “iPhone”, or other devices with certain comparable capabilities, such as the Apple “iPad” tablet computer, and to a method for authorizing transactions based on successful interaction. More specifically, the invention relates to employment of a hardware tool having contact members for contacting the touch-sensitive screens of such devices at plural locations in specific spatial relation to one another. The device, running an application program or “app”, then detects the locations at which the screen has been thus contacted, and compares those locations to stored locations specific to a particular type of transaction, and, if the detected locations match a set of stored locations, authorizes the transaction to proceed.