ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 9 -- United States Patent no. 12,288,113, issued on April 29, was assigned to Hallmark Cards Inc. (Kansas City, Mo.).
"Signature-based unique identifier" was invented by Scott A. Schimke (Leavenworth, Kan.), Jennifer R. Garbos (Kansas City, Mo.) and David Niel Johnson (Gladstone, Mo.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The technology described herein can generate a unique identifier for a visual media that comprises pre-printed visual indications on the visual media and a user's handwritten signature. The location of the signature on the visual media can be determined by including preprinted fiducial marks on the visual media. The fiducial markers act as landmarks that allow ...