In early April, NCR announced it had received a patent on electronic signature capture technology.
U.S. Patent No. 6,539,363, “Write Input Transaction Apparatus and Method,” encompasses the concept of a digitizer which is adapted to receive and electronically capture a customer‚s signature in the course of a transaction, allowing the captured signature to be electronically stored along with information pertaining to the transaction. With such a device, the retailer no longer has to store and maintain a paper record of the transaction.
“We‚re pleased that the U.S. Patent Office has confirmed NCR as the original inventor of electronic signature capture, a technology that is a significant part of our daily lives,” said Pete Bartolotta, vice president, Point-of-Service Solutions, for NCR. “In addition to helping busy consumers complete their transactions more quickly, electronic signature capture terminals provide significant savings to businesses.”