The Patents Under Review
PatentReview focuses on the technical and legal analysis of two closely related European patents that are in force in Hungary:
E038266 – the Hungarian validation of European Patent EP 3183680 B1.
E058164 – the Hungarian validation of European Patent EP 3355224 B1.
Both patents belong to the same patent family and seek to address the same technical problem: how to improve the security of electronic document signing and digital authentication by incorporating biometric verification.
The problem the patents seek to solve
An increasing number of everyday activities are now carried out electronically, including signing contracts, authorising banking transactions and verifying our identity online.
Conventional electronic signature systems rely primarily on cryptographic keys and digital certificates. The patents under review extend this process by incorporating biometric authentication, enabling the system to verify the user's identity using biometric characteristics such as a fingerprint or facial image.
How the patented system works
In simplified form, the patents describe the following process:
The user initiates an electronic signature or authentication request.
The server generates a challenge that includes, among other things, a projection parameter.
The client device transforms the user's biometric data using that projection parameter.
The transformed biometric data is transmitted back to the server.
The server verifies the transformed biometric data and, based on the result, approves or rejects the electronic signature or authentication request.
Why are these patents important?
The two patents relate to biometric electronic signatures and electronic authentication, an area that has become increasingly important in information technology and cybersecurity.
According to publicly available information, the commercial exploitation of these patents has generated significant economic value, and substantial royalty payments have reportedly been made to the inventors. In light of this, it is particularly important that the validity of the patents is determined not by speculation or public debate, but through official proceedings conducted in accordance with applicable law and based on technical and legal evidence.
We believe that, for patents of this significance, it is in the interests of the inventors, the patent proprietors, the professional community and the public alike that a transparent process establishes whether the patents satisfy the statutory requirements for patentability. If they do, the resulting decision reinforces the legitimacy of the patents. If they do not, the legal system provides mechanisms for their revocation.
What are we examining?
PatentReview is not assessing whether biometric electronic signatures are, in general, useful or technically feasible.
Our review is limited to determining whether the specific patents E038266 and E058164 satisfy the legal requirements for patentability.
The PatentReview approach
Our objective is not to predetermine the outcome of the proceedings.
In the following sections, we explain step by step:
what the patents claim;
the technical solutions they describe;
the prior art on which they rely;
the technical and legal issues that arise; and
the evidence supporting our analyses.
The final decision, in every case, can only be made by the competent authority or the courts.