Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide a check validation scheme wherein a payor's signature is digitized, encrypted and embedded on the front of the check using glyphs. When the payor seeks to convert a blank check into a negotiable instrument,...http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US7228428?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7228428 - Method and apparatus for embedding encrypted images of signatures and other data on checks
