Processing electronic documents with embedded digital signatures

• US 20020069179A1
• Filed: 06/06/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingeo Systems, Inc. (Corporation Service Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ingeo Systems, Inc. (Corporation Service Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Slater, Calvin N., Rasmussen, Andy L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,796,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing or recording electronic documents that have embedded digital signatures. In an electronic document, signature blocks are used to embed the digital signatures. When an electronic document is received for recordation, the schema and profile of the document are checked. The electronic document or digital signatures are validated by reconstructing the document to a previous state such that the digital signature may be validated. The electronic document is processed and endorsed by inserting endorsement data. The electronic document is digitally signed by the recorder and a receipt is also digitally signed by the recorder. The electronic document is then imaged and indexed. The recorded electronic document and the receipt are returned to the sender using routing information that was included in the electronic document.

Claims

1. In a system that receives an electronic document that has digital signatures that are embedded in the electronic document, a method for recording the electronic document, the method comprising steps for:

validating the electronic document by reconstructing the electronic document to a previous state and verifying at least one of the embedded digital signatures;

determining a number of pages in the electronic document to determine a fee;

endorsing the electronic document by inserting endorsement data in an endorsement portion of the electronic document;

embedding a digital signature of a recorder in a recorder signature block, wherein the recorder signature block is added to the electronic document if the recorder signature block is not already present;

generating a receipt for recordation of the electronic document, wherein the digital signature of the recorder is embedded in the receipt;

imaging the electronic document; and

indexing the electronic document.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for validating the electronic document by reconstructing the electronic document to a previous state further comprises an act of verifying an embedded digital signature of a notary public.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for validating the electronic document by reconstructing the electronic document to a previous state further comprises acts of:

identifying an embedded digital signature to verify, wherein the embedded digital signature has a reconstruct attribute;

removing information from the electronic document that was added to the document after the electronic document was digitally signed with the embedded digital signature, wherein the information to be removed is identified using the reconstruct attribute;

using a hash identified by the embedded digital signature, hashing the reconstructed electronic document to produce a hash result;

decrypting the embedded digital signature; and

validating the embedded digital signature if the hash result matches the decrypted embedded digital signature.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for validating the electronic document by reconstructing the electronic document to a previous state further comprises acts of:

identifying an embedded digital signature to verify;

removing signature blocks for digital signatures that occurred after the embedded digital signature; and

removing the embedded digital signature from its signature block.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for validating the electronic document further comprises at least one of the acts of:

performing a schema check on the electronic document; and

performing a profile check on the electronic document.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for determining a number of pages further comprise an act of imaging the electronic document for the purpose of determining the number of pages.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for determining a number of pages further comprises acts of:

determining a fee for recording the electronic document; and

transferring funds for the fee, wherein account information is identified in the electronic document or in a package.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the endorsement data comprises one or more of:

a book number;

a page number;

an entry number, a cost of recording;

a data of recording;

a time of recording;

a count of recording;

a state of recording;

a recorder name;

an official name; and

a digital signature of the official.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the act of embedding a digital signature of the recorder further comprises acts of:

inserting a timestamp in a signature block of the recorder;

generating a digital signature by hashing the recorded electronic document and encrypting a hash result with a private key of the recorder; and

inserting the digital signature of the recorder in the signature block of the recorder.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step for generating a receipt for recordation of the electronic document further comprises an act of inserting the endorsement data in the receipt before the receipt is digitally signed by the recorder.

11. A computer program product having computer executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the particular embedded signature is a notary signature.

14. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the act of removing attribute data further comprises an act or removing attribute data from those signature blocks whose reconstruct attribute is equal to the particular reconstruct attribute of the particular embedded signature.

15. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising an act of performing a schema check on the electronic document.

16. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising an act of performing a profile check on the electronic document.

17. A computer program product having computer executable instructions for performing the acts recited in claim 12.

19. A signature module as defined in claim 18, wherein the signature block is included in the electronic document when the electronic document is generated, wherein at least some of the attributes are filled when the electronic document is generated.

20. A signature module as defined in claim 18, wherein the signature block is added to the electronic document when the electronic document is digitally signed.

21. A signature module as defined in claim 20, wherein all attributes except the digital signature attribute are filled before the digital signature of the user is generated such that the digital signature of the user is related to the filled attributes, wherein only the digital signature attribute is removed during reconstruction of the electronic document.

24. A method as defined in claim 22, the act of validating the electronic document further comprises an act of repeating the acts of claim 21 for each electronic document in a group of electronic documents.

12. In a system that receives electronic documents, a method for verifying an electronic document that has one or more embedded digital signatures, the method comprising acts of:

identifying a reconstruct attribute for each of the one or more embedded signatures, wherein each of the one or more embedded signatures is in a signature block;

selecting a particular embedded signature to verify, wherein the reconstruct attribute of the particular embedded signature is compared to the other reconstruct attributes;

removing attribute data for those signature blocks whose reconstruct attribute is greater than the particular reconstruct attribute of the particular embedded signature during reconstruction of the electronic document;

removing the particular embedded signature from a corresponding signature block such that the electronic document is reconstructed; and

verifying the particular embedded signature and the electronic document if a hash of the reconstructed electronic document matches a decrypted value of the particular embedded signature.

18. In a system that uses electronic documents for generating and recording transactions, a signature module for embedding digital signatures in the electronic documents, the signature module comprising:

a signature block, wherein the signature block has attributes, the attributes comprising;

a digital signature attribute that contains a digital signature of a user;

a hash attribute that identifies a hash used to hash the electronic document;

a timestamp attribute that is filled just before the digital signature of the user is generated such that the hash represented in the digital signature includes at least the timestamp;

a signer attribute that identifies the user;

a signer title attribute that identifies a title of the user; and

a certificate attribute that contains a digital signature of a certificate authority for use in decrypting the digital signature of the user.

22. In a system that records documents, a method for recording electronic documents with embedded digital signatures, the method comprising acts of:

receiving an electronic document from an originating server;

performing a schema check and a profile check on the electronic document, wherein a failure notice is returned to the originating server if either the schema check or the profile check fails, wherein the electronic document is not recorded in the case of a failure;

validating the electronic document by performing acts of;

reconstructing the electronic document to a previous state by removing data from the electronic document, the removed data being identified from other embedded digital signatures;

hashing the reconstructed electronic document to produce a hash; and

comparing the hash with a decrypted value of the embedded digital signature such that the electronic document is validated if the hash matches the decrypted value;

recording the electronic document by a recorder by inserting endorsement data; and

digitally signing the electronic document by the recorder in a recorder signature block.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the act of performing a schema check and a profile check further comprises acts of:

ensuring that the electronic document has necessary tags for a type of electronic document;

ensuring that attributes of the necessary tags are present in the electronic document; and

ensuring that data types of the attributes are correct.

25. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the group of electronic documents is failed if one of the electronic documents in the group of electronic documents fails the schema check, the profile check, or the validation.

26. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the group of electronic documents is not failed if one of the electronic documents in the group of electronic documents fails the schema check, the profile check, or the validation.

27. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the act of digitally signing the electronic document by the recorder further comprises an act of adding the recorder signature block to the electronic document and an act of filling attributes of the recorder signature block before the digital signature of the recorder is generated.

28. A computer program product having computer executable instructions for performing the acts recited in claim 22.

30. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the particular embedded signature is a notary signature.

31. A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the act of removing signature blocks further comprises an act of identifying those signature blocks that were added to the electronic document after the particular signature block.

32. A method as defined in claim 29, further comprising an act of performing a schema check on the electronic document before the act of selecting a particular embedded signature to verify.

33. A method as defined in claim 32, further comprising an act of performing a profile check on the electronic document.

29. In a system that receives electronic documents, a method for verifying an electronic document that has one or more embedded digital signatures, the method comprising acts of:

selecting a particular embedded signature to verify, wherein the particular embedded signature is in a particular signature block;

removing other signature blocks that were added to the electronic document after the particular embedded signature was generated and removing the embedded signature from the particular signature block such that the electronic document is reconstructed to a previous state; and

verifying the particular embedded signature and the electronic document if a hash of the reconstructed electronic document matches a decrypted value of the particular embedded signature.

34. A computer program product having computer executable instructions for performing the acts recited in claim 29.