Method of and system for collecting an electronic signature for an electronic record stored in a database

• US 20050108536A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Puri, Srinivasulu, Durgada, Savita, Akella, Ravindra, Karimisetty, Srikanth, Singh, Charanjeet
• Granted Patent: US 7,694,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect

Abstract

A method of and system for collecting an electronic signature for an electronic record stored in a database. In one embodiment the method comprises automatically creating an electronic record from data stored in a plurality of different database tables in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event; storing an instance of the electronic record in a common repository of electronic records that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system; executing a rule associated with the electronic record to determine whether an electronic signature is required to connote review and/or approval of the electronic record; and if execution of the rule results in a determination that an electronic signature is required, marking the instance of the electronic record as unsigned and initiating a request to collect the required electronic signature. In some embodiments the electronic record is stored as unstructured data in a character large object (CLOB) format and the unstructured data comprises a well-formed XML document stored within a column of a table stored in the database.

Claims

1. A method of collecting an electronic signature for an electronic record stored in a database, the method comprising:

automatically creating an electronic record from data stored in a plurality of different database tables in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event;

storing an instance of the electronic record in a common repository of electronic records that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system;

executing a rule associated with the electronic record to determine whether an electronic signature is required to connote review and/or approval of the electronic record; and

if execution of the rule results in a determination that an electronic signature is required, marking the instance of the electronic record as unsigned and initiating a request to collect the required electronic signature.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an electronic signature from the user;

verifying the electronic signature; and

in response to a positive verification of the electronic signature, marking the electronic record as signed.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the electronic record is stored in a common repository of electronic records that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic record comprises unstructured data in a character large object (CLOB) format.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the unstructured data comprises a well-formed XML document stored within a column of a table stored in the database.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein fields of the electronic record are filled with XML data based on a predefined mapping to multiple data sources.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, if execution of the rule results in a determination that an electronic signature is required, displaying data from the electronic record on a computer display.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein data from the electronic record is display according to a predefined layout set forth in an XSL style sheet.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the rule requires a plurality of different electronic signatures and wherein, if execution of the rule results in a determination that a plurality of electronic signatures are required, requesting the plurality of electronic signatures.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic record is initially marked as unsigned by setting an appropriate attribute associated with a database table in which at least part of the record is stored.

11. A computer system that manages electronic records stored in a database, the computer system comprising:

a processor;

a database; and

a computer-readable memory coupled to the processor, the computer-readable memory configured to store a computer program;

wherein the processor is operative with the computer program to;

(i) automatically create an electronic record from data stored in a plurality of different database tables in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event;

(ii) store an instance of the electronic record in a common repository of electronic records that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system;

(iii) execute a rule associated with the electronic record to determine whether an electronic signature is required to connote review and/or approval of the electronic record; and

(iv) mark the instance of the electronic record as unsigned and initiate a request to collect the required electronic signature if execution of the rule results in a determination that an electronic signature is required.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the electronic record is stored in a common repository of electronic records that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system.

13. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the electronic record comprises unstructured data in a character large object (CLOB) format.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the unstructured data comprises a well-formed XML document stored within a column of a table stored in the database.

15. The computer system of claim 14 wherein fields of the electronic record are filled with XML data based on a predefined mapping to multiple data sources.

16. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the processor and computer program are further operative to obtain and verify the electronic signature, and thereafter, mark the electronic record as signed.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the processor and computer program are further operative to initially mark the electronic record as unsigned by setting an appropriate attribute associated with a database table in which at least part of the record is stored.

18. A computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium for managing electronic records stored in a database, the computer program comprising:

code for automatically creating an electronic record from data stored in a plurality of different database tables in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event;

code for storing an instance of the electronic record in a common repository of electronic records that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system;

code for executing a rule associated with the electronic record to determine whether an electronic signature is required to connote review and/or approval of the electronic record; and

code for marking the instance of the electronic record as unsigned and initiating a request to collect the required electronic signature if execution of the rule results in a determination that an electronic signature is required.

19. The computer program of claim 18 wherein the electronic record is stored in a common repository of electronic records that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system.

20. The computer program of claim 19 wherein the electronic record comprises unstructured data in a character large object (CLOB) format.

21. The computer program of claim 20 wherein the unstructured data comprises a well-formed XML document stored within a column of a table stored in the database.

22. The computer program of claim 21 wherein fields of the electronic record are filled with XML data based on a predefined mapping to multiple data sources.

23. The computer program of claim 18 wherein the computer program further comprises code for obtaining and verifying the electronic signature, and thereafter, marking the electronic record as signed.

24. The method of program 23 wherein the computer program further comprises code for initially marking the electronic record as unsigned by setting an appropriate attribute associated with a database table in which at least part of the record is stored.

25. A method of collecting an electronic signature for an electronic record stored in a database, the method comprising:

automatically creating an electronic record in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event, wherein the electronic record comprises unstructured, well-formed XML data stored in a character large-object (CLOB) format;

storing an instance of the electronic record in a common repository of electronic records that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system;

executing a rule associated with the electronic record to determine whether an electronic signature is required to connote review and/or approval of the electronic record; and

if execution of the rule results in a determination that an electronic signature is required, marking the instance of the electronic record as unsigned;

requesting the electronic signature;

after obtaining the electronic signature, verifying its authenticity; and

if the electronic signature is verified as authentic, marking the electronic record as signed.