Origin and custody of copies from a stored electronic record verified page by page

• US 20060112101A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ghada Young
• Original Assignee: Ghada Young
• Inventors: Young, Ghada
• Granted Patent: US 7,665,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links

Abstract

A method of authenticating a copy of a multi-page document, which includes digitizing a said multi-page document to generate one or more digitized files that together comprise a digitized transcript. A mark that is unique to the preparer of the document, such as a signature, is prepared and digitized. The preparer of the document is allowed to deposit the digitized transcript on an online repository. The operator of the online repository immediately establishes a verification process for the deposited digitized transcript. This verification process includes associating the digitized preparer mark with the deposited digitized transcript, and freezing the transcript, by encrypting it and deriving a checksum. The verification process also include associating a repository mark with the transcript. The operator of the online repository defines, under the direction of at least the preparer of the document, security rights to limit or otherwise control access to the deposited digitized transcript. The digitized preparer mark and the digitized repository mark are allowed to appear on substantially all copies of the pages of the document only if the pages have not been altered. If carrying out the verification process verifies that the deposited digitized transcript has not been changed since the verification process was established the marks are displayed with the unaltered page. This display whether the pages are displayed on a monitor or printed in paper form. Each page with this display is thus authenticated as to origin and custody apart from the other pages or the transcript as a whole.

Claims

1. A method of separately authenticating the origin and custody of substantially each substantive page reproduced from an electronic record stored on an online repository, said method comprising:

allowing a reporter to prepare and place said electronic record on said online repository, said electronic record including a plurality of substantive pages, said preparing including preparing one or more electronic files that together comprise said electronic record;

creating a repository mark;

creating a reporter mark;

associating said repository mark and said reporter mark with said electronic record;

allowing a user to download at least one said substantive page from said online repository; and

allowing both said reporter mark and said repository mark to appear on substantially each said downloaded substantive page only if said downloaded substantive page has not been changed since said electronic record was placed on said online repository.

2. A method according to claim 1 including establishing different access rights to said electronic record for different users.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said providing includes calculating a checksum for said electronic record.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said allowing both said reporter mark and said repository mark to appear on substantially each said downloaded substantive page occurs at said user'"'"'s location.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said electronic record is digitized.

6. A method according to claim 1 including establishing access rights to said electronic record, said establishing including restricting access to a portion of said electronic record for one user and not another.

7. A method according to claim 1 including displaying at least one said substantive page on a monitor screen with both said reporter mark and said repository mark appearing on said one substantive page.

8. A method according to claim 1 including printing at least one said substantive page of said electronic record on a piece of paper with both said reporter mark and said repository mark appearing on said one substantive page.

9. A method of separately authenticating the origin and custody of substantially each substantive page reproduced from a stored digitized electronic record, said method comprising:

creating and storing said digitized electronic record;

applying a custodian mark to said digitized electronic record when said digitized electronic record is placed in storage;

applying an originator mark to said digitized electronic record after it has been created;

allowing the reproduction of at least one said substantive page from said stored digitized electronic record; and

allowing both said custodian and originator marks to appear on said reproduced substantive page only if such reproduced substantive page has not been changed since said custodian and originator marks were applied to said digitized electronic record.

10. A digitized electronic record stored on a repository, said digitized electronic record comprising:

a plurality of substantive pages, substantially all of said substantive pages being associated with an originator mark and a custodian mark, said originator mark being adapted to reflect that the digitized electronic record was accurate when created and said custodian mark being adapted to reflect that said digitized electronic record has not changed while on said repository; and

a security protocol imposed on said digitized electronic record by said repository, said security protocol being adapted to permitting individual ones of said substantive pages to be reproduced at a location remote from said repository with said custodian and originator marks displayed thereon only if such reproduced substantive pages have not been changed since said custodian and originator marks were associated with said digitized electronic record.

11. A page reproduced from a record stored in a repository, said page bearing substantive information and both an originator mark and a custodian mark affixed thereto, said originator mark being adapted to reflect that said substantive information was accurate when created and said custodian mark being adapted to reflect that said substantive information has not changed while stored in said repository and reproduced.

12. A page of claim 11 wherein said record is a digitized record.

13. A page of claim 11 wherein said repository is on a secure web site.

14. A page of claim 11 wherein said page is reproduced on a monitor.

15. A page of claim 11 wherein said page is reproduced in paper form.

16. A page of claim 11 wherein said repository is online.

17. A page of claim 11 wherein said record includes a plurality of said pages and substantially each of said reproduced pages bears substantive information and both said originator mark and said custodian mark affixed thereto.

18. A page reproduced from a record stored in a repository, said record including a plurality of said pages, said reproduced page bearing substantive information and at least one of an originator mark or a custodian mark affixed thereto, said originator mark being adapted to certifying that said substantive information was accurate when created and said custodian mark being adapted to certifying that said substantive information has not changed during storage and reproduction.

19. A digitized electronic record stored on a repository, said digitized electronic record comprising:

a plurality of substantive pages, substantially all of said substantive pages being associated with a composite mark comprised of an originator mark and a custodian mark, said originator mark being adapted to certify that the digitized electronic record was accurate when created and said custodian mark being adapted to certify that said digitized electronic record has not changed while on said repository; and

a security protocol imposed on said digitized electronic record by said repository, said security protocol being adapted to permitting individual ones of said substantive pages to be reproduced at a location remote from said repository with said composite mark displayed thereon only if such reproduced substantive pages have not been changed since said composite mark was associated with said digitized electronic record.

20. A method of separately authenticating the origin and custody of substantially each substantive page reproduced from a stored digitized electronic record, said method comprising:

creating and storing said digitized electronic record;

providing a certification mark by applying at least one of a custodian mark or an originator mark to said digitized electronic record;

allowing the reproduction of at least one said substantive page from said stored digitized electronic record; and

allowing said certification mark to appear on said reproduced substantive page only if such reproduced substantive page has not been changed since said certification mark were applied to said digitized electronic record.