System and method for securely sharing electronic documents

• US 20070033637A1
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TOSHIBA CORPORATION AND TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
• Inventors: Yami, Sameer, Tran, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,784,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853

Abstract

A system and method for the selective sharing of an electronic document. The method enables a user to share access to an electronic document stored on a repository on a document management system. A user, via a document processing services network, generates a password and token corresponding to the document to be shared. The token provides information regarding the electronic document to be shared and the way the shared document will be made available to other users. The user then gives the token along with the password to the other users desiring to have access to the shared document. The other users are then able to retrieve the electronic document via email, viewing on a web browser, or printing at a multifunction peripheral device.

Claims

1. A system for selective sharing of electronic documents comprising:

means adapted for receiving a share request representative of at least one selected electronic document for which selective sharing is desired;

a key generator adapted for generating a key, which key includes a token and a password, to allow for selective access to the at least one selected electronic document, the key generator including,

a token generator adapted for generating the token in accordance with received share request, which token includes encrypted data representative of association of generated token data with the at least one selected electronic document as specified by a received share request, and

a password generator for generating a password, which password is associated with a token generated in accordance with the received share request data;

key output means adapted for communicating the key to an associated user;

key input means adapted for receiving the key from an associated requestor; and

document release means adapted for releasing, to the associated requester, access to the at least one selected electronic document associated with the received key.

2. The system for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 1 wherein:

the key includes access data representative of allowable access rights associated with the at least on electronic document; and

the document release means includes means adapted for releasing the selected electronic document in accordance with the access data.

3. The system for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 2 wherein the access data includes data representative of at least one access right from the set consisting of document identification, access frequency, temporal limitations, and selected retrieval methods.

4. The system for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 3, wherein the access data further includes data representative of at least one of the group consisting of an acceptable user identification, a watermark, a rendering option, and a finishing option.

5. The system for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 2, wherein the access data is received from the associated user.

6. The system for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 2, wherein the key is received by the associated requestor via at least one of the group consisting of a text message, an electronic mail message, a voice communication, and an electronic notification message.

7. The system for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected electronic document is selected from a list of documents associated with the associated user.

8. A method for selective sharing of electronic documents comprising the steps of:

receiving a share request representative of at least one selected electronic document for which selective sharing is desired;

generating a key, which key is includes a token and a password, to allow for selective access to the at least one selected electronic document, the key generation including,

generating the token in accordance with the received share request, which token includes encrypted data representative of association of generated token data with the at least one selected electronic document as specified by the received share request, and

generating a password, which password is associated with a token generated in accordance with the received share request data;

communicating the key to an associated user;

receiving the key from an associated requestor; and

releasing, to the associated requestor, access to the at least one selected electronic document associated with the received key.

9. The method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 8, wherein the key includes access data representative of allowable access rights associated with the at least one electronic document, further comprising the step of releasing the selected electronic document in accordance with the access data.

10. The method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 9, wherein the access data includes data representative of at least one access right from the group consisting of document identification, access frequency, temporal limitations, and selected retrieval methods.

11. The method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 10, wherein the access data includes data representative of at least one of the group consisting of acceptable requestor identification, watermark options, rendering options, and finishing options.

12. The method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 9, wherein the access data is received from the associated user.

13. The method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 9, further comprising the step of receiving, by the associated requestor, the key via at least one of the group consisting of a text message, an electronic mail message, a voice communication, and an electronic notification message.

14. The method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 8, wherein the at least one selected electronic document is selected from a list of documents associated with the associated user.

15. A computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for selective sharing of electronic documents comprising the steps of:

instructions for receiving a share request representative of at least one selected electronic document for which selective sharing is desired;

instructions for generating a key, which key is includes a token and a password, to allow for selective access to the at least one selected electronic document, the key generation including,

instructions for generating the token in accordance with the received share request, which token includes encrypted data representative of association of generated token data with the at least one selected electronic document as specified by the received share request, and

instructions for generating a password, which password is associated with a token generated in accordance with the received share request data;

instructions for communicating the key to an associated user;

instructions for receiving the key from an associated requestor; and

instructions for releasing, to the associated requestor, access to the at least one selected electronic document associated with the received key.

16. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 15, wherein the key includes access data representative of allowable access rights associated with the at least one electronic document, further comprising instructions for releasing the selected electronic document in accordance with the access data.

17. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 16, wherein the access data includes data representative of at least one access right from the group consisting of document identification, access frequency, temporal limitations, and selected retrieval methods.

18. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 17, wherein the access data includes data representative of at least one of the group consisting of acceptable requestor identification, watermark options, rendering options, and finishing options.

19. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 16, wherein the access data is received from the associated user.

20. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 16, further comprising instructions for receiving, by the associated requester, the key via at least one of the group consisting of a text message, an electronic mail message, a voice communication, and an electronic notification message.

21. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 15, wherein the at least one selected electronic document is selected from a list of documents associated with the associated user.

22. A computer-implemented method for selective sharing of electronic documents comprising the steps of:

receiving a share request representative of at least one selected electronic document for which selective sharing is desired;

generating a key, which key is includes a token and a password, to allow for selective access to the at least one selected electronic document, the key generation including,

generating the token in accordance with the received share request, which token includes encrypted data representative of association of generated token data with the at least one selected electronic document as specified by the received share request, and

generating a password, which password is associated with a token generated in accordance with the received share request data;

communicating the key to an associated user;

receiving the key from an associated requester; and

releasing, to the associated requester, access to the at least one selected electronic document associated with the received key.

23. The computer-implemented method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 22, wherein the key includes access data representative of allowable access rights associated with the at least one electronic document, further comprising the step of releasing the selected electronic document in accordance with the access data.

24. The computer-implemented method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 23, wherein the access data includes data representative of at least one access right from the group consisting of document identification, access frequency, temporal limitations, and selected retrieval methods.

25. The computer-implemented method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 24, wherein the access data includes data representative of at least one of the group consisting of acceptable requestor identification, watermark options, rendering options, and finishing options.

26. The computer-implemented method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 23, wherein the access data is received from the associated user.

27. The computer-implemented method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 23, further comprising the step of receiving, by the associated requestor, the key via at least one of the group consisting of a text message, an electronic mail message, a voice communication, and an electronic notification message.

28. The computer-implemented method for selective sharing of electronic documents of claim 22, wherein the at least one selected electronic document is selected from a list of documents associated with the associated user.