System and method for securing documents using an attached electronic data storage device

• US 20070056034A1
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Fernstrom, Christer
• Granted Patent: US 7,770,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the reproduction of secure documents includes detecting an electronic data storage device of a secure document; reading the electronic data storage device of the secure document; determining rules for accessing the information stored in the electronic data storage device of the secure document; obtaining a user identity; comparing the rules for accessing the information with the user identity; and determining which of the information stored in the electronic data storage device to allow access to.

Claims

1. A system for creating a secure document comprising:

an input device for creating an electronic version of a document, the document containing information to which access to be restricted;

a secure document server in operative communication with the input device, wherein the secure document server gathers the information to which access is to be restricted from the input device and prepares a data structure comprising the information and user authorization restrictions for the information;

an electronic data storage device for storing the data structure;

a computing loader device in operative communication with the secure document server for loading the data structure onto the electronic data storage device; and

an image producing system for creating a secure document, the electronic data storage device attached to the secure document.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device is a multi-functional device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the user authorization restrictions define rules for accessing the information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic data storage device is a radio frequency identification tag.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the secure document contains blacked-out areas representing the positions where the information would reside.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the image producing system comprises an electrostatographic machine.

7. A system for reproducing a secure document comprising:

an input device for creating an electronic version of a secure document, the secure document comprising an electronic data storage device;

a computing reading device for reading a data structure stored in the electronic data storage device;

a user interface module for receiving a user identity; and

an image producing system for reproducing the secure document.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the data structure comprises information to which access is to be restricted and user authorization restrictions for the information.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the input device is a multi-functional device.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the user authorization restrictions define rules for accessing the information stored in the electronic data storage device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the rules for accessing the information defines a user identity.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user identity is a password.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein the image producing system comprises an electrostatographic machine.

14. A method for creating a secure document comprising:

selecting information in a document to which access to be restricted;

defining rules for accessing the information;

producing a data structure;

storing the data structure in an electronic data storage device; and

creating a secure document.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the document includes information to which access is to be restricted and information to which access is not to be restricted.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the information in the document to which access is to be restricted is selected using a color marking technique.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the rules for accessing the information to which access is to be restricted defines a user identity.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the data structure comprises the information to which access is to be restricted and the rules for accessing the information.

19. A method for accessing information stored in an electronic data storage device of a secure document comprising:

detecting an electronic data storage device of a secure document;

reading the electronic data storage device of the secure document;

determining rules for accessing the information stored in the electronic data storage device of the secure document;

obtaining a user identity;

comparing the rules for accessing the information with the user identity; and

determining which of the information stored in the electronic data storage device to allow access to.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the rules for accessing the information stored in the electronic data storage device define a user identity.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising inserting the information that the user has access to into a new document and reproducing the document.

22. A secure document comprising a hardcopy document;

an electronic data storage device operatively connected to the hardcopy document, the electronic data storage device storing information to which access is to be restricted and rules for accessing the information.

23. The secure document of claim 22 wherein the secure document contains blacked-out areas representing the positions where the restricted information would reside.

24. The secure document of claim 22 wherein a user provides a user identity, the user identity is compared to the rules for accessing the information, and a decision is made as to whether or not to the user is allowed access to the information.

25. The secure document of claim 24 wherein the information that the user is allowed access to is placed on a new document