APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DOCUMENT CERTIFICATION

• US 20080235766A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: W.C. Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: W.C. Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: WALLOS, Robert, Cantor, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US11/849,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20080235766A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for authenticating documents is described. A document from a client is processed to determine if it is authentic and then tags are generated to indicate that a document is authentic or not. The tags can be added to the document before it is sent to a recipient. The document is also stored and made available to the sender, recipient or third party together with a certificate of authenticity.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating documents comprising:

a receiving portal receiving a document;

a distributed network receiving said document and transmitting it to a recipient; and

an authenticating site coupled to said distributed network, said authenticating site performing an authenticating process on said document and generating a signal indicating whether said document is authentic or not.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said document is one of a text file, an e-mail message, scanned document, paper document, and a fax.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said authenticating site is adapted to send said tags to at least one of the sender and the receiver.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said authenticating site includes a data storage element storing said document and the corresponding tags.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said authenticating site is adapted to authenticate said document by checking the identity of the sender.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said authenticating site is responsive to a request for a file descriptive of a previously stored document, said authenticating site providing a copy of said document in response to said request.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said authenticating site is adapted to encrypt said document using a key.

8. A method of authenticating a document comprising:

receiving the document by an authentication site;

performing a test to determine if said document is genuine;

generating authenticating tags if said document is genuine;

transmitting said document to a recipient; and

transmitting said tags to one of the sender and recipient of said document.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said tags are attached to the document before it is sent to the recipient and after received by receiver.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising attaching a digital signature to said document.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said document is sourced from a client and wherein said test includes checking if said client is a registered client.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of authenticating is associated with a cost, further comprising determining said cost and presenting said cost to a client associated with said document.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a choice of generating said tags to said client after said cost is presented.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein said document is one of a text, scanned document, paper document, a fax and an e-mail.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein said document is stored at an authentication site.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein after said document is stored, several recipients receive e-mails indicating that the document is available for viewing.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said document is stored as a read-only document.

18. The method of claim 8 wherein said test is selected to indicate that the contents of the document are accurate.