DOCUMENT AUTHENTICATION USING ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE

• US 20100023758A1
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pon Chun Ku, Shocky Han
• Original Assignee: Pon Chun Ku, Shocky Han
• Inventors: Ku, Pon Chun, Han, Shocky
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

Embodiments of authenticating an electronic document are disclosed. A document authentication system is operatively connected with a professional system, a license management system and a certification authority system, for authenticating an electronic document of a client response to a request from a client system. An authentication unit included in the document authentication system receives the electronic document from the client system for review and seal thereof, transmits the electronic document to receive the electronic document with the electronic signature implemented and transmits the electronic signature to the license management system to verify license validity of the professional based on the electronic signature. Further, the authentication unit transmits the electronic document to the client system with the electronic signature including a seal imprint image of the professional if the license of the professional is valid.

Claims

1. A document authentication system operatively connected with a client system, a:

professional system for an electronic signature of a professional, and a license management system for managing licenses of professionals and a certification authority system for issuing certificates, so as to authenticate the electronic document made by a client requested from the client system, the electronic document authentication system comprising;

a communication unit operable to communicate with the client system, the professional system, the license management system and the certification authority system; and

an authentication unit operable to receive the electronic document from the client system for review and seal thereof, transmit the electronic document to the professional system for receiving the electronic document with the electronic signature implemented thereon and to transmit the electronic signature to the license management system for verifying license validity of the professional based on the electronic signature, the authentication unit being further operable to transmit the electronic document with the electronic signature implemented thereon to the client system if the license of the professional is valid.

2. The document authentication system of claim 1, wherein the authentication unit includes:

a seal requesting section operable to receive the electronic document from the client system through the communication unit and to transmit the electronic document to the engineer system for review and seal thereof;

a license verifying section operable to transmit the electronic signature to the license management system so as to verify the license validity of the professional;

a encrypting section operable to encrypt the electronic document and the electronic signature so as to prevent reuse thereof when the electronic signature is valid; and

a program transmitting section operable to transmit a dedicated output program so as to output the electronic document with the seal imprint image of the professional to the client system.

3. The document authentication system of claim 2, further include a storage unit configured to store authenticated electronic documents, electronic documents corresponding thereto, and the dedicated output program.

4. The document authentication system of claim 3, wherein the authentication unit further includes a document search section operable to search for the electronic documents from the storage unit so as to provide a desired electronic document to the client system.

5. The document authentication system of claim 1, wherein the professional system includes:

a first transmission/reception (Tx/Rx) unit operable to transmit/receive the electronic document and the electronic signature;

an input unit operable to allow the professional to input a selection instruction so as to select the electronic document for display thereof;

a display unit operable to display the selected electronic document;

a storing unit configured to store an electronic signature and a private key of the professional; and

a control unit operable to control the display unit to display the electronic document in response to the selection instruction, and control the first Tx/Rx unit to transmit the electronic signature together with the electronic document to the authentication unit.

6. The document authentication system of claim 5, wherein the storing unit includes an electronic signature storing section to store the electronic signature and a private key storing section to store a private key including a certificate of the professional,

wherein the control unit includes a document processing section operable to process the electronic document received through the first Tx/Rx unit to be displayed on the display unit and transmit the electronic signature to the authentication unit together with the electronic document, and a encrypting section operable to encrypt the electronic signature and the electronic document by using the private key stored in the private key storing unit.

7. The document authentication system of claim 6, wherein the client system includes:

a second transmission/reception (Tx/Rx) unit operable to transmit and receive the electronic document and the electronic signature;

an input unit operable to allow a client to input a selection instruction;

a display unit operable to display information; and

a control unit operable to transmit a corresponding document for an electronic signature in response to the selection of the client to the authentication unit and process the electronic document with the electronic signature to be printed out.

8. The document authentication system of claim 6, wherein the client system further includes a printer operable to print out the electronic document signed with the electronic signature under the control of the control unit.

9. The document authentication system of claim 8, wherein the control unit includes:

a document receiving unit operable to transmit the selected electronic document to the authentication unit for review and seal thereof and to receive the electronic document with the electronic document implemented;

a decrypting section operable to decrypt the received electronic document and the electronic signature; and

a print control unit operable to control the printer to print out the electronic signature on the electronic document in case hash values of the electronic document are matched with the hash values of decrypted electronic signature.

10. A method for authenticating an electronic document with an electronic signature of a professional in a document authentication system operatively connected with a client system, a professional system for an electronic signature of a professional on a electronic document, a license management system for management of licenses of professionals and a certification authority system for issuing certificates, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic document for review and seal thereof from the client system;

transmitting the electronic document to the professional system for an electronic signature of a professional;

transmitting the electronic signature to the license management system to verify license validity of the professional; and

transmitting the electronic document with the electronic signature to the client system when the license of the professional is valid.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic signature is encrypted by using a hash function and a private public key.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising decrypting the electronic document and the electronic signature, comparing hash values of the electronic document and the electronic signature, and printing the electronic document with the electronic signature when the hash values of the electronic document and the electronic signature are matched.

13. A computer readable record media for performing instructions of authenticating an electronic document with an electronic signature of a professional in a document authentication system operatively connected with a professional system for an electronic signature of a professional on a electronic document, and a license management system for management of licenses of professionals and a certification authority system for issuing certificates, so as to authenticate an electronic document of a client response to a request from a client system, comprising:

receiving an electronic document for review and seal thereof from a client system;

transmitting the electronic document to the professional system for an electronic signature of a professional;

transmitting the electronic signature to the license management system to verify license validity of the professional; and

transmitting the electronic document with the electronic signature to the client system if the license of the professional is valid.