Method and system for processing electronic documents
First Claim
1. A method for allowing distributed production of an encrypted document, comprisingproviding a computer network having a first and a second workstation and being capable of transferring an electronic document between the workstations,providing each of the workstations with an editor capable of modifying an electronic document to include blocks of information including a content block representative of content, and a signature block representative of a signature signal associated with the content block, and having a hash operator for processing data to generate a hash signal,allowing a user at the first workstation to operate the respective editor to modify a first electronic document to include a first content block and an associated first signature block, and to employ the hash operator to generate a first hash signal as a function of the first content block and to insert the first hash signal within the first signature block and to generate a first signature hash signal as a function thereof,transferring the first electronic document to the second workstation,allowing a user at the second workstation to operate the respective editor to modify the first electronic document to include a second content block and an associated second signature block, and to employ the hash operator to generate a second hash signal as a function of the second content block and to insert the second hash signal within the second signature block and to generate a second signature hash signal as a function thereof,and allowing a third user to operate the editor to generate a third signature signal as a function of the first signature hash signal and the second signature hash signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention includes a markup language according to the SGML standard in which document type definitions are created under which electronic documents are divided into blocks that are associated with logical fields that are specific to the type of block. Each of many different types of electronic documents can have a record mapping to a particular environment, such as a legacy environment of a banking network, a hospital'"'"'s computer environment for electronic record keeping, a lending institution'"'"'s computer environment for processing loan applications, or a court or arbitrator'"'"'s computer system. Semantic document type definitions for various electronic document types (including, for example, electronic checks, mortgage applications, medical records, prescriptions, contracts, and the like) can be formed using mapping techniques between the logical content of the document and the block that is defined to include such content. Also, the various document types are preferably defined to satisfy existing customs, protocols and legal rules.
944 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for allowing distributed production of an encrypted document, comprising
providing a computer network having a first and a second workstation and being capable of transferring an electronic document between the workstations, providing each of the workstations with an editor capable of modifying an electronic document to include blocks of information including a content block representative of content, and a signature block representative of a signature signal associated with the content block, and having a hash operator for processing data to generate a hash signal, allowing a user at the first workstation to operate the respective editor to modify a first electronic document to include a first content block and an associated first signature block, and to employ the hash operator to generate a first hash signal as a function of the first content block and to insert the first hash signal within the first signature block and to generate a first signature hash signal as a function thereof, transferring the first electronic document to the second workstation, allowing a user at the second workstation to operate the respective editor to modify the first electronic document to include a second content block and an associated second signature block, and to employ the hash operator to generate a second hash signal as a function of the second content block and to insert the second hash signal within the second signature block and to generate a second signature hash signal as a function thereof, and allowing a third user to operate the editor to generate a third signature signal as a function of the first signature hash signal and the second signature hash signal.
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2. A computer-based method of securing the transmission of electronic documents over a distributed computer network, comprising:
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dividing the electronic document into a plurality of blocks; applying a signature to one or more of the blocks; and applying a multi-level hash function to the signature and the blocks, wherein the blocks include a signature block and each block has a reference number, wherein the multi-level hash function comprises; generating a random number; appending the random number to the contents of the electronic document; calculating a first hash value of the random number and the contents of the document; inserting the first hash value into the signature block; appending the random number to the contents of each block of the electronic document; calculating a second hash value of the random number and the contents of the block; calculating a third hash value of the first hash value, the second hash value, the reference numbers of the blocks, and the random number; and encrypting the hash value. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A computer-based system for processing a document that is human readable and machine processable, comprising:
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a document type definition according to the standard generalized mark-up language standard, wherein the document type definition provides for compliance with at least one of a legal requirement and a business practice, and a signature algorithm, wherein a recipient of a signed portion of the document may verify one or more of the authenticity, the execution and the integrity of the portion without having access to the entire document. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer mark-up language for processing a document that is human readable and machine processable, comprising:
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a document type definition according to the standard generalized mark-up language standard; a tag type of such document type definition for separating the document into a plurality of blocks; a signature algorithm, wherein a recipient of a signed portion of the document may verify one or more of the authenticity, the execution and the integrity of the portion without having access to the entire document; means for dividing the electronic document into a plurality of blocks; means for applying a signature to one or more of the blocks; and means for applying a multi-level hash function to the signature and the blocks, wherein the blocks include a signature block and each block has a reference number, wherein the multi-level hash function comprises; means for generating a random number; means for appending the random number to the contents of the electronic document; means for calculating a first hash value of the random number and the contents of the document; means for inserting the first hash value into the signature block; means for appending the random number to the contents of each block of the electronic document; means for calculating a second hash value of the random number and the contents of the block; means for calculating a third hash value of the first hash value, the second hash value, the reference numbers of the blocks, and the random number; and means for encrypting the third hash value.
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Specification