Document storage and processing system for inventors that utilize timestamps and digital signatures

• US 6,418,457 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1997
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Chase Manhattan Bank (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: The Chase Manhattan Bank (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Richard, Cahill, Thomas, Vayner, Leonid, Sutter, Deborah M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford W.
• Application Number:
  US08/988,041
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 707/512, 707/3, 707/513, 707/500, 705/1, 705/65-76, 705/51, 380/3, 380/4, 380/21, 380/23, 380/25, 380/29, 380/43, 380/50, 380/49, 709/201, 709/202, 713/150-170, 713/178-182
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computerized document storage system for use by inventors to store their work on an invention and to secure their claim to a date of invention, the system comprising a document creator to enable the inventor to describe his invention in a document, a document saver that stores the document with a digital signature of the inventor and a time stamp. The saver prevents any further modification of the document except an addition of: a witness statement, a digital signature, and a time stamp. The system also includes a witness document modifier that only allows the witness statement, the digital signature and the time stamp to be added to a stored document. A document viewer is also included to list the documents stored in the system and to allow the documents to be read.

Claims

1. A computerized document storage system for use by inventors to store their work on an invention and to secure their claim to a date of invention, the system comprising:

a document creator to enable the inventor to describe his invention in a document;

a document saver that stores the document with a digital signature of the inventor and a first time stamp and prevents any further modification of the document except an addition of a witness statement, a witness digital signature, and a second time stamp;

a witness document modifier that only allows the witness statement, the witness digital signature and the second time stamp to be added to a stored document;

a document viewer to list the documents stored in the system and to allow the documents to be read; and

a group assignor to assign people to a plurality of groups, wherein the plurality of groups includes a witness group and a worker group, wherein the group assignor allows a person to be removed from a group, and wherein the group assignor only allows a person in the worker group to remove a person from the witness group.

2. A computerized document storage system for use by inventors to store their work on an invention and to secure their claim to a date of invention, the system comprising:

a document creator to enable the inventor to describe his invention in a document;

a document saver that stores the document with a digital signature of the inventor and a first time stamp and prevents any further modification of the document except an addition of a witness statement, a witness digital signature, and a second time stamp;

a witness document modifier that only allows the witness statement, the witness digital signature and the second time stamp to be added to a stored document;

a document viewer to list the documents stored in the system and to allow the documents to be read, wherein only the document viewer can display the encrypted document to be read; and

a group assignor to assign people to a plurality of groups, wherein the plurality of groups includes a witness group and a worker group, wherein the group assignor allows a person to be removed from a group, and wherein the group assignor only allows a person in the worker group to remove a person from the witness group.