Token-based document transactions

• US 6,515,988 B1
• Filed: 07/17/1998
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fusion IP LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Eldridge, Marge, Flynn, Michael J., Jones, Chris, Kleyn, Michael, Lamming, Michael G., Pendlebury, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BRIAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/118,322
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/390, 370/392, 370/252, 370/313, 370/464, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 709/200, 709/217, 709/219, 709/228
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

A system including any number workstations, file servers, printers and other fixed devices coupled in a network, and a number of portable devices carried by users and coupled to the network by infrared (IR) link. Each portable device emulates its user'"'"'s personal satchel for documents: the device is programmed to receive transmit and store document or service tokens (tokens). Preferably, the token comprises a plurality of components defining a document related entity and a property of the entity, the token components including an operation component designating a document related operation, an address component designating the electronic address of a document or system providing a document related service, one or more parameter components, each parameter component defining a property of a document or a property of a service to be applied to a document, and a security parameter dependent upon the identity of a user associated with a document or with a document related service. The tokens are distributed from one person to another by transmission of IR data packets, and once a network-connected computer, printer or multifunction device has received a token via IR transceiver associated with it, a search request can be derived from the token and document references (e.g. WWW URLs) satisfying the token can be obtained via a search engine. For each URL obtained, the corresponding electronic document can be retrieved from a repository and displayed or printed. The portable device is preferably a handheld or wristwatch computer with a graphical display for enabling the user to transfer tokens, and the fixed devices preferably include a scanner/copier/printer having its own IR transceiver.

Claims

1. A system for accessing electronic documents in a repository of electronic documents coupled to a wire based network, the system comprising:

(A) a mobile data processing device, comprising;

(a) a processor with coupled memory,

(b) a user input module coupled to the processor to generate a document related user input that specifies a document related service to be performed on a document stored in the repository of electronic documents,

(c) a token building module coupled to the user input module for receiving the document related user input and constructing a general token including;

(i) a first service parameter defining a first property of the document related service and (ii) an address component designating an electronic address of the document in the repository of electronic documents to which the document related service is to be performed, and

(d) a wireless transceiver for transmitting the constructed general token;

(B) a wired transceiver coupled to the wired based network for communicating with the mobile data processing device to receive the general token;

the wired transceiver specifying a second service parameter defining a second property of the document related service in the general token; and

(C) a workstation coupled to the wired based network for communicating with the wired transceiver to receive the general token;

the workstation analyzing the service parameters in the general token to deduce a document service system for performing the document related service specified in the general token on the document.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the workstation examines capabilities of the document service system for determining and carrying out conversions to the document prior to transmitting the document to the document service system for performing the document related service specified in the general token on the document;

wherein the conversions carried out on the document put it in a format suitable for processing at the document service system.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the repository of electronic documents forms part of the workstation.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the workstation analyzes at least one of a single or double sided copying parameter and a number of copies parameter in the service parameters to deduce the document service system for providing the document related service.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wired transceiver specifies the second service parameter in the general token using a context/location parameter.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the service parameters of the general token further includes an electronic address of the document service system for providing the document related service.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the general token further includes a security parameter that is verified by the workstation.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the security parameter specifies a digital property right in a digital property rights language.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the security parameter specifies one of a digital signature, a digital property right, a cryptographic key to encrypt the document, an expiry date for the validity of the first token, and an authorizer identifier.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter component is one of a single sided print command, a double sided print command, number of copies to be printed, a phone number of a fax machine that the document is to be faxed to, and the name of a scanned document.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the document related service includes one of a print service, a fax service, and a scan service.

12. A wireless data transfer procedure carried out in a system for accessing electronic documents in a repository of electronic documents coupled to a wire based network, the system including:

a mobile data processing device, comprising;

a processor with coupled memory, a user input module coupled to the processor to generate a document related user input, a token building module coupled to the user input module, and a wireless transceiver;

a wired transceiver coupled to the wired based network for communicating with the mobile data processing device; and

a workstation coupled to the wired based network for communicating with the wired transceiver;

the wireless data transfer procedure comprising;

(a) receiving at the token building module the document related user input that specifies a document related service to be performed on a document stored in the repository of electronic documents;

(b) responsive to (a) constructing at the token building module a general token including;

(i) a first service parameter defining a first property of the document related service and (ii) an address component designating an electronic address of the document in the repository of electronic documents to which the document related service is to be performed;

(c) transmitting using the wireless transceiver the constructed token to the wired transceiver;

(d) responsive to (c) specifying at the wired transceiver a second service parameter defining a second property of the document related service in the general token;

(e) responsive to completing (d) transmitting the general token from the wired transceiver to the workstation over the wire based network; and

(f) analyzing at the workstation the service parameters in the general token to deduce a document service system for performing the document related service specified in the general token on the document.

13. The wireless data transfer procedure according to claim 12, wherein the wired transceiver specifies the second service parameter in the general token using a context/location parameter.

14. The wireless data transfer procedure according to claim 12, further comprising examining at the workstation capabilities of the document service system to determine and carry out conversions to the document prior to transmitting the document to the document service system for performing the document related service specified in the general token on the document;

wherein the conversions carried out on the document put it in a format suitable for processing at the document service system.

15. The wireless data transfer procedure according to claim 14, wherein the general token is constructed with service parameters that include an electronic address of the document service system for providing the document related service.

16. The wireless data transfer procedure according to claim 15, wherein the general token is constructed with a security parameter that is verified by the workstation.

17. The wireless data transfer procedure according to claim 16, wherein the security parameter specifies a digital property right in a digital property rights language.

18. The wireless data transfer procedure according to claim 16, wherein the security parameter specifies one of a digital signature, a digital property right, a cryptographic key to encrypt the document, an expiry date for the validity of the first token, and an authorizer identifier.

19. The wireless data transfer procedure according to claim 12, wherein the parameter component is one of a single sided print command, a double sided print command, number of copies to be printed, a phone number of a fax machine that the document is to be faxed to, and the name of a scanned document.

20. The wireless data transfer procedure according to claim 12, wherein the document related service includes one of a print service, a fax service, and a scan service.

21. A system for accessing electronic documents in a repository of electronic documents coupled to a wire based network, the system comprising:

(A) a mobile data processing device, comprising;

(a) a processor with coupled memory,

(b) a user input module coupled to the processor to generate a document related user input that specifies a document related service to be performed on a document stored in the repository of electronic documents,

(c) a token building module coupled to the user input module for receiving the document related user input and constructing a general token including;

(i) a first service parameter defining a first property of the document related service and (ii) an address component designating an electronic address of the document in the repository of electronic documents to which the document related service is to be performed, and

(d) a wireless transceiver for transmitting the constructed general token;

(B) a wired transceiver coupled to the wired based network for communicating with the mobile data processing device to receive the general token;

the wired transceiver specifying a second service parameter defining a second property of the document related service in the general token; and

(C) a workstation coupled to the wired based network for communicating with the wired transceiver to receive the general token;

the workstation analyzing the service parameters in the general token to deduce a document service system for performing the document related service specified in the general token on the document;

wherein the workstation examines capabilities of the document service system for determining and carrying out conversions to the document prior to transmitting the document to the document service system for performing the document related service specified in the general token on the document.