System and method for document-driven processing of digitally-signed electronic documents

• US 6,671,805 B1
• Filed: 06/17/1999
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wolters Kluwer Technology B.V.
• Original Assignee: Ilumin (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Israelsen, D. Brent, Brown, Bruce E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US09/335,443
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 713/170, 713/176, 713/180, 713/182, 713/185, 713/189, 713/200, 713/201
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/68 Special signature format, e.g. XML format
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for digitally signing an electronic document by a plurality of signers includes determining a signing role of each signer; identifying a to-be-signed portion of the document corresponding to the signing role of each signer; receiving an indication from each signer to digitally sign the document; and applying the digital signature of each signer to the corresponding to-be-signed portion in response to the indication from each signer. A computer-implemented method for processing electronic documents includes receiving a document at a document processing station; reading a processing instruction from a processing portion of the document; identifying a processing service within the document processing station for executing the processing instruction; executing the processing instruction at the document processing station using the identified processing service; and applying a digital signature of the document processing station to the document after the processing is executed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for digitally signing an electronic document by a plurality of signers, each signer having a signing role and a unique private key for applying a digital signature, each signing role corresponding to a to-be-signed portion of the document, at least two signing roles corresponding to different to-be-signed portions, the method comprising:

determining the signing role of each signer;

identifying the to-be-signed portion of the document corresponding to the signing role of each signer;

receiving an indication from each signer to digitally sign the document; and

applying the digital signature of each signer to the corresponding to-be-signed portion in response to the indication from each signer,

wherein the document comprises at least one delimiter for indicating the to-be-signed portion of the document corresponding to the signing role of a signer, the identifying step comprising;

locating within the document the at least on delimiter corresponding to the signing role of the signer; and

using the at least one delimiter to identify the to-be-signed portion of the document corresponding to the signing role of the signer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delimiter is selected from the group consisting of the extensible markup language (XML) tag and an XML attribute.

3. A computer-implemented method for digitally signing an electronic document by a plurality of signers, each signer having a signing role and a unique private key for applying a digital signature, each signing role corresponding to a to-be-signed portion of the document, at least two signing roles corresponding to different to-be-signed portions, the method comprising:

determining the signing role of each signer;

identifying the to-be-signed portion of the document corresponding to the signing role of each signer;

receiving an indication from each signer to digitally sign the document; and

applying the digital signature of each signer to the corresponding to-be-signed portion in response to the indication from each signer,

wherein the applying step comprises;

storing within the corresponding to-be-signed portion a date in which the to-be-signed portion is digitally signed by each signer.

4. A computer-implemented method for digitally signing an electronic document by a plurality of signers, each signer having a signing role and a unique private key for applying a digital signature, each signing role corresponding to a to-be-signed portion of the document, at least two signing roles corresponding to different to-be-signed portions, the method comprising:

determining the signing role of each signer;

identifying the to-be-signed portion of the document corresponding to the signing role of each signer;

receiving an indication from each signer to digitally sign the document; and

applying the digital signature of each signer to the corresponding to-be-signed portion in response to the indication from each signer,

wherein the applying step comprises;

storing within the corresponding to-be-signed portion a time in which the to-be-signed portion is digitally signed by each signer.

5. A computer-implemented method for digitally signing an electronic document by a plurality of signers, each signer having a signing role and a unique private key for applying a digital signature, each signing role corresponding to a to-be-signed portion of the document, at least two signing roles corresponding to different to-be-signed portions, the method comprising:

determining the signing role of each signer;

identifying the to-be-signed portion of the document corresponding to the signing role of each signer;

receiving an indication from each signer to digitally sign the document; and

applying the digital signature of each signer to the corresponding to-be-signed portion in response to the indication from each signer,

wherein the applying step comprises;

calculating a message digest for the corresponding to-be-signed portion;

encrypting the message digest using the signer'"'"'s private key; and

storing the encrypted message digest in the document as the signer'"'"'s digital signature.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the applying step further comprises:

storing with the digital signature a corresponding digital certificate, the digital certificate issued by a certificate authority and authenticating the digital signature of the signer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein calculating a message digest comprises applying a one-way hash function to the to-be-signed portion of the document.

8. A computer-implemented method for digitally signing an electronic document by a plurality of signers, each signer having a signing role and a unique private key for applying a digital signature, each signing role corresponding to a to-be-signed portion of the document, at least two signing roles corresponding to different to-be-signed portions, the method comprising:

determining the signing role of each signer;

identifying the to-be-signed portion of the document corresponding to the signing role of each signer;

receiving an indication from each signer to digitally sign the document; and

applying the digital signature of each signer to the corresponding to-be-signed portion in response to the indication from each signer, further comprising;

prior to the receiving step, obtaining from the signer at least one proposed edit to the to-be-signed portion of the document.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the document includes at least one delimiter for indicating an access-restricted portion of the document, the access-restricted portion for editing by only selected signers, the obtaining step comprising:

locating within the document the at least one delimiter;

using the at least one delimiter to identify the access-restricted portion;

determining whether the signer is among the selected signers by whom the access-restricted portion may be edited; and

applying the proposed edit to the access-restricted portion when the signer is among the selected signers.

10. A computer-implemented method for digitally signing an electronic document by a plurality of signers, each signer having a signing role and a unique private key for applying a digital signature, each signing role corresponding to a to-be-signed portion of the document, the document including a signing order for indicating an order in which the document is to be signed by the plurality of signers, the method comprising:

determining a signing role of a signer;

determining whether the signer is signing in the indicated order;

when the signer is signing in the indicated order;

identifying the to-be-signed portion of the document corresponding to the role of the signer;

receiving an indication from the signer to digitally sign the document; and

applying the digital signature of the signer to the corresponding to-be-signed portion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the signing order comprises an ordered sequence of signing roles.

12. A computer-implemented method for digitally signing an electronic document by a plurality of signers, each signer having a signing role and a unique private key for applying a digital signature, each signing role corresponding to a to-be-signed portion of the document, at least two signing roles corresponding to different to-be-signed portions, the method comprising:

determining the signing role of each signer;

identifying the to-be-signed portion of the document corresponding to the signing role of each signer;

receiving an indication from each signer to digitally sign the document; and

applying the digital signature of each signer to the corresponding to-be-signed portion in response to the indication from each signer,

further comprising adding the digital signature to a signing history associated with the document.