Methods and systems for interchanging documents between a sender computer, a server and a receiver computer

• US 6,898,636 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2000
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IntraLinks Incorporated (SS&C Technologies Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: IntraLinks Incorporated (SS&C Technologies Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Muldoon, John M., Conklin, William Joseph, Jenkins, Richard Edward, Adams, Mark S., Moss, Randie Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/498,206
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/225, 709/217, 709/227, 713/201, 713/200, 707/1, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A method for storing, accessing and interchanging voluminous confidential documents for review by a plurality of parties and for notifying selected ones of a plurality of receiving computers generally operated by unrelated business organizations of receipt by a predetermined host server of such electronic documents from a sender computer for review. The documents are reviewable by each respective receiving computer over a global communications network. The sender computer and the receiving computers are registered in the host server. The method comprises selecting one or more of the plurality of receiver computers to which selected documents are to be reviewed over the global communications network are addressed, storing the respective documents in a first database that is local relative to the sender computer, replicating the documents stored in the first database in a second database that is local relative to the predetermined server, issuing a respective notification message from the predetermined server to the selected receiver computers, each respective notification message indicating replicated documents available in the second database for their respective retrieval over the global communications network, and retrieving the replicated documents in the second database by the selected receiver computers over the global communications network upon a respective user of the selected receiver computers issuing a respective download command signal to the predetermined server.

Claims

1. A system for interchanging documents between a sender computer associated with a sending party, a server, and a receiver computer associated with a receiving party, comprising:

selecting means for selecting the receiving party as an intended recipient of a document, wherein the receiving party has an identifier associated therewith;

adding means for adding a security designation to the identifier;

sender computer storage means for storing one of the documents;

server storage means;

first uploading means for uploading the document stored in the sender computer storage means into the server storage means as an uploaded document, wherein the uploaded document is uploaded to the server storage means based upon the security designation;

notification message issuing means for issuing a notification message from the server to the intended recipient, the notification message indicating that the uploaded document is available in the server storage means; and

downloading means for downloading the document from the server storage means-into a receiver computer storage means upon the issuance by the receiver computer of a download command signal to the server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the documents are interchanged between the sender computer and one or more of a plurality of receiver computers, each associated with a respective receiving party;

wherein the selecting means for selecting the receiving party as an intended recipient of a document further comprises selecting means for selecting one or more of the receiving parties as intended recipients of a document;

wherein the means for adding a security designation to the identifier further comprises means for adding a security designation to each identifier associated with each of the selected receiving parties;

wherein the notification message issuing means for issuing a notification message further comprises means for issuing a notification message from the server to the intended recipients; and

wherein the downloading means for downloading the document from the server storage means into the receiver computer storage means further comprises means for downloading the document from the server storage means into respective ones of a plurality of receiver computer storage means associated with each of the intended recipients.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the notification message issuing means for issuing the notification message further comprises means for issuing the notification message via email.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the uploading means for uploading the document stored in the sender computer storage means further comprises means for uploading the document at predetermined time intervals.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the notification message includes data indicative of new documents uploaded into the server storage means from the sender computer storage means since the issuance of a previous notification message.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the notification message issuing means for issuing a notification message further comprises means for issuing a message report to the sending party, wherein the message report includes data indicative of whether a document has been downloaded by a given recipient.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the interchanged documents is in the form of a computer file.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer file includes one of at least text data, still image data, moving image data, and audio data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sender computer storage means is local relative to the sender computer, the server storage means is local relative to the server, and the receiver computer storage means is local relative to the receiver computer.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first uploading means further comprises a sender client software program associated with the sender computer in communication with a server software program associated with the server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sender client software program comprises a software program selected from the group including:

a) a web browser and b) a Lotus Notes client software program and the server software program comprises a web server software program.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the downloading means further comprises a receiver client software program associated with the receiver computer in communication with a server software program associated with the server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the receiver client software program comprises a web browser and the server software program comprises a web server software program.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a unique identifier.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier is an email address.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning means for assigning an edit rights level to the uploaded document; and

second uploading means for uploading an edited version of the document from the receiver computer storage means into the server storage means as an uploaded edited document if the edit rights level assigned to the uploaded document in the server storage means permits editing.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a unique identifier.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is an email address.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning an edit rights level to the uploaded document; and

uploading an edited version of the document from the receiver computer storage means into the server storage means as an uploaded edited document if the edit rights level assigned to the uploaded document in the server storage means permits editing.

17. A method for interchanging documents between a sender computer associated with a sending party, a server, and a receiver computer associated with a receiving party, comprising:

selecting the receiving party as an intended recipient of a document, wherein the receiving party has an identifier associated therewith;

adding a security designation to the identifier;

storing one of the documents in a sender computer storage means;

uploading the document stored in the sender computer storage means into a server storage means as an uploaded document, wherein the uploaded document is uploaded to the server storage means based upon the security designation;

issuing a notification message from the server to the intended recipient, the notification message indicating that the uploaded document is available in the server storage means; and

downloading the uploaded document from the server storage means into a receiver computer storage means upon the issuance by the receiver computer of a download command signal to the server.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the documents are interchanged between the sender computer and one or more of a plurality of receiver computers, each associated with a respective receiving party;

wherein the step of selecting the receiving party as an intended recipient of a document further comprises selecting one or more of the receiving parties as intended recipients of a document;

wherein the step of adding a security designation to the identifier further comprises adding a security designation to each identifier associated with each of the intended recipients;

wherein the step of issuing a notification message further comprises issuing a notification message from the server to the intended recipients;

wherein the step of downloading the document from the server storage means into the receiver computer storage means further comprises downloading the document from the server storage means into respective ones of a plurality of receiver computer storage means associated with each of the intended recipients.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of issuing the notification message further comprises issuing the notification message via email.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of uploading the document stored in the sender computer storage means further comprises uploading the document at predetermined time intervals.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the notification message includes data indicative of new documents uploaded into the server storage means from the sender computer storage means since the issuance of a previous notification message.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of issuing a notification message further comprises issuing a message report to the sending party, wherein the message report includes data indicative of whether a document has been downloaded by a given recipient.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the steps of:

a) selecting one or more of the receiving parties as intended recipients;

b) adding a security designation to each identifier associated with each of the intended recipients;

c) uploading the document stored in the sender computer storage means into the server storage means;

d) issuing a notification message from the server to the intended recipients; and

e) downloading the document from the server storage means into the receiver computer storage means associated with each of the intended recipients is carried out via a communications network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the communications network is a global communications network.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the sending party and the receiving party are engaged in a transaction selected from the group of:

a) a loan syndication transaction;

b) a bond underwriting transaction;

c) an equity underwriting transaction;

d) a high yield debt placement transaction;

e) a private placement asset transaction;

f) a corporate financing transaction;

g) a mortgage financing;

h) a municipal financing;

i) an asset backed financing;

j) a primary insurance transaction;

k) a reinsurance transaction;

l) an acquisition transaction; and

m) a divestiture transaction.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the interchanged documents is in the form of a computer file.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the computer file includes one of at least text data, still image data, moving image data, and audio data.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the sender computer storage means is local relative to the sender computer, the server storage means is local relative to the server, and the receiver computer storage means is local relative to the receiver computer.

32. A system for interchanging documents between a sender computer which is associated with a sending party and which includes a sender computer storage means, a server which includes a server storage means, and a receiver computer which is associated with a receiving party and which includes a receiver computer storage means, comprising:

selecting means for selecting the receiving party as an intended recipient of a document, wherein the receiving party has an identifier associated therewith;

adding means for adding a security designation to the identifier;

first uploading means for uploading one of the documents stored in the sender computer storage means into the server storage means as an uploaded document, wherein the uploaded document is uploaded to the server storage means based upon the security designation;

notification message issuing means for issuing a notification message from the server to the intended recipient, the notification message indicating that the uploaded document is available in the server storage means; and

downloading means for downloading the uploaded document from the server storage means into the receiver computer storage means upon the issuance by the receiver computer of a download command signal to the server.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the documents are interchanged between the sender computer and one or more of a plurality of receiver computers, each associated with a respective receiveing party;

wherein the selecting means for selecting the receiveing party as an intended recipient of a document further comprises selecting means forselecting one or more of the receiveing parties as intended recipients of a document;

wherein the means foradding a security designation to the identifier further comprises means for adding a security designation to each identifier associated with each of the intended recipients;

wherein the notification message issuing means for issuing a notification message further comprises means for issuing a notification message from the server to the intended recipients; and

wherein the downloading means for downloading the document from the server storage means into the receiver computer storage means further comprises means for downloading the document from the server storage means into respective ones of a plurality of receiver computer storage means associated with each of the intended recipients.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the notification message issuing means for issuing the notification message further comprises means for issuing the notification message via email.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the uploading means for uploading the document stored in the sender computer storage means further comprises means for uploading the document at predetermined time intervals.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the notification message includes data indicative of new documents uploaded into the server storage means from the sender computer storage means since the issuance of a previous notification message.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the notification message issuing means for issuing a notification message further comprises means for issuing a message report to the sending party, wherein the message report includes data indicative of whether a document has been downloaded by a given recipient.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein each of the interchanged documents is in the form of a computer file.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the computer file includes one of at least text data, still image data, moving image data, and audio data.

40. The system of claim 32, wherein the sender computer storage means is local relative to the sender computer, the server storage means is local relative to the server, and the receiver computer storage means is local relative to the receiver computer.

41. The system of claim 32, wherein the first uploading means further comprises a sender client software program associated with the sender computer in communication with a server software program associated with the server computer.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the sender client software program comprises a software program selected from the group including:

a) a web browser and b) a Lotus Notes client software program and the server software program comprises a web server software program.

43. The system of claim 32, wherein the downloading means further comprises a receiver client software program associated with the receiver computer in communication with a server software program associated with the server.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the receiver client software program comprises a web browser and the server software program comprises a web server software program.

45. The system of claim 32, wherein the, identifier is a unique identifier.

46. The system of claim 32, wherein the identifier is an email address.

47. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

assigning means for assigning an edit rights level to the uploaded document; and

second uploading means for uploading an edited version of the document from the receiver computer storage means into the server storage means as an uploaded edited document if the edit rights level assigned to the uploaded document in the server storage means permits editing.