Creation of electronically processable signature files

• US 7,685,516 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UBS Business Solutions AG (UBS Ag)
• Original Assignee: UBS Ag
• Inventors: Fischer, Hans-Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kane, Cordelia
• Application Number:
  US10/847,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: 713/161, 713/176, 715/255
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures

Abstract

The invention relates to aspects in connection with the automatic generation and processing of signature files. The signature files are generated in paper form on the basis of documents (28) that comprise a personal signature (34) and also control information items (30) assigned to the signature (34) and/or the documents (28). The documents in paper form (28) are scanned in within the scope of a batch processing operation in order to generate signature files that contain the personal signatures (34) in an electronically processable form and also representations of the respectively assigned control information items (30). The control information items (30) contained in a signature file are identified and interpreted document-wise. Then the signature files are automatically processed as a function of the content of the assigned control information items (30).

Claims

1. A method of automatically generating and processing signature files (48) for an electronic signature list (50), comprising the steps of:

periodically searching data records (16) contained in a first database (14) for signature-relevant status changes;

providing, in response to detecting signature-relevant status changes, a multiplicity of documents (8) in paper form, each document (8) containing a predefined blank region for receiving a personal signature (34) and also control information items (30) assigned to the signature (34), the control information items (30) containing a data record identifier (38), wherein one of the data records (16) with associated data record identifier (38) is assigned to each document (8);

scanning-in, in a batch processing operation, the multiplicity of documents (8) that have received the personal signatures, at least one signature file (48) being generated for each document (8), which signature file contains the personal signature (38) in electronically processable form and also a representation of the assigned control information items (30), wherein the assigned control information items (30) of each document (8) are independent of their corresponding personal signature (38) in its electronically processable form;

document-wise interpretation of the content of the control information items (30) contained in a representation, including the document-wise determination of the assigned data record (16) based on the data record identifier (38) contained in the control information item (30); and

document-wise processing of the signature file (48) depending on the content of the assigned control information items (30), including the steps of;

i. augmenting the signature files corresponding to the signature (34) with information taken from the determined assigned data record (16); and

ii. transferring of the signature files in combination with the augmenting information to the electronic signature list (50).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control information items are a control code (30), in particular a barcode.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step:

document-wise identification of the representation of control information items (30) that is contained in a signature file (48).

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing step comprises storing the signature files (48) under a file name derived from the control information items (30).

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the signature files (48) are first temporarily stored in an intermediate memory (49) after scanning-in and are stored at a memory location (50) derived from the respective control information items (30) after the interpretation of the respectively assigned control information items (30).

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing step comprises sorting the signature files (48) depending on the respectively assigned control information items (30).

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control information items (30) contain a document identifier (v_i).

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the signature files (48) are sorted depending on the document identifier (v_i).

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data-record identifiers (d) are unique and individual-related numbers.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

reading out data from data records (16) whose data-record identifiers (38) have been determined on the basis of control information items (30); and

generating lists (56) using the data read out.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the signature files (48) or their contents are provided in the form of the electronic signature list (50) on a central server to which a multiplicity of network components (52) have access via a communications network (54).

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of providing the multiplicity of documents in paper form comprises the following substeps:

providing a database (14) with data records (16) to each of which a data-record identifier (d_j) is assigned;

searching the data records (16) contained in the database (14) for status changes;

document-wise generation of control information items (30) depending on status changes discovered, wherein the control information items (30) generated for a data record (16) contain at least the respective data-record identifier (d_j); and

data-record-wise generation of at least one electronic document (8) that contains the control information items (30).

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that a network address is assigned to each of the data records (16) and the electronic documents (8) generated are sent to the respectively associated network address via a communications network (22).

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the substeps:

storing the data-record identifier (d_j) associated with a sent electronic document (8) and also a sending time (t_send); and

comparing the data-record identifier (d_j) contained in the control information items (30) of a scanned-in document (28) with the stored data-record identifiers.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

generating an error signal if, for a stored data-record identifier (d_j), no scanned-in document associated with said data-record identifier (d_j) is recognized within a predefined time interval from the sending time (t_send); and

erasing of the stored data-record identifier (d_j) and/or of the associated sending time (t_send) if a scanned-in document associated with said data-record identifier (d_j) is recognized.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the substeps of:

providing a multiplicity of different document masters (20) to each of which a document identifier (v_i) is assigned;

automatically selecting a document master (20) for a document to be generated depending on a discovered status change; and

inserting the document identifier (v_i) of the selected document master (20) in the control information items (30).

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the electronic document (8) via the communications network (22); and

printing out the received electronic document (8) to generate a document (28) in paper form, wherein the generated document (28) comprises the control information items (30) and a region (36) provided for a personal signature (34).

18. A computer-program product stored on a computer-readable storage medium, comprising program-code means for executing the steps of claim 1, when the computer-program product is executed on one or more computers.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the personal signature on each of the multiplicity of documents is a signature that is written on the document.

20. A computer system (42) for automatically generating and processing signature files (48) for an electronic signature list (50), comprising:

a first database (14) configured to periodically search data records (16) contained in the first database (14) for signature-relevant status changes;

a printer configured to provide, in response to detecting signature-relevant status changes, a multiplicity of documents (40) in paper form, wherein every document (28) comprises a predefined blank region for receiving a personal signature (34) and also control information items (30) assigned to the signature (34), the control information items (30) containing a data record identifier (38), wherein one of the data records (16) with associated data record identifier (38) is assigned to each document (8);

a scanner (44) with multi-sheet feed for receiving the multiplicity of documents (40) that have received the personal signatures, wherein the scanner (44) is configured to scan in the multiplicity of documents (40) in a batch processing operation; and

a computer (46) that is coupled to the scanner (44) and that generates for every scanned-in document at least one signature file (48) that contains the personal signature (34) in an electronically processable form and also a representation of the assigned control information items (30), wherein the computer (46) is programmed to interpret document-wise the content of the control information items (30) contained in a representation, including the document-wise determination of the assigned data record (16) based on the data record identifier (38) contained in the control information item (30), wherein the assigned control information items (30) of each document (8) are independent of their corresponding personal signature (38) in its electronically processable form, and to process document-wise the signature file (48) as a function of the content of the associated control information items (30), providing for the document-wise processing;

i. means to augment the signature files corresponding to the signature (34) with information taken from the determined assigned data record (16); and

ii. means to transfer the signature files in combination with the augmenting information to the electronic signature file list (50).