Systems and methods for distributed electronic signature documents

• US 8,655,961 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DocuSign Incorporated
• Original Assignee: DocuSign Incorporated
• Inventors: McCabe, Andrew David, Gosner, Thomas H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Lin
• Application Number:
  US12/490,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20090292786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a report describing the status of an electronic envelope. The electronic envelope includes a first electronic document to be distributed for electronic signature and an electronic signing template defining a set of at least one task that must be performed by an executor of the first electronic document to complete the electronic signature. The first electronic document is subject to a workflow including a plurality of events. The method includes receiving from a monitoring entity a selection of an identifier of an event of the plurality. The progress of the first electronic document through the workflow is monitored. That the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document is determined. In response to determining that the at least one event has occurred, the monitoring entity is notified of such.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a source client executable on a first computing device, the source client configured to generate an electronic envelope including a first electronic document to be distributed over a network for electronic signature and an electronic signing template defining a set of at least one task that must be performed by an executor of the first electronic document to complete the electronic signature, the first electronic document being subject to a document-execution workflow comprising a plurality of events including the at least one task, the first electronic document including an embedded activatable control; and

an electronic device coupled to the first computing device over the network, the electronic device configured to;

receive from the first computing device an electronic selection of an identifier of at least one event of the plurality of events, wherein the electronic selection of the identifier is provided via a graphical user interface that is configured to;

display identifiers of the plurality of events including envelope sent, envelope delivered, and envelope signed,

receive selections of identifiers of each of the plurality of events, and

receive from a user a selection of an identifier of the at least one event of the plurality of events,

monitor, over the network, progress of the first electronic document through the workflow,

determine that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document, by receiving an indication that the control has been activated, and

in response to determining that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document, notify the first computing device that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the source client is further configured to embed into the first document the activatable control; and

the electronic device is further configured to determine that the event has occurred in response to receiving an indication that activated user has clicked a button in the first electronic document.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic envelope includes a second electronic document to be distributed for electronic signature, and the electronic device is further configured to:

monitor the progress of the second electronic document through the workflow;

determine that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the second electronic document; and

in response to determining that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the second electronic document, notify the first computing device that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the second electronic document.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is further configured to generate the graphical user interface to a display device associated with the first computing device, wherein the identifier selection is provided by a user of the first computing device via the graphical user interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one event comprises completion of the electronic signature of the first electronic document.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is further configured to receive from the first computing device a selection of a first destination of a plurality of destinations to be notified that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document.

7. A method for providing a report describing a status of an electronic envelope including a first electronic document to be distributed for electronic signature and an electronic signing template defining a set of at least one task that must be performed by an executor of the first electronic document to complete the electronic signature, the first electronic document being subject to a document-execution workflow comprising a plurality of events including the at least one task, the first electronic document including an embedded activatable control, the method comprising:

receiving from a monitoring entity an electronic selection of an identifier of at least one event of the plurality of events, wherein the electronic selection of the identifier is provided via a graphical user interface that is configured to;

display identifiers of the plurality of events including envelope sent, envelope delivered, and envelope signed;

receive selections of identifiers of each of the plurality of events; and

receive from a user a selection of an identifier of the at least one event of the plurality of events;

monitoring, over a network, progress of the first electronic document through the workflow;

determining that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document, by receiving an indication that the control has been activated; and

in response to determining that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document, notifying the monitoring entity that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

receiving the indication that the control has been activated includes receiving an indication that a user has clicked a button in the first electronic document.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the electronic envelope includes a second electronic document to be distributed for electronic signature, and further comprising:

monitoring the progress of the second electronic document through the workflow;

determining that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the second electronic document; and

in response to determining that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the second electronic document, notifying the monitoring entity that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the second electronic document.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating the graphical user interface to a display device associated with the monitoring entity, wherein the identifier selection is provided by the monitoring entity via the graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to:

receive a selection of one or more users to notify when it is determined that the at least one event has occurred.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to receive an indication of a destination to which to publish a status report regarding the electronic envelope, wherein the indication of the destination is a uniform resource locator that identifies a Web service, and further comprising publishing the status report to the destination when it is determined that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one event comprises completion of the electronic signature of the first electronic document.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving from the monitoring entity a selection of a first destination of a plurality of destinations to be notified that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that, when executed by an electronic device, enable the electronic device to perform steps for providing a report describing a status of an electronic envelope including a first electronic document to be distributed for electronic signature and an electronic signing template defining a set of at least one task that must be performed by an executor of the first electronic document to complete the electronic signature, the first electronic document being subject to a document-execution workflow comprising a plurality of events including the at least one task, the first electronic document including an embedded activatable control, the steps comprising:

receiving from a monitoring entity an electronic selection of an identifier of at least one event of the plurality of events, wherein the electronic selection of the identifier is provided via a graphical user interface that is configured to;

display identifiers of the plurality of events including envelope sent, envelope delivered, and envelope signed;

receive selections of identifiers of each of the plurality of events; and

receive from a user a selection of an identifier of the at least one event of the plurality of events;

monitoring, over a network, progress of the first electronic document through the workflow;

determining that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document, by receiving an indication that the control has been activated; and

in response to determining that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document, notifying the monitoring entity that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein:

receiving the indication that the control has been activated includes receiving an indication that a user has clicked a button in the first electronic document.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the electronic envelope includes a second electronic document to be distributed for electronic signature, and wherein the steps further include:

monitoring the progress of the second electronic document through the workflow;

determining that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the second electronic document; and

in response to determining that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the second electronic document, notifying the monitoring entity that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the second electronic document.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the steps further include generating the graphical user interface to a display device associated with the monitoring entity, wherein the identifier selection is provided by the monitoring entity via the graphical user interface.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one event comprises completion of the electronic signature of the first electronic document.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the steps further include receiving from the monitoring entity a selection of a first destination of a plurality of destinations to be notified that the at least one event has occurred with respect to the first electronic document.