Document authentication using electronic signature

• US 8,924,307 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pon Chun Ku, Shocky Han
• Original Assignee: Pon Chun Ku, Shocky Han
• Inventors: Han, Shocky, Ku, Pon Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): OBEID, MAMON A
• Application Number:
  US12/506,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,988 Days
• Field of Search: 705/64, 705/51, 705/59, 713/175, 713/176, 713/168
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

Embodiments of authenticating an electronic document are disclosed. A document authentication system is operatively connected with a professional system, a license management system and a certification authority system, for authenticating an electronic document of a client response to a request from a client system. An authentication unit included in the document authentication system receives the electronic document from the client system for review and seal thereof, transmits the electronic document to receive the electronic document with the electronic signature implemented and transmits the electronic signature to the license management system to verify license validity of the professional based on the electronic signature. Further, the authentication unit transmits the electronic document to the client system with the electronic signature including a seal imprint image of the professional if the license of the professional is valid.

Claims

1. A document authentication system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable media storing computer executable instructions which when executed by the one or more processors perform a method for adding an electronic version of a human signature to an electronic document, the method comprising;

receiving a request from a client computer system, the request including an electronic document and an identification of a professional that is requested to provide a signature on the electronic document;

sending the electronic document to a computer system accessible to the professional and a request that the professional provide an electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature;

receiving the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature from the computer system accessible to the professional;

sending the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature to a license management computer system requesting that the license management computer system use the professional'"'"'s signature to verify that the professional has a valid license that authorizes the professional to sign the electronic document;

receiving confirmation from the license management computer system that the professional has a valid license;

adding the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature to the electronic document such that the professional'"'"'s signature is visible when the electronic document is viewed;

sending the electronic version of the document with the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature to the client computer system, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, further perform;

enveloping the professional'"'"'s signature with at least one of a seal imprint image, an identification, and a license number of the professional, wherein the enveloped professional'"'"'s signature is sent to the license management computer system, and wherein receiving confirmation from the license management computer system that the professional has a valid license comprises receiving confirmation that the seal imprint image, the identification, the license number, and the professional'"'"'s signature each correspond to a professional with a valid license; and

outputting, at the client computer system, the electronic document with the seal imprint image thereon in response to determining that the seal imprint image matches with the electronic document.

2. The document authentication system of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, further perform:

encrypting the electronic document and the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature so as to prevent reuse thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the professional'"'"'s signature comprises:

the professional'"'"'s handwritten signature;

or

the professional'"'"'s seal.

3. A method, performed by a document authentication computer system, for adding an electronic version of a signature to an electronic document, the method comprising:

receiving, by the document authentication computer system, a request from a client computer system, the request including an electronic document and an identification of a professional that is requested to provide a signature on the electronic document;

sending, by the document authentication computer system, the electronic document to a computer system accessible to the professional and a request that the professional provide an electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature;

receiving, by the document authentication computer system, the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature from the computer system accessible to the professional;

sending, by the document authentication computer system, the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature to a license management computer system requesting that the license management computer system use the professional'"'"'s signature to verify that the professional has a valid license that authorizes the professional to sign the electronic document;

receiving, by the document authentication computer system, confirmation from the license management computer system that the professional has a valid license;

adding, by the document authentication computer system, the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature to the electronic document such that the professional'"'"'s signature is visible when the electronic document is viewed;

sending, by the document authentication computer system, the electronic version of the document with the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature to the client computer system;

enveloping, by the document authentication computer system, the professional'"'"'s signature with at least one of a seal imprint image, an identification, and a license number of the professional, wherein the enveloped professional'"'"'s signature is sent to the license management computer system, and wherein receiving confirmation from the license management computer system that the professional has a valid license comprises receiving confirmation that the seal imprint image, the identification, the license number, and the professional'"'"'s signature each correspond to a professional with a valid license; and

outputting, at the client computer system, the electronic document with the seal imprint image thereon in response to determining that the seal imprint image matches with the electronic document.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the professional'"'"'s signature comprises:

the professional'"'"'s handwritten signature;

or

the professional'"'"'s seal.

4. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer executable instructions which when executed by one or more processors perform a method on a document authentication system for adding an electronic version of a signature to an electronic document, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a client computer system, the request including an electronic document and an identification of a professional that is requested to provide a signature on the electronic document;

sending the electronic document to a computer system accessible to the professional and a request that the professional provide an electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature;

receiving the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature from the computer system accessible to the professional;

sending the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature to a license management computer system requesting that the license management computer system use the professional'"'"'s signature to verify that the professional has a valid license that authorizes the professional to sign the electronic document;

receiving confirmation from the license management computer system that the professional has a valid license;

adding the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature to the electronic document such that the professional'"'"'s signature is visible when the electronic document is viewed;

sending the electronic version of the document with the electronic version of the professional'"'"'s signature to the client computer system;

enveloping the professional'"'"'s signature with at least one of a seal imprint image, an identification, and a license number of the professional, wherein the enveloped professional'"'"'s signature is sent to the license management computer system, and wherein receiving confirmation from the license management computer system that the professional has a valid license comprises receiving confirmation that the seal imprint image, the identification, the license number, and the professional'"'"'s signature each correspond to a professional with a valid license; and

outputting, at the client computer system, the electronic document with the seal imprint image thereon in response to determining that the seal imprint image matches with the electronic document.

7. The one or more computer readable media of claim 4, wherein the professional'"'"'s signature comprises:

the professional'"'"'s handwritten signature;

or

the professional'"'"'s seal.