System and method for synchronizing and editing electronic documents

• US 9,176,942 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realquidity Corp.
• Original Assignee: Realquidity Corp.
• Inventors: McLaughlin, Quinn Michael, Silk, Shawn Aubrey, Ross, Harris Krumwiede
• Primary Examiner(s): Reza, Mohammad W
• Application Number:
  US14/462,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20150339280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 713/186
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

Embodiments described herein include a system and method for editing one or more electronic documents synchronized among multiple electronic devices. The electronic devices may include mobile devices having a touch screen display to capture the edits to the electronic document. Edits to the electronic document can be received and updated in real time on all synchronized devices. In one embodiment, the edits to the electronic document include a handwritten signature from a signer of the electronic document. The handwritten signature is concurrently viewable in each display of the synchronized mobile devices in real time to simulate a real-world experience of signing a paper document with several witnesses. Additional multifactor authentication data can be associated with the handwritten signature data for security and authentication purposes.

Claims

1. A method of editing an electronic document comprising:

synchronizing a first data processing device and a second data processing device with an electronic document using a communications module that maintains an open communications channel between the first and second data processing devices such that edits to the electronic document made at the first data processing device are reflected in real time in a display of the electronic document on the second data processing device and edits to the electronic document on the second data processing device are reflected in real time in a display of the first data processing device, wherein the edits to the electronic document are passed back and forth through the open communications channel transparently to the first and second data processing devices;

receiving a handwritten signature of a signer at a location within the electronic document at the second data processing device;

capturing signature data of the handwritten signature using a signature capture device, wherein the signature data is captured as signature objects synchronized with the first and second data processing devices as the signer is making edits to the electronic document;

receiving a selection of a security level for the electronic document and varying an amount of multifactor authentication data required for authenticating the handwritten signature based on the selected security level;

setting a predetermined geolocation fence and requiring the signer to sign the electronic document at a location within the geolocation fence for the handwritten signature to be valid; and

communicating the signature data from the second data processing device to the first data processing device in real time as the signature data is being captured at the signature capture device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic document is merged across the first and second data processing devices to permit a same or different page of the electronic document to be viewed and edited in the display of the first data processing device and the display of the second data processing device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising synchronizing the electronic document with a third data processing device such that edits to the electronic document made at any one of the first, second or third data processing devices are reflected in real time on displays of the other ones of the first, second and third data processing devices.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising pre-loading the electronic document to be signed concurrently onto a first data processing device and a second data processing device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second data processing device is a mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the signature capture device includes a touch screen of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating multifactor authentication data with the signature data of the handwritten signature

of the signer; and

authenticating the handwritten signature of the signer based at least in part on the multifactor authentication data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the multifactor authentication data includes all of (1) a time stamp, (2) a telephone number, and (3) geolocation data associated with the signer.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating multifactor authentication data with the signature data of the handwritten signature of the signer; and

correlating the handwritten signature to both the electronic document and to the signer based at least in part on the multifactor authentication data.

10. A method of editing an electronic document comprising:

synchronizing a first data processing device and a second data processing device with an electronic document such that edits to the electronic document made at the first data processing device are reflected in real time in a display of the electronic document on the second data processing device and edits to the electronic document on the second data processing device are reflected in real time in a display of the first data processing device;

receiving a handwritten signature of a signer at a location within the electronic document at the second data processing device;

capturing signature data of the handwritten signature using a signature capture device;

communicating the signature data from the second data processing device to the first data processing device in real time as the signature data is being captured at the signature capture device;

setting a predetermined geolocation fence and requiring the signer to sign the electronic document at a location within the geolocation fence for the handwritten signature to be valid; and

receiving a selection of a security level for the electronic document; and

varying an amount of multifactor authentication data required for authenticating the handwritten signature based on the selected security level.

11. A method of editing an electronic document comprising:

synchronizing a first data processing device and a second data processing device with an electronic document such that edits to the electronic document made at the first data processing device are reflected in real time in a display of the electronic document on the second data processing device and edits to the electronic document on the second data processing device are reflected in real time in a display of the first data processing device;

receiving a handwritten signature of a signer at a location within the electronic document at the second data processing device;

capturing signature data of the handwritten signature using a signature capture device;

communicating the signature data from the second data processing device to the first data processing device in real time as the signature data is being captured at the signature capture device;

receiving a selection of a security level for the electronic document and varying an amount of multifactor authentication data required for authenticating the handwritten signature based on the selected security level;

setting a predetermined geolocation fence as a requirement for security; and

requiring the signer to sign the electronic document at a location within the geolocation fence for the handwritten signature to be valid.

12. A mobile device configured for editing an electronic document comprising:

a processing unit;

a memory operatively coupled with the processing unit via an interconnect;

a synchronization module configured to synchronize with an electronic document stored on a data processing system using a communications module that maintains an open communications channel between the data processing system and the mobile device such that edits to the electronic document made at the data processing system are reflected in real time in a display of the electronic document on the mobile device and edits to the electronic document on the mobile device are reflected in real time in a display of the data processing system, wherein the edits to the electronic document are passed back and forth through the open communications channel transparently to the data processing system and the mobile device;

a signature capture device adapted to capture signature data of a handwritten signature of a signer at a location within the electronic document displayed on the mobile device, wherein the signature data is captured as signature objects synchronized with the data processing system and the mobile device as the signer is making edits to the electronic document;

a forensics component configured to receive a selection of a security level for the electronic document and to vary multifactor authentication data required for authenticating the handwritten signature based on the selected security level;

a location component configured to set a predetermined geolocation fence and to require the signer to sign the electronic document at a location within the geolocation fence for the handwritten signature to be valid; and

a communication unit configured to communicate the signature data from the mobile device to the data processing system in real time as the signature data is being captured at the signature capture device.

13. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the electronic document is merged across the data processing system and the mobile device to permit a same or different page of the electronic document to be viewed and edited in the display of the data processing system and the display of the mobile device.

14. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein multiple mobile devices are synchronized with the electronic document.

15. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the electronic document to be signed is pre-loaded concurrently onto the data processing system and the mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 12 further comprising a forensics unit configured to:

associate multifactor authentication data with the handwritten signature of the signer; and

authenticate the signature data of the handwritten signature based at least in part on the multifactor authentication data.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 wherein the multifactor authentication data includes all of (1) a time stamp, (2) a telephone number, and (3) geolocation data associated with the signer.

18. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the signature capture device is further configured to:

associate multifactor authentication data with the signature data of the handwritten signature of the signer; and

correlate the handwritten signature to both the electronic document and to the signer based at least in part on the multifactor authentication data.