Identifying a signer of an electronically signed electronic resource

• US 9,680,908 B1
• Filed: 07/16/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Inventors: Saylor, Michael J., Vazquez, Hector, Chen, Gang, Mironenko, Sergey
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US13/943,084
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 709229, 709206, 726 26, 726 7, 726 5, 726 6, 726 4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1416 by checking the object accessibility, e.g. type of access defined by the memory independently of subject rights G06F12/1458 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method comprising: storing, at a server, an electronic resource that has been electronically signed by a user; associating the electronic resource with an identifier; receiving, at the server and from a client device, a request to identify the user who electronically signed the electronic resource, the request including a reference to the identifier; responsive to receiving the request to identify the user who electronically signed the electronic resource, identifying, based on the reference to the identifier, the electronic resource stored at the server; responsive to identifying the electronic resource stored at the server, identifying the user who electronically signed the identified electronic resource; and transmitting, from the server to the client device, an indication of an identity of the user who electronically signed the electronic resource.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, at a server, an electronic resource that has been electronically signed by a signing user and shared with a recipient user;

associating the electronic resource with a resource identifier;

receiving, from a recipient device of the recipient user and indication that a verifying users wishes to verify an identity of the signing user;

in response to receiving the indication, generating an identifier that references the resource identifier;

providing the identifier to the recipient device;

receiving, at the server and from a verifier device of a verifying user, a request to verify an identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource shared with the recipient user, the request including the identifier, with the verifying user differing from each of the signing user and the recipient user, and with the verifier device differing from a signing device of the signing user and the recipient device of the recipient user;

responsive to receiving the request to identify the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource,

identifying, based on the identifier, the electronic resource stored at the server;

responsive to identifying the electronic resource stored at the server,

accessing signer information specifying an identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource;

based on the signer information, identifying that the signing user electronically signed the identified electronic resource; and

transmitting, from the server to the verifier device of the verifying user, an indication that verifies that the signing user electronically signed the electronic resource;

enabling the recipient device to access the electronic resource that has been electronically signed by the signing user, wherein the recipient device is used by the recipient user with whom the electronic resource is shared;

wherein the recipient device transmits, to the verifier device, a representation of the identifier that is associated with the electronic resource; and

wherein the verifier device uses the representation of the identifier that is associated with the electronic resource in generating the request to identify the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource;

wherein the representation of the identifier for the electronic resource comprises one or more of an alphanumeric representation, an ultrasonic audio signal representation, and an optical machine-readable representation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier for the electronic resource is usable a single time to validate the identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting, from the server to the verifier device, the indication of the identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource comprises:

transmitting, from the server to the verifier device, information specifying a name of the first user who electronically signed the electronic resource and information specifying a name of the verifying user who requested verification of the electronic signature applied to the electronic resource.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein recipient device generates the identifier and transmits the identifier to the server;

and

wherein associating the electronic resource with the identifier comprises;

associating the electronic resource with the identifier received from the recipient device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, at the server, the identifier that is associated with the electronic resource that has been electronically signed by the signing user; and

transmitting the identifier to the recipient device;

wherein associating the electronic resource with the identifier comprises;

associating the electronic resource with the identifier generated at the server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the signing user who electronically signed the identified electronic resource comprises:

identifying, in a database, an association between information indicative of the identified electronic resource and the signer information, wherein the signer information comprises information specifying the identity of the signing user who electronically signed the identified electronic resource.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the signing user comprises a first user, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, at the server, information specifying an identity of a second user who has electronically signed the electronic resource that is also electronically signed by the first user;

wherein responsive to identifying the electronic resource stored at the server, identifying the first user who electronically signed the identified electronic resource comprises;

responsive to identifying the electronic resource stored at the server, identifying the first user and the second user who electronically signed the identified electronic resource; and

wherein transmitting, from the server to the verifier device, an indication of the identity of the first user who electronically signed the electronic resource comprises;

transmitting, from the server to the verifier device, an indication of identities of the first user and the second user who electronically signed the electronic resource.

8. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media configured to store instructions that are executable by one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:

storing, at a server, an electronic resource that has been electronically signed by a signing user and shared with a recipient user;

associating the electronic resource with a resource identifier;

receiving, from a recipient device of the recipient user and indication that a verifying users wishes to verify an identity of the signing user;

in response to receiving the indication, generating an identifier that references the resource identifier;

providing the identifier to the recipient device;

receiving, at the server and from a verifier device of a verifying user, a request to verify an identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource shared with the recipient user, the request including the identifier, with the verifying user differing from each of the signing user and the recipient user, and with the verifier device differing from a signing device of the signing user and the recipient device of the recipient user;

responsive to receiving the request to identify the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource,

identifying, based on the identifier, the electronic resource stored at the server;

responsive to identifying the electronic resource stored at the server,

accessing signer information specifying an identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource;

based on the signer information, identifying that the signing user electronically signed the identified electronic resource; and

transmitting, from the server to the verifier device of the verifying user, an indication that verifies that the signing user electronically signed the electronic resource;

enabling the recipient device to access the electronic resource that has been electronically signed by the signing user, wherein the recipient device is used by the recipient user with whom the electronic resource is shared;

wherein the recipient device transmits, to the verifier device, a representation of the identifier that is associated with the electronic resource; and

wherein the verifier device uses the representation of the identifier that is associated with the electronic resource in generating the request to identify the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource;

wherein the representation of the identifier for the electronic resource comprises one or more of an alphanumeric representation, an ultrasonic audio signal representation, and an optical machine-readable representation.

9. The non-transitory machine readable media of claim 8, wherein the identifier for the electronic resource is usable a single time to validate the identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource.

10. The non-transitory machine readable media of claim 8, wherein transmitting, from the server to the verifier device, the indication of the identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource comprises:

transmitting, from the server to the verifier device, information specifying a name of the first user who electronically signed the electronic resource and information specifying a name of the verifying user who requested verification of the electronic signature applied to the electronic resource.

11. The non-transitory machine readable media of claim 8, wherein recipient device generates the identifier and transmits the identifier to the server;

and

wherein associating the electronic resource with the identifier comprises;

associating the electronic resource with the identifier received from the recipient device.

12. The non-transitory machine readable media of claim 8, further comprising:

generating, at the server, the identifier that is associated with the electronic resource that has been electronically signed by the signing user; and

transmitting the identifier to the recipient device;

wherein associating the electronic resource with the identifier comprises;

associating the electronic resource with the identifier generated at the server.

13. The non-transitory machine readable media of claim 8, wherein

identifying the signing user who electronically signed the identified electronic resource comprises:

identifying, in a database, an association between information indicative of the identified electronic resource and the signer information, wherein the signer information comprises information specifying the identity of the signing user who electronically signed the identified electronic resource.

14. The non-transitory machine readable media of claim 8, wherein the signing user comprises a first user, and wherein the non-transitory machine readable media further comprises:

receiving, at the server, information specifying an identity of a second user who has electronically signed the electronic resource that is also electronically signed by the first user;

wherein responsive to identifying the electronic resource stored at the server, identifying the first user who electronically signed the identified electronic resource comprises;

responsive to identifying the electronic resource stored at the server, identifying the first user and the second user who electronically signed the identified electronic resource; and

wherein transmitting, from the server to the verifier device, an indication of the identity of the first user who electronically signed the electronic resource comprises;

transmitting, from the server to the verifier device, an indication of identities of the first user and the second user who electronically signed the electronic resource.

15. An electronic system comprising:

an hardware processor;

a server, comprising a memory; and

one or more machine-readable media configured to store instructions that are executable by the server to perform operations comprising;

storing, at the server, an electronic resource that has been electronically signed by a signing user and shared with a recipient user;

associating the electronic resource with a resource identifier;

receiving, from a recipient device of the recipient user and indication that a verifying users wishes to verify an identity of the signing user;

in response to receiving the indication, generating an identifier that references the resource identifier;

providing the identifier to the recipient device;

receiving, at the server and from a verifier device of a verifying user, a request to verify an identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource shared with the recipient user, the request including the identifier, with the verifying user differing from each of the signing user and the recipient user, and with the verifier device differing from a signing device of the signing user and the recipient device of the recipient user;

responsive to receiving the request to identify the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource,

identifying, based on the identifier, the electronic resource stored at the server;

responsive to identifying the electronic resource stored at the server,

accessing signer information specifying an identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource;

based on the signer information, identifying that the signing user electronically signed the identified electronic resource; and

transmitting, from the server to the verifier device of the verifying user, an indication that verifies that the signing user electronically signed the electronic resource;

enabling the recipient device to access the electronic resource that has been electronically signed by the signing user, wherein the recipient device is used by the recipient user with whom the electronic resource is shared;

wherein the recipient device transmits, to the verifier device, a representation of the identifier that is associated with the electronic resource; and

wherein the verifier device uses the representation of the identifier that is associated with the electronic resource in generating the request to identify the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource;

wherein the representation of the identifier for the electronic resource comprises one or more of an alphanumeric representation, an ultrasonic audio signal representation, and an optical machine-readable representation.

16. The electronic system of claim 15, wherein the identifier for the electronic resource is usable a single time to validate the identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource.

17. The electronic system of claim 15, wherein transmitting, from the server to the verifier device, the indication of the identity of the signing user who electronically signed the electronic resource comprises:

transmitting, from the server to the verifier device, information specifying a name of the first user who electronically signed the electronic resource and information specifying a name of the verifying user who requested verification of the electronic signature applied to the electronic resource.