Collaborative email with hierarchical signature authority
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- generating a collaborative email document comprising metadata identifying collaborators and an administrator of the collaborative email document and an email body having editable email message text, wherein the collaborative email document identifies signatories to the collaborative email document;
providing editable copies to the collaborators of the collaborative email document for viewing and editing the editable email message text of the collaborative email document, wherein the editable copies reside on devices of the collaborators;
updating the editable copies of the collaborative email document on the devices of the collaborators with revisions of the editable email message text from the collaborators, wherein the updating the editable email message text occurs synchronously through an instant messaging protocol as the revisions are made, and wherein the instant messaging protocol is provided by a server generating the collaborative email document;
sending the collaborative email document with the revisions from a device of the administrator to an addressee in response to determining that the collaborative email document is digitally signed by each of the signatories; and
alerting the signatories to sign the collaborative email document through the instant messaging protocol.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Writing a collaborative email document with hierarchical authorities including establishing a collaborative email document on an administrator'"'"'s computer, identifying one or more signatories for the document, identifying one or more collaborators who are authorized to view and edit the document, providing to the collaborators copies of the document for viewing and editing, where the collaborators'"'"' copies reside on collaborators'"'"' computers, updating the copies of the document on collaborators'"'"' computers with revisions from the collaborators, and sending the collaborative email document from the administrator'"'"'s computer to addressees when the document bears valid digital signatures from all signatories. Typical embodiments also include providing at least one user authority to delegate signature authority, establishing a hierarchy of delegation authority for signatures, establishing at least one authority delegation policy including at least one rule for automated delegation of signature authority among signatories and delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another.
60 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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generating a collaborative email document comprising metadata identifying collaborators and an administrator of the collaborative email document and an email body having editable email message text, wherein the collaborative email document identifies signatories to the collaborative email document; providing editable copies to the collaborators of the collaborative email document for viewing and editing the editable email message text of the collaborative email document, wherein the editable copies reside on devices of the collaborators; updating the editable copies of the collaborative email document on the devices of the collaborators with revisions of the editable email message text from the collaborators, wherein the updating the editable email message text occurs synchronously through an instant messaging protocol as the revisions are made, and wherein the instant messaging protocol is provided by a server generating the collaborative email document; sending the collaborative email document with the revisions from a device of the administrator to an addressee in response to determining that the collaborative email document is digitally signed by each of the signatories; and alerting the signatories to sign the collaborative email document through the instant messaging protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system comprising:
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a non-transitory memory storing collaborative email information comprising a collaborative email document; and one or more hardware processors configured to execute instructions to cause the system to perform operations comprising; generating a collaborative email document comprising metadata identifying collaborators and an administrator of the collaborative email document and an email body having editable email message text, wherein the collaborative email document identifies signatories to the collaborative email document; providing editable copies to the collaborators of the collaborative email document for viewing and editing the editable email message text of the collaborative email document, wherein the editable copies reside on devices of the collaborators; updating the editable copies of the collaborative email document on the devices of the collaborators with revisions of the editable email message text from the collaborators, wherein the updating the editable email message text occurs synchronously through an instant messaging protocol as the revisions are made, and wherein the instant messaging protocol is associated with a server that generates the collaborative email document; sending the collaborative email document with the revisions from a device of the administrator to an addressee in response to determining that the collaborative email document is digitally signed by each of the signatories; and alerting the signatories to sign the collaborative email document through the instant messaging protocol. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:
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generating a collaborative email document comprising metadata identifying collaborators and an administrator of the collaborative email document and an email body having editable email message text, wherein the collaborative email document identifies signatories to the collaborative email document; providing authority to delegate signature authority to at least one user; providing editable copies to the collaborators of the collaborative email document for viewing and editing the editable email message text of the collaborative email document, wherein the editable copies reside on devices of the collaborators; updating the editable copies of the collaborative email document on the devices of the collaborators with revisions of the editable email message text from the collaborators, wherein the updating the editable email message text occurs synchronously through an instant messaging protocol as the revisions are made, and wherein the instant messaging protocol is used by a server that generates the collaborative email document; sending the collaborative email document with the revisions from a device of the administrator to an addressee in response to determining that the collaborative email document is digitally signed by each of the signatories; and alerting the signatories to sign the collaborative email document through the instant messaging protocol.
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Specification