Computer networked system and method of digital file management and authentication

• US 20040039912A1
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bitwise Designs Incorporated To Authentidate Holding Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bitwise Designs Incorporated To Authentidate Holding Corporation
• Inventors: Botti, John T., Borrowman, Colin D.
• Application Number:
  US10/374,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039912A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/121 Timestamp cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements involving time stamps H04L9/3297
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

The digital file management system and method of the present invention provides a processing service that may be located remotely on a computer network that receives digital files from users and performs file identification, authentication and verification, including time, digital signature, and image marking. The system and method may include the remote processing and storage of file information such that the user does not need to maintain any application specific software at the user'"'"'s local site. The system and method may record additional independent data with each stored image including: a “true date” gleaned from a secure clock which is not settable by the user (the Authentidate™); a number derived from a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) algorithm against the image data; (the “image CRC”); and a CRC derived from the “true date”, (the “date CRC”). This additional data may be recorded within each digital file as soon as possible after the file is acquired. If the file is altered after the recording of the additional data, recalculation of the image CRC on the altered file will not match the original image CRC recorded within it. Thus, that the file was altered can be detected. Likewise, if the true date is altered in any way, recalculation of the date CRC will similarly reveal this fact. The image and date CRCs can be checked and verified at any time. If the recalculated value matches the recorded value, the image can be verified as being recorded on the specified date and has not been altered since that time.

Claims

1. A method of processing documents comprising the steps of:

receiving a document over a computer network from a remote user,

executing a routine to obtain a digital signature of the document,

logging the digital signature of the document in a database;

logging a time stamp associated with the document in the database.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of returning a receipt to the user, the receipt including the time stamp.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the step of returning a receipt to the user, the receipt including the digital signature.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of returning a receipt to the user, the receipt including a document identification tag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer network is the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is received from the user over a direct dial-in modem connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is received from the user by email.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the time stamp represents the time that the document was received from the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of logging the time stamp includes logging at least a time of day and a date.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of logging the time stamp includes logging a number representing a quantity of units of measure of time from a predetermined point in time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the number represents a quantity of seconds from a predetermined point in time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the routine to obtain the digital signature of the document is a checksum routine.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the routine to obtain the digital signature of the document is a cyclic redundancy code routine.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the cyclic redundancy code is a CRC-32 routine.

15. A digital file management system comprising:

a storage device;

a processor connected to the storage device;

a timing device connected to the processor;

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

receive an original document from a first user;

determine a time stamp from the timing device corresponding to the receipt of the original document;

perform a digital signature routine on the document to obtain an original digital signature;

record the time stamp and original digital signature associated with the original document in a database.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the time stamp includes at least a time of day and a date.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the time stamp includes a number representing a quantity of units of measure of time from a predetermined point in time.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the digital signature routine is a checksum routine.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the digital signature routine is a cyclic redundancy code routine.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the cyclic redundancy code is a CRC-32 routine.

21. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further operative with the program to:

receive a second document from a second user;

perform a digital signature routine on the second document to obtain a second digital signature;

retrieve the original digital signature and original time stamp from the database;

perform a comparison of the second digital signature to the original digital signature; and

report a result from the comparison to at least one of the first user or the second user.

22. A digital file management system comprising:

a storage device;

a processor connected to the storage device;

a timing device connected to the processor;

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

receive a digital file over a computer network from a user;

determine a time stamp from the timing device corresponding to the receipt of the digital file;

perform a digital signature routine on the digital file to obtain an image value corresponding to the digital file;

create a marked digital file by marking the digital file with the time stamp and the image value;

store the marked digital file in the storage device;

send a receipt to the user, the receipt including a digital file identification tag corresponding to the marked digital file.