System and method for electronic transmission storage and retrieval of authenticated documents

US5615268A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Document Authentication Systems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Stephen F. Bisbee · Gibson Island, US
• Douglas H. Trotter · Baltimore, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 17, 1995
• Grant date: Mar 25, 1997
• Expiry date: Jan 17, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L2209/56
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method is provided that implements digital encryption for the electronic transmission, storage and retrieval of authenticated documents and that enables the establishment of the identity of the originator of an electronic document and of the integrity of the information contained in such a document. Together these provide irrevocable proof of authenticity of the document. The system and method make it possible to provide "paper-less" commercial transactions, such as real-estate transactions and the financial transactions secured by real estate. A Certification Authority provides tools for initializing and managing the cryptographic material required to sign and seal electronic documents. An Authentication Center provides "third party" verification that a document is that executed and transmitted by the document's originator. The Certification Authority and the Authentication Center together provide for third-party assumption of the risk of the authenticity of documents, an audit trail of the documents, and storage and retrieval of the documents by authorized parties. The system and method eliminates the need for "hard copies" of original documents as well as hard-copy …