System and method for electronic transmission, storage, and retrieval of authenticated electronic original documents
US6367013B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 1, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 2, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 1, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2209/60
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Digital signatures are not valid indefinitely but only during the validity periods of their authentication certificates, which themselves are not indefinite but typically expire in order to limit the chances for compromise of the digital signatures. This poses a problem for electronic information objects that are intended to have legal weight for periods longer than the remaining validity period of a signature. There are thus provided methods of handling stored electronic original objects that have been created by signing information objects by respective transfer agents, submitting signed information objects to a trusted custodial utility, validating the submitted signed information objects by at least testing the integrity of the contents of each signed information object and the validity of the signature of the respective transfer agent, and applying to each validated information object a date-time stamp and a digital signature and authentication certificate of the trusted custodial utility. One method includes re-validating an electronic original object by verifying the digital signature of the trusted custodial utility applied to the object and applying to the re-validated obj…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.