Patent · US Active

Method for applying a physical seal authorization to documents in electronic workflows

US8572695B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by
7References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 8, 2009
Grant dateOct 29, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 27, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2209/805
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method for applying a pre-existing physical seal authorization to documents provides for authentication of electronic documents using physical seals and without interrupting the electronic workflow. The system of the present invention includes a seal capture device coupled to a computer, and the computer coupled by a network to a paper-like document server. The seal capture device detects depression of a seal thereon and outputs the image of the seal and other metadata to the computer. The computer stores the metadata in its local log using a logging module. The computer also adds the image of the seal and other metadata to the electronic document being displayed. Finally, the computer sends the metadata for storage in the global log of the paper-like document server, and the authorized document to the next step in the electronic workflow. The paper-like document server stores the metadata in other servers or entangles the global log with the logs of other servers for additional security.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.