System and method for rules-based control of custody of electronic signature transactions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9230130-B2
Application number	US-201313838233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 22, 2012
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

Techniques for electronic signature processes are described. Some embodiments provide an electronic signature service (“ESS”) configured to facilitate the creation, storage, and management of electronic signature documents. In one embodiment, an electronic signature document may be associated with custody transfer rules that facilitate transfers of custody of an electronic signature document from one user or party to another. A custody transfer may results in a transfer of rights or capabilities to operate upon (e.g., modify, view, send, delete) an electronic signature document and/or its associated data. A custody transfer rule may be trigged by the occurrence of a particular event, such as the receipt of an electronic signature.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A method executed by an electronic signature service (ESS) computing device, the method comprising:
receiving an electronic signature document and associating a custody transfer rule with the electronic signature document from a client device associated with a first user, the custody transfer rule comprising a data structure used by the ESS computing device and further comprising:
data identifying users in a custody chain for the electronic signature document; and
data identifying an event to transition custody of the electronic signature document from a first user of the custody chain to a second user of the custody chain, the custody of the electronic signature document comprising an access right with respect to the electronic signature document, and the event comprising a response to an electronic signature request;

transmitting the electronic signature request to a client device associated with a third user not included in the custody chain;
in response to detecting the event, transferring custody of the electronic signature document from the first user to the second user according to the custody transfer rule; and
storing data indicating the transfer of custody of the electronic signature document to prevent the client device associated with the first user from accessing the electronic signature document according to the access right with respect to the electronic signature document, and to allow access to the electronic signature document according to the access right with respect to the electronic signature document to a client device associated with the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the response to the electronic signature request comprises one of:
a receipt of signature of the electronic signature document by the third user; or
a refusal of signature of the electronic signature document by the third user.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the response to the electronic signature request comprises the receipt of signature of the electronic signature document by the third user, and the method further comprises:
storing a second data structure comprising information corresponding to the signature of the electronic signature document, including information identifying the third user, date information, history information, and form data entered by the third user.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein after transferring custody of the electronic signature document from the first user to the second user, the first user retains a second access right to view the electronic signature document and to view the second data structure comprising information corresponding to the signature of the electronic signature document.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the access right comprises access to view the electronic signature document and to view the second data structure comprising information corresponding to the signature of the electronic signature document.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access right comprises a right to modify the contents of electronic signature document.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access right comprises a right to delete the electronic signature document from the ESS computing device.

8. A computer-readable non-transitory medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computing system, facilitate custody transfers of electronic signature documents, by performing a method comprising:
receiving an electronic signature document and associating a custody transfer rule with the electronic signature document from a client device associated with a first user, the custody transfer rule comprising a data structure used by an electronic signature service (ESS) and further comprising:
data identifying users in a custody chain for the electronic signature document; and
data identifying an event to transition custody of the electronic signature document from a first user of the custody chain to a second user of the custody chain, the custody of the electronic signature document comprising an access right with respect to the electronic signature document, and the event comprising a response to an electronic signature request;

transmitting the electronic signature request to a client device associated with a third user not included in the custody chain;
in response to detecting the event, transferring custody of the electronic signature document from the first user to the second user according to the custody transfer rule; and
storing data indicating the transfer of custody of the electronic signature document to prevent any client device associated with the first user from accessing the electronic signature document according to the access right with respect to the electronic signature document, and to allow access to the electronic signature document according to the access right with respect to the electronic signature document to a client device associated with the second user.

9. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting an email to the third user, the email including a link operable to access the electronic signature document at the electronic signature service, wherein the event comprises receiving an indication that the third user has activated the link to access the electronic signature document.

10. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 8 , wherein the response to the electronic signature request comprises one of:
a receipt of signature of the electronic signature document by the third user; or
a refusal of signature of the electronic signature document by the third user.

11. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 10 , wherein the response to the electronic signature request comprises the receipt of signature of the electronic signature document by the third user, and the method further comprises:
storing a second data structure comprising information corresponding to the signature of the electronic signature document, including information identifying the third user, date information, history information, and form data entered by the third user.

12. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 11 , wherein after transferring custody of the electronic signature document from the first user to the second user, the first user retains a second access right to view the electronic signature document and to view the second data structure comprising information corresponding to the signature of the electronic signature document.

13. The computer readable non-transitory medium of claim 11 , wherein the access right comprises access to view the electronic signature document and to view the second data structure comprising information corresponding to the signature of the electronic signature document.

14. A computing system configured to facilitate custody transfers of electronic signature documents, comprising:
a hardware processor
to:
receive an electronic signature document and associate a custody transfer rule with the electronic signature document from a client device associated with a first user, the custody transfer rule comprising a data structure used by an electronic signature service (ESS) and further comprising:
data identifying users in a custody chain for the electronic signature document; and
data identifying an event to transition custody of the electronic signature document from a first user of the custody chain to a second user of the custody chain, the custody of the electronic signature document comprising an access right with respect

Assignees

• Docusign Inc

Inventors

• Peterson Donald G
• Rybacki Doug
• Wald Duane E

Classifications

• G06F21/645 Primary

  using a third party · CPC title

• G11B20/00862

  wherein the remote server can grant the permission to use a content · CPC title

• G06F21/6218 Primary

  to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database · CPC title

• H04L2209/603

  Digital right managament [DRM] · CPC title

• H04L2463/101

  applying security measures for digital rights management · CPC title