Patent ID: 7600124
Filing Date: 2009-10-06
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of associating an electronic signature with an electronic record, the method comprising: receiving, at a computer system configured to manage a database of electronic records, first information provided by a user via a graphical user interface configured to enable users of the computer system to define operations by one or more database applications as triggering conditions for application events monitored by the computer system and processing that occurs when the application events are triggered, the first information defining an application event that, upon occurrence, causes the computer system to intercept a database transaction instantiated by one of the database applications with a database management system of a database and generate from data identified in the database transaction an electronic record that requires an electronic signature; receiving, at the computer system, second information provided by the user via the graphical user interface, the second information defining one or more fields for data to be stored in the electronic record; receiving, at the computer system, third information provided by the user via the graphical user interface, the third information providing a mapping between data from underlying database tables associated with the database transaction to at least some of the fields defined for data to be stored in the electronic record; receiving, at the computer system, fourth information provided by the user via the graphical user interface, the fourth information defining a layout that is applicable when an electronic signature is collected for the electronic record for displaying data stored in the electronic record on a computer display; receiving, at the computer system, fifth information provided by the user via the graphical user interface, the fifth information identifying a signatory approver for the electronic record; in response to detecting the occurrence of the application event at the computer system when the one of the database applications instantiates the database transaction associated with the application event with the database management system of a database, automatically generating the electronic record with the computer system from data intercepted from the database transaction according to the mapping between the data from the underlying database tables associated with the database transaction to the at least some of the fields in the electronic record; displaying the electronic record using the computer system to the signatory approver according to the defined layout in order to collect an electronic signature for the electronic record; receiving, at the computer system, an electronic signature from the signatory approver for the electronic record; and generating, by the computer system, sixth information associating the electronic signature from the signatory approver with the electronic record prior to performing an action with the computer system that results in committing the database transaction to the database associated with the database management system.