Patent Publication Number: US-2005125666-A1

Title: Method of using an electronic seal for inserting an electronic seal into contents of a document in a computer system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      (a) Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a method of using a first electronic key for inserting an electronic seal into contents of a document in a computer system, and more particularly to the first electronic key being provided with a memory, which is utilized to store a random number, and the computer system comprises a storage device and an add-in program. The electronic key is inserted into the computer system, and the add-in program defines the electronic seal and generates a corresponding random number, and thereafter stores the random number into the storage device and the memory. The add-in program can then insert the electronic seal into the contents of the document, and attributes of the document are then generated and inserted into the contents of the document.  
      (b) Description of the Prior Art  
      With increasing frequency of interactive dealings between people including business contracts, governmental documentation, and so on, signing of documents and authentication of such has become a crucial link in intercourse and retaining of the documents. In eastern society, in addition to a signature of a person, a seal is also an essential record of authentication, and on many documents requiring authentication, the seal has become a sole criterion of verification. However, following refinement of counterfeit techniques, many forged seals are difficult to identify at first sight, even for professionals, much less general public, and results in a quandary regarding usage of the traditional seal.  
      In recent years, because electronic technologies have permeated into livelihoods of populace, exchange of many documents is already implemented through paperless electronic transfer. However, when a photocopy is required of the electronic document, usually the electronic document is first printed out and then stamped with a traditional seal, and thereafter the document is scanned in order to produce another electronic document that can be transmitted to next contracting party, fruitlessly wasting time and money.  
      Thus, there is a need to resolve problems of evading difficulties in identification of the traditional seal and averting aggravation when printing is required of the electronic documents, while equally supporting advantages of the traditional seal and the electronic document.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a computer system utilizing a portable electronic key and add-in program software to produce an electronic seal and execute authentication of the electronic seal. In addition, the electronic key has features including easy connection to a computer, and convenience of portability. Thus employment of the electronic key realizes replacement of a traditional seal. Even if the electronic key is stolen, if a person who stole the electronic key does not know identity and password of an owner of the electronic key, then it is impossible for the person who stole the electronic key to successfully pass identity validation procedures, and therefore impossible for the person who stole the electronic key to use the electronic key. This provides the electronic key with greater security than the traditional seal. Furthermore, because the electronic key must be connected to the computer in order to function, a hand of the user will not become tainted with ink from an inkpad as would result if a traditional seal was used. Moreover, the computer confirms validity of the electronic seal rather than pure identification with the naked eye. As counterfeit techniques change with each passing day, falsification of the traditional seal will remain much easier compared to that of the electronic seal, therefore the electronic key is able to safeguard rights and interests of the user.  
      Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to allow the user to insert the personal electron seal into the document, which then acts as a reference for future document identity authentication.  
      To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, the brief description of the drawings below is followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of a computer system according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  shows a schematic view of an electronic seal according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  shows a schematic view of an image produced by a random number according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  shows a schematic view of an electronic key according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , which shows a computer system  10  comprising a storage device  12 , a plurality of computers  20 ,  30 , which are mutually connected via a network, and a plurality of portable electronic keys  50 ,  60 . The computers  20  and  30  are each provided with a memory  22  and  32  respectively, which are utilized to store a program and data therein. Input ports  24  and  34 , and add-in programs  26  and  36  are stored in the memories  22  and  32  respectively. The electronic keys  50 ,  60  are each provided with an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM)  52  and  62  respectively, which are utilized to store random numbers  56  and  66  respectively. Key ports  54  and  64  are utilized to mutually connect with the input ports  24  and  34  respectively by means of a removably insertable method. The Key ports  54  and  64  can be configured as Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, RS-232 ports or other peripheral interfaces.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , upon a user connecting the key port  54  of the electronic key  50  to the input port  24  of the computer  20 , in accordance with identity and password entered by the user, the computer  20  implements identity validation procedures in order to prevent misappropriation of the electronic key  50 , thereupon the add-in program  26  produces an image  72  of an electronic seal  70  based on characteristics of the user stored within the memory  52  including full name of the user, color, font, size, and so on. In addition, the aforementioned characteristics are recorded using binary digits “0” and “1”, for example, a red font can be registered as “0000”, a blue font can be registered as “0110”, and so on. Thereafter, the add-in program  26  generates a scrambled number, which is then combined with the characteristics of the electronic seal  70  to form the random number  56 . Moreover, the random number  56  is simultaneously stored within the storage device  12  and the memory  52  of the electronic key  50 . In addition, the image  72  as generated by the random number  56  will display on the electronic seal  70 . In such an embodiment, as  FIG. 3  depicts, the image  72  so displayed consists of a bar code made up from different lengths.  
      Referring to  FIG. 4 , which depicts the electronic key  50  provided with a key  80 , and upon touching the key  80  the electronic seal  70  is inserted into contents of the document in the computer. However, apart from inserting the electronic seal  70  into the document by means of the key  80 , the user can also insert the electronic seal  70  by touching a user interface of the computer  20 . The electronic key  50  is further configured with an indicator  82 , where upon an abnormality occurring with the electronic key  50 , the indicator will thus flash thereby informing the user that the electronic key  50  is proceeding with a particular process or requires servicing.  
      After the user has inserted the electronic seal  70  into the computer document, the user can lock the document thereby preventing modification of the contents of the document. Finally, the document within which the electronic seal  70  has been already inserted, together with the contents of the document and attributes of the document are stored in the storage device  12 , where the attributes of the document consist of those produced by the add-in program  26 . The attributes of the document can include time of inserting the electronic seal  70 , a stamp mark, position, and angle of the electronic seal  70 , the user identity, time when the document was closed, time when the document was modified, and so on.  
      After the user has locked the document, if the user wants to examine the document again the user must reinsert the key port  54  of the electronic key  50  into the input port  24  of the computer  20 , whereupon the computer  20  proceeds with identity validation procedures according to the identity and password of the user, thereby confirming whether or not the electronic key  50  is that of a key of the inserted electronic seal  70 . If the electronic key  50  is that of the key of the inserted electronic seal  70  then the computer system  10  proceeds with matching the random number  56  retrieved from the memory  52  of the electronic key  50  to that of the random number  56  stored within the storage device  12 . If the random number  56  retrieved from the memory  52  of the electronic key  50  corresponds with that of the random number  56  stored within the storage device  12  then the document can be opened. Moreover, the user can unlock the document and proceed with modifying or attaching another document to the document. If the random number  56  retrieved from the memory  52  of the electronic key  50  does not correspond with that of the random number  56  stored within the storage device  12 , then the document cannot be opened, thereby preventing confidential documents from leaking out. In another embodiment of the present invention, even though the random number  56  retrieved from the memory  52  of the electronic key  50  does not correspond with that of the random number  56  stored within the storage device  12 , the document can still be opened but the user cannot unlock the document, and therefore is impossible to make any modifications to the document. Moreover, the user is not able to attach another document to the document.  
      After the computer  20  has undertaken identity validation procedures, and upon the computer  20  confirming that the electronic key is not that of the key of the electronic seal  70  but is that another electronic key  60 , the computer  20  checks extent of authority of the electronic key  60 . If the electronic key  60  is only provided with the extent of authority to open the document, then the document can be opened and the user of the electronic key  60  can attach another document to the document provided with the electronic seal  70 . The user of the electronic key  60  is able to insert another electronic seal in the attached document, and thereby signalize the identity of the user of the attached document. Furthermore, because the computers  20  and  30  are mutually connected via the Internet, in addition to re-inspecting the documents provided with the electronic seal  70  via the computer  20 , the user is also able to re-inspect the documents provided with the electronic seal  70  via the computer  30 , as well as being able to add to the attached documents and inserting another electronic seal via the computer  30 .  
      Because the storage device  12  stores attributes of the locked document, upon the user reopening the document, the user is able to discern whether the document has been previously opened or modified by examining the attributes of the document. In addition, because the electronic seal  70  is provided with the image  72  based on the random number  56 , the user is also able to examine the image  72  to judge whether or not the electronic seal  70  has been unlawfully entered.  
      It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.