Patent ID: 7443884

Claim:
An electronic data transmission system for transmitting electronic data from a transmitting apparatus to a receiving apparatus that is different from said transmitting apparatus, said system comprising: first through nth apparatuses connected to a network, where n is an integer of 2 or greater; a transmitting apparatus connected to said network for transmitting first electronic data to said first apparatus; and a receiving apparatus connected to said network for receiving (n+1)th electronic data from said nth apparatus, wherein a jth apparatus transmits a notification of a reception of nth electronic data to said receiving apparatus when said nth apparatus receives said nth electronic data from a (j−1)th apparatus, j being between 1 to n, said receiving apparatus transmits a receiver authenticator to said jth apparatus, which authenticates the reception of said notification from said jth apparatus, and said jth apparatus generates (j+1)th electronic data which comprise said nth electronic data and said receiver authenticator with a signature of the nth apparatus assigned thereto, and transmits said (j+1)th electronic data to a (j+1)th apparatus.