Patent ID: 7793826

Claim:
A processing device for co-operation with one or more corresponding devices to control the progress of a transaction, means for receiving data files from other such devices, means for reading endorsements of the received data files applied by other parties, means for re-endorsing such data files in respect of each other party identified therein with a positive, negative, or conditional endorsement, wherein at least one of the endorsements in the received data files read by the means for reading endorsements is a conditional endorsement and this conditional endorsement in the received data files is converted to a positive endorsement if specified conditions are satisfied, means for identifying data files which have been endorsed by all parties identified therein, means for reporting a successful validation if all resulting endorsements are positive, and means for reporting an unsuccessful validation if any of the endorsements are negative, and means for progressing the transaction is the validation is successful, and transmission means for transmitting the data file to devices associated with other parties identified therein.