CN1918845A - Method and system for authenticating documents - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and system for verifying the authenticity of a document using an international computer network. Documents are processed by a central repository (100) and verification information is generated that supports their authenticity. Paper documents are scanned into electronic image data and uploaded, together with authentication information, to a server (101) where they can be viewed by individuals using a client computer (301, 302) on an international computer network such as the internet (400).

Description

Method and system for authenticating documents

field of invention

The present invention relates to original document authentication by using electronic image signals corresponding to the document.

Background of the invention

In recent years, communication on-line via the Internet has become increasingly prevalent. However, it can be difficult to determine whether the business or individual that people are corresponding with online is genuine. In an effort to establish their online identification, individuals and businesses often scan licenses, certificates, permits, etc. into electronic image data and display it on web pages of websites. But such electronic images do not prove their authenticity, because electronic images can be easily manipulated, so the viewer of such images cannot be sure that such images are authentic. Therefore, there is an urgent need for individuals and businesses to establish their identities in an online environment.

In addition, paper documents are increasingly scanned and the resulting electronic files stored on machine-readable media, including (but not limited to) floppy disks, compact disks, CD-ROM and magneto-optical disks, ROM, RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, suitable for storing electronic documents , magnetic or optical card, or other type of media/machine-readable media. Electronic documents are increasingly distributed over computer networks, such as the Internet, using the above-mentioned computer-readable media as well as by electronic mail. It is well known that modern graphical software programs can be used to fraudulently process and even produce seemingly authentic stamps, seals, signatures that are virtually undetectable when electronic documents are viewed on a computer monitor. Therefore, when viewing electronic documents, it is very difficult to know whether signatures, seals, seals, etc. are original, that is, whether these signatures, seals, seals, etc. are actually added to paper documents scanned as electronic documents of. For example, if the original paper document was notarized, it may be difficult or even impossible to determine whether the notary's signature or the notary's seal was actually affixed to the scanned paper document for the person viewing the electronic image of the document.

In addition, due to advances in computerized printing technology, it has become easier to generate fraudulent paper documents. For example, it is difficult for an individual when examining an original paper document to determine whether ink stamps, signatures, etc. are original, that is, whether they were added to the document by hand, or whether they were made using printing automation, such as for example Said that a high-resolution color inkjet printer was fraudulently applied to the document. The same problem occurs when viewing an image of a document sent by fax or fax machine.

For the above reasons, there is a pressing need for individuals who view electronic documents as well as hard copy documents to be able to verify the authenticity of such documents. Additionally, a need exists for an improved method for individuals and businesses to establish their online identification.

The prior art method of mailing the original paper document or its notarized copies to the parties by mail or courier suffers from the following problems:

- Slow, in stark contrast to today's reality where correspondence is increasingly carried out by e-mail.

-Providing original paper documents, such as notarized copies, is expensive, especially when sending to multiple recipients.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a computer system remotely accessible by a user for authenticating documents comprising: a memory configured to store electronic image data corresponding to an original document having verifiable provenance and a separately derived and electronic, displayable authentication information corresponding to the provenance of at least a portion of the original document; and an output configured to provide the image data and the authentication information for display by a user to authenticate the original document. The present invention enables users to check the authenticity of original document paper documents including paper copies online in the following manner:

- Dramatically speeds up communication by allowing individuals to inspect documents online rather than relying on inspection of certified paper documents that must be physically shipped. For example, individuals can check documents online, supporting the trustworthiness of online businesses such as, for example, Internet auction houses.

- The cost of enabling notarized or certified documents to be viewed by multiple individuals is greatly reduced since a single certified or notarized paper document sheet that has been processed in accordance with the present invention can be viewed online by multiple individuals. For example, it is not necessary to generate and mail multiple notarized paper documents to multiple individuals using the method and system of the present invention.

- Increased security as documents can be verified by another party.

The present invention also includes a method of displaying a document for verification, the method comprising: establishing electronic image data corresponding to an original document having verifiable provenance; providing an electronic, displayable verification corresponding to the provenance of at least a portion of the original document information; and displaying said image data and said authentication information, thereby enabling a user to authenticate said document.

The image data may be obtained from an authenticated source, and the verification information may include data corresponding to the provenance of the authenticated source.

The image data and verification data can be under the control of the repository such that neither the user nor the owner of the original document can alter its associated image data and verification information.

The authentication information may include data relating to sources that have been authenticated by the repository, and the authentication information may be configured to signal to the user that the repository provides such authentication.

The invention also includes an electronic signal for displaying a document, authenticating for receipt by a client computer operated by a user wishing to authenticate said document, said electronic signal comprising an electronic document corresponding to an original document having verifiable provenance. Image data and electronic, displayable authentication information corresponding to the provenance of at least a portion of the original document.

A short description of the drawings

In order that the present invention may be more fully understood, embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of illustrative examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a network comprising a repository and a repository agent according to the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary electronic document page to which authentication information has been added;

Figure 3 illustrates an example of authentication information that has been added to signatures and seals appearing on electronic documents;

Figures 4 to 6 illustrate exemplary electronic pages with document verification information;

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate an exemplary method of referencing or linking to an electronic document image stored on a server of a repository from an electronic page comprising a web-page;

Figure 9 illustrates an example of a paper copy of a document with text superimposed on it, relating to documents stored on a web server of a repository;

Figure 10 illustrates an exemplary electronic document page to which authentication information has been added;

Figure 11 illustrates an exemplary electronic document page to which authentication information has been added;

Figure 12 illustrates an exemplary electronic document page to which authentication information has been added; and

Figure 13 illustrates the transfer page for certified copies of original documents.

Detailed description

The present invention relates generally to authentication information hosting electronic documents on servers accessible by client computers in an international computer network environment and authentication information supporting their authenticity. Paper documents are processed by repositories and scanned into electronic image data. Paper documents are also checked and document verification information unique to each document is generated. Electronic image data generated from paper documents is uploaded to a web server along with corresponding authentication information so that individuals using client computers can view selected electronic images of documents and accompanying authentication information.

Verification information may include (but is not limited to):

1) Signatures, ink stamps, seals, etc. are manually added to the original paper documents that are scanned and uploaded.

2) Evidence that the institution that issued said document is authentic.

3) Evidence that the information contained in said document is accurate and true.

The present invention can be implemented in the form of an Internet-based service, an example of which will now be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

Paper documents including, for example, certificates, licenses, deeds, contracts, photographs, legal documents, etc. are collected by the central repository 100 . A repository may be an individual, company, government entity, institution, association, or some other organization. Central repository 100 and/or its members may also have certain legal qualifications.

For example, the central repository 100 may have one or more representatives or agents, such as the repository agent 200 shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 , which may be located remotely from the central repository 100 . A repository representative or agent may include a public notary or an authority that issues documents, such as a school that issues diplomas.

Said paper documents are scanned into electronic image data using a scanner in a manner known per se in the prior art, and the resulting electronic images are uploaded to one or more servers where they can be used by those wishing to identify the relevant document A user, ie, a personal on-line viewer operating a client computer 301, 302 connected to a repository via a computer network, eg, an international computer network, preferably the Internet 400. As will be noted below, the computers 301, 302 may be located at any convenient location remote from the repository 100 and the agent 200.

In this example, repository 100 includes a repository server 101 that hosts a repository website, accessible through Internet 400 . Although repository server 101 is shown as repository server 101 located in repository 100, repository server 101 may be located in any convenient location. The server 101 is controlled by a personal computer 102 with an associated document scanner 103 . Thus, paper documents, such as diplomas, certificates or notarized copies of documents, etc. can be scanned using the scanner 103 and delivered and posted on the website of the central repository 100 for authentication purposes by users 301, 302 via the Internet 400 access.

Documents to be uploaded to the repository website can also, and perhaps preferably, be provided by a repository broker 200 . For this purpose, the repository agent 200 includes a fax machine 201 for scanning paper documents and sending them to a confidential telephone number associated with the fax machine 104 on the central repository 100 . The fax transmission may be accompanied by a unique code on the cover page used to identify and authenticate the source of the fax transmission to the repository 100 . A facsimile copy of the document may be received at fax machine 104, scanned using scanner 103 and posted on the repository's website as previously described.

Server 101 is of a conventional hardware design well known in the art per se and includes a processor and associated memory 105 for storing electronic image data corresponding to documents to be accessed through the host website, as well as authentication information. The server 101 has an outgoing connection 106 coupled to the Internet 400 to allow communication between user client computers 301,302.

Alternatively, the document may be scanned by a scanner 202 coupled to a computer 203 in the repository agent 200, and the image data corresponding to the scanned document may be sent to the computer 102 of the central repository 100, e.g. , in the form of an email sent via the Internet as an email attachment. E-mail communications can be carried out via a secure link, encrypted according to encryption techniques known per se in the prior art, preventing said documents from being destroyed and unauthorized manipulation, and uniquely identifying and authenticating transmissions belonging to the system information repository By.

In accordance with the present invention, scanned paper documents are scrutinized by a certification authority, preferably a repository or repository agent, and verification information is generated. Individuals viewing selected scanned documents are made to obtain result verification information on-line, eg, by using a computer 301, 302 running a web browsing program for this purpose. The authentication information that accompanies the document enables people to view evidence online that supports the authenticity of the selected document. For example, using the method and system of the present invention, either a paper copy of a document or an electronic image of said document can be authenticated on-line.

Thus, the repository 100 can provide services to consumers who want to authenticate documents in a manner that prevents the owner of the document or others from tampering with the electronic documents and authentication information. A person who wants to check the authenticity of a paper copy of a document or an electronic image of a document can visit the web site of the repository 100 and view the images of the electronic documents stored there along with the authentication information attesting to the authenticity of the document.

Authentication information may relate to one or more elements of the document. For example, authentication information may involve (but is not limited to) the following elements:

a) Marks including (but not limited to) signatures, seals, date stamps, ink stamps, embossing, etc. are original. Original means that the marks were manually added to the paper document being sent to the repository. An example of an original indicia is a signature applied by hand using a writing instrument rather than a computerized printing device such as an inkjet printer. Marks that can be affixed include those original signatures and seals affixed to paper documents by a notary, attorney's office, or government office.

b) Research given the credibility of individuals or institutions named in said document. For example, the school that issued the document or the notary who notarized the document. There are many deceptive or fake schools known to sell fake diplomas and fake certificates.

c) A research showing that the information contained in said document is accurate. For example, in the case of a diploma, it indicates that someone graduated with some sort of honor or degree on a given date.

d) One or more contact information for one or more individuals or entities named on said document and the owner of said document. The contact address can be contacted by individuals requiring further information about the document. For example, contact information for the institution that issued the document or the notary who notarized the document may be displayed.

e) A statement or oath signed by the owner of said document attesting to its truth and accuracy. The owner's signature forming the statement may also be notarized. It is also possible to mark the original mark on the statement as explained in point "a" of this listing.

f) A statement or oath signed by or on behalf of the repository attesting to its truth and accuracy. The statement may be notarized. It is also possible to mark the original mark on the statement as explained in point "a" of this listing.

Additional verification information that may appear with the documentation includes (but is not limited to) one or more of the items in the following list:

- The date the electronic document was uploaded to the web server. This is a timestamp indicating that a particular document existed at a certain time.

- until what date said file is still visible on the server of the repository.

- The name and contact information of the owner of the electronic document.

-Table of Contents. This is especially useful if multiple documents of the owner are stored on the repository.

-Copyright information and terms of use of the repository.

- Information about the business offered by the Archives.

Authentication information can be provided to online viewers in a variety of ways, including but not limited to the following:

-Appears on electronic document images of scanned documents in the form of symbols, stamps or text messages. If text boxes are used, they preferably can be opened or closed so as not to interfere with viewing of the document in question. For example, a popup text box can be used.

- appear on one or more separate pages.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an electronic document image 500 posted on the repository's website, as previously described, generated by the repository 100 or by a repository agent 200 by scanning the original paper document of. Authentication information inserted by the repository 100 into the electronic image data appears in the form of tokens 12 . Indicia 10, including signatures, seals, date stamps, ink stamps, embossing, manually applied to scanned paper documents are marked with indicia 12 so that individuals viewing the electronic document online are notified which indicia 10 are original.

The marking 12 is preferably a unique marking such that its meaning can be easily identified by the viewer. For example, indicia 12 may include the word "original" and the logo and/or name of the repository. The token 12 may include other information about the token 10 such as an original signature, an original stamp or an original seal. Indicia 12 may be added adjacent to indicia 10 as shown in FIG. 2, or indicia 12 may be added on top of indicia 10 as shown in FIG. Indicia 12 may be opaque, or indicia 12 may be translucent so as not to completely obscure indicia 10 . In order to make the indicia 12 more visible, the document is preferably scanned in black and white or in gray scale, while the indicia 12 contains color to highlight eg red.

Indicia 12 may take a variety of forms, for example, indicia 10 may be highlighted, colored or patterned. Indicia 12 may include geometric shapes such as, for example, circles, squares, etc. or may be text only. The indicium 12 may also be, for example, a text box or a pop-up text box, which can be closed or opened so as not to interfere with viewing of the indicia 10 . The purpose of the notation 12 is to indicate that the mark 10 is an original signature, ink stamp, date stamp, seal, etc., which are added to the scanned paper document and uploaded to the web server 101 of the repository. Indicia 10 photocopied or printed on scanned paper documents will not be marked with indicia 12 . Figure 2 shows the indicia 10 not marked with indicia 12, since it is not an original but a photocopy.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary page with authentication information 600 provided by the data repository 100 . When viewed online, the pages appear with the electronic document. As shown in Figure 4, this may include details of the verification information generated for a particular document, as well as a formal statement by the repository 100 attesting to the accuracy of the verification information generated.

Figure 5 shows an exemplary page with authentication information provided by the owner of the document. When viewed online, the pages appear with the electronic file. As shown in Figure 5, this may include contact information for individuals and organizations mentioned in the document. Viewers who have questions about the document can get in touch via such a contact address.

Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary electronic cover sheet with authentication information that may appear with one or more documents belonging to the same owner. As shown in FIG. 6, the authentication information may inform the online viewer by what date the one or more documents will be viewable on the server and that the document images are not valid unless viewed on the repository's website. Contact information for the owner of the document and a viewable table of contents listing the document's title may also be included.

In the following example, repository 100 provides authenticated document hosting services to various individuals and businesses. The archive 100 or the agent 200 collects paper documents. If paper documents are sent by mail, it is best not to send the original document to the repository, but a notarized or certified true copy, as the document may be lost or damaged in the mail.

Since, in the preferred embodiment, the verification information includes marking the original marking 10, it is preferable to send the document including the original marking 10 subsequently marked with the marking 12 to the repository.

Before sending the paper document to the central repository 100, the consumer will decide which certification authority should manually affix the mark 10 on the paper document as the original, which will then be marked 10 by the central repository with a mark 12 .

Among these factors, the ones that play a decisive role in determining who should mark 10 the original are:

- The geographical location of the party wishing to view the authenticated document. For example, the document may be required to be notarized by a notary public in a certain country or state.

- the type of authentication. In the case of a school diploma, the accrediting authority is the school that issued the diploma. In other cases where there is only a timestamp or proof that a document existed at a certain time, in the case of intellectual property, a notary or date is sufficient when the repository uploaded said document. If a photograph is certified as genuinely similar to an individual, a notary, doctor, or other certification agent can verify this by comparing the photograph to the photograph on an official document, such as a passport or driver's license.

-A request from those who want to view certified documents. For example, a party wishing to view certified documents online may require certain documents, such as birth certificates, to be stamped with a particular government agency. In other cases, the document may be certified or witnessed by, for example, a doctor, judge, bank official. In other cases, a certified true copy by the institution that issued said document may be required.

In order to determine which marks 10 on a paper document are original and thus marked with markers 12, the repository 100 may use, for example, magnification. For example, if a signature is manually applied to a paper document using a writing instrument, magnification will reveal depressions in the paper that would not appear if the signature was printed with an inkjet printer. If a non-ink pressure stamp embossed seal has been affixed to the paper document, it is preferred to make said non-ink pressure stamp embossed seal visible on the electronic document.

An effective way to do this is to lightly rub the side of the pencil over the embossment before scanning. If the paper document has been marked with ultraviolet or infrared ink, it is preferable to expose the paper document to ultraviolet or infrared radiation during the scanning process so that any such markings are also visible on the resulting electronic file.

The mark 10 in the uploaded electronic file is marked with a mark 12 that meets the original criterion.

Customers may provide additional authentication information with the paper documents they send to the repository for upload. It is also preferable to make such information available to online viewers as authentication information.

This can include (but is not limited to):

- The contact address of the person or institution mentioned in said document, such as the contact information of the institution that issued said document or the notary who notarized said document. As shown in Figure 5, this information can appear as authentication information when viewed online. A person viewing the document online can then contact such an address for additional information.

- A statement by the owner of said document stating that said document is accurate, belongs to said owner and that said owner has the right to display it. Figure 10 illustrates an example of such a statement. The statement may be signed by the owner, and the signature is notarized. It is also possible to mark the original mark 10 on the declaration document with a mark 12 .

In addition, the data archive may include a document report as shown in FIG. 4, which is also made available to online viewers as verification information. The report may include (but is not limited to) the following:

- A statement verifying that the stamp 12 has only been marked manually on the scanned paper document and that said document has not been altered since the date it was uploaded.

- the results of studies verifying the accuracy of said documents. For example, a repository may contact one or more contact addresses provided by the owner and report the results of the contact.

After the paper documents have been processed by the repository 100, the paper documents can be returned to their respective owners or destroyed.

Currently, the recommended format for storing electronic documents on the repository's web server is PDF. The format is widely accepted among authors, distributors and publishers. The Portable Document Format (PDF), developed by Adobe Systems, Inc. of San Jose, California, USA, is a page description file format that describes the visual appearance of the actual pages of a document, including fonts and special characters , images and layouts. PDF keeps the design of the page fixed and conveys the physical structure through visual cues such as font and font size, indentation, and layout on the page or screen. In addition, PDF allows for advanced letterpress, non-Roman alphabets, and mathematical and chemical equations. Therefore, PDF files are very suitable for storing electronic documents on web servers.

A desirable feature of the PDF format is that multiple pages can be stored on one document. For example, multiple electronic documents belonging to a customer and accompanying pages with authentication information can be stored in one PDF file.

A suitable method for adding marks 12 to electronic documents is the "stamp tool" in the Adobe Acrobat PDF editing program. While the described methods have been found to be suitable, other methods may also be used. For example, prior to scanning, the paper document may be stamped with an ink stamp by hand to produce the indicia 12 so that when the resulting paper document is scanned, the indicium 12 is visible on the resulting electronic image file.

On Adobe Acrobat, the "Comment Tool" can also be used to insert validation information into electronic documents. The "Annotation Tool" message can be turned off so as not to interfere with viewing of the document. The PDF format also allows embedding of authentication information in the form of audio and video messages. For example, an online viewer can be made to see or hear a video or sound track of an individual receiving a diploma displayed in a PDF file. In another example, a recommendation letter from a previous employer may include a voice track from a previous employer recommending the individual.

Multiple pages of electronic documents and pages with authentication information can be stored on the PDF file, and navigation tools can be inserted. For documents in PDF file format, this can include one or more of the following:

- PDF Bookmarks: This feature is supported in PDF readers, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, where so-called bookmarks are listed in a separate frame. Bookmarks can link to individual documents or pages with authentication information within documents. Bookmarks can be named, for example, after the linked document. For example: "My Photo" or "Secondary School Diploma".

- Hyperlinks can also be used within PDF documents. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a cover page with a table of contents may include hyperlinks to enclosed documents.

In the preferred embodiment, documents are stored on the server as individual files with uniquely identifying filenames. Document names can be numeric, alphanumeric, or alphanumeric. For example: "20001.pdf".

In a preferred embodiment, a person can view selected electronic documents using web browser program software (such as, for example, Microsoft Explorer) using a remote computer connected to the Internet. Plug-in software for viewing a wide variety of graphics files, including PDFs, is available for a wide range of web browsing programs.

In the preferred embodiment, the following security features are added to the PDF file prior to uploading the document comprising one or more electronic documents and information pages to the server:

- Elements shall not be extracted from said files containing seals and images.

- The said document shall not be altered.

Other security features that can be added:

- The password of the user used to open said document. This will prevent unauthorized persons from viewing the document. This can be optional, depending on the needs of the owner of the document.

- No printing allowed.

- A master password for changing said document. This password is preferably known only to the data repository 100 .

It should also be noted that new security features are being invented and may also be implemented. For example, new security features could include the following:

-Personal redistribution or saving of the document to electronic media on remote computers is not permitted.

-Each document or page in the PDF document requires a separate open password.

- Documents are not allowed to be opened after a certain expiration date.

After the paper documents are scanned, they can be returned to their respective owners or destroyed.

Electronic files with documents and authentication information are stored on the web server 101 of the archive 100 where they can be provided in the form of electrical signals to be viewed with client computers 301,302. In the preferred embodiment, a website or URL (Universal Record Locator) where document images are stored belongs to the repository 100 . For example, the website could be www.swisscertified.com. Due to privacy concerns, in the preferred embodiment the server 101 in which the document is stored is protected using security techniques known in the art. This can include, for example, firewalls. SSL technology (Secure Web Application Programming Interface Layer) can also be used to establish an encrypted link between the server and the remote computer connected to the repository to view certified documents.

It is important that the server is secured from manipulation by anyone not authorized for the repository 100 . A person viewing an electronic document on server 101 must be satisfied that the document has not been tampered with in any way by unauthorized individuals, including the owner.

In the preferred embodiment, the web site of repository 100 provided by server 101 includes a user interface that enables individuals to view selected electronic documents. For example, when visiting a website of a data archive, a person who wants to view an electronic document in the document file 20001.pdf, such as on a user computer 301 or 302, can use a browser program to visit the website hosted by the server 101, and After entering the document name "20001" in the form field on the web page or clicking the button, the selected document will be provided to the client computer 301 or 302 in the form of an electrical signal and read from the web browser through the PDF reading insert. , thus opening said document. If the document is password protected, the user is prompted to enter the password before the document can be opened.

It should be noted that while PDF is the presently recommended format for storing electronic documents on computer servers, other file formats known in the art may also be used. These file formats include:

Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), JPEG, JPEG 12 Lossy, JPEG 12-8 Lossless, P-JPEG, Audio Video Interleaved (AVI), (JPEG File Interchange Format) JFIF, Delrin Winfax, PCX (ZSoft Painting Format ), TGA (Truevision (Targa) file format), Portable Network Graphics (PNG), DCX, G3, G4, G3 2D, Computer Aided Acquisition and Logistics Support Raster Format (CALS), Electronic Technology Interchange File Format (IFF), IOCA , PCD, IGF, ICO, Mixed Object Document Content Architecture (MO:DCA), Windows Metafile Format, ATT, Windows Bitmap Format (BMP), BRK, CLP, LV, GX2, IMG (GEM), IMG ( Xerox), IMT, KFX, FLE, MAC, MSP, NCR, Portable Bitmap (PEM), Portable Gray Mapping (PGM), SUN, PNM, Portable Pixel Mapping (PPM), AddoePhotoshop (PSD), Sun Rasterfile (RAS ), SGI, X Bitmap (XHM), X Pixel Mapping (XPM), X Window Dump (XWD), AFX, Imara, Exif, WordPerfect Graphics Metafile (WPG), Macintosh Image (PICT), Encapsulated PostScript ( EPS), Graphics Interchange Format (GIF). Of course, when new image formats are introduced, these new image formats can also be used to advantage.

Password programs are also widely available, and password programs can encrypt web content and pages so that they can only be viewed by authorized individuals, but also prevent unauthorized human manipulation.

Although in the preferred embodiment described, the image of the paper document is stored on a network server, other methods known in the art for each document can be used to make the electronic document suitable for use with the server/client computer along with the authentication information. Viewed by client computers in a network, such as the Internet. For example, images of documents and pages with authentication information can be stored on a database file rather than on many separate files. The method has the advantage that instead of maintaining a complex file structure with potentially millions of individual files, it maintains an efficient database designed to rapidly access information in memory in order to provide Quick access to document images and verification information. Online users using client computers can select the electronic documents they want to view, as is known in the prior art.

In the preferred embodiment, the customer pays for the services provided by the repository 100 . For example, a repository could let consumers pay a fixed processing fee per document page. Such processing fees may include the following operations:

-Scan paper documents into electronic format.

- Analyzing the original signatures, stamps and seals of said document and marking such original marks with a marker 12 in the resulting electronic document image.

- Hosting the electronic document and accompanying authentication information on a web server.

The data archive 100 may provide consumers with additional services, which may include one or more of the following:

- Research business. For example, researching whether the institution that issued the document is legitimate and verifying the accuracy of the information contained in the document. Add the results of the research to the verification message that appears with the uploaded document. An exemplary page with research information is illustrated in FIG. 4 .

- Adding the electronic document to the website provided by the server 101 or deleting said electronic document from the customer's document collection.

- Add or change security settings including the password used to open the document.

Consumers can use the present invention in a variety of ways. After the paper document has been processed into an electronic document and uploaded to the web server 101 together with the verification information, the owner of the electronic document and verification information can allow selected individuals or parties to view the verified document on the website of the repository 100 .

Documents uploaded to the repository server 101 may be the following examples on hard copy documents as shown in the figure (but not limited to):

-A paper copy of a document distributed to users who may want to authenticate the provenance of the original document may include instructions on how to view a certified copy online. For example, the owner could insert the following text into the hard copy: "Please view a certified copy of this document at www.swisscertified.com/20001.pdf (password 1A236)" or "To view a certified copy of this document, please Visit www.swisscertified.com (Document: 20001 Password: 1A236)". An example of this method is illustrated in FIG. 9 .

- Can insert text-only messages related to uploaded documents into letters, resumes, CV's and brochures printed on paper. For example: "Please view a certified copy of my secondary school diploma at www.swisscertified.com (document: 20001 password: 1A236)".

Documents on the repository server 101 may also be from electronic pages. For example, an electronic page stored on a website or stored on a removable medium such as a compact disc may be a document stored on the website of the repository 100 . This is useful for Internet-based businesses that want to establish their identity in an online environment, such as websites that sell products and businesses. This may include on-line auctioneers, who may refer to their auction listings for trust-building certificates stored on the repository's website. The present invention is useful for people who want to establish their identity and identification in an online environment, such as, for example, people seeking to make an online appointment with a business partner. Electronic pages relating to documents stored on the repository's website may be in formats including HTML, PDF, MSWORD, and the like. An efficient method of accessing documents on a server of a repository from an electronic page is to use hyperlinks. For example, a hyperlink can be established between the electronic page to the home page of the repository 100 on the website hosted by the server 101, and if the document is stored in a separate file on the server, the hyperlink can link to the document containing the document. The URL of the documentation file. The creation of hyperlinks within HTML pages, PDF documents and MSWord documents is well known in the prior art. Here is an example illustrating the above method:

- In the "text only" email message the owner writes: "Please view a notarized copy of my secondary school diploma at www.swisscertified.com (Document: 20001; Password: 1A236)".

- In the "text only" email message the owner wrote: "Please click on the following hyperlink to see a notarized copy of my secondary school diploma on the website www.swisscertified.com (Document ID: 20001)". The URL links to the home page of the repository server where there is a user interface that includes a field where the user can enter a document ID to open the selected document file.

- In the "text only" email message the owner wrote: "Please click on the link below to view a Swiss Certified copy of my secondary school diploma". The hyperlink links to the URL of the document: "http://www.swisscertified.com/upload/20001.pdf".

- Internet auctioneers include the following text message on the auction listing or on the web page of the seller's website: "To view a Swiss certified copy of my car dealer's license CA, please visit www.swisscertified.com (Document: 20001 ).

- As illustrated in Figure 7, an online business may include a logo and text message on a web page, such as, for example, an auction listing. For example: "We are a member of the Good Business Bureau. To view our certificate of accreditation, please click here." The logo graphic and text message can link to the URL of the PDF file containing the hyperlinked document.

- As illustrated in Figure 8, an electronic page, such as a web page, may have an image of a document and a graphical business logo with a message from the repository 100. "Swiss Certified Electronic File". The text message also includes: "Please click on the above logo to view a verified copy of the document." Both link the logo graphics and text to the URL of the PDF file on the repository server where the document and accompanying authentication information is stored. For example: http:/lwww.swisscertified.com/upload/20001.pdf.

Example 1

Additional information on how consumers may use the invention can be seen from the following examples. A person graduates from university, receives a diploma and wants to find an employer. The graduate accesses the archive's website 100 and purchases the document in PDF format and can access the archive server 101 at www.swisscertified.com/20001.pdf from a client computer on the Internet.

The number "20001" is the ID of the document. The repository 100 also provides the graduate with a user password, as required by the repository, for example, when adding or removing documents from a document file.

The graduate pays $50.00, including a one-year hosting subscription, to install the documentation file 20001.pdf so that it can be accessed on the Internet server 101 of the repository 100. Takeover appointments can be extended. Document 20001.pdf consists only of the cover page and the graduate's contact information.

After installing the document file 20001.pdf, the graduate sends the notarized paper copy of the graduation diploma to the repository along with the order form and user password including said document file ID 20001.pdf. The data repository scans the graduation diploma, for example, with a scanner 103 and saves it as a PDF file. The archive 100 checks the authenticity of the notary's signature and the seal affixed to the copy. This can be done by checking with the notary on the phone and by checking the notary's identification against the notary's professional registration. As an alternative, the notary's signature and seal are already known to the archive in the case that the system repository 100 securely stores the original sample. In this way, the provenance of the duplicate document is certain, since the notary's seal and signed assertion of provenance can be used to provide verification information of the original document itself, despite it being a duplicate. The repository then uses Addoe Acrobat's stamp tool to stamp the notary's signature and seal with marker 12 to provide authentication information. Then, the resulting PDF image is post-attached to the document file 20001.pdf on the web server 101 . The data archive 100 invoices the graduate for US$10.00 for page upload and US$9.00 for sending the paper document back to the graduate by registered first class mail.

As illustrated in Figure 9, the graduate adds a paper copy of the diploma to a resume or CV, which is mailed to prospective employers. Write on the graduate's paper copy: "To view a certified copy of said document, please visit: www.swisscertified.com (Document 20001)".

As illustrated in FIG. 8, on a website intended to be viewed by future employers, etc., the graduate can create a web page with a description of their qualifications, along with an image of the diploma and the logo of the repository 100 . The graduate also establishes a hyperlink to the URL of the file containing the document on the web server 101 "www.swisscertified.com/20001.pdf" of the archive, so that when a user (such as a potential candidate who wants to authenticate the graduate diploma) employer) clicks the sign, the document file 20001.pdf is opened.

The graduate can also prepare a resume as a PDF file and add a hyperlink to the URL of the file stored on the website hosted by the server 101 . The graduate can then e-mail the PDF file to prospective employers as an e-mail attachment. The graduate may also distribute the compact disc or CD on which the hyperlinked PDF document is stored.

When a potential employer receives the graduate's CV in paper form, he sees the paper copy of the diploma and accesses, for example, the website of the repository hosted by the server 101 using the computer 301 and gets a web page with form fields , where you can enter the ID of the document in question. After entering the document ID and pressing enter, the document file 20001.pdf can be viewed within an Internet browser program using the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in to view a certified copy of the diploma and accompanying verification information.

For example, another person who receives a personal resume in the form of an email attachment on computer 302 opens the PDF file attachment with Adobe Acrobat and clicks on the hyperlink to the URL of the document file 20001.pdf on the archive server, thereby opening the file and View a certified copy of said graduation diploma.

Another person sees the graduate list on the website of the archive server 101 and clicks on the hyperlink to the URL of the document file 20001.pdf, thereby opening it.

Although the business of the repository can be sold directly to users through the central repository 100, agents or representatives may also be appointed by the central repository to sell business to users, for example, the repository agent 200 shown in FIG. 1 . Repository representatives or agents 200 may include certification authorities such as public notaries and organizations that issue documents.

For example, public notaries may act as a service offering to their users where after they notarize a document, they send it to a central repository for processing in accordance with the method of the present invention. Additionally, organizations that issue documents, such as diploma-issuing schools, may act as agents 200 to provide services to their students whereby they send such documents to the central repository 100.

The representative or agent 200 of the repository may either send the document physically to the central repository 100 or electronically as previously described using, for example, fax machines 201 and 104 or scanner 202 and computer 203 by fax or electronic mail. Send the image to the repository. The documents are preferably sent to the archive 100 electronically rather than physical documents, as this speeds up the process. The following is an example illustrating how the method of the present invention may be embodied when a central repository utilizes representative work.

Example 2:

After receiving a document that has been faxed by the notary as representative 200, the archive 100 inserts a mark 12 into the document image to provide authentication information for the mark 10 added by the notary who faxed the document. Figure 11 illustrates a graduation diploma faxed to the central repository 100 by a notary acting as a representative of the repository and on which the document has been stamped with the notary's mark 12 . Because the notary 200 is a representative or agent of the central repository 100, the notary's signature, seal, trustworthiness and authenticity are known to the repository. Therefore, the mark 12 can be effectively added to the duplicate document. In addition, the repository 100 can also have confidence in the provenance of the original document because it trusts the notary, acting on its behalf or proxy, to notarize only true copies. As previously stated, the facsimile transmission may have an associated unique code in order to identify it as being sent by the agent in order to identify the source of the facsimile transmission. As another solution, the document may be an email as mentioned above. The image data for said document including the logo 12 is then uploaded to the website of the repository 100 on the server 101 for access by the users 301, 302 via the Internet 400 for authentication purposes as previously described. A time stamp corresponding to the time the image data was uploaded is also included in the document, displayed by the website.

The central repository 100 (Wyssen Systems International in this example) also uploads with the document a page with verification information including the notary's contact information and a statement from the central repository with the following TEXT: Wyssen Systems International (Swiss Certified Division), "Zurich, Switzerland" states the following about the certification of the documents stored in this protected file:

1) The enclosed document is notarized by the certification authority mentioned above as the official agent of Wyssen Systems.

2) The enclosed documents are sent directly to us by fax or e-mail through the certification authority mentioned above. The aforementioned certification authority as sender is identified by a unique code that is sent with the enclosed document.

3) The enclosed documents have not changed since the official timestamp at the top of each document page.

4) Signatures, seals and seals marked "SwissCertified Original" are affixed to the enclosed documents by the certification authority mentioned above.

Example 3:

In this example, the school that issues diplomas to students is the agent 200 of the repository 100 . The graduation diploma is sent to the archive 100 by fax or email in the same manner as described with reference to Example 2 by the school that issued the document. The archive 100 inserts the text "Swiss Certified Document" on the document image uploaded to the server 101, making it available to users via the Internet as described with reference to Example 2. A time stamp corresponding to the time the image data was uploaded is also included in the document, displayed through the website. Fig. 12 illustrates a graduation diploma faxed by a representative 200 (school) to the central repository 100 with the verification message "Swiss certified document" added to it. The central repository 100 also uploads a page with authentication information together with the document to the server 101 for access by users who want to authenticate the document. Verification information includes the school's contact information and a statement of accreditation from the Central System Information Center repository with the following text:

″Wyssen Systems International (swisscertifiedswiss certified Division), Zurich, Switzerland, makes the following statement regarding the documents stored in the protected files with the stamp “Swiss Certified Documents”:

1) The enclosed document stamped "Swiss certified document" is issued by the above-mentioned certification authority which is the official agent of Wyssen Systems.

2) The enclosed document is sent directly to Wyssen Systems by fax or e-mail from the certification authority mentioned above. The aforementioned certification authority as sender is identified by a unique code that is sent with the enclosed document.

3) The enclosed documents have not changed since the official time stamp at the top of each document page".

In Examples 2 and 3 above, because the central repository 100 does not inspect the original document when it is sent electronically, it is preferable to build in various safeguards within the system to ensure that the document is from the same source as the original document. Uploaded documents are sent on behalf of the Repository for the role of the Certification Authority. This can include one or more of the following list:

- Include a cover page each time an agent electronically sends a document to the repository, the cover page including one or more unique passwords known only to the trusted agent and the repository.

- Documents can be sent to confidential fax numbers known only to trusted agents.

The following example illustrates a 3-step procedure that may be used by the central repository 100 when working on behalf of 200 including, for example, public notaries and schools.

Step 1 of 3 steps:

Repository 100 sends representative 200 a send cover sheet for use when transmitting documents to the central repository by electronic means such as facsimile. Use one cover page at a time for users sending one or more documents to the central repository. The cover page can be sent to the agent as a paper hard copy page or as an electronic data file such as a PDF, which the agent can then print on paper. After the document is sent to the repository along with the cover page, the cover page is preferably provided to the user with the sent document.

A transmittal cover sheet can include one or more items from the following checklist:

- A unique code, which becomes the document ID and also enables the repository to identify the representative who sent the document.

- A place where the user can enter a password (open password) for opening a document to be accessed through the website when the user wants.

- An identifier and contact information of a representative or agent 200 of the repository 100 .

- where the user's contact information can be entered.

- The user may give the owner or master password of the repository 100 when deleting the document or making other changes such as changing or adding a password.

- Detailed user instructions for using the service.

- Instructions on how to extend a takeover appointment.

An example of text on the cover page is as follows:

- "Your file ID is: abc2

- Open password (optional):

- Open Password: You can give a password to allow only selected individuals to open your document. In many cases a password is not necessary. If you really don't want a password, leave it blank.

Document information for Swiss certification:

Within 24 hours your document will be available for online certification at the Internet address: http://www.swisscertified.com/docs/abc2.pdf or by visiting www.swisscertified.com and entering your file ID: abc2 certified

Your master password is: 2345674 (Do not give this password to anyone, as this is our only requirement if you make changes to your files, such as when changing or adding open passwords or deleting your files.

User Instructions:

1) For web pages, online auction listings, and files (e.g. Word, PDF) on replaceable media such as CDs, establish a hyperlink to the URL (Internet address) of your Swiss-certified document (see above). For example, you can link a text message such as: "Please click here to view a certified copy of my diploma." You can also place a text message above an image of your document and link to your Swiss certified document . If it is not possible to establish a hyperlink, then simply use a text message such as: "To view a certified copy of my diploma please visit www.swisscertified.com (document: abcd password: test)."

2) On paper hard copies, such as typed letters, brochures and paper copies, you may include a message such as: "To view a certified copy of my diploma, please visit www.swisscertified.com (document : abcd password: test)". You can also print the text on a paper copy or fax of your document.

3) Your document is eligible for online certification at swisscertified.com within a 6-month period. You can renew your takeover appointment for an additional 6 months by visiting www.swisscertified.com and following the instructions under "Customer Support".

For further instructions, please visit: www.swisscertified.com. If you have any questions, you can ask our agents or contact us: Schweighofstrasse (Street) 405a, 8055 WyssenSystems International, swiss certified Division, Zurich, Switzerland, Tel +4114508560 Fax +411 4508561. Email: contact@swisscertified.com.www.swisscertified.com″. The following are text messages with instructions for use that the Central Repository can give to its representatives when one or more send cover pages are provided in the data file An example of:

1) Print out this entire file, then delete it so it doesn't print twice.

2) For security reasons, all documents must be faxed to us by you, not the user.

3) Please fax the cover page together with the document to our document fax number: 0501212121212 (this number is confidential and shall not be given to the user). If you have any questions, please contact us: Wyssen Systems International, Swiss Certified Division, Schweighofstrasse 405a, 8055 Zurich, Switzerland. Tel: +41 1 450 85 60. Fax: +41 1 450 85 61 Email: contact@swisscertified.com.www.swisscertified.com″.

Step 2 of 3 steps:

Representative 200 sells the service to its subscribers. For example, if the representative is a notary, a signature with the following text could be used: "Your notarized document can now be certified online." There is no need to send the original notarized paper document. Instead, send a paper copy, fax or email and have people check it out online. Price: Only $12.95 per page. Your documents will be certified online at SwissCertified.com for 6 months (extendable)".

Step 3 of 3:

At the end of each month or after a fixed number of uploaded pages, the central repository invoices its representative 200 for each uploaded page. For example, $3.00 per page. The repository can charge its representatives a low price because in many cases users will choose to renew their takeover appointments and the repository will bill the user directly.

Many modifications and variations can be made to this method. When academic institutions such as colleges and universities function as agents 200, for example, they can set as a free service the operation of uploading documents such as degree certificates to the server 101 for a limited period of time. Thereafter, if a graduate of the institution wishes to have a certified copy of their degree certificate viewable through the server 101 during a job search, the graduate pays the repository 100 or agent 200 for a reservation. References to credentials on the repository's website may then be included in the graduate's resume to enable potential employers to identify the original documents. Initial free services encourage users such as new graduates to adopt the services.

Example 4

In this example, the consumer may visit a notary or institution of their choice to certify the original document, and then fax or e-mail the certified copy to repository 100 as previously described. Thus, in this example, the agent 200 comprises a notary or institution selected by the customer that may or may not be known to the repository 100 . If the repository is unknown, the repository 100 checks to determine the authenticity of the agent 200 .

Take the following steps:

(1) The consumer visits the website of the data archive 100 and prints out a delivery page for a certified copy of the original document. An example is shown in FIG. 13 .

(2) The consumer visits the notary chosen by the consumer with the original document to be authenticated and the delivery page. The notary agrees to prepare certified copies of the original documents and generally agrees to act as agent 200 .

(3) The notary then prepares a certified copy of said original document, fills out and certifies the statement of transmission on the paper shown in Figure 13, and then faxes or scans and emails the completed statement of transmission and certified copy to to the central repository 100 .

(4) The Repository then checks the notary's accreditation by checking any available official registration, calling the notary or official body, as appropriate, to check the notary's details, and checking the identity of the notary who sent said document authenticity.

(5) Assuming the repository 100 is satisfied with the provenance of the document, the repository 100 uploads it to the repository's website for users 301, 302 who want to authenticate the original document in the manner previously described in earlier examples access. A transmittal form completed by a notary provides provenance information for certified copies of original documents. Additionally, the document may be accompanied by other attribution information provided by the material archive 100 . For example, the repository may provide the following statement: (a) the repository certifies that the document was sent directly to the repository by a named notary; and (b) the authenticity of the notary 200 has been verified by the repository 100 checks.

The document can be accessed from the website as previously described in an earlier example, and the document is free for use by the consumer during a trial period, after which payment is required, for example, by means of a credit card to continue to be accessible through the website of the repository 100 the documentation.

As can be seen from the examples above, the present invention is useful in establishing trust in online communications where the inherent anonymity of the Internet has created a surge in fraudulent activity. For example, businesses using the method of the present invention can make their certificates and qualifications known, just as brick and mortar businesses do, by hanging certificates, licenses, etc. on their company walls, thereby prove their qualifications. An example of this is a doctor's license in a waiting room, a vehicle sales license hanging in a car salesman's office, an ISO certification hanging in a manufacturing company's office, and so on. The invention also saves people money because they no longer need to send certified original documents, but instead send faxes, electronic documents or hard copies of their documents, which people can verify online. The invention also speeds up the authentication process because documents can be authenticated online rather than physically transporting paper documents.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments. It will however be evident that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims (38)

1. One kind can be by user's remote access to identify the computer system (100) of document, described system comprises:

   Memory (105), it be configured to store the electronic image data (500) corresponding with original document with susceptible of proof source and deduce individually the corresponding electronics in that come out and the source of at least a portion (10) described original document, displayable authorization information (12,600); And

   Output (106), it is configured to be provided for shown so that identify the described view data and the described authorization information of described original document by described user.
2. 2. computer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said view data (500) obtain from the source of having identified, and described authorization information comprises the data corresponding with the source in described source of having identified.
3. 3. computer system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein under the control of repository (100) feeds of data to described memory (105) and under the control of repository (100), present data from described memory (105).
4. 4. computer system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said authorization information comprises the data about the described source of having been identified by described repository, and described authorization information is configured to the described repository of the described user of signaling such evaluation is provided.
5. 5. as claim 2 or 3 described computer systems, wherein the user can not change the data that are stored in the described memory (105).
6. 6. as claim 3,4 or 5 described computer systems, comprising the equipment (102,104) that is used for receiving described view data from remote location.
7. As above-mentioned claim in any one described computer system, comprising being used to scan original document so that produce the scanner (103) of described view data.
8. 8. as any one described computer system in the claim 3 to 7, comprising repository succedaneum (200), described repository succedaneum (200) comprises the equipment (201 that can be used for to described repository (100) the transmission view data corresponding with original image, 202,203).
9. 9. computer system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said repository succedaneum (200) can be used for described view data is sent with source-verify information, sends described view data so that show to described repository (100) by described succedaneum (200).
10. 10. as any one described computer system in the above-mentioned claim, wherein said authorization information comprises predetermined evaluation mark (12), and described predetermined evaluation mark (12) is watched by the user with the described view data of the various piece (10) that is used to identify described original document simultaneously.
11. 11. as any one described computer system in the above-mentioned claim, wherein said authorization information is included in the appraising datum (600) that the independent field that is associated with the described view data that is used for identifying described original document is watched by the user.
12. 12. as any one described computer system in the above-mentioned claim, wherein said view data and described authorization information are stored in the common electronic file.
13. 13. computer system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said file is a pdf document.
14. 14. as any one described computer system in the above-mentioned claim, comprising server (101), described server (101) provides described memory (105) and can be used for taking over the website, and the user can watch described view data and authorization information so that identify described original document on this website.
15. 15. as any one described computer system in the above-mentioned claim, wherein said output (106) is connected to the internet.
16. 16. as any one described computer system in the above-mentioned claim, described view data in the wherein said memory (105) and authorization information password protection make described user have only by using described password to conduct interviews to it.
17. 17. as any one described computer system in the above-mentioned claim, wherein corresponding with described original document described view data and described authorization information jointly have single addressable identifier when middle when being stored in described memory (105).
18. 18. one kind is used for operating according to any one computer system of aforesaid right requirement so that be provided for and shows the described view data of identifying original document and the method for described authorization information by the user.
19. 19. the method for the document that a demonstration is used to identify, described method comprises:

    Set up the electronic image data corresponding with original document with verifiable source,

    The corresponding authorization information in source of at least a portion electronics, displayable and described original document is provided, and

    Show described view data and described authorization information, thereby make the user can identify described document.
20. 20. method as claimed in claim 19, comprising source (200 from having identified, 103) receive described view data, the described view data that storage is used to show, and the described authorization information of setting up the image that is used for described reception, wherein said authorization information comprises the data corresponding with the source in described source of having identified.
21. 21. as claim 19 or 20 described methods, comprising the source of identifying described view data.
22. 22.,, be used for to wanting the user who identifies described original document to show comprising being fed to memory (105) in following described view data of the control of repository (100) and described authorization information as any one described method in the claim 18 to 21.
23. 23. method as claimed in claim 22 wherein has only described repository can change data in the described memory (105).
24. 24. as claim 22 or 23 described methods, wherein said authorization information (600) comprises and the relevant data of having been identified by described repository (100) in source.
25. 25. method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said repository and described view data come sources traffic so that determine the source of described view data and enlarge described authorization information.
26. 26. as any one described method in the claim 22 to 25, comprising described view data being fed to described repository from remote location.
27. 27. as any one described method in the claim 22 to 26, comprising sending the view data corresponding to described repository (100) with original image from repository succedaneum (200).
28. 28. method as claimed in claim 26 comprising sending described view data with source-verify information, sends described view data so that show to described repository (100) from described repository succedaneum (200).
29. 29. as any one described method in the claim 18 to 27, comprising the described authorization information of configuration so that comprise the predetermined evaluation mark (12) that can watch simultaneously with described view data, so that identify the various piece (10) of described original document by the user who identifies described document.
30. 30. as any one described method in the claim 18 to 28, comprising the appraising datum (600) that can watch by the user that described authorization information is configured to be included in the independent field that is associated with the described view data that is used to identify described original document.
31. 31. as any one described method in the claim 18 to 29, comprising described view data and described authorization information are stored in the common electronic file.
32. 32. as any one described method in the claim 18 to 30, comprising described view data and described authorization information are stored in the common electronic pdf document.
33. 33. as any one described method in the claim 18 to 31, comprising taking over the website, the user can watch described view data and authorization information so that identify described original document on described website.
34. 34. as any one described method in the claim 18 to 32, comprising by watching described electronic image data and corresponding authorization information to identify described original document.
35. 35. as any one described method in the claim 18 to 33; wherein said view data and authorization information password protection; make the user have only by using described password to conduct interviews to it; and described method comprises to the user provides described password, makes described user can identify described original document.
36. 36. as any one described method in the claim 18 to 34, wherein said view data and the described authorization information corresponding with described original document jointly have single addressable identifier, and described method comprises to the user provides described single addressable identifier, so that make described user can visit described data and information, so that identify described original document.
37. 37. as claim 35 or 36 described methods, comprising the hyperlink that is linked to described user is provided.
38. 38. one kind is used to show the signal of telecommunication for the document of identifying, the described signal of telecommunication is received by the client computer by user's operation of wanting to identify described document, and the described signal of telecommunication comprises:

    The electronic image data corresponding with original document with verifiable source, and

    Corresponding electronics, the displayable authorization information in described source with at least a portion of described original document.

Images