HK1143911B - Method and system for providing a customized network - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method, system, and computer-readable medium for providing a secure computer network for the real time transfer of data. The data is grouped and stored as per user preferences. The data being transmitted is encrypted, decrypted, and validated by the system (assuming user identifications/passwords are verified). The present invention enables the use of customized forms for the data; these forms are driven by customizable scripts. It offers security and specialized messaging.

Description

Method and system for providing customized network

The application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application with the application date of 2004, 4-month, 16-day, the application number of 200480016232.0 entitled "method and system for providing customized network".

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method and system for providing a data communication network. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method, system and computer readable medium to provide a computerized communication network that allows for generic electronic data exchange including, without limitation, customized data forms, verification, encryption, transmission and decryption of data, time stamping and real-time monitoring of data transmission status.

Background

The use of communication networks that collect and transmit information using the internet has become widespread. These networks are typically accessed through the use of desktop and laptop computers (PCs) and through wireless networks such as Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices and cellular telephones. However, many of these available networks do not guarantee secure transfer of data (i.e., encryption), do not enable flexibility in how data is grouped and shared, and/or connect heterogeneous and legacy databases and systems. In addition, many of these networks require batch (i.e., duplicate) and/or wired connections to transfer data from the PDA or other remote terminal to the host computer network, such as hot synchronization (hotspot).

Commercial data exchange methods include facsimile and electronic data transfer (such as by electronic mail, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), etc.); these approaches have several limitations. EDI uses a private network defined to exchange only specific transaction data. Additionally, EDI is prohibitively expensive for an individual or small company and is a difficult system to implement.

The development of the long-expected Web services-based XML technology is not complete and such technology lacks sufficient security. In particular, the necessary components of some Web service architectures are not yet in place. In addition, programming using XML constructs is often complex and much more difficult than other programming languages.

In addition, conventional data exchange frameworks typically use complex structures that require a private network. This complexity makes the flexibility in grouping and scheduling data small and makes it difficult for users to customize their networks.

In addition, it can sometimes be prohibitively expensive and difficult to implement data exchange methods using proprietary architectures.

Accordingly, there is a need for an easy method and system that can provide a secure computer network in which data can be grouped, stored, and transmitted with respect to each user's preferences.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention includes methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing a secure computer network for real-time transfer of data. The data is grouped and stored for each user's preference. The data being transmitted is encrypted, decrypted and authenticated by the system (assuming the user identification/password is verified). The invention can use a custom form of data; these forms are driven by custom scripts. It provides secure and specialized messages.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but are not restrictive, of the invention.

Drawings

The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawing figures. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawing are not to scale and, more precisely, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity. Included in the drawing are the following figures:

FIGS. 1-5 are schematic diagrams representing the steps of the present method and system and any corresponding computer readable media.

Detailed Description

The present invention includes methods, systems, and computer-readable media for connecting, storing, and transmitting data for any relevant application, such as medical or legal billing information and or providing goods and services to consumers, such as food items, consumer electronics, and the like.

Turning first to the various aspects of the present invention in general, in one embodiment, customized application/software enhancements are placed on top of existing legacy systems to allow data exchange between merchants within internal corporate divisions and between external business partners. An Application Service Provider (ASP) is advantageously associated with various operational aspects of the system of the present invention over a computer network. In one aspect of the invention, data and programming scripts are stored at the ASP to minimize hardware requirements for each user. The system is configured to be continuously updated and updated at the ASP level so that updates to the local user's network hardware (service), local hardware (PDA, PC) or software become minimal or not required at all.

ASPs are simultaneously data/information services, web developers, application or software providers, hosting services, data interfaces, and information technology support groups.

Each user has its own web portal to collect, group, execute, store, encrypt, send, receive, authenticate, and/or decrypt data, e.g., the vendor has a portal that includes data and fields customized for the vendor's business. In particular, food vendors have portals that customize and price menus for users to order food products over a network. The user enters the information into the food vendor portal in a customized form and encrypts the data for transmission to the food vendor. The customized form may be a pop-up menu to provide the user with options to select, for example, a main course, side dish, dessert, and the like. The food vendor decrypts and validates the data (e.g., food selection or credit card information) to process the order. At the same time, the system replicates the data being sent for validation and backups and maintains a database with data transfer status.

The network generates scripts through agents such as zotbots that the user uses to enter, store and or store data. These scripts are stored by the ASP and can be accessed by the user. The system receives data forms from the user side and stores them in the system database and optionally the user's database.

The computer network may be accessed through a land-based line using a DSL modem, telephone or cable connection, through a conventional PC or through a wireless connection such as a PDA or cellular telephone using any suitable wireless technology that allows secure transfer of data (e.g., WiFi). The transmission data is stored in the ASP database to enable generation of a bill for the transaction. The bill may be processed automatically by the agent or the zobot. The bill from the ASP may be based on a percentage of the sale price of the transaction performed or a flat fee per transaction or per transfer. In addition, the user may pay a fee for a fixed, preset period (e.g., year, half year, quarter, month, week, day, or hour) such that the user has an unlimited or preset number of transactions during the billing period.

The system/network tracks the transmission of data (whether encrypted or not) and maintains a database with the status of each data transmission. In this way, reports may be provided that data was entered, packetized, encrypted, authenticated, decrypted, sent, etc.

Existing users or new users may send and receive data in response to communications generated by the system, such as advertising sent via e-mail (e.g., specifically provided by the vendor-user). The communication portion may be the same for all users in the system or customized based on the returned user attributes. Each user attribute is maintained in a system that contains a historical database of records for each user. A historical database of user attributes can also be used to validate data sent to/from the user.

Turning now generally to how exemplary embodiments work, a user enters information into a dynamically generated displayed web page or form. The customized form provides a dynamic web page for the user. This format may be used by a PC, handheld computer/PDA or any other device with Web browsing capabilities. In one embodiment, the information for each form (page) is stored in a script that is an agent or so-called zotbot.

The data is then validated to ensure that such forms are filled out correctly and that the type of data entered is correct. Validation ensures that the data being sent is consistent with the system rules for each data field stored in the system database (i.e., the system checks for the correct digits of a credit card or telephone number and only checks for digits that have been entered instead of letters). This helps to ensure security and filter out spam data and malicious code fragments.

After the data is authenticated, it is encrypted using an algorithm (e.g., Blowfish encryption algorithm and other suitable compatible encryption methods) and sent to the recipient. To enhance security, the encryption algorithm may be changed periodically or randomly. The data is then emailed and decrypted to enable the recipient to process the data and store the data in a database. Email and encryption may be controlled by modules using open source code or private code.

Once the data is decrypted, the data state is generated and stored to a recipient Web server that allows one or more users to access the state information. In addition, the system ASP monitors the transfer of data through its own mail server and stores the data being sent for backup and accounting purposes. In particular, the ASP can use the stored data to determine a history of data transfer (e.g., any failure of how the system sent the data) to correct a particular transfer and/or to correct any system-wide or recurring problems in the transfer.

In addition, the stored data causes the ASP to bill the user for data transfer based on the transaction completed or two combinations depending on the user's network activity. As described above, the system can record a time stamp trace in a certain step of the process.

As an example of a suitable application for implementing the present invention, the present invention may be used by a medical professional, allowing the professional to enter patient (demographic, diagnostic, and treatment) information into a customized form (e.g., via a customized packet) and send the information in the form of an encrypted form to a hospital and or insurance company database. The data is then decrypted by the recipient and validated for the requirements of the composite data type or packet (customized by the system) or for compliance with the requirements for declared payment by, for example, insurance companies and other medical payers. At the same time, the system tracks the data transfers and maintains a database with the status of each event of the data transfer. In addition, the system stores data that is sent for verification and backup purposes.

The method and system of the present invention are configured to provide a secure means of communicating sensitive patient data. The system may be adapted to any form compatible with the legal requirements of data submission, such as HIPAA compliant, IRS's tax file generation, etc.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, an application service provider or other Web service host 21 extracts sufficient user information for a corresponding application from a master database by any suitable means. This user information has been loaded into a suitable searchable or hierarchical database 23 for use by the system as will be explained later. The information in the database 23 is advantageously replicated tables or other tables obtained from the master database of the client or user, however a separately generated database 23 is equally suitable. Or in other suitable embodiments, the data structure may be an XML structure in which it always accesses a master database of customer-related information.

Suitable programming, represented by block 25, responds to user requests 27 and accesses and arranges certain data from the database 23 for further processing by the system, via various agents or similar subroutines. The programming 25 is any suitable messaging system or collaboration system or database management system that enables multiple users to access the database and the corresponding scheduling of data therein. The programming 25 preferably uses a data template 29 that is used with data from the database 23 by an instruction set or "agent" of the programming 25 to process one or more requests 27 made by the system 19.

The interaction or programming 25, templates 29 and instruction sets of related data 23 coordinated by the agents are generalized and optimized for any number of different types of requests 27 through carefully structured data structures 31. A data structure 31 is contained in the template 29. More particularly, data structure 31 has been organized and populated by programming 25 so that it can be used very efficiently in the generation of Web scripts 33. By carefully selecting, organizing, and coordinating the population of data structure 31, a greater number of Web scripts 33 may be generated corresponding to a greater number of requests 27, whether those requests are part of one application in system 19 or multiple applications across system 19.

An example of a suitable data structure in Perl form is shown below:

$usemame＝″5004″；

my％usernamecode＝(5004＝＞″Smith，John″，5010＝＞″Kreiger，Maurice″，5012＝＞

″Stein， Rebecca″，5111＝＞″Willard，Tim″)；

my$usemamereference＝\％usernamecode；

my$mattersreference＝{CLIENT101＝＞[″108200 Davis v.Yoder″，

″207111 Beaver v.Tom″，

″001800 Smith v.Berger″]，

CLIENT102＝＞[″207301 Son v.Tim″，

″107782 Springton v.McDermick″]

}；

another code segment for entering the manipulation data into the Web script is as follows:

print $q-＞popup_menu(-name＝＞″username″，

-values＝＞$usemamereference，

-default＝＞$username

)；

print$q-＞popup_menu(-name＝＞″reference″，

-values＝＞$mattersreference-＞{$q-

＞param(″clientname″)}，

-default＝＞$mattersreference-＞{$q-

＞param(″clientname″)}-＞[0]

)；

after operating on data 23 in response to request 27, programming 25 generates a Web script, corresponding to original request 27, using template 29 and data structure 31 as appropriate. This may be done in a batch mode at regular intervals, on demand as needed, event triggered, or at regular intervals. The Web script 33 is preferably located or sent to the aspbob server, as shown in step 35 of fig. 1. Depending on the nature of the request 27, and the nature of the ASP interaction in the request, all or a portion of the Web script is generated at step 35.

The programming 25 then generates an instruction set with adaptability, i.e. different system layers request differently and dynamically configuring data and corresponding instructions in response to such requests. These resulting dynamic and adaptive instruction sets are called "bots" or "zotbots"

FIG. 2 illustrates in more detail the execution of the function block 37 (FIG. 1) of the Web script 33 described above. Thus, in the example of a timekeeping program for an agent, a patient diagnostic program for a doctor, a food distribution program for a restaurant contractor, or other myriad of applications contemplated herein, execution of the Web script 37 involves further interaction between a user wishing to adapt the system 19 and the relevant data that appears not only to the Web script but also to the corresponding database used to respond to the user's request. Referring more specifically to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the Web script execution in step 37 generates a form that is displayed on the user accessible device, preferably under SSL or some secure channel, such as a wireless handheld device (step 41). In those instances where a user enters data into such a form, the format or content of the data undergoes various encryption and/or manipulation steps depending on the protocol involved. Thereafter, depending on the application, the data is suitably validated, encrypted (step 45) and mailed in SSL, encrypted content sent over MSN, unencrypted content sent directly over a secure VPN channel, or unencrypted content sent over secure SMS (step 47) to the intended recipient of the input data, which may be a billing processor, patient record holder, food supplier, etc., for integration into the database, at step 43.

One aspect of the execution of Web scripts that has been described so far is its efficiency in processing sensitive data. More specifically, an encryption algorithm is selected that is well suited to a number of different applications or sub-applications of the system 19. In a preferred embodiment, the open source architecture is the basis for encryption and decryption of sensitive data that is moved over the system 19 in response to requests or execution of Web scripts. Of course, it will be appreciated that any number of security protocols, including proprietary architectures, may be applicable if execution of a Web script according to the present invention is desired.

The data entered by the user is not only sent to its intended recipient in encrypted form awaiting further action (step 49), but is optionally sent to the host or ASP's mail server, as shown at step 51. The participation of the host or ASP in data processing, such as receiving incoming data via e-mail, enhances the flexibility and functionality of the applications available to the system 19. Thus, the ASP may host multi-user interactive applications on a pay-as-you-go basis. Or initially the user of the application may be billed using system 19 based on the number of transactions engaged, such transactions may be "tracked" as they are received by the ASP mail server in step 51 described above.

System 19 is thus configured to place a correspondingly heavy economic burden on users who heavily use system 19, while conversely, users who infrequently use place a correspondingly light burden associated with the convenience and other benefits of using system 19. From an ASP perspective, programmers and application developers may spend time and effort developing or customizing system 19 to a user or hierarchy of users, and over time the cost of such development effort may be returned to the ASP as a function of the use of such functionality by the user or users. Since the cost structure associated with such imported-nothing e-commerce can be created and tracked by the mail server of the ASP receiving the data in step 51 of fig. 2. This flexibility makes importation-free e-commerce more convenient to ASPs and customers.

Figure 4 illustrates a suitable system and associated method for billing each transaction. Data received at the ASP mail server in step 51 of fig. 2 is operated on by the ASP messaging program in step 53 of fig. 4 using suitable security measures, such as encrypted data, such data from the messaging program being suitable for storage in the ASP disk 57. At steps 59 and 61, the data from disk 57 is appropriately manipulated, filtered or processed to generate billing database 63. Database 63 is subject to diagnostic routines 65, backup routines 67, and bill generation routines 69, which are adapted to the financial nature of the information contained in billing information database 63. Appropriate programming includes which rules, algorithms and methodologies the ASP employs to categorize financial values into use of its system to generate corresponding bills in step 71 and to communicate appropriately with users of such systems 19. In one embodiment, the ASP messaging and collaboration system uses a proxy to automatically store the encrypted data and state information in a disk and load the accounting, state and encrypted data into the ASP's accounting information database and check for the correct accounting flags. The ASP then proceeds to bill on a regular (monthly) basis.

Referring now to FIG. 3, until the present invention system 19 advantageously appears in the form of a "middleware" that means the system 19 creates an interactive construct or wrapper (wrapper) to process data accessed or entered from the assigned location or locations. Although such data processing will ultimately interact with the central database, the use of such middleware, fabric or wrapper will reduce the need for access to the central or other master database during data processing and thus improve efficiency, speed, system performance and yield all other advantages associated with simpler communications.

By using the system 19, the aforementioned agents or "bots" for generating scripts are created to contain or have access to all relevant information without requiring access to the master database. This architecture limits data corruption, avoids data conflicts, deadlocks, wireless or cable based synchronization requirements, and improves performance and security. Middleware is also designed to coexist with the current processing of the system. Advantageously, system 19 is implemented on an existing server and implemented in a way that adds wireless functionality to the system without requiring customization of the system's existing applications. As shown in fig. 3, most of the information processing discussed previously occurs at a layer separate from the main processing system and on a database associated with the application information. Thus, execution of the Web script discussed with reference to FIG. 2 occurs on a middleware module 81 that is advantageously separate from the master database 99. Communication of the input data from module 81 is effected by a suitable messaging application, such as e-mail communication in system module 83, which module 83 sends an e-mail containing the authentication data to the recipient mail server and ASP mail server as previously described in fig. 2 for steps 49 and 51. If desired, the middleware module is configured to: the data entered by the user is checked for integrity, consistency, validity, etc. prior to loading or transmission to the client system's master database.

Once the encrypted data is properly received by the intended recipient, it is processed by the recipient's disk 85 independently, i.e., independently of the Web script being otherwise processed and the "wrapper" of the data being processed in response to the user request. The recipient decrypts the data and generates the appropriate status indicator at step 87. When programming, referred to as proxy decryption, is performed, the programming decrypts the information displayed on the Web browser screen and creates a state information file on the Web server (advantageously on the Web server on which the proxy decryption resides) (step 87). Such state files are advantageously updated with current state information when the appropriate agent performs the corresponding task in the middleware layer or when the system otherwise indicates. Thus, in a food supplier application, the customer places an order. The order message is processed at the middleware layer by modules 81 and 83. The ASP has the appropriate programming to decrypt the order information, trigger the creation of an order status file (step 87), and send an e-mail confirmation to the requester or client (step 89). The order information is verified for its integrity and any payment processing is likewise completed by suitable programming and loaded into the database. The status is periodically updated at various points in the processing of the food order by the agent device and a means is provided to the customer via a Web link or other form to reasonably obtain current status information (step 97).

The data is processed according to the specific application or user request, thereby generating a state information file on the Web server hosting the agent (at step 89), here either through email contact or interactively accessed by the user under a state or other request 91. The decrypted data is stored as a file on the recipient's disc 85 and is likewise suitably transferred and loaded into the database as shown in steps 93, 95, 97.

Throughout the operation of system 19, secure messaging and associated encryption and decryption protocols are used, as required by the particular application.

It is to be understood that the programming 25 for generating Web scripts can be implemented in any suitable language. Preferably, the programming 25 is implemented in Perl, and execution of such Perl scripts generates the corresponding HTML code. Data security is also provided by suitable means, including SSL and VPN. Although Perl or other Web scripting programming is preferred, other programming languages and protocols are used as well and are encompassed by the present invention, such as Java, XML, and the like.

The following examples further illustrate the operation of the present invention

Example 1:

in one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the network/ASP of the present invention is used in the healthcare field. In particular, a physician examining a patient uses a PDA or other portable wireless device to enter information about the patient being examined and/or treated. The entry of a physician into the network provides a custom data table with fields for receiving patient information (e.g., statistical information, medical history, medications being taken, allergies, summary of diagnoses made by the physician, treatments according to the diagnosis, etc.).

The physician may send the data to the hospital or practice office database in real time by encrypting the data and sending the encrypted data. The recipient (hospital or practice office) database is subject to an agent or zotbot to decrypt the data and then validate the data against its own database. The hospital or practice database contains patient, diagnosis, treatment, and any other information relevant to the patient or medical treatment. The data entered by the physician may be validated to confirm that it is consistent with the data maintained in the hospital or practice database. Alternatively or additionally, the data may be validated based on input from a physician.

The network monitors data transfer and verification and can notify the physician in real time when data entry is incorrect (or appears to be erroneous). In addition, if one of the databases yields information that the attending physician no longer has effective insurance, the network allows similar information to be transmitted from the hospital or practice database to the physician. At the same time, the network stores all the transmitted data and monitors the transmission status. The network provides status reports to the user regarding the data being sent and the progress of the transfer. In addition, the network bills the user based on a predetermined cost scheme of network usage.

The network can be used to support other parts of the healthcare field as well. For example, a psychiatrist can use it to collect patient information during the treatment phase. The physiotherapist can use the network to chart the patient's progress of rehabilitation and compare it with earlier situations.

Example 2:

in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the web/ASP of the present invention is used in the food service industry. In particular, a restaurant (or food distribution and/or takeaway) maintains a portal in the network containing its daily menu and an order form with prices. A network user may access the restaurant's portal or website and place an order by entering and transmitting data (optionally encrypted data, such as if credit card information is provided). The restaurant table has row items to select among the list, replicating a traditional restaurant menu or pop-up menu. The form has items offered by the restaurant for a specified period of time (e.g., daily or weekly specials). These line items or pop-up menus can be changed, for example, by agents or zotbots if the restaurant changes its menu or runs out of a particular item.

Yet another example of a data field of a restaurant form is a location where food is picked. The options may come from a list (or pop-up menu) of places where selection may be accomplished. The user generally selects the most convenient place; however, if the place is saturated, the agent or zotbot can delete the place from the list so that the place is no longer selected.

The recipient restaurant validates the order data (e.g., ensures that the customer name contains only letters) and processes the order, or if the data in the order is inappropriate, notifies the user in real time by transmitting a message over the network. Perhaps, the restaurant uses the same process to decrypt and transmit back to the user information regarding the last price, the time the food will be ready, etc.

In other processes, the network receives and stores the transmitted data for backup and authentication. This allows the network to bill the user for the data transfer or upon completion of the transaction and act as a backup copy of the data being transferred.

Email agents or zotbots can process messages, authenticate clients, decrypt, validate data, and load into a database. Agents or zotbots can also process bills.

Example 3

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the ASP/network is used in a law firm accounting system. The network creates a customized portal for each user with fields containing pop-up menus showing the options allowed for each field. These fields may be user identity, job type, time spent on a task, description of a task, customer and event names and quantities, billing rates, etc.

The agent may enter the time spent at an event and a description of the event from a PDA or other remote and/or wireless resource. This can be entered while performing the job and sent (possibly wirelessly) to the central billing program of the law firm that generates the bill for the customer. The data form from the user is encrypted (which is particularly important for legal services based on user privacy requirements, such as client proxy rights), decrypted and validated at a legal firm central location.

As shown in FIG. 5, in relation to EsquiretimeBot^TMWhere legitimate billing data (e.g., customer, event, description, time spent, etc.) is entered by the user through the wireless PDA. The data isBy an EsquireTimeBot proxy that encrypts and optionally verifies the data. The data may then be sent via email to a billing processor of the law firm or to the user's secretary. The data is then decrypted and optionally validated by the AgentDecrypt. The decrypted data is then sent to a billing database for input and further processing (e.g., generating a bill). In yet another embodiment, billing data may travel from the user side to the billing database via agents (bots) (without being transmitted to the billing processor or the user's secretary).

In addition to being used with billing programs, the network of the present invention can also be used by a proxy to subscribe to new customers. It allows the user to enter the desired client name remotely via the PDA, which can be sent to the law firm's database in real time. The prospective new customer name may be compared to existing customers, previous customers, or adverse parties handled by the company to determine if the company can exhibit the situation of owning the prospective new customer or if there is a conflict of interest.

In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that one aspect or advantage of the present invention consists of a high-tech and cost-effective model for conducting business over a computer network, such as the internet. As a further advantage, the method and system enable ubiquitous computing and are not geographically or technically limited in its reach; providers and users can be geographically spread out, using different internal computing systems, and still be linked by the system of the present invention. In addition, the present invention may provide advertisements to network users that provide goods or services or exchange data.

As yet another advantage, the present invention provides an efficient, time-efficient network for conducting real-time business activities (e.g., purchasing goods and/or services) or data exchanges between users. The invention is used as a universal data interface to connect different types of systems, such as a method of inputting data into an existing legacy system.

Among other related advantages, the method and system allow for the incorporation of modern, developed wireless technologies into legacy systems; in this way, legacy databases may be populated with wireless PDAs.

Yet another advantage is that the present invention can be based on proven Web technologies and open source architecture.

In certain aspects, the present invention eliminates the traditional, costly and error-prone task of manual entry in handwriting or typing, re-entry of data, verification, collation and errors inherent in these processes.

The method and system of the present invention advantageously allow for secure, customized and efficient grouping and real-time data transmission along a computer network in a more efficient manner than previously used. The customization provided by the network enables it to be used in a variety of industries and to accommodate a myriad of tasks and transactions.

As yet another advantage, the present invention provides businesses with the opportunity to adopt wireless communication devices and other forms of new technology, enhancing their hardware infrastructure to integrate and update the technology at low cost. In addition, this allows workers away from the office to securely connect their business systems and exchange information in real time using a wide range of equipment.

As another advantage, the present invention provides a time-saving and trouble-free method of entering data into a database or legacy system. Since it is easy to use, easy to implement, and can be integrated at low cost, it can solve the problems involved in recording data. It can save time by enabling the user to record data in real time due to its convenience, intuitive user interface, and extensive computing features. It ensures the efficiency of the business by reducing the need to send, receive and manually enter data transactions. Data need only be entered once, as opposed to multiple entries (for some conventional data exchange systems), saving business time and money.

In addition, according to the method and system of the present invention, the user does not need to be in front of an office PC wired to a network to input data. Users can enter data in real time from their office/home remotely or on a trip (such as in the field or customer premises), with this remote accessibility minimizing the amount of information lost, for example, from transcribing hand notes or attempting to recall events and information to be entered, as their reported activity occurs. The method and system are simple and intuitive so that the user does not have to overcome the extensive learning curve of the integration of the method and system. In addition, the method and system can be customized to the target user to further simplify and reduce the barriers to learning and successful operation.

The universal connectability of the present invention enables connections between applications within a company, allowing the integration of critical internal systems. This allows users to keep their existing legacy systems, retain their investment in large funds, and at the same time provide them with an opportunity for high efficiency costs to adopt new technologies, such as extensive computing or possibly XML, without compromising the compatibility of legacy systems. Companies can improve their existing systems with customized applications at low integration cost.

When the hardware infrastructure for hosting (hosting) software is updated and maintained by the ASP, the ASP of the present invention is used to provide a path for users to continuously upgrade the hardware infrastructure. Because the scripts are server-based, the extensive computing environment of the present invention has robust functionality; they need not reside on a handheld device. Thus, the present system is not constrained by the limitations of the handheld device (e.g., small memory capacity, low speed processor, etc.).

The ASP of the present invention enables users to have customized forms and applications, such as pages or portals. An agent such as an email agent or zobot can automatically create a customized form or application for the system. For example, each entry may provide a form having fields for entering data. Each data field has a pop-up menu that provides options for the user to select. The pop-up menu may provide a default selection for a field to ensure that data is present in the field. The selection of the pop-up menu can be changed periodically (e.g., on a weekly basis) using a zobot. Zobot prompts the user for the desired selection of each field or initialization information. It then generates the appropriate Perl (Mod Perl or any other suitable programming language being used) script/zotbot that creates the required form. These scripts are small and easy to operate, and are otherwise portable across a variety of computing platforms.

The present invention can also be applied between business activities as a business-to-business exchange. Businesses may exchange data regardless of whether two business entities use different computing systems and have different database programs. For example, the present invention may be used as a supply chain management application. That is the provider that can send the information directly to the customer through the system. The transmitted information may be encrypted and verified as described above, and the client may otherwise incorporate the information directly into its database. In addition, it can act as a data exchange bridge to connect heterogeneous private systems even from different companies. This allows businesses to establish tighter connections between their suppliers, distributors, and customers.

Email agents or bots may collectively process messages: authenticate users, decrypt messages, authenticate data, and load into a database. The system is flexible, whereby email clients and encryption algorithms can be selected from open source architectures, private architectures, and combinations of these architectures.

The method and system of the present invention also provide a means by which to time stamp information to validate the data upon which the information is generated and transmitted. The system can record the time stamp trace in each step. The system server generates a time for the time stamp. In addition, the time of data transmission can be recorded for different users of the system, thereby providing further corroboration of the time stamp.

The time-stamping function is particularly useful for laboratories and inventors who want to record the results of experiments and/or the date of the inception of the invention; this not only allows sensitive data to be securely input and transmitted, but also can be time stamped. Time stamping according to the present invention is useful for electronic documents and/or Web site pages where the publication date cannot be verified as conveniently as a newspaper or magazine paper (or other document first published in a paper).

The electronic data exchange interface of the present invention exhibits superior performance. The script (which may be Perl) used by the present invention can be improved (e.g., executed faster) by using a more powerful programming language, such as Mod Perl, which is a more powerful version of Perl.

Although illustrated and described herein with reference to certain specific embodiments, the present invention is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown. Indeed, the present invention is directed to a method and system for providing a secure computer network in which data can be securely grouped, stored, and transmitted in real time according to user preferences, and various modifications can be made within the scope and range of equivalents of the specification without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims (8)

1. A computer-implemented system (19) for use in conjunction with an Application Service Provider (ASP) (21) and an existing client database, the system comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

a user information database (23) derived from the client database;

a messaging and collaboration system operatively associated with the user information database;

at least one template (29) configured to be populated by a messaging and collaboration system; and

at least one agent operatively associated with the messaging and collaboration system to dynamically generate an executable Web script in response to a user request, independent of an existing client database, and in accordance with access to the template and the user information database, wherein the template includes at least one data structure including executable code to generate the executable Web script based on the user request, the Web script enabling generation of a dynamic Web page.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a programming module (81) executing a Web script, the module having a subroutine to encrypt data input by a user;

a communication module (83) for communicating input data from the programming module (81) to the client mail server (49);

suitable programming of the input data is handled independently of the programming module (81), said suitable programming including a decryption routine (87).

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising: a status module (87), said status module (87) programmed to generate a mail with status information and direct said mail to one of a user and an ASP; and a payment module for generating a bill to the user in response to the user accessing the system.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising: the programming of the client database is updated with the data entered by the user (95).

5. A computer-implemented method for processing information received from a user of an application, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a computer-implemented system (19) for use in conjunction with an Application Service Provider (ASP) (21) and an existing client database, the system comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a user information database (23) derived from the client database, a messaging and collaboration system operatively associated with the user information database, at least one template (29) configured to be populated by the messaging and collaboration system, and at least one agent operatively associated with the messaging and collaboration system to dynamically generate an executable Web script in response to a user request, independent of the existing client database, and in accordance with access to the template and the user information database;

receiving a user-initiated request for information to be processed by an application;

displaying a dynamic Web page generated by the executable Web script in response to a user-initiated request; wherein the executable Web script is further generated in response to a user request based on executable code according to at least one data structure included in the template; and

the client information database is accessed either in response to a user initiated request or in response to data entry into the dynamic web page.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

encrypting any data entered by the user prior to transmission;

sending the input data to both the client and the ASP; and

a status update is generated that is accessible to the user.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a status module (87), said status module (87) programmed to generate a mail with status information and direct said mail to one of a user and an ASP; and a payment module for generating a bill to the user in response to the user accessing the system.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising: the programming of the client database is updated with the data entered by the user (95).