FORM-2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
AND
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
(As Amended)
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10; rule 13)
“ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT DELIVERY AND TIME-BASED DOCUMENT VIEWER SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF”
Newgen Software Technologies Limited, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of India, of Brooklyn Business Centre, 5th Floor, East Wing, 103-105, Periyar EVR Road, Chennai – 600084 Tamil Nadu, India
The following specification particularly describes the disclosure and the manner in which it is to be performed:
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ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT DELIVERY AND TIME-BASED DOCUMENT VIEWER SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF
Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to the efficient rendering and enhancing the security for portable electronic documents, and more specifically, but not limited to, a system and method for controlled delivery and viewing of portable electronic documents from a sender to a large number of users using a network of servers and providing a controlled access of these documents based on time.
Background
Currently, access of portable electronic documents from online services such as online competitive examinations, online bidding of tenders, online booking of travel tickets etc., is a cumbersome process. Especially, when the number of user increases and thereafter downloading of the documents becomes difficult with the time. There is another threat of breaching of security mechanisms while downloading these documents.
Unfortunately, today’s information processing system does not have efficient processors which allow authorized user’s time-based security for portable electronic documents. In other words, the existing processors do not deal in time based security mechanism under which documents can be encrypted using a key that is automatically generated by the system.
Further, there is no inbuilt viewer to view these encrypted documents which will have the option of saving the file to its native format depending on permissions owned by a particular user. Furthermore, printing of documents and their physical transfer from one place to another in a secured manner without leakage of the confidential information is again a kind of challenging task.
Therefore, a system and method that provides for controlled delivery of portable electronic documents from a sender to a large number of users using a network of servers and
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providing a secured and controlled access of these documents based on time is highly desirable.
Summary
The present disclosure provides an approach of providing web services that is well-adapted for a variety of different types of users, including mobile users. It is an object of the present disclosure, to provide a system and corresponding methods for controlled delivery of portable electronic documents from a sender to a large number of users using a network of servers and providing a controlled access of these documents based on time.
For purposes of summarizing, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the disclosure have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught suggested herein.
An embodiment of the present disclosure teaches an electronic document delivery system, said system comprising: at least one document; a web server providing said at least one document; at least one time-based document viewer; at least one time key linked to said document; and an information database for storing said at least one document; wherein, said document viewer uses said at least one time key to access said at least one document.
Another embodiment of the present disclosure illustrates an electronic document delivery apparatus, said apparatus comprising: at least one document; a web server providing said at least one document; at least one time-based document viewer; at least one time key linked to said document; and an information database for storing said at least one document; wherein, said document viewer uses said at least one time key to access said at least one document.
Another embodiment of the present disclosure illustrates a method for delivery of an electronic document, said method comprising: providing at least one document on a web server; providing time-based viewing of said at least one document; providing at least one
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time key linked to said at least one document; and providing an information database for storing said at least one document; wherein, access to said at least one document is allowed after providing at least one time key linked to it.
According to another embodiment, the time-based document viewer is either fixed or mobile; time keys are generated online in a real time; said access is determined by decrypting the time from said at least one time key and checking the following conditions: if decrypted time is greater than start time then the document is downloaded/viewed; or if decrypted time is greater than stop time then the document download/view is automatically terminated.
These and other embodiments of the present disclosure will also become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the disclosure not being limited to any particular embodiments disclosed.
Brief Description of the Drawings
For a better understanding of the embodiments of the systems and methods described herein, and t show more clearly how they may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIGURE 1 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of an environment in which an electronic document delivery system of the present disclosure may operate, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIGURE 2 illustrates software and hardware environment that may promote the operation of the system illustrated in Fig. 1, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIGURE 3 illustrates the corresponding document viewer of the electronic document delivery system, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
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FIGURE 4 illustrates a flowchart depicting the sequence of steps on the user’s side for downloading the document in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGURE 5 illustrates a flowchart depicting the sequence of steps on the user side for viewing a time protected document in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGURE 6 illustrates a flowchart depicting the sequence of steps on the server side for the encryption of the document and converting it to a time protected document in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Detailed Description
Exemplary embodiments now will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey its scope to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the particular exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.
The specification may refer to “an”, “one” or “some” embodiment(s) in several locations. This does not necessarily imply that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment. Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.
As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes”, “comprises”, “including” and/or “comprising” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another
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element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. Furthermore, “connected” or “coupled” as used herein may include operatively connected or coupled. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations and arrangements of one or more of the associated listed items.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
The illustrative embodiment provides an approach to internet access that is also well suited for fixed or mobile users. First, the users may choose the quantity of access that meets their anticipated needs. Second, the client may access the portable document from multiple login sites and from multiple machines.
The figures depict a simplified structure only showing some elements and functional entities, all being logical units whose implementation may differ from what is shown. The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It is apparent to a person skilled in the art that the structure may also comprise other functions and structures. It should be appreciated that the functions, structures, elements and the protocols used in communication are irrelevant to the present disclosure. Therefore, they need not be discussed in more detail here.
Also, all logical units described and depicted in the figures include the software and/or hardware components required for the unit to function. Further, each unit may comprise within itself one or more components which are implicitly understood. These components may be operatively coupled to each other and be configured to communicate with each other to perform the function of the said unit.
The features provided by the disclosed system in the present disclosure, may be accessed remotely, in one or more embodiments, and/or through an online service provider. Such types of online service providers operates and maintains the computing systems and
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environment, such as server system and architectures, that promote the delivery of portable electronic documents in a communication network. Typically, a server architecture includes the infrastructure ( e.g. hardware, software, and communication lines) that offers online services.
The detailed description that follows, in parts to terms of processes and symbolic representations of operations performed by conventional computers, including computer components. For the purpose of this disclosure, a computer may be any microprocessor or processor ( hereinafter referred to as processor) controlled device such as, by way of example, personal computers, workstations, servers, clients, minicomputers, main-frame computers, laptop computers, a network of one or more computers, mobile computers, portable computers, handheld computers, palm top computers, set-top boxes for a TV, interactive televisions, interactive kiosks, personal digital assistants, interactive wireless devices, mobile browsers, or any combination thereof.
For the most part, the operations described herein are operations performed by a computer or a machine in conjunction with a human operator or user that interacts with the computer or the machine. The programs, modules, processes, methods, and the like, described herein are but an exemplary implementation and are not related, or limited, to any particular computer, apparatus, or computer language. Rather, various types of general purpose computing machines or devices may be used with programs constructed in accordance with the teachings described herein.
Figure 1 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of an environment in which an electronic document delivery system of the present disclosure may operate, in accordance with one or more embodiments. In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed system, the environment includes a server computer 101, a server administrator 102, a communication network 103, and one or more client/user connected to a local computer 104. The clients/users are shown as 105, 106…... 107(nth user). Further, the communication network 103 provides the medium for transmitting communication packets between the local computer 104 and the server computer 101. According to an embodiment, network 103 is established by way of wired or wireless technology in a well-known manner. According to another embodiment, the network is any type of communication network, such as the Internet.
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The internet connects millions of computers worldwide through standard common addressing systems and communication protocols. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that network 103 may advantageously be comprised of one or a combination of other types of networks without detracting from the scope of the disclosure. Network 103, can include, for example, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), public internets, private intranets, a private computer network, a secure internet, a private network, a public network, a value-added network, interactive television networks, wireless data transmission networks, two-way cable networks, satellite networks, interactive kiosk networks, and/or any other suitable communication network.
The web server includes programs and data that form web server support. The web server support includes support for protocols, such as the TCP/IP protocol suite, a markup language, such as HTML, a transfer protocol like HTTP, the Java programming language and other support necessary for the web server to facilitate Internet access. The web server support may furnish a number of HTML documents that are forwarded to clients to provide user interface information.
Figure 2 illustrates software and hardware environment that promote the operation of the system illustrated in Fig. 1, in accordance with one or more embodiments. The electronic delivery system includes two parts – one at the server side 201 and another at the client /user side 202. Further, the server 201 includes a User Interface (UI) API 201 (a) to communicate with controllers and/or control software and a cryptographic API 201 (b) provided to interact with a cryptographic module, which implements cryptographic algorithm. Similarly, Client /User side also includes a User Interface (UI) API 202 (a) to communicate with controllers and/or control software and a cryptographic API 202 (b) provided to interact with a cryptographic module, which implements cryptographic algorithms.
Figure 3 illustrates the corresponding document viewer of the electronic document delivery system, in accordance with one or more embodiments. The document viewer includes a menu bar 301, a display 302, a viewer option 303, a download option 304, and control options such as a document layout 305, viewing control tools 306 and downloading control tools 307. Menu bar 301 includes interactive features (e.g., drop down lists, selectable buttons) for various functions that allow the user to operate display, view, save,
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edit, print etc. Display 302 and control buttons allow a user to interact with the system to select a portable document download request. Depending on the implementation, memory is included in the server computer 201 and the client/user computer 202. In other embodiments display include a touch screen with a clear glass panel overlaid onto, for example, a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen. Alternative embodiments of the document viewer, may not implement touch screen technology, but may include other pointing or input devices (e.g., mouse, keyboard) to provide for user interaction.
Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart depicting the sequence of steps on the user’s side for downloading the document in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Initially, the user contacts the web server or online service provider. As mentioned above, this contact is achieved using dial-up networking software from the user device or by placing a call and using a web browser. In step 401 user logs in to secure time server using “Secure Time Viewing application’. The user then performs the necessary steps for login. The login begins with a web server prompting the user for a user ID. The web server may generate web pages that request the user ID. The web page may also request that the user provide a password. Alternatively, a separate web page may prompt the user for the password after the user ID has been received and validated. When the user ID is received, the web server performs steps to determine whether the user ID is valid. The web server may contain a list of valid user IDs within the database or another storage mechanism. If the user ID or the password is not valid, access is denied. If the user ID and the password are valid then, in step 402 all uploaded documents for this user along with viewing time and other permissions are displayed. Finally, in step 403 the user downloads document at any time even before actual view of the file.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the time-based document viewer need not wait until no time remains on the download but rather may wait until the download is below a given threshold and give the user warnings. Alternatively, the time-based document viewer may actually allow the time to go to slightly negative value and then terminate service at that point. Those skilled in the art will have known a number of different alternatives that may be provided for monitoring such document viewing.
In the present disclosure, a time based security mechanism is also provided under which documents can be encrypted using a key that is automatically generated by the system.
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This key is a time based key (T-Key) used for the decryption of the document for the specified user.
Further, the present disclosure also provides an inbuilt viewer to view these encrypted documents which will have the option of saving the file to its native format depending on permissions owned by a particular user. The options will be configurable by the administrator as per the use of the document. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment related to an online tender bidding, the user can download the document, the document will open at the specified time and then the user will have the option of saving the file, editing, printing etc. Also, the document opens in the inbuilt viewer by default but the user can change it to any other viewer at a later stage. In contrast, for another exemplary embodiment related to an online exam, the document opens at the specified time in the inbuilt viewer and close when the time limit expires. Edit/Print/Save options will however be disabled in this case to avoid any kind of security breach.
Figure 5 illustrates a flowchart depicting the sequence of steps on the user side for viewing a time protected document in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to figure 3, in step 501 the user selects an option to view the downloaded document. In step 502, the predefined Time Key (T-key) is downloaded from the server and is decrypted to fetch the time. In step 503, if the decrypted time is greater than the START_TIME (provides the time of the beginning of an event or observation) then the document is opened in the secure time viewing application for the user. However, if the decrypted time is less than the START _TIME then the document is not displayed.
Further, in step 504 if the viewing time of the document exceeds the STOP_TIME (provides the time for the end of an observation or event) then the displaying of the document is stopped and the local copy of document is deleted from the local computer. However, if the viewing time of the document is less than the STOP_TIME then the displaying of the document is continued for the user.
Figure 6 illustrates a flowchart depicting the sequence of steps on the server side for the encryption of the document and converting it to a time protected document in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In order to provide portable documents from the online service provider or the web server, in step 601 the document is uploaded on the
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server. In step 602, the document is predefined about the following things such as the user access, START _TIME, STOP_TIME, printable, editable etc. In step 603, the document is encrypted using standard encryption algorithm (such as RACS, AES etc.) and a Time Key. In Step 604, the document download is ensured by checking for the condition when the download time is less than the STOP_TIME and the server allows downloading the document.
The disclosure caters to various types of industries such as educational institutions, government tenders and to all other industries which require a time- based security.
In an online examination, millions of users login onto a particular site to take a test at the same time. This leads to too much load on a server and eventually a crash of the same. The instant disclosure overcomes the same by providing a time-based viewer that will open the exam paper only at the time specified previously. Local machines can download the exam paper and keep them before the final test is to take place. This will avoid the extra burden on the server; whenever the exam is supposed to happen, the document will automatically open and the candidate can take up the exam. Thus a time-based security is being provided for access of a confidential document.
As embodiments of the present disclosure do not require any kind of printing of papers and their physical transfer from one-place to another; they are thus very secure as the chances of leakage of question paper is avoided as it is dependent on the administrator on and not on a number of individuals. Hence any kind of security breach is automatically being avoided.
Ticket on mobile phone or Mobile ticket is another industry where embodiments of the present disclosure find a major application. Train tickets, tickets for cricket matches, movie tickets etc. are some of the most common industries wherein a more efficient ticket rendering service is required. The number of users availing these tickets is majorly high as compared to the proliferation of the ticket counters. Hence, providing a ticket to these users becomes very difficult especially at the last moments. Online ticketing services have also been introduced as an alternate solution but the increased load on these servers mostly leads to a system/server crash. Mobile phones have a vast market expanding to almost all the countries of the world, big or small. Thus, a more convenient ticketing solution for the passenger would be a ticket on a mobile phone.
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Once a transaction is initiated by the user, the system generates a time based ticket for the passenger as per the details fed in by the user. For instance, source and destination stations, class of travel etc. for a train ticket; movie name, city and timings for a theatre ticket etc. Once the transaction is completed, the ticket is delivered at the user’s mobile phone in the form of a time based document/image and opens only at a time specified by the server; like the Passenger Reservation centre would specify the time in case of a train ticket. Also, this ticket is only be viewed in the viewer provided by the present disclosure. The ticket has a certain time validity after which the ticket is no longer viewable and becomes a junk file or it gets automatically deleted from the users mobile. For security reasons to prevent any kind of fraudulent activity, the ticket is password protected and is meant only for a single use. Users are not able to forward or edit/modify the ticket afterwards.
In case of a government tender, various companies bid for a particular tender. Individual companies submit the physical copy of their quotations to the central authority in a sealed envelope. On the tender opening day, the bid is revealed and the tender awarded to the company with the lowest quotation. However, this kind of a system does not offer a full-proof security of the data of a business organization. The sealed envelopes are often tampered and competitors very easily obtain the quotation of another company, which in turn helps them obtain the tender by quoting more competitive rates. With the help of the instant disclosure, businesses are able to submit a bid online in a time protected document. This way, the quotation are highly confidential and no one has access to the document before the specified time and date. On the final day of the tender, the document is opened and the bid is revealed. This kind of a system not only provides a high level of security to the businesses, but also prevents any kind of frauds.
It will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in this art that various modifications and variations may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein, consistent with the present disclosure, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Other embodiments consistent with the present disclosure will become apparent from consideration of the specification and the practice of the description disclosed herein.
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We Claim:
1. An electronic document delivery system, said system comprising:
at least one document;
a web server providing said at least one document;
at least one time-based document viewer communicatively coupled to the web server;
at least one time key linked to said document; and
an information database for storing said at least one document;
wherein, said document viewer uses said at least one time key to access said at least one document.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said time-based document viewer is either fixed or mobile.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said time keys are real time keys which are generated online.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said access is determined by decrypting the time from said at least one time key and checking the following conditions:
if decrypted time is greater than start time then the document is downloaded/viewed; or
if decrypted time is greater than stop time then the document download/view is automatically terminated.
5. An electronic document delivery apparatus, said apparatus comprising:
at least one document;
a web server providing said at least one document;
at least one time-based document viewer communicatively coupled to the web server;
at least one time key linked to said document; and
an information database for storing said at least one document;
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wherein, said document viewer uses said at least one time key to access said at least one document.
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said time-based document viewer is either fixed or mobile.
7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said time keys are real time keys which are generated online.
8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said access is determined by decrypting the time from said at least one time key and checking the following conditions:
if decrypted time is greater than start time then the document is downloaded/viewed; or
if decrypted time is greater than stop time then the document download/view is automatically terminated.
9. A method for delivery of an electronic document, said method comprising:
providing at least one document on a web server;
providing time-based viewing of said at least one document;
providing at least one time key linked to said at least one document; and
providing an information database for storing said at least one document;
wherein, access to said at least one document is allowed after providing at least one time key linked to it.
10. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said time-based viewing is fixed or mobile.
11. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said time keys are real time keys which are generated online.
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12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said access is determined by decrypting the time from said at least one time key and checking the following conditions:
if decrypted time is greater than start time then the document is downloaded/viewed; or
if decrypted time is greater than stop time then the document download/view is automatically terminated.

Dated this 30th day of March 2010

Of Anand and Anand, Advocates
Agents for the Applicants