Trusted and Secure Techniques for Item Delivery and Execution

Abstract

Documents and other items can be delivered electronically from sender to recipient with a level of trustedness approaching or exceeding that provided by a personal document courier. A trusted electronic go-between can validate, witness and/or archive transactions while, in some cases, actively participating in or directing the transaction. Printed or imaged documents can be marked using handwritten signature images, seal images, electronic fingerprinting, watermarking, and/or steganography. Electronic commercial transactions and transmissions take place in a reliable, “trusted” virtual distribution environment that provides significant efficiency and cost savings benefits to users in addition to providing an extremely high degree of confidence and trustedness. The systems and techniques have many uses including but not limited to secure document delivery, execution of legal documents, and electronic data interchange (EDI).

1 . A method of securely delivering an item from a first electronic appliance, the first electronic appliance comprising a protected processing environment, the protected processing environment at least in part protecting information contained in the protected processing environment from tampering by a user of the first electronic appliance, the method comprising: 
 authenticating an identity of a user of the first electronic appliance;    authenticating an intended recipient of the item;    associating one or more electronic controls with the item; and    packaging the item and the one or more electronic controls into one or more secure electronic containers.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising registering one or more electronic controls received from the intended recipient, wherein the step of associating one or more electronic controls with the item includes associating at least one of the one or more controls received from the intended recipient.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of associating one or more electronic controls with the item includes associating at least one electronic control received from a user of the first electronic appliance.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first electronic appliance comprises at least one of: 
 a display screen;    an electronic card reader;    a telephone receiver; and    a telephone dialing keypad.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first electronic appliance comprises a kiosk comprising at least one of: 
 a document reader;    a camera;    a microphone; and    a speaker.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first electronic appliance is selected from the group consisting of: personal computer, workstation, server, and television.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the protected processing environment comprises a secure processing unit.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the one or more secure electronic containers to a second electronic appliance associated with the intended recipient.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting at least a first secure electronic container via an electronic network, the electronic network being selected from the group consisting of: the Internet, an internal network, and a local-area network.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the item is selected from the group consisting of: a document, a digital photograph, graphical data, audio data, a computer program, video data, a film, moving image data, a video game, and a piece of multimedia.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein authenticating an identity of a user of the first electronic appliance comprises evaluating biometric information associated with the user of the first electronic appliance.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein authenticating an identity of a user of the first electronic appliance comprises: 
 accessing information from a smart card; and    comparing the information from the smart card to expected information.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the information from the smart card comprises information from at least one digital certificate.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein authenticating an identity of a user of the first electronic appliance comprises: 
 receiving a digital certificate associated with the user of the first electronic appliance; and    comparing information from the digital certificate to expected information.    
   
   
       15 . A method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a secure electronic container;    opening the secure electronic container;    authenticating one or both of the secure electronic container and contents of the secure electronic container, wherein the contents include a received item;    automatically accessing one or more controls associated with the secure electronic container, the controls having been received independently of the secure electronic container; and    performing processing on the received item in accordance with the one or more controls.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the performing step comprises at least one step selected from the group consisting of: 
 restricting access to at least part of the received item;    restricting modification rights to at least part of the received item;    restricting further distribution of the received item;    destroying the received item after a specified time period; and    destroying the received item after a specified number of handlings.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the performing step comprises at least one step selected from the group consisting of: 
 applying at least one signature;    applying at least one seal;    providing a handwritten signature;    providing a steganographic electronic fingerprint;    providing a visual electronic fingerprint;    issuing one or more receipts;    performing one or more contract execution functions;    performing one or more audit functions;    performing one or more contract settlement functions;    performing one or more archival functions;    performing one or more notary functions;    performing one or more electronic negotiation functions; and    performing one or more payment handling functions.    
   
   
       18 . A method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a notification that a secure electronic container has arrived;    authenticating the secure electronic container;    opening the secure electronic container;    authenticating contents of the secure electronic container;    accessing at least one processing control, the processing control specifying, at least in part, one or more processing operations that must be performed on the secure electronic container and/or the contents of the secure electronic container;    performing the one or more processing operations;    notifying at least one remote entity upon completion of the one or more operations.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising storing the secure electronic container in an archive.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the one or more processing operations is selected from the group consisting of: 
 restricting access to the contents of the secure electronic container;    restricting modification of the contents of the secure electronic container;    restricting further distribution of the secure electronic container;    destroying the secure electronic container after a specified time period; and    destroying the secure electronic container after a specified number of handlings.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the one or more processing operations is selected from the group consisting of: 
 providing a return receipt;    applying at least one digital signature;    applying at least one electronic seal;    providing a handwritten signature;    providing a steganographic electronic fingerprint;    providing a visual electronic fingerprint;    performing one or more contract execution functions;    performing one or more audit functions;    performing one or more contract settlement functions;    performing one or more archival functions;    performing one or more notary functions;    performing one or more electronic negotiation functions; and    performing one or more payment handling functions.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 sending a request to a trusted intermediary requesting permission to redistribute the secure electronic container; and    receiving a failure notification if the trusted intermediary is unable to obtain all required permissions.