Collaborative Email With Delegable Authorities

Abstract

Writing a collaborative email document with hierarchical authorities including establishing a collaborative email document on an administrator's computer, identifying one or more signatories for the document, identifying one or more collaborators who are authorized to view and edit the document, providing to the collaborators copies of the document for viewing and editing, where the collaborators' copies reside on collaborators' computers, updating the copies of the document on collaborators' computers with revisions from the collaborators, and sending the collaborative email document from the administrator's computer to addressees when the document bears valid digital signatures from all signatories. Typical embodiments also include providing at least one user authority to delegate signature authority, establishing a hierarchy of delegation authority for signatures, establishing at least one authority delegation policy including at least one rule for automated delegation of signature authority among signatories and delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another.

1 . A method for writing a collaborative email document with delegable authorities, the method comprising:
 establishing a collaborative email document on an administrator's computer;   identifying one or more signatories for the document;   identifying one or more collaborators who are authorized to view and edit the document;   providing to the collaborators copies of the document for viewing and editing, wherein the collaborators' copies reside on collaborators' computers;   updating the copies of the document on collaborators' computers with revisions from the collaborators; and   sending the collaborative email document from the administrator's computer to addressees when the document bears valid digital signatures from all signatories.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing to at least one user authority to delegate signature authority. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 establishing a hierarchy of delegation authority for signatures;   establishing at least one authority delegation policy comprising at least one rule for automated delegation of signature authority among signatories in the hierarchy; and   delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another signatory in accordance with the authority delegation policy.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 establishing at least one authority delegation policy comprising at least one rule for automated delegation of signature authority; and   delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another signatory in accordance with the authority delegation policy.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein rules for automated delegation of signature authority comprise:
 a rule that the signature authority of a first signatory having a first position in a hierarchy of delegation authority may be delegated to a second signatory having a second position in the hierarchy of delegation authority, wherein the second position is higher in the hierarchy than the first position;   a rule that a first signatory having a first position in the hierarchy of delegation authority may digitally sign the collaborative email document only after a second signatory having a second position in the hierarchy of delegation authority has signed the collaborative email document, wherein the second position is higher in the hierarchy than the first position;   a rule that signature authority is to be delegated to a second signatory if a first signatory does not sign the document within a specified period of time; and   a rule that signature authority may be delegated during a specified period of time.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 establishing one or more authority delegation type parameters that identify modes of delegating authority for signatories;   assigning at least one authority delegation type parameter to the collaborative email document; and   delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another signatory in accordance with the assigned authority delegation type parameter.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein modes of delegating authority for signatories comprise:
 a mode in which signature authority is delegated according to authority delegation policies;   a mode in which signature authority is delegated by an originator of the collaborative email document; and   a mode in which one or more collaborators are authorized to delegate signature authority to at least one signatory.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 establishing time parameters for writing the collaborative email document;   providing alerts and reminders in accordance with the established time parameters; and   forwarding copies of the collaborative email document to delegated backup collaborators in accordance with the established time parameters.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing for at least one collaborator authority to delegate the authority to view and edit the collaborative email document. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 identifying editable portions of the email document; and   specifying that only certain collaborators are authorized to view and edit one or more portions of the document;   wherein authority to view and edit one or more portions of the document includes authority to delegate to another collaborator the authority to view and edit one or more portions of the document.   
   
   
       11 . A system for writing a collaborative email document with delegable authorities, the system comprising:
 means for establishing a collaborative email document on an administrator's computer;   means for identifying one or more signatories for the document;   means for identifying one or more collaborators who are authorized to view and edit the document;   means for providing to the collaborators copies of the document for viewing and editing, wherein the collaborators' copies reside on collaborators' computers;   means for updating the copies of the document on collaborators' computers with revisions from the collaborators; and   means for sending the collaborative email document from the administrator's computer to addressees when the document bears valid digital signatures from all signatories.   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising means for providing to at least one user authority to delegate signature authority. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising:
 means for establishing a hierarchy of delegation authority for signatures;   means for establishing at least one authority delegation policy comprising at least one rule for automated delegation of signature authority among signatories in the hierarchy; and   means for delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another signatory in accordance with the authority delegation policy.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising:
 means for establishing at least one authority delegation policy comprising at least one rule for automated delegation of signature authority; and   means for delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another signatory in accordance with the authority delegation policy.   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein rules for automated delegation of signature authority comprise:
 a rule that the signature authority of a first signatory means for having a first position in a hierarchy of delegation authority may be delegated to a second signatory means for having a second position in the hierarchy of delegation authority, wherein the second position is higher in the hierarchy than the first position;   a rule that a first signatory means for having a first position in the hierarchy of delegation authority may digitally sign the collaborative email document only after a second signatory means for having a second position in the hierarchy of delegation authority has signed the collaborative email document, wherein the second position is higher in the hierarchy than the first position;   a rule that signature authority is to be delegated to a second signatory if a first signatory does not sign the document within a specified period of time; and   a rule that signature authority may be delegated during a specified period of time.   
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising:
 means for establishing one or more authority delegation type parameters that identify modes of delegating authority for signatories;   means for assigning at least one authority delegation type parameter to the collaborative email document; and   means for delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another signatory in accordance with the assigned authority delegation type parameter.   
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein modes of means for delegating authority for signatories comprise:
 a mode in which signature authority is delegated according to authority delegation policies;   a mode in which signature authority is delegated by an originator of the collaborative email document; and   a mode in which one or more collaborators are authorized to delegate signature authority to at least one signatory.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising:
 means for establishing time parameters for writing the collaborative email document;   means for providing alerts and reminders in accordance with the established time parameters; and   means for forwarding copies of the collaborative email document to delegated backup collaborators in accordance with the established time parameters.   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising means for providing for at least one collaborator authority to delegate the authority to view and edit the collaborative email document. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising:
 means for identifying editable portions of the email document; and   means for specifying that only certain collaborators are authorized to view and edit one or more portions of the document;   wherein authority to view and edit one or more portions of the document includes authority to delegate to another collaborator the authority to view and edit one or more portions of the document.   
   
   
       21 . A computer program product for writing a collaborative email document with delegable authorities, the computer program product comprising:
 a recording medium;   means, recorded on the recording medium, for establishing a collaborative email document on an administrator's computer;   means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying one or more signatories for the document;   means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying one or more collaborators who are authorized to view and edit the document;   means, recorded on the recording medium, for providing to the collaborators copies of the document for viewing and editing, wherein the collaborators' copies reside on collaborators' computers;   means, recorded on the recording medium, for updating the copies of the document on collaborators' computers with revisions from the collaborators; and   means, recorded on the recording medium, for sending the collaborative email document from the administrator's computer to addressees when the document bears valid digital signatures from all signatories.   
   
   
       22 . The computer program product of  claim 21  further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for providing to at least one user authority to delegate signature authority. 
   
   
       23 . The computer program product of  claim 21  further comprising:
 means, recorded on the recording medium, for establishing a hierarchy of delegation authority for signatures;   means, recorded on the recording medium, for establishing at least one authority delegation policy comprising at least one rule for automated delegation of signature authority among signatories in the hierarchy; and   means, recorded on the recording medium, for delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another signatory in accordance with the authority delegation policy.   
   
   
       24 . The computer program product of  claim 21  further comprising:
 means, recorded on the recording medium, for establishing at least one authority delegation policy comprising at least one rule for automated delegation of signature authority; and   means, recorded on the recording medium, for delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another signatory in accordance with the authority delegation policy.   
   
   
       25 . The computer program product of  claim 24  wherein rules for automated delegation of signature authority comprise:
 a rule that the signature authority of a first signatory means, recorded on the recording medium, for having a first position in a hierarchy of delegation authority may be delegated to a second signatory means, recorded on the recording medium, for having a second position in the hierarchy of delegation authority, wherein the second position is higher in the hierarchy than the first position;   a rule that a first signatory means, recorded on the recording medium, for having a first position in the hierarchy of delegation authority may digitally sign the collaborative email document only after a second signatory means, recorded on the recording medium, for having a second position in the hierarchy of delegation authority has signed the collaborative email document, wherein the second position is higher in the hierarchy than the first position;   a rule that signature authority is to be delegated to a second signatory if a first signatory does not sign the document within a specified period of time; and   a rule that signature authority may be delegated during a specified period of time.   
   
   
       26 . The computer program product of  claim 21  further comprising:
 means, recorded on the recording medium, for establishing one or more authority delegation type parameters that identify modes of delegating authority for signatories;   means, recorded on the recording medium, for assigning at least one authority delegation type parameter to the collaborative email document; and   means, recorded on the recording medium, for delegating signature authority from at least one signatory to another signatory in accordance with the assigned authority delegation type parameter.   
   
   
       27 . The computer program product of  claim 26  wherein modes of means, recorded on the recording medium, for delegating authority for signatories comprise:
 a mode in which signature authority is delegated according to authority delegation policies;   a mode in which signature authority is delegated by an originator of the collaborative email document; and   a mode in which one or more collaborators are authorized to delegate signature authority to at least one signatory.   
   
   
       28 . The computer program product of  claim 21  further comprising:
 means, recorded on the recording medium, for establishing time parameters for writing the collaborative email document;   means, recorded on the recording medium, for providing alerts and reminders in accordance with the established time parameters; and   means, recorded on the recording medium, for forwarding copies of the collaborative email document to delegated backup collaborators in accordance with the established time parameters.   
   
   
       29 . The computer program product of  claim 21  further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for providing for at least one collaborator authority to delegate the authority to view and edit the collaborative email document. 
   
   
       30 . The computer program product of  claim 21  further comprising:
 means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying editable portions of the email document; and   means, recorded on the recording medium, for specifying that only certain collaborators are authorized to view and edit one or more portions of the document;   wherein authority to view and edit one or more portions of the document includes authority to delegate to another collaborator the authority to view and edit one or more portions of the document.