Automatic document exchange with archiving capability
View Patent ↗The exchange of documents for execution can be performed efficiently using an automated system that routes and archives documents. The system may facilitate the exchange of drafts between parties by highlighting changes of the current draft with respect to the previous draft. Documents may be conveniently archived for efficient document storage and access by providing one or more central archive databases accessible through a shared network to a plurality of organizations. The operating system of the database may provide systematic access to individuals associated with an organization with the privilege to access documents according to a specific organizational hierarchy. Routing and archiving documents may be accomplished through a central exchange server.
1. A method using a document system comprising a computer with a processor for executing software instructions for electronic management of documents, the method comprising:
providing one or more central archive database(s) accessible through a shared network to a plurality of organizations;
wherein the database stores images of a plurality of executed documents;
wherein the operating system of the central archive database provides systematic access to individuals associated with one or more organizations with the privilege to access the document according to a specific organizational hierarchy with individuals at a higher level within the hierarchy having the ability to access documents lower within the hierarchy;
wherein at least some of the documents in the database were executed through an automated document exchange and execution system that electronically routes a document for execution and archives the document following apparent execution of the document by obtaining approval or a signature on the document from all requested parties wherein the systematic access to the archive is based at least in part on instructions for the routing of the documents for execution; and
wherein archiving comprises associating each document with one or more organizational tag(s) so that documents with a common tag are organized within a structure based on the tags and displayed in directories in groups related to the common tags.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the images are stored in PDF format.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the organizational hierarchy has at least three levels with a plurality of branches between each level.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the database further provides summary information relating to the documents within the database.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the summary information comprises totals for documents added to the database over a selected time period associated with a particular portion of the hierarchy.
6. A central exchange server comprising a processor programmed to perform the method of claim 1 and an output subsystem operably connected with the processor, the output subsystem comprising data connections to external addresses for the output of data associated with the images of the documents.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the common tag comprises a plurality of independent parameters to provide multidimensional indexing of the documents.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one parameter of the common tag provides information associating the document with a position on an organizational hierarchy that determines access privilege to the document.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the organizational tag(s) are based at least in part on instructions for the routing of the documents for execution.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the system is a neutral environment relative to the plurality of organizations.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein official users are identified to the system with passwords.