IP Library Granted Patent US 11,314,935
Granted Patent B2
US 11,314,935 · App. 16/940,135 · Granted Apr 26, 2022

System and method for electronic document interaction with external resources

Inventors: Matthew Roberts (Oxford, GB); Daniel Charles Selman (Winchester, GB); Peter Geoffrey Lerato Hunn (Irving, TX); Jerome Simeon (New York, NY)
Assignee: DOCUSIGN, INC.
G06F40/186G06F9/547
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,314,935
App. No.
16/940,135
Granted
Apr 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for electronic document management including: creating an executable document object, wherein the executable document object comprises at least one programmable element; constructing an interaction schema object, wherein each interaction schema comprises: executable logic and a trigger as part of an inbound interaction schema or an outbound interaction schema that associates an external resource with the executable document object; and bundling the interaction schema object with the executable document object. The method further includes: in response to triggering an inbound interaction schema trigger: activating the executable logic of the inbound interaction schema, initiating at least one programmable element of the executable document object, and updating the state of the executable document object; and in response to triggering an outbound interaction schema trigger: activating the executable logic of the outbound interaction schema, and modifying the associated external resource with respect to the state of the executable document object.

Claims (70)

1. A method for executable electronic contract document management comprising:

creating an executable contract document object, which is comprised of:

setting executable programmable clauses based on natural language clauses of a natural language document, wherein the programmable clauses comprise programmable logic; and

establishing a state for the programmable clauses by setting the states of one or more variables of each programmable clause, thereby making the programmable clauses executable;

constructing one or more logic flows between an external resource and the executable contract document object, wherein each logic flow comprises executable logic and a trigger, and wherein constructing the one or more logic flows comprises:

setting an inbound trigger for each inbound logic flow, the inbound trigger comprising an event at an external resource of a plurality of external resources, wherein triggering an inbound logic flow causes a transfer of data from the external source of the plurality of external resources to the executable contract document object and

setting an outbound trigger for each outbound logic flow, the outbound trigger comprising a change of state of a programmable clause, wherein triggering an outbound logic flow causes a transfer of data from the executable contract document object to an external resource of the plurality of external resources;

in response to triggering an inbound logic flow trigger:

transferring data from the external source of the plurality of external resources to the executable contract object;

initiating, based on the data, at least one programmable clause of the executable contract document object; and

updating the state of the executable contract document object;

in response to triggering an outbound logic flow trigger:

transferring data from the executable contract document object to an external resource of the plurality of external resources; and

modifying the external resource with respect to the state of the executable contract document object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inbound trigger comprises a webhook.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outbound trigger comprises an action trigger that is activated with a distinct state change of the executable contract document object.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the action trigger comprises execution of the executable contract document object.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing the one or more logic flows further comprises instantiating necessary credentials such that the one or more logic flows can access the external resource.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein instantiating the necessary credentials comprises using information from a user profile associated with the credentials to enable access to the external resource.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein construction of the one or more logic flows further comprises choosing a logic flow template from a set of logic flow templates.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein setting the state for one or more variables of each programmable clause comprises setting states for two or more variables of at least one programmable clause.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing the one or more logic flows further comprises:

associating an external resource with each logic flow;

generating executable logic for the each logic flow, the executable logic configured to define and control the interaction of the external resource and the electronic contract document; and

instantiating the executable logic of the logic flow.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising bundling the logic flows with the executable contract document object, wherein bundling comprises storing the logic flows with the executable contract document object.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause a computing platform to perform operations comprising:

creating an executable contract document object, which is comprised of:

setting executable programmable clauses based on natural language clauses of a natural language document, wherein the programmable clauses comprise programmable logic; and

establishing a state for the programmable clauses by setting the states of one or more variables of each programmable clause, thereby making the programmable clauses executable;

constructing one or more logic flows between an external resource and the executable contract document object, wherein each logic flow comprises executable logic and a trigger, and wherein constructing the one or more logic flows comprises:

setting an inbound trigger for each inbound logic flow, the inbound trigger comprising an event at an external resource of a plurality of external resources, wherein triggering an inbound logic flow causes a transfer of data from the external source of the plurality of external resources to the executable contract document object; and

setting an outbound trigger for each outbound logic flow, the outbound trigger comprising a change of state of a programmable clause, wherein triggering an outbound logic flow causes a transfer of data from the executable contract document object to an external resource of the plurality of external resources;

in response to triggering an inbound logic flow trigger:

transferring data from the external source of the plurality of external resources to the executable contract object;

initiating, based on the data, at least one programmable clause of the executable contract document object; and

updating the state of the executable contract document object;

in response to triggering an outbound logic flow trigger:

transferring data from the executable contract document object to an external resource of the plurality of external resources; and

modifying the external resource with respect to the state of the executable contract document object.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein constructing the one or more logic flows further comprises instantiating necessary credentials such that the one or more logic flows can access the external resource.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein setting the state for one or more variables of each programmable clause comprises setting states for two or more variables of at least one programmable clause.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein constructing the one or more logic flows further comprises:

associating an external resource with each logic flow;

generating executable logic for the each logic flow, the executable logic configured to define and control the interaction of the external resource and the electronic contract document; and

instantiating the executable logic of the logic flow.

15. A system comprising:

memory with instructions encoded thereon; and

one or more computer processors that, when executing the instructions, are caused to perform operatons comprising:

creating an executable contract document object, which is comprised of:

setting executable programmable clauses based on natural language clauses of a natural language document, wherein the programmable clauses comprise programmable logic; and

establishing a state for the programmable clauses by setting the states of one or more variables of each programmable clause, thereby making the programmable clauses executable;

constructing one or more logic flows between an external resource and the executable contract document object, wherein each logic flow comprises executable logic and a trigger, and wherein constructing the one or more logic flows comprises:

setting an inbound trigger for each inbound logic flow, the inbound trigger comprising an event at an external resource of one or more external resources, wherein triggering an inbound logic flow causes a transfer of data from an external source of the one or more external resources to the executable contract document object; and

setting an outbound trigger for each outbound logic flow, the outbound trigger comprising a change of state of a programmable clause, wherein triggering an outbound logic flow causes a transfer of data from the executable contract document object to an external resource of the one or more external resources;

in response to triggering an inbound logic flow trigger:

transferring data from the external source to the executable contract object;

initiating, based on the data, at least one programmable clause of the executable contract document object; and

updating the state of the executable contract document object;

in response to triggering an outbound logic flow trigger:

transferring data from the executable contract document object to an external resource; and

modifying the external resource with respect to the state of the executable contract document object.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein setting the state for one or more variables of each programmable clause comprises setting states for two or more variables of at least one programmable clause.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein constructing the one or more logic flows further comprises:

associating an external resource with each logic flow;

generating executable logic for the each logic flow, the executable logic configured to define and control the interaction of the external resource and the electronic contract document; and

instantiating the executable logic of the logic flow.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising bundling the logic flows with the executable contract document object, wherein bundling comprises storing the logic flows with the executable contract document object.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the outbound trigger comprises an action trigger that is activated with a distinct state change of the executable contract document object.

20. The system of 19 , wherein the action trigger comprises execution of the executable contract document object.

Assignments (4)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 23, 2025
From: DOCUSIGN, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 071337/0240 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 29, 2021
From: CLAUSE, INC.
To: DOCUSIGN, INC.
Reel/Frame 057011/0840 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE TO INCLUDE CONVEYING PARTY PETER GEOFFREY LERATO HUNN PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 056872 FRAME 0276. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jul 19, 2021
From: ROBERTS, MATTHEW; SELMAN, DANIEL CHARLES; LERATO HUNN, PETER GEOFFREY; SIMEON, JEROME
To: CLAUSE, INC.
Reel/Frame 056908/0913 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 15, 2021
From: ROBERTS, MATTHEW; SELMAN, DANIEL CHARLES; SIMEON, JEROME
To: CLAUSE, INC.
Reel/Frame 056872/0276 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,222,975