IP Library Granted Patent US 11,392,756
Granted Patent B2
US 11,392,756 · App. 16/989,779 · Granted Jul 19, 2022

Systems and methods to improve a technological process for signing documents

Inventors: Lauren Hayslett (San Francisco, CA); Stephen Parish (Seattle, WA)
Assignee: DOCUSIGN, INC.
G06F40/143G06F40/117G06F40/205H04L9/3247H04L2209/60
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,392,756
App. No.
16/989,779
Granted
Jul 19, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods to improve a technological process for signing documents are described. The system accesses a portable document format (PDF) file and a first signature tag marker element (STME) to parse the PDF to generate logical text block elements (LTBE). The LTBEs describe original document elements in the PDF including a first LTBE. The system sorts each LTBE against the first STME to pair the first LTBE with the first STME based on proximity. The system generates markup language information (MLI) for utilization at the client device (CD) for rendering a responsive markup language image (RMLI) in a responsive format and communicates the MLI to a CD for rendering the RMLI on the CD. The system receives the signing information from the CD causing the signing information to be associated with the first signature tag marker identifier and communicates the PDF and the signing information to the CD.

Claims (34)

1. A system for digitally signing documents, the system comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform steps comprising:

accessing a digital document in a first format and including at least a first signature tag marker element and a first logical text block element within a threshold proximity of the first signature tag marker element;

generating markup language information based on a proximity of the first signature tag marker element to the first logical text block element for use in rending the digital document in a second format;

in response to the digital document being partially rendered on a mobile device in the second format using the generated markup language, receiving signature information associated with a user of the client device based on a request by the user input via the mobile device to sign the digital document via the first signature tag marker element; and

providing the digital document in the first format and the signature information to the mobile device for display, the display of the digital document including a rendering of the signature information in conjunction with a rendering of the first signature tag marker element.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first signature tag marker element includes first signature geometric information describing a rendering of the first signature tag marker element in the digital document in the first format.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first logical text block element includes first logical text block geometric information describing a rendering of the first logical text block element in the digital document in the first format.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the markup language describes the proximity of the first signature tag marker element to the first logical text block element such that the client device, when rendering the digital document in the second format, renders the first signature tag marker element and the first logical text block element based on the described proximity.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the received signature information describes a location for signature placement relative to the first signature tag marker element.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first format comprises the portable document format (PDF) and wherein the second format comprises the hypertext markup language (HTML).

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second format further comprises cascading style sheets (CSS) that describes a presentation of visual user interface elements of the HTML.

8. A method for digitally signing documents, the method comprising:

accessing a digital document in a first format and including at least a first signature tag marker element and a first logical text block element within a threshold proximity of the first signature tag marker element;

generating markup language information based on a proximity of the first signature tag marker element to the first logical text block element for use in rending the digital document in a second format;

in response to the digital document being partially rendered on a mobile device in the second format using the generated markup language, receiving signature information associated with a user of the client device based on a request by the user input via the mobile device to sign the digital document via the first signature tag marker element; and

providing the digital document in the first format and the signature information to the mobile device for display, the display of the digital document including a rendering of the signature information in conjunction with a rendering of the first signature tag marker element.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first signature tag marker element includes first signature geometric information describing a rendering of the first signature tag marker element in the digital document in the first format.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first logical text block element includes first logical text block geometric information describing a rendering of the first logical text block element in the digital document in the first format.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the markup language describes the proximity of the first signature tag marker element to the first logical text block element such that the client device, when rendering the digital document in the second format, renders the first signature tag marker element and the first logical text block element based on the described proximity.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the received signature information describes a location for signature placement relative to the first signature tag marker element.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first format comprises the portable document format (PDF) and wherein the second format comprises the hypertext markup language (HTML).

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second format further comprises cascading style sheets (CSS) that describes a presentation of visual user interface elements of the HTML.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions for digitally signing documents, the instructions, when executed by a hardware processor, configured to cause the hardware processor to perform steps comprising:

accessing a digital document in a first format and including at least a first signature tag marker element and a first logical text block element within a threshold proximity of the first signature tag marker element;

generating markup language information based on a proximity of the first signature tag marker element to the first logical text block element for use in rending the digital document in a second format;

in response to the digital document being partially rendered on a mobile device in the second format using the generated markup language, receiving signature information associated with a user of the client device based on a request by the user input via the mobile device to sign the digital document via the first signature tag marker element; and

providing the digital document in the first format and the signature information to the mobile device for display, the display of the digital document including a rendering of the signature information in conjunction with a rendering of the first signature tag marker element.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first signature tag marker element includes first signature geometric information describing a rendering of the first signature tag marker element in the digital document in the first format.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the first logical text block element includes first logical text block geometric information describing a rendering of the first logical text block element in the digital document in the first format.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the markup language describes the proximity of the first signature tag marker element to the first logical text block element such that the client device, when rendering the digital document in the second format, renders the first signature tag marker element and the first logical text block element based on the described proximity.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the received signature information describes a location for signature placement relative to the first signature tag marker element.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first format comprises the portable document format (PDF) and wherein the second format comprises the hypertext markup language (HTML) and cascading style sheets (CSS).

Assignments (4)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 23, 2025
From: DOCUSIGN, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 071337/0240 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (054943/0358) Recorded May 22, 2025
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: DOCUSIGN, INC.
Reel/Frame 071337/0148 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2021
From: DOCUSIGN, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 054943/0358 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2020
From: HAYSLETT, LAUREN; PARISH, STEPHEN
To: DOCUSIGN, INC.
Reel/Frame 053531/0615 →