IP Library Granted Patent US 11,599,719
Granted Patent B2
US 11,599,719 · App. 17/682,898 · Granted Mar 7, 2023

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 11,599,719
App. No.
17/682,898
Granted
Mar 7, 2023
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 (49)

1. A method for executable electronic contract management comprising:

creating an executable electronic document, the creating comprising:

generating programmable clauses comprising programmable logic; and

establishing a state for each programmable clause by setting values for one or more variables of each programmable clause;

constructing one or more logic flows between an external resource and the executable electronic document, 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 an inbound logic flow, the inbound trigger comprising an event at an external resource, wherein triggering the inbound logic flow causes a transfer of data from the external resource to the executable electronic document; and

responsive to triggering the inbound logic flow trigger, updating at least one value of the one or more variables of a programmable clause.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the programmable clauses comprises importing programmable clauses from another executable electronic contract.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the at least one value of the one or more variables of the programmable clause causes a change in state of the programmable clause and a change in state of the executable electronic contract.

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

setting an outbound trigger for each outbound logic flow, the outbound trigger comprising a contract event, wherein triggering an outbound logic flow of the one or more outbound logic flows causes a transfer of data from the executable contract document to the external resource.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the transferred data is based on the contract event, and wherein triggering an outbound logic flow further comprises:

causing the external resource to perform an action, the action based on the transferred data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing the one or more logic flows further comprises determining, based on the external resource, a logic flow template from a set of logic flow templates.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein constructing the one or more logic flows further comprises associating a user profile comprising a set of necessary credentials with the one or more logic flows.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the executable logic of the one or more logic flows comprises:

retrieving, from the user profile associated with the one or more logic flows, the necessary credentials; and

providing the necessary credentials to the external resource to access the external resource.

9. 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 electronic document, the creating comprising:

generating programmable clauses comprising programmable logic; and

establishing a state for each programmable clause by setting values for one or more variables of each programmable clause;

constructing one or more logic flows between an external resource and the executable electronic document, 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 an inbound logic flow, the inbound trigger comprising an event at an external resource, wherein triggering the inbound logic flow causes a transfer of data from the external resource to the executable electronic document; and

responsive to triggering the inbound logic flow trigger, updating at least one value of the one or more variables of a programmable clause.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein generating programmable clauses importing programmable clauses from another executable electronic contract.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein updating the at least one value of the one or more variables of the programmable clause causes a change in state of the programmable clause and a change in state of the executable electronic document.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein constructing the one or more logic flows further comprises:

setting an outbound trigger for each outbound logic flow, the outbound trigger comprising a contract event, wherein triggering an outbound logic flow of the one or more outbound logic flows causes a transfer of data from the executable document to the external resource.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the transferred data is based on the contract event, and wherein triggering the outbound logic flow further comprises:

causing the external resource to perform an action, the action based on the transferred data.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein constructing the one or more logic flows further comprises determining, based on the external resource, a logic flow template from a set of logic flow templates.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein constructing the one or more logic flows further comprises associating a user profile comprising a set of necessary credentials with the one or more logic flows.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the executable logic of the one or more logic flows comprises:

retrieving, from the user profile associated with the one or more logic flows, the necessary credentials; and

providing the necessary credentials to the external resource to access the external resource.

17. A system comprising:

memory with instructions encoded thereon; and

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

creating an executable electronic document, the creating comprising:

generating programmable clauses comprising programmable logic; and

establishing a state for each programmable clause by setting values for one or more variables of each programmable clause;

constructing one or more logic flows between an external resource and the executable electronic document, 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 an inbound logic flow, the inbound trigger comprising an event at an external resource, wherein triggering the inbound logic flow causes a transfer of data from the external resource to the executable electronic document; and

responsive to triggering the inbound logic flow trigger, updating at least one value of the one or more variables of a programmable clause.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein generating programmable clauses comprises importing programmable clauses from another executable electronic contract.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein updating the at least one value of the one or more variables of the programmable clause causes a change in state of the programmable clause and a change in state of the executable electronic document.

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

setting an outbound trigger for each outbound logic flow, the outbound trigger comprising a contract event, wherein triggering an outbound logic flow of the one or more outbound logic flows causes a transfer of data from the executable document to the external resource.

Assignments (3)
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 Mar 1, 2022
From: CLAUSE, INC.
To: DOCUSIGN, INC.
Reel/Frame 059137/0663 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2022
From: ROBERTS, MATTHEW; SELMAN, DANIEL CHARLES; HUNN, PETER GEOFFREY LERATO; SIMEON, JEROME
To: CLAUSE, INC.
Reel/Frame 059137/0668 →