US6070177A — Database forms with attached audit history

Claim 1

Independent Claim 68 words

A computer-implemented method for displaying an audit trail of a document on a display device, said method comprising the steps of: displaying said document on a first portion of said display device; displaying said audit trail on a second portion of said display device; and automatically updating said audit trail when information relating to transmission of said document from one user to another user in a network changes.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 68 words

A computer-implemented method for displaying an audit trail of a document on a display device, said method comprising the steps of: displaying said document on a first portion of said display device; displaying said audit trail on a second portion of said display device; and automatically updating said audit trail when information relating to transmission of said document from one user to another user in a network changes.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 84 words

The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of storing in a first data field in said audit trail, data specifying a first user, said first user causing said document to be transmitted to a second user over said network; storing in a second data field in said audit trail, data specifying said second user; and storing in a third data field in said audit trail, data specifying any action taken with regard to said document by said first or second user.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method according to claim 2 wherein said audit trail is displayed as a chronological log.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 46 words

The method according to claim 3 wherein said document comprises a database object, said database object comprising a database form description file, and a data file, said data file comprising data entered by said first user into a form described by said database form description file.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method according to claim 4 wherein said action taken by said first or second user comprises one or more of approving said document, disapproving said document, or forwarding said document to a third user.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method according to claim 5 wherein said action taken by said first or second user further comprises modifying one or more items of data within said data file.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method according to claim 6 wherein data modified by said second user is displayed differently than data originally entered by said first user.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 72 words

The method according to claim 4 wherein said audit trail comprises a data array containing: user data specifying said first user and any other user in said network to which said document has been transmitted; and action data specifying said any activity taken on said document by a corresponding user of said document, and wherein said user data and corresponding action data is stored in said data array in a predetermined order.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method according to claim 8 wherein predetermined order is determined by the order in which said document is received by users in said network.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 44 words

The method according to claim 8 wherein data contents of said data array for said audit trail is provided automatically by a server computer coupled to said network, and wherein said data contents may not be modified by any user client in said network.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 69 words

An apparatus for displaying an audit trail of a document on a display device, said apparatus comprising: means for displaying said document on a first portion of said display device; and means for displaying said audit trail on a second portion of said display device, said audit trail being automatically updated when information relating to transmission of said document from one user to another user in a network changes.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 69 words

An apparatus for displaying an audit trail of a document on a display device, said apparatus comprising: means for displaying said document on a first portion of said display device; and means for displaying said audit trail on a second portion of said display device, said audit trail being automatically updated when information relating to transmission of said document from one user to another user in a network changes.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 87 words

The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising: means for storing in a first data field in said audit trail, data specifying a first user, said first user causing said document to be transmitted to a second user over said network; means for storing in a second data field in said audit trail, data specifying said second user; and means for storing in a third data field in said audit trail, data specifying any action taken with regard to said document by said first or second user.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 46 words

The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said document comprises a database object, said database object comprising a database form description file, and a data file, said data file comprising data entered by said first user into a form described by said database form description file.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 72 words

The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said audit trail comprises a data array containing: user data specifying said first user and any other user in said network to which said document has been transmitted; and action data specifying said any activity taken on said document by a corresponding user of said document, and wherein said user data and corresponding action data is stored in said data array in a predetermined order.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 81 words

A user interface for display on a computer, said user interface comprising: a first display area containing a document capable of being transmitted between a first user and a second user in a computer network; and a second display area containing an audit trail, said audit trail comprising data relating to identification of senders and receivers of said document, and data relating to any activity undertaken by any of said senders and receivers of said document in relation to said document.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 81 words

A user interface for display on a computer, said user interface comprising: a first display area containing a document capable of being transmitted between a first user and a second user in a computer network; and a second display area containing an audit trail, said audit trail comprising data relating to identification of senders and receivers of said document, and data relating to any activity undertaken by any of said senders and receivers of said document in relation to said document.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 39 words

The user interface according to claim 15 wherein said audit trail is displayed as a transmission history presented as a chronological log listing the identity of users in said network in the order in which they receive said document.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 32 words

The user interface according to claim 16 wherein said audit trail is automatically updated when information relating to transmission of said document from one user to another user in said network changes.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 83 words

An article of manufacture embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine, said program of instructions including instructions for: displaying a document on a first portion of a display device, said document capable of being transmitted from one computer to another computer in a network; and displaying an audit trail on a second portion of said display device; and automatically updating said audit trail when information relating to transmission of said document from one user to another user in said network changes.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 83 words

An article of manufacture embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine, said program of instructions including instructions for: displaying a document on a first portion of a display device, said document capable of being transmitted from one computer to another computer in a network; and displaying an audit trail on a second portion of said display device; and automatically updating said audit trail when information relating to transmission of said document from one user to another user in said network changes.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 85 words

The article of manufacture according to claim 18 further including instructions for: storing in a first data field in said audit trail, data specifying a first user, said first user causing said document to be transmitted to a second user over said network; storing in a second data field in said audit trail, data specifying said second user; and storing in a third data field in said audit trail, data specifying and action taken with regard to said document by said first or second user.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2003-05-30	2003-11-29	2004-05-30	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2007-05-30	2007-11-29	2008-05-30	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2011-05-30	2011-11-29	2012-05-30	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Database forms with attached audit history

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