Patent JPS63252453A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6182124B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6182124B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Token-based deadline enforcement system for electronic document submission
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1998-06-10
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Granted: 2001-01-30
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Expires: 2018-06-10
Abstract
Abstract In a token-based deadline enforcement system for electronic document submission, a submission requirements centre collects information on submission requirements (eg., deadlines for submitting bids in response to commercial tenders), from the processing environments that generate the requirements. A gateway to a network of potential submitters polls the information collected in the submission requirements centre, and generates tokens corresponding to current submission time limits. These tokens are available to all potential submitters until expiry of the corresponding time limit for the submission. On receiving a request for electronic submission from a submitting program, the gateway searches its records for the token corresponding to the submission type. If the token is located, it is returned to the submitting program for packaging with the submission. If the token is not located, an electronic message, such as an error flag, is returned to the submitting program, and the submitter knows immediately that the submission did not meet the deadline. When a submission packaged with a valid token is received at the gateway, it can be routed directly to the processing environment that generated the submission requirement. The valid token provides an on-time validity check; the receiving processing environment does not have to check the submission as it arrives to ensure that it has been filed on time, but can delay processing to a convenient time, to verify compliance with substantive requirements for filing the submission. This scheme provides the submitter with immediate feedback whether the submission has been accepted for filing within the deadline. Possible performance problems in trying to process “time of filing” for a large number of submissions filed virtually simultaneously as the submission deadline draws near, are avoided. Also, the submitter is saved network access costs in waiting for a verification of filing to be returned.
Inventors
- 👤 Terence Chun-Yat Lau
- 👤 Jimmy Lo
- 👤 Lev Mirlas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/06; G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/08; G06Q10/087; G06Q40/00; G06Q40/04; H04L67/50; H04L67/60; H04L67/62; H04L67/63; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L69/00; H04L69/28; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for enforcing time limits in an electronic filing system, comprising: generating a token corresponding to a current submission time limit and maintaining said token until expiry of the time limit; and on receiving a request for perrnission to submit an electronic submission from a submitting program, searching for the token and, if the token is located, returning the token to the submitting program for packaging with the submission, else, returning an electronic message to the submitting program.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for enforcing time limits in an electronic filing system, comprising: generating a token corresponding to a current submission time limit and maintaining said token until expiry of the time limit; and on receiving a request for perrnission to submit an electronic submission from a submitting program, searching for the token and, if the token is located, returning the token to the submitting program for packaging with the submission, else, returning an electronic message to the submitting program.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising: on receiving the electronic submission packaged with the token from the submitting program, routing said electronic submission packaged with the token to a processing environment setting the current submission time limit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising: on receiving the electronic submission packaged with the token from the submitting program, verifying validity of the token and, if valid, routing said electronic submission packaged with the token to a processing environment setting the current submission time limit, else, returning an error message to the submitting program.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the step of verifying validity of the token comprises verifying non-expiry of the time limit as extended by any associated grace period.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the step of generating and maintaining the token comprises obtaining notification of expiry of the time limit, the method further comprising scheduling a process to delete the token on expiry of the time limit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein in the step of searching for the token, returning an electronic message to the submitting program comprises returning an error flag to the submitting program.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein in the step of searching for the token, returning an electronic message to the submitting program comprises returning the submission to the program without the token.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
98 words
In a network, a gateway mechanism for enforcing time limits for filing electronic submissions, comprising: means for receiving information related to a submission time limit from a submission processing environment and for generating a token corresponding thereto, said token being accessible to all potential submitters under the submission time limit; means for forwarding the token to a submitter in response to a submission filed within the submission time limit; means for removing access to the token on expiry of the submission time limit; and means for routing a submission packaged with the token to the submission processing environment.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
98 words
In a network, a gateway mechanism for enforcing time limits for filing electronic submissions, comprising: means for receiving information related to a submission time limit from a submission processing environment and for generating a token corresponding thereto, said token being accessible to all potential submitters under the submission time limit; means for forwarding the token to a submitter in response to a submission filed within the submission time limit; means for removing access to the token on expiry of the submission time limit; and means for routing a submission packaged with the token to the submission processing environment.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
The mechanism, according to claim 8 , wherein the means for receiving information related to a time limit from a submission processing environment comprises: a submission repository adapted to receive information related to current submission requirements from the submission processing environment; and means to poll the submission repository to update the submission time limit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The mechanism, according to claim 8 , wherein the means for removing access to the token on expiry of the submission deadline comprises means for deleting the token on expiry of the time limit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
The mechanism, according to claim 10 , wherein the means for generating the token further comprise creating a record for the token in the gateway mechanism, and wherein the means for deleting the token further comprise means for deactivating the record for the token on expiry of a grace period after expiry of the time limit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
The mechanism, according to claim 8 , wherein the means for removing access to the token on expiry of the submission deadline comprises means for returning an error message in response to submissions filed after the submission time limit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
57 words
The mechanism, according to claim 8 , wherein the means for routing a submission packaged with a token to the submission processing environment further comprises: means for verifying the validity of the token; and if the token is invalid, means for aborting a route of the submission processing environment and returning an error message to the submitter.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
72 words
The mechanism, according to claim 13 , wherein the means for routing a submission packaged with a token to the submission processing environment further comprises: means to compare the submission with the token to match the submission with the information related to the time limit; and if no match is found, means for aborting a route of the submission to the submission processing environment and returning an error message to the submitter.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
121 words
A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for enforcing time limits in an electronic filing system, the computer readable program product comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate a token corresponding to a current submission time limit and to maintain said token until expiry of the time limit; and computer readable program code means for causing the computer to search for the token on receiving an electronic submission from a submitting program, and, if the token is located, for causing the computer to return the token to the submitting program for packaging with the submission, or else, to return an electronic message to the submitting program.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
121 words
A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for enforcing time limits in an electronic filing system, the computer readable program product comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate a token corresponding to a current submission time limit and to maintain said token until expiry of the time limit; and computer readable program code means for causing the computer to search for the token on receiving an electronic submission from a submitting program, and, if the token is located, for causing the computer to return the token to the submitting program for packaging with the submission, or else, to return an electronic message to the submitting program.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-01-30 | 2004-07-31 | 2005-01-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-01-30 | 2008-07-31 | 2009-01-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-01-30 | 2012-07-31 | 2013-01-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |