CA2796490A1 - System and method of collecting and exchanging electronic documents - Google Patents
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- CA2796490A1 CA2796490A1 CA2796490A CA2796490A CA2796490A1 CA 2796490 A1 CA2796490 A1 CA 2796490A1 CA 2796490 A CA2796490 A CA 2796490A CA 2796490 A CA2796490 A CA 2796490A CA 2796490 A1 CA2796490 A1 CA 2796490A1
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Abstract
A system and method of collecting and exchanging electronic documents comprises a server and a database to which a first user can upload electronic documents and/or electronic copies of documents via one or more input devices, such as smartphones, digital cameras, desktop computers with scanners, dedicated kiosks, etc. The server stores the submitted documents in the database and creates a ledger of the submitted documents evidencing what was submitted and when. The ledger and copies of the documents are provided, from time to time, to at least a second user associated with the first user, providing the second user with access to the submitted documents and evidencing when the submitted documents were made available to the second user.
Description
vetern and Method of Collecting and Exchanging Electronic Documents [0001] The present invention claims priority from US provisional patent application serial number 61/562,523, filed November 22, 2011 and the contents of this application are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference.
[0002] The present invention relates to electronic document storage and exchange systems and In particular to systems and methods for collecting and exchanging electronic documents.
(0003] One unfortunate reality in life is that some marriages and social unions do not last. In many countries, operation of law or conscience imposes obligations on the persons In such unions even after the break-up. These obligations could be financial such as spousal support, equalization payrnents, child support, and so on. In addition to financial support, some jurisdictions may require that the ex-partners exchange up-to-date financial and other information periodically so as to facilitate a more equitable allocation of resources between the partners.
[0004] To further complicate matters, the dissolution of many marriages and social unions are often emotional and sometimes acrimonious. This makes it difficult for the parties involved in the proceeding to communicate with each other, which in turn makes it more onerous for the parties to meet their legally Imposed obligations. For example, an ex-wife who is not on speaking terms with tier ex-husband may find it emotionally challenging to contact her ex-husband to ask for reimbursement of expenses related to their children.
[0005] In some cases, it may also be necessary under the law for the parties to maintain records of documents to account for various types of expenses. For example, the custodial parent may be required to maintain receipts for expenses related to the children to obtain reimbursements thereof from the other parent. Typically, each party to a severed union will be forced to collect up their relevant documents, photocopy them and to manually prepare a ledger of the collected documents and their financial total and to then deliver the copies and ledger to the other party from the ex-union. Even when such tasks are appropriately and diligently performed by one party, evidentiary issues may arise as the other party may dispute their receipt of the documents and/or the time of their delivery.
[0006] Generally, it may be difficult for a person, for one reason or another, to keep records of such documents. Furthermore, it may be time consuming to manually track and prepare a ledger of such records that is in the condition to be submitted before the courts and it can be difficult to evidence the timely submission of such a ledger and records to the ex-partner.
[0007] Similar requirements exist for many other types of legal disputes and similar and other issues may result in it being hard for the parties Involved to effectively collect and exchange such documents.
[0ON] Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for collecting and exchanging electronic documents and evidencing the documents that have been exchanged and when they were exchanged.
[0009] It Is an object of the present invention to provide a novel system and method of collecting and exchanging electronic documents which obviates or Mitigates at least one disadvantage of the prior art.
[0010] Preferably, the system and method also evidences the documents that have been exchanged and when they were exchanged.
[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for collecting and exchanging electronic documents between at least two users, comprising: a computer server connected to, and accessible from, a data communications network; a database communicating with the computer server and operable to store: definitions of accounts for the at least two users of the system, the definitions including the identity of the respective user, a user identifier for the respective user, a password for the respective user and one or more user identifiers of other users whom the respective user is associated with; and electronic documents submitted by a user and metadata related to the submitted documents and to store a time and date when the document was submitted to the database; the computer server operable to receive and store copies of electronic documents submitted by a first user through the data communications network and metadata related to the submitted documents and to provide notice of the receipt of the copies of the electronic documents to at least one of the other users associated with the user, the computer server further operable to provide copies of the electronic documents to the at least one other user upon request.
[0012] Preferably, the computer server is further operable to create a ledger of the copies of documents submitted by a user, the ledger including metadata produced by the computer server. Also preferably, the system further Includes at least one device associated with a user, the device being operable to communicate with the computer server via the data communications network and being further operable to create an electronic copy of a document to be submitted to the computer server. Also preferably, the metadata further includes a record of when the at least one user is provided with access to the electronic copies of the documents. Also preferably, the server is further operable to inform the at least one user when copies of documents are added to the database by the first user.
(0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of collecting and exchanging electronic documents between at least two users, comprising the steps of: establishing at a server an account for a first user; establishing at the server an account for a second user and associating that account with the account for the first user; receiving from the first user electronic copies of at least one document at the server and storing the electronic copies in a database along with metadata for the received electronic copies; allowing the second user to receive copies of the electronic copies and . .
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the associated metadata; updating the metadata in the database to indicate when the second user has received copies of the electronic documents.
[0014] Preferably, the method further comprises the step of notifying the second user when the first user has provided at least one electronic copy of a document.
[0015] According to some aspects, there is provided an information collection and exchange system comprising at least one data storage device having a first user identifier and a second user identifier, the first user identifier being associated with the second user identifier and at least one processor coupled to the data storage device. The at least one processor configured to õ.
receive a plurality of electronic documents from at least one electronic device, the plurality of electronic documents being associated with the first user identifier, =
and store the electronic documents in the data storage device. The at least one processor is further configured to receive at least one request for one or more of the electronic documents from an electronic device associated with the second :1;11111 user identifier, and to provide the one or more of the electronic documents to the electronic device associated with the second user identifier.
mstAtm, [0015] According to some aspects, the electronic documents includes support payment related information and the at least one processor is further configured to generate metadata including support payment related information.
[0017] According to some aspects, the processor is further configured to generate ledger Indicative of the electronic documents provided by at least one of the first user identifier and the second user Identifier.
[0018] According to some aspects, the processor is further configured to facilitate financial payments between at least one of the first user Identifier and the second user identifier to other of the first user identifier arid the second user Identifier.
[0019] According to some aspects, the first user identifier is one of a support provider identifier and a support receiver Identifier, and the second user identifier is other of the support provider identifier and the support receiver Identifier.
[0020] According to some aspects, the processor is further configured to determine suggested electronic documents for submission for at least one of the support receiver Identifier and the support provider identifier.
[0021] According to some aspects, the processor is configured to determine suggested electronic documents based upon jurisdiction of a support order.
[0022] According to some aspects, the processor is configured to determine suggested electronic documents based upon user input.
[0023] According to some aspects, the processor is further configured to :r:471:Age =EgNAFT:.
compare the received electronic documents against the suggested electronic documents to determine..whether..:.additional.
electrenic....docurnentsõshoyid:....be...A004 :Walt provided. iiiik,Pagnittp.
:
[0024] According to some aspects, when it Is determined that additional electronic documents should be provided, the processor being further configured to send an alert to at least one of the first user identifier and the second user identifier indicating that additional electronic documents should be provided.
[0025] According to other aspects, there Is provided a method for exchanging support payment related information including receiving a plurality of electronic documents from at least one electronic device connected to the network wherein the plurality of electronic documents are associated with the first user identifier, storing the electronic documents in the data storage device, receiving at least one request for one or more of the electronic documents from an electronic device associated with the second user identifier, and to provide the one or more of the electronic documents to the electronic device associated with the second user identifier.
Brief Description of the Drawinos [0026]
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an information exchange system in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exemplary web page that is provided by the system of Figure 1;
system of Figure 1; :=:40,00.4000imoim::00:4*.=,iiiii*:.:,;:iio*.0 00,%:;4404ii,i4i=,.*:,440.3.,T.Ipam Figure 3 is another exemplary web page that is provided by the -E*,.,,26.K.VA0 :
system of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the ']=:41.1;440,..,:...:?...=
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Figure 6 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the =
Figure 7 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the = == = = =
system of Figure 1;
Figure 8 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the system of Figure 1;
Figure 9 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the system of Figure 1; and Figure 10 is flowchart of a method for collecting and exchanging electronic documents in accordance with the present invention.
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[00271 For simplicity and clarity of Illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures herein to Indicate corresponding or analogous elements or steps. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth In order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described In detail so as not to obscure the embodiments generally described herein.
Furthermore, this description is not to be considered as !Milting the scope of the embodiments described herein in any way, but rather as merely describing the implementation of various embodiments as described.
[0029]
In some cases, the embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of both. In some cases, embodiments may be implemented in one or more computer programs executing on one or more programmable computing devices comprising at least one processor, a data storage device (including in some cases volatile and non-volatile memory and/or data storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device.
[0030]
In some embodiments, each program may be implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programming and/or scripting language to communicate with a computer system. However, the programs can be implemented In assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language.
[0031]
In some embodiments, the systems and methods as described herein may also be implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured with a computer program, wherein the storage medium so
[0ON] Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for collecting and exchanging electronic documents and evidencing the documents that have been exchanged and when they were exchanged.
[0009] It Is an object of the present invention to provide a novel system and method of collecting and exchanging electronic documents which obviates or Mitigates at least one disadvantage of the prior art.
[0010] Preferably, the system and method also evidences the documents that have been exchanged and when they were exchanged.
[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for collecting and exchanging electronic documents between at least two users, comprising: a computer server connected to, and accessible from, a data communications network; a database communicating with the computer server and operable to store: definitions of accounts for the at least two users of the system, the definitions including the identity of the respective user, a user identifier for the respective user, a password for the respective user and one or more user identifiers of other users whom the respective user is associated with; and electronic documents submitted by a user and metadata related to the submitted documents and to store a time and date when the document was submitted to the database; the computer server operable to receive and store copies of electronic documents submitted by a first user through the data communications network and metadata related to the submitted documents and to provide notice of the receipt of the copies of the electronic documents to at least one of the other users associated with the user, the computer server further operable to provide copies of the electronic documents to the at least one other user upon request.
[0012] Preferably, the computer server is further operable to create a ledger of the copies of documents submitted by a user, the ledger including metadata produced by the computer server. Also preferably, the system further Includes at least one device associated with a user, the device being operable to communicate with the computer server via the data communications network and being further operable to create an electronic copy of a document to be submitted to the computer server. Also preferably, the metadata further includes a record of when the at least one user is provided with access to the electronic copies of the documents. Also preferably, the server is further operable to inform the at least one user when copies of documents are added to the database by the first user.
(0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of collecting and exchanging electronic documents between at least two users, comprising the steps of: establishing at a server an account for a first user; establishing at the server an account for a second user and associating that account with the account for the first user; receiving from the first user electronic copies of at least one document at the server and storing the electronic copies in a database along with metadata for the received electronic copies; allowing the second user to receive copies of the electronic copies and . .
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the associated metadata; updating the metadata in the database to indicate when the second user has received copies of the electronic documents.
[0014] Preferably, the method further comprises the step of notifying the second user when the first user has provided at least one electronic copy of a document.
[0015] According to some aspects, there is provided an information collection and exchange system comprising at least one data storage device having a first user identifier and a second user identifier, the first user identifier being associated with the second user identifier and at least one processor coupled to the data storage device. The at least one processor configured to õ.
receive a plurality of electronic documents from at least one electronic device, the plurality of electronic documents being associated with the first user identifier, =
and store the electronic documents in the data storage device. The at least one processor is further configured to receive at least one request for one or more of the electronic documents from an electronic device associated with the second :1;11111 user identifier, and to provide the one or more of the electronic documents to the electronic device associated with the second user identifier.
mstAtm, [0015] According to some aspects, the electronic documents includes support payment related information and the at least one processor is further configured to generate metadata including support payment related information.
[0017] According to some aspects, the processor is further configured to generate ledger Indicative of the electronic documents provided by at least one of the first user identifier and the second user Identifier.
[0018] According to some aspects, the processor is further configured to facilitate financial payments between at least one of the first user Identifier and the second user identifier to other of the first user identifier arid the second user Identifier.
[0019] According to some aspects, the first user identifier is one of a support provider identifier and a support receiver Identifier, and the second user identifier is other of the support provider identifier and the support receiver Identifier.
[0020] According to some aspects, the processor is further configured to determine suggested electronic documents for submission for at least one of the support receiver Identifier and the support provider identifier.
[0021] According to some aspects, the processor is configured to determine suggested electronic documents based upon jurisdiction of a support order.
[0022] According to some aspects, the processor is configured to determine suggested electronic documents based upon user input.
[0023] According to some aspects, the processor is further configured to :r:471:Age =EgNAFT:.
compare the received electronic documents against the suggested electronic documents to determine..whether..:.additional.
electrenic....docurnentsõshoyid:....be...A004 :Walt provided. iiiik,Pagnittp.
:
[0024] According to some aspects, when it Is determined that additional electronic documents should be provided, the processor being further configured to send an alert to at least one of the first user identifier and the second user identifier indicating that additional electronic documents should be provided.
[0025] According to other aspects, there Is provided a method for exchanging support payment related information including receiving a plurality of electronic documents from at least one electronic device connected to the network wherein the plurality of electronic documents are associated with the first user identifier, storing the electronic documents in the data storage device, receiving at least one request for one or more of the electronic documents from an electronic device associated with the second user identifier, and to provide the one or more of the electronic documents to the electronic device associated with the second user identifier.
Brief Description of the Drawinos [0026]
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an information exchange system in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exemplary web page that is provided by the system of Figure 1;
system of Figure 1; :=:40,00.4000imoim::00:4*.=,iiiii*:.:,;:iio*.0 00,%:;4404ii,i4i=,.*:,440.3.,T.Ipam Figure 3 is another exemplary web page that is provided by the -E*,.,,26.K.VA0 :
system of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the ']=:41.1;440,..,:...:?...=
= = = :
"
....
.:ANOINW-t=
system of Figure 1;
Figure 6 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the =
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system of Figure 1;
Figure 6 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the =
Figure 7 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the = == = = =
system of Figure 1;
Figure 8 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the system of Figure 1;
Figure 9 is yet another exemplary web page that is provided by the system of Figure 1; and Figure 10 is flowchart of a method for collecting and exchanging electronic documents in accordance with the present invention.
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[00271 For simplicity and clarity of Illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures herein to Indicate corresponding or analogous elements or steps. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth In order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described In detail so as not to obscure the embodiments generally described herein.
Furthermore, this description is not to be considered as !Milting the scope of the embodiments described herein in any way, but rather as merely describing the implementation of various embodiments as described.
[0029]
In some cases, the embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of both. In some cases, embodiments may be implemented in one or more computer programs executing on one or more programmable computing devices comprising at least one processor, a data storage device (including in some cases volatile and non-volatile memory and/or data storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device.
[0030]
In some embodiments, each program may be implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programming and/or scripting language to communicate with a computer system. However, the programs can be implemented In assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language.
[0031]
In some embodiments, the systems and methods as described herein may also be implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured with a computer program, wherein the storage medium so
- 8 -configured causes a computer to operate in a specific and predefined manner to perform at least some of the functions as described herein.
(00321 Referring now to Figure 1, Illustrated therein is a system 10 for facilitating the collection and exchange of electronic documents, such as support payment related documents or other documents of interest to a legal dispute, between two or more users (hereinafter "user pairs"). Each user pair may Include, for example, a support payment recipient and a support payment provider and while such terms are used herein, it Is also contemplated that the support payment recipient and support payment provider roles may be exchanged, from time to time, between the user pairs. Other examples of users Include, without limitation, plantiffs and defendants in other legal actions, etc.
The system 10 facilitates the collection and exchange of Information between the users without requiring direct contact between the parties.
(00331 The system 10 comprises at least one server 12, which Includes a processor operatively coupled to a database 14. Database 14 can be a process executing on server 12, or can be a separate device executing a database program, etc. Server 12 is also in data communication with a network 16, such as the Internet, or other network.
[0034) A user 11a who wishes to collect and exchange information, for example as either as the support payment provider or the recipient, may access server 12 to create a user account. The user account may include account Information such as a user identifier, passcode, contact information, and the status of the user, i.e. - whether the user is a support payment provider, recipient or both. The account information may also Include contact information for the other party 11b from the user pair, It is also contemplated that, in other circumstances, the user accounts may be created by a third party, such as a lawyer or government entity involved in a dispute between the user pairs. In such case, the third party will provide set up the user account, or accounts, and provide relevant information to the individual users.
(00321 Referring now to Figure 1, Illustrated therein is a system 10 for facilitating the collection and exchange of electronic documents, such as support payment related documents or other documents of interest to a legal dispute, between two or more users (hereinafter "user pairs"). Each user pair may Include, for example, a support payment recipient and a support payment provider and while such terms are used herein, it Is also contemplated that the support payment recipient and support payment provider roles may be exchanged, from time to time, between the user pairs. Other examples of users Include, without limitation, plantiffs and defendants in other legal actions, etc.
The system 10 facilitates the collection and exchange of Information between the users without requiring direct contact between the parties.
(00331 The system 10 comprises at least one server 12, which Includes a processor operatively coupled to a database 14. Database 14 can be a process executing on server 12, or can be a separate device executing a database program, etc. Server 12 is also in data communication with a network 16, such as the Internet, or other network.
[0034) A user 11a who wishes to collect and exchange information, for example as either as the support payment provider or the recipient, may access server 12 to create a user account. The user account may include account Information such as a user identifier, passcode, contact information, and the status of the user, i.e. - whether the user is a support payment provider, recipient or both. The account information may also Include contact information for the other party 11b from the user pair, It is also contemplated that, in other circumstances, the user accounts may be created by a third party, such as a lawyer or government entity involved in a dispute between the user pairs. In such case, the third party will provide set up the user account, or accounts, and provide relevant information to the individual users.
- 9 -[0035] Upon creation of a first account (e.g. - user 11a), the server 12 may be configured to send a customized invitation to the other party (e.g. user 11 b) to invite him/her to create an account or to inform him of the relevant details of the account set up for him. If necessary, the other party may access server 12 to create or complete the creation of a user account.
[0036] Once the accounts for both users are created, the server 12 may associate the user identifiers for the parties to create a user-pairing between the parties. In some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to create the user-pairing automatically based upon the information contained in the customized invitation or elsewhere. For example, the customized invitation may Include a unique code that links the invitation to the user identifier sending the Invitation. In other embodiments, the association between the user identifiers may be conducted upon confirmation by the users that their user accounts should be linked.
(0037] Generally, a user-pair would comprise the two sides of a legal action or circumstance, such as a support payment provider user identifier and a support payment receiver user identifier. In such a case, the support payment provider identifier is associated with the user who is obligated to provide support payments to the user associated with the support payment receiver user identifier.
[0038] After the user accounts are created, one or more of the users may then transmit one or more relevant electronic documents to the server 12. Such electronic documents can be electronic files having information about "hard-copy"
paper documents (e.g. a scan of a paper document) and/or electronic documents that are generated using the device based upon user input that do not have a paper hardcopy counterpart (e.g. a file having information about an expense amount that is generated by one of the users manually inputting the Information into the device).
[0036] Once the accounts for both users are created, the server 12 may associate the user identifiers for the parties to create a user-pairing between the parties. In some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to create the user-pairing automatically based upon the information contained in the customized invitation or elsewhere. For example, the customized invitation may Include a unique code that links the invitation to the user identifier sending the Invitation. In other embodiments, the association between the user identifiers may be conducted upon confirmation by the users that their user accounts should be linked.
(0037] Generally, a user-pair would comprise the two sides of a legal action or circumstance, such as a support payment provider user identifier and a support payment receiver user identifier. In such a case, the support payment provider identifier is associated with the user who is obligated to provide support payments to the user associated with the support payment receiver user identifier.
[0038] After the user accounts are created, one or more of the users may then transmit one or more relevant electronic documents to the server 12. Such electronic documents can be electronic files having information about "hard-copy"
paper documents (e.g. a scan of a paper document) and/or electronic documents that are generated using the device based upon user input that do not have a paper hardcopy counterpart (e.g. a file having information about an expense amount that is generated by one of the users manually inputting the Information into the device).
- 10 -[00391 The users may access one or more electronic devices 18a, 18b to transmit such electronic documents to the server. In other words, the server 12 is configured to receive electronic documents from one or more various electronic devices 18a, 18b, which are in data communication with the server 12 through the network 16.
[0040] The electronic devices 18a, 18b may Include portable electronic devices that have gained widespread use and may provide a variety of functions including, for example, telephonic, electronic text messaging and other personal information manager (PIM) application functions. Portable electronic devices can Include several types of devices including mobile stations such as smart phones 20a, 20b, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) 22a, 22b, tablet computers 24a, 24b and laptop computers 26a, 26b.
10041] A variety of commercial software solutions are available to assist in the process of capturing/scanning various documents with the cameras in sMartphones and the like and the prevalence and low costs associated with such smartphone devices allow a wide range of users to use system 10 without undue difficultly.
(0042] In addition to the portable electronic devices, the server 12 may also be configured to receive electronic documents from other electronic devices 18a, 18b such as a computer terminal or a desktop computer 28a, 28b. It is also contemplated that, in the case of government-driven programs such as Ontario's Family Responsibility Office program, electronic device 18 can include dedicated kiosks which are provided by the government at convenient locations and at which users without access to devices 20 through 28 may scan and upload their relevant documents.
[0043] The electronic devices 18a and 18b may be configured to obtain support payment related electronic documents from the users in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, as mentioned above, the electronic device 18a and ' 11-18b may be configured to generate electronic documents using Imaging devices coupled to the electronic device. The imaging devices, for example, may include on-device cameras, external cameras, scanners, and so on. For example, these devices may be used to capture an image of a receipt of payment or any other document that could be provided to the server 12.
[0044] In some embodiments, the electronic devices 18a and 18b may generate electronic documents based upon user input via an on-device application. For example, the electronic device 18a and 18b may be configured to provide an application which allows the user to input expenses or other Information, which in turn is used to generate electronic documents that are transmitted to the server 12. Various forms of the application may be provided in various operating systems. For example, the application may be applications executable by operating systems provided by Apple Inc. (IOS), Googie Inc.
(Android), or Research in Motion Inc. (Blackberry OS) which are found on many smart phones.
[0045] In some embodiments, the electronic documents may be provided to the server 12 via a web interface. That Is, the user may access a web page provided by the server 12 and may login in and upload electronic documents to the server 12. Some exemplary web pages that may be provided by the server 12 are depicted in Figures 2 ¨ 9 and described herein below. In some embodiments, the electronic devices 18a and 18b and the server 12 may be configured to encrypt information prior to transmittal.
[0046] The server 12 may be configured to receive the electronic documents in various formats. For example, the server 12 may be configured to receive the electronic documents as image files (e.g. JPEG, TIFF, BITMAP), as documents (e.g. RTF, TXT, DOC, PD F), or any of many other types of electronic documents.
[1:1047] In some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to convert the format of and/or compress the received electronic documents. For example, If the received document is over a threshold size, the server 12 may be configured to compress the document or change the format of the document so as to reduce the size of the electronic files relating to the received electronic documents.
[0048] In support disputes and/or circumstances, the received electronic documents are generally electronic documents relating to marital or child support obligations. For example, the electronic documents may include expense receipts, court-ordered information, annual Income updates such as Income tax filings, and so on. In other disputes or circumstances, the documents can be any of a wide range of documents, including property receipts or deeds, records of correspondence and/or emails, contracts or agreements, legal documents such as pleadings and/or affidavits, etc.
(0049) The received electronic documents are stored in the database 14.
Database 14 can be database management software (e.g. relational database management system software) and/or a document management system and can include versioning controls such that changes to any document stored in database 14 can be identified and a record Is maintained of when the documents were first stored and when any subsequent changes to them occurred. In some embodiments, the database 14 may be a distributed (1Ø "cloud-based") data storage service.
[0050] The received electronic documents are associated with the user Identifier that transmitted the document. In some embodiments, these electronic documents may be made available to the other user identifier in the user-pair automatically. In other embodiments, there may be permission information associated with the electronic documents. The permission information may identify which user identifiers should be granted access and what type or level of access should be granted. For example, the permission information associated with a document may provide read-Only access to some electronic documents, while providing full access (read, modify, delete) access to other electronic documents.
[0051] In some embodiments, the level or the type of access granted may be based on the user identifier accessing the document. For example, the user identifier associated with uploading of the document may be provided with delete access while the user identifier which did not upload the document may only be grated read-only access.
[0062] in some embodiments, the permission information associated with electronic documents may be defined on a macro level. For example, the permission may be defined on a user-identifier level instead of per-document level. In other cases, a selected user identifier may be granted access to all electronic documents received by the server 12 from another user identifier.
This can reduce the need for micromanaging permission details for each document.
[0053] In addition to the document, the server 12 may also be configured to receive and/or generate metadata about one or more of the electronic documents. The metadata may include information such as a title of the document, a date and time when the document was received at the server 12, a brief description of the document and so on. Furthermore, the metadata may Include support payment related metadata such as an amount of an expense and how that expense should be split between the support payment provider and the support payment receiver. Furthermore, there may be metadata relating to Indicate a particular type of support payment related document such as an Income report, an expense report, or other legally obligated disclosure.
[0054] in some embodiments, the support payment metadata for the electronic documents may be determined based on a jurisdiction associated with the user identifier transmitting the document. For example, a majority of court orders in Canada and United States contain clauses which require the parties to annually exchange tax information and special expense details for child support . . .
= :
:.= =
purposes based on applicable legislation. The support payment metadata may include information about whether the electronic documents that are being received include tax information and/or information about special expenses.
(00551 The server 12 is configured to receive requests for the electronic documents and/or metadata about the electronic documents that are stored in database 14, Prior to granting access to such data, the server 12 may be configured to require that the electronic device 18 sending such a request to provide a user identifier and a password to authenticate the user. Upon successful authentication, the sever 12 will provide access or deny access to the requested data based upon permission information associated with the electronic documents and or the user identifier requesting access.
[0056] In some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to analyze the received electronic documents and determine whether such received electronic documents are compliant with legally obligated requirements for that type of user identifier (e.g. support payment provider identifier or the support payment recipient identifier). This may be implemented by generating a customized checklist associated with the user identifier. For example, if a support payment recipient identifier is obligated to report income and expenses at least once a year, the server 12 could be configured to determine whether electronic documents relating to these reports have been provided, prior to a predefined deadline, for the year. The server 12 may determine this based upon the electronic documents received from the user identifier or metadata associated with the electronic documents received from the user identifier.
[0067] In some embodiments, a suggested list of electronic documents that should be exchanged between the parties can be determined based upon category information associated with the user identifier. For example, the suggested list of electronic documents may be determined based upon the venue for the action (i.e. - the state or provincial legislation which applies to the dispute between the users), whether the user identifier is a support payment provider identifier or the support payment recipient Identifier, etc. In some embodiments, the user may indicate to the server 12 that he or she wishes to meet obligations Imposed by one or more parts of relevant legislation.
[0058] For example, the user may provide input indicating that the user Identifier he or she had created should be associated with Ontario legal framework relating to support payments, This may be further refined by selecting particular provisions in the legislation that the user identifier may be associated with. This can be particularly helpful when the user account is set up by, or with the assistance of a lawyer and/or paralegal. This may be particularly helpful to legally unsophisticated users who may have difficulty understanding their obligations under the law.
[00591 In some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to receive electronic documents including information about a court order which imposes certain information exchange or payment obligations. The server 12 may be configured to determine the electronic documents necessary to discharge the obligations based upon the court order and implement a suggest list of such electronic documents associated with the user identifier.
(0060] In some embodiments, the suggested list of electronic documents may be generated based upon Input from a third party (e.g. an administrator, paralegal, lawyer). That Is, when the court order is initially submitted, the court order may be reviewed by the third party and a customized suggested list of electronic documents for the user may be generated based upon input by the third party.
[0061] in some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to generate the suggested list of electronic documents based upon Information contained in the received document.
[0062] In some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to generate reminders based upon the suggested list of electronic documents. For example, if server determines that certain electronic documents on the document checklist have not been received for a given user Identifier, the server 12 may be configured generate a reminder and send it to the contact information associated with that user identifier, for example by sending a reminder email or SMS text message (or equivalent) to the user.
[00631 in some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to generate alerts to notify users when a document has been uploaded and or accessed. For example, when a document Is uploaded, an alert may be sent out to the contact information associated with the user Identifier that did not upload the document in the user-pair to notify him/her that a document has been uploaded for his/her review.
[0064] Alerts and reminders may be provided to the electronic devices 18 associated with the user. For example, alerts and reminders may be sent via text messaging, emails, automated phone calls and so on.
MOW In some embodiments, the server 12 may also be configured to facilitate the transfer of funds between the parties. For example, if a user is obligated to provide child support for another user, the user may process settlement of the obligation through the server 12. One advantage of using the server 12 to transfer the funds is that a record of the transaction is automatically generated for future reference and evidentiary purposes.
(0066] In some embodiments, the server 12 is configured to generate a summary or a ledger of documents that have been submitted by the user (e.g.
associated with the user identifier). The ledger may be formatted such that it is suitable for submission to an appropriate authority (e.g. formatting, form, etc. is compliant with rules of civil procedure, or court processes). As the server 12 is configured to receive and track electronic documents related with support information, the ledger generated by the server 12 may provide a complete listing of various electronic documents exchanged between the parties. Thus the ledger .....................
may save the users from having to collect and organize various documents relating to their case.
[0067] Referring now to Figures 2 ¨ 9, Illustrated therein are exemplary web pages that may be provided by the server 12 to Implement one or more of the above described features according to some embodiments.
[0068] Figure 2 depicts a web page 40, which is a welcome or a landing page. The web page 40 provides information, generally indicated by reference numeral 42, related to the legal framework relating to family support responsibilities. As shown, the information provided is related to the legal framework in Ontario, Canada. In other examples, information relating to other Jurisdictions may be provided depending on the .geographical location of the electronic devices accessing the web page 40. Figure 2 also includes a section 44, where one of the users may authenticate him/herself to the server by providing a user Identifier and associated password In user identifier field 46 and password field 48, and interacting with the login" button 44.
[0069]
[0070] Referring now to Figure 3, illustrated therein is a web page 50, which is one of the web pages presented to the user after the user has been successfully authenticated via the log-in page 40. The web page 50 provides a summary 52 Indicative of activities associated with the user.
[0071] As shown, the web page 50 also includes additional links 62 which may be used to access various functionalities provided by the server 12. Link 62a is entitled "Information Exchange", link 62b entitled "LEDGER", link 62c entitled "Add Document", link 62d entitled "Messaging"; link 62e entitled "Edit Profile" and link 62f entitled "Log-out".
[0072] Referring now to Figure 4, illustrated therein Is a web page 60, which may be provided when the link 62b is accessed. The web page 60 provides a Ledger including an overview of exemplary electronic documents 70 = 18..
that had been received by the server 12, which are associated with the user Identifier provided via page 400.
[0073] The web page 60 also provides various information (rnetadata) related to the electronic documents 70. As shown, the metadata for each document includes a date 73 when the document was received by the server 12, a title 72, an indication 74 of whether the support payment provider or support payment recipient filed the document. The information provided also includes special expense amount 76 and how that expense Is shared between the support provider 78 and support recipient 80. The title 72 of each document also function as a link to another web page where additional information about that particular document may be obtained.
[0074] The web page 60 also provides filtering options 82, 84 and 86.
The received electronic documents may be filtered by who uploaded the electronic documents 82 and the dates (start date 84, end date 86) when the electronic documents 70 were received at the server 12.
[0075] Referring now to Figure 5, illustrated therein Is a web page 90.
The web page 90 may be provided when one of the entries provided in the web page 60 is selected (for e.g. by clicking on the title 72). The web page 90 provides additional details about entry including a description 96 and a link 98 to download a copy of the electronic document received by the server 12. As shown, the received electronic document is in the PDF format. A user may then download the electronic document by clicking on the link 98 to review the electronic document [0076] Referring now to Figure 6, illustrated therein is a web page 100, which may be provided in response to interaction with the 'Add Document" link 62c. The web page 100 provides an interface 102 through which a user may upload a document to the server 12.
= CA 02796490 2012-11-22 , [0077] The Web page 100 requests that the user provides information (i.e.
the metadata) about the document that is being added. The Information requested include a title 72, and a description 96. The electronic document may be uploaded by selecting it using a file browser tool 100 and selecting an upload command 112.
[0078] it should be noted that one or more aspects of the metadata may also be generated automatically from the document that is being provided. For example, the date the document was received from the user would be submitted automatically.
[0079] it should also be noted that the servers may receive electronic .
documents through interfaces other than a web page interface (for e.g. using apps on smartphones and so on).
[0080] Referring now to Figure 7, illustrated therein is a web page 114 which may be provided by the server 12 when a document is being uploaded to the server 12 via the web page 100. The web page 114 allows the user to review the metadata 116 provided in web page 100 and confirm that he/she wishes to upload the web page. The meta in this example includes, the description 96, expense amount 76, other party share (78 or 80 depending on whether the user Identifier submitting the document is the support payment provider or the support payment recipient).
[0081] Referring now to Figure 8, illustrated therein is a web page 120, which may be provided by the server 12 when the link 62d is being interacted with. The web page 120 shows a messaging system which can be used to facilitate communication between the support provider and the support recipient.
For example, the user can compose and send a new message by interacting with the link 122 entitled "Send New Message". The web page 120 includes Information about messages being received, which are generally indicated by reference numeral 124. The messages may also be filtered using the filtering options generally indicated by reference numeral 126.
[0082] Referring now to Figure 9, illustrated therein is a web page which may be provided when the link 122 is accessed. The web page provides an interface 132 whereby messages may be sent between the support recipient and the support provider. As shown, the interface 132 does not include a "To"
field to input recipient information (e.g. email address of recipient) as the support provider will generally only communicates with support recipient and vice verse.
[0083] As will be apparent to those of skill in the art, while the discussion above has concerned a web-based implementation of the present invention, it is contemplated that other implementations can be provided as desired. For example, in a simple case, the web-pages described above can be re-crafted (functions divided differently amongst pages of the application and/or pages resized) to enhance a user's ability to interact with the system via a smartphone browser which typically has a smaller screen. It is further contemplated that a smartphone application can be provided which provides a dedicated means to access the system and method of the present invention, including an integrated function allowing the capture of images of relevant documents with the camera of the smartphone and their upload to database 14 from within the application.
The design and construction of such an application for a smartphone is well within the normal skills of those of skill in the art and need not be further described herein.
[0084] Various embodiments of the system described herein can be distinguished from other document sharing systems based on a number of grounds. Some of the structural features that distinguish various embodiments from other document sharing systems herein are described below.
[0085] The system and method described herein facilitates exchange of information primarily between parties to a legal dispute, such as a support recipient and a support provider. The embodiments herein are distinguishable from other document sharing systems in that the embodiments herein are optimized for use between two such parties. For example, as described above, when a message is being sent, the server 12 automatically sends the message to the user identifier linked to message sender. That is, It is not necessary to type In the name of the recipient.
[0088] Furthermore, the metadata generated and or collected by the server 12 in association with the electronic documents are also specific to legal disputes. For example, the metadata can include an expense amount and how that expense amount is being divided between the support recipient and the support provider. In another example, the metadata collected may include the type of support related information that is being provided. For example, the metadata may include information about whether a received document Is an Income report, expense report, other kinds of support related payment related Information and so on.
[0087] The server 12 can also function as a centralized location whereby only electronic documents and information related to support payments may be collected. This allows relatively easy organization and archival of documents which may be submitted as evidence for legal proceedings. In some embodiments described herein, a leger including a summary of the documents provided may be generated in a format that is suitable for submission to the appropriate legal authority. Furthermore, having a system that only deals with support payments distinct from other communication systems (e.g. personal email) may allow users to compartmentalize a traumatic event in their lives, which may result in an emotional benefit.
[0088] Some embodiments of the system described herein may also provide relevant legal information based upon the jurisdiction of the support order. Furthermore, some embodiments described herein may also analyze the received electronic documents to determine whether such electronic documents, at least on a prima facie basis, are compliant with given laws. Reminders and or alerts may be provided to the users when it is determined that the received electronic documents are non-compliant.
[0089] Referring now to Figure 10, illustrated therein is a method 150 for according to some embodiments. The method 150 may be executed by a processor such as the at least one processor of the server 12 described above.
The method 150 begins at initialization steps 152, 154 and 156.
[0090] At step 152 a first user identifier is generated. At step 154, a second user identifier is generated. At step 156, the first user identifier is associated with the second user identifier to generate a user-pair. After the first user identifier and the second user identifier are initialized the method proceeds to step 158-166 whereby information exchange between the users are facilitated.
[0091] At step 158, at least one document associated with the first user Identifier is received.
[0092] At step 160, metadata including support payment related metadata is generated for the at least one received document.
[0093] At step 162, the metadata and the received document are stored in a data storage device.
[0094] At step 184, at least one request for the received document is received from an electronic device associated with the second user identifier.
[0095] At step 166, the received document is provided to the electronic device associated with the second user identifier. In some embodiments, security information associated with the received document may be analysed before determining whether to provide the document to the electronic device.
[0096] In addition to steps 158 ¨ 166, the method 150 may also execute one or more steps of method 170 in some embodiments to determine whether an alert requesting addition electronic documents should be generated.
[0097] The method 170 beings at step 172 which may be executed when in between or after the execution of initializations steps 152 ¨ 156. At step 172, metadata about one or more of the user identifiers is generated. The metadata may include information such as whether the user identifier is a support payment provider identifier or a support payment recipient identifier, application legal jurisdiction, applicable legal framework and so on.
[0098] At step 172, a list of suggested electronic documents is generated for one or more of the user identifiers. The list of suggested electronic documents includes information about the types of documents that should be provided to the other user identifier in the user-pair.
[0099] Steps 176 and 178 of the method 170 may be executed after one or more electronic documents are received to determine whether an alert should be generated.
[00100] At step 176 the one or more received electronic documents and associated metadata are compared to the suggested document list to determine whether additional electronic documents should be submitted.
[00101] If it is determined that additional electronic documents should be submitted, the method proceeds to step 178 wherein an alert is generated.
[00102] While the above description provides examples of one or more apparatus, systems and methods, it will be appreciated that other apparatus, systems and methods may be within the scope of the present description as interpreted by one of skill in the art.
[00103] The inventors claim systems and methods having one or more of the elements as generally described herein.
[0040] The electronic devices 18a, 18b may Include portable electronic devices that have gained widespread use and may provide a variety of functions including, for example, telephonic, electronic text messaging and other personal information manager (PIM) application functions. Portable electronic devices can Include several types of devices including mobile stations such as smart phones 20a, 20b, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) 22a, 22b, tablet computers 24a, 24b and laptop computers 26a, 26b.
10041] A variety of commercial software solutions are available to assist in the process of capturing/scanning various documents with the cameras in sMartphones and the like and the prevalence and low costs associated with such smartphone devices allow a wide range of users to use system 10 without undue difficultly.
(0042] In addition to the portable electronic devices, the server 12 may also be configured to receive electronic documents from other electronic devices 18a, 18b such as a computer terminal or a desktop computer 28a, 28b. It is also contemplated that, in the case of government-driven programs such as Ontario's Family Responsibility Office program, electronic device 18 can include dedicated kiosks which are provided by the government at convenient locations and at which users without access to devices 20 through 28 may scan and upload their relevant documents.
[0043] The electronic devices 18a and 18b may be configured to obtain support payment related electronic documents from the users in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, as mentioned above, the electronic device 18a and ' 11-18b may be configured to generate electronic documents using Imaging devices coupled to the electronic device. The imaging devices, for example, may include on-device cameras, external cameras, scanners, and so on. For example, these devices may be used to capture an image of a receipt of payment or any other document that could be provided to the server 12.
[0044] In some embodiments, the electronic devices 18a and 18b may generate electronic documents based upon user input via an on-device application. For example, the electronic device 18a and 18b may be configured to provide an application which allows the user to input expenses or other Information, which in turn is used to generate electronic documents that are transmitted to the server 12. Various forms of the application may be provided in various operating systems. For example, the application may be applications executable by operating systems provided by Apple Inc. (IOS), Googie Inc.
(Android), or Research in Motion Inc. (Blackberry OS) which are found on many smart phones.
[0045] In some embodiments, the electronic documents may be provided to the server 12 via a web interface. That Is, the user may access a web page provided by the server 12 and may login in and upload electronic documents to the server 12. Some exemplary web pages that may be provided by the server 12 are depicted in Figures 2 ¨ 9 and described herein below. In some embodiments, the electronic devices 18a and 18b and the server 12 may be configured to encrypt information prior to transmittal.
[0046] The server 12 may be configured to receive the electronic documents in various formats. For example, the server 12 may be configured to receive the electronic documents as image files (e.g. JPEG, TIFF, BITMAP), as documents (e.g. RTF, TXT, DOC, PD F), or any of many other types of electronic documents.
[1:1047] In some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to convert the format of and/or compress the received electronic documents. For example, If the received document is over a threshold size, the server 12 may be configured to compress the document or change the format of the document so as to reduce the size of the electronic files relating to the received electronic documents.
[0048] In support disputes and/or circumstances, the received electronic documents are generally electronic documents relating to marital or child support obligations. For example, the electronic documents may include expense receipts, court-ordered information, annual Income updates such as Income tax filings, and so on. In other disputes or circumstances, the documents can be any of a wide range of documents, including property receipts or deeds, records of correspondence and/or emails, contracts or agreements, legal documents such as pleadings and/or affidavits, etc.
(0049) The received electronic documents are stored in the database 14.
Database 14 can be database management software (e.g. relational database management system software) and/or a document management system and can include versioning controls such that changes to any document stored in database 14 can be identified and a record Is maintained of when the documents were first stored and when any subsequent changes to them occurred. In some embodiments, the database 14 may be a distributed (1Ø "cloud-based") data storage service.
[0050] The received electronic documents are associated with the user Identifier that transmitted the document. In some embodiments, these electronic documents may be made available to the other user identifier in the user-pair automatically. In other embodiments, there may be permission information associated with the electronic documents. The permission information may identify which user identifiers should be granted access and what type or level of access should be granted. For example, the permission information associated with a document may provide read-Only access to some electronic documents, while providing full access (read, modify, delete) access to other electronic documents.
[0051] In some embodiments, the level or the type of access granted may be based on the user identifier accessing the document. For example, the user identifier associated with uploading of the document may be provided with delete access while the user identifier which did not upload the document may only be grated read-only access.
[0062] in some embodiments, the permission information associated with electronic documents may be defined on a macro level. For example, the permission may be defined on a user-identifier level instead of per-document level. In other cases, a selected user identifier may be granted access to all electronic documents received by the server 12 from another user identifier.
This can reduce the need for micromanaging permission details for each document.
[0053] In addition to the document, the server 12 may also be configured to receive and/or generate metadata about one or more of the electronic documents. The metadata may include information such as a title of the document, a date and time when the document was received at the server 12, a brief description of the document and so on. Furthermore, the metadata may Include support payment related metadata such as an amount of an expense and how that expense should be split between the support payment provider and the support payment receiver. Furthermore, there may be metadata relating to Indicate a particular type of support payment related document such as an Income report, an expense report, or other legally obligated disclosure.
[0054] in some embodiments, the support payment metadata for the electronic documents may be determined based on a jurisdiction associated with the user identifier transmitting the document. For example, a majority of court orders in Canada and United States contain clauses which require the parties to annually exchange tax information and special expense details for child support . . .
= :
:.= =
purposes based on applicable legislation. The support payment metadata may include information about whether the electronic documents that are being received include tax information and/or information about special expenses.
(00551 The server 12 is configured to receive requests for the electronic documents and/or metadata about the electronic documents that are stored in database 14, Prior to granting access to such data, the server 12 may be configured to require that the electronic device 18 sending such a request to provide a user identifier and a password to authenticate the user. Upon successful authentication, the sever 12 will provide access or deny access to the requested data based upon permission information associated with the electronic documents and or the user identifier requesting access.
[0056] In some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to analyze the received electronic documents and determine whether such received electronic documents are compliant with legally obligated requirements for that type of user identifier (e.g. support payment provider identifier or the support payment recipient identifier). This may be implemented by generating a customized checklist associated with the user identifier. For example, if a support payment recipient identifier is obligated to report income and expenses at least once a year, the server 12 could be configured to determine whether electronic documents relating to these reports have been provided, prior to a predefined deadline, for the year. The server 12 may determine this based upon the electronic documents received from the user identifier or metadata associated with the electronic documents received from the user identifier.
[0067] In some embodiments, a suggested list of electronic documents that should be exchanged between the parties can be determined based upon category information associated with the user identifier. For example, the suggested list of electronic documents may be determined based upon the venue for the action (i.e. - the state or provincial legislation which applies to the dispute between the users), whether the user identifier is a support payment provider identifier or the support payment recipient Identifier, etc. In some embodiments, the user may indicate to the server 12 that he or she wishes to meet obligations Imposed by one or more parts of relevant legislation.
[0058] For example, the user may provide input indicating that the user Identifier he or she had created should be associated with Ontario legal framework relating to support payments, This may be further refined by selecting particular provisions in the legislation that the user identifier may be associated with. This can be particularly helpful when the user account is set up by, or with the assistance of a lawyer and/or paralegal. This may be particularly helpful to legally unsophisticated users who may have difficulty understanding their obligations under the law.
[00591 In some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to receive electronic documents including information about a court order which imposes certain information exchange or payment obligations. The server 12 may be configured to determine the electronic documents necessary to discharge the obligations based upon the court order and implement a suggest list of such electronic documents associated with the user identifier.
(0060] In some embodiments, the suggested list of electronic documents may be generated based upon Input from a third party (e.g. an administrator, paralegal, lawyer). That Is, when the court order is initially submitted, the court order may be reviewed by the third party and a customized suggested list of electronic documents for the user may be generated based upon input by the third party.
[0061] in some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to generate the suggested list of electronic documents based upon Information contained in the received document.
[0062] In some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to generate reminders based upon the suggested list of electronic documents. For example, if server determines that certain electronic documents on the document checklist have not been received for a given user Identifier, the server 12 may be configured generate a reminder and send it to the contact information associated with that user identifier, for example by sending a reminder email or SMS text message (or equivalent) to the user.
[00631 in some embodiments, the server 12 may be configured to generate alerts to notify users when a document has been uploaded and or accessed. For example, when a document Is uploaded, an alert may be sent out to the contact information associated with the user Identifier that did not upload the document in the user-pair to notify him/her that a document has been uploaded for his/her review.
[0064] Alerts and reminders may be provided to the electronic devices 18 associated with the user. For example, alerts and reminders may be sent via text messaging, emails, automated phone calls and so on.
MOW In some embodiments, the server 12 may also be configured to facilitate the transfer of funds between the parties. For example, if a user is obligated to provide child support for another user, the user may process settlement of the obligation through the server 12. One advantage of using the server 12 to transfer the funds is that a record of the transaction is automatically generated for future reference and evidentiary purposes.
(0066] In some embodiments, the server 12 is configured to generate a summary or a ledger of documents that have been submitted by the user (e.g.
associated with the user identifier). The ledger may be formatted such that it is suitable for submission to an appropriate authority (e.g. formatting, form, etc. is compliant with rules of civil procedure, or court processes). As the server 12 is configured to receive and track electronic documents related with support information, the ledger generated by the server 12 may provide a complete listing of various electronic documents exchanged between the parties. Thus the ledger .....................
may save the users from having to collect and organize various documents relating to their case.
[0067] Referring now to Figures 2 ¨ 9, Illustrated therein are exemplary web pages that may be provided by the server 12 to Implement one or more of the above described features according to some embodiments.
[0068] Figure 2 depicts a web page 40, which is a welcome or a landing page. The web page 40 provides information, generally indicated by reference numeral 42, related to the legal framework relating to family support responsibilities. As shown, the information provided is related to the legal framework in Ontario, Canada. In other examples, information relating to other Jurisdictions may be provided depending on the .geographical location of the electronic devices accessing the web page 40. Figure 2 also includes a section 44, where one of the users may authenticate him/herself to the server by providing a user Identifier and associated password In user identifier field 46 and password field 48, and interacting with the login" button 44.
[0069]
[0070] Referring now to Figure 3, illustrated therein is a web page 50, which is one of the web pages presented to the user after the user has been successfully authenticated via the log-in page 40. The web page 50 provides a summary 52 Indicative of activities associated with the user.
[0071] As shown, the web page 50 also includes additional links 62 which may be used to access various functionalities provided by the server 12. Link 62a is entitled "Information Exchange", link 62b entitled "LEDGER", link 62c entitled "Add Document", link 62d entitled "Messaging"; link 62e entitled "Edit Profile" and link 62f entitled "Log-out".
[0072] Referring now to Figure 4, illustrated therein Is a web page 60, which may be provided when the link 62b is accessed. The web page 60 provides a Ledger including an overview of exemplary electronic documents 70 = 18..
that had been received by the server 12, which are associated with the user Identifier provided via page 400.
[0073] The web page 60 also provides various information (rnetadata) related to the electronic documents 70. As shown, the metadata for each document includes a date 73 when the document was received by the server 12, a title 72, an indication 74 of whether the support payment provider or support payment recipient filed the document. The information provided also includes special expense amount 76 and how that expense Is shared between the support provider 78 and support recipient 80. The title 72 of each document also function as a link to another web page where additional information about that particular document may be obtained.
[0074] The web page 60 also provides filtering options 82, 84 and 86.
The received electronic documents may be filtered by who uploaded the electronic documents 82 and the dates (start date 84, end date 86) when the electronic documents 70 were received at the server 12.
[0075] Referring now to Figure 5, illustrated therein Is a web page 90.
The web page 90 may be provided when one of the entries provided in the web page 60 is selected (for e.g. by clicking on the title 72). The web page 90 provides additional details about entry including a description 96 and a link 98 to download a copy of the electronic document received by the server 12. As shown, the received electronic document is in the PDF format. A user may then download the electronic document by clicking on the link 98 to review the electronic document [0076] Referring now to Figure 6, illustrated therein is a web page 100, which may be provided in response to interaction with the 'Add Document" link 62c. The web page 100 provides an interface 102 through which a user may upload a document to the server 12.
= CA 02796490 2012-11-22 , [0077] The Web page 100 requests that the user provides information (i.e.
the metadata) about the document that is being added. The Information requested include a title 72, and a description 96. The electronic document may be uploaded by selecting it using a file browser tool 100 and selecting an upload command 112.
[0078] it should be noted that one or more aspects of the metadata may also be generated automatically from the document that is being provided. For example, the date the document was received from the user would be submitted automatically.
[0079] it should also be noted that the servers may receive electronic .
documents through interfaces other than a web page interface (for e.g. using apps on smartphones and so on).
[0080] Referring now to Figure 7, illustrated therein is a web page 114 which may be provided by the server 12 when a document is being uploaded to the server 12 via the web page 100. The web page 114 allows the user to review the metadata 116 provided in web page 100 and confirm that he/she wishes to upload the web page. The meta in this example includes, the description 96, expense amount 76, other party share (78 or 80 depending on whether the user Identifier submitting the document is the support payment provider or the support payment recipient).
[0081] Referring now to Figure 8, illustrated therein is a web page 120, which may be provided by the server 12 when the link 62d is being interacted with. The web page 120 shows a messaging system which can be used to facilitate communication between the support provider and the support recipient.
For example, the user can compose and send a new message by interacting with the link 122 entitled "Send New Message". The web page 120 includes Information about messages being received, which are generally indicated by reference numeral 124. The messages may also be filtered using the filtering options generally indicated by reference numeral 126.
[0082] Referring now to Figure 9, illustrated therein is a web page which may be provided when the link 122 is accessed. The web page provides an interface 132 whereby messages may be sent between the support recipient and the support provider. As shown, the interface 132 does not include a "To"
field to input recipient information (e.g. email address of recipient) as the support provider will generally only communicates with support recipient and vice verse.
[0083] As will be apparent to those of skill in the art, while the discussion above has concerned a web-based implementation of the present invention, it is contemplated that other implementations can be provided as desired. For example, in a simple case, the web-pages described above can be re-crafted (functions divided differently amongst pages of the application and/or pages resized) to enhance a user's ability to interact with the system via a smartphone browser which typically has a smaller screen. It is further contemplated that a smartphone application can be provided which provides a dedicated means to access the system and method of the present invention, including an integrated function allowing the capture of images of relevant documents with the camera of the smartphone and their upload to database 14 from within the application.
The design and construction of such an application for a smartphone is well within the normal skills of those of skill in the art and need not be further described herein.
[0084] Various embodiments of the system described herein can be distinguished from other document sharing systems based on a number of grounds. Some of the structural features that distinguish various embodiments from other document sharing systems herein are described below.
[0085] The system and method described herein facilitates exchange of information primarily between parties to a legal dispute, such as a support recipient and a support provider. The embodiments herein are distinguishable from other document sharing systems in that the embodiments herein are optimized for use between two such parties. For example, as described above, when a message is being sent, the server 12 automatically sends the message to the user identifier linked to message sender. That is, It is not necessary to type In the name of the recipient.
[0088] Furthermore, the metadata generated and or collected by the server 12 in association with the electronic documents are also specific to legal disputes. For example, the metadata can include an expense amount and how that expense amount is being divided between the support recipient and the support provider. In another example, the metadata collected may include the type of support related information that is being provided. For example, the metadata may include information about whether a received document Is an Income report, expense report, other kinds of support related payment related Information and so on.
[0087] The server 12 can also function as a centralized location whereby only electronic documents and information related to support payments may be collected. This allows relatively easy organization and archival of documents which may be submitted as evidence for legal proceedings. In some embodiments described herein, a leger including a summary of the documents provided may be generated in a format that is suitable for submission to the appropriate legal authority. Furthermore, having a system that only deals with support payments distinct from other communication systems (e.g. personal email) may allow users to compartmentalize a traumatic event in their lives, which may result in an emotional benefit.
[0088] Some embodiments of the system described herein may also provide relevant legal information based upon the jurisdiction of the support order. Furthermore, some embodiments described herein may also analyze the received electronic documents to determine whether such electronic documents, at least on a prima facie basis, are compliant with given laws. Reminders and or alerts may be provided to the users when it is determined that the received electronic documents are non-compliant.
[0089] Referring now to Figure 10, illustrated therein is a method 150 for according to some embodiments. The method 150 may be executed by a processor such as the at least one processor of the server 12 described above.
The method 150 begins at initialization steps 152, 154 and 156.
[0090] At step 152 a first user identifier is generated. At step 154, a second user identifier is generated. At step 156, the first user identifier is associated with the second user identifier to generate a user-pair. After the first user identifier and the second user identifier are initialized the method proceeds to step 158-166 whereby information exchange between the users are facilitated.
[0091] At step 158, at least one document associated with the first user Identifier is received.
[0092] At step 160, metadata including support payment related metadata is generated for the at least one received document.
[0093] At step 162, the metadata and the received document are stored in a data storage device.
[0094] At step 184, at least one request for the received document is received from an electronic device associated with the second user identifier.
[0095] At step 166, the received document is provided to the electronic device associated with the second user identifier. In some embodiments, security information associated with the received document may be analysed before determining whether to provide the document to the electronic device.
[0096] In addition to steps 158 ¨ 166, the method 150 may also execute one or more steps of method 170 in some embodiments to determine whether an alert requesting addition electronic documents should be generated.
[0097] The method 170 beings at step 172 which may be executed when in between or after the execution of initializations steps 152 ¨ 156. At step 172, metadata about one or more of the user identifiers is generated. The metadata may include information such as whether the user identifier is a support payment provider identifier or a support payment recipient identifier, application legal jurisdiction, applicable legal framework and so on.
[0098] At step 172, a list of suggested electronic documents is generated for one or more of the user identifiers. The list of suggested electronic documents includes information about the types of documents that should be provided to the other user identifier in the user-pair.
[0099] Steps 176 and 178 of the method 170 may be executed after one or more electronic documents are received to determine whether an alert should be generated.
[00100] At step 176 the one or more received electronic documents and associated metadata are compared to the suggested document list to determine whether additional electronic documents should be submitted.
[00101] If it is determined that additional electronic documents should be submitted, the method proceeds to step 178 wherein an alert is generated.
[00102] While the above description provides examples of one or more apparatus, systems and methods, it will be appreciated that other apparatus, systems and methods may be within the scope of the present description as interpreted by one of skill in the art.
[00103] The inventors claim systems and methods having one or more of the elements as generally described herein.
Claims (10)
1. A system for collecting and exchanging electronic documents between at least two users, comprising:
a computer server connected to, and accessible from, a data communications network;
a database communicating with the computer server and operable to store:
definitions of accounts for the at least two users of the system, the definitions including the identity of the respective user, a user identifier for the respective user, a password for the respective user and one or more user identifiers of other users whom the respective user is associated with;
and electronic documents submitted by the submitted documents and to store a time and date when the document was submitted to the database;
the computer server operable to receive and store copies of electronic documents submitted by a first user through the data communications network and metadata related to the submitted documents and to provide notice of the receipt of the copies of the electronic documents to at least one of the other users associated with the user, the computer server further operable to provide copies of the electronic documents to the at least one other user upon request.
a computer server connected to, and accessible from, a data communications network;
a database communicating with the computer server and operable to store:
definitions of accounts for the at least two users of the system, the definitions including the identity of the respective user, a user identifier for the respective user, a password for the respective user and one or more user identifiers of other users whom the respective user is associated with;
and electronic documents submitted by the submitted documents and to store a time and date when the document was submitted to the database;
the computer server operable to receive and store copies of electronic documents submitted by a first user through the data communications network and metadata related to the submitted documents and to provide notice of the receipt of the copies of the electronic documents to at least one of the other users associated with the user, the computer server further operable to provide copies of the electronic documents to the at least one other user upon request.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer server is further operable to create a ledger of the copies of documents submitted by a user, the ledger including metadata produced by the computer server.
3. The system of claim 1 further including at least one device associated with a user, the device being operable to communicate with the computer server via the data communications network and being further operable to create an electronic copy of a document to be submitted to the computer server.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein the device is a smartphone including a camera.
5. The system of claim 2 wherein the device is a computer system including a document scanner.
6. The system of claim 2 wherein the device is a kiosk comprising a means for allowing the user to access the server, means for creating electronic copies of the documents and means for transferring those electronic copies to the server.
7. The system of claim 2 wherein the metadata further includes a record of when the at least one user is provided with access to the electronic copies of the documents.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is further operable to inform the at least one user when copies of documents are added to the database by the first user.
9. A method of collecting and exchanging electronic documents between at least two users, comprising the steps of:
establishing at a server an account for a first user;
establishing at the server an account for a second user and associating that account with the account for the first user;
receiving from the first user electronic copies of at least one document at the server and storing the electronic copies in a database along with metadata for the received electronic copies;
allowing the second user to receive copies of the electronic copies and the associated metadata;
updating the metadata in the database to indicate when the second user has received copies of the electronic documents.
establishing at a server an account for a first user;
establishing at the server an account for a second user and associating that account with the account for the first user;
receiving from the first user electronic copies of at least one document at the server and storing the electronic copies in a database along with metadata for the received electronic copies;
allowing the second user to receive copies of the electronic copies and the associated metadata;
updating the metadata in the database to indicate when the second user has received copies of the electronic documents.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of notifying the second user when the first user has provided at least one electronic copy of a document.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US201161562523P | 2011-11-22 | 2011-11-22 | |
| US61/562,523 | 2011-11-22 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2796490A1 true CA2796490A1 (en) | 2013-05-22 |
Family
ID=48464217
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2796490A Abandoned CA2796490A1 (en) | 2011-11-22 | 2012-11-22 | System and method of collecting and exchanging electronic documents |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2796490A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN111935269A (en) * | 2020-08-04 | 2020-11-13 | 上海交大慧谷通用技术有限公司 | Data exchange method and system |
-
2012
- 2012-11-22 CA CA2796490A patent/CA2796490A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN111935269A (en) * | 2020-08-04 | 2020-11-13 | 上海交大慧谷通用技术有限公司 | Data exchange method and system |
| CN111935269B (en) * | 2020-08-04 | 2023-08-25 | 上海交大慧谷通用技术有限公司 | Data exchange method and system |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |
Effective date: 20181122 |