Device, system and method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail

Abstract

A device (10) for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, comprising: - an extractor (14) configured to extract an attached document (15) from an original email (13), and to save the document (15) in a memory unit (20); - a rasterizer (16) configured to convert the document (15) to at least one image (17) that graphically represents the document (15); - a fingerprint calculator (18) configured to calculate a hash value (19) of the document (15); - a link shortener (22) configured to create at least one link (23) for access to the document (15) saved in the memory unit (20); and - a composer (24) configured to produce a composed email (25) comprising the image (17) representing the document (15), the hash value (19) of the document (15), and the link (23) for access to the document (15) saved in the memory unit (20).

Description

[0001] DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE ELECTRONIC EXCHANGE OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS, IN PARTICULAR COMMERCIAL DOCUMENTS, BASED ON ELECTRONIC MAIL

[0002] The present invention relates to a device, a system and a method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents based on electronic mail, wherein this exchange of documents occurs between a pair of subjects, i.e. a sender who sends one or more documents and a recipient who receives these one or more documents.

[0003] It should be noted that, in the present description, for the sake of brevity, reference will frequently be made to exchange, data, documents and / or mail, omitting to say that they are of the electronic type.

[0004] The device, the system and the method according to the present invention are particularly, although not exclusively, useful and practical in the area of exchanging business or commercial documents (for example, purchase orders, purchase confirmations, shipping notices, invoices, etc.) between a customer and a supplier, where the customer and the supplier can be companies or, more generally, organizations. The exchange of these commercial documents is also called Business to Business (B2B) integration.

[0005] It should be noted that, below in the present description, for the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that the sender of the exchanged documents is the customer and that the recipient of the exchanged documents is the supplier. However, the opposite arrangement is not ruled out, i.e. that the sender of the exchanged documents could be the supplier and that the recipient of the exchanged documents could be the customer. More generally, this does not rule out the possibility that the sender of the exchanged documents could be any company or organization and that the recipient of the exchanged documents could be any other company or organization.

[0006] Currently various technologies are known for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, of which the principal ones are MFT (Managed File Transfer) and EDI (Electronic Data Interchange).

[0007] MFT is a technology that makes it possible to transfer electronic data between organizations, for example companies, in an efficient, reliable and secure manner. In particular, MFT is a more efficient, more reliable and more secure alternative for data transfer compared to standard protocols, such as for example FTP (File Transfer Protocol), HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), or SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol).

[0008] EDI is a technology that makes it possible to exchange electronic data, in particular commercial documents, between ICT systems of organizations, for example companies, over a dedicated channel and in a predefined standard format. In EDI exchanges, the data are moved directly from an application on a computer in one organization to an application on a computer in another organization.

[0009] However, these known technologies are not devoid of drawbacks, of which the principal drawback is the difficulty of activation, also called onboarding, of B2B integration by organizations, for example companies, where this difficulty is often the source of frustration owing to the complexities to be faced and / or the costs to be sustained.

[0010] A recent known solution to address this drawback in the existing technologies mentioned above, i.e. the difficulty of activation (onboarding) of B2B integration by organizations, for example companies, is the "enhanced" use of electronic mail. The advantage of this known solution for B2B integration lies in the substantial elimination of activation (onboarding), and therefore of the drawback that derives from it.

[0011] For example, it is known to exchange electronic data using "enhanced" email, which imitates the functionality of a web page or a web portal. Also for example, it is known to exchange electronic data using an "enhanced" email that comprises one or more templates for common forms (for example, purchase orders, invoices, etc.). In particular, this known solution for B2B integration substantially offers two approaches or modes: "email with link" and "email with active attachment" .

[0012] In the known solution, in the email-with-link approach or mode, the email sent to the recipient does not contain the document itself, but a link that points to the document, for example a document in PDF format.

[0013] However, this first approach of this known solution is not without its drawbacks, which include the lack of a guarantee of "immutability" and the lack of a guarantee of "non-repudiability" of the exchanged document. In fact, since the sent email does not contain the document itself, the recipient has no guarantee that, over time, the document that can be accessed at the link present in the email has not been modified (no immutability) and as a result the sender could not deny ownership (no non-repudiability).

[0014] Alternatively, in the known solution using the email-with-active- attachment approach or mode, an active document, preferably a HTML document, is sent to the recipient as an attachment to the email.

[0015] This known solution using this second approach resolves the drawbacks of immutability and non-repudiability of the known solution using the first, email-with-link approach: the active document is attached to the sent email, therefore it cannot be modified and / or repudiated by the sender.

[0016] Furthermore, the known solution of B2B integration based on sending an email with an active attachment, preferably a HTML document, has the following advantages:

[0017] 1. elimination of activation (onboarding), and consequent simplicity of use; and

[0018] 2. possibility of storing different versions of an active document, and consequent immutability and non-repudiability.

[0019] The elimination of activation (onboarding), and the consequent simplicity of use, derive from the fact that the user who receives an active document, preferably a HTML document, attached to an email can interact directly and immediately with it, locally, without needing a connection to a web portal. Therefore, navigating within a web portal and possible difficulties of authentication are avoided.

[0020] The possibility of storing the different versions of an active document, and the consequent immutability and non-repudiability, derive from the fact that the user can use the storage of the electronic mail server to store active documents, preferably HTML documents, attached to emails, thus easily obtaining a history of any modifications made to the active documents. Therefore, this possibility of storage eliminates the risk of disputes relating to the content of the active documents.

[0021] Unfortunately, this known solution using this second approach is also not without its drawbacks. In fact, in recent years, the presence of an active document attached to an email is increasingly the focus of attention from anti-virus and / or anti-spam software, owing to the increasingly aggressive nature of such software, with a consequent increase in the risk of unsuccessful delivery / reception of the email or of only the active document attached to it.

[0022] For example, some anti-spam software packages implement policies on attachments which screen out active documents, in particular HTML documents. Also for example, other anti-spam software packages interpret the active document, in particular if it is a HTML document, as an attempt to capture confidential information belonging to the recipient, i.e. an attempt at phishing.

[0023] Nowadays, email-based cyberattacks are increasingly frequent and represent a constant threat for users of electronic mail services.

[0024] Email-based cyberattacks can take different forms, for example phishing, spamming, viruses, worms and Trojan horses, and can cause significant damage to computer systems and / or to confidential information. According to some studies, 90% of cyberattacks begin with a phishing email and the number of phishing emails sent every day is constantly increasing.

[0025] Ransomware cyberattacks mounted through email have also become increasingly common, representing a significant threat for companies, and more generally for organizations.

[0026] It is therefore essential to use effective ICT security tools, such as for example anti-virus and / or anti-spam software, to protect users, companies, and more generally organizations, from cyberattacks that use email as a distribution vector.

[0027] To respond to the threats described above, anti-spam software has made great progress in its capacity to recognize and filter out emails that are potentially dangerous, and therefore undesired.

[0028] This is due partially to the continuous evolution of artificial intelligence technologies, which have enabled anti-spam software to become increasingly sophisticated and precise in the analysis of emails, i.e. in the identification of emails that are potentially dangerous and therefore undesired.

[0029] Anti-spam software has improved its capacity to recognize phishing emails, becoming increasingly capable of identifying warning signs, for example links to suspicious websites, text messages seeking to convince the user to provide personal information or login credentials, and attachments that may contain malware.

[0030] Furthermore, anti-spam software is trained to detect attempts at deception that may be used to evade it, for example the software tries to intuit whether "spoofing" techniques are being used to mask the origin of the email and / or "obfuscation" techniques are being used to hide the real content of emails.

[0031] These techniques are especially designed to elude anti-spam software, so increasing the probability that the dangerous, and therefore undesired, email will reach the electronic mail inbox of the recipient and that the deceitful content will be considered legitimate. Spoofing is a set of techniques used by aggressors to deceive users, systems or software, by giving the impression that the email originates from a reliable and recognized - and therefore legitimate - source, when in reality it originates from an aggressor.

[0032] Obfuscation is a set of techniques used by aggressors to mask the origin and / or the content of their emails, making it harder for users, systems or software to recognize them as a threat.

[0033] Furthermore, anti-spam software has improved its capacity to analyze the content of emails in order to determine whether they are legitimate or undesired, for example by using semantic analysis techniques to comprehend the meaning of the text and determine whether the content is consistent with what would be expected from a legitimate email.

[0034] In general, several factors can influence the correct delivery / reception of emails and must be taken into consideration in order to prevent those emails from being blocked by anti-spam software, including:

[0035] 1. reputation of the sender;

[0036] 2. content of the email;

[0037] 3. IP address of the sender; and

[0038] 4. configuration of the email server and of the SPF, DKIM and DMARC authentication methods.

[0039] Anti-spam software evaluates the reputation of the sender based on several factors, such as for example their email sending history, the content of the emails, the frequency of sending, and the percentage of emails that are marked as undesired. If the reputation of the sender is low, anti-spam software can block emails from that sender.

[0040] Anti-spam software analyzes the content of the email in order to determine whether it is legitimate or undesired. If the email contains suspicious keywords, links to suspicious websites or content that appears undesirable, anti-spam software can categorize that email as undesired and therefore block it. Anti-spam software checks the IP address of the sender in order to determine whether it is legitimate or undesired. If the IP address of the sender is used to send undesired emails, anti-spam software can block that IP address.

[0041] Anti-spam software checks the configuration of electronic mail servers and of the SPF, DKIM and DMARC authentication methods, three protocols that are essential to ensuring the security of electronic mail by certifying the authenticity and integrity of the email.

[0042] SPF (Sender Policy Framework) defines the authorization policies for electronic mail servers. This protocol allows the owners of a domain name to specify which servers are authorized to send email having their domain name as the sending domain. In this manner, SPF helps prevent misuse of the sender's identity, so reducing the risk of phishing and spoofing.

[0043] DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) defines a digital signature system for emails. This protocol adds a digital signature, created with a private encryption key, to the email headers and makes the corresponding public key available. The recipient can verify the authenticity of the digital signature using the public key, so guaranteeing that the email has been sent by a legitimate sender.

[0044] DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is an advanced authentication and control framework which allows owners of domain names to define specific policies for handling emails sent to their domain names. This protocol is based on an alignment mechanism between the sender address of the email and the domain name of the sender, making it possible to robustly authenticate the legitimacy of the email and define actions to be taken in the event of non-conformance.

[0045] Careful implementation of these protocols makes it possible to strengthen trust in the use of electronic mail, while at the same time reducing potential threats and fraudulent activities that can draw on emails for malicious purposes. If the electronic mail server of the sender is not configured correctly, if the server has been compromised, and / or if SPF, DKIM and DMARC are not configured correctly, anti-spam software can categorize emails from the sender as undesired and therefore block them.

[0046] Even if care is taken to address the various factors listed above, in particular the application of best practices in configuring the electronic mail server and the authentication methods described above, it is increasingly difficult to guarantee that 100% of documents sent by email are correctly delivered to / received by the recipient.

[0047] Unfortunately, the continuous development and improvement of antispam software increasingly causes problems with the delivery / reception of legitimate emails. In fact, cases of "false positives" are increasingly common, i.e. emails that are erroneously categorized as undesired, which are blocked by anti-spam software, preventing them from reaching the electronic mail inbox of the recipient, making the sending and / or the delivery / reception of documents by email increasingly complicated.

[0048] The aim of the present invention is to overcome the limitations of the known art described above, by devising a device, a system and a method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, that make it possible to obtain effects, in particular in terms of efficacy and efficiency, that are superior to those obtainable with known solutions and / or comparable effects at lower cost and with higher performance levels.

[0049] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to conceive of a device, a system and a method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, that make it possible to combine the advantages of the known solution using the email-with-active-attachment approach, preferably a HTML document, i.e. the simplicity and efficacy of use of the active document (elimination of activation or onboarding), and the immutability and non-repudiability of the active document (since they are attached to the received email), with the advantages of the known solution using the email-with-link approach, i.e. reliability of delivery / reception.

[0050] It should be noted that, in the state of the art, the known solution using the two approaches or the two modes, email-with-link and email-with- active-attachment, cannot coexist, because inserting a document as an attachment to the email (with or without link) renders the solution effectively an email with an active attachment, so losing the advantages of reliability of delivery / reception that derive from the absence of the attachment.

[0051] Another object of the present invention is to devise a device, a system and a method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, that make it possible to overcome the difficulties with delivery / reception of these documents owing to anti-spam software, so ensuring that the exchange of documents between sender and recipient is not impeded by that anti-spam software, for example owing to "false positives".

[0052] Another object of the present invention is to conceive of a device, a system and a method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, that does not require the modification of the original software applications for sending and / or delivering / receiving emails.

[0053] Another object of the present invention is to devise a device, a system and a method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, that make it possible to automatically modify and adapt the sending mode, so improving sending reliability.

[0054] Not least an object of the present invention is to provide a device, a system and a method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, that are highly reliable, easily and practically implemented, and economically competitive when compared to the known art.

[0055] This aim and these and other objects which will become more apparent hereinafter are achieved by a device for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, particularly commercial documents, based on electronic mail, said exchange device being configured to receive as input an original email comprising at least one document as an attachment, and to send as output a composed email derived from said original email, said exchange device being characterized in that it comprises:

[0056] - an extractor configured to extract said document from said original email, and to save said document in a memory unit;

[0057] - a rasterizer configured to convert said document to at least one image that graphically represents said document;

[0058] - a fingerprint calculator configured to calculate a hash value of said document;

[0059] - a link shortener configured to create at least one link for access to said document saved in said memory unit; and

[0060] - a composer configured to produce said composed email comprising said image representing said document, said hash value of said document, and said link for access to said document saved in said memory unit.

[0061] The aim and objects are also achieved by a method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particularly commercial documents, based on electronic mail, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

[0062] - receiving as input an original email comprising at least one document as an attachment;

[0063] - extracting said document from said original email, and saving said document in a memory unit;

[0064] - converting said document to at least one image that graphically represents said document;

[0065] - calculating a hash value of said document; - creating at least one link for access to said document saved in said memory unit;

[0066] - producing a composed email comprising said image representing said document, said hash value of said document, and said link for access to said document saved in said memory unit; and

[0067] - sending as output said composed email derived from said original email.

[0068] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the device, the system and the method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0069] Figure 1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates an embodiment of the system, comprising the device, for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, according to the invention, as well as conventional devices that communicate and interface with such system, and the device itself, according to the invention;

[0070] Figure 2 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates an embodiment of the system, comprising the device in detail, for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, according to the invention, and the conventional devices that communicate and interface with such system, and the device itself, according to the invention, as well as the data flows between the aforementioned elements (system according to the invention, device according to the invention, conventional devices).

[0071] The device for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, according to the present invention, in short "exchange device", generally designated by the reference numeral 10, is comprised in the traditional flow of emails, from sending to delivery / reception. In particular, any sender device 30 interfaces with the exchange device 10 as if the latter were an electronic mail server.

[0072] In this manner, the exchange device 10 according to the invention is substantially transparent to the original software applications for sending and / or delivering / receiving emails, which are already installed on sender devices and recipient devices and therefore are already available to sender users and recipient users.

[0073] With reference to the figures, the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to receive as input an original email 13 originating from a sender device 30 operated by a sender user, for example a customer company. The original email 13 comprises at least one document 15 as an attachment, preferably an active document, even more preferably a HTML document.

[0074] The exchange device 10 according to the invention substantially comprises an electronic control unit (not shown), an extractor 14, a rasterizer 16, a fingerprint calculator 18, a memory unit (storage) 20, a link shortener 22, and a composer 24.

[0075] The electronic control unit is the main functional element of the exchange device 10 according to the invention and for this reason it is connected to and in communication with the other elements comprised in the exchange device 10.

[0076] The electronic control unit of the exchange device 10 according to the invention is provided with suitable capacity for processing and for interfacing with the other elements of the exchange device 10, and it is configured to command, control and coordinate the operation of the elements of the exchange device 10 to which it is connected and with which it is in communication.

[0077] The extractor 14 of the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to extract the document 15 attached to the original email 13. The extractor 14 is further configured to save the document 15 that has just been extracted in the memory unit 20 of the exchange device 10 according to the invention.

[0078] The rasterizer 16 of the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to convert the document 15 to at least one image 17, where the image 17 is a graphic representation of the document 15. Conveniently, the image 17 representing the document 15 can be cropped and / or resized.

[0079] The fingerprint calculator 18 of the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to calculate a hash value 19, also called cryptographic fingerprint, of the document 15.

[0080] The link shortener 22 of the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to create at least one link 23 for access to the document 15 saved in the memory unit 20.

[0081] Each link 23 can have a respective functionality, different from the others. For example, a first link 23 can allow the document 15 to be viewed in a web browser, a second link 23 can allow the document 15 to be downloaded to a local folder, a third link 23 can allow viewing of an updated version of the document 15, etc.

[0082] Preferably, the link 23 is secure. Preferably, the link 23 comprises a unique token for authorizing access to the document 15. Conveniently, the authorization token makes it possible to guarantee the traceability and security of access to the document 15, and to supply a proof of receipt, viewing and / or download of the document 15 to the sender device 30, and therefore to the sender user.

[0083] The composer 24 of the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to produce a composed email 25, which is new with respect to the original email 13. The composed email 25 comprises the image 17 representing the document 15 (produced by the rasterizer 16), the hash value 19 of the document 15 (produced by the fingerprint calculator 18), and the link 23 for accessing the document 15 saved in the memory unit 20 (produced by the link shortener 22). Conveniently, the composed email 25 can also comprise the same text message of the original email 13. Conveniently, the composed email 25 can also comprise the same metadata as the original email 13, for example sender user, recipient user, and time stamp.

[0084] The exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to send as output the composed email 25, derived from the original email 13, to a recipient device 40 operated by a recipient user, for example a supplier company. In particular, the composed email 25 arrives at the recipient device 40 through first at least one sender email server 34, 34’ and then at least one recipient email server 36.

[0085] Finally, when the recipient device 40 receives the composed email 25, the recipient user can access the document 15 by clicking on the link 23 comprised in that composed email 25, for example to view it or download it.

[0086] Advantageously, the exchange device 10 according to the invention further comprises an input router ("Router In") 12 configured to analyze the original email 13, and to decide on the basis of this analysis whether to forward the original email 13 to the extractor 14, so initiating the processing described above, or to the recipient device 40, through first at least one sender email server 34, 34’ and then at least one recipient email server 36.

[0087] In the second case, i.e. when the input router 12 decides to forward the original email 13 directly to the recipient device 40, the original email 13 is not subjected to any processing, and the other elements of the exchange device 10 described above (i.e. extractor 14, rasterizer 16, fingerprint calculator 18, memory unit 20, link shortener 22, and composer 24) are substantially "skipped".

[0088] Basically, the input router 12 understands when the probability of successful delivery / reception of the document 15 attached to the original email 13 is insufficient, and therefore when it is necessary to replace that document 15 attached to the original email 13 with the image 17 that represents it, making this document 15 available in the memory unit 20 and accessible via the link 23.

[0089] Advantageously, the exchange device 10 according to the invention further comprises an output router ("Router Out") 26 configured to analyze the original email 13 or the composed email 25, and to decide on the basis of this analysis which sender email server 34, 34’ to use to deliver the original email 13 or the composed email 25 to the recipient device 40, (also through the recipient email server 36).

[0090] Clearly, the sender email server 34, 34’ selected by the output router 26 is the one that offers the highest probability of successful delivery / reception of the original email 13 or the composed email 25 by the recipient device 40.

[0091] It should be noted that the output router 26 can receive the original email 13 if the input router 12 (if present) decides to forward the original email 13 directly to the recipient device 40, without processing it and therefore skipping the other elements of the exchange device 10.

[0092] Preferably, the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to receive feedback data issued by the sender email server 34, 34’, by the recipient email server 36, and / or by the recipient device 40. For example, this feedback data can comprise data corresponding to the actions executed by the recipient user, using the recipient device 40, on the various elements comprised in the original email 13 or composed email 25, for example the document 15.

[0093] In an embodiment, the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to check the compliance of the configuration of the SPF, DKIM and DMARC authentication methods on the basis of the feedback data mentioned above.

[0094] Preferably, the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to receive a history of interactions, in particular of emails exchanged, between the sender device 30 and the recipient device 40, and therefore between the sender user and the recipient user.

[0095] Advantageously, the exchange device 10 according to the invention further comprises an artificial intelligence engine (not shown) configured to analyze the feedback data and / or the history of exchanged emails, and to define and subsequently adapt, on the basis of this analysis, an adaptive rule system that can be used by the input router 12 and / or by the output router 26.

[0096] In this way, the artificial intelligence engine appreciably improves the probability of successful delivery / reception of the original email 13 or the composed email 25, in particular of the document 15 attached to the original email 13 or linked to by the composed email 25, by the recipient device 40.

[0097] Advantageously, the input router 12 analyzes the original email 13 using the adaptive rule system based on the artificial intelligence engine. Advantageously, the output router 26 analyzes the original email 13 or the composed email 25 using the adaptive rule system based on the artificial intelligence engine.

[0098] In an embodiment, the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to keep the sender user informed throughout the path of the original email 13 or composed email 25, on the basis of feedback data. Preferably, the exchange device 10 informs the sender user in real time.

[0099] Basically, the exchange device 10 can, for example by sending suitable information messages, allow the sender user, using the sender device 30, to see the actions performed by the recipient user, using the recipient device 40, on the original email 13 or composed email 25, for example delivery / reception, opening / viewing, replies if any, or on the document 15.

[0100] In an embodiment, the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to periodically check whether at least one reply from the recipient user, using the recipient device 40, is associated with the original email 13 or composed email 25 or with the document 15 sent by the sender user, using the sender device 30.

[0101] Conveniently, in the negative case, i.e. if there is no associated reply, the exchange device 10 can send the recipient user, using the recipient device 40, a reminder message (for example an email) which includes the list of original emails 13 or composed emails 25 and / or documents 15 which were sent previously and are awaiting a reply.

[0102] In an embodiment, the exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to send a message (for example an email) presenting the service if it finds that an exchange of emails between a sender device 30 and a recipient device 40, and therefore between a sender user and a recipient user, has never occurred before.

[0103] Conveniently, the above presentation message can include instructions to ensure that emails will not be routed to a spam folder, for example by adding the email address of the sender user to the address book, or other communications deemed important, for example data privacy notices, links to tools for obtaining consent to privacy agreements, or links to terms and conditions for using the service.

[0104] Conveniently, the exchange device 10 according to the invention is comprised in a system for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail.

[0105] The system for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, according to the present invention, in short "exchange system", comprises substantially the exchange device 10 described above, a sender device 30 operated by a sender user, for example a customer company, at least one sender email server 34, 34’, at least one recipient email server 36, and a recipient device 40 operated by a recipient user, for example a supplier company. These devices and / or servers 10, 30, 34, 34’, 36, 40 are mutually connected and in communication via a telematic communications network 50, for example the internet. Advantageously, the exchange system according to the invention further comprises a verification device 46, preferably in the form of a server / web site. The exchange device 10 and the verification device 46 are mutually connected and in communication via the telematic communications network 50.

[0106] The verification device 46 is configured to allow the recipient device 40, and therefore the recipient user, to verify one or more items of information relating to the composed email 25 and especially of the document 15 linked to by the composed email 25, for example the identity of the sender, the date and time of sending, the authenticity of the document 15, etc.

[0107] In the embodiment of the exchange system according to the invention that comprises the verification device 46, the composed email 25 produced by the composer 24 of the exchange device 10 according to the invention further comprises a link to the verification device 46.

[0108] Advantageously, the system according to the invention further comprises a distributed ledger device 44. The exchange device 10 and the distributed ledger device 44 are mutually connected and in communication via the telematic communications network 50.

[0109] The distributed ledger device 44 is part of, and therefore is integrated in, a distributed infrastructure, in particular an infrastructure using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), i.e. a decentralized and non- falsifiable digital register. Preferably, this distributed ledger infrastructure is of the permissioned type, which is to say that only the approved entities can run a node to validate transactions, and therefore records or blocks.

[0110] In general, distributed ledger technology defines systems that maintain, validate and extend a digital register which is replicated, shared and synchronized between a plurality of nodes, and therefore a plurality of entities, by means of a consent algorithm.

[0111] In most distributed ledger technologies, for example blockchain, the nodes involved do not need to know each other's identities or trust each other because the addition of a new record to the distributed ledger, for example a new block to the blockchain, is globally managed by the consent algorithm in order to ensure consistency between the various copies of the distributed ledger. Once the addition of the new record is authorized, each node updates its own local copy of the distributed ledger.

[0112] The very nature of the data structure of the distributed ledger, for example blockchain, and of the corresponding records, for example the blocks in the blockchain, guarantees there will be no manipulation of the data, now or in the future.

[0113] Basically, the sender distributed ledger device 44 is one of the nodes in the distributed ledger infrastructure, and this infrastructure is used for certification and transfer between nodes, and therefore between entities, of documents 15 linked to by respective composed emails 25 in the present invention.

[0114] A node is a processing device associated uniquely with one and only one approved entity, and is integrated in the distributed ledger infrastructure and comprises a local copy of the distributed ledger stored on a suitable storage medium. Each local copy of the distributed ledger comprises both documents 15 and common rules, preferably in the form of smart contracts, defined and shared at the distributed ledger infrastructure level.

[0115] The common rules, which are preferably comprised in the smart contract, and which define how to execute the transfer of data between different entities, or rather between different nodes of the distributed ledger infrastructure, are necessary to govern the methods of access to the distributed ledger infrastructure, the structure of the information exchanged during the transfer of logically-aggregated data collections, and the operational and security criteria with which the operation is executed.

[0116] Basically, for each information flow, the entities that need to operate over this flow agree the number, the nomenclature and the format of the data contained in the logically-aggregated data collection, as well as the criteria that make a transaction, and therefore a record or a block, acceptable.

[0117] In a preferred embodiment, the distributed ledger is of the blockchain type, and therefore the distributed ledger infrastructure is a blockchain infrastructure.

[0118] A blockchain is a data structure that operates like a ledger of transactions, and therefore of records or blocks, which is extendable and non-modifiable. As mentioned above, a blockchain is configured to be collectively maintained and extended by a network of nodes, and therefore of entities, between which there are no bonds of mutual trust.

[0119] The term "blockchain" derives from the typical "chain" form taken by the records as a result of the link that each transaction block has with the one that preceded it. In fact, each block in the blockchain contains, among various data items, a cryptographic hash value of the contents of the preceding block, which is one of the fundamental properties of this data structure: the transactions, and therefore the records or blocks, in a blockchain are irreversible because, once registered, the data in a given block cannot be modified retroactively without altering all the subsequent blocks, since a modification would result in a change in the hash value of that block. In fact, if a change is made to the data in one block, then in order to restore the link with the next block, the next block will need to contain the new hash value of the modified block, which will modify the data in that block as well, which therefore will also need a new hash value, and so on.

[0120] In the embodiment of the exchange system according to the invention which comprises the distributed ledger device 44, the fingerprint calculator 18 is further configured to notarize the document 15 linked to by the composed email 25, in particular by producing a transaction record or block for the document 15 to be notarized, and sending this transaction record or block of the notarization to the distributed ledger device 44.

[0121] The transaction record or block of the notarization comprises the hash value 19 of the document 15 (produced by the fingerprint calculator 18), accompanied by one or more items of metadata relating to that document 15, or more generally to the original email 13, for example sender user, recipient user, title of the document, time stamp.

[0122] The distributed ledger device 44 is configured to add the transaction record or block relating to the document 15 to be notarized to its local copy of the distributed ledger, for example of the blockchain, and subsequently disseminate it to the distributed ledger infrastructure, for example to the blockchain infrastructure.

[0123] In this manner, the exchange system 10 according to the invention guarantees the immutability and non-repudiability of the document 15, by taking advantage of the characteristics of the distributed ledger infrastructure, for example of the blockchain infrastructure, described above.

[0124] In an embodiment of the exchange system according to the invention that comprises the distributed ledger device 44, the composed email 25 produced by the composer 24 of the exchange device 10 according to the invention further comprises a link or reference to the transaction record or block of the notarization of the document 15 in the distributed ledger device 44, for example a blockchain device, and therefore in the distributed ledger infrastructure, for example in the blockchain infrastructure.

[0125] In an embodiment of the exchange system according to the invention that comprises the distributed ledger device 44, the verification device 46 is further configured to enable the recipient device 40, and therefore the recipient user, to verify the hash value 19 of the document 15 linked to by the composed email 25, in particular by comparing the hash value 19 of the document 15 comprised in the composed email 25 and the hash value 19 of the document 15 comprised in the transaction record or block of the notarization in the distributed ledger device 44, for example a blockchain device, and therefore in the distributed ledger infrastructure, for example in the blockchain infrastructure. The exchange device 10 according to the invention is configured to alert, for example by sending suitable alarm messages, the recipient user, using the recipient device 40, if the two hash values 19 compared by the verification device 46 are different from each other, this condition of difference being the proof of tampering, or more generally of a modification, of the document 15 attached to the original email 13.

[0126] In this manner, the notarization of the document 15 in the distributed ledger device 44, for example a blockchain device, and therefore in the distributed ledger infrastructure, for example a blockchain infrastructure, is a guarantee to the recipient user that the document 15 attached to the original email 13 has not been modified after it was saved in the memory unit 20 of the exchange device 10 according to the invention.

[0127] In practice it has been found that the present invention fully achieves the set aim and objects. In particular, it has been seen that the device, the system and the method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, thus conceived make it possible to overcome the qualitative limitations of the known art, in that they make it possible to obtain effects, in particular in terms of efficacy and efficiency, that are better than those that can be obtained with conventional solutions and / or similar effects at lower cost and with higher performance levels.

[0128] An advantage of the device, the system and the method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, according to the present invention consists in that they make it possible to combine the advantages of the known solution using the email-with-active-attachment approach, preferably a HTML document, i.e. the simplicity and efficacy of use of the active document (elimination of activation or onboarding), and the immutability and non-repudiability of the active document (since they are attached to the received email), with the advantages of the known solution using the email- with-link approach, i.e. reliability of delivery / reception.

[0129] Another advantage of the device, the system and the method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, according to the present invention consists in that they make it possible to overcome the difficulties with delivery / reception of these documents owing to anti-spam software, so ensuring that the exchange of documents between sender and recipient is not impeded by that anti-spam software, for example owing to "false positives".

[0130] Another advantage of the device, the system and the method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, according to the present invention consists in that they do not require the modification of the original software applications for sending and / or delivering / receiving emails.

[0131] Another advantage of the device, the system and the method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particular commercial documents, based on electronic mail, according to the present invention consists in that they make it possible to automatically modify and adapt the sending mode, so improving sending reliability.

[0132] Although the device, the system and the method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents based on electronic mail according to the invention have been conceived in particular for the exchange of commercial documents, preferably HTML documents, between a customer and a supplier, they can in any case be used, more generally, for the exchange of any document of any type.

[0133] The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0134] Except where indicated otherwise, the various embodiments described above can be combined in order to provide further and / or alternative embodiments. In addition, the present description covers combinations of variations and preferred embodiments that are not explicitly described.

[0135] Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

[0136] In practice the materials employed, provided they are compatible with the specific use, and the contingent dimensions and shapes, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

[0137] In conclusion, the scope of protection of the claims shall not be limited by the figures or by the preferred embodiments illustrated in the description by way of examples, but rather the claims shall comprise all the patentable characteristics of novelty that reside in the present invention, including all the characteristics that would be considered as equivalent by the person skilled in the art.

[0138] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. 102024000024750 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

[0139] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

25CLAIMS1. A device (10) for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, particularly commercial documents, based on electronic mail, said exchange device (10) being configured to receive as input an original email (13) comprising at least one document (15) as an attachment and to send as output a composed email (25) derived from said original email (13), said exchange device (10) being characterized in that it comprises:- an extractor (14) configured to extract said document (15) from said original email (13), and to save said document (15) in a memory unit (20);- a rasterizer (16) configured to convert said document (15) to at least one image (17) that graphically represents said document (15);- a fingerprint calculator (18) configured to calculate a hash value (19) of said document (15);- a link shortener (22) configured to create at least one link (23) for access to said document (15) saved in said memory unit (20); and- a composer (24) configured to produce said composed email (25) comprising said image (17) representing said document (15), said hash value (19) of said document (15), and said link (23) for access to said document (15) saved in said memory unit (20).

2. The exchange device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an input router (12) configured to analyze said original email (13) and to decide, on the basis of said analysis, whether to forward said original email (13) to said extractor (14) or to a recipient device (40).

3. The exchange device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises an output router (26) configured to analyze said composed email (25) and to select, on the basis of said analysis, a sender email server (34, 34') to be used to deliver said composed email (25) to a recipient device (40).

4. The exchange device (10) according to any one of the precedingclaims, characterized in that it is configured to receive feedback data issued by a sender email server (34, 34'), by a recipient email server (36), and / or by a recipient device (40).

5. The exchange device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is configured to receive a history of the emails exchanged between a sender device (30) and a recipient device (40).

6. The exchange device (10) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that it further comprises an artificial intelligence engine configured to analyze said feedback data and / or said history of exchanged emails, and to define and subsequently adapt, on the basis of said analysis, an adaptive rule system usable by said input router (12) and / or by said output router (26).

7. A system for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, particularly commercial documents, based on electronic mail, said exchange system comprising a sender device (30), at least one sender email server (34, 34'), at least one recipient email server (36), and a recipient device (40), said exchange system being characterized in that it further comprises said exchange device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, said devices and / or servers (10, 30, 34, 34', 36, 40) being mutually connected over a telematic communications network (50).

8. The exchange system according to claim 7, characterized in that it furthermore comprises a verification device (46) configured to allow said recipient device (40) to verify one or more pieces of information of said composed email (25) and / or of said document (15) linked to by said composed email (25), said composed email (25) further comprising a link to said verification device (46).

9. The exchange system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that it further comprises a distributed ledger device (44) integrated in a distributed ledger infrastructure and comprising a local copy of said distributed ledger, said fingerprint calculator (18) being further configured to generate atransaction record or block relating to said document (15) linked to by said composed email (25), said distributed ledger device (44) being configured to add said transaction record or block to said local copy of said distributed ledger, and to disseminate said transaction record or block in said distributed ledger infrastructure.

10. The exchange system according to claim 9, characterized in that said distributed ledger is of the blockchain type and said distributed ledger infrastructure is a blockchain infrastructure.

11. The exchange system according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said composed email (25) further comprises a link or reference to said transaction record or block in said distributed ledger device (44), and therefore in said distributed ledger infrastructure.

12. The exchange system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that said verification device (46) is further configured to allow said recipient device (40) to verify said hash value (19) of said document (15) linked to by said composed email (25), by comparing said hash value (19) of said document (15) comprised in said composed email (25) and said hash value (19) of said document (15) comprised in said transaction record or block in said distributed ledger device (44), and therefore in said distributed ledger infrastructure.

13. A method for the electronic exchange of electronic documents, in particularly commercial documents, based on electronic mail, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:- receiving as input an original email (13) comprising at least one document (15) as an attachment;- extracting said document (15) from said original email (13), and saving said document (15) in a memory unit (20);- converting said document (15) to at least one image (17) that graphically represents said document (15);28- calculating a hash value (19) of said document (15);- creating at least one link (23) for access to said document (15) saved in said memory unit (20);- producing a composed email (25) comprising said image (17) representing said document (15), said hash value (19) of said document (15), and said link (23) for access to said document (15) saved in said memory unit (20); and- sending as output said composed email (25) derived from said original email (13).

14. The exchange method according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of analyzing said original email (13) and deciding, on the basis of said analysis, whether to forward said original email (13) to said step of extracting said document (15) or to a recipient device (40).

15. The exchange method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of analyzing said composed email (25), and selecting, on the basis of said analysis, a sender email server (34, 34') to be used to deliver said composed email (25) to a recipient device (40).

16. The exchange method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that it further comprises the step of receiving feedback data issued by a sender email server (34, 34'), by a recipient email server (36), and / or by a recipient device (40).

17. The exchange method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that it further comprises the step of receiving a history of the emails exchanged between a sender device (30) and a recipient device (40).

18. The exchange method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of analyzing said feedback data and / or said history of exchanged emails, and defining and subsequently adapting, on the basis of said analysis, an adaptive rule system usable in said steps of29 forwarding said original email (13) and / or selecting a sender email server (34, 34').

19. The exchange method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of allowing a recipient device (40) to verify one or more pieces of information of said composed email (25) and / or of said document (15) linked to by said composed email (25), said composed email (25) further comprising a link to a verification device (46).

20. The exchange method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of generating a transaction record or block related to said document (15) linked to by said composed email (25), adding said transaction record or block to a local copy of a distributed ledger, and disseminating said transaction block or record in a distributed ledger infrastructure.

21. The exchange method according to claim 20, characterized in that said distributed ledger is of the blockchain type and said distributed ledger infrastructure is a blockchain infrastructure.

22. The exchange method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that said composed email (25) further comprises a link or reference to said transaction record or block in said distributed ledger device (44) and therefore in said distributed ledger infrastructure.

23. The exchange method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, characterized in that it further comprises the step of allowing a recipient device (40) to verify said hash value (19) of said document (15) linked to by said composed email (25), by comparing said hash value (19) of said document (15) comprised in said composed email (25) and said hash value (19) of said document (15) comprised in said transaction record or block in said distributed ledger device (44), and therefore in said distributed ledger infrastructure.

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