Signature System Using Mini-Application for Unrestricted Approval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing signature systems face challenges when digital documents requiring signatures are exchanged between multiple persons, particularly when signers lack the necessary software or have restricted installations, leading to disruptions in the signature flow.
Innovation Solution
A signature system comprising a first device for the applicant and a second device for the approver, where the first device executes a full-application to print the digital document, a signature field, and a mark for starting a mini-application. The mini-application is downloaded and executed on the second device without installation, allowing it to perform necessary signature approvals and update signature information on a server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a full-application is installed on the approver's device to enable signature flow, then the signature process can be completed, but the device complexity and installation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the signature application into two segments: a full-application installed on the applicant's device and a mini-application that can be temporarily downloaded and executed on the approver's device without installation. This segmentation allows the signature flow to function on devices with restricted installation capabilities while maintaining the complete signature process functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential signature functionality from the full-application and packages it as a standalone mini-application. The mini-application contains only the necessary components to perform signature approval operations, allowing approvers to complete signature flows without having the full-application installed on their devices.
2Reliability
If the full-application is required on all devices, then the signature process is reliable, but the ease of operation decreases for users with restricted installation capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The mini-application serves as an intermediary solution between the full-application and the device with restricted installation capabilities. It can be downloaded temporarily from the applicant's device or server and executed on the approver's device without requiring permanent installation, thus bridging the gap between reliability requirements and ease of operation constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic availability of the mini-application, which can be downloaded and executed temporarily when needed. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different device capabilities and user scenarios, providing reliable signature flow functionality whenever needed while maintaining ease of operation for users with restricted installation capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If the mini-application is downloaded and executed without installation, then the ease of operation improves, but the duration of action is limited by the time period after which the application is deleted
Solution Approach 1:
The mini-application is designed to be downloaded and prepared in advance before the actual signature operation is needed. The application is made available for download from the applicant's device or server, and once downloaded, it can be executed immediately without requiring installation. This preliminary preparation ensures that the signature flow can start quickly while the application remains active within its time period.
Data Source
AI summary
A signature system includes an applicant side device and an approver side device. A full-application is installed in the applicant side device, an applicant generate, using the full-application, an expense report in which a signature field and a mark for starting up a mini application is included and print the same using a printer. An approver receives the printed expense report read the mark included in the expense report using the approver side device, thereby downloads the mini application from a server and starts up the same. Then, the approver approves the expense report on the mini application.