Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 9054860, I will analyze the "Patent Citations" section provided in the Google Patents data. Prior art refers to all publicly available information about inventions that already exist at the time a patent application is filed, and it's used to determine if an invention is novel and non-obvious. Anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 means that every element of a claimed invention is disclosed in a single prior art reference.

The patent US9054860 has a filing and priority date of January 2, 2008.

Here is an analysis of the patent citations listed for US9054860, focusing on their potential to anticipate claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102:

Most Relevant Prior Art for US Patent 9054860

1. US6757826B1 - Digital graphic signature system

• Full Citation: US6757826B1 (Citicorp Development Center, Inc.)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: 1998-04-14, Publication date: 2004-06-29
• Brief Description: This patent describes a digital graphic signature system that allows for the creation and association of a signature image with signatory data. This signature image can then be embedded into a document.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claim 1: This patent teaches a "digital identification module" (the graphic signature) associated with an "entity" (signatory), created by a system that generates a signature, and disposable within an "electronic file." It also includes a "primary component" (the graphic signature itself) associating the module with the entity. The missing element for direct anticipation would be the "only a single electronic file" limitation.
  • Claim 23: Similar to Claim 1, this patent directly teaches a primary component that includes a digital signature.
  • Claim 26: This reference teaches the steps of creating a digital identification module (graphic signature) associated with an entity, and embedding it into an electronic file. The "receiving verification data" and "single electronic file" limitations would need further analysis for direct anticipation.
  • Claim 39: This patent clearly teaches the creation of a primary component that includes a digital signature and embedding it within an electronic file. The metadata component and "single electronic file" limitations would need further analysis.

2. US20020026575A1 - Account-based digital signature (ABDS) system

• Full Citation: US20020026575A1 (Wheeler Lynn Henry)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: 1998-11-09, Publication date: 2002-02-28
• Brief Description: This application describes an account-based digital signature system. While the full details are not provided in the snippet, the title suggests a system where digital signatures are managed through user accounts, likely involving verification data for access and creation.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claim 1, 23, 26, 39 (specifically "receiving at least one verification data element"): The "Account-based digital signature (ABDS) system" strongly suggests the reception of verification data (e.g., login credentials, PINs) from an entity to create or manage digital signatures. This could anticipate the "receiving at least one verification data element" aspect of the claims.

3. US20030115151A1 - Person-centric account-based digital signature system

• Full Citation: US20030115151A1 (Wheeler Lynn Henry)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: 2000-08-04, Publication date: 2003-06-19
• Brief Description: This patent application builds upon the "Account-based digital signature (ABDS) system," emphasizing a "person-centric" approach. This likely involves more robust verification and association of a digital signature with an individual.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claim 1, 23, 26, 39 (specifically "receiving at least one verification data element" and "associated with at least one entity"): Similar to US20020026575A1, this reference further supports the concept of receiving verification data and associating a digital signature (digital identification module) with a specific entity in a more comprehensive manner.

4. US6895507B1 - Method and system for determining and maintaining trust in digital data files with certifiable time

• Full Citation: US6895507B1 (Time Certain, Llc)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: 1999-07-02, Publication date: 2005-05-17
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method and system for ensuring the trustworthiness of digital data files, particularly through the use of certifiable time. This implies the addition of metadata (like timestamps) to a digital file to maintain its integrity and verify its origin over time.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claim 7, 8, 30, 39 (specifically "at least one corresponding metadata component" and "combining at least one primary component with at least one metadata component"): This patent directly teaches the concept of adding data to a digital file to enhance its trustworthiness, which aligns with the metadata components of US9054860. If the "certifiable time" itself were considered a digital identification module or part of one, it could potentially anticipate these claims, particularly the inclusion of metadata.

5. US20030217275A1 - Method and system for digital rights management and digital signatures

• Full Citation: US20030217275A1 (Bentley Systems, Inc.)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: 2002-05-06, Publication date: 2003-11-20
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method that integrates digital rights management (DRM) with digital signatures. DRM systems often include mechanisms for controlling usage, copying, and distribution of digital content.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Claim 1, 23, 26, 39 (specifically "cooperatively structured to be embedded within only a single electronic file"): The integration of digital rights management (DRM) with digital signatures could potentially anticipate the "single electronic file" limitation. DRM systems are inherently designed to restrict the usage of digital content, and a PHOSITA could readily conceive of applying DRM principles to limit a digital signature's validity or embeddability to a single instance of an electronic file.

It's important to note that direct anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 requires every element of a claim to be present in a single prior art reference. While the references above clearly disclose many individual elements of US9054860, particularly those related to digital signatures, verification, and embedding, the unique limitation of being "embedded within only a single electronic file" often requires a combination of references for an obviousness argument under 35 U.S.C. § 103, rather than direct anticipation under § 102. However, US20030217275A1's focus on DRM could be particularly relevant to this specific limitation, depending on the details of its disclosure.