Document management system and method

Abstract

A system for managing documents at an electronic data repository includes an electronic data repository that is accessed by a plurality of parties that are remote from a repository and from each other and that have a roll in a transaction. A computer program receives a document from a first remote party and stores the received document in the repository. The computer program permits one or more of the parties access to the document and prohibits all of the parties from modifying and deleting the document from the repository while any second remote party has access to the document.

1 . A system for managing documents at an electronic data repository, wherein the documents relate to a transaction involving parties remote from each other and having different roles in the transaction, the system comprising:
 an electronic data repository comprising computer-readable database hardware and documents in electronic format and that is accessed by a plurality of said parties that are remote from the repository; and   a computer-readable device from which is executable a computer program that
 receives a said document in electronic format from a first party of the plurality of the parties, 
 stores the received document in the repository, 
 permits one or more of the parties of the plurality of parties access to the received document, and 
 prohibits all of the parties having access to the received document from modifying the received document in the repository once the received document is stored in the repository and from deleting the received document from the repository while any second party of the plurality of parties has access to the received document. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein
 the computer program provides each said party of the one or more parties access only to said documents stored in the repository that are within one or more document sets corresponding to the last-mentioned said party,   responsively to the last-mentioned party, the program defines types of documents that are needed to complete a first said document set corresponding to the last mentioned party, and   the program notifies the last-mentioned party when all the needed types of documents are stored in the repository in the first document set.   
     
     
         3 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein
 the computer program provides each said party of the one or more parties access only to said documents stored in the repository that are within one or more document sets corresponding to the last-mentioned said party,   responsively to the last-mentioned party, the program monitors predetermined documents, and   the program notifies the last-mentioned party when each of the monitored documents is stored in the repository within a said document set corresponding to the last-mentioned party.   
     
     
         4 . A system for managing documents at an electronic data repository, wherein the documents relate to a transaction involving parties remote from each other and having different roles in the transaction, the system comprising:
 an electronic data repository comprising computer-readable database hardware and documents in electronic format and that is accessed by a plurality of said parties that are remote from the repository; and   a computer-readable device from which is executable a computer program that
 receives a said document in electronic format from a first party of the plurality of parties, 
 stores the received document in the repository, 
 permits the first party access to the received document, 
 permits a second party of the plurality of parties access to the received document responsively to the first party, and 
 prohibits all of the parties having access to the received document from modifying the received document in the repository once the received document is stored in the repository and from deleting the received document from the repository while at least one said party other than the first party has access to the received document. 
   
     
     
         5 . Within a transaction involving a plurality of parties remote from each other and having different roles in the transaction, a computerized method for managing documents related to the transaction and controlling access to the documents, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an electronic data repository comprising computer-readable database hardware and documents in electronic format that is accessed by a plurality of said parties that are remote from the repository;   receiving in electronic format a first document that relates to the transaction from a first party of the plurality of parties;   storing the received first document in the repository;   permitting the first party access to the first document;   permitting a second party of the plurality of parties access to the first document responsively to the first party;   prohibiting all of the parties having access to the first document from modifying the first document in the repository once the first document is stored in the repository and from deleting the first document from the repository while at least one said party other than the first party has access to the first document;   receiving in electronic format a second document that relates to the transaction from the second party;   storing the received second document in the repository;   permitting the second party access to the second document; and   prohibiting all of the parties having access to the second document from modifying the second document in the repository once the second document is stored in the repository and from deleting the second document from the repository while at least one said party other than the second party has access to the second document.   
     
     
         6 . Within a transaction involving a plurality of parties remote from each other and having different roles in the transaction, a computerized method for managing documents related to the transaction and controlling access to the documents, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an electronic data repository comprising computer-readable database hardware and documents in electronic format that is accessed by a plurality of said parties that are remote from the repository; and   for each of a plurality of documents that arise sequentially from and during the transaction,
 receiving in electronic format the document from a respective first party of the plurality of parties, 
 storing the received document in the repository, 
 permitting the first party access to the received document, 
 permitting a respective second party of the plurality of parties access to the received document responsively to the first party, 
 prohibiting all of the parties having access to the received document from modifying the received document in the repository once the received document is stored in the repository and from deleting the received document from the repository while at least one said party other than the first party has access to the received document, and 
 receiving in electronic format from the second party a next sequential document that relates to the transaction. 
   
     
     
         7 . The system as in  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least one of said parties of the plurality of parties comprises a plurality of entities that are not remote from each other,   wherein the computer program defines, responsively to the at least one party, access rights among the entities, and   wherein, based on the access rights, the computer program permits the entities access to documents that are stored in the repository and to which the computer program permits the at least one party access.