System and method for facilitating signing by buyers in electronic commerce

A method for facilitating digital signing of electronic messages comprising:

• a browser,
• a signing module,
• and a signing interface, the signing interface adapted to be invoked by a Web application transmitted to the browser from a remote location, the method comprising:
• invoking the signing interface;
• forwarding by the signing interface the data to be signed to the signing module
• receiving at the signing interface a digital signature for data to be signed from the signing module;
• and
• forwarding the digital signature to a remote location specified by the Web application.

A system for facilitating signing by a first customer comprising:

• a browser;
• a signing module;
• a signing interface, the signing interface being adapted to facilitate access to system services provided via a four-corner model comprising a root entity, a first participant, a second participant, the first customer, and a second customer, the second customer maintaining a second-customer computer system;
• means for downloading a Web application from the second-customer computer system to the browser;
• means for invoking the signing interface;
• means for determining whether to request a system service;
• means for creating a service request for the system service;
• means for transmitting the service request;
• means for receiving a response to the service request;
• means for forwarding the data to be signed to the signing module;
• means for receiving a digital signature for the data to be signed from the signing module;
• and
• means for forwarding the digital signature to a remote location specified by the Web application.

A method for accessing system services provided via a four-corner model, the four corner model comprising:

• a root entity,
• a first participant,
• a second participant,
• a first customer, the first customer being a customer of the first participant, and maintaining a first-customer computer system, the first-customer computer system comprising:
• a browser,
• a signing module,
• and a signing interface,
• a second customer, the second customer being a customer of the second participant, the second customer maintaining a second-customer computer system, the second-customer computer system comprising a Web server adapted to serve Web pages to the first-customer computer system's browser, the method comprising:
• invoking the signing interface;
• retrieving data to be signed from a remote location;
• determining whether to request a system service;
• creating a service request for the system service;
• transmitting the service request;
• receiving a response to the service request;
• forwarding the data to be signed to the signing module;
• receiving a digital signature for the data to be signed from the signing module;
• and
• forwarding the digital signature to a remote location specified by the Web application.