IP Library Granted Patent US 12671742
Granted Patent B2
US 12671742 · App. 18/213,496 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Digital asset transfer based on a unique physical token

Inventors: Mary Harrigan (New York, NY); Max Robert Gabreski (Peoria, AZ); Scott Southwood (Kihei, HI); Lindsay Boland (Chicago, IL); Clifford Harrington (Piedmont, CA)
Assignee: PayPal, Inc.
H04L67/146G06F3/0484G06K7/1417G06Q20/06G06Q20/36H04L67/02G06Q20/342G06Q20/405
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12671742
App. No.
18/213,496
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for transferring a digital asset from a first user to a second user includes the first user's computing device scanning a token on physical media, such as a QR code on a greeting card, to launch a digital asset transfer interface. In the interface, the first user identifies a digital asset to be transferred, and the digital asset is transferred from the first user's account or other digital storage to a digital escrow. The first user conveys the physical media to a second user. The second user scans the same token to launch the digital asset transfer interface and is presented with the digital asset and a greeting or other content selected by the first user. The second user selects a destination account, and the digital asset is transferred from escrow to the destination account.

Claims (92)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving responsive to scanning a token associated with a physical medium, by a computing system from a first user device, a first request to access an electronic interface associated with a unique code encoded as part of the token, at least one batch identifier included as part of the token;

selecting, by the computing device, a decryption key from a plurality of decryption keys specific to the at least one batch identifier included as part of the token,

decrypting using the decryption key, by the computing system, a portion of the unique code;

determining, by the computing system in response to the first request, that the unique code has a first status;

serving, by the computing system to the first user device in response to the first request and in response to determining that the unique code has the first status, a version of the electronic user interface that enables the first user device to designate a digital asset for transfer;

receiving, by the computing system from the first user device through the electronic user interface, a first identification of a digital asset; and

transferring, by the computing system in response to the first identification, the digital asset from a first electronic storage that is associated with the first user device to a second electronic storage.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique code is a quick response (QR) code.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the first user device, the unique code as input; and

transmitting, by the first user device, the first request according to information embedded in the unique code.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving the unique code as input comprises receiving an image of a token comprising the code and interpreting the token.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving, by the second user device, the unique code as input by the second user device; and

transmitting, by the second user device, the second request according to information embedded in the unique code.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

serving the electronic user interface to the first user device in response to the first request comprises populating the interface with a first input portion for the first user device to identify the digital asset and a second input portion for the first user device to select at least one additional item of content; and

serving the electronic user interface to the second user device in response to the second request comprises populating the interface with a listing of the digital asset and the at least one additional item of content.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital asset comprises one or more of:

currency;

cryptocurrency;

a non-fungible token; or

a file.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein serving the electronic user interface comprises selecting a version of the electronic user interface according to at least one of the unique code or a batch identifier received with the first request.

9 . A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving responsive to scanning a token associated with a physical medium, from a user device, a request to access an electronic interface associated with a unique code encoded as part of the token, a batch identifier being included as part of the token;

selecting a decryption key from a plurality of decryption keys specific to the batch identifier;

decrypting, using the decryption key, a portion of the unique code;

serving, to the user device in response to the request, the electronic user interface;

receiving, from the user device through the electronic user interface, an identification of a digital asset;

transferring, in response to the identification, the digital asset from a first electronic storage that is associated with the user device to a second electronic storage according to the unique code;

determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed with the digital asset in the second storage; and

based on the determination, automatically returning the digital asset from the second storage to the first storage.

10 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein:

the user device is a first user device;

the request is a first request;

the unique code is a first unique code;

the identification is a first identification;

the digital asset is a first digital asset; and

the operations further comprise:

receiving, from a second user device, a second request to access the electronic interface, the second request including a second unique code;

serving, to the second user device in response to the second request, the electronic user interface;

receiving, from the second user device through the electronic user interface, a second identification of a second digital asset; and

transferring, in response to the second identification, the second digital asset from a third electronic storage that is associated with the second user device to the second electronic storage.

11 . The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a third request to access the electronic interface, the third request including the second unique code;

serving, by the computing system to the second user device in response to the second request, the electronic user interface;

receiving, by the computing system from second user device through the electronic user interface, a second identification of a third electronic storage that is associated with the second user device; and

transferring, by the computing system in response to the second identification, the digital asset from the second electronic storage to the third electronic storage.

12 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein:

the user device is a first user device;

the request is a first request;

the unique code is a first unique code;

the identification is a first identification;

the digital asset is a first digital asset; and

the operations further comprise:

receiving, from a second user device, a second request to access the electronic interface, the second request including a second unique code;

serving, to the second user device in response to the second request, the electronic user interface;

receiving, from the second user device through the electronic user interface, a second identification of a second digital asset; and

transferring, in response to the second identification, the second digital asset from a third electronic storage that is associated with the second user device to the second electronic storage.

13 . The computing system of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the second user device, a request to recall the second digital asset; and

in response to the request to recall, transferring the second digital asset from the second electronic storage to the third electronic storage.

14 . The computing system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a third request from a third user device to access the electronic interface, the third request including the second unique code;

serving, by the computing system to the third user device in response to the second request, the electronic user interface; and

indicating, to the third user device through the electronic user interface, that the second digital asset has been recalled.

15 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, a plurality of unique tokens, each unique token encoding a respective unique code, a respective batch identifier, and an address to access an electronic user interface;

causing a respective one of the plurality of unique tokens to be applied to a respective unit of physical media;

selecting, by the computing system, a plurality of respective decryption keys for the plurality of unique tokens, each respective decryption key of the plurality of decryption keys being specific to a respective batch identifier of each unique token of the plurality of unique tokens;

decrypting, by the computing system, each respective unique code encoded in each unique token of the plurality of unique tokens using each respective decryption key;

receiving, by the computing system, from each of a plurality of first user devices, respective first requests to access an electronic user interface, each first request including a respective one of the plurality of unique codes;

receiving, from each first user through the electronic user interface, a respective digital asset, whereby a plurality of digital assets are received from a plurality of first users;

storing, by the computing system, the plurality of digital assets in a common digital repository, each digital asset stored in connection with the respective unique code received from the respective first user;

receiving, by the computing system, from each of a plurality of second user devices, respective second requests to access the electronic user interface, each second request including a respective one of a first subset of the plurality of unique codes; and

transferring, to a respective second user each of the respective second user devices, the digital asset stored in connection with the respective unique code received from the second user device.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein each unique token further encodes a batch identifier from a plurality of batch identifiers and each first request includes a respective one of the plurality of batch identifiers, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting, according to each batch identifier, a respective version of an electronic user interface from a plurality of versions of the electronic user interface; and

serving, in response to each first request, the respective selected version of the electronic user interface.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein each unique token further encodes a batch identifier from a plurality of batch identifiers and each first request includes a respective one of the plurality of batch identifiers, wherein the method further comprises:

causing a plurality of cryptographic keys to be generated, each associated with a respective batch identifier; and

decoding each received unique code according to a respective cryptographic key of the plurality of cryptographic keys associated with the received batch identifier.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising marking each unique code as expired after transferring the digital asset stored in connection with the respective unique identifier.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining, in response to one of the second requests, that the respective second user is not associated with an account for receiving the respective digital asset and, in response, prompting the second user to create an account.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining, for each first request, that the received unique identifier is not associated with a stored digital asset; and

in response to the determination, serving a provider version of an electronic user interface to the respective first user device.