IP Library Granted Patent US 12711556
Granted Patent B2
US 12711556 · App. 18/981,972 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Distributed ledger system for managing smart data

Inventors: Ronny S. Bryant (Bloomington, IL); Stacie A. McCullough (Bloomington, IL); Mitchell J. Hill (Bloomington, IL); Jacob J. Alt (Downs, IL); Jaime Skaggs (Chenoa, IL); Shawn M. Call (Bloomington, IL); Eric Bellas (Bloomington, IL); Vicki King (Bloomington, IL); Melinda Teresa Magerkurth (Utica, IL)
Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
G06Q40/084B60W50/00G06F16/182G06F16/27G06Q10/10G06Q20/389G06Q30/0283G06Q30/0623G06Q40/08G06Q50/163G07C5/008G07C5/0808G16H10/60H04L9/0643H04L9/32H04L12/2803H04L67/1061H04L67/12H04W4/40B60W2756/10G06F16/903H04L9/50H04L2012/2847
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12711556
App. No.
18/981,972
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed with respect to using a distributed ledger, such as a blockchain, for tracking changes for a user. Example methods may include implementing one or more servers, each of the one or more servers maintaining a copy of a distributed ledger; detecting a change in a policy or claim status for a user; responding to the detection of the change, including: (i) generating, via a server of the one or more servers, a transaction record for the distributed ledger including data corresponding to the change; (ii) generating a hash value representative of at least the transaction record using at least a generated nonce value; and (iii) storing the transaction record and the hash value to each copy of the distributed ledger at the one or more servers; and performing a function based upon the transaction record stored to the distributed ledger.

Claims (47)

1 . A computer-implemented method for tracking changes for a user via a distributed ledger, the computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, by one or more processors, a change in an insurance claim status for the user;

responding, by the one or more processors, to the detection of the change, including:

(i) generating, via a server, a transaction record for the distributed ledger including data corresponding to the change;

(ii) generating a hash value representative of at least the transaction record; and

(iii) storing, responsive to solving a cryptographic puzzle, the transaction record and the hash value to a block of a blockchain at the distributed ledger at the server, wherein the block is cryptographically linked to a previous block; and

performing, by the one or more processors, a function based upon the transaction record stored to the distributed ledger.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the change represents any one or more of: a filing of the insurance claim; an assessment of damage; an estimate of a repair or replacement cost; or a payment to settle the insurance claim.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein responding to the detection further includes:

performing, via the server, a consensus analysis via a consensus mechanism to form a consensus regarding a validity of the transaction record,

wherein storing the transaction record includes storing the transaction record in response to detecting that the consensus has been formed.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the consensus mechanism is any one or more of: a proof of activity mechanism, a proof of burn mechanism, a proof of capacity mechanism, or a proof of elapsed time mechanism.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein responding to the detection further includes:

generating a notification that the transaction record is invalid in response to detecting that the consensus has not been formed.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the change pertains to at least one of: a vehicle, a property, a financial transaction, or the user.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the hash value is a hash value for the block.

8 . A computer device for tracking changes for a user via a distributed ledger, the computer device comprising one or more processors configured to:

detect a change in an insurance claim status for the user;

respond to the detection of the change by:

(i) generating, via a server, a transaction record for the distributed ledger including data corresponding to the change;

(ii) generating a hash value representative of at least the transaction record; and

(iii) storing, responsive to solving a cryptographic puzzle, the transaction record and the hash value to a block of a blockchain at the distributed ledger at the server, wherein the block is cryptographically linked to a previous block; and

perform a function based upon the transaction record stored to the distributed ledger.

9 . The computer device of claim 8 , wherein the change represents any one or more of: a filing of the insurance claim; an assessment of damage; an estimate of a repair or replacement cost; or a payment to settle the insurance claim.

10 . The computer device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

broadcast the transaction record to one or more servers;

perform a consensus analysis via a consensus mechanism to form a consensus regarding a validity of the transaction record; and

store the transaction record in response to detecting that the consensus has been formed.

11 . The computer device of claim 10 , wherein the consensus mechanism is any one or more of: a proof of activity mechanism, a proof of burn mechanism, a proof of capacity mechanism, or a proof of elapsed time mechanism.

12 . The computer device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to respond to the detection further by:

generating a notification that the transaction record is invalid in response to detecting that the consensus has not been formed.

13 . The computer device of claim 9 , wherein the change pertains to at least one of: a vehicle, a property, a financial transaction, or the user.

14 . The computer device of claim 9 , and wherein the hash value is a hash value for the block.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for tracking changes for a user via a distributed ledger that, when implemented, cause a computing system to:

detect a change in an insurance claim status for the user;

respond to the detection of the change by:

(i) generating, via a server, a transaction record for the distributed ledger including data corresponding to the change;

(ii) generating a hash value representative of at least the transaction record; and

(iii) storing, responsive to solving a cryptographic puzzle, the transaction record and the hash value to a block of a blockchain at the distributed ledger at the server, wherein the block is cryptographically linked to a previous block; and

perform a function based upon the transaction record stored to the distributed ledger.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the change represents any one or more of: a filing of the insurance claim; an assessment of damage; an estimate of a repair or replacement cost; or a payment to settle the insurance claim.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing system to respond to the detection further by:

performing a consensus analysis via a consensus mechanism to form a consensus regarding a validity of the transaction record,

wherein storing the transaction record includes storing the transaction record in response to detecting that the consensus has been formed.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the consensus mechanism is any one or more of: a proof of burn mechanism, a proof of capacity mechanism, or a proof of elapsed time mechanism.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the change pertains to at least one of: a vehicle, a property, a financial transaction, or the user.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the hash value is a hash value for the block.