IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,896,418

Granted Patent B2

US 10,896,418 · App. 16/020,969 · Granted Jan 19, 2021

Secure management of data files using a blockchain

Inventor: Sergio Pinzon Gonzales, Jr. (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: EBAY INC.

G06Q20/389 G06F16/1805 G06F16/27 G06F21/10 G06F21/30 G06F21/602 G06F21/62 G06F21/6218 G06F21/6245 G06Q20/0855 G06Q20/3825 G06Q20/3829 G06Q20/401 G06Q20/42 G06Q30/018 G06Q40/08 H04L9/0637 H04L9/0643 H04L9/30 H04L9/3236 H04L9/3239 H04L9/3247 H04L9/3297 H04L63/102 H04L63/12 H04L65/4084 H04L67/20 H04L67/327 G06F21/645 G06F2221/2107 H04L67/18 H04L2209/38 H04L2209/56

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 10,896,418
App. No.: 16/020,969
Granted: Jan 19, 2021
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

Technologies are shown for secure management of a data file secured on a data file management blockchain that involve generating a genesis block for a data file management blockchain that contains a data file to be managed and signing the genesis block to commit the genesis block to the data file management blockchain. One or more transaction data blocks are generated for the data file management blockchain that each include a modification to the data file and the blocks are signed to commit them to the blockchain. In some examples, the modifications describe changes to the data file and the transaction data blocks are traced to the genesis block and a current data file generated by applying the modifications on the transaction data blocks to the data file in a sequence determined by an order of the one or more transaction data blocks in the data file management blockchain.

Claims (64)

1. A computer-implemented data file management method, the method comprising:

generating a genesis block for a data file management blockchain, the genesis block including a data file to be managed;

signing the genesis block to commit the genesis block to the data file management blockchain;

generating one or more transaction data blocks for the data file management blockchain, each transaction data block including a modification to the data file;

signing each of the one or more transaction data blocks to commit each of the one or more transaction data blocks to the data file management blockchain;

receiving a request to edit the data file from a first entity, the request to edit including a modification of the data file and an identifier corresponding to the first entity;

responsive to the request to edit, sending an edit request to a second entity for the data file, the edit request including the identifier corresponding to the first entity;

receiving a confirmation message from the second entity with a signature; and

signing a transaction data block corresponding to the request to edit with the signature received in the confirmation message.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , where the modification to the data file in each of the one or more transaction data blocks comprises data describing a change to the data file and the method includes:

receiving a request for the data file;

responsive to the request for the data file, tracing the one or more transaction data blocks of the data file management blockchain back to the genesis block;

generating a current version of the data file by applying the modification to the data file in each of the one or more transaction data blocks to the data file in the genesis block in a sequence determined by an order of the one or more transaction data blocks in the data file management blockchain; and

returning the current version of the data file.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , where the modification to the data file in each of the one or more transaction data blocks comprises a complete version of the data file including one or more modifications to the data file and the method includes:

receiving a request for the data file;

responsive to the request for the data file, identifying a most recent transaction data block of the one or more transaction data blocks of the data file management blockchain; and

returning the version of the data file in the most recent transaction data block.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , where each of the one or more transaction data blocks includes metadata identifying an entity corresponding to the data modification of the data file in the transaction data block.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , where the data file in the genesis block and the modification to the data file in each of the one or more transaction data blocks are encrypted.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , where each of the one or more transaction data blocks includes metadata identifying entities that are authorized to perform at least one of edit the data file or access the data file.

7. A system for data file management, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices in communication with the one or more processors, the memory devices having computer-readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to:

generate a genesis block for a data file management blockchain, the genesis block including a data file to be managed;

sign the genesis block to commit the genesis block to the data file management blockchain;

generate one or more transaction data blocks for the data file management blockchain, each transaction data block including a modification to the data file;

sign each of the one or more transaction data blocks to commit each of the one or more transaction data blocks to the data file management blockchain;

receive a request to edit the data file from a first entity, the request to edit including a modification of the data file and an identifier corresponding to the first entity;

responsive to the request to edit, send an edit request to a second entity for the data file, the edit request including the identifier corresponding to the first entity;

receive a confirmation message from the second entity with a signature; and

sign a transaction data block corresponding to the request to edit with the signature received in the confirmation message.

8. The system of claim 7 , where the modification to the data file in each of the one or more transaction data blocks comprises data describing a change to the data file and the memory devices include computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to:

receive a request for the data file;

responsive to the request for the data file, trace the one or more transaction data blocks of the data file management blockchain back to the genesis block;

generate a current version of the data file by applying the modification to the data file in each of the one or more transaction data blocks to the data file in the genesis block in a sequence determined by an order of the one or more transaction data blocks in the data file management blockchain; and

return the current version of the data file.

9. The system of claim 7 , where the modification to the data file in each of the one or more transaction data blocks comprises a complete version of the data file including one or more modifications to the data file and the memory devices include computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to:

receive a request for the data file;

responsive to the request for the data file, identify a most recent transaction data block of the one or more transaction data blocks of the data file management blockchain; and

return the version of the data file in the most recent transaction data block.

10. The system of claim 7 , where each of the one or more transaction data blocks includes metadata identifying an entity corresponding to the data modification of the data file in the transaction data block.

11. The system of claim 7 , where the data file in the genesis block and the modification to the data file in each of the one or more transaction data blocks are encrypted.

12. The system of claim 7 , where each of the one or more transaction data blocks includes metadata identifying entities that are authorized to perform at least one of edit the data file or access the data file.

13. A computer storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to execute a data file management method comprising: