IP Library Granted Patent US 11,228,445
Granted Patent B2
US 11,228,445 · App. 16/442,283 · Granted Jan 18, 2022

File validation using a blockchain

Inventors: Gregory J. Alger (Renton, WA); Duane R. Wald (Kent, WA); Andrew Mintner (Seattle, WA); Donald Grant Peterson (Lake Forest Park, WA); Taiga Matsumoto (Seattle, WA); Damon Dean (San Francisco, CA); Drew Ashlock (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: DocuSign, Inc.
H04L9/3247G06F7/24G06F7/36H04L9/0643H04L2209/38
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,228,445
App. No.
16/442,283
Granted
Jan 18, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for validating documents using a blockchain data. Multiple documents can be included in the validation process using a merge and hash process and a summary terms document. Validation can be performed by hashing and merging operations, followed by comparing hash values.

Claims (49)

1. A method comprising:

generating a plurality of document hashes by generating a document hash for each file in an envelope, the envelope comprising two or more electronically signed documents having signature tabs in association with different topics;

generating an envelope hash of the plurality of document hashes;

transmitting, to a storage address of a network blockchain, a request that comprises the envelope hash as payload data;

receiving a validation request from a client device, the validation request specifying an electronically signed document of the envelope;

generating a new envelope hash by hashing the envelope containing the specified electronically signed document;

retrieving the payload data from the storage address on the network blockchain;

confirming that the specified electronically signed document of the envelope is one of the one or more electronically signed documents based on the new envelope hash matching the one or more hashes in the payload data; and

responsive to confirming that the specified electronically signed document of the envelope matches the one or more hashes in the payload data, transmitting a notification of validation to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more electronically signed documents are a collection of files of an agreement between at least two users of a network service.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the envelope hash comprises:

sorting the plurality of document hashes in a sort order; and

merging the plurality of document hashes in the sort order.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of document hashes is merged by concatenation.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the sort order ranks the plurality of document hashes in ascending order.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more electronically signed documents comprise a first signed document for an agreement between a set of user profiles of a network service, and a second signed document for a different agreement between a different set of user profiles of the network service.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of document hashes comprise a first tracking hash generated from the first signed document, and a second tracking hash generated from the second signed document.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the payload data is a batch of hashes including the first document hash and the second document hash.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage address is a receive address of a smart contract on the network blockchain.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the envelope further comprises a summary document with no signature tab.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors of a client device; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

generating a plurality of document hashes by generating a document hash for each file in an envelope, the envelope comprising two or more electronically signed documents having signature tabs in association with different topics;

generating an envelope hash of the plurality of document hashes;

transmitting, to a storage address of a network blockchain, a request that comprises the envelope hash as payload data;

receiving a validation request from a client device, the validation request specifying an electronically signed document of the envelope;

generating a new envelope hash by hashing the envelope containing the specified electronically signed document;

retrieving the payload data from the storage address on the network blockchain;

confirming that the specified electronically signed document of the envelope is one of the one or more electronically signed documents based on the new envelope hash matching the one or more hashes in the payload data; and

responsive to confirming that the specified electronically signed document of the envelope matches the one or more hashes in the payload data, transmitting a notification of validation to the client device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the two or more electronically signed documents are a collection of files of an agreement between at least two user profiles of a network service.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein generating the envelope hash comprises:

sorting the plurality of document hashes in a sort order; and

merging the plurality of document hashes in the sort order.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of document hashes is merged by concatenation.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the sort order ranks the plurality of document hashes in ascending or descending order.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the two or more electronically signed documents comprise a first signed document for an agreement between a set of user profiles of a network service, and a second signed document for a different agreement between a different set of user profiles of the network service.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of document hashes comprise a first tracking hash generated from the first signed document, and a second tracking hash generated from the second signed document.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the envelope further comprises a summary document with no signature tab.

19. A machine-readable storage device embodying instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

generating a plurality of document hashes by generating a document hash for each file in an envelope, the envelope comprising two or more electronically signed documents having signature tabs in association with different topics;

generating an envelope hash of the plurality of document hashes;

transmitting, to a storage address of a network blockchain, a request that comprises the envelope hash as payload data;

receiving a validation request from a client device, the validation request specifying an electronically signed document of the envelope;

generating a new envelope hash by hashing the envelope containing the specified electronically signed document;

retrieving the payload data from the storage address on the network blockchain;

confirming that the specified electronically signed document of the envelope is one of the one or more electronically signed documents based on the new envelope hash matching the one or more hashes in the payload data; and

responsive to confirming that the specified electronically signed document of the envelope matches the one or more hashes in the payload data, transmitting a notification of validation to the client device.

Assignments (4)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 23, 2025
From: DOCUSIGN, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 071337/0240 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (054943/0358) Recorded May 22, 2025
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: DOCUSIGN, INC.
Reel/Frame 071337/0148 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2021
From: DOCUSIGN, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 054943/0358 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2019
From: ALGER, GREGORY J.; WALD, DUANE R.; MINTNER, ANDREW; PETERSON, DONALD GRANT; MATSUMOTO, TAIGA; DEAN, DAMON; ASHLOCK, DREW
To: DOCUSIGN, INC.
Reel/Frame 049945/0048 →