IP Library Granted Patent US 11,303,603
Granted Patent B2
US 11,303,603 · App. 17/108,786 · Granted Apr 12, 2022

System and method for identity resolution across disparate distributed immutable ledger networks

Inventors: Saleem Khan (Jersey City, NJ); Jacob Caleb Gostylo (Austin, TX)
Assignee: THE DUN AND BRADSTREET CORPORATION
H04L61/103G06F16/1805G06F16/27G06Q20/382H04L9/0643H04L9/0825H04L9/3239H04L9/3247H04L2209/38
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,303,603
App. No.
17/108,786
Granted
Apr 12, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for identifying previously unknown counterparties by registering distributed ledger public keys and/or addresses associated with specific business entities and/or individuals. The system and method are configured to provide tools for administering public facing distributed ledger identifiers using cryptographic proof messaging and transactions made on the Distributed Ledger. It also provides queries and lookups to discover public keys associated with entities and allows users to link identifiers on competing Distributed Ledgers to a disambiguated entity, thereby enabling cross Ledger transactions to occur.

Claims (119)

1. A method comprising:

linking a plurality of public key distributed ledger addresses to an Entity ID for an entity;

linking each of the public key distributed ledger addresses to their respective distributed ledger network;

providing a hub server connected to an ID resolution server, the ID resolution server being configured to perform identity resolution for a single entity on a plurality of distributed ledger networks.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

connecting a plurality of distributed ledger network platform nodes on each of a respective plurality of the distributed ledger networks to the hub server.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a datastore for the Entity ID;

linking each of the public key distributed ledger addresses to their respective distributed ledger network in the datastore.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

generating a plurality of the datastores; and

storing a plurality of the datastores in an identity resolution database lookup table, wherein the ID resolution server comprises the identity resolution database lookup table.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

generating a datastore for the Entity ID;

linking each of the public key distributed ledger addresses to their respective distributed ledger network in the datastore; and

embedding the plurality of the distributed ledger network platform nodes on a respective plurality of the distributed ledger networks.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method comprises:

storing the plurality of the Entity ID datastores in an identity resolution database lookup table.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining business entity firmographic information about an entity from a business information database server connected to the hub server; and

outputting the business entity firmographic information to the distributed ledger network platform node.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a request to verify that a plurality of entities that are counter-parties to a contract on a first distributed ledger network are counter-parties to the contract on another distributed ledger network;

associating, at a hub server, the contract on the first distributed ledger network with the contract on the other distributed ledger network;

resolving, at an ID resolution server, an Entity ID for each of the counter-parties to the contract on the other distributed ledger network; and

verifying that the plurality of entities that are counter-parties to the contract on the first distributed ledger are counter-parties to the contract on the other distributed ledger network.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving, from a distributed ledger network platform node on a first distributed ledger network, the request to verify that a plurality of entities that are counter-parties to a contract on a first distributed ledger network are counter-parties to the contract on another distributed ledger network.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving, at a platform node on the other distributed ledger network, a transaction message to resolve the Entity IDs for each of the counter-parties to the contract on the other distributed ledger network.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving, from a distributed ledger network platform node on the other distributed ledger network, a transaction message with instructions to resolve the Entity IDs.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving a transaction message at the distributed ledger network platform node on the other distributed ledger network that the contract has executed;

sending a resolve message to the hub server confirming the contract on the other distributed ledger network has executed.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

resolving, by the hub server, the request from the distributed ledger network platform node on the first distributed ledger network to verify that the plurality of entities that are counter-parties to the contract on the first distributed ledger are counter-parties to the contract on the other distributed ledger network.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

sending the verification message to the distributed ledger network platform node on the first distributed ledger network.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

obtaining, by the hub server, business entity firmographic information about the counterparties a business information database server; and

outputting the business entity firmographic information to a platform node on a distributed ledger network of at least one of the counterparties.

16. A method comprising:

generating a datastore for an Entity ID for an entity;

storing a Verified Network ID for the entity in the entity datastore;

linking a plurality of public key distributed ledger addresses to the Entity ID for the entity; and

linking the public key distributed ledger addresses to a respective distributed ledger network.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

sending a Verified private key to the entity.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

receiving a message including information for a New Network ID for a Distributed Ledger Network, wherein the message is signed with a new private key, wherein the message has appended a Verified Network ID message detailing a Verified Network ID and a signature for the Verified Network ID message with a corresponding Verified private key.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

verifying, by the platform host, the signature of the Verified private key;

verifying, by the platform host, the signature of the new key; and

adding, by the platform host a new Network ID to the datastore for the entity.

20. A system for verifying entities on a plurality of distributed immutable ledgers comprising a network computer comprising:

a hub server;

an ID resolution server;

a memory for storing a database and program instructions; and

a processor device that is operative to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

generating, for each of a plurality of entities, an Entity ID for an entity;

linking a plurality of public key distributed ledger addresses to each Entity ID; and

linking each of the public key distributed ledger addresses to the distributed ledger network to which they belong;

wherein the system is configured to perform identity resolution for a single entity on a plurality of distributed ledger networks.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

connecting a plurality of distributed ledger network platform nodes on each of a respective plurality of the distributed ledger networks to the hub server.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

generating a datastore for the Entity ID;

linking each of the public key distributed ledger addresses to their respective distributed ledger network in the datastore.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

generating a plurality of the datastores; and

storing a plurality of the datastores in an identity resolution database lookup table, wherein the ID resolution server comprises the identity resolution database lookup table.

24. The system of claim 21 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

generating a datastore for the Entity ID;

linking each of the public key distributed ledger addresses to their respective distributed ledger network in the datastore; and

embedding a plurality of the distributed ledger network platform nodes on a respective plurality of the distributed ledger networks.

25. The system of claim 21 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

obtaining business entity firmographic information about an entity from a business information database server connected to the hub server; and

outputting the business entity firmographic information to a distributed ledger network of at least one of the counterparties.

26. A system for verifying entities on a plurality of distributed immutable ledgers comprising a network computer comprising:

a hub server;

an ID resolution server;

a memory for storing a database and program instructions; and

a processor device that is operative to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

associating, at a hub server, the contract on the first distributed ledger network with the contract on the other distributed ledger network; and

resolving, at an ID resolution server, the Entity IDs for the counter-parties to the contract on the other distributed ledger network.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

receiving, from a distributed ledger network platform node on a first distributed ledger network, a request to verify that a plurality of entities that are counter-parties to a contract on a first distributed ledger network are counter-parties to the contract on another distributed ledger network.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

receiving, at a platform node on the other distributed ledger network, a transaction message to resolve corresponding Entity IDs for the counter-parties to the contract on the other distributed ledger network.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

receiving, from a distributed ledger network platform node on the other distributed ledger network, a transaction message with instructions to resolve the Entity IDs.

30. The system of claim 27 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

receiving a transaction message at the distributed ledger network platform node on the other distributed ledger network that the contract has executed;

sending a resolve message to the hub server confirming the contract on the other distributed ledger network has executed.

31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

resolving, by the hub server, the request from the distributed ledger network platform node on the first distributed ledger network to verify that the plurality of entities that are counter-parties to the contract on the first distributed ledger are counter-parties to the contract on the other distributed ledger network.

32. The system of claim 31 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

sending the verification message to the distributed ledger network platform node on the first distributed ledger network.

33. The system of claim 32 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

obtaining, by the hub server, business entity firmographic information about the counterparties from a business information database server; and

outputting the business entity firmographic information to the distributed ledger network platform node of at least one of the counterparties.

34. A system for verifying entities on a plurality of distributed immutable ledgers comprising a network computer comprising:

a hub server;

an ID resolution server;

a memory for storing a database and program instructions; and

a processor device that is operative to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

generating a datastore for an Entity ID for an entity;

storing a Verified Network ID for the entity in the entity datastore;

linking a plurality of public key distributed ledger addresses to the Entity ID for the entity; and

linking the public key distributed ledger addresses to a respective distributed ledger network.

35. The system of claim 34 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

sending a Verified private key to the entity.

36. The system of claim 35 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

receiving a message including information for a New Network ID for a Distributed Ledger Network, wherein the message is signed with a new private key, wherein the message has appended a Verified Network ID message detailing a Verified Network ID and a signature for the Verified Network ID message with a corresponding Verified private key.

37. The system of claim 36 , wherein the system is further configured to execute program instructions that enable actions, comprising:

verifying the signature of the Verified private key;

verifying the signature of the new key; and

adding a new Network ID to the datastore for the entity.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2025
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. AS AGENT
To: THE DUN & BRADSTREET CORPORATION; DUN & BRADSTREET EMERGING BUSINESSES CORP.; DUN & BRADSTREET, INC.; HOOVER’S, INC.; LATTICE ENGINES, INC.
Reel/Frame 072591/0843 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2025
From: DUN & BRADSTREET EMERGING BUSINESSES CORP.; DUN & BRADSTREET, INC.; LATTICE ENGINES, INC.; THE DUN AND BRADSTREET CORPORATION
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072643/0196 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 13, 2023
From: THE DUN & BRADSTREET CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 062741/0449 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2020
From: KHAN, SALEEM; GOSTYLO, JACOB CALEB
To: THE DUN & BRADSTREET CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054508/0596 →