IP Library Granted Patent US 12,289,297
Granted Patent B2
US 12,289,297 · App. 17/734,575 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Secure database with user-defined schemas

Inventor: Bruce Skingle (Cambridge, GB)
Assignee: SYMPHONY COMMUNICATION SERVICES HOLDINGS LLC
H04L63/0435G06F16/212G06F16/284
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,289,297
App. No.
17/734,575
Granted
Apr 29, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are described for providing secure communications among users from different organizations. An example method includes: providing a communication service to (i) a first group of users from a first organization having a first computing environment and (ii) a second group of users from a second organization having a second computing environment; creating a data storage schema in the first computing environment; encrypting the data storage schema using an encryption key in the first computing environment; sending the encrypted data storage schema from the first computing environment to a cloud storage infrastructure; receiving the encrypted data storage schema from the cloud storage infrastructure in the second computing environment; decrypting the data storage schema using the encryption key in the second computing environment; and using the data storage schema to share data between the first group of users and the second group of users.

Claims (43)

1. A computer-implemented method of sharing data, the method comprising:

obtaining access to a communication service provided to a first group of users from a first organization and a second group of users from a second organization, the communication service comprising a chatroom accessible to the first group of users and the second group of users, the first organization comprising a first computing environment, and the second organization comprising a second computing environment;

creating a data storage schema on at least one computer from the first computing environment;

encrypting the data storage schema using at least one encryption key on the at least one computer from the first computing environment;

sending the encrypted data storage schema from the first computing environment to a cloud storage infrastructure associated with the communication service,

wherein at least one computer from the second computing environment receives the encrypted data storage schema from the cloud storage infrastructure, and

wherein the at least one computer from the second computing environment decrypts the data storage schema using the at least one encryption key; and

using the data storage schema to share data between the first group of users and the second group of users through the communication service,

wherein using the data storage schema comprises creating a database record or editing a database record.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication service comprises a secure communication service for exchanging data between the first group of users and the second group of users.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first organization and the second organization each comprise a separate company, corporation, partnership, business entity, educational entity, governmental entity, financial services entity, or research entity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the data storage schema comprises receiving a definition of a data storage schema from at least one user from the first group of users.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloud storage infrastructure associated with the communication service does not have access to the at least one encryption key and is unable to decrypt the data storage schema.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloud storage infrastructure associated with the communication service comprises at least one of an object database, an object-relational database, or a key-value database.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the encrypted data storage schema further comprises sending the at least one encryption key from the first computing environment to the second computing environment.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the data storage schema comprises displaying data from the cloud storage infrastructure using the data storage schema.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one computer from the second computing environment is used to define the data storage schema, and wherein the data storage schema defines a data structure.

10. A system comprising:

one or more computer systems programmed to perform operations comprising:

obtaining access to a communication service provided to a first group of users from a first organization and a second group of users from a second organization, the communication service comprising a chatroom accessible to the first group of users and the second group of users, the first organization comprising a first computing environment, and the second organization comprising a second computing environment;

creating a data storage schema on at least one computer from the first computing environment;

encrypting the data storage schema using at least one encryption key on the at least one computer from the first computing environment;

sending the encrypted data storage schema from the first computing environment to a cloud storage infrastructure associated with the communication service,

wherein at least one computer from the second computing environment receives the encrypted data storage schema from the cloud storage infrastructure, and

wherein the at least one computer from the second computing environment decrypts the data storage schema using the at least one encryption key; and

using the data storage schema to share data between the first group of users and the second group of users through the communication service,

wherein using the data storage schema comprises creating a database record or editing a database record.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the communication service comprises a secure communication service for exchanging data between the first group of users and the second group of users.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first organization and the second organization each comprise a separate company, corporation, partnership, business entity, educational entity, governmental entity, financial services entity, or research entity.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein creating the data storage schema comprises receiving a definition of a data storage schema from at least one user from the first group of users.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the cloud storage infrastructure associated with the communication service does not have access to the at least one encryption key and is unable to decrypt the data storage schema.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the cloud storage infrastructure associated with the communication service comprises at least one of an object database, an object-relational database, or a key-value database.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein sending the encrypted data storage schema further comprises sending the at least one encryption key from the first computing environment to the second computing environment.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein using the data storage schema comprises displaying data from the cloud storage infrastructure using the data storage schema.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining access to a communication service provided to a first group of users from a first organization and a second group of users from a second organization, the communication service comprising a chatroom accessible to the first group of users and the second group of users, the first organization comprising a first computing environment, and the second organization comprising a second computing environment;

creating a data storage schema on at least one computer from the first computing environment;

encrypting the data storage schema using at least one encryption key on the at least one computer from the first computing environment;

sending the encrypted data storage schema from the first computing environment to a cloud storage infrastructure associated with the communication service,

wherein at least one computer from the second computing environment receives the encrypted data storage schema from the cloud storage infrastructure, and

wherein the at least one computer from the second computing environment decrypts the data storage schema using the at least one encryption key; and

using the data storage schema to share data between the first group of users and the second group of users through the communication service,

wherein using the data storage schema comprises creating a database record or editing a database record.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2025
From: SYMPHONY COMMUNICATION SERVICES HOLDINGS, LLC; SYMPHONY COMMUNICATION SERVICES, LLC; CLOUD9 TECHNOLOGIES LLC; PERZO INC.; STREETLINX INC.; AMENITY ANALYTICS, INC.
To: MUFG BANK, LTD.
Reel/Frame 072408/0921 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2024
From: SKINGLE, BRUCE
To: SYMPHONY COMMUNICATION SERVICES HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 067943/0959 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63183910 · May 4, 2021
Related Publication 20220360570A1 · Nov 10, 2022
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