IP Library Granted Patent US 12,549,370
Granted Patent B2
US 12,549,370 · App. 18/181,273 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Method and apparatus for decentralized privacy preserving audit based on zero knowledge proof protocol

Inventors: Chung-Sheng Li (Scarsdale, NY); Winnie Cheng (West New York, NJ); Mark John Flavell (Madison, NJ); Nicholas John Hamer (Tampa, FL); Rhodri Davies (Tampa, FL); Elizabeth Cornelia Botha (Western Cape, ZA); Henry Hwangbo (Northbrook, IL); Scott Likens (Austin, TX)
Assignee: PwC Product Sales LLC
H04L9/3221H04L9/083H04L63/0428
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,549,370
App. No.
18/181,273
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided herein are systems and methods for decentralized privacy preserving audits comprising receiving by a first local system, from an orchestrator system, instructions to perform a local audit; executing, by the first local system, in response to receiving the instructions to perform the local audit, a first local audit model epoch, wherein executing the first local audit model epoch comprises: analyzing information from one or more data sources from a local data set; receiving first input information from a second local system through a privacy preserving communication framework in response to requesting the first input information; determining whether information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is reconciled based on the first input information; and in accordance with a determination that the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is not reconciled, executing a second local audit model epoch.

Claims (47)

1 . A system for performing a decentralized privacy preserving audit comprising:

a first local system communicatively coupled to an orchestrator system;

one or more processors; and

a memory storing one or more programs, the one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors and including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the system to:

receive by the first local system, from the orchestrator system, instructions to perform a local audit;

execute, by the first local system, in response to receiving the instructions to perform the local audit, a first local audit model epoch, wherein executing the first local audit model epoch comprises:

analyzing information from one or more data sources from a local data set;

receiving first input information from a second local system through a privacy preserving communication framework in response to requesting the first input information;

determining whether information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is reconciled based on the first input information; and

in accordance with a determination that the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is not reconciled, executing a second local audit model epoch, wherein executing the second local audit model epoch comprises requesting second input information from the second local system through the privacy preserving communication framework.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein executing the first local audit model epoch comprises, in accordance with a determination that the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is reconciled, generating a reconciliation status and transmitting the reconciliation status to the orchestrator system, wherein the reconciliation status indicates that the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is reconciled.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein executing the second local audit model epoch comprises: in accordance with a determination that the second input information can be transmitted through the privacy preserving communication framework without compromising the privacy of the second local system, transmitting the second input information through the privacy preserving communication framework.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein executing the second local audit model epoch comprises: in accordance with a determination that the second input information cannot be transmitted through the privacy preserving communication framework without compromising the privacy of the second local system, not transmitting the second input information through the privacy preserving communication framework.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the orchestrator system is configured to, upon receiving the transmitted reconciliation status, generate an audit report.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to perform the local audit include identifying information associated with the first local system and second local system.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to perform the local audit instruct the first local system to share metadata with the second local system.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to perform the local audit comprise one or more audit assertions provided by the orchestrator system.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first local system and second local system are communicatively coupled to the orchestrator system using the privacy preserving communication framework.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first local system and second local system form a subset of a plurality of local systems and wherein each of the plurality of local systems are communicatively coupled to each of the other local systems in the plurality of local systems.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of local systems are communicatively coupled to the orchestrator system using the privacy preserving communication framework.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of local systems are communicatively coupled to each of the other local systems in the plurality of local systems using the privacy preserving communication framework.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the privacy preserving communication framework comprises a ledger.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the privacy preserving communication framework comprises one or more zero-knowledge proof protocols.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein one or more of the one or more zero-knowledge proof protocols is an interactive zero-knowledge proof protocol.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein one or more of the one or more zero-knowledge proof protocols is a non-interactive zero-knowledge proof protocol.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the privacy preserving communication framework comprises a plurality of privacy preserving communication modules, wherein a privacy preserving communication module communicatively couples the first local system to the orchestrator system.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to perform the local audit comprise a time constraint, and wherein the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is limited by the time constraint.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the time constraint comprises a time interval.

20 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first local system comprises one or more trained machine learning models.

21 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first local system comprises one or more interfaces, the one or more interfaces being configured to allow one or more auditors to input rules for performing the local audit.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein executing a local audit model epoch further comprises: distributing a token to one or the one or more auditors when a rule input by the respective auditor is used to perform the local audit.

23 . The system of claim 1 , wherein executing the first local audit model epoch further comprises: generating by the first local system, an audit report.

24 . A method comprising:

receiving by a first local system, from an orchestrator system, instructions to perform a local audit;

executing, by the first local system, in response to receiving the instructions to perform the local audit, a first local audit model epoch, wherein executing the first local audit model epoch comprises:

analyzing information from one or more data sources from a local data set; receiving first input information from a second local system through a privacy preserving communication framework in response to requesting the first input information;

determining whether information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is reconciled based on the first input information; and

in accordance with a determination that the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is not reconciled, executing a second local audit model epoch, wherein executing the second local audit model epoch comprises requesting second input information from the second local system through the privacy preserving communication framework.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein executing the first local audit model epoch further comprises: in accordance with a determination that the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is reconciled, generating a reconciliation status and transmitting the reconciliation status to the orchestrator system, wherein the reconciliation status indicates that the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is reconciled.

26 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

receive by a first local system, from an orchestrator system, instructions to perform a local audit;

execute, by the first local system, in response to receiving the instructions to perform the local audit, a first local audit model epoch, wherein executing the first local audit model epoch comprises:

analyzing information from one or more data sources from a local data set;

receiving first input information from a second local system through a privacy preserving communication framework in response to requesting the first input information;

determining whether information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is reconciled based on the first input information; and

in accordance with a determination that the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is not reconciled, executing a second local audit model epoch, wherein executing the second local audit model epoch comprises requesting second input information from the second local system through the privacy preserving communication framework.

27 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26 , wherein executing the first local audit model epoch further comprises: in accordance with a determination that the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is reconciled, generating a reconciliation status and transmitting the reconciliation status to the orchestrator system, wherein the reconciliation status indicates that the information from the one or more data sources from the local data set is reconciled.

Assignments (3)
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 3, 2025
From: BOTHA, ELIZABETH
To: PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
Reel/Frame 073511/0912 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 27, 2025
From: LI, CHUNG-SHENG; CHENG, WINNIE; FLAVELL, MARK JOHN; HAMER, NICHOLAS JOHN; DAVIES, RHODRI; HWANGBO, HENRY; LIKENS, SCOTT
To: PWC PRODUCT SALES LLC
Reel/Frame 071408/0577 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 2, 2025
From: PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
To: PWC PRODUCT SALES LLC
Reel/Frame 069724/0120 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240305461A1 · Sep 12, 2024
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