IP Library Granted Patent US 11,010,728
Granted Patent B2
US 11,010,728 · App. 16/033,304 · Granted May 18, 2021

Timestamping changes to smart-contract state

Inventor: Jeronimo Irazabal (Buenos Aires, AR)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
G06Q20/06G06Q20/36
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 11,010,728
App. No.
16/033,304
Granted
May 18, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example operation may include one or more of calculating a timestamp for each transaction within a blockchain. The calculating of the time stamp includes setting an incremental number to each key and value modified in the transaction, and incrementing the incremental number when the transaction within the blockchain is processed. The example operation may also include determining a relative order of change made to a smart-contract state.

Claims (30)

1. A method, comprising:

executing a first transaction via a smart contract of a blockchain, the executing comprising the smart contract modifying one or more key values on the blockchain and associating a relative value with each of the one or more key values of the first transaction modified by the smart contract;

incrementing the relative value in response to executing the first transaction; and

executing a second transaction via the smart contract of the blockchain, the executing comprising the smart contract modifying one or more additional key values on the blockchain and associating the incremented relative value with each of the one or more additional key values of the second transaction modified by the smart contract.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein executing the first transaction comprises associating the relative value with a first document, and the executing the second transaction comprises associating the incremented relative value with a second document that is modified after the first document.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the executing the first transaction comprises associating of a same numeric value to each key modified by the smart contract during execution of the first transaction.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each the first and second transactions are contained in one of a plurality of blocks in the blockchain.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the executing the first transaction comprises associating the relative value with a first wallet account, and the executing the second transaction comprises associating the incremented relative value with a second wallet account that is updated after the first wallet account.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relative value corresponds to a relative timestamp.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relative value comprises a numerical counter value that the smart contract increments each time a transaction is executed.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to:

execute a first transaction via a smart contract of a blockchain, where the smart contract modifies one or more key values on the blockchain and associates a relative value with each of the one or more key values of the first transaction modified by the smart contract;

increment the relative value in response to execution of the first transaction; and

execute a second transaction via the smart contract of the blockchain, where the smart contract modifies one or more additional key values on the blockchain and associates the incremented relative value with each of the one or more additional key values of the second transaction modified by the smart contract.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to associate the relative value with a first document modified by the first transaction, and associate the incremented relative value with a second document modified by the second transaction after the first document is modified by the first transaction.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to associate a same numeric value to each key modified by the first transaction.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first and second transactions are contained in one of a plurality of blocks in the blockchain.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to associate the relative value with a first wallet account in the first transaction, and associate the incremented relative value with a second wallet account in the second transaction that is updated after the first wallet account.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the relative value corresponds to a relative timestamp.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the relative value comprises a numerical counter value that the smart contract increments each time a transaction is executed.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

executing a first transaction via a smart contract of a blockchain, the executing comprising the smart contract modifying one or more key values on the blockchain and associating a relative value with each of the one or more key values of the first transaction modified by the smart contract;

incrementing the relative value in response to executing the first transaction; and

executing a second transaction via the smart contract of the blockchain, the executing comprising the smart contract modifying one or more additional key values on the blockchain and associating the incremented relative value with each of the one or more additional key values of the second transaction modified by the smart contract.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the executing the first transaction comprises associating the relative value with a first document, and the executing the second transaction comprises associating the incremented relative value with a second document that is modified after the first document.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the executing the first transaction comprises associating a same numeric value to each key modified by the first transaction.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first and second transactions are contained in one of a plurality of blocks in the blockchain.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the executing the first transaction comprises associating the relative value with a first wallet account, and the executing the second transaction comprises associating the incremented relative value with a second wallet account that is updated after the first wallet account.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the relative value corresponds to a relative timestamp.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2018
From: IRAZABAL, JERONIMO
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046328/0266 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200019936A1 · Jan 16, 2020