Document authentication certification with blockchain and distributed ledger techniques
View Patent ↗Embodiments are described herein for document authentication certification using information stored on a distributed ledger such as a blockchain. A distributed ledger may securely store document data describing the document. Use of a distributed ledger may provide an immutable, readily auditable record of the history of the document. Each user participating in the system may be assigned a unique identifier to be used for conducting transactions on the distributed ledger network. A user may also be provided with a digital security token such as a cryptographic key that is useable to authenticate the user and enable access to the document data stored on the distributed ledger(s).
1. A computing system, comprising:
one or more processors configured to process instructions stored in a storage device, wherein the instructions, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
replicate a blockchain ledger as a replicated data structure, wherein the replicated data structure comprises a document authentication certification smart contract; wherein the document authentication certification smart contract is configured to:
facilitate creation of one or more legal documents to be certified by a legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents, wherein creation of the one or more legal documents comprises selection of a legal document type of the one or more legal documents and a legal entity type of the legal entity;
store the one or more legal documents in the blockchain ledger;
receive, from the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents, one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents stored in the blockchain ledger, wherein each authentication certification comprises location data detected by one or more sensors associated with the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents;
facilitate insertion of data relating to the one or more legal documents into the blockchain ledger, wherein the data relating to the one or more legal documents comprises the one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents received from the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents; and
verify the one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents based at least in part on the location data associated with the one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents.
2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the document authentication certification smart contract is configured to facilitate information requests relating to the one or more legal documents.
3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the document authentication certification smart contract is configured to facilitate querying of the one or more legal documents.
4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the document authentication certification smart contract is configured to facilitate authentication of a document of the one or more legal documents.
5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the document authentication certification smart contract is configured to facilitate deletion of a document of the one or more legal documents.
6. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the data relating to the one or more legal documents comprises an identifier for a document, a name of the document, an address of the document, a type of the document, and ownership of the document.
7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the data relating to the one or more legal documents comprises an identifier for an authentication of a document, a name of a legal entity authenticating the document, a type of the legal entity authenticating the document, a type of the authentication, and a date of the authentication.
8. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more legal documents comprise electronic documents.
9. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents comprises a notary public, a state department, a foreign consulate or embassy, or another government entity.
10. A method, comprising:
replicating, via a computing system, a blockchain ledger as a replicated data structure, wherein the replicated data structure comprises a document authentication certification smart contract;
facilitating, via the document authentication certification smart contract, creation of one or more legal documents to be certified by a legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents, wherein creation of the one or more legal documents comprises selection of a legal document type of the one or more legal documents and a legal entity type of the legal entity;
storing, via the document authentication certification smart contract, the one or more legal documents in the blockchain ledger;
receiving, from the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents, via the document authentication certification smart contract, one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents stored in the blockchain ledger, wherein each authentication certification comprises location data detected by one or more sensors associated with the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents;
facilitating, via the document authentication certification smart contract, insertion of data relating to the one or more legal documents into the blockchain ledger, wherein the data relating to the one or more legal documents comprises the one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents received from the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents; and
verifying, via the document authentication certification smart contract, the one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents based at least in part on the location data associated with the one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents.
11. The method of claim 10 , comprising facilitating, via the document authentication certification smart contract, information requests relating to and querying of the one or more legal documents.
12. The method of claim 10 , comprising facilitating, via the document authentication certification smart contract, authentication of a document of the one or more legal documents.
13. The method of claim 10 , comprising facilitating, via the document authentication certification smart contract, deletion of a document of the one or more legal documents.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data relating to the one or more legal documents comprises an identifier for a document, a name of the document, an address of the document, a type of the document, and ownership of the document.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data relating to the one or more legal documents comprises an identifier for an authentication of a document, a name of a legal entity authenticating the document, a type of the legal entity authenticating the document, a type of the authentication, and a date of the authentication.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more legal documents comprise electronic documents.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents comprises a notary public, a state department, a foreign consulate or embassy, or another government entity.
18. A blockchain node of a blockchain system, comprising:
blockchain mining instructions that cause processing circuitry of the blockchain node to replicate a blockchain ledger as a blockchain replicate, to perform requested data insertion into the blockchain replicate, to perform requested transactions stored in the blockchain replicate, and to perform a consensus mechanism of the blockchain ledger;
wherein the blockchain replicate comprises a document authentication certification smart contract configured to facilitate creation of one or more legal documents to be certified by a legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents, to store the one or more legal documents in the blockchain ledger, to facilitate insertion of certification data relating to the one or more legal documents stored in the blockchain ledger, and to verify one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents stored in the blockchain ledger based at least in part on location data associated with the one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents, wherein creation of the one or more legal documents comprises selection of a legal document type of the one or more legal documents and a legal entity type of the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents, wherein the certification data comprises the one or more authentication certifications for the one or more legal documents provided by the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents, and wherein each authentication certification comprises location data detected by one or more sensors associated with the legal entity having legal authority to certify the one or more legal documents.