IP Library Granted Patent US 12,488,321
Granted Patent B2
US 12,488,321 · App. 18/053,490 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Smart contract deployment for DCF trust services billing

Inventors: Stephen J. Todd (North Andover, MA); Trevor Scott Conn (Leander, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06Q20/102G06Q20/3825G06Q20/4016
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,488,321
App. No.
18/053,490
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

One method includes obtaining a snapshot of a data confidence fabric billing manifest, broadcasting the snapshot to one or more nodes of the data confidence fabric, deploying, at the nodes, billing logic included in the data confidence fabric billing manifest, and executing the billing logic to obtain information concerning a trust service provided regarding data associated with the nodes. The trust service may include trust annotating the data with an assessment as to the relative trustworthiness of the data.

Claims (38)

1 . A method, comprising:

generating a data confidence fabric billing manifest;

rendering the data confidence fabric billing manifest immutable by signing the data confidence fabric billing manifest;

creating a snapshot of the data confidence fabric billing manifest, wherein the snapshot comprises parameters including a smart contract billing logic, a data owner identification, digital wallet information of the data owner, vendor information of a trust service, a time to activate the smart contract billing logic, and a digital signature signed in the data confidence fabric billing manifest;

storing the snapshot of the data confidence fabric billing manifest at an initial node of a plurality of nodes;

broadcasting the snapshot to a specific subset of the plurality of nodes of the data confidence fabric, where the specific subset does not include at least one node of the plurality of nodes;

commanding a data confidence agent to pull the snapshot from the initial node where the snapshot is stored;

in response to the commanding, pulling, by the data confidence fabric configuration agent, the snapshot from the initial node;

deploying, by the data confidence fabric configuration agent and at the specific subset of nodes, the smart contract billing logic included in the snapshot of the data confidence fabric billing manifest; and

activating, by the data confidence fabric configuration agent, the smart contract billing logic at the time and at the specific subset of nodes, thereby provisioning the trust services at the specific subset of nodes, where the activating further includes tracking and billing for the trust services rendered at the subset of nodes according to the parameters of the snapshot.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the billing logic comprises any one or more of: price-per-trust service; price-per-trust service-per vendor; or wallet depletion logic.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the information specifies which trust service are provided to which nodes.

4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the information obtained by executing the billing logic is provided to a trust service vendor.

5 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the billing logic specifies an action to be taken if an owner of the data does not pay a trust services vendor for performance of the trust service.

6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein terms of the data confidence fabric billing manifest have been agreed to by an owner of the data and a vendor of the trust service.

7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the snapshot includes a digital signature of a party to an agreement concerning the billing logic.

8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data confidence fabric billing manifest specifies a ledger where annotations of the data, made by the trust service, are stored.

9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data confidence fabric billing manifest specifies a ledger where billing information relating to the trust service is stored.

10 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the trust service comprises annotating the data with an assessment as to the relative trustworthiness of the data.

11 . A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein instructions that are executable by one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising:

generating a data confidence fabric billing manifest;

rendering the data confidence fabric billing manifest immutable by signing the data confidence fabric billing manifest;

creating a snapshot of the data confidence fabric billing manifest, wherein the snapshot comprises parameters including a smart contract billing logic, a data owner identification, digital wallet information of the data owner, vendor information of a trust service, a time to activate the smart contract billing logic, and a digital signature signed in the data confidence fabric billing manifest;

storing the snapshot of the data confidence fabric billing manifest at an initial node of a plurality of nodes;

broadcasting the snapshot to a specific subset of the plurality of nodes of the data confidence fabric, where the specific subset does not include at least one node of the plurality of nodes;

commanding a data confidence agent to pull the snapshot from the initial node where the snapshot is stored;

in response to the commanding, pulling, by the data confidence fabric configuration agent, the snapshot from the initial node;

deploying, by the data confidence fabric configuration agent and at the specific subset of nodes, the smart contract billing logic included in the snapshot of the data confidence fabric billing manifest; and

activating, by the data confidence fabric configuration agent, the smart contract billing logic at the time and at the specific subset of nodes, thereby provisioning the trust services at the specific subset of nodes, where the activating further includes tracking and billing for the trust services rendered at the subset of nodes according to the parameters of the snapshot.

12 . The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the billing logic comprises any one or more of: price-per-trust service; price-per-trust service-per vendor; or wallet depletion logic.

13 . The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the information specifies which trust service are provided to which nodes.

14 . The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the information obtained by executing the billing logic is provided to a trust service vendor.

15 . The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the billing logic specifies an action to be taken if an owner of the data does not pay a trust services vendor for performance of the trust service.

16 . The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein terms of the data confidence fabric billing manifest have been agreed to by an owner of the data and a vendor of the trust service.

17 . The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the snapshot includes a digital signature of a party to an agreement concerning the billing logic.

18 . The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the data confidence fabric billing manifest specifies a ledger where annotations of the data, made by the trust service, are stored.

19 . The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the data confidence fabric billing manifest specifies a ledger where billing information relating to the trust service is stored.

20 . The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 11 , wherein the trust service comprises annotating the data with an assessment as to the relative trustworthiness of the data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2022
From: TODD, STEPHEN J.; CONN, TREVOR SCOTT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 061691/0294 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240152889A1 · May 9, 2024
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