United States Patent No. 10,108,812 granted on 23 October 2018.

Systems and Methods for Securing and Disseminating Time Sensitive Information Using a Blockchain

Applicant and Assignee: Nasdaq, Inc.

Priority Date: 28 January 2016

Abstract:

An information computer system is provided for securely releasing time-sensitive information to recipients via a blockchain. A submitter submits a document to the system and a blockchain transaction is generated and submitted to the blockchain based on the document (e.g., the document is included as part of the blockchain transaction). An editor may edit the document and an approver may approve the document for release to the recipients. Each modification and/or approval of the document is recorded as a separate transaction on the blockchain where each of the submitter, editor, approver, and recipients interact with the blockchain with corresponding unique digital identifiers-such as pri­vate key.

Technical Overview

The technology herein relates to cryptographic distributed systems that secure and disseminate electronic information. More particularly, the technology herein relates to a system that integrates a blockchain that stores, secures, and dis­seminates time-sensitive information.

 Brief Description of Drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a non-limiting example function block diagram of a computer-implemented information  system 100 that interfaces with a blockchain 116 according to certain example embodiments. Submitter system 120, editor system 122, and approver system 124 are computer systems (either different computer systems or the same computer system) controlled by respective submitter, editor, and approver users (which may be referred to simply as submitter, editor, and approver) that communicate over an electronic data communications net­ work 110 with information system 100;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an example computerized process that secures and disseminates a document using an example blockchain  according to certain example embodiments.

Information system 100 may enable or provide a user interface (e.g., via the stored computer instructions) to client computer systems. This is represented in FIG. 2 as user interface 200. In certain instances, this may be an API or computer  program that facilitates or  provides a user interface for a user(s) to perform submission, editing, and approving tasks. In certain example embodiments, recipients (e.g., via recipient systems 126) may use the user interface 200 to view documents that have been “released” via the blockchain 116.Submitter system 120 authenticates or otherwise logs into information system 100. The user interface 200 may send or present a number of different options for a submitter user to create one or more types of jobs (e.g., a job being a planned release of a document at some future time and date). The reader is referred to the patent for further detailed description.

Brief Recitation of Claims:

Claim 1: A computer system for securely releasing time-sensitive information comprising: a transceiver configured to communicate with a distributed blockchain computing system that includes multiple computing nodes, each computing node storing a copy, or a portion thereof, of the blockchain of the distributed blockchain computing system;   a computer storage system configured to store: a plurality of digital cryptographic data structures that each include at least a corresponding private key, wherein a first one of the plurality of digital cryptographic data structures is associated with a submitter user that submits documents to be released, wherein a second one of the plurality of digital cryptographic data structures is associated with an approver user that approves the release of documents, wherein each corresponding private key is associated with a public identifier;   a processing system that includes at least one hardware processor, the processing system configured to:   receive a document from a first computer system that is associated with the submitter user;   generate a first blockchain transaction based on the received document and the digital cryptographic data structure that is associated with the submitter user;   submit the first blockchain transaction to the blockchain for incorporation into the blockchain; generate a second blockchain transaction, wherein the second blockchain transaction includes the document and is to a blockchain identifier that is associated with the second digital cryptographic data structure of the approver user;   submit the second blockchain transaction to the blockchain;   receive, from a computer system associated with the approver user, an approval command for the document that is included in the second blockchain transaction; and   responsive to the approval command, generate and submit, to the blockchain, a third blockchain transaction that includes the document, wherein the third blockchain transaction is linked, directly or indirectly, to the first and second blockchain transactions, wherein the third blockchain transaction includes a programmatic locking script with a timer condition that is set to expire at a defined time, wherein a plurality of intended recipients cannot access the document included in the third blockchain transaction until expiration of the timer condition.

Claim 10: A method for securely releasing time-sensitive information using a computer system that includes a transceiver configured to communicate with a distributed blockchain computing system that includes multiple computing nodes, each computing node storing a copy, or a portion thereof, of the blockchain, the method comprising: accessing a plurality of digital cryptographic data structures that each include at least a corresponding private key, wherein a first one of the plurality of digital cryptographic data structures is associated with a submitter user that submits documents to be released, wherein a second one of the plurality of digital cryptographic data structures is associated with an approver user that approves the release of documents, wherein each corresponding private key is associated with a public identifier;   receiving a document from a first computer system that is associated with the submitter user; generating a first blockchain transaction based on the received document and the digital cryptographic data structure that is associated with the submitter user;   submitting the first blockchain transaction to the blockchain for incorporation into the blockchain; generating a second blockchain transaction, wherein the second blockchain transaction includes the document and is to a blockchain identifier that is associated with the digital cryptographic data structure of the approver user;   submitting the second blockchain transaction to the blockchain;   receiving, from a computer system associated with the approver user, an approval command for the document that is included with the second blockchain transaction; and   responsive to the approval command, generating and submitting, to the blockchain, a third blockchain transaction that includes the document being made available, on the blockchain, to a plurality of intended recipients, wherein the third blockchain transaction is linked, directly or indirectly, to the first and second blockchain transactions,   wherein the third blockchain transaction includes a programmatic locking script that locks access to the document until a scheduled time of the programmatic locking script has been satisfied, wherein upon satisfaction of the scheduled time, the document of the third blockchain transaction is accessible by the plurality of intended recipients.

Commentary by Attorney Timothy F. Mills, Editor / Action Cyber Times™ © 2018 All Rights Reserved.

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