Federated data room server and method for use in blockchain environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12597066-B2
Application number	US-202217979097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2022
Priority date	Mar 26, 2021
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

A federated-data-room server manages information about a collection of electronic documents residing elsewhere (under different organizational/customer control). The server can anchor documents to a blockchain, record usage history of each document, and provide access to the documents for authorized users. As a result, the federated-data-room server operates on customers' data, while leaving the data in control of the customers. At the same time, the federated-data-room server provides data access and enables traceability via blockchain recordation of document identifiers and document hash values.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of using a federated-data-room server in a blockchain environment, the method comprising:
receiving, by the federated-data-room server, an electronic file from a first network location, the first network location being non-local to the federated-data-room server; hashing, by the federated-data-room server, a first portion of the electronic file, thereby generating a first hash value, the first portion being less than 100% of the electronic file, wherein the first hash value (i) is smaller in size than the electronic file, and (ii) enables a confirmation of immutability of the electronic file; without storing the electronic file, in an asset-information table located inside the federated-data-room server and comprising a number of indexed rows: (i) storing by the federated-data-room server the first hash value in a hash-value field, and (ii) storing by the federated-data-room server a location descriptor, that is associated with the first network location, in a location-descriptor field; recording, by the federated-data-room server, on a blockchain the first hash value and a row index, without recording the electronic file; receiving, by the federated-data-room server, a request, from a requestor at a second network location, for access to the electronic file, the second network location being different from the network location of the federated-data-room server; determining, by the federated-data-room server, whether the requestor is authorized to access the electronic file; and based on the result of the determining step, providing, by the federated-data-room server, access to the electronic file.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising fetching the electronic file from the first network location.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
hashing, by the federated-data-room server, a second portion of the fetched electronic file, thereby generating a second hash value, wherein the second portion of the fetched electronic file corresponds to the first portion of the received electronic file; and comparing the first hash value with the second hash value.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the steps of (a) fetching the electronic file, (b) hashing a second portion of the fetched electronic file, and (c) comparing the first hash value and the second hash value, are performed periodically.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing access to the electronic file comprises at least one of (i) allowing reading of the electronic file, (ii) allowing updating of an existing content of the electronic file, and (iii) allowing writing of an additional content to the electronic file.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the row index is a uniform resource locator (URL) address.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the location descriptor is the first network location.

8 . A federated-data-room server in a blockchain environment, the federated-data-room server comprising:
a hardware processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform a set of operations comprising:
receiving an electronic file from a first network location, the first network location being non-local to the federated-data-room server;
hashing a first portion of the electronic file, thereby generating a first hash value, the first portion being less than 100% of the electronic file,
wherein the first hash value (i) is smaller in size than the electronic file, and (ii) enables a confirmation of immutability of the electronic file;
without storing the electronic file, in an asset-information table located inside the federated-data-room server and comprising a number of indexed rows: (i) storing the first hash value in a hash-value field, and (ii) storing a location descriptor, that is associated with the first network location, in a location-descriptor field;
recording on a blockchain the first hash value and a row index, without recording the electronic file;
receiving a request, from a requestor at a second network location, for access to the electronic file;
determining whether the requestor is authorized to access the electronic file; and
based on the result of the determining step, providing, access to the electronic file.

9 . The federated-data-room server of claim 8 , wherein the set of operations further comprises fetching the electronic file from the first network location.

10 . The federated-data-room server of claim 9 , wherein the set of operations further comprises:
hashing a second portion of the fetched electronic file, thereby generating a second hash value, wherein the second portion of the fetched electronic file corresponds to the first portion of the received electronic file; and comparing the first hash value with the second hash value.

11 . The federated-data-room server of claim 10 , wherein the operations of (a) fetching the electronic file, (b) hashing a second portion of the fetched electronic file, and (c) comparing the first hash value and the second hash value, are performed periodically.

12 . The federated-data-room server of claim 8 , wherein the operation of providing access to the electronic file comprises at least one of (i) allowing reading of the electronic file, (ii) allowing updating of an existing content of the electronic file, and (iii) allowing writing of an additional content to the electronic file.

13 . The federated-data-room server of claim 8 , wherein the row index is a uniform resource locator (URL) address.

14 . The federated-data-room server of claim 8 , wherein the location descriptor is the first network location.

15 . A non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed by a federated data-room-server, cause the federated data-room-server to perform a set of operations comprising:
receiving an electronic file from a first network location, the first network location being non-local to the federated-data-room server; hashing a first portion of the electronic file, thereby generating to-generate-a first hash value, the first portion being less than 100% of the electronic file, wherein the first hash value (i) is smaller in size than the electronic file, and (ii) enables a confirmation of immutability of the electronic file; without storing the electronic file, in an asset information table located inside the federated-data-room server and comprising a number of indexed rows: (i) storing the first hash value in a hash-value field, and (ii) storing a location descriptor, that is associated with the first network location, in a location-descriptor field; recording on a blockchain the first hash value and a row index, without recording the electronic file; receiving a request from a requestor at a second network location for access to the electronic file; determining whether the requestor is authorized to access the electronic file; and based on the result of the determining step, providing access to the electronic file.

16 . The non-transitory memory of claim 15 , wherein the set of operations further comprises fetching the electronic file from the first network location.

17 . The non-transitory memory of claim 16 , wherein the set of operations further comprises:
hashing a second portion of the fetched electronic file, thereby generating a second hash value, wherein the second portion of the fetched electronic file corresponds to the first portion of the received electronic file; and comparing the first hash value with the second hash value.

18 . Th

Assignees

• Inveniam Capital Partners Inc

Inventors

• Bunker Jr Richard Gates
• O'Meara Patrick D
• Polyzois Christos Alkiviadis
• Snow Paul

Classifications

• H04L9/50

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• H04L9/3297

  involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps · CPC title

• H04L2209/56

  Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash · CPC title

• G06Q40/03 Primary

  Credit; Loans; Processing thereof · CPC title