Distributed Ledger System for Managing Smart Data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025117861-A1
Application number	US-202418981972-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2024
Priority date	May 2, 2017
Publication date	Apr 10, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed with respect to using a distributed ledger, such as a blockchain, for tracking changes for a user. Example methods may include implementing one or more servers, each of the one or more servers maintaining a copy of a distributed ledger; detecting a change in a policy or claim status for a user; responding to the detection of the change, including: (i) generating, via a server of the one or more servers, a transaction record for the distributed ledger including data corresponding to the change; (ii) generating a hash value representative of at least the transaction record using at least a generated nonce value; and (iii) storing the transaction record and the hash value to each copy of the distributed ledger at the one or more servers; and performing a function based upon the transaction record stored to the distributed ledger.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A computer-implemented method for tracking changes for a user via a distributed ledger, the computer-implemented method comprising:
detecting, by one or more processors, a change in an insurance claim status for the user; responding, by the one or more processors, to the detection of the change, including:
(i) generating, via a server, a transaction record for the distributed ledger including data corresponding to the change;
(ii) generating a hash value representative of at least the transaction record; and
(iii) storing the transaction record and the hash value to the distributed ledger at the server; and
performing, by the one or more processors, a function based upon the transaction record stored to the distributed ledger.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the change represents any one or more of: a filing of the insurance claim; an assessment of damage; an estimate of a repair or replacement cost; or a payment to settle the insurance claim.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein responding to the detection further includes:
performing, via the server, a consensus analysis via a consensus mechanism to form a consensus regarding a validity of the transaction record, wherein storing the transaction record includes storing the transaction record in response to detecting that the consensus has been formed.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the consensus mechanism is any one or more of: a proof of activity mechanism, a proof of burn mechanism, a proof of capacity mechanism, or a proof of elapsed time mechanism.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein responding to the detection further includes:
generating a notification that the transaction record is invalid in response to detecting that the consensus has not been formed.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the change pertains to at least one of: a vehicle, a property, a financial transaction, or the user.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein storing the transaction record at the distributed ledger includes storing the transaction record to a block, and wherein the hash value is a hash value for the block.

8 . A computer device for tracking changes for a user via a distributed ledger, the computer device comprising one or more processors configured to:
detect a change in an insurance claim status for the user; respond to the detection of the change by:
(i) generating, via a server, a transaction record for the distributed ledger including data corresponding to the change;
(ii) generating a hash value representative of at least the transaction record; and
(iii) storing the transaction record and the hash value to the distributed ledger at the server; and
perform a function based upon the transaction record stored to the distributed ledger.

9 . The computer device of claim 8 , wherein the change represents any one or more of: a filing of the insurance claim; an assessment of damage; an estimate of a repair or replacement cost; or a payment to settle the insurance claim.

10 . The computer device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
broadcast the transaction record to one or more servers; perform a consensus analysis via a consensus mechanism to form a consensus regarding a validity of the transaction record; and store the transaction record in response to detecting that the consensus has been formed.

11 . The computer device of claim 10 , wherein the consensus mechanism is any one or more of: a proof of activity mechanism, a proof of burn mechanism, a proof of capacity mechanism, or a proof of elapsed time mechanism.

12 . The computer device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to respond to the detection further by:
generating a notification that the transaction record is invalid in response to detecting that the consensus has not been formed.

13 . The computer device of claim 9 , wherein the change pertains to at least one of: a vehicle, a property, a financial transaction, or the user.

14 . The computer device of claim 9 , wherein storing the transaction record at the distributed ledger includes storing the transaction record to a block, and wherein the hash value is a hash value for the block.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for tracking changes for a user via a distributed ledger that, when implemented, cause a computing system to:
detect a change in an insurance claim status for the user; respond to the detection of the change by:
(i) generating, via a server, a transaction record for the distributed ledger including data corresponding to the change;
(ii) generating a hash value representative of at least the transaction record; and
(iii) storing the transaction record and the hash value to the distributed ledger at the server; and
perform a function based upon the transaction record stored to the distributed ledger.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the change represents any one or more of: a filing of the insurance claim; an assessment of damage; an estimate of a repair or replacement cost; or a payment to settle the insurance claim.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing system to respond to the detection further by:
performing a consensus analysis via a consensus mechanism to form a consensus regarding a validity of the transaction record, wherein storing the transaction record includes storing the transaction record in response to detecting that the consensus has been formed.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the consensus mechanism is any one or more of: a proof of burn mechanism, a proof of capacity mechanism, or a proof of elapsed time mechanism.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the change pertains to at least one of: a vehicle, a property, a financial transaction, or the user.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein storing the transaction record at the distributed ledger includes storing the transaction record to a block, and wherein the hash value is a hash value for the block.

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Bryant Ronny S
• Mccullough Stacie A
• Hill Mitchell J
• Alt Jacob J
• Skaggs Jaime
• Call Shawn M
• Bellas Eric
• King Vicki
• Magerkurth Melinda Teresa

Classifications

• G06Q40/08 Primary

  Insurance · CPC title

• G06Q40/084 Primary

  by insurance claims processing · CPC title

• G06Q50/163

  Real estate management · CPC title

• G06F16/182

  Distributed file systems · CPC title

• H04L9/50

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