Patent Issued for Decentralized Encryption And Decryption Of Blockchain Data (USPTO 10,867,057)

2020 DEC 25 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Knas, Michal (Monson, MA); John, Jiby (Suffield, CT); Ferry, Rick (Springfield, MA); Gibadlo, Krzysztof (Springfield, MA), filed on May 31, 2018, was published online on December 28, 2020, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 10,867,057 is assigned to Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (Springfield, Massachusetts, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “As the processing power of computers allow for greater computer functionality and the Internet and network technology era allows for interconnectivity between computing systems, many institutions utilize computer technology to store highly sensitive data. To achieve highly-secure data storage, many institutions utilize blockchain technology. However, since the implementation of this sophisticated computer tool (e.g., blockchains), several technical shortcomings have been identified and have created a new set of challenges.

“Conventional and existing software solutions have failed to provide a method to generate and/or retrieve secure blockchain keys. A blockchain key is a unique identifier that grants user access to data stored within a blockchain. Each network node associated with a blockchain may have a unique and private key, which allows the network node to access and view certain portions of the data embedded within the blockchain. Existing and conventional software solutions have failed to generate a secure blockchain key and have failed to provide fast and efficient ways to retrieve the blockchain key, if lost.

“Currently, if a user loses his or her blockchain key the user may be required to utilize a third party to recreate the blockchain key. This has proven to be ineffective and unsecure because the third party is now in possession of the user’s private key or other sensitive data. This may allow the third party to freely access data uniquely encrypted for the user, which is an undesirable but unavoidable consequence. As a security measure, many institutions store the blockchain keys in an internal database and allow users to retrieve their blockchain keys similar to retrieving passwords (e.g., by providing answers to predetermined questions). This method is also unsecure because an internal database may be subjected to cyber-attacks and the content of the database (e.g., the users’ blockchain keys) may be accessed by a hostile third-party.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “For the aforementioned reasons, there is a need for a more accurate system and method, which would allow a blockchain key to be stored safely and retrieved securely. Disclosed herein are systems and methods for dynamic encryption and decryption of blockchain keys. Even though certain embodiments herein have been described in terms of blockchain keys, the methods and systems disclosed herein are not limited to blockchain keys. The methods and systems disclosed herein can be applied to encryption and decryption of any data in a decentralized manner.

“Distributed databases such as distributed ledgers ensure the integrity of data by generating a chain of data blocks linked together by cryptographic hashes of the data records in the data blocks. For example, a cryptographic hash of at least a portion of data records within a first block, and, in some cases, combined with a portion of data records in previous blocks is used to generate the block address for a new digital identity block succeeding the first block. As an update to the data records stored in the one or more data blocks, a new data block is generated containing respective updated data records and linked to a preceding block with an address based upon a cryptographic hash of at least a portion of the data records in the preceding block. In other words, the linked blocks form a blockchain that inherently includes a traceable sequence of addresses that can be used to track the updates to the data records contained therein. Using the advantages described above, the methods and systems described herein can ensure the integrity of blockchain keys. As used herein, blockchain key may refer to a user’s private or public key.

“In an embodiment, an encryption method comprises generating, by a server, a blockchain key configured to provide access to a set of data associated with a blockchain, the blockchain key comprising a first string of alpha numerical and character values; generating, by the server, a plurality of key segments by dividing, based on a first encryption method, the first string of alpha numerical and character values into a plurality of second strings, each second string comprising at least a portion of the first string of alpha numerical and character values; encrypting, by the server, each key segment based on a second encryption method; retrieving, by the server, a latest valid blockchain from a plurality of network nodes associated with the blockchain, the latest valid blockchain comprising one or more block instances comprising blockchain data and a corresponding cryptographic hash value, each block instance stored in a database associated with at least one of the plurality of network nodes; generating, by the server, an instruction to store at least one of the plurality of the encrypted key segments; and transmitting, by the server, the instruction and at least one encrypted key segment to at least one network node.

“In another embodiment, a computer system for data encryption comprises a plurality of network nodes, each network node configured to store a block instance of a blockchain; a server communicatively coupled to each network node, the server configured to: generate a blockchain key configured to provide access to a set of data associated with the blockchain, the blockchain key comprising a first string of alpha numerical and character values; generate a plurality of key segments by dividing, based on a first encryption method, the first string of alpha numerical and character values into a plurality of second strings, each second string comprising at least a portion of the first string of alpha numerical and character values; encrypt each key segment based on a second encryption method; retrieve a latest valid blockchain from the plurality of network nodes associated with the blockchain, the latest valid blockchain comprising one or more block instances comprising blockchain data and a corresponding cryptographic hash value, each block instance stored in a database associated with at least one of the plurality of network nodes; generate an instruction to store at least one of the plurality of the encrypted key segments; and transmit the instruction and at least one encrypted key segment to at least one network node.

“In another embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises receiving, by a server, from an electronic device, a request to retrieve a blockchain key associated with a user; in response to displaying an authentication request, receiving, by the server via the electronic device, one or more authentication inputs; upon the one or more authentication inputs matching a predetermined authentication record in a system database, retrieving, by the server, a key record comprising a first encryption method, a second encryption method, and a set of network nodes of a blockchain; identifying, by the server, a subset of network nodes, each network node within the subset of network nodes storing at least one encrypted key segment of a plurality of key segments; retrieving, by the server, a plurality of encrypted key segments from the subset of network nodes; decrypting, by the server, each encrypted key based on the first encryption method; generating, by the server, the blockchain key by appending the decrypted key segments based on the second encryption method; and transmitting, by the server, the blockchain key to the electronic device.

“In yet another embodiment, a computer system comprises a plurality of network nodes, each network node configured to store a block instance of a blockchain; a server communicatively coupled to each network node, the server configured to receive, from an electronic device, a request to retrieve a blockchain key associated with a user; in response to displaying an authentication request, receive, via the electronic device, one or more authentication inputs; upon the one or more authentication inputs matching a predetermined authentication record in a system database, retrieve a key record comprising a first encryption method, a second encryption method, and a set of network nodes of a blockchain; identify a subset of network nodes, each network node within the subset of network nodes storing at least one encrypted key segment of a plurality of key segments; retrieve a plurality of encrypted key segments from the subset of network nodes; decrypt each encrypted key based on the first encryption method; generate the blockchain key by appending the decrypted key segments based on the second encryption method; and transmit the blockchain key to the electronic device.

“It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are illustrative and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a server, from an electronic device, a request to retrieve a blockchain key associated with a user; in response to displaying an authentication request, receiving, by the server via the electronic device, one or more authentication inputs; upon the one or more authentication inputs matching a predetermined authentication record in a system database, retrieving, by the server, a key record comprising a first encryption method, a second encryption method, and a set of network nodes of a blockchain associated with the blockchain key; identifying, by the server, a subset of network nodes, each network node within the subset of network nodes storing at least one encrypted key segment of a plurality of encrypted key segments; retrieving, by the server, the plurality of encrypted key segments from the subset of network nodes; decrypting, by the server, each encrypted key segment based on the first encryption method, wherein the server only decrypts encrypted key segments received via network nodes associated with a latest valid blockchain; generating, by the server, the blockchain key by appending the decrypted key segments based on the second encryption method; and transmitting, by the server, the blockchain key to the electronic device.

“2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first encryption method is different for each encrypted key segment.

“3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first encryption method is selected, by the server, at random.

“4. The method of claim 1, wherein the blockchain key was previously generated by the server.

“5. The method of claim 1, wherein the server authenticates the electronic device based on a location of the electronic device.

“6. The method of claim 1, wherein the server authenticates the electronic device based on user data received, the user data corresponding to a reaction of a user operating the electronic device.

“7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user data corresponds to user’s expression data captured by a sensor coupled with the electronic device.

“8. The method of claim 6, wherein the user data corresponds to user’s eye movement captured by a sensor coupled with the electronic device.

“9. The method of claim 6, wherein the user data corresponds to a user interaction with the server.

“10. The method of claim 1, wherein the server authenticates the user based on a passcode received via the electronic device.

“11. A computer system comprising: a plurality of network nodes, each network node having a hardware processor configured to store a block instance of a blockchain; a server communicatively coupled to each network node, the server configured to: receive, from an electronic device, a request to retrieve a blockchain key associated with a user; in response to displaying an authentication request, receive, via the electronic device, one or more authentication inputs; upon the one or more authentication inputs matching a predetermined authentication record in a system database, retrieve a key record comprising a first encryption method, a second encryption method, and a set of network nodes of a blockchain associated with the blockchain key; identify a subset of network nodes, each network node within the subset of network nodes storing at least one encrypted key segment of a plurality of key segments; retrieve a plurality of encrypted key segments from the subset of network nodes; decrypt each encrypted key segment based on the first encryption method, wherein the server only decrypts encrypted key segments received via network nodes associated with a latest valid blockchain; generate the blockchain key by appending the decrypted key segments based on the second encryption method; and transmit the blockchain key to the electronic device.

“12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first encryption method is different for each encrypted key segment.

“13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first encryption method is selected, by the server, at random.

“14. The system of claim 11, wherein the blockchain key was previously generated by the server.

“15. The system of claim 11, wherein the server authenticates the electronic device based on a location of the electronic device.

“16. The system of claim 11, wherein the server authenticates the electronic device based on user data received, the user data corresponding to a reaction of a user operating the electronic device.

“17. The system of claim 16, wherein the user data corresponds to user’s expression data captured by a sensor coupled with the electronic device.

“18. The system of claim 16, wherein the user data corresponds to user’s eye movement captured by a sensor coupled with the electronic device.

“19. The system of claim 16, wherein the user data corresponds to a user interaction with the server.

“20. The system of claim 11, wherein the server authenticates the user based on a passcode received via the electronic device.”

URL and more information on this patent, see: Knas, Michal; John, Jiby; Ferry, Rick; Gibadlo, Krzysztof. Decentralized Encryption And Decryption Of Blockchain Data. U.S. Patent Number 10,867,057, filed May 31, 2018, and published online on December 28, 2020. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,867,057.PN.&OS=PN/10,867,057RS=PN/10,867,057

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