Patent Issued for Intelligent employment-based blockchain (USPTO 11308448): Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company

2022 MAY 10 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (Springfield, Massachusetts, United States) has been issued patent number 11308448, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx editors.

The patent’s inventors are Ferry, Rick (Springfield, MA, US), Gibadlo, Krzysztof (Springfield, MA, US), John, Jiby (Suffield, CT, US), Knas, Michal (Monson, MA, US).

This patent was filed on April 12, 2018 and was published online on April 19, 2022.

From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: “Employees are continuously changing jobs, so the resumes and references of those employees are often updated with new or additional information. Many new employers must verify the information within the employees resumes. A problem that exists with employment verification is the amount of administrative work to contact each previous employer and verify certain information. As expected, this manual process is tedious, time-consuming, inefficient, and sometimes inaccurate. For example, a previous employer may not be as easily accessible or may transmit false information regarding the employee.

“As the processing power of computers allow for greater computer functionality and the Internet technology era allows for interconnectivity between computing systems, many institutions store employee data records electronically. These institutions simply store the data in a database and retrieve it when necessary. However, since the implementation of these more sophisticated online tools, several shortcomings in these technologies have been identified and have created a new set of challenges. First, existing and conventional methods fail to provide fast and efficient analysis due to a high volume of customer information existing on different networks and computing infrastructures. Managing such information on different platforms is difficult due to number, size, content, or relationships of the data associated with the customers. Second, information stored in a database may be susceptible to risk and/or fraudulent modification. For example, the database may be subject to cyber-attacks. Third, access to previous employer’s databases may be limited due to security concerns. For instance, an employee may not have access to an employer’s database once he decides to change employers. As a result, employment data records are not transferrable with the employee.”

Supplementing the background information on this patent, NewsRx reporters 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 employees to accurately store and access employee records, profile, and other pertinent employment information in a more efficient manner than possible with human-intervention or conventional data-driven software solutions. Disclosed herein are systems and methods for dynamic generation of an intelligent employment-based blockchain using distributed databases.

“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.

“The linked blocks (or blockchain) may be distributed among multiple network nodes within a computer network such that each node may maintain a copy of the blockchain. Malicious network nodes attempting to compromise the integrity of the database have to recreate and redistribute the blockchain faster than the honest network nodes, which, in most cases, is computationally infeasible. In other words, data integrity is guaranteed by the virtue of multiple network nodes in a network having a copy of the same blockchain. A central trust authority is therefore not required to vouch for the integrity of the distributed database hosted by multiple nodes in the network.

“In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises receiving, by a server from a first network node, a first request to generate an employment record associated with a user operating the first network node; generating, by a server, a graphical user interface to be displayed on the first network node, the graphical user interface comprising a plurality of input fields configured to receive data associated with employment of the user; upon displaying the graphical user interface on the first network node, receiving, by the server, a first set of data associated with employment of the user; generating, by the server, a user employment record of the user in a non-blockchain system database configured to store a plurality of user employment records, the user employment record comprising one or more data fields containing the first set of data; generating, by the server, a first cryptographic hash value based at least on one of the user, the first set of data, and the first network node, according to a hashing algorithm; updating, by the server, a first block instance of an employment blockchain with the first cryptographic hash value, the first block instance being stored within the first network node; receiving, by the server from a second network node, a second request to update the employment blockchain; upon displaying the graphical user interface on the second network node, receiving, by the server, a second set of data associated with employment of the user; updating, by the server, the user employment record of the user in the non-blockchain system database based on the second set of data; retrieving, by the server, a latest valid employment blockchain, wherein content of the latest valid employment blockchain is confirmed by the first network node; appending, by the server, a second block instance to the first block instance by: generating a second cryptographic hash value identifying the user, the second set of data, and the second network node, according to a hashing algorithm; and updating a second block instance with the second cryptographic hash value, the second block instance being stored at least within the second network node; transmitting, by the server, the second block instance to the first network node.

“In another embodiment, a computer system comprises a plurality of network nodes comprising at least a first network node and a second network node; a non-blockchain system database configured to store a plurality of user employment records; and a server communicatively in connection with the plurality of network nodes and the non-blockchain system database, wherein the server is configured to receive, from the first network node, a first request to generate an employment record associated with a user operating the first network node; generate a graphical user interface to be displayed on the first network node, the graphical user interface comprising a plurality of input fields configured to receive data associated with employment of the user; upon displaying the graphical user interface on the first network node, receiving a first set of data associated with employment of the user; generate a user employment record of the user in the non-blockchain system database; generate a first cryptographic hash value based at least on one of the user, the first set of data, and the first network node, according to a hashing algorithm; update a first block instance of an employment blockchain with the first cryptographic hash value, the first block instance being stored within the first network node; receive, from the second network node, a second request to update the employment blockchain; upon displaying the graphical user interface on the second network node, receive a second set of data associated with employment of the user; update the user employment record of the user in the non-blockchain system database based on the second set of data; retrieve a latest valid employment blockchain, wherein content of the latest valid employment blockchain is confirmed by the first network node; append a second block instance to the first block instance by generating a second cryptographic hash value identifying the user, the second set of data, and the second network node, according to a hashing algorithm; and updating a second block instance with the second cryptographic hash value, the second block instance being stored at least within the second network node; transmit the second block instance to the first network node.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A method comprising: receiving, by a server, a request to generate an employee dataset comprising one or more users, wherein the request is received from a computing device operated by a first user and comprises an identification of a first point category of a plurality of point categories; generating, by the server, a first instruction to receive, from a plurality of network nodes, a plurality of latest valid blockchains associated with a plurality of users; wherein the plurality of latest valid blockchains comprises one or more block instances comprising data associated with the plurality of users and one or more corresponding hash values, wherein each block instance of the one or more block instances is stored in a database associated with at least one of the plurality of network nodes; upon transmitting the first instruction, receiving, by the server, the plurality of latest valid blockchains from each network node of the plurality of network nodes; for each user of the plurality of users, comparing, by the server, a hash value associated with each block instance with each respective hash value associated with each respective block instance within each latest valid blockchain that corresponds to the user and that is received from each network node of the plurality of network nodes; upon a number of matching hash values satisfying a first pre-determined threshold, generating, by the server, a second instruction to receive data associated with each block instance from the plurality of network nodes; upon transmitting the second instruction to the plurality of network nodes, receiving, by the server, data within each block instance within the plurality of latest valid blockchains from each of the network nodes of the plurality of network nodes, wherein at least a portion of the latest valid blockchains comprise one or more point block instances that each comprise an identification of one or more points and an identification of a point category of the plurality of point categories, and wherein, for each point block instance, the server previously appended the point block instance to the respective latest valid blockchain responsive to receiving a signal from at least one network node of the plurality of network nodes, the signal comprising the identification of one or more points and the identification of the point category of the respective point block instance; generating, by the server for each user of the plurality of users based on a latest valid blockchain that corresponds to the respective user, a score by: aggregating identifications of one or more points responsive to the identifications of the one or more points originating from a plurality of point block instances of the respective latest valid blockchain that correspond to the first point category; generating, by the server, one or more blockchain addresses corresponding to a selection of the plurality of latest valid blockchains, wherein each selected latest valid blockchain is selected based on the score that is associated with the respective selected latest valid blockchain satisfying a second pre-determined threshold; transmitting, by the server, the one or more blockchain addresses to the computing device operated by the first user; in response to receiving a second request identifying a second point category of the plurality of point categories, obtaining, by the server, a second score by aggregating second identifications of second one or more points responsive to the second identifications originating from a second plurality of point block instances that correspond to the second point category of a second latest valid blockchain that corresponds to a second user of the plurality of users; and transmitting, by the server to a second computing device, a second blockchain address corresponding to the second user responsive to the second score satisfying the second pre-determined threshold or a third pre-determined threshold.

“2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: routing, by the server, a phone call to a user associated with a selected latest valid blockchain that satisfies the second pre-determined threshold.

“3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the server and from the computing device operated by the first user, a blockchain address of the one or more blockchain addresses; and presenting, on the computing device, the blockchain that corresponds to the received blockchain address.

“4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more corresponding hash values are stored in a database associated with the server.

“5. The method of claim 1, wherein data within a blockchain of the plurality of latest valid blockchains comprises a machine readable document uploaded by one of the network nodes of the plurality of network nodes.

“6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more blockchain addresses comprise a hyperlink.

“7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more blockchain addresses are transmitted, by the server, to each network node that is associated with the selection of the plurality of latest valid blockchains.

“8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by the server, to one or more computing devices of one or more users associated with the one or more selected latest valid blockchains that are associated with scores that satisfy the second pre-determined threshold.

“9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises one or more attributes associated with the one or more users.

“10. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking, by the server, the plurality of users based on their respective scores.

“11. A computer system comprising: a plurality of network nodes hosting a blockchain; a computing device operated by a first user; and a server communicatively in connection with the plurality of network nodes and the computing device, wherein the server comprises a processor and a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions thereon for causing the processor to: receive a request to generate an employee dataset comprising one or more users, wherein the request is received from the computing device operated by the first user and comprises an identification of a first point category of a plurality of point categories; generate a first instruction to receive, from a plurality of network nodes, a plurality of latest valid blockchains associated with a plurality of users, wherein the plurality of latest valid blockchains comprises one or more block instances comprising data associated with the plurality of users and one or more corresponding hash values, wherein each block instance of the one or more block instances is stored in a database associated with at least one of the plurality of network nodes; upon transmitting the first instruction, receive the plurality of latest valid blockchains from each network node of the plurality of network nodes; for each user of the plurality of users, compare a hash value associated with each block instance with each respective hash value associated with each respective block instance within each latest valid blockchain that corresponds to the user and that is received from each network node of the plurality of network nodes; upon a number of matching hash values satisfying a first pre-determined threshold, generate a second instruction to receive data associated with each block instance from the plurality of network nodes; upon transmitting the second instruction to the plurality of network nodes, receive data within each block instance within the plurality of latest valid blockchains from each of the network nodes of the plurality of network nodes, wherein at least a portion of the latest valid blockchains comprise one or more point block instances that each comprise an identification of one or more points and an identification of a point category of the plurality of point categories, and wherein, for each point block instance, the processor previously appended the point block instance to the respective latest valid blockchain responsive to receiving a signal from at least one network node of the plurality of network nodes, the signal comprising the identification of one or more points and the identification of the point category of the respective point block instance; generate, for each user of the plurality of users based on a latest valid blockchain that corresponds to the respective user, a score by: aggregating identifications of one or more points responsive to the identifications of the one or more points originating from a plurality of point block instances of the respective latest valid blockchain that correspond to the first point category; generate one or more blockchain addresses corresponding to a selection of the plurality of latest valid blockchains, wherein each selected latest valid blockchains is selected based on the score that is associated with the respective selected latest valid blockchain satisfying a second pre-determined threshold; transmit the one or more blockchain addresses to the computing device operated by the first user; in response to receiving a second request identifying a second point category of the plurality of point categories, obtaining, by the server, a second score by aggregating second identifications of second one or more points responsive to the second identifications originating from a second plurality of point block instances that correspond to the second point category of a second latest valid blockchain that corresponds to a second user of the plurality of users; and transmitting, by the server to a second computing device, a second blockchain address corresponding to the second user responsive to the second score satisfying the second pre-determined threshold or a third pre-determined threshold.”

There are additional claims. Please visit full patent to read further.

For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Ferry, Rick. Intelligent employment-based blockchain. U.S. Patent Number 11308448, filed April 12, 2018, and published online on April 19, 2022. 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=11308448.PN.&OS=PN/11308448RS=PN/11308448

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