US 12,112,324 B2
Verifiably unique transfer of exclusive control of data units
Ahto Buldas, Tallinn (EE); Mart Saarepera, Tallinn (EE); and Michael Gault, Rovaniemi (FI)
Filed by Guardtime SA, Lausanne (CH)
Filed on Mar. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/194,303.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/986,530, filed on Mar. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0279727 A1, Sep. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. G06Q 20/40 (2012.01); G06Q 20/38 (2012.01); H04L 9/32 (2006.01)
CPC G06Q 20/401 (2013.01) [G06Q 20/3825 (2013.01); H04L 9/3236 (2013.01); G06Q 2220/00 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for transferring exclusive ownership of data units comprising:
assigning to each data unit a respective unique identifier;
in a service infrastructure that includes a plurality of component servers:
inputting a request from a transferor to transfer to a transferee at least a designated one of the data units, said request including an identifier of the transferor, the identifier of the designated data unit, and an identifier of the transferee;
verifying the identifier of the transferor;
confirming the absence of any other request to transfer the designated data unit during an update period;
in a ledger, upon receipt of the request to transfer, and after verifying the identity of the transferor and confirming the absence of any other request, changing a designation of ownership of the designated data unit from the transferor to the transferee, such that no further request by the transferor to transfer the designated one of the data units can affect the ownership of the designated one of the data units;
said ledger being configured as a plurality of sub-ledgers, each subledger being maintained and processed in a respective one of the component servers and comprising a ledger data structure having elements indicating the ownership of each of a respective subset of the of the data units, and
each data unit being associated with a respective one of the subledgers as a function of its unique identifier,
said inputting and processing of the request to transfer the designated data unit requiring communication from the transferor solely to the service infrastructure.