New patents are issued by the USPTO on Tuesdays. We continue the theme of blockchain (distributed ledger, smart contracts) and digital rights management broadly construed. The first of today's Spotlight Patents is assigned to IBM and addresses techniques for a personal ledger blockchain. Assigned to Merck, the second patent addresses techniques for anti-counterfeit protection of products.
10,013,573, "Personal ledger blockchain," assigned to IBM.
Abstract
A system, method, and computer readable storage medium configured for storing encrypted data in a blockchain. To write additional data in a blockchain, a request is received at a computing node. The request is typically cryptographically signed by a user system to include a new transaction with additional data in the blockchain. The additional data is previously encrypted with an encryption key. A new block that records the new transaction with additional data in the blockchain is added. To read the additional data in a blockchain, a request is received at a computing node with a transaction identifier and a decryption key from a user system to access data journaled as part of the blockchain in the transaction database. The transaction database is searched using the identifier. In response, to finding the corresponding block in the blockchain, the data is decrypted using the decryption key.
10,002,362, "Composite security marking," Merck.
Abstract
The present invention relates to the field of anti-counterfeit protection of products. Specifically, the invention is directed to a composite security marking for a physical object, in particular to an anti-counterfeit product marking. In particular, without limitation, such composite security marking can be used in connection with or can form a component of a multi-component security system, in particular of an anti-counterfeit protection system, which is also disclosed herein as part of an overall solution for anti-counterfeit protection. The composite security marking comprises a physical unclonable function, PUF, and a representation of a digital signature or of a pointer indicating a location where said digital signature can be accessed. The digital signature digitally signs a hash value resulting from application of a predetermined cryptographic hash function to data representing a response generated by the PUF in reaction to a challenge of a predetermined challenge-response authentication scheme.
