New pending patent applications are published by the USPTO on Thursdays. Today's Spotlight Applications continue the theme of blockchains (smart contracts, distributed ledgers) and rights management broadly construed. Assigned to MOAC, the first application discloses techniques for cross-chain messaging and message validation. Assigned to Factom, the second application discloses techniques for executing digital contracts in blockchain environments.
20200322175, "Cross-chain messaging and message validation" assigned to MOAC Blockchain Tech Inc.
Abstract
The current disclosure is directed towards providing methods and mechanisms enabling computationally efficient cross-chain messaging and message validation between subchains of a large-scale decentralized network. In one example, the current disclosure provides for determining if a message generated by a first subchain, received at a second subchain, represents a valid, consensually generated message of the first subchain, by comparing the received message with a public-key-share list of the first subchain stored in the second subchain. In one example, the current disclosure provides for a method comprising receiving a first message from a first subchain at a smart contract of a second subchain, wherein the smart contract of the second subchain comprises a public-key-share list of the first subchain, determining if the first message is valid based on the public-key-share list, and executing a transaction based on the first message responsive to the first message being determined valid.
20200320514, "Digital contracts in blockchain environments," assigned to Factom, Inc.
Abstract
Digital or "smart" contracts execute in a blockchain environment. Any entity (whether public or private) may specify a digital contract via a contract identifier in a blockchain. Because there may be many digital contracts offered as services, the contract identifier uniquely identifies a particular digital contract offered by a vendor or supplier. The blockchain is thus not burdened with the programming code that is required to execute the digital contract. The blockchain need only include or specify the contract identifier (and perhaps one or more contractual parameters), thus greatly simplifying the blockchain and reducing its size (in bytes) and processing requirements.
