New patents are issued by the USPTO on Tuesdays. Today's Spotlight Patents concern blockchains (smart contracts, distributed ledgers) and rights management broadly construed. Assigned to Blockchain ASICS, the first patent addresses techniques for a cryptographic ASIC with combined transformation and one-way functions. Assigned to Ares Technologies, the second patent addresses techniques for distributed key storage.
10,885,228, "Cryptographic ASIC with combined transformation and one-way functions," assigned to Blockchain ASICS, Inc.
Abstract
A transform-enabled integrated circuit is provided with a combined transformation/hashing block, such as for cryptographic proof-of-work systems. The transform-enabled integrated circuit embeds components for a transformation function among hashing function components within the cryptographic datapath of the transform-enabled integrated circuit. The combined transformation/hashing block may be configured after the manufacture of the integrated circuit to embody as circuitry any one of a plurality of mathematical transformation functions, thus enabling a user to systemically modify the cryptographic operations performed by the integrated circuit while retaining the high performance and efficiency characteristics of application specific integrated circuits. Embodiments modify the internal intermediate state variables of the hashing function to transform and hash an input message. Method and computer program product embodiments are also provided. The technology flexibly enables the deployment of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) within blockchain systems, digital rights management, secure token, and other cryptography-related fields.
10,887,100, "Systems and methods for distributed key storage," assigned to Ares Technologies, Inc.
Abstract
A system for distributed key storage, comprising a requesting device communicatively connected to a plurality of distributed storage nodes, the requesting device designed and configured to receive at least a confidential datum, select at least a distributed storage node of a plurality of distributed storage nodes, whereby selecting further comprises receiving a storage node authorization token from the at least a distributed storage node, querying an instance of a distributed authentication listing containing authentication information using at least a datum of the storage node authorization token, retrieving an authentication determination from the instance of the authentication listing, and selecting the at least a distributed storage node as a function of the authentication determination, generate at least a retrieval authentication datum, and transmit the at least a confidential datum and the at least a retrieval verification datum to the at least a distributed storage node.
