New pending patent applications are published by the USPTO on Thursdays. Both of today's Spotlight Applications concern aspects of smart contracts (blockchains, distributed ledgers) and rights management broadly construed. Assigned to Ericsson (SE), the first application discloses techniques for managing cloud services using smart contracts and blockchains. Assigned to SWIFT, the second application discloses techniques for data governance for multi-source financial reference data using automated business logic.
20210081404, "Method and apparatus for managing cloud services using smart contracts and blockchains," assigned to Ericsson (SE).
Abstract
Methods and systems are disclosed for managing cloud services using smart contracts to facilitate various functions, such as tenant login, tenant enrollment, service registration, tenant usage charging, tenant usage tracking, tenant quota management, and tenant rights revocation. The proposed techniques allow tenant and service accounts to be represented as smart contracts, and for services to delegate authorization for bundles of service attributes to tenants and other services, for which the tenants and services are then charged. The business logic is implemented on a permissioned, distributed ledger (e.g., a private blockchain) and therefore is easily customized for specific classes of tenants and services.
20210082061, "Data governance system, model and process for multi-source financial reference data using automated business logic," assigned to S.W.I.F.T. (BE).
Abstract
A system, apparatus and method maximize the accuracy of semi-static data employed by market participants. In various embodiments, a precise definition of multiple reference data elements is stored, and for a given reference data element, a determination is made as to how much of the definition each of a plurality of stakeholders knows about the reference data element, and what the strict logical relationships are between these knowledge limitations. Based on that determination, the reference data element is monitored over time, and a determination is made as to which stakeholder must supply, confirm, challenge or reject which portion of information about the reference data element, and at what time. In various embodiments, each reference data element is defined using automated business logic, and the automated business logic also orchestrates the system processes, resulting in an unmodifiable ledger of all actions taken, all data added, modified or removed, to thereby make the resulting data available to those needing it to proceed with a financial transaction.
