Systems, Methods, and Interfaces for Smart Contract Based Exchanges Via a Blockchain

Abstract

An exemplary system includes a blockchain system that includes a blockchain, a smart contract template, and a smart contract generated based on the smart contract template, the smart contract executable to facilitate, by way of the blockchain, exchanges between parties to the smart contract. The system further includes an interface system communicatively coupled to the blockchain system and configured to perform a set of operations to provide an interface to the blockchain system, the set of operations including receiving a user input from an application executed on a user computing device, translating the user input to a call to the blockchain system, and issuing the call to the blockchain system. The blockchain system is configured to perform, based on the call and the smart contract, an action on the blockchain that represents an exchange between the parties to the smart contract.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A physical computing system that includes a plurality of distributed computing devices communicatively coupled to one another by way of a network, the physical computing system configured to provide:
 a blockchain system that includes a blockchain, a smart contract template, and a smart contract generated based on the smart contract template, the smart contract executable to facilitate, by way of the blockchain, exchanges between parties to the smart contract; and   an interface system communicatively coupled to the blockchain system and configured to perform a set of operations to provide an interface to the blockchain system, the set of operations comprising:
 receiving, a user selection of a menu option to access information associated with a plurality of different suppliers of at least one of a plurality of goods or a plurality of services that are available to be provided by way of the smart contract, the menu option integrated as an add-on component to a spreadsheet application that is executed on a user computing device and that includes a tabular graphical user interface having a plurality of cells; 
 providing, for display to a user by way of the user computing device and in response to the user selection of the menu option, a catalogue list that includes the plurality of different suppliers, the catalogue list provided for concurrent display together with the spreadsheet application as an additional graphical user interface pane; 
 receiving an additional user selection of a supplier included in the plurality of different suppliers; 
 providing, in response to the additional user selection of the supplier and for display to the user by way of the user computing device within the spreadsheet application, information associated with the selected supplier; 
 receiving a user input from the spreadsheet application, the user input provided in a cell included in the plurality of cells; 
 translating the user input to a call to the blockchain system; and 
 issuing the call to the blockchain system; 
   wherein the blockchain system is configured to perform, based on the call and the smart contract, an action on the blockchain that represents an exchange between the parties to the smart contract.   
     
     
         2 . The physical computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the interface system further comprises an application program interface configured to provide an interface between the application programing interface of the blockchain system and the add-on component to the spreadsheet application. 
     
     
         3 . The physical computing system of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the add-on component to the spreadsheet application and the application program interface of the interface system is configured to translate the user input to the call to the blockchain system. 
     
     
         4 . The physical computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the exchange between the parties to the smart contract comprises one of:
 a placement of a new order;   an acceptance of the new order;   a fulfillment of the new order;   an issuance of an invoice for the new order; and   a payment of the invoice for the new order.   
     
     
         5 . The physical computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the set of operations further comprises:
 prior to the generation of the smart contract based on the smart contract template:
 receiving, from the spreadsheet application executed on the user computing device, a request to access the smart contract template; 
 accessing data representative of the smart contract template from the blockchain system; 
 providing, to the spreadsheet application executed on the user computing device in response to the request to access the smart contract template, the data representative of the smart contract template; 
 receiving, by way of the spreadsheet application executed on the user computing device, a request to generate the smart contract based on the smart contract template, the request to generate the smart contract including terms for the smart contract as agreed to by the parties to the smart contract; and 
 directing the blockchain system to generate the smart contract based on the smart contract template and the terms for the smart contract as agreed to by the parties to the smart contract. 
   
     
     
         6 . The physical computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user input provided in the cell comprises a product quantity. 
     
     
         7 . The physical computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the smart contract template is configured to be used by users of the blockchain system to create additional smart contracts executable to facilitate exchanges between additional parties. 
     
     
         8 . The physical computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the action on the blockchain comprises adding, to the blockchain, data representative of the exchange between the parties to the smart contract. 
     
     
         9 . The physical computing system of  claim 8 , wherein the adding of the data representative of the exchange to the blockchain makes the data representative of the exchange accessible to the parties to the smart contract by way of the interface system. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing system, a user selection of a menu option to access information associated with a plurality of different suppliers of at least one of a plurality of goods or a plurality of services that are available to be provided by way of a smart contract, the menu option integrated as an add-on component to a spreadsheet application that is executed on the computing system and that includes a tabular graphical user interface having a plurality of cells;   providing, for display to a user by way of the computing system and in response to the user selection of the menu option, a catalogue list that includes the plurality of different suppliers, the catalogue list provided for concurrent display together with the spreadsheet application as an additional graphical user interface pane;   receiving, by the computing system, an additional user selection of a supplier included in the plurality of different suppliers;   providing, by the computing system in response to the additional user selection of the supplier and for display to the user by way of the computing system, information associated with the selected supplier;   receiving, by the computing system, a user input by way of the spreadsheet application, the user input provided in a cell included in the plurality of cells;   translating, by the computing system, the user input to a call to a blockchain system that includes a blockchain, a smart contract template, and the smart contract generated based on the smart contract template, the smart contract executable to facilitate, by way of the blockchain, exchanges between parties to the smart contract;   issuing, by the computing system, the call to the blockchain system; and   performing, by the computing system and based on the call and the smart contract, an action on the blockchain that represents an exchange between the parties to the smart contract.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the computing system and by way of the spreadsheet application executed on the computing system, a request to access the smart contract template;   accessing, by the computing system, data representative of the smart contract template from the blockchain system;   providing, by the computing system and to the spreadsheet application executed on the computing system in response to the request to access the smart contract template, the data representative of the smart contract template;   receiving, by the computing system and by way of the spreadsheet application executed on the computing system, a request to generate the smart contract based on the smart contract template, the request to generate the smart contract including terms for the smart contract as agreed to by the parties to the smart contract; and   directing, by the computing system, the blockchain system to generate the smart contract based on the smart contract template and the terms for the smart contract as agreed to by the parties to the smart contract.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the performing of the action on the blockchain comprises adding, to the blockchain, data representative of the exchange between the parties to the smart contract. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the adding of the data representative of the exchange to the blockchain makes the data representative of the exchange accessible to the parties to the smart contract. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the smart contract comprises computing code executable to perform the action on the blockchain. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the user input provided in the cell comprises a product quantity. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processer to perform process, the process comprising:
 receiving, a user selection of a menu option to access information associated with a plurality of different suppliers of at least one of a plurality of goods or a plurality of services that are available to be provided by way of a smart contract, the menu option integrated as an add-on component to a spreadsheet application that is executed on a computing system and that includes a tabular graphical user interface having a plurality of cells;   providing, for display to a user by way of the computing system and in response to the user selection of the menu option, a catalogue list that includes the plurality of different suppliers, the catalogue list provided for concurrent display together with the spreadsheet application as an additional graphical user interface pane;   receiving an additional user selection of a supplier included in the plurality of different suppliers;   providing, in response to the additional user selection of the supplier and for display to the user by way of the computing system, information associated with the selected supplier;   receiving a user input by way of the spreadsheet application, the user input provided in a cell included in the plurality of cells;   translating the user input to a call to a blockchain system that includes a blockchain, a smart contract template, and the smart contract generated based on the smart contract template, the smart contract executable to facilitate, by way of the blockchain, exchanges between parties to the smart contract;   issuing the call to the blockchain system; and   performing, based on the call and the smart contract, an action on the blockchain that represents an exchange between the parties to the smart contract.   
     
     
         17 . The non transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving, by way of the spreadsheet application executed on the computing system, a request to access the smart contract template;   accessing data representative of the smart contract template from the blockchain system;   providing, to the spreadsheet application executed on the computing system in response to the request to access the smart contract template, the data representative of the smart contract template;   receiving, by way of the spreadsheet application executed on the computing system, a request to generate the smart contract based on the smart contract template, the request to generate the smart contract including terms for the smart contract as agreed to by the parties to the smart contract; and   directing the blockchain system to generate the smart contract based on the smart contract template and the terms for the smart contract as agreed to by the parties to the smart contract.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the performing of the action on the blockchain comprises adding, to the blockchain, data representative of the exchange between the parties to the smart contract. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the adding of the data representative of the exchange to the blockchain makes the data representative of the exchange accessible to the parties to the smart contract. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the user input provided in the cell comprises a product quantity.