Secure tracking and transfer of items using a blockchain

Abstract

Technologies are shown for tracking transfer of an item on an item tracking data blockchain, where transfers of the item and the holder of the item are recorded in item tracking data blocks of the blockchain. In some examples, a verification of the item is performed for a transfer and recorded in the data block for the transfer. In other examples, the blockchain stores a unique code for the ticket. Transfers of the ticket are recorded in the blockchain. When the ticket is presented for use, a holder identifier and a presented ticket code are validated against a holder identifier in the most recent block in the blockchain and the unique code for the ticket stored in the blockchain. In some examples, a portion of a resale price of the ticket is sent to an issuer of the ticket.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented ticket tracking method, the method comprising:
 generating, by an issuer entity, a first ticket tracking data block on a ticket tracking data blockchain, the first ticket tracking data block storing a unique code value for the ticket, a holder identifier for identifying a holder of the ticket and a used indicator, where holder identifier is set to an identifier of the issuer entity for the ticket and the used indicator is set to a false state;   signing data in the first ticket tracking data block with a first cryptographic digital signature of the issuer entity;   generating, by a first transferee entity, a second ticket tracking data block on the ticket tracking data blockchain, the second ticket tracking data block storing a holder identifier, the unique code value for the ticket, and a used indicator, where the holder identifier is set to an identifier of the first transferee entity and the used indicator is set to the false state;   linking the second ticket tracking data block to the first ticket tracking data block; and   signing data in the second ticket tracking data block with a second cryptographic digital signature of the issuer entity.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 if the used indicator is set to the false state, generating, by a second transferee entity, a third ticket tracking data block on the ticket tracking data blockchain, the third ticket tracking data block storing a holder identifier, the unique code value for the ticket, and a used indicator, where the holder identifier is set to an identifier of the second transferee entity and the used indicator is set to the false state;   linking the third ticket tracking data block to the second ticket tracking data block; and   signing data in the third ticket tracking data block with a cryptographic digital signature of the first transferee entity.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , the method further comprising:
 receiving from the second transferee entity a presented code value; and   if the used indicator stored in the third ticket tracking data block is set to the false state and the presented code value corresponds to the unique code value stored in the third ticket tracking data block, indicating the ticket as valid and setting the used indicator to the true state.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , where:
 the second ticket tracking data block stores a price value and the price value is set to a first transfer price for the transfer from the issuer entity to the first transferee entity; and   the generating, by the second transferee entity, the third ticket tracking data block on the ticket tracking data blockchain includes determining whether a second transfer price for the transfer from the first transferee entity to the second transferee entity is greater than the first transfer price, and   if the second transfer price is greater than the first transfer price, send a payment from the first transferee to the issuer entity.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , where an amount of the payment from the first transferee to the issuer entity comprises at least one of a predetermined amount, an amount based on the second transfer price, and an amount based on a difference between the first and second transfer prices. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , where:
 the identifier of the issuer entity comprises a public key address for the issuer entity;   the identifier of the first transferee entity comprises a public key address for the first transferee entity;   the identifier of the second transferee entity comprises a public key address for the second transferee entity;   the first cryptographic digital signature of the issuer entity is partially based on data within the first ticket tracking data block;   the second cryptographic digital signature of the issuer entity is partially based on data within the second ticket tracking data block; and   the cryptographic digital signature of the first transferee entity is partially based on data within the third ticket tracking data block.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , where:
 the signing the data in the second ticket tracking data block with the second cryptographic digital signature of the issuer entity is performed in response to confirmation of payment from the first transferee entity to the issuer entity; and   the signing the data in the third ticket tracking data block with the cryptographic digital signature of the first transferee entity is performed in response to confirmation of payment from the second transferee entity to the first transferee entity.   
     
     
         8 . A system for tracking a ticket on a ticket tracking data blockchain, where the ticket tracking data blockchain stores a unique code value for the ticket, a holder identifier for identifying a holder of the ticket and a used indicator indicating whether the ticket has been used, the system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more memory devices in communication with the one or more processors, the memory devices having computer-readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to:   responsive to a first transfer request, if the used indicator indicates that the ticket has not been used, generate, by a first transferee entity, a first ticket tracking data block on a ticket tracking data blockchain, the first ticket tracking data block storing an identifier of the first transferee entity in a holder identifier of the first ticket tracking data block;   link the first ticket tracking data block to a previous ticket tracking data block on the ticket tracking data blockchain; and   sign data in the first ticket tracking data block with a cryptographic digital signature of a transferor entity identified in the holder identifier stored in the previous ticket tracking data block.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , where the computer-readable instructions further cause the processors to:
 responsive to a second transfer request, if the used indicator indicates that the ticket has not been used, generate, by a second transferee entity, a second ticket tracking data block on the ticket tracking data blockchain, the second identifier ticket tracking data block storing an identifier of the second transferee entity in the holder identifier;   link the second ticket tracking data block to a first ticket tracking data block on the ticket tracking data blockchain; and   sign data in the second ticket tracking data block with a cryptographic digital signature of the first transferee entity identified in the holder identifier stored in the first ticket tracking data block.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , where the computer-readable instructions further cause the processors to:
 receive a presented holder identifier and a presented code value; and   if the used indicator indicates that the ticket has not been used, the presented holder identifier corresponds to the holder identifier in the a most recent ticket tracking data block in the ticket tracking data blockchain, and the presented code value corresponds to the unique code value stored in the ticket tracking data blockchain, indicate the ticket as valid and set the used indicator in the ticket tracking data blockchain to indicate that the ticket has been used.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , where:
 the first ticket tracking data block stores a first transfer price value corresponding to the first transfer; and   the computer-readable instructions further cause the processors to:   determine whether a second transfer price value for the transfer from the first transferee entity to the second transferee entity is greater than the first transfer price value, and   if the second transfer price value is greater than the first transfer price value, sending a payment from the first transferee to an issuer entity.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , where an amount of the payment from the first transferee to the issuer entity comprises at least one selected from the following: a predetermined amount, an amount based on the second transfer price, and an amount based on a difference between the first and second transfer prices. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , where the computer-readable instructions further cause the processors to:
 sign the data in the first ticket tracking data block with the cryptographic digital signature of the transferor entity identified in the holder identifier stored in the previous ticket tracking data block in response to confirmation of payment from the first transferee entity to the transferor entity; and   sign the data in the second ticket tracking data block with the cryptographic digital signature of the first transferee entity identified in the holder identifier stored in the first ticket tracking data block in response to confirmation of payment from the second transferee entity to the first transferee entity.   
     
     
         14 . A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-usable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
 generating, by an issuer entity, a first ticket tracking data block on a ticket tracking data blockchain, the first ticket tracking data block storing a unique code value for the ticket, a holder identifier for identifying a holder of the ticket and a used indicator, where holder identifier is set to an identifier of the issuer entity for the ticket and the used indicator is set to a false state;   signing data in the first ticket tracking data block with a first cryptographic digital signature of the issuer entity;   generating, by a first transferee entity, a second ticket tracking data block on the ticket tracking data blockchain, the second ticket tracking data block storing a holder identifier, the unique code value for the ticket, and a used indicator, where the holder identifier is set to an identifier of the first transferee entity and the used indicator is set to the false state;   linking the second ticket tracking data block to the first ticket tracking data block; and   signing data in the second ticket tracking data block with a second cryptographic digital signature of the issuer entity.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , the operations further comprising:
 if the used indicator is set to the false state, generating, by a second transferee entity, a third ticket tracking data block on the ticket tracking data blockchain, the third ticket tracking data block storing a holder identifier, the unique code value for the ticket, and a used indicator, where the holder identifier is set to an identifier of the second transferee entity and the used indicator is set to the false state;   linking the third ticket tracking data block to the second ticket tracking data block; and   signing data in the third ticket tracking data block with a cryptographic digital signature of the first transferee entity.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving from the second transferee entity a presented code value; and   if the used indicator stored in the third ticket tracking data block is set to the false state and the presented code value corresponds to the unique code value stored in the third ticket tracking data block, indicating the ticket as valid and setting the used indicator to the true state.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , where:
 the second ticket tracking data block stores a price value and the price value is set to a first transfer price for the transfer from the issuer entity to the first transferee entity; and   the generating, by the second transferee entity, the third ticket tracking data block on the ticket tracking data blockchain includes determining whether a second transfer price for the transfer from the first transferee entity to the second transferee entity is greater than the first transfer price, and   if the second transfer price is greater than the first transfer price, send a payment from the first transferee to the issuer entity.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , where an amount of the payment from the first transferee to the issuer entity comprises at least one of a predetermined amount, an amount based on the second transfer price, and an amount based on a difference between the first and second transfer prices. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , where:
 the identifier of the issuer entity comprises a public key address for the issuer entity;   the identifier of the first transferee entity comprises a public key address for the first transferee entity;   the identifier of the second transferee entity comprises a public key address for the second transferee entity;   the first cryptographic digital signature of the issuer entity is partially based on data within the first ticket tracking data block;   the second cryptographic digital signature of the issuer entity is partially based on data within the second ticket tracking data block; and   the cryptographic digital signature of the first transferee entity is partially based on data within the third ticket tracking data block.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , where:
 the signing the data in the second ticket tracking data block with the second cryptographic digital signature of the issuer entity is performed in response to confirmation of payment from the first transferee entity to the issuer entity; and   the signing the data in the third ticket tracking data block with the cryptographic digital signature of the first transferee entity is performed in response to confirmation of payment from the second transferee entity to the first transferee entity.