Digital Ledger For Unique Item IDs With Ownership

Abstract

A system and method for recording, authenticating and verifying transactions of physical items between transacting parties. The system may include memory storing a digital ledger comprising a list of identifiers for a plurality of physical items, each physical item corresponding to a different respective identifier, each identifier being linked in the digital ledger to a public key of an owner of the corresponding physical item, and the list of identifiers and linked public keys being distributed among a plurality of blocks sequentially connected to one another in the digital ledger. The system may also include one or more processors configured to receive a cryptographically signed message including information regarding a transaction of a physical item, including the corresponding identifier of the physical item derived from scanning a label affixed to the physical. The system may verify the message and incorporate the information regarding the transaction into the digital ledger.

1 . A method for verifying authenticity and ownership of a physical item using a digital ledger comprising a list of identifiers for a plurality of physical items, wherein each physical item corresponds to a different respective identifier, wherein each identifier is linked in the digital ledger to a public key of an owner of the corresponding physical item, and wherein the list of identifiers and linked public keys are distributed among a plurality of blocks sequentially connected to one another in the digital ledger, comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors, a query regarding the physical item, wherein the query includes:
 the corresponding identifier of the physical item derived from scanning a label affixed to the physical item; and 
 a public key of a purported owner of the physical item; 
   in response to the query, determining, by the one or more processors, that the public key is linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item in the digital ledger; and   in response to the public key being linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item, transmitting, by the one or more processors, a message confirming that the physical item is authentic and is owned by the purported owner.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors, a second query regarding the physical item, wherein the query includes:
 the corresponding identifier of the physical item derived from scanning a label affixed to the physical item; and 
 a second public key of a second purported owner of the physical item; and 
   in response to the second query, determining, by the one or more processors, that the second public key is not linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item in the digital ledger; and   in response to the second public key not being linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item, transmitting, by the one or more processors, a second message indicating that the physical item is not owned by the purported owner.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the second query further includes a timestamp, and wherein determining that the second public key is not linked comprises determining that the second public key was not linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item in the digital ledger at a time of the timestamp. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, in response to the second public key never having being linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item during or prior to the time of the timestamp, the second message indicates that the physical item is counterfeit. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, in response to the second public key having being linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item prior to the time of the timestamp, the second message indicates that the physical item is authentic and was already sold by the purported owner. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors, a third query regarding a second physical item, wherein the query includes:
 the corresponding identifier of the second physical item derived from scanning a second label affixed to the second physical item; and 
 a third public key of a third purported owner of the second physical item; and 
   in response to the third query, determining, by the one or more processors, that the second physical item is not included in the digital ledger; and   in response to the second physical item not being included in the digital ledger, transmitting, by the one or more processors, a third message indicating that the second physical item is not authentic.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the digital ledger is stored among a plurality of peer nodes in a distributed network, and wherein determining that the public key is linked to the corresponding identifier comprises broadcasting, by the one or more processors, the query to peer nodes of the distributed network. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the query is transmitted using a remote procedure call. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein scanning the label affixed to the physical item is performed using a scanning device connectable to a network of the digital ledger. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the query and transmitting the message are performed by a plurality of processors over a distributed computing network. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 memory storing a digital ledger comprising a list of identifiers for a plurality of physical items, wherein each physical item corresponds to a different respective identifier, wherein each identifier is linked in the digital ledger to a public key of an owner of the corresponding physical item, and wherein the list of identifiers and linked public keys are distributed among a plurality of blocks sequentially connected to one another in the digital ledger; and   one or more processors configured to:
 receive a query regarding a first physical item, wherein the query includes:
 the corresponding identifier of the first physical item derived from scanning a label affixed to the first physical item; and 
 a public key of a purported owner of the first physical item; 
 
 in response to the query, determine that the public key is linked to the corresponding identifier of the first physical item in the digital ledger; and 
 in response to the public key being linked to the corresponding identifier of the first physical item, transmit a message confirming that the first physical item is authentic and is owned by the purported owner. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 receive a second query regarding the first physical item, wherein the query includes:
 the corresponding identifier of the first physical item derived from scanning a label affixed to the physical item; and 
 a second public key of a second purported owner of the first physical item; and 
   in response to the second query, determine that the second public key is not linked to the corresponding identifier of the first physical item in the digital ledger; and   in response to the second public key not being linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item, transmit a second message indicating that the first physical item is not owned by the purported owner.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the second query further includes a timestamp, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine that the second public key was not linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item in the digital ledger at a time of the timestamp. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, in response to the second public key never having being linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item during or prior to the time of the timestamp, transmit in the second message an indication that the physical item is counterfeit. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, in response to the second public key having being linked to the corresponding identifier of the physical item prior to the time of the timestamp, transmit in the second message an indication that the physical item is authentic and was already sold by the purported owner. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 receive a third query regarding a second physical item, wherein the query includes:
 the corresponding identifier of the second physical item derived from scanning a second label affixed to the second physical item; and 
 a third public key of a third purported owner of the second physical item; and 
   in response to the third query, determine that the second physical item is not included in the digital ledger; and   
       in response to the second physical item not being included in the digital ledger, transmit a third message indicating that the second physical item is not authentic. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the digital ledger is stored among a plurality of peer nodes in a distributed network, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to broadcast the query to peer nodes of the distributed network. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the query is broadcast using a remote procedure call. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the label affixed to the physical item is a bar code. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the memory and the one or more processors are communicatively coupled over a distributed computing network.