Blockchain based account funding and distribution

Abstract

The present methods and systems relate to using and accessing data stored in a blockchain, and in particular, interacting with the blockchain and users via smart contracts to handle account funding and distribution methods. The methods and systems include receiving a transaction from a participant, and verifying the transaction, such as by accessing a smart contract stored on the blockchain and checking a set of parameters against a set of conditions stored in the smart contract. Depending on whether the set of parameters satisfy the conditions, the results may be communicated to participants about the success or failure of the transaction.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for performing actions designated in smart contracts stored on a blockchain maintained by a plurality of participants, based upon notification of a person's death, the method comprising:
 receiving, at one or more processors coupled with a network interface, at least one death registry notification, wherein one participant of the plurality of participants that maintains the blockchain is an insurance provider that supplied a life insurance policy;   sending the notification to a smart contract stored at an address on the blockchain;   verifying, at the one or more processors, the death registry notification and a set of personal information of the notification, wherein verifying the death registry notification includes requesting, at the one or more processors, verification of the death registry notification and the set of personal information from an agency outside the plurality of participants that maintains the blockchain;   retrieving from the blockchain, at the one or more processors, an insurance policy document associated with a person indicated in the set of personal information;   generating, at the one or more processors, a death registry action based upon the set of documents, the set of personal information, and the death registry notification;   checking, at the one or more processors, the death registry action against the smart contract stored on the blockchain, wherein the set of documents has a set of conditions;   determining, at the one or more processors, that the death registry action satisfies the set of conditions based on a comparison of the set of conditions against the set of requirements stored on the smart contract; and   executing, at the one or more processors, the death registry action in response to the determination that the death registry action satisfies the set of conditions by initiating disbursement of funds as indicated by the insurance policy document.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the death registry notification further comprises:
 receiving, at the one or more processors coupled with the network interface, the death registry notification from at least one of participant that functions as an official custodian of death registry notifications.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of personal information includes the person's date of death, and any known beneficiaries for the person. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the notification is generated by a government agency informed by a healthcare facility. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , the set of personal information includes the person's name, and date of birth. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the generating a death registry action further comprises:
 analyzing, at the one or more processors, the set of documents, the set of personal information, and the death registry notification to determine the death registry action to take.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the checking includes comparing, at the one or more processors, the set of conditions against a set of requirements stored in the smart contract, wherein the set of conditions includes a payment history of the life insurance policy, and the set of requirements stored in the smart contract includes a payment history minimum condition. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein executing the death registry action further comprises:
 transmitting, at the one or more processors coupled with the network interface, a notification of the fund disbursement to a set of fund beneficiaries; and   transmitting, at the one or more processors coupled with the network interface, a transaction indicating that the funds have been dispersed in accordance with the death registry action.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the one or more processors coupled with the network interface, a block of transactions representative of death registry actions;   verifying, at the one or more processors, the block of transactions;   transmitting, at the one or more processors coupled with the network interface, the block of transactions to at least one other participant; and   adding, at a memory coupled with the one or more processors, the block of transactions to a copy of the blockchain.   
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented method for performing actions designated in smart contracts stored on a blockchain maintained by a plurality of participants, based upon notification of a person's death, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a one or more processors coupled with a network interface, at least one death registry notification, wherein one participant of the plurality of participants that maintains the blockchain is an insurance provider that supplied a life insurance policy;   sending the notification to a smart contract stored at an address on the blockchain;   verifying, at the one or more processors, the death registry notification and a set of personal information of the notification, wherein verifying the death registry notification includes requesting, at the one or more processors, verification of the death registry notification and the set of personal information from an agency outside the plurality of participants that maintains the blockchain;   retrieving from the blockchain, at the one or more processors, an insurance policy document associated with a person indicated in the set of personal information;   generating, at the one or more processors, a death registry action based upon the set of documents, the set of personal information, and the death registry notification;   checking, at the one or more processors, the death registry action against the smart contract stored on the blockchain, wherein the set of documents has a set of conditions;   determining, at the one or more processors, that the death registry action satisfies the set of conditions based on a comparison of the set of conditions against the set of requirements stored on the smart contract;   executing, at the one or more processors, the death registry action in response to the determination that the death registry action satisfies the set of conditions by initiating disbursement of funds as indicated by the insurance policy document;   generating, at the one or more processors, a transaction containing the death registry action;   adding, at the one or more processors, the transaction to a block of transactions;   generating, at the one or more processors, a solution to a cryptographic puzzle for the block of transactions;   transmitting, at the one or more processors coupled with the network interface, the block of transactions and the solution for the cryptographic puzzle to at least one other participant; and   transmitting, via the one or more processors coupled with the network interface, the transaction to the plurality of participants that maintains the blockchain.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the notification is generated by a government agency informed by a healthcare facility. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein generating a death registry action further comprises:
 analyzing, at the one or more processors, the set of documents, the set of personal information, and the death registry notification to determine the death registry action to take.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein executing the death registry action further comprises:
 transmitting, at the one or more processors coupled with the network interface, a notification of the fund disbursement to a set of fund beneficiaries; and   transmitting, at the one or more processors coupled with the network interface, a transaction indicating that the funds have been dispersed in accordance with the death registry action.   
     
     
         14 . A computer system for performing actions designated in smart contracts stored on a blockchain maintained by a plurality of participants, based upon notification of a person's death, and wherein one participant of the plurality of participants that maintains the blockchain is an insurance provider that supplied a life insurance policy, and wherein the computer system comprises:
 a memory configured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions; and   one or more processors configured to interface with the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the one or more processors to:   receive at least one death registry notification;   send the notification to a smart contract stored at an address on the blockchain;   validate the death registry notification and a set of personal information of the notification, wherein validation of the death registry notification includes requesting verification of the death registry notification and the set of personal information from an agency outside the plurality of participants that maintains the blockchain;   retrieve from the blockchain, an insurance policy document associated with a person indicated in the set of personal information;   generate a death registry action based upon the set of documents, the set of personal information, and the death registry notification;   check the death registry action against the smart contract stored on the blockchain, wherein the set of documents has a set of conditions; and   execute the death registry action when the death registry action satisfies the set of conditions by initiating disbursement of funds as indicated by the insurance policy document.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions to receive the notification further comprise instructions to receive the notification from a government agency informed by a healthcare facility. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the set of personal information includes the person's name, and date of birth. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein non-transitory computer executable instructions further comprise instructions to:
 analyze the set of documents, the set of personal information, and the death registry notification to determine the death registry action to take.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein non-transitory computer executable instructions further comprise instructions to:
 transmit a notification of the fund disbursement to a set of fund beneficiaries; and   transmit a transaction indicating that the funds have been dispersed in accordance with the death registry action.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein non-transitory computer executable instructions further comprise instructions to:
 receive a block of transactions representative of death registry actions;   verify the block of transactions;   transmit the block of transactions to at least one other participant; and   add the block of transactions to a copy of the blockchain.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein non-transitory computer executable instructions further comprise instructions to:
 analyze the set of documents by identifying a lienholder; and   execute a priority process of the smart contract by recalculating a settlement value for the identified lienholder, and distributing the recalculated settlement value to the identified lienholder.