Blockchain With Daisy Chained Records

Abstract

Permissioned blockchains with off-chain storage establish integrity and no-later-than date-of-existence for documents, leveraging records containing hash values of documents. When a document's integrity or date is challenged, a new hash value is compared with a record in the blockchain. Proving date-of-existence (via hash value in a publication and/or SMS) for the block containing the record establishes no-later-than date-of-existence for the document. Permissioning monetizes operations, enforcing rules for submission rights and content, thereby precluding problematic material (privacy, obscenity, malicious logic, copyright violations) that threatens long-term viability. Compact records and off-chain storage in a document corral (with quarantine capability) preserve document confidentiality and ease storage burdens for distributed blockchain copies. Using multiple hash values for each document hardens against preimage attacks with quantum computing. Daisy chaining records establishes that relationships existed among documents at registration. Self-addressed blockchain registration (SABRe) permits documents to self-identify their blockchain record address (block ID, index).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of using a first blockchain to generate evidence for proving document integrity, the method executable by a processor, the method comprising:
 generating, for a document, a first record in a first format, the first format comprising:
 an integrity verification code (IVC) field comprising a first IVC portion; and 
 a record locator field; 
   wherein the first record comprises:
 a first IVC value in the first IVC portion of the IVC field of the first record; and 
 a first value in the record locator field of the first record; and 
   generating, in the first blockchain, a first block comprising the first record, wherein the first value in the record locator field of the first record indicates a blockchain address of a second record, different than the first record, wherein the blockchain address of the second record indicates a location of the second record within the blockchain, wherein the second record is within a second block of the first blockchain that is prior to the first block in the first blockchain, wherein the first value in the record locator field of the first record includes a block identifier of the second block, and wherein the first value in the record locator field of the first record does not link blocks of the first blockchain; and   linking the first block to a prior block in the first blockchain using an IVC of the prior block in the first blockchain within the first block.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to generating the first block, generating, in the blockchain, the second block comprising the second record; and   linking the second block to a subsequent block in the first blockchain using an IVC of the second block within the subsequent block in the first blockchain.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first value in the record locator field of the first record further includes a position of the second record within the second block. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating the second record in the first format;   wherein the second record comprises:
 a third IVC value in the first IVC portion of the IVC field of the second record; and 
 a second value in the record locator field of the second record, wherein the second value in the record locator field of the second record indicates a location of a third record in the first blockchain, thereby providing a daisy chain of references to the third record from the first record. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first record further comprises:
 a third value in the record locator field of the first record, wherein the third value in the record locator field of the first record indicates a blockchain address of a fourth record, different than the first record and different than the second record, wherein the blockchain address of the fourth record indicates a location of the fourth record within the blockchain, wherein the fourth record is within a third block of the first blockchain that is prior to the first block in the first blockchain, wherein the third value in the record locator field of the first record includes a block identifier of the third block, and wherein the third value in the record locator field of the first record does not link blocks of the first blockchain.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the IVC field further comprises a second IVC portion,   wherein the first record further comprises a second IVC value in the second IVC portion,   wherein the second IVC value represents a same document as the first IVC value, and   wherein the second IVC value represents an output of a different integrity verification function than the first IVC value.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first IVC value comprises at least a portion of a Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) message digest, and wherein the SHA message digest is generated by at least one function selected from the list consisting of:
 SHA-1, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first format further comprises a timestamp field, wherein the first record further comprises a timestamp value in the timestamp field. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first format further comprises an index field, wherein the first record further comprises a first index value in the index field of the first record; and wherein the second record further comprises a second index value in the index field of the second record. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first format further comprises an index field, wherein the first record further comprises a first index value in the index field of the first record; and wherein the second record further comprises a second index value in the index field of the second record. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second index value appears within the record locator field of the first record. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein first value in the record locator field of the first record further comprises the second index value. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein index values placed in the index field are incremental counts of records within a block. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blockchain address of the second record indicates a starting bit of the second record within the second block. 
     
     
         15 . A method of using a first blockchain to generate evidence for proving document integrity, the method executable by a processor, the method comprising:
 receiving a request to reserve a blockchain address for a first record that has not yet been received, the request indicating a future time period;   selecting a reserved blockchain address for a first record, the reserved blockchain address indicating a first block;   returning the reserved blockchain address in response to the request;   after returning the reserved blockchain address, receiving the first record;   holding the first record until generating the first block;   generating the first block;   inserting the first record in the first block; and   linking the first block to a prior block in the first blockchain using an IVC of the prior block in the first blockchain within the first block.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the reserved blockchain address further indicates a position within the first block, and wherein inserting the first record in the first block comprises:
 inserting the first record in the first block at the indicated position.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 inserting the indicated position into an index field of the first record.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving the reserved blockchain address;   inserting an indication of the reserved blockchain address into a document;   generating the first record for the document containing the indication of the reserved blockchain address, wherein the first record comprises an integrity verification code (IVC) for the document; and   transmitting the first record across a computer network to a collection point for records for the first blockchain.