U.S. Patent 11177961 was awarded to NEC CORPORATION on November 16, 2021 and is entitled “Method and system for securely sharing validation information using blockchain technology.” The first named inventor is Ghassan Karame of Heidelberg, . The abstract contains an overview of the patent disclosure:

A method for securely sharing validation information of one or more data files stored on different cloud servers using distributed ledger technology includes requesting access to the data files and calculating a hash thereof. A structured Merkle tree is constructed using the hash and additional hashes of other data files for which a user has not granted access, but has used to construct a corresponding Merkle tree for which the user has committed a root value to a main blockchain. It is checked whether the root value of the Merkle tree is the same as the one the user has committed, and whether the hash of the data files is stored in a block of a satellite blockchain linked to the main blockchain and operated by a subset of nodes of the main blockchain that trust one another. Link to Full Patent

This blockchain patent was originally filed on September 26, 2018  as U.S. Patent Application 16/142028 at the United Stated Patent and Trademark Office. The application was them awarded a patent grant and published as U.S. Patent 11177961. The assistant examiner was Angela R Holmes.

NEC CORPORATION, who is the original assignee of this patent, has at least 32150 total granted patents in the United States as of the date of this article. This blockchain patent has been cited 0 times by other U.S. patents according to our law firm research, and can be considered an innovative patent in the field of cryptocurrency and blockchain.

Select IP monitors top patents and patents which have been allowed and granted worldwide. We are experts in patent law with experience blockchain technology and IP law and intellectual property law as it pertains to blockchain technology and cryptocurrency patents. If you are interested in connecting with an IP law attorney or patent law attorney, please contact us via the contact form.

Patentability Searches – Determine the patentability of your inventions.
Freedom to Operate Searches & Opinions – Identify patents may give you potential infringement issues (including in the recording, communication or information retrieval equipment field).
Non-Infringement Opinions – Determine if your product infringes a competitor’s patent.
Patent Invalidity Searches & Opinions – Find prior art to invalidate a competitor’s patent.
U.S. Provisional Patent Applications – Receive cost-effective “patent pending” status for your invention.
U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Applications (Utility) – Apply for patent protection on the structural and functional aspects of your invention.
U.S. Design Patent Applications – Apply for patent protection on the ornamental appearance of your invention.