(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2016/0028552 A1 Spanos Et Al
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US 2016.0028552A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2016/0028552 A1 Spanos et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jan. 28, 2016 (54) SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR CREATING A tion No. 62/170,131, filed on Jun. 3, 2015, provisional MULT-BRANCHED BLOCKCHAIN WITH application No. 62/185,613, filed on Jun. 27, 2015. CONFIGURABLE PROTOCOL RULES Publication Classification (71) Applicants: Nikolaos Spanos, New York, NY (US); (51) Int. Cl. Andrew R. Martin, New York, NY H04L 9M32 (2006.01) (US); Eric T. Dixon, North Bergen, NJ G06F 12/02 (2006.01) (US); Asterios Steven Geros, New York, H04L 29/06 (2006.01) NY (US) G06F 2/14 (2006.01) (72) Inventors: Nikolaos Spanos, New York, NY (US); (52) U.S. Cl. Andrew R. Martin, New York, NY CPC ............ H04L 9/3297 (2013.01); H04L 9/3268 Bergen, NJ (2013.01); H04L 9/3242 (2013.01); G06F (US); Eric T. Dixon, North 12/1408 (2013.01); G06F 12/0246 (2013.01); (US); Asterios Steven Geros, New York, H04L 63/164 (2013.01); H04L 63/168 NY (US) (2013.01); G06F 2212/1052 (2013.01); G06F (73) Assignee: BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGIES 2212/7209 (2013.01) CORPORATION, New York, NY (US) (57) ABSTRACT The present invention generally relates to blockchain tech (21) Appl. No.: 14/809,062 nology. Specifically, this invention relates to creating a block chain called a slidechain that allows for multiple valid (22) Filed: Jul. 24, 2015 branches or forks to propagate simultaneously with a custom ized set of protocol rules embedded in and applied to each fork chain that branches from another chain. The invention Related U.S. Application Data generally provides a computer-implemented method for (60) Provisional application No. 62/029,409, filed on Jul. accessing, developing and maintaining a decentralized data 25, 2014, provisional application No 62/090,370, base through a peer-to-peer network, to preserve the original filed on Dec. 11, 2014, provisional application No. State of data inputs while adapting to changing circumstances, 62/112,130, filed on Feb. 4, 2015, provisional applica user preferences, and emerging technological capabilities. Start Compute payload hash for root block 601 Get timestamp for root block 62 Compute Short kash for root biock (Includes payload hash and timestap 663 Create frk block with Short-ash as an astorized has in fork block 54 Corpse block hash for fork bicyck (includes Short lash) 605 Store biock hash from fork biock as prev. block hash in rotock 66 Compute block hash for root block (includes prey, biock hash) o Ec Patent Application Publication Jan. 28, 2016 Sheet 1 of 5 US 2016/0028552 A1 Stardaff Bock Prew, ash 1. Nics 12 Payload -ash 13 Timestan; 14 Proof Standard Restriptor Fork Flag Hashs Genesis Standard Standard Rules } (Ries 1 / 203 Srt Hash Riot Rules 2} Standard 2O2 (Rules 2) Standafi Ries 2} Fig. 2 Patent Application Publication Jan. 28, 2016 Sheet 2 of 5 US 2016/0028552 A1 304 303 305 for k 3. Fig. 3 Patent Application Publication Jan. 28, 2016 Sheet 3 of 5 US 2016/0028552 A1 Fork Bock Root Block Prew, Hash 0. s Payload tash 47 --- Payload hash A4 it Prof Stands; Cof Standai'i M Sier 8sh Fork Flag 4.08 Fork Flag 1. Authorized Hash 4.09 k Authorized ash 42 / tec Payload ? (Payioad O. i; Fig. 4 for 3ock --- Roit Rick Protocol Payload) Short Hash / hash Payoad PictOCO E.O. Payload Patent Application Publication Jan. 28, 2016 Sheet 4 of 5 US 2016/0028552 A1 Stat Compute payload hash for root block O Gettinestar for root block 82 Compute Short-ash for root block (includes payload hash aid timestart p} 603 {Create fork isock with Sort as as a a tirized has it fork bijk SA Compute block hash for fork biock (incides Short ash Store lock hash from fork block as prey, biock in as it root hock {{S Compute hock hash for root block (includes prev. biock hash Patent Application Publication Jan. 28, 2016 Sheet 5 of 5 US 2016/0028552 A1 Stait Verify fork block hash is rew hash in root biock 78 Verify short hash of root biock matches an authorized hash in fork lock 72 iRead protocol from fork biock or root block payilaid Werify payigad descripter & hash according to pfotoC FA Werify tirestamp according to protoco 7. Check chai: validity according to protoco 78 g Aggiy rotCCC to fetwork neS5ages beiginging to this fork chain AOf Fig. 7 US 2016/0028552 A1 Jan. 28, 2016 SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR CREATING A 0005. The security of a blockchain is further increased by MULT-BRANCHED BLOCKCHAIN WITH implementing it on a distributed network. This means a large CONFIGURABLE PROTOCOL RULES number of users all have access to the blockchain and are all attempting to add blocks to the end of the chain by finding a RELATED APPLICATIONS nonce that produces a valid hash for a given block of data. When two blocks are found that both claim to reference the 0001. The present application claims priority from provi same previous block, a fork in the chain is created. Some sional application No. 62/029.409 entitled “System And users in the network will attempt to find the next block on one Method For Database For Self-Actuating Contracts And end of the fork while other users will work from the other end Other Data filed Jul. 25, 2014, provisional application No. of the fork. Eventually one of the forks will surpass the other 62/090,370 entitled “Use of Blockchain Database To in length, and the longest chain is accepted by consensus as Enhance Security of Support Secure Electronic Voting and the valid chain. Therefore, anyone who attempts to change a Election Result Tabulation filed Aug. 6, 2014, provisional block must not only re-find a valid hash for each subsequent application No. 62/112,130 entitled “System And Method block, but must do it faster than everyone else working on the For Blockchain-Type-Based Search Engine Database Within currently accepted chain. Thus, after a certain number of An Internet Browser Supporting A User Affinity Program blocks have been chained onto a particular block, it becomes filed Feb. 4, 2015, provisional application No. 62/170,131 prohibitively costly to try to change that block. entitled “Retailer-Captive Blockchain-Derivative System For 0006 Blockchains on a distributed network with suffi Hosting Secure and Non-Counterfeit Transactions Within A ciently restrictive rules for creating valid blocks are fairly Retailer's Customer Affinity Program filed Jun. 3, 2015, and secure against unauthorized changes to the data stored in provisional application No. 62/185,613 entitled “System And them. This makes blockchains particularly useful for record Method For Blockchain-Inspired Database Allowing Remote ing financial transactions. However, the blockchains cur Access To Medical Records' filed Jun. 27, 2015, the contents rently in use suffer from a couple of major drawbacks. The of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. first drawback is that the rules or protocol governing data storage and interpretation and how a blockchain is propagated FIELD OF THE INVENTION and verified are set and unchangeable from the time the block 0002 The present invention generally relates to block chain is first created. This means that with the rapid advance chain technology. Specifically, this invention relates to creat ment of technology, any given blockchain can quickly ing a blockchain called a slidechain that allows for multiple become obsolete, no matter how cutting edge it was at the valid branches or forks to propagate simultaneously with a time of creation. customized set of protocol rules embedded in and applied to 0007. The second drawback is the inability of the block each fork chain that branches from another chain. The inven chain to accommodate forks. Any fork that is created in the tion generally provides a computer-implemented method for blockchain is ultimately abandoned in favor of the longest accessing, developing and maintaining a decentralized data chain. Because it takes a certain amount of time, on average, base through a peer-to-peer network, to preserve the original for each new block to be added to a blockchain, there is a state of data inputs while adapting to changing circumstances, practical limit to the rate at which data can be added to the user preferences, and emerging technological capabilities. chain. The ability to accommodate forks in the chain elimi nates barriers to the speed at which data can be stored and may BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION even improve the security against modification of data. 0003 Blockchain technology is most widely known as the 0008. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a system and technology behind the popular cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. A method that allows for changes and updates to the rules or blockchain creates a history of data deposits, messages, or protocol governing the blockchain and its data. And there is a transactions in a series of blocks where each block contains a need in the art for a system and method that can accommodate mathematical Summary, called a hash, of the previous block. blockchain forks, allowing each side of the fork to store valid This creates a chain where any changes made to a block will data. These and other features and advantages of the present change that blocks hash, which must be recomputed and invention will be explained and will become obvious to one stored in the next block. This changes the hash of the next skilled in the art through the summary of the invention that block, which must also be recomputed and so on until the end follows.