MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR FUNGIBLE TOKENS AND NON-FUNGIBLE TOKENS AND ASSOCIATED DIGITAL ASSETS

Abstract

A token management server and associated methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the token management server comprises a gateway engine for indexing digital items stored on web servers and blockchains and comparing the indexed items to a non-fungible token (NFT) and its associated digital asset. The token management server optionally comprises a rights assignment and management engine for automatically generating ownership documentation for an asset associated with the NFT and tracking subsequent changes of ownership of the asset, a successor management engine for automatically assigning ownership and control of the NFT and digital asset or a fungible token if the owner does not interact with the token management server within a certain predetermined amount of time, and a loss prevention engine for providing an owner with a backup mechanism for accessing an NFT and digital asset or a fungible token if the owner loses his or her primary credentials.

Claims

1. A method comprising: identifying a first set of digital items on one or more web servers; generating a fingerprint for each digital item in the first set of digital items; identifying a second set of digital items on one or more blockchains; generating a fingerprint for each digital item in the second set of digital items; generating a fingerprint for a selected NFT and digital asset; and comparing the fingerprint for the selected NFT and digital asset to fingerprints for the first set of digital items and fingerprints for the second set of digital items.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing one or more entries for the first set of digital items in an index.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: storing one or more entries for the second set of digital items in the index.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more entries for the second set of digital items comprise fingerprints for the second set of digital items.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more entries for the first set of digital items comprise fingerprints for the first set of digital items.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: indicating, based on the comparing step, that the digital asset is identical to one or more of the digital items in the first set of digital items and the second set of digital items.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: storing in a registry the digital asset.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: indicating, based on the comparing step and a predetermined threshold, that the digital asset is similar to one or more of the digital items in the first set of digital items and the second set of digital items.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing in a registry the digital asset.

10. A method comprising: providing a token management server with information for a successor, the information comprising one or more of a digital wallet, a key, and an email address; providing token management server with a threshold value; and when time since owner last accessed token management server exceeds the threshold value, token management server automatically assigns ownership and control of a digital item to the successor using one or more of the digital wallet, key, and email address.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the digital item comprises an NFT and associated digital asset.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the digital item comprises a fungible token.

13. A method comprising: providing a token management server with backup information for an owner when creating or registering a digital item, backup information comprising one or more of a backup digital wallet, a backup key, and a backup email address; and in response to an instruction, assigning ownership and control of the digital item to the owner using one or more of backup digital wallet, backup key, and backup email address.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the digital item comprises an NFT and associated digital asset.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the digital item comprises a fungible token.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: establishing, by token manager server, a threshold value; and when time since an owner last accessed token management server exceeds the threshold value, token management server automatically assigns ownership and control of the digital item to a successor using one or more of a digital wallet, a key, and an email address.

17. A token management server comprising: a gateway engine for generating and storing entries in an index for a first set of digital items on one or more web servers and a second set of digital items on one or more blockchains and comparing one or more of the entries to an NFT and digital asset.

18. The token management server of claim 17, further comprising: a successor management engine for assigning ownership and control of the NFT and digital asset from an owner to a successor using one or more of a digital wallet, a key, and email address when a time since the owner last accessed the token management server exceeds a threshold value.

19. The token management server of claim 18, further comprising: a loss prevention engine for assigning ownership and control of the NFT and digital asset to the owner using one or more of a backup digital wallet, a backup key, and a backup email address.

20. The token management server of claim 17, further comprising: a loss prevention engine for assigning ownership and control of the NFT and digital asset to an owner using one or more of a backup digital wallet, a backup key, and a backup email address.

21. A method comprising: generating a digital asset and associated NFT; storing the NFT in a blockchain; generating an ownership document for the digital asset; storing ownership information for the digital asset in the blockchain; and storing updated ownership information for the digital asset in the blockchain when ownership of the digital asset changes.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: generating a fingerprint for the NFT and digital asset; and comparing the fingerprint to fingerprints store for digital items.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising: indicating, based on the comparing step, that the digital asset is identical to one or more of the digital items.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising: indicating, based on the comparing step and a predetermined threshold, that the digital asset is similar to one or more of the digital items.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1 depicts a prior art blockchain.

[0030] FIG. 2 depicts an example of an iteration of the prior art blockchain.

[0031] FIG. 3 depicts an example of another iteration of the prior art blockchain.

[0032] FIG. 4 depicts hardware components of a prior art computing device.

[0033] FIG. 5 depicts software components of a computing device.

[0034] FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, and 6E depict a sequence of adding blocks to an existing blockchain.

[0035] FIG. 7 depicts exemplary NFTs and their associated digital assets.

[0036] FIG. 8 depicts a token management server.

[0037] FIG. 9 depicts software components of the token management server of FIG. 8.

[0038] FIG. 10 depicts a gateway engine operated by the token management server.

[0039] FIG. 11 depicts a successor management method performed by the token management server.

[0040] FIG. 12 depicts a loss prevention method performed by the token management server.

[0041] FIG. 13 depicts an API engine operated by the token management server.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] FIG. 8 depicts token management server 800. Token management server 800 is a computing device such as computing device 400 described previously with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0043] Token management server 800 communicates via network 801 with web servers 802-1, . . . , 802-i, nodes for blockchains 803-1, . . . , 803-j, and clients 804-1, . . . , 804-k, where i, j, and k are integers. Web servers 802, nodes for blockchains 803, and clients 804 each are a computing device such as computing device 400 described previously with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5

[0044] As discussed in greater detail below, web servers 802 include all web servers hosting websites of interest, and nodes for blockchains 803 represent all blockchains of interest. Although FIG. 8 depicts token management server 800 as a single computing device, it will be appreciated that token management server 800 optionally may comprise multiple computing devices, such as multiple servers in the cloud.

[0045] FIG. 9 depicts additional software components of token management server 800 that perform the functionality described herein. Token management server 800 comprises protocol engine 901, gateway engine 902, storage engine 903, and API engine 904. Protocol engine 901, gateway engine 902, storage engine 903, and API engine 904 and each comprises lines of software code that can be executed by processing unit 401 in token management server 800.

[0046] Additional detail will now be provided regarding the various software components of token management server 800.

[0047] Protocol Engine 901

[0048] Protocol engine 901 comprises contracts engine 905. Contracts engine 905 implements a smart contract protocol for the issuance, rights management, and protection of NFTs and their associated digital assets as well as and fungible digital assets. Optionally, contracts engine 905 automatically generates documentation of the ownership and associated intellectual property rights (e.g., copyrights) for the digital asset associated with the NFT and tracks any changes of ownership or assignment of the digital asset or the underlying intellectual property rights. Protocol engine 901 also can instruct gateway engine 902, described below, to scan web servers and blockchains for instances of substantial copying of the digital asset, which in some instances may constitute copyright infringement.

[0049] Gateway Engine 902

[0050] Gateway engine 902 comprises web interface 906, blockchain interface 907, and scoring engine 908. With reference to FIG. 10, web interface 906 scours web servers 802-1, . . . , 802-i and blockchain interface 907 scours nodes for blockchains 803-1, . . . , 803-j to identify and index digital items of interest, such as: images, videos, audio, video game items, digital collectibles, and other types of digital files.

[0051] Once a digital item of interest is found, and index entry is added to index 1002 in data store 100.sub.1. Index 1002 stores attributes for each digital item of interest items identified by web interface 906 and blockchain interface 907, such as asset ID 1003, location 1004 of the asset, and a fingerprint 1005 for the asset.

[0052] Fingerprint 1005 is a digital value that is calculated from the digital item of interest. For example, fingerprint 1005 can be a hash of all or some of the digital data within the digital item of interest.

[0053] Scoring engine 908 can compare an NFT and its digital asset, such as NFT 701 and digital asset 702, or a fingerprint 1005 thereof, against index 1002 to identify items that are identical to NFT 701 or digital asset 702 or similar to NFT 701 or digital asset 702 within a certain threshold. For example, scoring engine 908, can generate a fingerprint 1005 for NFT 701 and digital asset 702 and compare that fingerprint 1005 to the fingerprints 1005 stored in index 1002. In this manner, gateway engine 902 analyzes provenance, uniqueness, and rights associated with NFTs and their associated digital assets. This analysis can identify instances of copyright infringement.

[0054] Storage Engine 903

[0055] Storage engine 903 comprises rights registry engine 909, successor management engine 910, and loss prevention engine 911.

[0056] Rights registry engine 909 is a repository of digital assets rights tied with physical and digital identities.

[0057] Successor management engine 910 provides a mechanism for transferring ownership and control of an NFT and its associated digital asset, or a fungible token, in the event that the current owner of the NFT or the fungible token dies, becomes incapacitated, or disappears from the NFT platform or fungible token platform.

[0058] FIG. 11 depicts successor management method 1100 implemented by successor management engine 910. Owner 1104 provides token management server 800 with information 1105 for successor 1106 when creating or registering NFT 701 and digital asset 702, or fungible token 703, including one or more of digital wallet 1107, key 1108, and email address 1109 (step 1101). Owner 1104 provides token management server 800 with a threshold value T (step 1102). An example of T might be 30 days or 6 months. If more than T time elapses since owner 1104 last accessed token management server 800, token management server 800 automatically assigns ownership and control of NFT 701 and digital asset 702, or fungible token 703, to successor 1106 using one or more of digital wallet 1107, key 1108, and email address 1109 (step 1103).

[0059] With reference again to FIG. 9, loss prevention engine 911 implements a mechanism for maintaining an NFT and associated digital asset, or a fungible token, if the owner of the NFT and digital asset, or the fungible token, loses the mechanism for accessing the NFT and digital asset, or the fungible token, such as losing a digital wallet.

[0060] FIG. 12 depicts loss prevention method 1200 performed by loss prevention engine 911. Owner 1104 provides token management server 800 with backup information 1205 when creating or registering NFT 701 and digital asset 702, or fungible token 703, including one or more of backup digital wallet 1206, backup key 1207, and backup email address 1208 (step 1201). Owner 1104 optionally provides token management server 800 with a threshold value T (step 1202). If step 1202 is performed and more than T time elapses since owner 1104 last accessed token management server 800, token management server 800 automatically assigns ownership and control of NFT 701 and digital asset 702, or fungible token 703, to owner 1104 using one or more of backup digital wallet 1206, backup key 1207, and backup email address 1208 (step 1203). Upon receiving an instruction from owner 1104, token management server 800 assigns ownership and control of NFT 701 and digital asset 702, or fungible token 703, to owner 1104 using one or more of backup digital wallet 1206, backup key 1207, and backup email address 1208 (step 1204).

[0061] API Engine 903

[0062] With reference again to FIG. 9, API engine 904 comprises NFT creation engine 912. NFT creation engine 912 enables users to create multi-chain NFTs along with their associated rights, generate and update records in the registry, accessing NFT uniqueness scores generated by scoring engine 908, and performing anti-infringement checks on NFTs. With reference to FIG. 13, API engine 904 enables external devices such as client 804-1 to interact with token management server 800 through API 1301 that is serviced by API engine 904.

[0063] For example, API 1301 might comprise a command by which client 804-1 asks token management server 800 (using gateway engine 902, not shown) to perform a search within web servers 802 (not shown) and nodes for blockchains 803 (not shown) to identify digital items that are identical to NFT 701 and digital asset 702 or similar to NFT 701 and digital asset 702 within a certain predetermined threshold.

[0064] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described above and illustrated herein but encompasses any and all variations evident from the above description. For example, references to the present invention herein are not intended to limit the scope of any claim or claim term, but instead merely make reference to one or more features that may be eventually covered by one or more claims.