# US 11,907,985 B2 · Network, method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for certification of vendors using distributed ledger technology > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,907,985 B2 - Document ID: US11907985B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/934,380 - Filed: 2022-09-22 - Published: 2023-03-16 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-06 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: D. Brice Achkir; Pavan Mettu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907985B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0609: {Qualifying participants for shopping transactions (payment transaction verification G06Q20/401)} - G06K 7/1413: {1D bar codes} - G06Q 30/0625: {by formulating product or service queries, e.g. using keywords or predefined options} - G06Q 30/0641: {utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract The present technology pertains to a distributed server system for verifying vendors. The distributed server system comprises one or more nodes on a distributed network; a communication interface of a first node that communicates over a communication network with the one or more nodes on the distributed network, wherein the communication interface receives information about a unique seal associated with a product in response to a query; and a processor of the first node that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor verifies that a vendor is associated with the unique seal has been appended to a distributed ledger, determines a match between the unique seal and the vendor; and, after determining the match, confirms that the vendor is a certified vendor of the product. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A distributed network comprising: a first node on the distributed network communicatively coupled to one or more additional nodes on the distributed network, the first node configured to: receive information about a unique seal associated with a product in response to a query; verify that (1) a block including information on a vendor associated with the unique seal has been appended to a distributed ledger by a trusted node, wherein the trusted node is one of the one or more additional nodes on the distributed network, and (2) the vendor is a certified vendor of the product to yield a verification, wherein the unique seal is uniquely associated with each of a plurality of vendors at different times based on movement of the product amongst the plurality of vendors through a supply chain; and record the verification on the distributed network by updating the block to reflect the verification, wherein the block reflecting the verification is added to all nodes of the distributed network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The distributed network of claim 1, wherein the unique seal is updated when the product moves from one of the plurality of vendors to a next one of the plurality of vendors. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The distributed network of claim 1, wherein the first node is configured to confirm that the vendor is a certified vendor based on matching the vendor with the unique seal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The distributed network of claim 1, the unique seal identifies a token associated with the unique seal, the token being a unique identifier that has been appended to the distributed ledger across a plurality of nodes of the distributed ledger. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The distributed network of claim 1, wherein the unique seal is associated with resale of a product and is received from one of (1) scanning a barcode on the product or (2) an input at a clickable link associated with the product on a website. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The distributed network of claim 1, wherein the first node is further configured to, after verifying the vendor, enable a user access to information about the vendor and a history of the product. ### Claim 7 A method of verifying vendors, comprising: receiving, at a first node on a distributed network communicatively coupled to one or more additional nodes on the distributed network, information about a unique seal associated with a product in response to a query; verifying that (1) a block including information on a vendor associated with the unique seal has been appended to a distributed ledger by a trusted node, wherein the trusted node is one of the one or more additional nodes on the distributed network, and (2) the vendor is a certified vendor of the product to yield a verification, wherein the unique seal is uniquely associated with each of a plurality of vendors at different times based on movement of the product amongst the plurality of vendors through a supply chain; and recording the verification on the distributed network by updating the block to reflect the verification, wherein the block reflecting the verification is added to all nodes of the distributed network. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the unique seal is updated when the product moves from one of the plurality of vendors to a next one of the plurality of vendors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first node is configured to confirm that the vendor is a certified vendor based on matching the vendor with the unique seal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, the unique seal identifies a token associated with the unique seal, the token being a unique identifier that has been appended to the distributed ledger across a plurality of nodes of the distributed ledger. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the unique seal is associated with resale of a product and is received from one of (1) scanning a barcode on the product or (2) an input at a clickable link associated with the product on a website. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: after verifying the vendor, enable a user access to information about the vendor and a history of the product. ### Claim 13 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors at a first node of a distributed network, cause the first node to: receive information about a unique seal associated with a product in response to a query, wherein the first node is communicatively coupled to one or more additional nodes on the distributed network; verify that (1) a block including information on a vendor associated with the unique seal has been appended to a distributed ledger by a trusted node, wherein the trusted node is one of the one or more additional nodes on the distributed network, and (2) the vendor is a certified vendor of the product to yield a verification, wherein the unique seal is uniquely associated with each of a plurality of vendors at different times based on movement of the product amongst the plurality of vendors through a supply chain; and record the verification on the distributed network by updating the block to reflect the verification, wherein the block reflecting the verification is added to all nodes of the distributed network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the unique seal is updated when the product moves from one of the plurality of vendors to a next one of the plurality of vendors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions further cause the first node to confirm that the vendor is a certified vendor based on matching the vendor with the unique seal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, the unique seal identifies a token associated with the unique seal, the token being a unique identifier that has been appended to the distributed ledger across a plurality of nodes of the distributed ledger. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the unique seal is associated with resale of a product and is received from one of (1) scanning a barcode on the product or (2) an input at a clickable link associated with the product on a website.