# US 12,519,799 B2 · Decentralized access control for authorized modifications of data using a cryptographic hash

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- Number: US 12,519,799 B2
- Document ID: US12519799B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/148,101
- Filed: 2022-12-29
- Published: 2023-08-10
- Granted: 2026-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-11
- Assignees: Prometheus8
- Applicants: Prometheus8
- Inventors: Nathanael Phillip Coonrod
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12519799B2

## CPC

- G06F 21/64: Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
- H04L 63/104: {Grouping of entities}
- G06F 21/602: {Providing cryptographic facilities or services}
- H04L 9/0891: {Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying}
- H04L 9/3239: {involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD}
- H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees}
- H04L 63/123: {received data contents, e.g. message integrity}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Embodiments of network devices for access control are described. In some embodiments, an access control processor of a first node receives a request from a requestor node on an unsecure network to join a first group of nodes on a secure network, where the first node coordinates network activities of the first group of nodes including a plurality of partitioned nodes of a network. In response to receiving the request, the access control processor assigns the requestor node to a first pool of the first group of nodes that are configured to perform authorized modifications of data including a cryptographic hash to protect the data against unauthorized modifications. In some embodiments, the access control processor initiates the authorized modifications of the data using one or more nodes assigned to the first pool and one or more nodes of a second pool of the first group of nodes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
assign a plurality of nodes configured to modify data of a blockchain to first and second pools, wherein one or more nodes in the second pool are configured to perform higher priority modifications of the data of the blockchain than one or more nodes in the first pool, the blockchain including at least one cryptographic hash configured to protect the data against unauthorized modifications; and
in response to determining that a performance characteristic of a first node of the plurality of nodes assigned to the first pool of nodes satisfies a first performance threshold, assign the first node to the second pool.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
in response to determining that the performance characteristic of the first node of plurality of nodes assigned to the first pool of nodes satisfies the first performance threshold, swap the first node in the second pool with a second node of the plurality of nodes so that the first node is assigned to the second pool and the second node is assigned to the first pool.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions cause the at least one processor to assign the plurality of nodes to the first and second pools based on performance characteristics of the plurality of nodes satisfying the first performance threshold and a second performance threshold associated, respectively, with the first and second pools.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein performance characteristics comprise at least one of: a latency, computational power, responsiveness, or geographical location.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
identify a plurality of nodes in the first pool associated with higher performance characteristics than other nodes in the first pool;
identify a plurality of nodes in the second pool associated with lower performance characteristics than other nodes in the second pool;
assign the plurality of nodes in the first pool to the second pool; and
assign the plurality of nodes in the second pool to the first pool.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more nodes in the second pool are configured to receive one or more tokens for modifications of the data of the blockchain.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
in response to determining that network traffic for the plurality of nodes satisfies a network traffic threshold, replace a subset of nodes in the plurality of nodes with another subset of nodes from a different plurality of nodes.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
in response to determining that a threshold time period has elapsed before receiving results of first modifications of the data of the blockchain from a second node in the second pool, assign a third node in the first pool to perform the first modifications of the data of the blockchain.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein modifications of the data of the blockchain include verifying one or more transactions or blocks of the blockchain.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first node is configured to manage nodes in the first and second pools.

### Claim 11

A method for blockchain modification comprising:
assigning a plurality of nodes configured to modify data of a blockchain to first and second pools, wherein one or more nodes in the second pool are configured to perform higher priority modifications of the data of the blockchain than one or more nodes in the first pool, the blockchain including at least one cryptographic hash configured to protect the data against unauthorized modifications; and
in response to determining that a performance characteristic of a first node of the plurality of nodes assigned to the first pool of nodes satisfies a first performance threshold, assigning the first node to the second pool.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein:
in response to determining that the performance characteristic of the first node of plurality of nodes assigned to the first pool of nodes satisfies the first performance threshold, swapping the first node in the second pool with a second node of the plurality of nodes so that the first node is assigned to the second pool and the second node is assigned to the first pool.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein assigning the plurality of nodes to the first and second pools is based on performance characteristics of the plurality of nodes satisfying the first performance threshold and a second performance threshold associated, respectively, with the first and second pools.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein performance characteristics comprise at least one of: a latency, computational power, responsiveness, or geographical location.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
identifying a plurality of nodes in the first pool associated with higher performance characteristics than other nodes in the first pool;
identifying a plurality of nodes in the second pool associated with lower performance characteristics than other nodes in the second pool;
assigning the plurality of nodes in the first pool to the second pool; and
assigning the plurality of nodes in the second pool to the first pool.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more nodes in the second pool are configured to receive one or more tokens for modifications of the data of the blockchain.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
in response to determining that network traffic for the plurality of nodes satisfies a network traffic threshold, replacing a subset of nodes in the plurality of nodes with another subset of nodes from a different plurality of nodes.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
in response to determining that a threshold time period has elapsed before receiving results of first modifications of the data of the blockchain from a second node in the second pool, assign a third node in the first pool to perform the first modifications of the data of the blockchain.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein modifications of the data of the blockchain include verifying one or more transactions or blocks of the blockchain.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the first node manages nodes in the first and second pools.