# US 2021/0241380 A1 · Blockchain subrogation payments > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0241380 A1 - Document ID: US20210241380A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/238,546 - Filed: 2021-04-23 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-24 - Assignees: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company - Applicants: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company - Inventors: Jaime Skaggs; Shawn M. Call; Eric Bellas; Douglas A. Graff; William J. Leise; Vicki King; Jacob J. Alt; Eric R. Moore; Stacie A. McCullough - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210241380A1 ## CPC - G06Q 40/08: Insurance - G06Q 20/02: involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP] - G06Q 20/0655: {e-cash managed centrally} - G06Q 2220/00: Business processing using cryptography - H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees} - 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 - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A shared ledger operated by a group of network participants according to a set of consensus rules manages and resolves subrogation claims between a clamant and a defendant. Evidence regarding the value of the subrogation claim is sent to the shared ledger by entities involved in the claim such as sending to a smart contract deployed on the shared ledger. The parties to the subrogation claim may supplement evidence and settlement proposals on the blockchain by broadcasting a transaction or sending data to the smart contract. Once the claim is resolved, the parties may settle the subrogation payment off-chain or may transact a token having value on the chain. A subrogation smart contract may be programmed to release funds under certain conditions including holding a bond by a claimant and/or upon final resolution of the subrogation claim. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method of settling a subrogation claim by a shared ledger, the method comprising, via one or more processors, servers, and/or associated transceivers: generating a subrogation claim smart contract, the subrogation claim smart contract identifying a subrogation defendant and including information regarding an insured loss; deploying the subrogation claim smart contract to a shared ledger; broadcasting a cryptographic hash value representing a settlement amount to the subrogation claim smart contract deployed to the shared ledger; and receiving an indication from the subrogation claim smart contract that the subrogation defendant has accepted the settlement amount in response to the subrogation defendant providing an indication of acceptance of the settlement amount. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the subrogation claim smart contract includes a contract state, the contract state including evidence of the insured loss, the contract state further including contract data representing acceptance of evidence of the insured loss by a subrogation claimant and by the subrogation defendant. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the evidence of the insured loss includes a repair cost to insured property. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the evidence of the insured loss includes medical bills incurred as part of a vehicle collision. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the evidence of the insured loss includes expert or witness statements related to a vehicle collision. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the cryptographic hash value includes broadcasting a proof of identity of an entity broadcasting the cryptographic hash value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the subrogation defendant provides an indication to the subrogation claim smart contract that the settlement amount has been paid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a subrogation claim settlement payment upon resolution of the subrogation claim. ### Claim 9 A validating network node on a shared ledger network comprising: a transceiver configured to exchange shared ledger data with peer network nodes, the shared ledger data including subrogation claim transactions; a storage media configured to store a copy of the shared ledger; and a transaction validator configured to apply a set of consensus rules to shared ledger data received from the peer network nodes, the transaction validator being further configured to append shared ledger data received from peer nodes to the copy of the shared ledger if the shared ledger data satisfies the consensus rules, the shared ledger data including: a subrogation claim smart contract identifying a subrogation claimant and a subrogation defendant and including information regarding an insured loss; a cryptographic hash value from the subrogation claimant representing a settlement amount to the subrogation claim smart contract; and an indication of acceptance of the settlement amount from the subrogation defendant. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The validating network node of claim 9, wherein the storage media is further configured to store a copy of a state database of the shared ledger. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The validating network node of claim 10, wherein the state database stores a current state of the subrogation claim smart contract. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The validating network node of claim 9, wherein the subrogation claim transactions further include a proof-of-identity to cryptographically prove that a subrogation claim transaction is originated by a participating entity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The validating network node of claim 12, wherein the set of consensus rules includes that a participating entity providing evidence includes the proof-of-identity, and that the proof-of-identity corresponds to one of a plurality of known participating entities. ### Claim 14 A computer system for settling a subrogation claim by a shared ledger, the computer system comprising: a network interface; one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions thereon, that when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to: generate a subrogation claim smart contract, the subrogation claim smart contract identifying a subrogation defendant and including information regarding an insured loss; deploy, via the network interface, the subrogation claim smart contract to a shared ledger; broadcast, via the network interface, a cryptographic hash value representing a settlement amount to the subrogation claim smart contract deployed to the shared ledger; and receive an indication from the subrogation claim smart contract that the subrogation defendant has accepted the settlement amount in response to the subrogation defendant providing an indication of acceptance of the settlement amount. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14, wherein the subrogation claim smart contract includes a contract state, the contract state including evidence of the insured loss, the contract state further including contract data representing acceptance of evidence of the insured loss by a subrogation claimant and by the subrogation defendant. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, wherein the evidence of the insured loss includes a repair cost to insured property. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, wherein the evidence of the insured loss includes medical bills incurred as part of a vehicle collision. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer system of claim 15, wherein the evidence of the insured loss includes expert or witness statements related to a vehicle collision. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: broadcast a proof of identity of an entity broadcasting the cryptographic hash value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14, wherein the subrogation defendant provides an indication to the subrogation claim smart contract that the settlement amount has been paid.