System and method for authorizing presentation of digital assets

Abstract

The system includes an authorization device controlled by a controller of the digital asset and storing an authorization public / private key pair and a digital asset public / private key pair. The system further includes a digital asset server storing the digital assets, and a digital asset presentation device. The digital asset presentation device stores a digital asset pointer related to a location of data in a distributed ledger, the data related to the digital asset including a location of the digital asset on the digital asset server. The authorization key pair is used to authorize access to the digital asset pointer stored on the digital asset presentation device to locate the digital asset data on the distributed ledger. The digital asset key pair is used to authorize access to a digital asset on the digital asset server for presentation by the digital asset presentation device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for authorizing the presentation of digital assets. Background Art

[0002] Collectibles are objects that are generally in limited supply and are sought by one or more collectors for sentimental and / or investment purposes. This alternative asset class represents a large global market and encompasses a myriad of objects, including art, toys, classic cars, wine, whiskey, stamps, coins, and any other object that is considered rare and possesses characteristics that are valued by collectors. Because the value of a collectible depends on its originality, the ability to prove ownership and provenance of an object is critical for sales and valuation purposes. As a result, art galleries and other organizations that operate collectibles marketplaces invest time and effort into researching the provenance of objects sold on their platforms to assure potential buyers that the objects are original and legally owned by the seller.

[0003] Proof of provenance and ownership can take different forms, and traditionally takes the form of a Certificate of Authenticity (COA), which includes details related to the subject work to support its provenance. For example, a valid COA for a work of art may include specific details about the work of art, such as the date and place of creation, the author / artist, the owner, the dimensions of the artwork, and details of authoritative publications citing the work. However, even COAs can be misused and can be forged by sophisticated forgers.

[0004] Recently, the advent of blockchain technology has facilitated the ability to prove ownership and provenance of collectibles in the form of physical assets stored as images, audio or video files or digital representations of digital audio and / or visual works. A blockchain is a history of data deposits, messages or transactions recorded in a series of blocks and maintained by a distributed network of computing devices. In one example, computing devices in the network can add new blocks of information to the chain after expending computational effort to solve a computationally expensive problem, or in another example, pledging collateral for the opportunity to validate a new block in exchange for a financial reward. Due to the nature of the reward mechanism, participants are incentivized to act in good faith for the benefit of the network and the security of the data stored in the blockchain. For highly decentralized blockchains with many participants, such as the Bitcoin blockchain, it is extremely difficult to change or tamper with the data stored in the blockchain.

[0005] Therefore, because blockchain is effectively immutable, it can provide third parties with confidence that data stored by the blockchain is authentic and cannot be altered without valid authorization. Blockchain technology and broader distributed ledger technology therefore provide an excellent platform for proving ownership and provenance of collectibles by associating collectibles with so-called non-fungible tokens or “NFTs” stored on the blockchain. NFTs are associated with a unique ID so that one NFT can be distinguished from another NFT on the same blockchain. Each NFT can include unique metadata associated with a specific digital collectible, such as the collectible name, creator, owner, creation date, and the URL of the collectible’s digital file (such as an image, audio or video file). Collectibles can be digital in nature, such as computer-generated images and videos, or they can be digital representations of physical collectibles, such as photographs of paintings.

[0006] One problem with digital media is that it is inherently susceptible to copying and reproduction. Therefore, while the owner of a collectible is able to use blockchain technology to prove ownership and provenance, a third party with a copy of the digital file representing the collectible could potentially reproduce the digital media and impersonate the creator or owner of the collectible, or an authorized representative thereof. Therefore, there is a need to provide collectors with greater certainty that when they are presented with a digital asset or digital representation of a physical asset, the person with whom they are transacting is the true creator or owner of one or more collectibles, or an authorized representative thereof.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve this problem. Summary of the invention

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for authorizing the presentation of a digital asset stored on a digital asset server, the method comprising the following steps:

[0009] Upon authorization, transmitting a digital asset data request at a digital asset presentation device via a data communications network to a ledger distributed across a plurality of computing devices, and storing data associated with the digital asset, the data including a storage location of the digital asset on the digital asset server, the digital asset data request including a unique pointer for locating data associated with the digital asset stored on the ledger;

[0010] Receiving digital asset data from the ledger via the data communications network at the digital asset presentation device, the digital asset data including a storage location of the digital asset on the digital asset server;

[0011] Transmitting a digital asset request at the digital asset presentation device to the digital asset server via the data communication network, the digital asset request including a storage location of the digital asset on the digital asset server;

[0012] receiving the digital asset request at the digital asset server and initiating an operation to obtain authorization from a controller of the digital asset to service the digital asset;

[0013] Upon authorization, transmitting the digital asset at the digital asset server to the digital asset presentation device via the data communications network;

[0014] receiving, at the digital asset presentation device, the digital asset from the digital asset server; and

[0015] rendering the digital asset at the digital asset presentation device for presentation purposes;

[0016] wherein the transmission of the digital asset data request at the digital asset presentation device is authorized by a first signed authorization message transmitted by an authorization device, the first signed authorization message being signed by an authorization private key of an authorization key pair stored on the authorization device and controlled by a controller of the digital asset; and

[0017] In which, the transmission of the digital asset at the digital asset server is authorized by a second signed authorization message transmitted by the authorization device, and the second signed authorization message is signed by a digital asset private key in a digital asset key pair stored on the authorization device, associated with the digital asset and controlled by the controller of the digital asset.

[0018] Advantageously, by storing the authorization private key and the digital asset private key on the authorization device and allowing authorized presentation of the digital asset only after the authorization device transmits the first signed authorization message and the second signed authorization message, the controller of the digital asset can prove ownership or authorized control of the digital asset without revealing the access credentials. Therefore, it can be assured to a third party that the presentation of the digital asset is performed by the owner of the digital asset or with the consent of the owner.

[0019] A plurality of digital assets may be stored on the digital asset server and data associated with each digital asset may be stored on the ledger, and the method may further include the steps of selecting a unique pointer to a digital asset to be presented on a digital asset presentation device prior to transmitting a request for digital asset data to the ledger via the data communications network.

[0020] Each digital asset may be associated with a unique digital asset key pair stored on the authorization device, and the second digitally signed authorization message may be signed by a digital asset private key in the digital asset key pair associated with the digital asset selected for presentation purposes.

[0021] The transmission of the first signed authorization message and / or the second signed authorization message at the authorization device can be initiated by entering biometric data of the control person and / or private information known to the control person into the authorization device.

[0022] The method may further include the following steps: providing an authorization public key and / or a digital asset public key to a digital asset presentation device and / or a digital asset server to verify the first signed authorization message and / or the second signed authorization message before transmitting the first signed authorization message and / or the second signed authorization message at the authorization device.

[0023] The method may further include the step of generating, at the authorized device, a digital asset key pair to be associated with the digital asset stored on the digital asset server.

[0024] The method may further include the steps of generating, at the authorizing device, a unique pointer to be associated with the digital asset stored on the digital asset server; and providing the unique pointer to the digital asset presentation device via the data connection.

[0025] The method may further comprise the step of writing data relating to the or each digital asset to a ledger.

[0026] The or each unique pointer may be securely stored on the digital asset presentation device, and the method may include the additional step of providing access to the or each unique pointer at the digital asset presentation device for inclusion in the transmission of the digital asset data request upon authorization.

[0027] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for authorizing the presentation of a digital asset stored on a digital asset server, the system comprising an authorization device, the authorization device being controlled by a controller of the digital asset and storing an authorization key pair and a digital asset key pair, the authorization key pair comprising an authorization public key and an authorization private key, and the digital asset key pair comprising a digital asset public key and a digital asset private key, the system further comprising: a digital asset server, the digital asset server storing the digital asset at a certain location; and a digital asset presentation device, the digital asset presentation device storing a digital asset pointer associated with a location of data about the digital asset in a ledger distributed across multiple computing devices, the data comprising a location of the digital asset on the digital asset server. The digital asset presentation device, the digital asset server and the ledger are communicatively coupled via a data communication network, and the authorization device and the digital asset presentation device are communicatively coupled via a data connection, wherein the authorization device is operable to transmit a first signed authorization message signed by the authorization private key to the digital asset presentation device to allow access to the digital asset pointer so as to retrieve the location of the digital asset on the digital asset server from the ledger, and wherein the authorization device is operable to transmit a second signed authorization message signed by the digital asset private key in the digital asset key pair stored on the authorization device and associated with the digital asset to authorize the digital asset server to transmit the digital asset to the digital asset presentation device for presentation purposes.

[0028] The authorization device may include one or more buttons and / or a touch screen and / or a biometric data input device for inputting biometric data of a controller of the authorization device and / or private information known to the controller.

[0029] The digital asset presentation device may be operable to transmit a digital asset data request to the ledger to obtain a location of the digital asset on the digital asset server, the digital asset data request including a digital asset pointer.

[0030] The digital asset server may store a plurality of digital assets, and data associated with each digital asset may be stored on the ledger, and the digital asset presentation device may be operable to select a unique pointer to a digital asset to be presented prior to transmitting a request for digital asset data to the ledger via the data communications network.

[0031] Each digital asset may be associated with a unique digital asset key pair stored on the authorizing device, and the authorizing device may be configured to sign the second authorization message using a digital asset private key in the digital asset key pair associated with the digital asset selected for presentation purposes.

[0032] The authorization device may be configured to generate a digital asset key pair to be associated with a digital asset stored on a digital asset server.

[0033] The digital asset presentation device may be configured to generate a unique pointer to be associated with a digital asset stored on the digital asset server.

[0034] The digital asset presentation device may be configured to write data relating to the or each digital asset to the ledger.

[0035] The digital asset presentation device may securely store the or each unique pointer and may be configured, upon receipt of the first signed authorization message, to allow access to the or each unique pointer for inclusion in the transmission of the digital asset data request to the ledger.

[0036] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a system for authorizing the presentation of a digital asset, the system comprising an authorization device, the authorization device being controlled by a controller of the digital asset and storing an authorization key pair and a digital asset key pair, the authorization key pair comprising an authorization public key and an authorization private key, and the digital asset key pair comprising a digital asset public key and a digital asset private key, the system further comprising: a digital asset server, the digital asset server storing the digital asset; and a digital asset presentation device, the digital asset presentation device storing an authorization public key and a digital asset pointer associated with a location of data about the digital asset in a ledger distributed across multiple computing devices, the data comprising the digital asset public key and the location of the digital asset on the digital asset server, the digital asset presentation device, the digital asset server and the ledger being communicatively coupled via a data communications network, the authorization device and the digital asset presentation device being communicatively coupled via a data connection, the method comprising the following steps:

[0037] Transmitting a digital asset pointer release authorization message signed by the authorization private key to the digital asset presentation device via a data connection at the authorization device, wherein the transmission of the digital asset pointer release authorization message is initiated by the controller;

[0038] receiving, at the digital asset presentation device via the data connection, a digital asset pointer release authorization message, and verifying the digital asset pointer release authorization message based on the authorization public key;

[0039] Upon verification of the digital asset pointer release authorization message, transmitting, at the digital asset presentation device, to the ledger a request for the digital asset public key and the location of the digital asset on the digital asset server, the request transmitted to the ledger including a digital asset pointer pointing to a location in the ledger of data associated with the digital asset;

[0040] Receiving, at the digital asset presentation device via the data communications network, from the ledger a digital asset public key and a location of the digital asset on the digital asset server;

[0041] Transmitting, at the digital asset presentation device, a request for the digital asset to the digital asset server via the data communications network, the request transmitted to the digital asset server including a location of the digital asset on the digital asset server and a digital asset public key;

[0042] receiving, at a digital asset server, a request for a digital asset, and in response, transmitting an authorization request to a digital asset presentation device via a data communications network;

[0043] receiving, at the digital asset presentation device via the data communications network, an authorization request and, upon receipt, transmitting the authorization request to the authorization device via the data connection;

[0044] The digital asset presentation device and the authorization device transmit a digital asset presentation authorization message signed by the digital asset private key to the digital asset server via the data communication network, wherein the transmission of the digital asset presentation authorization message is initiated by the controller;

[0045] receiving, at the digital asset server, a signed digital asset presentation authorization message and verifying the digital asset presentation authorization message based on the digital asset public key,

[0046] upon verification of the signed digital asset presentation authorization message, transmitting, at the digital asset server, the digital asset to the digital presentation device via the data communications network; and

[0047] The digital asset is received via the data communications network at a digital asset presentation device and rendered for presentation purposes.

[0048] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an authorization device, which is configured to be used in a system according to the second aspect of the present invention, or to implement a part of a method according to the first aspect or the third aspect of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood, an embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0050] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an example of a system according to an embodiment;

[0051] Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of an example of a digital asset presentation device according to an embodiment;

[0052] Figure 3shows a schematic representation of an example of an authorization device according to an embodiment;

[0053] Figure 4 A schematic representation of a portion of a blockchain of a distributed ledger is shown;

[0054] Figure 5 A swim lane flow chart depicting an example process for uploading a digital asset to a server and generating a security key pair associated with the digital asset is shown;

[0055] Figure 6 An overview of DIDs and DID documents associated with a DID subject created by a DID controller is shown; and

[0056] Figure 7 A swim lane flow chart depicting an example process for authorizing presentation of a digital asset stored on a digital asset server is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] refer to Figure 1 , schematically illustrates a system 100 for authorizing the presentation of a digital asset 101 by a controller of the digital asset 101, such as the owner or creator of the digital asset 101, or an authorized representative of the owner or creator. The term "digital asset" will be used to refer to computer files storing digital collectibles and rendered content of digital collectibles, such as digitally generated artwork, photographs, video content, or audio content, or digital representations of physical collectibles, such as photographs of paintings, sculptures, or wine bottles.

[0058] System 100 includes a digital asset server 102, a digital asset presentation device 103, and an authorization device 104. Digital asset server 102 and digital asset presentation device 103 are communicatively coupled via a data communication network 105. In this example, data communication network 105 is the Internet, but may additionally or alternatively include one or more other networks. Digital asset presentation device 103 and authorization device 104 are communicatively coupled via a data connection 106. Data connection 106 may be a wired and / or wireless connection. The wireless connection may be a wireless connection using near field communication (NFC) or A direct connection using a wireless protocol, or an indirect connection via a wireless network to which the two devices are connected.

[0059] The digital asset server 102 includes one or more physical and / or virtual resources and is embodied in hardware and / or software. In this example, the digital asset server 102 is a network server with a memory storing one or more digital assets 101, each digital asset being located at a unique storage location specified by a corresponding unique resource identifier (URI) in the form of a uniform resource locator (URL). The digital asset server 102 also stores a digital asset database in the memory, which has a list of all stored digital assets 101, associated digital asset metadata, and corresponding URLs.

[0060] refer to Figure 2 , the digital asset presentation device 103 is a computing device, such as a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a digital set-top device, a smart TV, or any other computing device capable of connecting to a data communication network 105 and running one or more software applications. The digital asset presentation device 103 includes a network interface 107, which includes a wired and / or wireless interface for connecting the digital asset presentation device 103 to the data communication network 105. The digital asset presentation device 103 also includes a processor 108 and a memory 109 for storing instructions as modules executable by the processor 108.

[0061] In this example, the memory 109 stores an audio / video module 110 for rendering content of a digital asset 101, a projection module 111 for projecting the rendered content to a remote presentation device 112 (such as a television and / or speakers), a digital wallet module 113 for storing one or more unique pointers to data associated with one or more digital assets 101 stored in a remote location accessible via the data communications network 105, a DID generator module 123 for generating a unique DID to be associated with the digital asset 101, and a decentralized identifier (DID) resolver module 114 for resolving the DID associated with the digital asset 102.

[0062] In this example, the digital asset presentation device 103 includes one or more input / output devices 115 for user interaction with the digital asset presentation device 103. The one or more input / output devices 115 may include a display with touch screen functionality, a speaker, a keyboard, and / or a remote control device to facilitate interaction between the user and the digital asset presentation device 103. Since the digital asset presentation device 103 may include a display and / or a speaker, it should be understood that the digital asset presentation device 103 may be configured to present rendered content directly to the user without projecting the rendered content to the remote presentation device 112. For example, if the digital asset presentation device 103 is a smart phone, a personal computer, or a television, the rendered content may be presented directly to the user via the display and / or speaker of the digital presentation device 103.

[0063] It should be understood that the digital asset presentation device 103 may include more, fewer, and / or different components than those described and depicted.

[0064] refer to Figure 3 , the authorization device 104 includes a network interface 116, which includes a wired and / or wireless interface for connecting the authorization device 104 to the digital asset presentation device 103. The wireless interface can be configured to use near field communication (NFC) or The authorization device 104 may be configured to transmit and receive wireless signals using a protocol or to connect to a wireless network to which the digital asset presentation device 103 is also connected. The authorization device 104 further includes a processor 117, a memory 118 storing instructions as modules executable by the processor 117, a battery power source 119 for device portability, one or more input / output devices 120 in the form of one or more buttons and / or a screen, and a biometric data input device 121 for inputting biometric data (such as a fingerprint or iris scan of a user of the authorization device 103).

[0065] The authorization module includes a digital key pair generator 122 and an authorization module 124, the digital key pair generator is used to generate one or more cryptographic key pairs including a digital private key and a digital public key, and the authorization module is used to digitally sign one or more authorization messages by using the digital private key in the key pair so as to be transmitted to one or more remote devices for authorization purposes. In this example, the authorization module 124 is configured to implement an elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA), but it should be understood that other signature methods, such as a digital signature algorithm (DSA), may be implemented.

[0066] In this example, if Figure 1As shown, the system 100 further includes a distributed ledger 125, which is communicatively coupled to the digital asset server 102 and the digital asset presentation device 103 via the data communication network 105. The distributed ledger 125 stores data across multiple computing devices, each of which is connected via the data communication network 105 and is secured by blockchain technology.

[0067] refer to Figure 4 , the distributed ledger 125 includes one or more "blocks" 126 that are sequentially created and linked together to form an immutable history of information stored as data in the blocks 126. In this example, each block 126 includes a block header 127 and a data list 128, in which information related to one or more digital assets 101 can be stored. Each block 126 has a block identifier to allow locating a specific block that stores desired data related to a digital asset 102. The block identifier can be the block height of the specific block, that is, the number of blocks up to and including the specific block in the blockchain, or the block hash number obtained by hashing the block header twice with the SHA256 algorithm.

[0068] The system 100 is configured to allow the owner / creator of a digital asset 101 or an authorized representative thereof (hereinafter referred to as a "controller") to authorize a digital asset presentation device 103 to present a securely stored digital asset 101. Authorization is granted by the controller using an authorization device 104. The authorization device 104 is locked to the controller using the controller's biometric data captured via a biometric data input device 121 and / or private information known to the controller (such as a pin or password entered via an input / output device 120). Therefore, only the controller can unlock the authorization device 104 to perform authorized actions related to the presentation of the digital asset 101.

[0069] The authorization device 104 authorizes the digital asset presentation device 103 to initiate the presentation of the digital asset 101 using a first secure key pair generated by the key pair generator 122 upon initial configuration of the authorization device 104. The first secure key pair or "authorization" key pair includes a digital authorization private key and a digital authorization public key securely stored in the memory 118 of the authorization device 104. The digital asset presentation device 103 may be paired with the authorization device 104 by initiating a pairing process via the data connection 106. Upon successful pairing, the authorization device 104 transmits the public authorization key to the digital asset presentation device 103 for storage in the memory 109 for use by the digital asset presentation device 103 for subsequent authentication purposes.

[0070] One or more authorization messages for initiating digital asset presentation can be transmitted by the authorization device 104 to the digital asset presentation device 103 via the data connection 106. The authorization message must be digitally or "cryptographically" signed by the authorization private key in order to be verified and implemented by the digital wallet module 113 of the digital asset presentation device 103. The generation, signing and transmission of the authorization message are implemented by the authorization module 124 in response to the authorization request or "challenge" from the digital asset presentation device 103 with the approval of the controller. The validity of the digitally signed authorization message can be verified by the receiving device using the authorization public key and known decryption techniques. Therefore, the digital asset presentation device 103 can use the authorization public key to verify the digitally signed authorization message from the authorization device 104, so that the user of the digital asset presentation device 103 can initiate the process of presenting the protected digital asset 101.

[0071] refer to Figure 5 , in this example, one or more digital assets 101 may be securely stored for future presentation by uploading the digital assets 101 to a digital asset server 102. The digital assets 101 are uploaded to the digital asset server 102 by a digital asset presentation device 103 via a web page, which is served by the digital asset server 102 over a data communications network 105. The web page includes one or more fields for entering metadata associated with the digital asset 101, such as the title of the work, the author / artist, the date and time the work was created, and the registered owner. It should be understood that the digital asset presentation device 103 may alternatively or additionally store a software application or "app" in the memory 109 that is operable to connect to the digital asset server 102 and allow the digital assets 101 and corresponding metadata to be uploaded to the server 102.

[0072] Upon receiving the digital asset 101, the digital asset server 102 stores the digital asset 101 in a memory at a location specified by the URL and saves metadata associated with the digital asset in a digital asset database stored in the memory along with the URL. The digital asset server 102 transmits the URL back to the digital asset presentation device 103 via the data communications network 105 to be stored in a digital asset database in the memory 109 along with identification data of the digital asset 101. Upon receiving the digital asset URL and storing it in the memory 109, the digital asset presentation device 103 transmits a request to the authorization device 103 via the data connection 106 to generate a second key pair associated with the digital asset 101.

[0073] Upon receiving the second key pair request, the authorization device 104 prompts the controller to allow the key pair to be generated via the input / output device 120. The controller can give permission by selecting an "Approve" action using buttons and screens. When permission is granted, the key pair generator 122 generates a second secure key pair or "digital asset" key pair including a digital asset private key and a digital asset public key, and transmits the digital asset public key to the digital asset presentation device 103.

[0074] When the digital asset presentation device 103 receives the digital asset public key, the digital wallet module 113 associates the digital asset public key with the digital asset 101 and stores the digital asset public key in the memory 109. The digital wallet module 113 generates a request and transmits it to the ledger 125 via the data communication network 105 to write the data related to the digital asset 101 into a block of the blockchain of the ledger 125. The data related to the digital asset 101 includes metadata, such as the owner of the digital asset 101, the creation date and time, the creator / author, the URL location of the digital asset 101 on the digital asset server 102, and the wallet address or blockchain address of the digital asset 101 in the form of a hash of the digital asset public key associated with the digital asset 101. The blockchain address represents a unique pointer that can be used to locate the metadata of the desired digital asset 101 in a block on the blockchain of the selected ledger 125 so that the digital asset URL can be obtained for presentation purposes. Depending on the selected ledger 125 and the corresponding blockchain storage capacity, the ledger 125 may include the data directly in a block on the main chain, or may write most of the data to a second framework or protocol known as a "layer 2" chain with higher data storage capacity. In the latter case, the ledger 125 may include data on the main chain with information for locating the corresponding layer 2 data for retrieval purposes.

[0075] The digital wallet module 113 is configured to allow selection of a preferred ledger 125 when uploading and writing digital asset-related metadata to the blockchain. For example, the digital wallet module 113 may allow selection of a plurality of different ledgers 125, such as Ethereum, Veres One, Sovrin, Bitcoin, or any other suitable ledger 125. Depending on the selection of the ledger 125, payment in the form of a cryptocurrency of the selected ledger 125 may be required to write the digital asset data to the ledger 125. Thus, in this example, the digital wallet module 113 is configured to maintain balances of the cryptocurrency of the various ledger 125 options to allow transactions to be conducted with the selected ledger 125 and to write the digital asset data to the ledger 125.

[0076] When the digital asset data is written to the ledger 125, the ledger 125 transmits a response to the digital asset presentation device 103, the response having the block number of the block to which the digital asset data has been added, the block hash number, and the transaction hash of the digital asset data included on the chain. When the response is received at the digital asset presentation device 103, the digital wallet module 113 processes the response and stores the block hash number and the transaction hash together with the corresponding digital asset data in the digital asset database.

[0077] like Figure 3 As shown in , the digital asset presentation device 103 also includes a DID generator module 123 for generating a so-called "decentralized identifier", which is associated with the digital asset 101 and can be used as a substitute or supplement for the blockchain address for locating and retrieving digital asset-related metadata on the chain. A decentralized identifier or "DID" is a text string that conforms to the universal DID URI scheme standard and is a simple URI that can be used to uniquely identify subjects such as digital assets 101, and is used to obtain digital asset-related metadata stored on the chain. The DID text string includes three parts, namely the DID URI scheme identifier "did:", the identifier of the selected DID method, and the DID method-specific identifier. For supported ledgers 125, the DID can be used to generate a DID document, which is stored on the ledger 125 or on an associated off-chain ledger / document, and contains various metadata about the digital collectible, such as the digital asset URL and other related data as detailed above.

[0078] The process of creating DIDs and DID documents varies by DID method and depends on whether the ledger 125 in question has native support for DIDs and DID documents. However, in general, data related to the subject is written to a block of the selected ledger 125, or to an off-chain resource if there is no native support on the main chain, and a DID method-specific identifier is generated with a unique pointer to the relevant on-chain transaction where the data is stored. For example, referring to Figure 6, the authorized user ("DID controller") of the digital asset presentation device 103 can generate a DID and a corresponding DID document by implementing the DID method of the selected ledger 125 (such as the BTCR method for the Bitcoin ledger) by the DID generator 123 and writing the digital asset or "DID subject" related data to the blockchain ledger and (if necessary) the off-chain document with a higher storage capacity whose location is specified by the URL. In the example of the Bitcoin ledger, the digital asset related metadata is written to the off-chain document, and the URL pointer pointing to the off-chain document is written to the block of the Bitcoin main chain in the transaction data. Then, the DID generator 123 constructs the DID by adding the did: scheme identifier to the BTCR DID method and the DID method specific identifier, which in the case of the BTCR method is the Bitcoin network, block height and block position (transaction hash) of the block containing the URL pointer. Therefore, in one example, the Bitcoin DID can take the form of "did:btcr:xkyt-fzgq-qq87-xnhn". The DID may then be resolved by the DID resolver module 114 of the digital asset rendering device 103 to construct a corresponding DID document and thereby obtain a digital asset URL for querying the digital asset server 102 for rendering purposes.

[0079] If the selected ledger 125 supports DIDs and DID documents natively, such as in the case of the Veres One blockchain, both the DID and the DID document can be written directly to the blocks of the ledger 125 by the DID generator 123. In this example, the DID resolver module 114 can more easily obtain the DID document by obtaining the DID document directly from the ledger 125 using the DID and obtaining the digital asset URL and digital asset metadata for verification purposes.

[0080] It should be understood that other blockchains with DID and DID document support may implement different methods to generate and store DIDs and DID documents and their resolution. However, in each case, like a blockchain address, the DID provides a unique pointer to a location in the ledger 125 from which the DID document can be obtained to extract digital asset related metadata. When the DID is generated by the DID generator module 123, the digital asset presentation device 103 stores the DID in association with the relevant digital asset 101 in the memory 109 for subsequent metadata retrieval from the ledger 125.

[0081] The above process may be repeated whenever a new digital asset 101 is created and uploaded to the digital asset server 102, so that a digital asset key pair and a unique pointer in the form of a blockchain address and / or DID are associated with each digital asset 101 and stored in the memory 109 by the digital wallet module 113 of the digital asset presentation device 103. Since the unique pointer is protected by the digital wallet module 113, access to the unique pointer can only be initiated through a validly signed authorization message from the authorization device 104 to initiate the presentation process for authorizing the presentation of the digital asset 101.

[0082] refer to Figure 7 , the digital asset presentation process can be initiated by the user of the digital asset presentation device 103. In the first step, the user of the digital asset presentation device 103 initiates a transmission request to the authorization device 104 to access the unique pointer of the digital asset 101 of the controller stored on the digital asset presentation device 103. If approved, the controller unlocks the authorization device 104 by entering his biometric data and / or private access credentials, and selects the approval operation via the input / output device 120. The authorization module 124 signs the authorization message using the authorization private key and transmits the authorization message to the digital presentation device 103 via the data connection 106.

[0083] In the second step, upon receiving the authorization message, the digital asset presentation device 103 verifies the authorization message using the authorization public key and unlocks the digital wallet module 113 for user control. The digital wallet module 113 is configured to list the digital assets 101 of the controller in alphanumeric order, and the first digital asset 101 in the default list is used for presentation purposes. The digital wallet module 113 is further configured to allow the user to input a change to the default first selected digital asset, for example, to the most recently presented digital asset 101 or a first-in-first-out method. The user can use the input / output device 115 to scroll through the various digital assets 101 of the controller to locate the desired digital asset of interest. In order to facilitate the user to locate the desired digital asset 101 to be presented, the digital asset database can store a local cache with thumbnails of recently viewed digital assets for visual selection. For privacy purposes, the local cache can be configured to be periodically cleared according to a pre-set timeout or date.

[0084] When the user has identified the digital asset 101 of interest, the digital wallet module 113 may be instructed to initiate a digital presentation request, for example, by selecting a virtual "Present" button. Upon initiating the digital presentation request, in a third step, the digital wallet module 113 generates a digital asset data request and transmits it to the ledger 125 via the data communications network 105. The request includes one or more unique pointers associated with the digital asset 101 for locating the requested data on the chain. Upon receiving the digital asset data request, the ledger 125 locates the data based on the unique pointers and returns a response packet including the digital asset URL to the digital asset presentation device 103.

[0085] Upon receiving the response packet, the digital wallet module 113 obtains the digital asset URL and transmits an HTTP request to the digital asset server 102 to retrieve the digital asset 101 at the specified digital asset URL. As described above, if the unique pointer is a DID, the DID resolver module 114 resolves the DID to obtain a DID document for use in extracting the digital asset URL and transmitting the HTTP request to the digital asset server 102. In the fourth step, the digital asset server 102 initiates an authorization operation, wherein an access approval request or challenge is transmitted to the authorization device 104 via the digital asset presentation device 103 through the data communication network 105 and the data connection 106.

[0086] Upon receiving the access approval request, the authorization device 104 prompts the controller to approve the user's access to the digital asset 101 on the digital asset server 102. After unlocking the authorization device 104 in the manner described above, the controller's approval is input into the authorization device 104 by selecting the appropriate button via the input / output device 120. After the controller grants approval, the authorization module 124 digitally signs the access authorization message using the digital asset private key corresponding to the selected digital asset 101 and transmits the access authorization message to the digital asset server 102 via the digital asset presentation device 103 through the data connection 106 and the data communication network 105. In order to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to the authorization device 104 and unauthorized presentation of the digital asset 101, the unlocked authorization device 104 is programmed to automatically lock after five minutes of inactivity.

[0087] Upon receiving the access authorization message, the digital asset server 102 verifies the message using the digital asset public key and transmits the computational file of the digital asset 101 to the digital asset presentation device 103 for further processing.

[0088] When the digital asset presentation device 103 receives the digital asset 101, the AV module 110 renders the content for presentation purposes. If the digital asset presentation device 103 has presentation capabilities, the user can choose to directly present the digital asset 101 via the input / output device 115. If the digital asset presentation device 103 does not have presentation capabilities, or the user prefers not to have presentation capabilities, the user can instruct the projection module 111 to project the rendered content of the digital asset 101 to the remote presentation device 112 for presentation purposes.

[0089] Advantageously, by requiring the controller to authorize the digital asset server 102 to release the digital asset 101 in order to present the digital asset 101, a third party to whom the digital asset is presented by the user of the digital asset presentation device 103 can be confident that the digital asset 101 is presented by or on behalf of the legitimate owner of the digital asset 101. The third party can also verify the credentials of the digital asset 101 by reference to relevant on-chain data.

[0090] The above embodiments are described by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for authorizing the presentation of a digital asset stored on a digital asset server, the method comprising the following steps: Upon authorization, transmitting a digital asset data request at a digital asset presentation device via a data communications network to a ledger distributed across a plurality of computing devices, and storing data associated with the digital asset, the data including a storage location of the digital asset on the digital asset server, the digital asset data request including a unique pointer for locating data associated with the digital asset stored on the ledger; Receiving digital asset data from the ledger via the data communications network at the digital asset presentation device, the digital asset data including a storage location of the digital asset on the digital asset server; Transmitting a digital asset request at the digital asset presentation device to the digital asset server via the data communication network, the digital asset request including a storage location of the digital asset on the digital asset server; receiving the digital asset request at the digital asset server and initiating an operation to obtain authorization from a controller of the digital asset to service the digital asset; Upon authorization, transmitting the digital asset at the digital asset server to the digital asset presentation device via the data communications network; receiving, at the digital asset presentation device, the digital asset from the digital asset server; as well as rendering the digital asset at the digital asset presentation device for presentation purposes; wherein the transmission of the digital asset data request at the digital asset presentation device is authorized by a first signed authorization message transmitted by an authorization device, the first signed authorization message being signed by an authorization private key of an authorization key pair stored on the authorization device and controlled by a controller of the digital asset; and In which, the transmission of the digital asset at the digital asset server is authorized by a second signed authorization message transmitted by the authorization device, and the second signed authorization message is signed by a digital asset private key in a digital asset key pair stored on the authorization device, associated with the digital asset and controlled by the controller of the digital asset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: A plurality of digital assets are stored on the digital asset server, and wherein data associated with each digital asset is stored on the ledger, and wherein the method further comprises the step of selecting, at the digital asset presentation device, a unique pointer to the digital asset to be presented before transmitting a request for digital asset data to the ledger via a data communications network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein: Each digital asset is associated with a unique digital asset key pair stored on the authorization device, and wherein the second signed authorization message is signed by the digital asset private key of the digital asset key pair associated with the digital asset selected for presentation purposes.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: The transmission of the first signed authorization message and / or the second signed authorization message at the authorization device is initiated by inputting biometric data of the controller and / or private information known to the controller into the authorization device.

5. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims further comprises the step of providing the authorization public key and / or the digital asset public key to the digital asset presentation device and / or the digital asset server to verify the first signed authorization message and / or the second signed authorization message before transmitting the first signed authorization message and / or the second signed authorization message at the authorization device.

6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising the step of generating, at the authorising device, a digital asset key pair to be associated with the digital asset stored on the digital asset server.

7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising the step of generating the unique pointer to be associated with the digital asset stored on the digital asset server.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising the step of writing data relating to the or each digital asset to the ledger.

9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: The unique pointer or each unique pointer is securely stored on the digital asset presentation device, and wherein the method includes the additional step of providing access to the unique pointer or each unique pointer at the digital asset presentation device for inclusion in the transmission of the digital asset data request upon authorization.

10. A system for authorizing the presentation of a digital asset stored on a digital asset server, the system comprising an authorization device, the authorization device being controlled by a controller of the digital asset and storing an authorization key pair and a digital asset key pair, the authorization key pair comprising an authorization public key and an authorization private key, and the digital asset key pair comprising a digital asset public key and a digital asset private key, the system further comprising: a digital asset server that stores the digital asset at a location; and a digital asset presentation device storing a digital asset pointer associated with a location of data about the digital asset in a ledger distributed across multiple computing devices, the data including the location of the digital asset on the digital asset server, the digital asset presentation device, the digital asset server and the ledger being communicatively coupled via a data communications network, the authorization device and the digital asset presentation device being communicatively coupled via a data connection, wherein the authorization device is operable to transmit a first signed authorization message signed by the authorization private key to the digital asset presentation device to allow access to the digital asset pointer to retrieve the location of the digital asset on the digital asset server from the ledger, and wherein the authorization device is operable to transmit a second signed authorization message signed by the digital asset private key of the digital asset key pair stored on the authorization device and associated with the digital asset to authorize the digital asset server to transmit the digital asset to the digital asset presentation device for presentation purposes.

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