Blockchain confidential payment method and device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for a confidential payment between a sender and a recipient, the method being characterised in that it comprises: - a step of obtaining a set of data comprising a number of electronic tokens to be generated, an electronic address of a transaction smart contract and a plurality of bank electronic addresses, each bank electronic address being associated with a parameter, the sum of the parameters corresponding to the cost of the payment divided by the number of electronic tokens; and, for each bank electronic address from the plurality of bank electronic addresses - a first step of sending a generation request to generate electronic tokens to the bank electronic address, the generation request comprising the at least one number of electronic tokens, the at least one electronic address of the transaction smart contract and the at least one parameter associated with the bank electronic address.

Description

Confidential payment method and device on blockchain

[0001] 1. Field of the invention

[0002] The invention relates to the general field of telecommunications networks, and more specifically to blockchain technology.

[0003] 2. Prior Art

[0004] Blockchain is a trusted execution system, ensuring, for example, the integrity and transparency of a business process' execution. Blockchain smart contracts can enable the management of the execution of tasks and / or workflows in a business process and the allocation of these tasks in a decentralized and reliable manner. In concrete terms, a smart contract is a small computer program that allows token transactions to be carried out under certain conditions. The goal of these smart contracts is to replace paper contracts with computer code in order to digitize processes.

[0005] Transactions within the blockchain are public and accessible to all participants (i.e. users registered on the blockchain). This raises the question of the confidentiality of the data used by these smart contracts when they are linked to a commercial process. Indeed, confidentiality may be desired in this type of operation, particularly when one of the parties does not wish to reveal the amount of a transaction. This problem is well known and solutions exist to address it. However, these solutions do not allow for total confidentiality. Indeed, in the example of payment for a service, the financial party (for example, a bank) that carries out and / or participates in the transfer of funds has knowledge of the amount of the financial transaction. However, participants may not be willing to reveal the exact value of the transaction even to their financial party.

[0006] 3. Statement of the invention

[0007] The invention improves the state of the art and proposes for this purpose a confidential payment method, said payment being initiated by a transmitter to a receiver, the method being implemented by a confidential payment device and characterized in that it comprises: a step of obtaining a set of data comprising a number of electronic tokens to be generated, an electronic address of a smart transaction contract and a plurality of electronic addresses of financial institutions, each electronic address of financial institutions being associated with a parameter, the sum of said parameters corresponding to the cost of said payment divided by said number of electronic tokens;

[0008] and for each financial institution electronic address of said plurality, a first step of sending to said financial institution electronic address a request for generation of electronic tokens, said generation request comprising said at least one number of electronic tokens, said at least one electronic address of said smart transaction contract and said at least one parameter associated with said financial institution electronic address.

[0009] Advantageously, the invention allows the payment of a transaction carried out between two persons (physical and / or moral) in a confidential manner. Indeed, this solution protects the participants (i.e. the sender and the receiver of the funds) by not disclosing the amount of the transaction to third parties (the participants are the only ones to know the amount). Concretely, the method obtains pairs of data, each pair comprising an electronic address of a financial institution (for example a bank electronic address) to be involved in the transaction and an associated parameter. The method also obtains an address of a smart contract associated with the payment of the transaction and a number of tokens to be generated by the financial institutions. Note that the parameters are determined so that the sum of the parameters corresponds to the amount of the transaction divided by the number of tokens to be generated.

[0010] Once the data is obtained, the process issues a token generation request to the financial institutions involved, including the address of the smart contract, the number of tokens to be generated, and the parameter associated with the financial institution (e.g., the bank's email address). When the financial institution receives this request, it converts funds belonging to the issuer into tokens for a value equivalent to the number of tokens received multiplied by the parameter received, and then feeds the smart contract with the generated tokens.

[0011] Thus, each financial institution carries out a portion of the transaction without knowing the total amount. Furthermore, since the value of the tokens generated by each financial institution can be different, the confidentiality of the transaction amount is then total. Only the parties involved know the exact amount of the transaction.

[0012] A financial institution's email address is a sequence of characters and / or binary data that serves to uniquely identify a financial institution (bank, financial agent, broker, etc.). Such an address is, for example, composed of an IP address, a MAC address or a URI / URL.

[0013] A smart contract email address is a string of characters and / or binary data that serves to uniquely identify a smart contract registered on a blockchain. Such an address may consist of an IP address, a MAC address, or a URI / URL.

[0014] A smart transaction contract is a smart contract created specifically to manage the payment of a transaction between a sender and a receiver.

[0015] An electronic token is a unique sequence of characters and / or binary data associated with a certain financial value. An electronic token is, for example, a consumption unit that does not contain any reference to a price. However, it is linked to usage parameters that allow its value to be determined.

[0016] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a method as described above is characterized in that the obtaining step comprises a step of receiving, from said receiver and / or said transmitter, all or part of said data set.

[0017] This embodiment allows the triggering of the process by the issuer (i.e. the payer) and / or the receiver (i.e. the person receiving the payment).

[0018] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a method as described above is characterized in that said electronic address of said smart transaction contract is obtained in response to the transmission, to a blockchain, of a request to create said smart transaction contract.

[0019] This embodiment allows the method to be at the origin of the creation of the smart contract associated with the payment of the transaction. Of course, this assumes that the method has all the information / data (private and / or public encryption key(s), etc.) allowing communication with a blockchain in order to create and manage a smart contract dedicated to the payment of a transaction in progress between the sender and the receiver. The method is for example implemented by a computer module accessible only by the sender and the receiver (pooling of the computing resources used to interact with the blockchain).

[0020] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a method as described above is characterized in that said creation request comprises the number of financial institution electronic addresses of said plurality and / or an address of a smart contract of said receiver.

[0021] This embodiment makes it possible to proceed with the payment of the receiver once the smart contract detects that all the financial institutions involved in the payment have generated and / or transferred the tokens at the smart contract level. Concretely, the number of financial institution email addresses indicates, for example, the number of banks involved in the payment and consequently the number of requests containing tokens to be expected by the smart contract. Thus, before proceeding with the payment of the receiver, the smart contract verifies that it has received all the expected requests.

[0022] Note that the creation request may include an address of a smart contract of said receiver. In this case, the process will proceed to pay the receiver via a transfer of tokens to the smart contract of said receiver.

[0023] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a method as described above is characterized in that said first emission step is followed by a second step of emission of a payment request to said smart transaction contract.

[0024] This embodiment allows, for example, payment to be made to the receiver when the issuer decides (increased security). To do this, the issuer sends a payment request to said smart transaction contract via the confidential payment process.

[0025] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a method as described above is characterized in that said payment request comprises an address of a smart contract of said receiver.

[0026] This embodiment makes it possible to specify that the payment of the receiver must be made via a transfer of tokens to a smart contract of said receiver whose address is contained in the payment request.

[0027] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a method as described above is characterized in that the data of said data set is encrypted and in that the data of said data set included in said generation request is encrypted.

[0028] This embodiment allows for increased security. Indeed, the data exchanged between the receiver / sender and a financial institution can be encrypted end-to-end. Alternatively, the data can be encrypted between the receiver / sender and the confidential payment device and then decrypted by the confidential payment device to be re-encrypted by the confidential payment device before being sent to the financial institutions. This allows the use of different encryption keys between the receiver / sender and the confidential payment device and between the confidential payment device and the financial institutions. The encryption can use one or more symmetric or asymmetric encryption keys or any encryption method according to state-of-the-art encryption technologies.

[0029] The invention also relates to a confidential payment device, said payment being initiated by a transmitter to a receiver, said device being characterized in that it comprises: a module for obtaining a set of data comprising a number of electronic tokens to be generated, an electronic address of a smart transaction contract and a plurality of electronic addresses of financial institutions, each electronic address of financial institutions being associated with a parameter, the sum of said parameters corresponding to the cost of said payment divided by said number of electronic tokens;a first module for sending to a said electronic address of a financial institution a request for generation of electronic tokens, said generation request comprising said at least one number of electronic tokens, said at least one electronic address of said smart transaction contract and said at least one parameter associated with said bank electronic address.;

[0030] The term module can correspond to a software component as well as to a hardware component or a set of hardware and software components, a software component itself corresponding to one or more computer programs or subroutines or more generally to any element of a program capable of implementing a function or a set of functions as described for the modules concerned. In the same way, a hardware component corresponds to any element of a hardware assembly capable of implementing a function or a set of functions for the module concerned (integrated circuit, smart card, memory card, etc.).

[0031] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a device as described above is characterized in that it is understood by an electronic terminal of the user.

[0032] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the above method according to any of the particular embodiments described above, when said program is executed by a processor. The method can be implemented in various ways, including in hard-wired form or in software form. This program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0033] The invention also relates to a recording medium or information medium readable by a computer, and comprising instructions of a computer program as mentioned above. The recording media mentioned above can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium can comprise a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or a magnetic recording means, for example a hard disk. Furthermore, the recording media can correspond to a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means. The programs according to the invention can in particular be downloaded from a network such as the Internet.

[0034] Alternatively, the recording media may correspond to an integrated circuit in which the program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to carry out or to be used in carrying out the method in question.

[0035] This confidential payment device and this computer program have characteristics and advantages similar to those described previously in relation to the confidential payment method.

[0036] 4. List of figures

[0037] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of particular embodiments, given as simple illustrative and non-limiting examples, and the appended drawings, among which:

[0038] Illustrates an example of an environment for implementing the invention according to a particular embodiment of the invention,

[0039] Represents the hardware architecture of a confidential payment device according to a particular embodiment;

[0040] It represents in the form of a flowchart the main steps of a confidential payment method according to a particular embodiment of the invention.

[0041] 5. Description of an embodiment of the invention

[0042] Illustrates an example of an environment for implementing the invention according to a particular embodiment. The environment shown comprises a terminal S belonging to the issuer of a payment and a terminal R belonging to the receiver of said payment. The environment also comprises a terminal D which integrates a confidential payment device DISP capable of implementing the confidential payment method according to the present invention.

[0043] According to another embodiment, the device DISP may be located within the terminal of the transmitter S or within the terminal of the receiver R.

[0044] The R, S and D terminals are, for example, terminals of the smartphone type (smartphone in English), tablet, server, connected television, connected object, on-board computer of a car, personal computer or any other terminal capable of communicating (sending and / or receiving requests) according to state-of-the-art technologies via, for example, an IP network (100), the network being able to be private or public.

[0045] It also includes a BC blockchain that includes at least one SC1 smart contract.

[0046] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the BC blockchain can be hosted by one or more computer servers.

[0047] The system further comprises a plurality of financial institution terminals (B1, B2 and B3). These terminals are, for example, servers, personal computers or any other terminal capable of communicating (sending and / or receiving requests) according to state-of-the-art technologies via, for example, an IP network (100), the network being able to be private or public.

[0048] The illustrates a device DISP configured to implement the confidential payment method according to a particular embodiment of the invention. The device DISP has the conventional architecture of a computer, and notably comprises a memory MEM, a processing unit UT, equipped for example with a processor PROC, and controlled by the computer program PG stored in memory MEM. The computer program PG comprises instructions for implementing the steps of the confidential payment method as described later in support of the, when the program is executed by the processor PROC.

[0049] At initialization, the code instructions of the computer program PG are for example loaded into a memory before being executed by the processor PROC. The processor PROC of the processing unit UT notably implements the steps of the confidential payment method according to any one of the particular embodiments described in relation to the and according to the instructions of the computer program PG.

[0050] The DISP device comprises an OBT obtaining module capable of obtaining a data set comprising an electronic address of a smart transaction contract, the electronic addresses of the financial institutions involved in the payment of the transaction which is in progress between the receiver and the sender, each financial institution electronic address being associated with a parameter, and a number of electronic tokens to be generated by the financial institutions allowing the payment. Note that the sum of the parameters received and associated with the electronic addresses of the financial institutions corresponds to the cost of the payment divided by said number of electronic tokens;

[0051] The DISP device further comprises an SND1 transmission module capable of transmitting a request for generating electronic tokens to the electronic addresses of the financial institutions. Note that the token generation request sent to each financial institution includes the number of electronic tokens to be generated by the financial institution, the parameter associated with the financial institution (i.e. associated with its electronic address) and the electronic address of the smart transaction contract.

[0052] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the DISP device may comprise a second SND2 transmission module capable of transmitting a payment request to a smart transaction contract. The payment request makes it possible to trigger the process of transferring the amount of the transaction (for example in the form of electronic tokens) and / or to trigger the conversion of the tokens into a particular currency.

[0053] According to a particular embodiment, the SND1 and / or SND2 and / or OBT modules can be a single communication module (for example IP).

[0054] Illustrates steps of the confidential payment method according to a particular embodiment of the invention in connection with the implementation environment described in support of the.

[0055] In the remainder of the example, we assume that the sender S carries out a transaction with the receiver R for an amount S of €1,000. Furthermore, in this example, the confidential payment process is executed by the terminal of the sender S. Alternatively, the process can be executed by the terminal of the receiver R, by a third-party terminal (other than the terminal of R and S), or in a distributed manner between several terminals (for example between the terminal of R and S).

[0056] During steps E10, E20 the two parties involved in the transaction agree on a certain number of parameters. The first parameter is the value of the token V. In the example described below, we consider that the value of the token V is set by both parties (i.e. the sender and the receiver of the payment) at €2. Thus, to carry out the transaction, a total of 1000 / 2 tokens T, i.e. 500 tokens (T=S / V), will be required.

[0057] The second parameter is used to determine the financial intermediaries / financial institutions to be involved in the transaction (at least 2). In this example we consider 3 banks (B1, B2 and B3). Terminal S obtains, for example via a database or via terminal R, for each bank involved in the transaction, an email address of the bank in question.

[0058] The third parameter is an X parameter i assigned to each bank (X1 for bank B1, X2 for bank B2 and X3 for bank B3). These parameters are determined so that:

[0059]

[0060] Note that the determination of the Xi can be random or not (for example determined by the receiver and / or the transmitter).

[0061] In step E11, S issues a request to create a smart contract (SC1) to the BC blockchain. Note that the creation request may include a parameter N corresponding to the number of financial intermediaries involved in the transaction. Of course, it is assumed that the confidential payment method executed by the terminal of S has all the elements, for example cryptographic, allowing communication with the BC blockchain in order to create and manage the smart contract SC1 dedicated to the payment of the transaction in progress between the sender and the receiver.

[0062] Alternatively, the request to create the smart contract is issued by R (i.e. the receiver).

[0063] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the request to create the smart contract SC1 can also include the address (@R) of a smart contract SCR of R.

[0064] Once the request is received (E61) by the blockchain BC, the smart contract SC1 is created. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the access interface to the smart contract is of the ERC20 type.

[0065] During step E62, a notification indicating that the creation of the smart contract SC1 has been successfully completed is sent by the blockchain BC to S. This notification includes at least the address of the smart contract @SC1.

[0066] Alternatively or cumulatively, the notification indicating that the creation of the smart contract SC1 has been successfully completed is sent to R. In the case where this notification is issued by the method solely to R, the receiver R transmits, after receiving the notification, the address of the smart contract @SC1 to the issuer S via a dedicated request (not shown).

[0067] Alternatively, the smart contract (SC1) is created prior to the execution of the confidential payment method and its address is obtained by the terminal S during step E10. In this case, the terminal of the issuer S issues, during step E11, a request for provisioning the smart contract SC1 with the address @R and / or the parameter N.

[0068] During steps E13, E14 and E15, the issuer S sends to the 3 banks B1, B2 and B3, via the electronic addresses obtained during step E10, a token creation request with the address of the smart contract @SC1 as parameters, the number T of tokens to be created and the parameter X i assigned to each bank.

[0069] For example, for bank B1 the parameter X1= 0.6, for bank B2 the parameter X2= 0.5 and for bank B3 the parameter X3 is equal to 0.9 (0.6 + 05 + 0= V= 2).

[0070] Token creation requests are received by the banks at steps E33, E44 and E55 respectively.

[0071] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, an acknowledgment of receipt of the token creation request is sent to the issuer S by each bank involved (B1, B2 and B3) in the transaction (not shown).

[0072] Alternatively or cumulatively, acknowledgments of receipt of token creation requests are issued to the receiver R by the banks involved (B1, B2 and B3) in the transaction (not shown).

[0073] During steps E36, E47 and E58 each bank generates and / or transfers T tokens for a value equal to T x X iConcretely, bank B1 generates and / or transfers 500 tokens for a value of €300 (500 x 0.6), bank B2 generates and / or transfers 500 tokens for a value of €250 (500 x 0.5) and bank B3 generates and / or transfers 500 tokens for a value of €450 (500 x 0.9).

[0074] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a notification of generation and / or transfer of tokens is sent to the issuer S by each bank involved (B1, B2 and B3) in the transaction (not shown).

[0075] Alternatively or cumulatively, notifications of generation and / or transfer of tokens are issued to the recipient R by the banks involved (B1, B2 and B3) in the transaction (not shown).

[0076] Tokens are registered (added) to the smart contract SC1 during steps E66, E67 and E68 respectively.

[0077] When S wishes to trigger the payment, for example at the end of the transaction, S issues a payment request (E19) to the smart contract SC1. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the payment request may also include the address (@R) of R's smart contract SCR.

[0078] Once the payment request is received by SC1 (E691), the smart contract SC1 transfers the tokens (E692) to the smart contract SCR of R. This request includes at least the number of tokens T generated by each bank (i.e. 500), the addresses of the 3 financial institutions (banks) issuing the tokens (B1, B2 and B3), and the address of the smart contract SC1 (@SC1).

[0079] Alternatively, the payment can be triggered directly by the SC1 smart contract when it determines that all the banks (financial institutions) involved in the payment have generated and / or transferred the tokens to the SC1 smart contract. Concretely, the smart contract verifies that it has received N requests containing tokens to be added. The SC1 smart contract then transfers the tokens (E692) to R's SCR smart contract. This request includes at least the number of tokens T generated by each bank (i.e. 500), the addresses of the 3 financial institutions (banks) issuing the tokens (B1, B2 and B3), and the address of the SC1 smart contract (@SC1).

[0080] When R wishes to convert its tokens (not shown) into a non-electronic currency (for example, Euros), it sends a request to each bank with the address of the smart contract @SC1 and the number of tokens T as parameters. Each bank can then, using the address @SC1, find the X i to be applied to T to obtain the amount to be credited, for example, to a bank account denominated in € belonging to R. Alternatively, each bank can keep in memory the value of the T tokens generated / transferred and re-credit this amount to a bank account denominated in € belonging to R.

[0081] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the requests / data exchanged between the receiver, the sender and the banks can be partially or totally encrypted. The encryption may require the use of one or more symmetrical or asymmetrical encryption keys or any encryption method according to state-of-the-art encryption technologies.

Claims

Confidential payment method, said payment being initiated by a transmitter (S) to a receiver (R), the method being implemented by a confidential payment device (DISP) and characterized in that it comprises:- a step of obtaining (E10, E12) a set of data comprising a number (T) of electronic tokens to be generated, an electronic address of a smart transaction contract (@SC1) and a plurality of financial institution electronic addresses (B1, B2, B3), each financial institution electronic address being associated with a parameter (X i), the sum of said parameters corresponding to the cost of said payment divided by said number of electronic tokens; and for each financial institution electronic address of said plurality - a first step of sending (E13, E14, E15) to said financial institution electronic address a request for generation of electronic tokens, said generation request comprising said at least one number of electronic tokens (T), said at least one electronic address of said smart transaction contract (SC1) and said at least one parameter (X i ) associated with said financial institution email address. Method according to claim 1 wherein the obtaining step comprises a step of receiving, from said receiver and / or said transmitter, all or part of said data set. Method according to claim 1 wherein said electronic address of said smart transaction contract (@SC1) is obtained in response to the transmission, to a blockchain (BC), of a request to create said smart transaction contract. The method of claim 1 wherein said creation request comprises the number (N) of financial institution email addresses of said plurality and / or an address of a smart contract of said recipient (@R). Method according to claim 1 wherein said first step of emission is followed by a second step of emission (E19) of a payment request to said smart transaction contract (SC1). The method of claim 1 wherein said payment request comprises an address of a smart contract of said receiver (@R). The method of claim 1 wherein the data of said data set is encrypted and in that the data of said data set included in said generation request is encrypted. Confidential payment device, said payment being initiated by a transmitter (S) to a receiver (R), said device being characterized in that it comprises:- a module for obtaining (OBT) a set of data comprising a number of electronic tokens to be generated (T), an electronic address of a smart transaction contract (@SC1) and a plurality of electronic addresses of financial establishments (B1, B2, B3), each electronic address of financial establishment being associated with a parameter (X i), the sum of said parameters corresponding to the cost of said payment divided by said number of electronic tokens;- a first transmission module (SND1) to a said electronic address of a financial institution of a request for generation of electronic tokens, said generation request comprising said at least one number of electronic tokens (T), said at least one electronic address of said smart transaction contract (@SC1) and said at least one parameter associated with said bank electronic address (X i ). Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the confidential payment method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, when the program is executed by a processor.

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