Blockchain Access Control With Layered Permission Tokens

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current computing systems face internal threats due to centralized infrastructure management, allowing administrators without authority to access sensitive data, and existing solutions do not effectively prevent unauthorized access.

Innovation Solution

A decentralized system using a cryptographic key-based identity management system records user authority in a distributed linear sequence, ensuring that access is granted only to authorized users and preventing unauthorized access by verifying the validity of each block in the sequence, and using a token with multiple layers of permissions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If centralized infrastructure management is used, then administrators can easily manage and provision security and access control, but administrators without authority can still gain access and read data stored on the server

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of managing access controlVSAvoidsecurity against unauthorized access
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized access control system into a distributed architecture where multiple servers share authority. Each server maintains a local copy of the linear sequence and can independently verify access requests, eliminating the single point of failure and unauthorized access vulnerability in centralized systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a cryptographic linear sequence as an intermediary between administrators and data access. This linear sequence acts as a mediator that objectively determines access authority through cryptographic verification, removing human administrators from the decision-making process and preventing them from granting unauthorized access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a decentralized system with distributed verification is implemented, then unauthorized access is prevented, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity against unauthorized accessVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal linear sequence data structure that serves multiple functions: it stores access authority, enables cryptographic verification, maintains temporal ordering of access events, and provides a common reference for all servers in the distributed system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate complex mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of access control from trust-based (relying on administrator integrity) to verification-based (cryptographic validation of linear sequence). This parameter change simplifies the system by replacing complex human oversight mechanisms with deterministic cryptographic verification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If multiple layers of permissions are enforced, then access control precision is improved, but processing overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess control precisionVSAvoidaccess request processing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-computing and storing the linear sequence containing all access authority information in a distributed manner. When an access request arrives, servers can quickly verify authority by checking the pre-existing linear sequence without needing to compute or consult multiple permission layers in real-time, thus maintaining precision while reducing processing overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4127980B1Integration of a block chain, managing group authority and access in an enterprise environment
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 SPIDEROAK INC
  • EP4127980B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4127980B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4127980B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A block chain defining authority and access to confidential data may not be encrypted, and the access to the block chain can be regulated by the block chain itself and an access control server operating in an enterprise information technology (IT) environment. To incorporate authority defined in multiple sources, such as the block chain and the access control server, a token can be created containing multiple layers of permissions, i.e. constraints, coming from multiple sources. Each additional permission attenuates the authority granted by the token. When a processor controlling the access to the block chain receives the token, the processor can check the validity of the token and the authority granted by the token to determine whether the requester is authorized to access at least a portion of the block chain.