Digital Access Tokens for Private Data Ownership Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies struggle to balance data privacy and access control, allowing unauthorized access while compromising data ownership rights.

Innovation Solution

Implementing data access tokens (DATs) that separate data ownership from access rights, using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to manage and control access to private data through a decentralized system, ensuring data owners retain control while allowing authorized access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data access control is implemented through traditional centralized systems, then access control can be maintained, but data ownership rights are compromised and unauthorized access occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata access control reliabilityVSAvoidunauthorized access and data ownership compromise

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments data access control into separate components: data ownership (held by data owners) and access rights (managed through NFTs). This separation allows data owners to maintain control over their data while enabling authorized access through token-based mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between access control reliability and preventing unauthorized access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces NFTs as intermediary objects that mediate between data owners and data access requests. These non-fungible tokens serve as verifiable credentials that enable authorized access without compromising data ownership, allowing the system to maintain both access control reliability and prevent unauthorized access simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If centralized access control systems are used, then access management is simplified, but data privacy and ownership control are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess management simplicityVSAvoiddata privacy and ownership control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service mechanisms where data owners can issue NFTs to grant access rights to specific entities. The system automatically manages access control through blockchain verification, eliminating the need for complex centralized administration while maintaining data privacy and ownership control through cryptographic proofs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical centralized access control systems with a blockchain-based cryptographic system. This substitution maintains ease of operation through automated verification while preserving data privacy and ownership control through immutable cryptographic records that cannot be altered by any single authority.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If data is made accessible to multiple users, then data utility increases, but data security and privacy protection deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata accessibility and utilityVSAvoiddata security and privacy risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by issuing specific NFTs with tailored access rights to different data subsets or data types. Each NFT can be configured with specific permissions, expiration dates, and access conditions, allowing the system to increase data utility for multiple users while maintaining security through granular, customized access controls rather than blanket access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic access control where NFTs can be issued, transferred, revoked, and modified according to changing conditions. This dynamic system allows data accessibility to adapt to different user needs while maintaining security through programmable access conditions that can respond to events, time constraints, and other variables, preventing unauthorized access even as data utility expands.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12430463B1Token-based digital private data exchange systems, methods, and apparatus

Publication Date: 2025.09.30 NANT HOLDINGS IP LLC

AI summary

Systems, apparatus, and methods of managing access to private data via tokens are disclosed. The disclosed techniques provide for constructing digital tokens that represent a right-to-access private data where the tokens can be managed as individual objects. Further, such digital access tokens (DATs) can be recorded on a notarized ledger, a blockchain for example. Additionally, the rights-to-access can be embodied as a non-fungible token (NFT), which could further include support for establishing homomorphic encryption workspaces in which private data can be accessed or manipulated without exposing the private data.