System and methods for tracking an item in a distributed environment

US12051042B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Walmart Apollo, LLC · US

Inventors

• John J. O'Brien · Farmington, US
• Daniel W. Young · Rogers, US
• Richard Carl McSorley, Jr. · Bentonville, US
• Christopher R. Heeney · Pleasant Valley, US
• Joseph Jurich, JR. · Molino, US
• Bruce W. Wilkinson · Rogers, US
• Todd D. Mattingly · Bentonville, US
• Donald R. High · Noel, US
• Robert L. Cantrell · Herndon, US
• Brian G. McHale · Chadderton, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 7, 2022
• Grant date: Jul 30, 2024
• Expiry date: Dec 7, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L9/50
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method for tracking an item in a distributed environment is provided. At least one node in a network adds a new block to a first cryptographically verifiable ledger represented by a first sequence of blocks that is stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. The new block added to the first cryptographically verifiable ledger contains a component identifier and a hash of a previous block in the first sequence of blocks. The at least one node in the network adds a new block to a second cryptographically verifiable ledger represented by a second sequence of blocks that is stored in the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. The new block added to the second cryptographically verifiable ledger contains a destination identifier, the first sequence of blocks, and a hash of a previous block in the second sequence of blocks.