Patent · Granted 2022-02-08
Blockchain delegation
A delegate signs permitted transactions with a separate key after receiving authority from the account owner.
USPTO · US11245514B1
An automated program may need to transact for an account without holding its main private key. This patent describes a delegation mechanism: the owner first grants authority, and the delegate signs subsequent transactions with a separate private key.
Granting and exercising authority
The grant transaction identifies the parties and their delegation information. The chain stores delegation state. When a delegated transaction arrives, the chain checks the permission and verifies the signature with the delegate's public key. A valid signature and permission for the operation are separate requirements.
The public text also describes limits on transaction count or value over a period, and later transactions that revoke permissions. The main key may be kept offline after the grant. Revocation changes the authority used to evaluate later operations; it does not automatically undo completed transactions. Supported restrictions depend on the implementation.
Related grant
US11838405B1 is a continuation of this application. Both grants belong to one patent family and have their own claims. They should not be presented as two unrelated inventions.
Explore delegation
- Delegating without handing over the main key: permission boundaries and revocation in an everyday task.
- AI agents need more than a wallet: the authorization question in today's agent context.
- Delegate permissions: SDK examples for granting, using and revoking authority. Check the applicable version and endpoint before running them.
Agents provide a contemporary setting for this problem. The patent records the disclosed design, not evidence that a complete agent authorization system is available today.
Read the mechanism in detail
How can software act while your main key stays offline? follows a hypothetical task through the two signatures, cumulative limits, and the ordering of revocation and execution.
Patent record
| Field | Record |
|---|---|
| Official title | Blockchain delegation |
| Grant number | US11245514B1 |
| Application | 16/653,773 |
| Filed | 2019-10-15 |
| Granted | 2022-02-08 |
| Inventors | Zhihong Mao, Tian Chen, Shi Shu |
| Assignee recorded in the grant | ArcBlock, Inc. |
| Jurisdiction | United States |
Read the grant and access its PDF. This records the grant event; it is not a current audit of maintenance fees, ownership changes or legal enforceability.
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