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Application US20190236604
Published 2019-08-01
System And Method For Verifying Retail Returns Using Blockchain
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for verifying a product being returned is a product which was sold by using blockchain security systems. At a first time, the system identifies a blockchain specific to an item being sold, then generates a new block for the blockchain with information about the sale. When an item is being returned, the system retrieves the blockchain and compares the data contained within the sale block to data associated with the product and/or the customer returning the product. If a match is found, the product is returned and the blockchain is further updated with the return information.
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- 1. A method comprising:
at a first time:
identifying, via a processor having access to a blockchain database on a distributed computing system, a blockchain associated with a first product stored at a retail location, the blockchain containing a supply chain record of the first product from a manufacturer to the retail location;
identifying a sale of the first product;
in response to the sale of the first product, generating a new block for the blockchain, the new block including information regarding the sale;
adding the new block to the blockchain, to yield a modified blockchain; and
distributing the modified blockchain to the distributed computing system;
at a second time:
receiving a notification of a second product being returned to the product location;
retrieving the modified blockchain from the distributed computing system;
comparing the second product to the new block, to yield a comparison;
determining, based on the comparison, that the second product is the first product;
accepting the second product as a returned product;
updating the modified blockchain based on the returned product, to yield an updated blockchain; and
distributing the updated blockchain to the distributed computing system.
- 8. A system comprising:
a processor having access to a blockchain database on a distributed computing system; and a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
at a first time:
identifying a blockchain associated with a first product stored at a retail location, the blockchain containing a supply chain record of the first product from a manufacturer to the retail location;
identifying a sale of the first product;
in response to the sale of the first product, generating a new block for the blockchain, the new block including information regarding the sale;
adding the new block to the blockchain, to yield a modified blockchain; and
distributing the modified blockchain to the distributed computing system;
at a second time:
receiving a notification of a second product being returned to the product location;
retrieving the modified blockchain from the distributed computing system;
comparing the second product to the new block, to yield a comparison;
determining, based on the comparison, that the second product is the first product;
accepting the second product as a returned product;
updating the modified blockchain based on the returned product, to yield an updated blockchain; and
distributing the updated blockchain to the distributed computing system.
- 15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device having access to a blockchain database on a distributed computing system, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
at a first time:
identifying a blockchain associated with a first product stored at a retail location, the blockchain containing a supply chain record of the first product from a manufacturer to the retail location;
identifying a sale of the first product;
in response to the sale of the first product, generating a new block for the blockchain, the new block including information regarding the sale;
adding the new block to the blockchain, to yield a modified blockchain; and
distributing the modified blockchain to the distributed computing system;
at a second time:
receiving a notification of a second product being returned to the product location;
retrieving the modified blockchain from the distributed computing system;
comparing the second product to the new block, to yield a comparison;
determining, based on the comparison, that the second product is the first product;
accepting the second product as a returned product;
updating the modified blockchain based on the returned product, to yield an updated blockchain; and
distributing the updated blockchain to the distributed computing system.
