TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a collaborative, shared, document editing.

BACKGROUND

Known collaborative document editing systems include systems deployed using cloud-based document editing services. These systems are limited in terms of privacy and ability to track and manage edits. In addition, for editing financial documents, such as financial contracts, applications, and the like, such known collaborative document editing systems may be overly cumbersome, while susceptible to errors, where the document changes may not be auditable in a satisfactory manner.

With respect to these and other considerations the present disclosure is provided.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure presents various systems, components, and methods related to using a blockchain for collaborative document editing. Each of the systems, components, and methods disclosed herein provides one or more advantages over conventional systems, components, and methods.

In one embodiment, an electronic device may include a storage device, and logic, at least a portion of the logic implemented in circuitry coupled to the storage device. The logic may provide a trust credential for linking to a permissioned network over a local network, the local network comprising a plurality of user devices; retrieve a document at a first instance for editing, the document being in an initial status, corresponding to a first state of a distributed ledger, maintained by the permissioned network; generate a first change in the document, wherein the document is in a second status after the first change; send, to the permissioned network via the local network, the first change for storage in the distributed ledger, in a second state; retrieve the document at a second instance when the document is in a third status, the third status including a second change, performed subsequently to the first change, the second change being generated by a user device, external to the electronic device, and coupled to the local network; and link to the distributed ledger to retrieve a third state of the distributed ledger, the third state comprising the first change and the second change.

In another embodiment, a method may include providing a trust credential for linking an electronic device to a permissioned network; retrieving a document at a first instance, in an initial status, the initial status being represented in a first state of a distributed ledger maintained by the permissioned network; and generating a first change in the document, wherein the document is in a second status after the first change. The method may also include sending the first change to the permissioned network via a local network, for storage in the distributed ledger as a second state, derived from the first state; retrieving the document in a third status at a second instance, the third status including a second change, performed subsequently to the first change, the second change being generated by a user device, external to the electronic device, and coupled to the local network; and retrieving the distributed ledger from the permissioned network via the local network, the distributed ledger being in a third state comprising the first change and the second change.

In a further embodiment at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising a set of instructions that, in response to being executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to: provide a trust credential for linking an electronic device via a local network to a permissioned network; retrieve a document in an initial status; the initial status being represented in a first block of a blockchain maintained by the permissioned network; and generate a first change in the document, wherein the document is in a second status after the first change. The set of instructions cause the computing device to send the first change for storage, via the local network to the permissioned network, in a second block of the blockchain, derived from the first block; retrieve, the document, the document being in a third status, the third status including a second change, performed subsequently to the first change, the second change being generated by a user device coupled to the local network, external to the electronic device; and retrieve from the permissioned network via the local network a third block of the blockchain, the third block comprising the first change and the second change.

