◎ OS PUB Apache 2.0 ← All specifications

P150 — AIEP — Evidence Provenance Chain Protocol

Publication Date: 2026-04-12 Status: Open Source Prior Art Disclosure Licence: Apache License 2.0 Author/Organisation: Phatfella Ltd Schema: AIEP_OS_SPEC_TEMPLATE v1.0.1 — https://aiep.dev/schemas/aiep-os-spec-template/v1.0.1

Field of the Invention

[0001] The disclosure relates to evidence provenance tracking systems within computing environments.

[0002] More particularly, the disclosure concerns an evidence provenance chain protocol for use within an Architected Instruction and Evidence Protocol (AIEP) system, enabling a complete, cryptographically bound provenance chain to be maintained for each evidence artefact from original source through all transformation, normalisation, and stitching operations.

Framework Context

[0003] This invention operates within an Architected Instruction and Evidence Protocol (AIEP) environment as defined in United Kingdom patent application number GB2519711.2, filed 20 November 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Summary of the Disclosure

[0004] A computer-implemented evidence provenance chain protocol comprises: assigning each evidence artefact a ProvenanceRootHash computed as H(source_identifier || retrieval_timestamp || raw_content_hash) at ingestion; on each transformation of an evidence artefact, computing a ProvenanceStepHash as H(prior_provenance_hash || transformation_rule_id || transformation_input_hash || transformation_output_hash); maintaining a ProvenanceChainRecord as an ordered sequence of ProvenanceStepHashes from ProvenanceRootHash to current artefact state; and exposing the ProvenanceChainRecord as a verifiable artefact that enables any consumer to reconstruct and verify the complete transformation history.

[0005] Admissibility evaluation of a derived evidence artefact requires a valid ProvenanceChainRecord tracing to a ProvenanceRootHash. Artefacts without a valid provenance chain are non-admissible.

[0006] The technical effect is modification of computing system behaviour by enforcing cryptographically bound provenance tracking for all evidence artefact transformations, enabling full audit of evidence derivation history.

Claims

[0007] A computer-implemented method for evidence provenance chain maintenance comprising: assigning ProvenanceRootHashes at ingestion; computing ProvenanceStepHashes at each transformation; maintaining ordered ProvenanceChainRecords; and requiring valid provenance chains for admissibility evaluation.

[0008] A system for evidence provenance chain maintenance comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions to execute the method of claim 1.