Authentication Network for Transaction Data Using Blockchain

Solution Overview

Problem

Current digital receipt solutions fail to address consumer security and privacy issues, facilitate fraud against merchants, and do not prevent fraudulent return claims due to ease of forgery and data exposure.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an authentication network that generates and verifies digital purchase receipts using private/public key pairs and blockchain technology, allowing consumers to securely own and control their transaction data, reducing data exposure for merchants and enabling fraud prevention through verifiable claims.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If paper receipts and electronic replications are used to record consumer purchases, then consumers can receive proof of purchase, but the receipts are easily forged and modified facilitating purchase return fraud

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthenticity of purchase recordsVSAvoidfraud risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by generating cryptographic hashes of purchase transaction data and storing them in a blockchain ledger before any potential fraud can occur. This pre-established cryptographic proof allows verification of purchase authenticity without relying on vulnerable paper or electronic receipts that can be forged.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of paper receipts and electronic image files with a cryptographic system based on blockchain technology. Instead of relying on physical or digital document integrity, the system uses cryptographic hashing and distributed ledger verification to prove purchase authenticity, making forgery computationally infeasible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If merchants store transaction data including payment data to maintain purchase records, then they can process returns and provide customer service, but they expose themselves to data breaches and privacy violations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to process returnsVSAvoiddata breach risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the essential verification elements (cryptographic hashes of purchase data) from the full transaction records and stores them in the blockchain. Merchants no longer need to store sensitive payment data and personal information to process returns, as the blockchain provides verification capability without exposing sensitive data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The blockchain ledger acts as an intermediary between the purchase transaction and the return processing. Instead of merchants directly storing and managing sensitive transaction data, the blockchain serves as a trusted third-party repository that provides verification functionality while keeping sensitive data out of merchant systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If digital receipt solutions are implemented, then consumers can access purchase records electronically, but consumer security and privacy issues are not solved and fraud remains easy to perpetrate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectronic access to purchase recordsVSAvoidsecurity and fraud prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by generating cryptographic hashes of purchase transaction data and storing them in a blockchain ledger before any potential fraud can occur. This pre-established cryptographic proof allows verification of purchase authenticity without relying on vulnerable paper or electronic receipts that can be forged.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of paper receipts and electronic image files with a cryptographic system based on blockchain technology. Instead of relying on physical or digital document integrity, the system uses cryptographic hashing and distributed ledger verification to prove purchase authenticity, making forgery computationally infeasible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20210125177A1Authentication network for transaction data

Publication Date: 2021.04.29 NCR ATLEOS CORP

AI summary

Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, methods, software, and data structures of an authentication network for transaction data. One method embodiment includes electronically receiving an account identifier associated with a purchase transaction and, for each item in the purchase transaction, an item identifier and price data. The method proceeds by generating a data structure in memory for each item included in the purchase transaction. The data structure of each item includes an item identifier and respective price data. Each data structure is then signed in memory with a private key of a private/public key-pair of a merchant of the purchase transaction. The method further proceeds by transmitting each data structure generated for the purchase transaction to a location associated with the account identifier.