Blockchain Anonymized Data Access via Hash Fingerprints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for protecting personal data in IoT systems, such as anonymization and encryption, often require a trusted third party and do not effectively address the need for anonymous data storage without centralized access control.
Innovation Solution
A method using a blockchain-based system where personal data is stored anonymously by generating fingerprints via a hash function and registering them in a blockchain, with access managed through smart contracts, allowing secure access without a centralized trusted third party.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data encryption is used to protect personal data, then data confidentiality is improved, but device complexity increases due to key management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the trust function from centralized key management authorities and distributes it across decentralized blockchain nodes. Each node independently verifies data integrity through cryptographic proofs without requiring centralized key management, thereby maintaining confidentiality while reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service through automated cryptographic verification where data subjects can independently prove their data's integrity and origin using blockchain-verified fingerprints, eliminating the need for centralized authentication services and complex key management infrastructure.
2Reliability
If a centralized trusted third party is used for access control, then access management reliability is improved, but loss of information increases due to single point of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized trust function into multiple independent blockchain nodes that collectively provide access control verification. Each node holds a portion of the distributed ledger and can independently verify access requests, eliminating single points of failure while maintaining access control reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The blockchain serves as a neutral intermediary that mediates between data subjects and data users. It provides verifiable proof of data integrity and access authorization without requiring direct trust between parties, enabling reliable access control while preventing information loss through decentralized verification.
3Productivity
If personal data is stored in centralized databases, then access efficiency is improved, but object-generated harmful factors increase due to privacy vulnerabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates cryptographic copies (fingerprints) of personal data that are stored on the blockchain instead of the original data. These copies serve as verifiable proofs of data integrity and origin, enabling efficient access verification without exposing actual personal data, thus maintaining efficiency while eliminating privacy vulnerabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The blockchain acts as an intermediary layer between data storage and access verification. It holds immutable cryptographic fingerprints that verify data integrity without exposing personal information, enabling efficient access control while preventing privacy breaches through decentralized, transparent verification.
4Reliability
If data anonymization is applied, then privacy protection is improved, but loss of information increases due to reduced data utility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates cryptographic fingerprints as copies of personal data that preserve essential verification properties (integrity, origin) while removing personally identifiable information. These fingerprints enable privacy protection through anonymization while maintaining data utility for verification purposes through cryptographic proof mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for anonymizing the storage of personal data and a method for managing access to this data. Data anonymization is achieved by making the identifiers of the data sources and users, on the one hand, and the personal data, on the other, independent through the use of a blockchain. The personal data is stored at addresses indexed by their hash values in a first database (115), and the identifiers are stored with their corresponding access profiles in a second database (145). The link between these two independent databases is ensured by cryptographic elements recorded in the blockchain ledger (150).