Blockchain Anonymous Rating Update via Smart Contract Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Centralized databases face issues such as single points of failure, dependency on network connectivity, limited access due to data redundancy, and difficulties in data retrieval, necessitating a solution that enhances reliability and accessibility.

Innovation Solution

A decentralized database system using blockchain technology, which includes a shared ledger with a merkle tree and smart contracts to facilitate anonymous rating updates, ensuring data immutability and anonymity while maintaining buyer anonymity and verifiability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a centralized database is used, then data management and control are simplified, but the system has a single point of failure and limited accessibility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata management and controlVSAvoidsingle point of failure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized database into a distributed network of nodes, where each node stores a copy of the data. This segmentation eliminates the single point of failure by distributing data across multiple locations, while the blockchain consensus mechanism maintains data consistency and simplifies management through automated validation rules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates multiple copies of the data stored in the centralized database and distributes them across a network of nodes. Each node maintains an identical copy through cryptographic hashing and consensus mechanisms, ensuring data redundancy and reliability while maintaining ease of access from multiple points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Loss of information

If data is stored in a centralized database, then data redundancy is minimized, but data loss is difficult to retrieve

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata redundancyVSAvoiddata retrieval after loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by giving each node in the distributed network the same data storage capability, rather than having a single centralized location. Each node maintains a complete or partial copy of the data with the same integrity properties, ensuring that data loss at any single location does not result in permanent information loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If a centralized database is used, then network connectivity dependency is reduced, but access speed increases with connection quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork connectivity dependencyVSAvoiddatabase access speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the monolithic centralized database into a distributed network where data is divided across multiple nodes. This allows users to access data from the nearest or most available node, reducing network dependency and improving access speed through geographic and logical distribution of data resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of operation

If multiple devices access a centralized database simultaneously, then collaboration is enabled, but bottlenecks and data overwrite risks occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimultaneous accessVSAvoidsystem performance under high traffic
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized database into a distributed network of nodes that can independently process and validate transactions. This segmentation eliminates bottlenecks by allowing parallel processing across multiple nodes, while the blockchain consensus mechanism prevents data overwrite conflicts through immutable transaction recording and cryptographic validation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms through the blockchain consensus protocol, where each node validates transactions against the existing ledger state before adding new data. This feedback loop prevents conflicting writes and ensures system-wide consistency, maintaining productivity under high traffic by automatically rejecting duplicate or conflicting transactions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11734259B2Anonymous database rating update
Publication Date: 2023.08.22 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US11734259B2 patent drawing
  • US11734259B2 patent drawing
  • US11734259B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An example operation may include one or more of generating, by an executing client, a blockchain transaction comprising an anonymous rating, a proof, a nullifier, and a root node value, receiving, by a smart contract, the blockchain transaction, the anonymous rating related to an authorizing client, verifying the proof with the root node value and the nullifier, verifying that the root node value is a current or a previous merkle tree root node value, adding the anonymous rating to a shared ledger, marking the nullifier as used, and storing the marked nullifier to the shared ledger.