Blockchain Consensus Smart Contract Segmentation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current blockchain-based consensus processes lack flexibility and security, particularly in consortium networks, where parties need to reach consensus on project-related documents, leading to inefficiencies and risks due to outdated information and potential tampering of votes.

Innovation Solution

Implementing smart contracts with separate consensus smart contracts that manage consensus rules, allowing for flexible and secure online transactions by using encrypted messages and public keys for secure voting, decoupling consensus logic from business logic, and enabling efficient management of large numbers of process smart contracts through reusable consensus smart contract templates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual document approval processes are used among multiple parties, then flexibility in reaching consensus is maintained, but security against tampering and information accuracy deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflexibility in reaching consensusVSAvoidsecurity and information accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the consensus process into distinct smart contract modules: process smart contracts for business logic and consensus smart contracts for voting logic. This segmentation allows independent verification of each component while maintaining overall system flexibility and security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces blockchain as an intermediary layer that mediates between multiple parties. The blockchain network verifies and records all consensus operations immutably, providing security and accuracy while allowing parties to maintain flexibility in their approval processes through smart contracts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If consensus logic is embedded within each process smart contract, then each contract is self-contained, but management complexity and update difficulty increase with large numbers of contracts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveself-contained contract structureVSAvoidmanagement and update efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts consensus logic from individual process smart contracts and places it in separate, reusable consensus smart contracts. This extraction allows the consensus mechanism to be defined once and reused across multiple process contracts, significantly reducing management complexity while maintaining the self-contained nature of each process contract through clear interface definitions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Speed

If votes are transmitted without encryption, then processing speed is maintained, but security against tampering deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevote processing speedVSAvoidvote security
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by encrypting votes with public keys before transmission and verifying them with corresponding private keys upon receipt. This pre-emptive cryptographic protection prevents tampering while maintaining processing speed, as the encryption/verification process is integrated into the smart contract execution flow rather than adding external delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentEP3797375B1Blockchain-based consensus process
Publication Date: 2022.10.05 ALIPAY (HANGZHOU) INFORMATION TECH CO LTD
  • EP3797375B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3797375B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3797375B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for blockchain-based consensus process having enhanced security. One of the methods includes executing a first smart contract on a first blockchain, in which the first smart contract includes code for implementing a first process having a plurality of stages, and one of the stages includes executing a consensus smart contract on a second blockchain. Executing the consensus smart contract includes executing code for implementing a consensus process for determining consensus among two or more consensus nodes according to a set of one or more consensus rules, the consensus smart contract includes information about a contact method for each of the consensus nodes, and the consensus smart contract includes a public key. A private key of the consensus smart contract corresponding to the public key is stored in a key management system associated with the second blockchain. The consensus smart contract uses the private key to digitally sign a message requesting a vote, and sends the digitally signed message to the two or more consensus nodes. The public key of the consensus smart contract enables the consensus nodes to validate the message sent from the consensus smart contract. A result of execution of the consensus smart contract are recorded in the first or second blockchain.