Blockchain Document Sharing via Private Channel Encryption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Centralized databases face issues such as single points of failure, dependency on network connectivity, limited data access, and difficulty in retrieving lost data due to lack of redundancy, making them unsuitable for secure and reliable document sharing, especially for sensitive information.

Innovation Solution

A blockchain network with multiple nodes that communicate to maintain a decentralized, immutable ledger, allowing secure document sharing through encryption and consensus protocols, ensuring non-repudiation and trust verification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a centralized database is used to store and maintain data at a single location, then ease of management and control is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to single point of failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of managementVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the centralized database into multiple distributed nodes across a peer-to-peer network. Each node maintains a copy of the ledger, eliminating the single point of failure while distributing management responsibilities across multiple participants in the network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates multiple identical copies of the database ledger and distributes them across multiple nodes in the network. This ensures that if one node fails, the data remains accessible from other nodes, thereby improving reliability while maintaining data integrity through consensus mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Loss of substance

If data is stored in a single location in a centralized database, then data redundancy is minimized, but loss of information worsens when data is unexpectedly lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata redundancyVSAvoiddata loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

Each node in the network maintains a local copy of the entire ledger, giving every participant access to complete data without requiring centralized storage. This distributed redundancy ensures data availability while allowing each node to manage its own copy independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If multiple users access a centralized database simultaneously, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to bottlenecks and data overwrite risks

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveproductivityVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a consensus mechanism where nodes communicate and validate transactions before adding them to the ledger. This feedback loop ensures that all nodes agree on the state of the database, preventing data overwrites and maintaining reliability even as multiple users access the system simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Ease of operation

If a centralized database is used for document sharing, then ease of operation is improved, but trust verification deteriorates due to lack of non-repudiation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidtrust verification

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional centralized authentication mechanisms with cryptographic proof systems. Each transaction is digitally signed and immutably recorded on the distributed ledger, providing mathematical proof of authenticity and non-repudiation without requiring trust in a central authority.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11487886B2Database private document sharing

Publication Date: 2022.11.01 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

An example operation may include one or more of generating, by a first blockchain client, a transaction to a blockchain network to transfer a document, transferring over a private channel, by a second blockchain client, a first key to the first blockchain client, the private channel providing a point-to-point connection between the first and second blockchain clients, encrypting the document using a shared key, transferring, by the first blockchain client, the encrypted document over the private channel, generating, by the second blockchain client, a transaction to acknowledge receipt of the encrypted document, and transferring the shared key encrypted with the first key.