Blockchain Node Double Issuance Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods face challenges in preventing the double issuance of certificates for renewable energy production methods, making it difficult to verify the authenticity of energy sources used in transactions.

Innovation Solution

A blockchain network node is implemented with storage, reception, asset processing, and transmission means to manage asset information and issuance status, ensuring that certificates are only issued once by updating the issuance status upon successful issuance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If a centralized server is used to manage transactions, then transaction processing speed is improved, but the system becomes a single point of failure and security risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransaction processing speedVSAvoidsystem reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the centralized transaction management into distributed segments across multiple nodes in a peer-to-peer network. Each node independently validates and stores transaction data, eliminating the single point of failure while maintaining processing throughput through parallel validation operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the functions of multiple independent nodes into a unified distributed ledger system. All nodes collectively maintain the same transaction history and validate transactions together, achieving both reliability through redundancy and coordinated processing speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If distributed ledger technology is used to improve security and reliability, then system reliability is improved, but transaction processing speed and scalability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidtransaction processing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action through pre-computed Merkle trees and cached transaction data at each node. When a new transaction arrives, nodes can quickly validate it against pre-established data structures rather than re-processing entire ledgers, significantly speeding up verification while maintaining distributed reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic elements including adaptive consensus mechanisms that adjust validation intensity based on network conditions, and dynamic data structures that optimize storage and retrieval. This allows the system to maintain high reliability through thorough validation when needed while achieving faster processing during normal operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If detailed transaction data is stored on all nodes to ensure data integrity, then data integrity is improved, but storage requirements and network bandwidth increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoiddata storage quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential integrity-verifying components (Merkle root hashes and critical transaction metadata) that each node must store, while allowing non-essential detailed transaction data to be stored selectively or referenced externally. This maintains data integrity verification capabilities while significantly reducing storage requirements per node.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of data representation from storing complete transaction records to storing cryptographic hashes and selective metadata. This parameter transformation enables nodes to verify data integrity through mathematical relationships without holding large volumes of raw transaction data, reducing storage and bandwidth requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If cryptographic hashing is applied to ensure data integrity, then data integrity is improved, but processing time and computational energy increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing and caching Merkle trees and cryptographic hashes for existing transaction data. When new transactions are added, nodes only need to compute hashes for the new data and update existing structures incrementally rather than re-hashing entire datasets, dramatically reducing processing time while maintaining integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic optimization where the system adjusts cryptographic verification intensity based on transaction types and network conditions. For high-value or suspicious transactions, full cryptographic verification is applied, while for routine transactions, optimized verification paths are used, balancing data integrity with processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4123556A1Node, transaction system, processing method, program, and blockchain network
Publication Date: 2023.01.25 RICOH CO LTD
  • EP4123556A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4123556A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4123556A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

It is an object to prevent double issuance when issuing a certificate of a production method of asset. A node 9 or 9A on a blockchain network 90 stores asset information, which indicates a type of production method of an asset and indicates an issuance status of a certificate for certifying the production method. The node 9 or 9A receives issuance request information indicating a request to issue a certification for a particular asset, transmitted from an image processing apparatus 7 or 7A (an example of an information processing apparatus). When the issuance status of the asset corresponding to the received issuance request information is "not issued", the node 9 or 9A updates the issuance status indicated in the stored asset information to "issued". When the issuance status of the asset corresponding to the received issuance request information is "issued", the node 9 or 9A transmits an issuance completion notification indicating that the certificate has been issued to the image processing apparatus 7 or 7A.