Blockchain Compression Using Summary Blocks for Ledger Pruning

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Solution Overview

Problem

The constant growth of blockchain ledgers, especially those with ephemeral data, poses challenges in resource management and performance degradation due to the accumulation of expired or non-useful data, which can impair the integrity and efficiency of the network.

Innovation Solution

Implementing blockchain compression using summary and padding blocks, where obsolete blocks are removed and replaced with summary and padding blocks that maintain data integrity, allowing for efficient pruning of stale data while preserving the chain's integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If blockchain ledgers continuously grow to maintain integrity and immutability, then data integrity and security are improved, but network resource consumption and storage burden increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblockchain integrityVSAvoidledger size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the blockchain into two distinct parts: a compressed summary chain that maintains integrity through cryptographic hashes, and a separate detailed transaction database. This segmentation allows the main chain to remain small while preserving all transaction data elsewhere, resolving the contradiction between maintaining integrity and reducing size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a compressed copy of the blockchain where individual transaction details are replaced with cryptographic hashes and summary information. This copy maintains the essential integrity properties of the original blockchain while occupying minimal storage space, allowing full transaction data to be stored separately in a database.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If blockchain ledgers grow chronologically to ensure immutability, then security and trust are improved, but query performance and update efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveimmutabilityVSAvoidquery efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent separates the immutable integrity verification function (handled by the compressed chain with cryptographic hashes) from the data access and query function (handled by the separate detailed database). This allows efficient queries on the full transaction data without compromising the immutability guarantees provided by the compressed chain.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Loss of information

If blockchain ledgers continuously expand to record all transactions, then completeness and auditability are improved, but resource utilization and network bandwidth deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction completenessVSAvoidnetwork resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a minimal cryptographic copy that proves completeness of the transaction record without requiring all nodes to store and transmit the full transaction data. The compressed chain with Merkle roots and hashes provides mathematical proof of transaction completeness while using minimal bandwidth for synchronization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the essential integrity-verifying information (cryptographic hashes, Merkle roots, timestamps) from the full transaction data and places it in the compressed chain, while the detailed transaction information is stored separately. This extraction allows nodes to verify completeness without processing or storing the full transaction payload.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Reliability

If blockchain ledgers grow to maintain dependency chains for integrity, then security against tampering is improved, but storage overhead and transmission burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetamper resistanceVSAvoidstorage overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a compressed representation that contains only the essential cryptographic elements (hashes of previous blocks, Merkle roots, nonces) needed to maintain the dependency chain for tamper resistance. The full transaction data is referenced but not duplicated in the chain, dramatically reducing storage overhead while preserving security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11569982B2Blockchain compression using summary and padding blocks

Publication Date: 2023.01.31 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC

AI summary

Technologies for compressing a blockchain. In some examples, the technologies include removing selected blocks within a blockchain, and replacing the selected blocks with a summary block and a padding block. Each block of the selected blocks includes data in a certain state (such as data in an obsolete state). The technologies can include generating the summary block and padding blocks according to the data in the selected blocks and an original root hash included in the selected blocks and other blocks of the blockchain. The generating of the summary and padding blocks can include generating a new root hash in the summary and padding blocks that only replaces the original root hash in the summary and padding blocks. The generation of the new root hash can be based on a part of a header of a non-selected block of the blockchain directly linked to an end block of selected blocks.