Blockchain Transaction Time-Lock Puzzle Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blockchain transaction methods do not allow for time-locking of specific Unspent Transaction Outputs (UTXOs), which limits the ability to lock and unlock UTXOs at different times within a single transaction.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for generating a blockchain transaction that uses time-lock puzzles to lock UTXOs, allowing them to be spent only after a specific amount of time. The method involves creating a locking script with a hash value derived from a target solution of a time-lock puzzle and a set of puzzle parameters, which are used to verify a candidate solution in an unlocking script.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing blockchain transaction methods are used, then transactions can be processed quickly and simply, but time-locking of specific UTXOs is not possible, limiting flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transaction structure by introducing separate locking scripts for different UTXOs. Each UTXO can have its own locking script that specifies different time-lock conditions, allowing individual UTXOs to be locked for different durations while maintaining a single transaction. This segmentation enables selective time-locking without requiring complex overall transaction restructuring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by embedding time-lock conditions in the locking scripts at the time of transaction creation. The locking scripts contain pre-defined time-lock parameters and cryptographic puzzles that will automatically enforce the time-lock constraints when the transaction is broadcast to the network, eliminating the need for subsequent manual intervention to enforce time-locking.
2Adaptability or versatility
If time-lock puzzles are implemented in locking scripts, then UTXOs can be locked for specific durations, but the transaction structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses cryptographic puzzles as intermediaries between the time-lock requirement and the UTXO locking mechanism. The locking scripts contain cryptographic puzzles that must be solved to unlock the UTXO, acting as a mediator that enforces time-lock constraints through computational difficulty rather than direct time-based restrictions. This intermediary approach allows flexible time-locking while maintaining cryptographic security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters within the locking script by incorporating time-lock parameters and cryptographic puzzle parameters as configurable elements. These parameters can be adjusted to create different time-lock durations and security levels, allowing the locking script to adapt to various time-lock requirements without requiring fundamentally different script structures.
3Productivity
If all UTXOs are locked with the same time constraint, then transaction processing is simple, but flexibility to lock different UTXOs at different times is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different locking scripts with different time-lock parameters to be assigned to different UTXOs within the same transaction. Each UTXO can have its own local time-lock characteristics specified in its locking script, enabling differential time-locking where each UTXO is locked for a different duration based on its specific requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves universality by creating a locking script framework that can handle both simple immediate-locking and complex time-locking scenarios within the same transaction structure. The locking script mechanism is universal enough to accommodate different time-lock requirements for different UTXOs while maintaining a consistent transaction processing approach across all UTXOs.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for generating a puzzle blockchain transaction. A first locking script of the puzzle blockchain transaction is provided, the first locking script corresponding to a first unspent transaction output and comprising a hash value derived from a target solution of a time-lock puzzle, and a set of puzzle parameters of the time-lock puzzle. The target solution is computed using a set of secret puzzle parameters. The time-lock puzzle is solvable using the set of puzzle parameter in a time equal to or greater than a minimum solving time. The set of puzzle parameters does not comprise the secret puzzle parameters. The locking script is configured to, when executed with a first unlocking script of a solution blockchain transaction, verify a candidate solution, computed using the set of puzzle parameters, provided in the first unlocking script of the solution blockchain transaction based on the hash value.