Centralized Blockchain Ledger with Trusted Timestamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blockchain-based systems face challenges in efficiently managing transactions due to the need for consensus processes, which are time-consuming and costly, and lack effective immutability and trustworthiness in data storage.
Innovation Solution
A blockchain-based centralized ledger system that integrates trust timestamp information from a third-party trust time server, eliminating the need for consensus processes and enhancing the immutability, reliability, and credibility of stored data by leveraging a central trusted authority and cryptographic verifiability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a distributed ledger system uses consensus processes to validate transactions, then data immutability and trustworthiness are improved, but transaction processing time and system complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a trusted timestamp server as an intermediary authority that issues cryptographic timestamps to transactions. This mediator provides third-party verification of transaction timing without requiring consensus among multiple ledger nodes, thereby maintaining immutability through trusted timestamping while eliminating the time-consuming consensus process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the timestamp verification function from the consensus process itself. By separating the timing verification role into a dedicated trusted timestamp server, the system removes the need for all nodes to agree on transaction order and timing, thus reducing processing time while preserving the immutability guarantee through cryptographic timestamping.
2Reliability
If a distributed ledger system performs consensus validation for each transaction, then data trustworthiness is enhanced, but system operational complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The trusted timestamp server acts as a specialized intermediary that handles the complex task of providing cryptographically verifiable timestamps. This separates the trust verification function from the general ledger operations, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining high trustworthiness through the mediator's cryptographic signatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables transactions to self-verify their timestamp validity through cryptographic proof without requiring active consensus participation from other nodes. Each transaction carries its own trusted timestamp signature, allowing nodes to independently verify trustworthiness without complex inter-node coordination.
3Measurement precision
If timestamp requests are obtained individually for each block in multiple blockchains, then timestamp accuracy is maintained, but service costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual timestamp requests into a single batch request for the trusted timestamp server. By combining timestamp needs from multiple blockchains and blocks into one consolidated request, the system maintains accurate timestamping for each block while significantly reducing the total number of communications with the timestamp server, thereby lowering service costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal timestamping mechanism that serves multiple blockchains simultaneously through a single trusted timestamp server instance. The server provides timestamping services across different blockchain networks using a unified approach, reducing redundant operations and optimizing resource utilization while maintaining the precision required for each individual blockchain.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for managing blockchain-based centralized ledger systems. One of the methods includes: maintaining multiple blockchains and a centralized trust timestamp blockchain in a centralized ledger system, each of the blockchains including a plurality of blocks storing transaction data, the timestamp blockchain including a plurality of timestamp blocks storing trust timestamp information of an independent trust time server for the blockchains, receiving timestamp requests for to-be-timestamped blocks in the blockchains, each of the timestamp requests including information of a respective to-be-timestamped block, receiving a timestamp and associated signature of the trust time server for the to-be-timestamped blocks from the trust time server, and storing information of the timestamp and the associated signature of the trust time server and the information of the to-be-timestamped blocks in a timestamp block of the timestamp blockchain.