Combined Ledger Receipts for Lower Proof Storage Overhead

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Solution Overview

Problem

Distributed ledger systems face challenges in efficiently storing and transmitting large numbers of transaction receipts due to memory and network bandwidth requirements, as each receipt requires significant storage and transmission resources.

Innovation Solution

The generation of combined receipts that condense multiple transactions into a single receipt, utilizing compressed path information and replica signatures, reduces the storage and transmission needs by minimizing redundant data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If individual receipts are generated for each transaction, then proof authenticity is maintained, but memory and network bandwidth requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproof authenticityVSAvoidmemory and network bandwidth requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple individual transaction receipts into a single aggregated receipt that represents multiple transactions. This is achieved by creating a receipt that references a set of transaction hashes and a common proof structure, allowing multiple transactions to be verified through one consolidated receipt rather than requiring separate receipts for each transaction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The combined receipt structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides proof for multiple different transactions, maintains cryptographic verification capabilities, and reduces storage requirements. The universal proof mechanism can validate any transaction within the referenced set without requiring transaction-specific proof data for each individual transaction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If multiple receipts are stored for multiple transactions, then complete transaction verification is enabled, but storage efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransaction verification completenessVSAvoidstorage efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple transaction verification proofs into a single combined receipt structure that references multiple transactions. Instead of storing separate receipt files for each transaction, the system stores one aggregated receipt that contains a collection of transaction hashes and a unified proof mechanism that can verify any transaction within the set.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If full path information is included in each receipt, then proof validity is ensured, but data redundancy increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproof validityVSAvoiddata redundancy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential verification elements from individual receipts and consolidates them into a combined structure. Instead of including complete path information for each transaction, the combined receipt extracts and stores only the necessary transaction hashes and a shared proof structure that can validate all transactions in the set without redundant data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4036778B1Receipts of a distributed ledger
Publication Date: 2026.04.15 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP4036778B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4036778B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for generating a combined receipt in a distributed ledger system implemented by replicas of a network. The replicas maintain a distributed ledger comprising a plurality of executed transactions authenticated using a hash tree having a hash root. Some or all of the replicas cryptographically sign the hash root. A combined receipt for a first transaction and second transaction of a plurality of executed transactions is generated by determining path information comprising a minimum set of values required to generate the hash root from either the first transaction or the second transaction given the first transaction and the second transaction. The combined receipt for the first and second transactions comprises: i) the determined path information; and ii) an indication of which replicas signed the hash root.