Cross-Ledger NFT Linking for Product Life Cycle Traceability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inefficient management of the life cycle of products leads to ineffective use of resources, as items are not appropriately circulated, resulting in the lack of disassembled and recycled components for new product manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
An information processing method involving distributed ledgers to manage non-fungible tokens (NFTs) associated with items, where a first NFT is stored in a first ledger and a second NFT with life cycle information is stored in a second ledger, facilitating transactions and handovers to encourage resource efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a single distributed ledger is used to store NFTs associated with items, then the system is simple to operate, but it is difficult to manage and trace the complete life cycle information of items across different stages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the distributed ledger system into multiple specialized ledgers, each responsible for storing NFTs and information for specific life cycle stages (manufacturing, distribution, usage, recycling). This segmentation allows comprehensive life cycle information to be captured across separate ledgers while maintaining traceability through cross-referencing NFT addresses between ledgers.
2Loss of information
If multiple distributed ledgers are used to manage different life cycle stages, then complete life cycle information can be tracked, but the system becomes more complex to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal NFT address system that functions across all distributed ledgers. Each NFT serves multiple purposes: identifying items within its ledger, linking to items in other ledgers, and enabling traceability throughout the entire life cycle. This multi-functionality simplifies operation by providing a consistent interface despite the underlying complexity of multiple ledgers.
Solution Approach 2:
The NFT address acts as an intermediary that connects different distributed ledgers. By storing NFT addresses in metadata across ledgers, the system enables cross-ledger traceability without requiring direct integration between ledgers, thus maintaining operational simplicity while achieving comprehensive information tracking.
3Reliability
If NFTs are stored in a single ledger, then the system structure is simple, but it is difficult to ensure data security and integrity across different life cycle stages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data storage across multiple distributed ledgers, with each ledger maintaining security and integrity for its specific life cycle stage. The segmentation is achieved by creating separate ledgers for different stages (manufacturing, distribution, usage, recycling) while using NFT addresses to link them, thus distributing data integrity requirements across multiple secure boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where NFTs contain metadata that includes addresses of other NFTs in different ledgers. This nesting allows each ledger to maintain its own security boundaries while embedding references to related items in other ledgers, creating a hierarchical trust structure that enhances overall data integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing method includes: obtaining an address of a first distributed ledger in which a first non-fungible token (NFT) is stored, the first NFT being associated one-to-one with an item; and storing, in a second distributed ledger different from the first distributed ledger, a second NFT including the address of the first distributed ledger obtained, the second NFT being associated with life cycle information that is information regarding a life cycle of the item.